Emily was heading home with James after a birthday dinner at a nice restaurant in Manchester. Itd been a great night a full house of friends, family and colleagues, most of whom Emily was meeting for the first time, but James had invited them, so there mustve been a reason.
Emilys not the type to argue with James; she dodges fights and prefers to go with his decisions rather than try to prove shes right.
Emily, do you have the keys? Can you grab them? James asked.
She fished around in her bag, feeling a sharp sting that made her drop the bag onto the floor.
What happened? he asked.
I nicked myself on something, she replied, laughing. Your bags a maze, so its no surprise.
She didnt argue. She picked up the bag, carefully pulled the keys out, and they slipped into the flat. By then the sting was forgotten. Her legs were sore from the night, and all she could think about was a hot shower and a soft bed. The next morning she woke up with a throbbing hand her finger was red and swollen. Remembering the night before, she opened the bag out of curiosity. At the bottom she found a big, rusty needle.
What on earth? she muttered, baffled how it got in there. She tossed the needle into the bin, ran for a firstaid kit and cleaned the cut. After bandaging, she headed to work, but by noon she felt her temperature climbing.
She rang James: Love, Im not sure what to do. I think I caught something nasty yesterday. Ive got a fever, my head hurts, my whole body aches. Imagine I found a rusty needle in my bag and thats what I pricked myself with.
James replied, You should see a doctor, it could be tetanus or an infection.
Emily sighed, Ive cleaned it, Ill be fine.
But hour by hour she felt worse. Barely making it through her shift, she called a taxi home, knowing the bus would be too exhausting. She collapsed onto the sofa and fell asleep.
In her dream Grandma Margaret, whod died when Emily was a child, appeared. Emily didnt know how she recognised her, but she was certain it was her. The old, stooped figure could have scared anyone, yet Emily felt the granny was there to help.
Margaret led her through a field, pointing out herbs to gather, insisting she brew a tea and drink it to cleanse her body. She warned that someone wanted to harm Emily, and that to fight that person shed have to survive. Time was running out.
Emily woke in a cold sweat. It felt like shed slept forever, but a glance at the clock showed only a few minutes had passed. The front door clicked James was back. She slid off the sofa and shuffled to the hallway. When he saw her, he gasped, Whats happened? Look at yourself in the mirror.
She stepped to the mirror. Yesterday shed seen a bright, smiling face; now her hair was a tangled mess, dark circles under her eyes, her skin pallid, eyes vacant.
Whats going on? she asked, remembering the dream.
I saw Grandma in a dream. She told me what to do she told James.
Emily, get dressed, were going to the hospital, he urged.
No, Grandma said the doctors wont help, Emily snapped.
A fullblown argument erupted. James called her crazy, saying the feverfilled visions of her grandmother were nonsense. For the first time they really fought. James tried to force the hospital trip, grabbed her arm and tried to pull her out of the flat.
I wont go voluntarily, Ill have to make you, he said.
Emily broke free, lost her balance and smacked her head on a cupboard corner. James, furious, snatched his bag, slammed the door and stormed out. Emily managed to text her boss that she was ill and needed a few days off.
James came back after midnight, apologising, but Emily only said, Take me to the village where my grandma lived tomorrow.
The next morning Emily looked more like a walking corpse than a healthy person. James kept pleading, Emily, dont be stubborn, lets go to the hospital. I dont want to lose you.
Instead they drove to the old village. Emily could only name it; it hadnt been visited since her parents sold the cottage after her grandmas death. She slept the whole way. Near the village she woke, told James, Here.
She got out of the car, collapsed onto the grass, knowing shed reached the spot Grandma had shown her in the dream. She gathered the herbs, and they headed back. James brewed the tea just as shed instructed. Emily sipped it slowly, feeling a little better with each swallow.
She barely made it to the bathroom, then stood up to see her urine was black. It didnt frighten her; it reminded her of Margarets words: Darkness will pass.
That night Grandma appeared again, smiling, then spoke: The rusty needle cursed you. My tea will give you strength, but only for a short time. You must find who did this and return their ill intent. I dont know who it was, but its linked to your husband. If you hadnt thrown away the needle, I could have told you more.
Do this: buy a pack of needles, and over the biggest one chant, Spirits of the night, hear me! Help me uncover the truth, help me find my enemy. Slip that needle into your husbands bag. The one who cursed you will prick themselves on it. Then well know their name and can send it back.
Grandmas figure faded like mist.
Emily woke still feeling lousy, but convinced shed recover. She knew Margaret would see to it.
James decided to stay home to look after her, surprised when Emily wanted to pop out to the shop alone:
Emily, youre barely standing. Ill go with you.
James, make me some soup, Ive got a huge appetite after all this.
She followed Margarets advice from the dream. Later that night the enchanted needle was tucked into Jamess bag. Before sleeping she asked, Are you sure youll manage on your own? Should I stay?
Ill be fine.
She felt better, though she sensed the lingering curse. By the third day the tea acted like an antidote, weakening the dark force. She waited impatiently for James to come home from work. When he arrived she greeted him at the door and asked, How was your day?
Fine, why?
She thought the problem was solved, but James added, Emily, imagine this Iwona from the next department tried to help me grab the keys to my office because my hands were full. She stuck her hand in her bag and got pricked by a needle. Where did that needle come from? She looked at me so hostile, I thought shed kill me with a stare.
Whats this Iwona? Emily asked.
Emily, youre the only one who matters to me. I love only you.
Was she at your birthday dinner?
Yes, just a good colleague, nothing more.
Emily felt the pieces click. Now she understood how the old needle ended up in her bag. James went to the kitchen where dinner was waiting. That same night Grandma showed Emily how to return the curse to Iwona. She explained that Iwona wanted to oust her, to take Emilys place beside James. If she failed, shed use magic again. This woman would stop at nothing.
Emily did everything Grandma advised. Soon James said Iwona had taken sick leave, feeling terribly ill and helpless.
Emily asked James to drive her out for the weekend to the village, to the graveyard she hadnt visited since her grandmothers funeral. She bought a bunch of flowers, gloves to clear the old grass, and, with some effort, found Margarets grave. At the headstone was a photograph the very grandma who had appeared in her dreams, the one whod saved her from death. Emily tidied the grave, placed the flowers in a bottle of water, sat on a bench and whispered:
Grandma, Im sorry I didnt come sooner. I thought a yearly visit was enough. I was wrong. Ill be back more often. If it werent for you, I probably wouldnt be here now.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulders, turned, but only a gentle breeze brushed past.
She knew Margarets spirit was with her.
