Indicator of a Curse

by Lesley A Meldrum

  The hairs on Sarah’s arms were standing on end. Heat surged around her. It was disorienting. Nobody had had this effect on her before.

  Jana placed the cards face down on the table and cut them into three decks. She asked Sarah to choose any deck.

  Sarah chose the middle.

  Jana picked up the decks, leaving Sarah’s on top. One card at a time, she began to lay a spread of cards on the table in an arrangement she was practiced in. With each card, she explained its meaning and how it related to Sarah.

  Sarah tried to make sense of the pictures coated on each of the cards. But unlike her experienced reader, the pictures meant nothing. Unsurprisingly, the tower in the card Jana drew was ablaze. The hangman didn’t give Sarah a warm fuzzy feeling either. She wondered if the death card really meant death.

  The psychic’s interpretations were aided with flashes of clairvoyance that came at random moments.

  Jana studied the hangman. ‘My spirit tells me you are being suspended in time and you are wanting to break old patterns. I’m getting an untimely death. A pattern of untimely death; an indication of a curse.’ She broke off awhile to gather more insight. ‘I’m not quite clear on what the message is telling me. There is some part of your life that is cut short over and over again. It dies, recycles, dies, and recycles again.’

  ‘I need to uncover some more cards. The cards will reveal.’

  And then came the Tower. ‘Your life is about to change. Or end! I keep getting, “Your life is about to end.” An end is not necessarily an end of your life. It can be some aspect in your life. An end of something is a beginning to something else. It doesn’t always mean it’s a bad thing.

  ‘In this case, I feel the work of dark forces. The rapid transformation that is going to occur in your world is due to forces beyond your control.

  ‘It is time for you to break this cycle. The circumstances seem impossible to overcome, but I believe you can and you will.

  ‘The time has come. It is time for you to find a way to break the foundation of the past and replace it with something better for you. I believe there is someone who can help you. That someone is not revealing himself or herself to me yet. It will come.’

  Jana left Sarah hanging for a pause while she stared glassy eyed at the tower card. ‘I’m seeing fire around you. As I gaze at the fire-blazing tower, I keep seeing fire around you. I’m getting a building on fire.’

  She looked to the next card; the wheel of fortune. ‘A year ago, you started thinking about your demise. You have every reason to. The reckoning has begun. Patterns are starting to form.’

  ‘The wheels are turning. In this case, for the worse. The forces are preparing you like a sacrificial lamb. Have you noticed patterns in your life? Like unusual occurrences or coincidences that have only just started happening in your life in the past year? Are there messages or songs you keep hearing?’

  Flashbacks came to Sarah as she recalled the odd moments. ‘For some reason,’ she said, ‘Lyrics in songs have drawn my attention and then they stay stuck in my head. I keep hearing songs like: I’m on Fire, or Ring of Fire, or Only the Good Die Young.’

  ‘I’ve also gotten clumsy. I keep burning myself. I’ve burnt my fingers with matches. I’ve burnt myself on the stove and on the clothes iron. What really concerns me is I’ve left the stove and the iron on a few times. It’s not like me to be forgetful.’

  Sarah thought of more stuff. ‘The conversations I have had lately are strange. We’ve discussed young people dying, especially in house fires. I’m hearing that expression, “Hellfire!” And every time I turn the TV on, there is a house fire or a bushfire, especially on the news.’ Sarah realized these synchronicities may be foreshadowing her fate. A regeneration of anxiety and fear coursed through her body.

  Jana’s voice interrupted her thoughts. ‘Your actions will decide whether you can turn this misfortune around,’ said Jana. ‘There is a way out.’

  ‘This time luck has brought you a saviour. You must seek that person out. I’m getting female energy. And I’m getting a name. Something like Lisa or Aleisha. I’m getting a bell too. I’m hearing a bell ringing. The bell will lead you to this person.’

  Jana read the next card. ‘Eight of wands indicate accelerated movement. Your destination will be upon you very soon. The dark forces are making haste and in order to change the outcome, you must make haste in your actions, your choices, and your decisions.

  ‘Fate is on the horizon and is nearing rapidly. Everything has accelerated. Your dreams are daily now. Your occurrences are regular. If you want to break the cycle, the time to act is now.

  ‘The forces are now leading you to your fate, but you have a fighting spirit. Your spirit is leading you to a better outcome. That is why you are here with me. You have been led. You have been paying attention to your intuition. Keep listening. Don’t give up.

  ‘Look,’ said Jana, placing her finger on the chariot card. ‘The next card is saying you have the chance to achieve your victory. You have hard work ahead of you though and you must believe in yourself and your helpers.’

  ‘I’m getting that special person again. I believe that universe will bring you together. That is, if you continue to follow your guidance.’

  The next card was death. Jana didn’t say anything; she simply studied it and moved onto the next card. She turned over a few without speaking.

  ‘You were once a witch,’ Jana announced out of the blue. ‘You read tarot cards.’

  She paused for a moment.

  Staring at the cards, Jana’s eyes took on a faraway look. As she concentrated, her face was quite expressive. Sarah could not tell if Jana was confused or mortified. Whatever thoughts were running through her head, it was alarming.

  ‘You were burnt at the stake. I’m getting England. That’s strange, you know. Witches were never burnt at the stake in England. They were hung. There must be more to it.’

  She concentrated harder. She tried to get more insight but to no avail. She rubbed Sarah’s hands with her fingers, but nothing came. Sarah’s energy field was quite low for a young woman and there were blockages.

  Jana was sure something was wedging itself between her and Sarah, a presence trying to keep her out. It did not want her penetrating Sarah’s psyche.

  Until she knew what was interfering with their session, she opted to continue.

  She carried on with the next card. She was about to explain its meaning but noticed Sarah reeling.

  Sarah couldn’t believe Jana’s last comment. She had died in a fire!

  Her thoughts were filled with horrifying images of the dreams that haunted her every restless night. She always dreamed of burning in a fire.

  Now it all made sense to her.

  ‘That would explain my fear of fire then,’ Sarah said, looking at Jana squarely. ‘I also hate being in closed up rooms with heaters running. It gets so stuffy.’

  Jana gave her a knowing look. ‘Yes, but there’s more to it, isn’t there?’ Her gaze penetrated deep into Sarah’s soul.

  Sarah broke. She dropped her head and buried her face in her hands as she bawled. Her shoulders shook. This time she was not holding back. Some of the guests who were near looked in her direction, but she didn’t care.

  Jana produced a box of tissues from out of nowhere and handed them to her. Sarah tore the tissues from the box and wiped her eyes before attempting to blow her nose. She blew stridently, not caring who was around.

  Jana granted her a moment to pull herself together.

  Until then, Sarah hadn’t noticed the buzzing in the room as the other psychics did their readings. The place had filled up. Now it made sense why Jana was speaking in a whisper. It would be so easy to speak over the top of each other. Not to mention, it would be too impersonal if other people were listening in.

  ‘I have these constant dreams about dying in a fire,’ Sarah said, able to speak again. ‘I’ve had them for as long as I can remember. I’m always twenty-six in my dreams. I’m turni
ng twenty-six in March. The dreams are becoming more frequent. I’m freaking out!

  ‘I’ve tried everything to block the dreams, but nothing works. I’ve tried blasting music. I’ve tried running the TV in the background.’ Sarah looked at Jana with pleading eyes. Sympathy was spread across Jana’s face. ‘If you can’t help me, Jana, this year is it.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ Jana said, with a note of sincere compassion. ‘I felt something at odds in your spirit when I was holding your hands. I don’t usually look for negativity in my clients’ reading unless they really need to be told, and I usually don’t like to predict their time of death, but that is what I saw. I saw death.’

  ‘My dreams are not ordinary dreams,’ Sarah said, her hands shaking. ‘They’re a premonition. It’s like I know my life ends when I’m twenty-six.’ She broke down in tears again. ‘I’m not ready to die,’ she blubbered. ‘I’ve got so much to live for, Jana. I haven’t married. I haven’t had children. I haven’t travelled.’

  Jana’s eyes saddened at the prospect. ‘I understand where you are coming from,’ she said in a gentle voice. ‘You should see a past life regressionist to release these past fears. I believe they can help you.’

  Jana pulled out a notebook and pen from her handbag, which had been sitting at her feet, and she began to scribble. ‘I know there are regressionists here,’ she said in a low voice. ‘But this person is the best around and she only lives up the road from you in Rockhampton.’ She tore the page away and handed it over. ‘Please go see her.’

  Sarah said nothing, but the look on her face told Jana she would be paying a visit, which gave her satisfaction enough.

  Jana laid the last card on the table and breathed deep. Her face paled as she stared at the card. She looked up at her client in horror.

  ‘Please, go see the regressionist,’ she urged.

  ‘I will,’ Sarah agreed.

  She waited for the interpretation of the last card, but it never came. Jana packed her cards up. Sarah was gutted when Jana put them aside, finalising the reading. She wanted so badly to hear the last interpretation from Jana, but instinct told her to leave it alone.

  The egg timer rang loudly, startling Sarah. It was a half hour egg timer and Sarah hadn’t noticed Jana turning the egg timer over after the first half hour interval. Nor did she hear the alarm go off. Perhaps Jana had intercepted it before it made a racket.

  ‘And that is the end of our session,’ confirmed Jana. She stopped the CD player and placed the CD back into the empty case for Sarah.

  They shared a smile and, as Sarah was about to leave, the lady reached for her hand and held it tightly. ‘Sarah, when I was reading the last card a dark force spoke to me. It warned me off you. Its presence is evil and it’s very possessive of you. It didn’t like me. It told me to “die bitch”.

  ‘Be careful,’ Jana said before letting go. ‘You are a beautiful soul. I sense that this thing is someone or something from your past. You must go see that regressionist.’

  A chill of fear crept over Sarah, as if somebody had walked over her grave. Somehow, she knew this to be true. She had always sensed there was a presence around her. Or rather, inside her.

  Sarah thanked Jana for her warning. She walked away a few shades whiter.

  Two

  The past life regressionist’s address was in a beautiful area in one of the richer suburbs of Rockhampton, which didn’t surprise Sarah at all. Her booking with the regressionist came with quite a price tag, so much so that Sarah had googled Kerry Bell before deciding to give up any of her hard-earned cash. Turned out she was quite well-known.

  Kerry was popular with the Hollywood stars, having lived in Hollywood for over a decade. In that time, she had married and divorced an American man. After her divorce, she returned to Australia to support her ailing mother who was diagnosed with terminable cancer and her father who was suffering with dementia.

  Her life had changed dramatically, but her career had not flagged in the process.

  Sarah had expected to read some sordid details about Kerry’s work, but the online profiles related more to her private life. As a result, not one client was mentioned, which made Sarah more comfortable about her own privacy. It showed Kerry’s respect for client confidentiality.

  Nonetheless, Sarah felt she was still too uninformed about all this past life regression stuff. Kerry’s business site had explained a little but not enough to satisfy her curiosity. Sarah knew it involved hypnotism, but she wanted to be better informed about the process before going under.

  She was desperate to know what Kerry would be putting her through while she was unconscious. To be honest, the vulnerability made her a little nervous. She wasn’t even sure yet if she was susceptible to hypnotherapy.

  Kerry Bell’s office was on the top floor of a stunning five storey building that had white lattice railings hemming in all the balconies. The building was cream coloured with white trimmings on the corners and edgings. The establishment could have easily been taken from the Napoleon era. It had a French-style influence that reminded Sarah of an exquisite chateau belonging to Marie Antoinette.

  The tiled courtyard came with a waterfall feature in the centre and a simple but well-designed garden. It was neat and tidy, not overcrowded or ostentatious.

  Sarah would have gladly sat on the garden bench under the shady tree just to listen to the gentle spilling water and the chirping of the small songbirds. There were even butterflies, which gave extra peace and tranquillity to the place.

  But as time would allow it, she only had five minutes to make it to her appointment.

  Sarah was a little puffed when she reached the top of the old-fashioned staircase, reminding her that she must climb stairs more often. She tended to opt for the elevator at every opportunity.

  She stopped for a little while to catch her breath. Sarah didn’t want the staff knowing how unfit she was. It was a disheartening discovery even for herself. She often walked to work and tried to hit the gym at least three times a week. Goes to show, climbing wasn’t her forte.

  Sarah burst through the door marked as Kerry’s office and stood in the foyer. The receptionist looked up and smiled. Sarah returned the smile as she walked up to the counter.

  The young girl looked too fresh out of school to be manning the front desk. She appeared no older than eighteen, but she seemed to have it all under control.

  Sarah leaned across the counter. ‘Hi,’ she said, trying her best to be businesslike. ‘I’m here for my appointment. Sarah Larson.’

  The girl checked her schedule and speed typed into the computer. ‘Take a seat. Kerry will see you in a moment.’

  Sarah sat close to the magazines. They were three years outdated. Going through the pages, Sarah noted all the stars had well and truly moved on since then.

  Sighing heavily, she closed the magazine and foraged through the stack to find something more up to date. The most recent magazine she found was three months outdated, but at least it was from this past year.

  Sarah made it through the first few pages when she heard Kerry’s office door open. She looked up to see a pleasant face looking back at her. The lady had smiling eyes.

  ‘Sarah Larson, come through.’ Kerry held the door open for her to enter.

  Sarah replaced the magazine and walked towards the door. Kerry watched her every step of the way. Sarah tried to act casual as she slipped past and made a beeline for the couch. It looked like a typical therapist’s couch: a black leather elongated substitute for a bed. Sarah was sure she would stick to the upholstery with sweat, but when she sat on it, it was soft leather. She found herself running her hands across it.

  Kerry closed the door and walked over to the smaller single seat that matched the large couch. She sat down and reached for a folder sitting on the side table, resting it on her lap while she waited for Sarah to finish looking around.

  The room was large, office equipment assembled at the back and a large inviting lounge suite set up in the centre. Kerr
y’s office desk had a laptop sitting on it, with office chairs placed either side.

  Sarah wondered whether she should have sat at the desk, but, to be honest, she was quite content with where she was and Kerry didn’t seem to mind. Sarah could easily have sunk into the couch. There was a king-size pillow at one end. It made her want to lie down and rest her head, but she was too newly acquainted with Kerry to get comfortable. Kerry seemed friendly enough, though. She had one of those smiles that went from ear to ear. It matched her smiling eyes.

  ‘Now, Sarah,’ she said. ‘I have your report that we did over the phone.’ The manila folder she was nursing had Sarah’s name on it. ‘I’ve filled in what I can and later I would like you to fill in the rest. It’s a very interesting case, I have to say. Did you know it was unusual for witches to be burnt at the stake in England?’

  Sarah remembered the psychic at the expo saying the same thing.

  ‘Contrary to people’s beliefs, other places were burning witches,’ Kerry said. ‘You know, like France, Germany, Scotland, and all over Europe, but in England witches were actually hanged.’

  Sarah’s eyebrows were sitting high on her forehead. ‘Really? I didn’t know that.’ It didn’t ring true to her. ‘Are you sure nobody was ever burnt in England?’

  ‘Well, in England people were burnt for treason or heresy.’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ was all Sarah could say.

  ‘Perhaps you lived somewhere else. Maybe your reader mistook the place for England.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Sarah agreed.

  ‘Like I said, whatever it is that has a hold on you, it may come out in one whole session or it may take more. There’s no designated time limit. These things are not predictable. I understand time is not on your side, but to win this battle we must do whatever it takes, even if it is a hundred sessions crammed into one. How do you feel about that?’

  Sarah was glad somebody realised the time sensitivity of her dilemma. Glad she was believed. But hypnosis therapy was new territory to her.