Hexed

Before

The flame dipped heavily in the darkness; the light emitted from the candle gave a soft glow to the room.  Long had Jo prepped for this, she studied him, spoke with him casually, befriended Jay.  She carefully laid out her “experiment” as she commonly referred to it.  An old recipe passed down from her mother’s, mother.She had carefully planned and prepared her steps.  A pink candle, blood let from her finger, an oil long since kept a secret passed from her Grandmother to her; she had carefully engraved Jay’s name and birthday on the candle then carefully crossed it with the engraving of her name and then once again with the command “You are bound in Love to me”.She could feel the cold concrete on her knees as she kneeled staring at the sugar she had laid down under the candle in the form of a crucifix; ‘The Crossroads’ her family often referred to it.

“You think you don’t, but I know you do, you love me, you know this true, with this light your love burns for me, you shall love no other, can’t you see” she muttered over her carefully crafted environment. 

Jo, long felt neglected by her Husband Daniel.  They had been married as far back as she could remember. 

Teenagers….She and Daniel had been married since Teenagers. 

Fifteen years, three children later.  She had long since given up on Love. 

“Love is a myth, a moment” she would say to others.

Until she met Jay.

In the Moment

She reflected on her target.  Jay

Jay was something she didn’t understand; he wasn’t really anything spectacular in the traditional sense.  He wasn’t wealthy, or movie star handsome, or came from a prominent family.

Jay was just himself.  Jay was of average height, well-spoken given his urban upbringing, balding, well read and traveled due to his Military Career; really kind of cute.  A single Dad of three girls; “I suppose doting Dad would be more appropriate” she thought to herself.  He was cute, he had a lot of Romantic notions that would be considered unpopular in modern times.  A traditionalist, he loved, he laughed, he worked and was grateful for small things.  He was comfortable in himself and accepted her.  He had a good heart, “No she thought, a perfect heart” one that was unconditionally forgiving. 

But if crossed?  He was a canon. 

Jay cut easily emotionally, he had studied in Saint Mary’s Seminary before joining the Military.  He had somewhat an adolescent, and naive view on Love.  He had never been lied to by a woman, never really felt what it was like to love. 

“I did that to him, I ruined his perfect trust, his perfect heart” she thought sadly. 

“I can fix this” she thought to herself.

“I can bring him back, we’re meant to be, and whatever it takes” she uttered out loud.

Jo didn’t believe in love before Jay, now she does.  Now she wasn’t willing to let it go. 

“Whatever it takes” she repeated.

In the past

Jo was something to Jay.  Perfectly imperfect.  But he had never been treated that way.

Jay was never a believer in True Love; until he met Jo.

They had spoken for about five years on and off.  He had tolerated her deceptions.

She pretended she was someone else online, when she explained she was scared; he forgave.

She pretended she was single online, when she explained she was scared; he forgave.

He had traveled halfway across the continental United States multiple times to spend a handful of hours and endure broken promises.  When she explained; he forgave.

“It doesn’t make sense” Jay would often say to himself.

He knew he loved her something in his core told him there was a connection that was unbreakable.  He didn’t know why he just knew. 

There was a magic when they were together.  Like the world stopped a beauty, a vision that was unobtainable.

The Future

In the blackness a call stirred the beings from beyond the great mist, the veil that separated this reality and theirs.

© Copyright 2018 Jason Woods. All rights reserved.