The Curse

My fifth entry to this wonderful contest "We couldn't see land". I did not make it into the winners' list.

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TITLE: The Curse
NUMBER WORDS: 300

From a distance, Veda saw the paramedic van outside their home. He ran, fearing any explanation upon walking into their garden.

“What happened? Talk to me! Sandra!”

He was shaking his wife’s shoulders on the veranda. But Sandra just stood there, with tear-filled eyes. Veda spotted Vasanta, their girl maid. She was putting down the phone.

“Oh! Brother Veda, at last, you are here!”

“What’s going on?” he asked, his hand shaking on her arm.

“I called the paramedics, but she won’t go with them, Brother! I was trying to call you.”

“No, Landon, baby, don’t cry!” Sandra mumblered.

“What did you say? Sandra, darling?”

Veda suddenly ran into the house and made his way to the Nursery. His eyes swept the small room. He could not see Land anywhere. Toys were lying around, everything looked so normal.

“Land! Laaaaaand!” he called through the empty house.

“Where is the baby?” he screamed, coming back out on the veranda.

He came closer and waved his hand in front of his wife’s face. There was no reaction for an instant, a very long second, and then, a single tear stroke Sandra’s face. When it reached the corner of her mouth, she let out a cry. It sounded like nothing he heard before, half cry and half call.

“He stole my baby!”

Disconcerted, he turned to Vasanta.

“Who is she talking about? You must know! Talk!” he yelled.

Vasanta lowered her eyes and confessed:

“It’s Malam. He said the baby was possessed. He took him away. It is too late, Brother... too late. And my sister is crazy now,” she sobbed pointing at Sandra, "and it is all my fault, I opened the door for him.”

Veda collapsed on the floor. Through his tears, he saw the paramedics finally walking into the garden.



Note: "Malam" is the medecine man in Malaysia.