Jessica Bilchick

The Curse of Erebus

It has been a long time since the Erebus castle gates have opened. A long time indeed.

The hosts shut their doors to the outside world decades ago. Some speculate that they are

dead, others that they have fled, but no one really knew. Not a single carriage ever left the house.

Not a single voice was heard from inside its walls. It remained perpetually in darkness, and the

castle fell into disrepair. Ivy crept up its walls, and cracks splintered its stone towers.

A treacherous forest grew around its borders, obscuring it from outsiders. Its branches

grew so thickly as to shroud its depths from even the touch of sunlight. A sea of thick fog

hovered over the ground. There were terrible stories about this forest stories of a beast residing

within, tearing to pieces anyone who lost themselves inside these woods. Villagers claimed to

hear horrible, howling shrieks at night, shrieks that did not sound human or animal.

A few brave souls poor, wretched souls have ventured into the woods, announcing

obstinately that they believed neither in or curse nor monster. None ever returned. Our story,

however, does not begin in this cursed forest, but within the stone walls of the castle, long, long

ago. The day the gates were closed and the lights extinguished forever.

The Erebus family was in ecstasy.

Thats it, Nico! Now come to papa!

A father knelt next to the crackling fire, watching his small son take stumbling steps

across the living room carpet. He reached his mother, who turned him gently around, and he

started for his father. He wore a toothy grin and giggled as he drew near his father.

Thats my boy! exclaimed the man as the boy fell into his arms, laughing. Rain howled

outside, making the candle on the windowsill flicker, but it did nothing to diminish the happiness
of the family. Nicos eyes gleamed with excitement, and he looked from his mother to his father,

as if not knowing what to do next. He was mid-laugh when his eyes rolled back in his head and

he collapsed on the floor.

The mother gave a scream and rushed to the child. Is he breathing? she cried, checking

his pulse. Nothing. His blood was still in his veins. His skin was icy. His heart isnt beating,

wailed the mother, turning the limp child over onto his back. She pressed on his chest frantically,

willing him to breathe again, to do anything

As soon as it started, it was over. The boy sat bolt upright, wide-eyed. The mother gave a

weak laugh of relief and threw her arms around the child, but she jumps back, horrified, upon

finding no heart beat in his chest. No breath issuing from his mouth. His skin remained cold to

the touch.

The child cocked his head sideways, and his eyes took on a cloudy green hue. They

stared forward unseeing. He opened his mouth and started to speak, but it was not his voice

indeed, Nico had not yet learned to speak but a low, snake-like voice speaking through him.

I am Khalida, goddess of Death, hissed the voice. The eyes turned to the mother, who

stared back in horror. Furnisher of the flames of hell, torturer to the living. Your son is mine.

No, Nico, please, the mother whispered, but her lips didnt move. She tried to touch her

son, but his small hand, with inhuman strength, pushed her roughly away. He stood and kicked

her sharply in the side, making her moan in pain. Meanwhile, the father inched slowly toward the

cabinet, where a sharp, serrated knife lay on display. He got it shakily out of its casing.

Your son will be my servant, whispered the voice. He will do my bidding.

Never, spat the mother, hatred boiling in her chest.

 A strange smile crossed the boys face. For a moment, the green in his eyes flashed and

was gone, leaving only little Nico, eyes widened in fear, before the spirit regained control. The

boy twitched, gasped, and his body began to mutate. His eyes sunk into his flesh, leaving animal

eyes where his had once been. His muscles bulged, his skin disappeared, and a scaly layer of

flesh formed in its place. His face became long and hairy, its nose protruding from its face.

The beast whimpered and fell silent, licking itself. The mother found with horror that she

did not recognize her son, but the horror soon turned to pure fear as the beast turned on her,

baring his teeth. It is your turn to die, crooned the voice, and the beast opened its fist to reveal

long, sharp claws. The mother whimpered.

Please, just spare my son, she pleaded. Let him go! Take me instead!

The beasts face contorted with anger. Khalida will take whomever she wants, it hissed.

You stood in my way, and now you shall join me in hell.

There was a shout behind them, and the father came charging toward the beast, a knife in

hand. He wheeled back to throw, knowing he had only a few seconds before the beast reacted. It

knelt over the mother, lowering its razor-sharp claws down to her skin.

The beast blinked, surprised for a moment. It made no move to flee. It simply flickered

and was gone, disappearing into thin air as if it were merely a projection. A few moments later, it

appeared at the back of the room, unscathed, a nasty grin on its face. In a moment, it had fled the

room, and the father realized for the first time where his knife had landed. Finding no beast, the

knife had continued its course and plunged itself into the womans chest.

The father screamed, a tortured screech that echoed through the house. The monster took

off into the woods, and the gates of the Erebus castle clanged shut for the final time. It

disappeared into the forests, whose branches began curling around him to hide his presence.
 The mother lay face-first on the floor, a knife protruding through her rib cage. Blood

soaked into the rich living room carpet, and she trembled as the life began to drain out of her.

A cold wind swept across the grounds, pervaded the house, made the mother shiver

where she lay. The crackling fire flickered and died, leaving only a pile of burning coals in its

place. The windowsill candles flame wavered a moment, and then was extinguished forever.