Blessed With A Curse

Kennedy paced up and down the room, the floor below him making a hollow 'thud' as his boots hit the heavy wooden floorboards. He came to a halt at the window. The moonlight danced through the panes of glass, illuminating his soft facial features as he glanced up towards the village's clock tower. He exhaled heavily, sinking into the oak chair that was placed adjacent to the window. Kennedy rocked his body slowly back and forth, running his palm across his face before letting out a low grunt.

 

If it was really true that the witches had cursed him, time was ticking. There was nothing that he could do but wait. The next minute felt like a millennium. He started to breathe heavily as he waited for whatever miserable fate he would be consigned to. The butterflies in his stomach turned into eagles as they swooped around in vicious circles deep in his gut, trying to break free from his insides.

 

The bells tolled and echoed through the empty streets and droplets of rain began pitter-pattering against the panes of glass in front of him. A few seconds passed by, but it felt as if nothing had happened. Perhaps they were deceiving him after all. 

 

Feeling a spot of liquid fall onto his tongue, he opened his mouth and dabbed at his gums with the index finger of his right hand and then inspected it. A small crimson pool had formed on the back of his finger. His mouth had started to bleed. It was only a light dripping of blood, but he was bleeding nonetheless. 

 

Without warning, Kennedy's jaw snapped and he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. One by one, his teeth fell away from his gums and fell to the floor like penny pieces and landed on the floorboards. He grunted in agony. It felt like the devil himself was invading his body as a new set of teeth cracked their way through his jaw bone, slicing aggressively through his gums and finally coming to a halt in his mouth, droplets of blood still raining down out from his lips. 

 

With adrenaline pulsing through every nerve system in his body, Kennedy tried to rise to his feet but his ankles gave way beneath him, splintering as he fell to the floor. He tried to scream, but it was as if his vocal chords had been plucked from his body by a hungry predator; he could only manage a hoarse whisper as he forced a blast of air out of his throat.

 

A searing burn shot through the entirety of his body. The witches had certainly chosen to drag him through the seventh circle of hell. His skin began to bubble and melt, and it was so violently painful that he began to claw at it with his own hands. His skin came free of his bones like a succulent joint of meat being torn apart by the jagged teeth of a pack of wolves and the scent of burning human flesh brimmed the room.

 

Eventually, the waves of pain stopped crashing over his body, but Kennedy still lay motionless on the wooden floorboards and his heart was still beating at a phenomenal rate. He looked down at his skin. It appeared to have melted away from his body, forming an oozing, bloody layer of liquefied tissue. Where he had ripped it away from his arm, there was a new layer of fresh, smooth, and flawless skin – almost as if he had shed his shell. He itched at the surface layer and it came away with ease, revealing more of the flawless layer of soft skin. Bit by bit, Kennedy chipped away at the melted surface layer until the wooden floorboards were covered from wall to wall in the gooey tissue. 

 

Still in shock, Kennedy stumbled across the room to the dressing table and peered into the mirror, which was illuminated by a pair of wax candles positioned slightly to the sides of it. In the mirror, a female body gazed back at him intensely. Her skin appeared to be delicate and silky, and her strawberry-blonde curls waltzed from her roots and down into a resting position on her shoulders. Her body was curvaceous and, despite the situation, Kennedy had to admit, beautiful. The female in the mirror let out a gasp, exploring her body with her hands. She sank onto the chair and stared longingly at the piece of parchment pinned to the wall as full realization began to sweep through her body like a lead weight. The parchment announced the annual village ball. There was no way that she'd be able to convince her love interest to go to the ball with her if her body was... well... female.

 

Kennedy awoke with the sun cutting through the morning frost and some birds singing an upbeat tune from a tree nearby. She must have been so deep in thought about the transformation that she drifted into a slumber. She rose from the chair where she had been slumped all night, and wandered to the mirror. The appearance of a female face in the glass still sent a shock through her system; to say that it would take a while to get used to would be an understatement. 

 

She gazed out of the bedroom window and onto the streets below and the scent of roasted chestnuts and freshly baked bread fluttered into Kennedy's nose. Her eyes scanned the cobbled walkways; children dashed around playfully, parents chattered, and traders set up their stalls under the shelter of the grand oak tree in the centre of the town square. Her eyes came to a rest upon seeing a young woman standing outside the bakery store. Helena's coiled red hair twirled delicately down onto her back and seemed to glow like a ruby crystal as the morning sun illuminated it. Her body was fairly short, and her smile was warm and welcoming.

 

A young man approached her with a bouquet of fresh flowers in his right hand. He whispered something in her ear, handing over the flowers. Who was this mystery man? Was he going to ask her to the ball? Kennedy's heart began to do somersaults. She knew she had to act fast in order to stand any chance at taking Helena's hand in the ballroom. She glanced across the street towards the dressmakers. If she was to stand any chance at all, she knew she would at least have to look presentable.

 

She pushed open the iron door. Inside the shop was magnificent; the shop floor was covered in a sea of vibrant colours. Waves of emerald green dresses lined the walls of the west side of the shop, while a beautiful sunset of reds and magentas hung from the walls on the east side. The shop owner, an older lady with a slight frame and radiant silver hair, toddled across the marble tiles.

 

“How can I help you dear?” She spoke with a warm, welcoming voice and a bright smile.

“Well...” whispered Kennedy, “This is slightly embarrassing, but I haven't been in a dress shop before.”

“That's not a problem, dearest,” spoke the lady, taking Kennedy's measurements. “First we need to find your size.” She whirled away, dancing through rows of elegant dresses before waltzing back with a stunning azure dress tucked under her arm. “Try this one, I think it would go splendidly with your hair, dear.”

 

Kennedy pulled open the velvet curtain of the dressing booth and stepped out onto the shop's marble floor. The shop went silent and several heads turned in her direction. The old lady smiled softly.

“You look beautiful, dear! Let's get you some shoes to go with that!” 

The soft, silky material hugged Kennedy's body as she paced up and down the perimeter of the shop. It felt, in a strange way, natural to wear the dress. “I'll take it!” She couldn't help but smile; the dress was beautiful and never before had Kennedy felt this tangible sense of excitement when buying clothes.

 

She stepped out into the street and began to make her way to the bakery where Helena worked. She closed her eyelids and took a few deep breaths before entering through the heavy wooden doors. “Helena?” she caught Helena's gaze. Looking a little confused, Helena replied “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Can we talk somewhere a little more private?” Asked Kennedy.

 

 Helena led Kennedy into the back-room of the bakery, and the two sat down on a pair of small wooden chairs at the back of the room. “Look, I don't expect you to believe this,” She began, “But I'm Kennedy...” 

“No you're not. Look at you.” Interrupted Helena.

“Please, just let me explain,” Begged Kennedy, “I crossed paths with some witches walking through Blackmoore... they cursed me.”

“I don't know who you are, or why you expect me to believe this bullshit, but I've heard enough.” Helena rose from her chair, throwing it to the floor in the process. 

“Grenbreze forest.” Muttered Kennedy, half under her breath.

“I beg your pardon?” Responded Helena.

“Grenbreze forest. We built a hideaway there when we were children. I hoped you would believe me because I wanted you to be my date for the ball tonight.” Kennedy sighed. She knew it was a bad idea to try and approach Helena. 

 

Helena hesitated for a few moments and ground her teeth together. “I'm not saying I believe you, but, only me and Kennedy, or you, as you're trying to claim, know where we built that.”

“Exactly,” said Kennedy, “I'll lead you to the very spot that we built it, if you still don't believe me.”

“Fine,” replied Helena, “But, if you give me so much as an inkling of a reason not to trust you, I will get you thrown into a cell.”

 

The two made their way out of town on a small worn down path which lead into the nearby forest. Trees writhed across the pathway and the lane was very dimly lit, with layers of thick leaves blocking out the sunlight. Fallen twigs snapped beneath their feet as they edged deeper and deeper into the shelter of the trees, before eventually coming to a clearing. 

 

Kennedy and Helena paused for a few seconds; even though they had both seen it before, nothing was quite as captivating as their secret spot; a bed of rocks homed a pool of crystal clear water which flowed into it from a waterfall on the far side. Below the surface was a bed of crystals which illuminated the pool with a blue glow as the sunlight beamed into the pool from the gap in the canopy of the forest and danced magnificently from the stones at the bottom of the pool.

 

Kennedy stroked the bark of a tree softly with the palm of her hand. “Here,” She whispered, “It was here. This very tree.” A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she struggled to fight off the thought of Helena having no interest in her.

 

Helena let out a deep breath, running her hand through her hair as her brain clicked into overdrive. Could Kennedy's story really be true? “Did you really mean what you said?” Asked Helena, “Were you really going to ask me to the dance?”

“Yes,” came Kennedy's response, “Yes... I... Never mind.” She spoke in a soft, hushed whisper.

“Please... Say” Helena assured her, wiping the tear away from Kennedy's cheeks.

“I love you. I have done for years. I just never thought I would actually say those words out loud.” Kennedy broke down into tears of frustration and relief – on one hand, she was thankful for the chance to finally say those words, but on the other she believed that Helena would never truly accept her if she was in female form.

 

Helena took a step closer, sliding her hands into the groves of Kennedy's back, comforting her. Kennedy rested her forehead against Helena's shoulder. She didn't want Helena to see her tears, but the more she fought to hold them back, the more they flowed down her cheeks and onto Helena's soft skin. Seconds rolled by and turned into minutes as Kennedy silently sobbed into her friends shoulder.

 

“Yes.” Whispered Helena.

“I'm sorry?” Kennedy sobbed in reply.

“Yes, I'll go to the ball with you.” Kennedy half laughed and half cried, pulling Helena tightly towards her. Helena's lips lightly nuzzled Kennedy's cheeks and she proceeded to meet Helena's lips with her own, her heart racing as as she embraced the sensation on Helena's sweet touch. A few birds sung an upbeat tune in a nearby tree, and the smell of plant pollen danced gracefully through the air.

 

“You look... beautiful, stunning in fact.” Helena's soft voice comforted Kennedy.

“Really? I feared that you wouldn't accept me if I was like this.”

“I mean it. You're perfect in every way.” Helena ran her hands over Kennedy's now feminine features. “It'll take a while to get used to,” she giggled, “But you're more beautiful now than you ever have been.” She wrapped her lips around Kennedy's once again and the two sat down atop a granite rock, glancing over upon the beautiful surface of the pool.

 

“I remember when we were children, we always pretended to be a couple,” laughed Kennedy, “Yet here we are.” Kennedy wrapped her arm securely around Helena's waist and stared lovingly into her deep, gentle eyes.

“You always did have a slightly feminine side!” Joked Helena, and the two laughed recalling some of their childhood memories.

 

Eventually, the day started to grow older and the two began to trek back to the village. Kennedy walked ahead of Helena, but before long, Helena picked up her pace so that she could place her fingers into Kennedy's palm. Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief – the feeling of Helena's skin against her own gave her a sensation of warmth and safety. As they ventured back into the darkness of the tall, twisting trees, rain started to surge through the gaps in the leaves and the low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and the ground began to shake with the cracks of the storm. 

 

Kennedy gulped, for this had happened the day that she became cursed by the witch. She peered around nervously, but they seemed to be the only people venturing through the woods. Eventually coming to a crossroad in the narrow path, they turned off on the worn track leading back to the village, their boots beginning to slip on the muddy path below foot. 

 

“What's that?” Gasped Helena. She held her hand weakly towards a hooded figure dashing through the trees at a seemingly impossible pace. Kennedy's heart began to raise and her blood turned icy with fear within her body. It was one of the witches. A second figure appeared, and the two shadows began to circle around the couple, slowly closing their radius and drawing closer and closer to Helena and Kennedy, before they came to a halt on the path in front of them. Their faces were hidden, and a foul odour radiated from their bodies.

 

“Wh..What do you want?” Asked Kennedy, “Haven't you put me through enough already?”

“We are merely here to offer you an escape. Relax, young one. We are not here to harm you any further.” The witches' voice was a menacing snarl.

“Then why are you here? What is this escape that you speak of?”

“If you desire, we can transform you back into your authentic form. You will be spared of any pain. You have experienced the kiss of true love, you see, and as such we are obliged to offer you a way out of your curse.”

 

Kennedy looked down at her female body and sighed. “I think... I think I'm going to turn down your offer. If I wasn't like this, then I wouldn't have been with this lovely girl here, so I'm going to stay.” Helena blushed at Kennedy's comments and held her companion's hands with a tight grip.

“Very well,” snarled the witch, clicking her fingers. A cloud of smoke filled the void where her body once was, and Helena stared at the spot where the two witches were merely seconds ago with astonishment. 

 

The two pushed their way into the tightly crammed hallway where the ball was being held. The ballroom was like an explosion of brightly coloured gowns, and the grand piano filled the room with glamorous notes of music as the new couple waltzed across the marble floor. Helena wrapped her hand around Kennedy's waist and asked, “Shall we?” Indicating to the centre of the room where the many couples were twirling elegant;y in time to the piano's notes. The room had several grand oak arches that curved across the ballroom floor, and a magnificent chandelier hung above the centre of the room.

 

“I love you.” Whispered Helena into Kennedy's ear, pulling her closer, with her left arm wrapped around her waist, and her right hand holding her hand as they navigated the sea of bodies, floating delicately on their feet as they danced together. “I love you too.”

 

Eventually, the ballroom started to clear as the night drew to an end, and the two retreated to Kennedy's home. Kennedy stood behind Helena, softly nuzzling her neck with her lips whilst she unlaced the back of her dress and slowly let it slide to the floor. Helena's skin carried the sweet scent of lavender, and the smell frisked pleasantly into Kennedy's nose as the two of them sank down into the warm embrace of the bed. 

 

They lay side by side with nothing to separate them apart from their soft, flawless skin. Helena ran her palms down the grooves of Kennedy's body and they tangled their lips together. At first, they began to kiss slowly before they writhed their bodies around one another and passionately explored each-others' bodies before Helena curled her head into Kennedy's shoulder and fell into a slumber. Kennedy could feel her companion's heart beat softly against her skin as she ran her fingers delicately through Helena's hair. 

 

It would seem that Kennedy really had been blessed by the witches' curse as she began to drift asleep in the warm, welcoming embrace of Helena's arms.