Precious Anathema

by T. L. Manning

  *

  You’re great, great; Grandmother Emma had no intentions of cursing herself and certainly not the entire family when she cast the spell. She had been involved with a man who decided to publically cheat on her and humiliate her. She cast the spell (and then threw it away) No one knows what the original spell was, but I can tell you this. All the Grace women have looked the same since, until you. All the Grace women have only been able to have girls, and All Grace women have many abilities and one is to enchant any man they come upon, To use, to play with and then with a heart as cold as ice throw them away. If we don’t, like your father they disappear from us before the child is born. I didn’t want this for you and left the family completely. You were born unlike any girl the Grace family has seen in decades, it gave me hope that somehow I had been able to keep you from it. When you were three years old I learned that you looked different but you had more to you than any Grace woman before. At the park I watched you make a boy fall from a swing, I watched you do it when he stole it from you, then as I ran to you I watched you heal his skinned knees. We all have gifts aside from the curse and the bloodline, but our most unique gift has always been dark. You have a gift that is truly from light, I want you to burn this letter after you read it, and I want you to keep your gifts a secret while you figure them out. I want you to get to know your family but ultimately decide for yourself what you want for your future. I am giving you my spell book, but I ask you not to try anything inside until you are ready. I love you Delilah and I am with you every second of everyday from now until the stars stop shining.

  Love forever and a day,

  Mom

  *

  I had only been in Maine for three hours and wanted to run back to Nebraska. On the outside it was an amazing sea of green hues, the air was crisp and I could taste the salt, thick as fog. The temperature had dropped over thirty degrees as we had made our way across the country, and as I grabbed my hoodie I decided that the bathing suit and sunscreen may have been over packing. As the miles continued into the ‘Way life should be’ state I saw no changes, no billboards, no signs outside of exit markers and it was all pretty boring. I had been asleep since somewhere after the five hour mark and slept all night. A twenty five hour trip had turned into an eighteen hour one with Carna’s caffeine addiction and no traffic. It was still another three hours to the house, but with Selene still asleep Eris and I started having a great time without her getting to know each other.

  “So Ella, I want the dirt.” I turned my head to see Eris had moved her way to put her head between the front seats, looking at me with a big smile. Carna looked at us and laughed as she turned down the radio.

  “Dirt, I don’t have any dirt Eris.” I looked forward hoping she would stop, but sadly she tapped my shoulder and winked at me.

  “I mean, tell me about boy dirt. Selene tells me just to try rubbing in my face because I happen to like girls, but I really am curious.” I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Carna, before I realized it I was blushing, and Eris squealed to see that I was having a reaction. “You do have dirt!” I laughed and shook my head.

  “I am sure that my two minutes of joy are really worthy of storytelling Eris, and I don’t mean I had a great two minute nights either, I mean two guys one minute each.” Carna couldn’t help but laugh and then tapped my knee with a wink. My embarrassment was radiating from me as the sun became so bright Carna had to pull down the shade and put on her glasses.

  “Ella, honey I know exactly what you mean. I don’t think I had a real sexual moment until I was almost twenty three and he was much older than I so he knew what to do, guys your age have a goal and sadly it’s not to get you off, but to get themselves off. Don’t worry honey it gets better.” Selene laughed from the backseat and I almost sighed out loud as her face popped next to Eris.

  “I give it a week before I have a guy. I hear Maine men like a little mystery in a good fuck.” Carna yelled for her not to say that word and Selene rolled her eyes sulking back to her cave. That didn’t stop Carna from looking at her from the rear view and finishing her statement though.

  “Selene, if your mother were here right now she would literally zip your mouth shut again.” Carna looked serious and I smirked as I pictured Selene with an actual zipper across her lips.

  *

  The scenery went from busy green to boring green in a matter of an hour, and more of a solemn green twenty minutes after that until all I could see were the lush woods of Maine as we exited the main road and any sign of life. From the ramp you could see the whole town, a big white church on a hill of a quiet little town. It was something you see in sappy love stories, the setting was delicate and old, no hustle, no speed as the sun reflected from the ocean blinded us the closer we got to Main Street. I decided blinking was out of the question or I may miss everything. Carna stopped at what appeared to be the only mom and pop gas station and I stepped out to stretch my legs, as Eris and Selene got out of the Van and stood beside Carna I could see people inside the station begin pointing and ladies were whispering to one another, while men actually backed away. No one would come out and help us, and the sign clearly said that it was a full service station. I turned to Carna, who looked just as confused as I did, but handed me a credit card and asked me to go in and pay. At first I said no way, I wasn’t walking into the lion’s den. She tossed the card to me and pointed in the store as she began yelling so they could hear her.

  “They are acting this way purely on how we look, and the history the family has here, nothing more Hun. They probably think we stole you for a sacrifice, I mean really people come on!” I shook my head and walked into the station to get away from the ranting’s of a mad woman more than anything else. I stood at the counter and everyone was staring, but with questioning eyes. No one got up to help me, so I began tapping the card on the counter, a little louder as each minute passed by that I could still hear Carna yelling from the parking lot. Finally I felt a tap on my shoulder, turning around I was face to face with an amazing black leather jacket that seemed to be at least six feet something given where my eyes rested. I could smell a wonderful mix of chainsaw oil, sawdust and grease coming off the jacket and knew I was in trouble if I looked up. Instead, I quickly glanced down, and it was worse. Tight jeans and a big ass belt buckle where the perfect frame for his caged animal. I shook my head, what the hell was I doing? I didn’t think like that ever. I picked my head up and before me stood a blue eyed, dimple cheeked God.

  “I don’t work here but I can help you with that, my name is Xander you must be new here.” I looked around and no one would meet my eyes so I looked back at the gorgeous man before me. “Because small town means everyone knows you or no one does. Since I don’t know you I assume you are new.” He smiled and looked me up and down with a reddening in his cheeks. “I would certainly know you.” He smiled, showing off the matching set to his dimple and I felt my knees buckle under the weight of tension that had suddenly built inside me.

  “That’s credit.” I didn’t know what to say and I panicked. He laughed as he swiped the card, and waved it an older woman on the other side of the counter who I took to be the owner.

  “I thought it probably was since its plastic and not paper darlin.” I felt my cheeks get warm and then heard more whispers from the other side of the station. I made a face at them and he began to laugh.

  “The crazy old bats think that your friends look like some people they know that’s all.” I shook my head and let out a little sigh of relief.

  “That makes me feel better since this is the first time any of us have been here.” I made sure to say it loud enough for the room to hear me.

  “First time any of you have been here?” He asked as the whispers quieted down and Xander handed me back my card with a smile he said the one thing that would seal our doom in this town.

  “I will come out and pump the gas for you Ms. Grace.” One of the ladies gasped, and the elder men took two more steps away from me. I looked at hi
m almost afraid to ask, but it came out before I could shove a boot in my mouth.

  “How do they know me?” He took my arm and we started to back out of the station, Xander opened the door for me, I never turned around though. I couldn’t’ take my eyes of these crazy people. I could hear Carna still on a tear as we got closer to the van.

  “Seriously don’t people have better things to do than judge us on something’s that happened here over a hundred years ago, none of that has anything to do with us?” Xander smiled at everyone and began pumping the gas during Carna’s speech and then she turned to him for a second opinion. “Young man don’t you agree?” He smiled back at her, and Selene’s whore sense began twitching as she began to slink around the van to get a better look at the incredible specimen before us.

  “No disrespect intended at all, but all of you except her.” He said, pointing at me, “Look just like the witches described from my childhood bedtime stories. The fact that you share the same name doesn’t sit well with some of the older folks here in town, but don’t worry it will be yesterday’s news in an hour when someone walks in with a tattoo.” He laughed, showing his beautiful dimples and I swear I saw Selene try to pounce on him. I rolled my eyes at her and got into the van before I was a casualty in her mental assault. Carna got in and yelled for Selene to get her ass in the van. I buckled myself in when I heard a tap on the window. Xander was standing on the other side of the door looking at me, he must need a tip. I rolled the window down and grabbed a few dollars to hand him, instead he handed me a piece of paper. I looked down and saw a gorgeous handwritten name and phone number. I looked up and smiled.

  “You can call me anytime and I can show you around town if you like, or I can just see you over there later.” He winked at me and I was about to ask what he meant as he smiled and asked, “Can I get a name?” I closed my hand tight as I felt Selene’s eyes burning into the back of my head and looked up at him with a smile.

  “Delilah, my name is Delilah Grace.” Carna started the van and we drove off. I wondered what he meant by “see you over there” where was he going to see me? I couldn’t help myself and watched him through the side mirror and he just stood still, watching us drive away. Carna grabbed my knee and squealed with delight.

  *

  The air became heavy and the sky darkened on the horizon as she drove away from me, clutching my phone number in her hand. I knew that this meant the prophecy was true, we all had our parts but mine was one I had dreaded since childhood. Part of me had hoped this day would never come. I walked back to my truck glaring at the faces inside the gas station; they all knew who she was and why she was here. They should feel relief at the sight of her fire red hair, but they still showed her their fear. Starting the truck with a load of supplies for the Estate I couldn’t help thinking of her face as she saw the looks from the others, she had no idea what awaited her here. As a child my father had told me the stories of the release of our curse, it was a prophecy told by his father and his father before him. The legend stated that one day a child would be born from lies and deceit, this child would grow up in the dark of her path until such a day came that the curse would take her mother from her, and she would return to us. I had to get to my father and tell him that the day had come. I drove out of town and began the scariest trip of my life, I wasn’t sure I could hold my end of the bargain. Seeing her, so sweet and kind made me question everything. I had never doubted that as much as I hated my part, I would do it without a second thought. She would be a Grace woman after all, it would be easy. I never expected Delilah to be so innocent, and my father would see my hesitation all over my face.

  TWO

  “Oh honey, you have him hooked and it may be a new record for a Grace woman. We have only been in town ten minutes and you got a phone number girl good job.” I smiled for maybe the third time in a long time and put my head back to relax as we turned onto an old dirt road on the edge of town. It had been worse than I thought as we had now made it clearly through the entire town, no chain stores, no movie theatre, and no hang outs. I was submerged in New England hell. The brochures I had looked at said nothing about this, I checked my cell and could almost make out one bar, I was going to end up sending smoke signals to Ally, and they might get to her faster than a text from here. The driveway we were now in was long but not nearly as overgrown as I had expected after almost a hundred years of no one living here exclusively. It made me think of what Xander asked me about our first time here, something didn’t seem to add up as we made our way through the perfectly landscaped road, was this the first lie I had to question?

  “Carna, I thought you had said that no one has lived here for decades?” She smiled as we stopped in front of a very large, very grand gate.

  “We have a groundskeeper that lives here with his son and has taken care of the property for as long as I can remember, his whole family has been employed by us over almost a hundred years, and they have a house on the estate.” The estate, no one told me I would be living in an estate. “His wife like his own mother passed away shortly after giving birth, but we don’t’ really like to talk about that.” How did she know about the grounds keepers’ family history if she had never spent time here? Carna looked into the rearview and smiled at Selene.

  “I believe his son is about your age sweets, so don’t be too bitchy about the guy in town. You can have this one.” She winked at me and then laughed as the gate opened and we began our way into the estate. The hedges were immaculate, I stared out the window trying to make out the hundreds of animals and designs that lined this perfect driveway, Carna tapped my knee and I looked up at my first sighting of the Grace estate. It took my breath away, large fountain in the front with two statues of naked male gods beside it. The house seemed as long as a football field and looked to be four stories high in places with a widow’s walk clearly visible from the ground. I suddenly felt very small and insignificant. My nerves got the best of me as I spun my ring feverishly and said the first thing that came to mind.

  “Do I need to find a golden ticket to get in?” Carna laughed and tapped my knee again.

  “Believe it or not Ella this is technically my first time here as well so I think we are all a little awestruck at the moment.” Technically her first time here, what the hell did that mean? I was getting more confused by the minute, and spoke again before thinking.

  “I thought this was the family home, how is this technically your first time here?” She winked at me again and took a deep breathe.

  “Ella you are going to learn so much over the next few days I can only tell you that our ancestors were not nice women, we have had to keep many secrets and that’s why this house has been empty for so long, not until now did we think it was safe to come here to stay. Only my mother remembers this place as a child and even that was for a short time.” I opened the door so she didn’t see my panicked face as my imagination began to run away with me, she had said before that she didn’t know much about this place, but now was telling me that she had to keep secrets, and technically this was her first time here? I took a deep breath and kept spinning my ring as I was almost run over by a goddess running at me, she looked like she could be Carna’s twin only her hair was longer and she had much larger breasts that almost popped out as she ran at me. From behind me I heard Selene yell out.

  “Mom, don’t hug her first Dammit!” That didn’t stop who I could only assume was Kali from nearly tackling me and kissing my forehead.

  “We are so happy to finally meet you; I have dreamed about meeting you for years but never believed it would happen.” She spun me around taking me all in as she embraced me again. “You have made this family so happy Delilah, and now we are whole again.” She took a step back again just looking me all over, making sure she saw me correctly the first time, focusing mainly on my hair with wide eyes; she smiled as she hugged me again with tears in her eyes.

  “I have missed your mother so much, I am so sorry you lost her honey.” To be honest, besides
the bitch in the backseat I couldn’t figure out why Mom would ever leave these amazing and loving people, or keep them from me but I guess that’s what I had come here to learn. I grabbed my bags and we all walked toward the large double doors to our new home for the next few months. I dropped my bags by the door and we all stopped walking, the main room was bigger than the house I grew up in, a giant double staircase was before me and the world’s largest chandelier hung between the two. The windows were the size of a luxury car, and the woodwork looked hand carved, everywhere I looked I saw more of the same. To my left was a sitting room that was so intricate I couldn’t imagine actually sitting my ass in it. To my right was the biggest dining room I had ever seen, with floor to high ceiling windows and elaborate drapes. This house had to have over twenty bedrooms easily from the size of it not to mention we could all see the pool out back through one of the giant windows. This was heaven, I was officially in heaven. I smiled and Eris put her arm around me.

  “I can’t believe we are going to live here, that this is our families and we are living here!” She squealed with delight and squeezed my shoulder. Selene rolled her eyes and said something arrogant under her breath; I paid her no mind as we walked away from her and giggled, we peaked around doorways to find more hidden treasures and secret worlds. I looked at Eris and smiled.

  “We have only been in one room and I am in love.” She nodded and then Kali yelled to us to come back to the parlor.

  “We all need to go into the sitting room so that Ella, as I have been told she likes to be called, can meet Freya.” Eris got a bigger grin and pulled me to the siting room.

  “You will love Freya, best grandmother in the world and she has been waiting for you for a long time Ella.”

  *

  Pulling into the estate I saw the van, empty in the drive and continued to our house where I quickly found him chopping wood by the garage. He lowered the hatchet and looked up at me, his face was stained with the path of tears that had recently fell from his eyes, and I knew I didn’t have to tell him. He dropped the hatchet and walked to me; I put my arms out and embraced him.