The Curse. Vasilios Bouzas

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ staring at his master, as if he has moved, and though the man is still hanging from the beam, something does appear to be coming from the body. An eerie glow surrounds the body and the dog scatters to the corner of the room in fear, his whimper loud and low from his shaking body.

      The glow takes the shape of a human figure as it emerges from the man’s body.

      It hovers, as if looking or waiting for someone. As it hovers another lighter apparition appears, an angelic figure descends, but its glow is a soft white and it appears to have an angelic child-like face. The angel offers its hand to the man’s ghostly figure, but there is no movement. The angel offers its hand again, but still the ghostly apparition declines to take it and instead floats away from the angel.

      The angel pulls back, its head shaking, its hands are quickly drawn to its face which is now melting away to be replaced by a hollow black hole.

      The ghostly figure of the man looks down as the floor of the room melts away and an eerie red glow fills the room. The dog gets up, no longer afraid, it growls and barks at the disappearing angel, its eyes blood-red and legs stiffened into a statue-like position, ready to pounce, its teeth bared white. The floor itself has started to take on a red glow, flames lick around the edges and the centre seems to blacken as a scarlet flame leaps high blasting the ceiling away from the house in a deafening roar.

      Slowly rising from the fiery depths of the earth as if from hell comes a demon, an anemic, bald-headed figure dressed in a thick black cloak. It has a face of pure evil, pale with dark red penetrating eyes. As it ascends it stretches out long bloodied and scarred arms with gnarled fingers and long finger nails, it is as though you can see the blood pulsing around its body and into its face.

      It smiles an evil, horrible smile and raises its hand, offering it to the man’s ghost before turning to scowl at the angel. The man’s ghost raises his hand and offers it to the demon. The demon embraces him and together they descend into the fires of hell.

      Chapter Two

      THE BEGINNING

       AND THE END

      Saint Agatha’s Cancer Institute, Washington, 1997

      Nurses and doctors buzz from ward to ward in a busy hospital. The halls are crammed with patients on trolleys being pushed at a jogging pace between operating theatres and wards. The mood is serious and friends and relatives wait praying for their loved ones to live.

      In a quieter ward, in a private room, sixteen year-old Luke Whelan is lying in bed, his head is shaven and he is pale and weak. The tube in his arm feeds him with a cocktail of morphine and anti-nausea drugs to numb the pain and sickness from the chemotherapy treatment.

      At his bedside is Martha Whelan, a woman in her eighties. She is staring at Luke who is watching a television news program about to show the inauguration of a US President.

      A newsreader announces:

      “January 20, 1997 marks the changing of the guard. The United States of America has elected its first President over the age of seventy. President-elect George Sweeney has never been married nor had any children.”

      Forty year old John Whelan, a man of average size with thick black hair, wearing blue jeans and a black jumper looks at the woman and the boy from the doorway. He signals Martha to come out of the room. She reluctantly lets go of Luke’s hand and walks over to join John who gently puts his arm around her and walks her into the corridor, out of earshot of Luke.

      Waiting for them is Dr Bill Clifford, a self righteous, middle-aged doctor with graying hair and probing dark eyes who has always looked after the family.

      “I’m sorry John, Martha, but there is no hope, I really wish I could give you better news, but you are my friends and I have to be blunt. I have just finished speaking to the specialists and the treatment we gave Luke did not work, the cancer has spread all over his body, we can give him one or two days, maybe a week at best.”

      “Then we have no option now,” says Martha, looking at John in a way that to suggest there would be no more debate.

      “Martha, no, please, I will be lost without you, but Luke, oh this is so unfair,” said John, looking through the door at Luke.

      Martha puts her hands up to John’s face and looks him in the eye. She pulls him close.

      “You know there is no choice.”

      “I have had a wonderful life with you and Luke. You have given me so much joy. Please just remember all the wonderful times we had together John.”

      “When Luke gets older please always remind him about me.” Martha pauses for a second, there are tears in her eyes, “tell him how much I love him and that my love will be for all eternity.”

      “Will you do that for me John? promise me you will.”

      John is in tears and wraps his arms around Martha. “I love you Martha, I love you more than anything in the world.”

      Martha pulls away from John and turns to Dr Clifford.

      “Thank you for everything that you have done for me and for our family Bill. Without you I don’t know if I would have come this far. Do you think my horrible dreams will end when I am at peace?”

      “I am sure they will Martha, and we will do everything we can for Luke.”

      “Please make sure that Luke and John stay safe and healthy. I will never forget you Bill.”

      Martha leans over and gives Bill a hug, he is looking over her shoulder at John, knowing what is about to happen, he closes his eyes in silent prayer.

      Martha breaks away from Bill and takes John’s hand, leading him back into Luke’s room. They sit on either side of the bed and face Luke.

      “Is everything okay?” asks Luke weakly.

      “Everything is wonderful my love,” replies Martha.

      Luke’s gaze turns from Martha to the television again. Martha and John follow his view and all three stare at the television for a minute.

      “Do you think I will ever meet the President?” asks Luke.

      “I am sure you will one day my love, and I am sure he will love to meet you too because one day you will do great things too, just like him,” replies Martha, smiling at Luke.

      Martha turns back to John and gives him the look that it is time. She gives him a kiss and turns to Luke. She stares at Luke for what seems like an eternity. Luke is looking back, a little confused at the sudden intensity of her look and her words.

      She tries to hold her emotions but her tears flow endlessly. She leans over and gives him a hug and kiss.

      “Luke, my love, my life, I will love you forever.”

      She lies down next to Luke and places her hand on Luke’s hand. Her body appears to rise slightly and starts to shake as a glow appears around them both. Martha now feels she is falling off a cliff. As she falls freely in the air, she starts to have flashbacks of her life. Firstly it is her childhood years and then her marriage to John. Secondly her most memorable moment is holding Luke in her arms. Now her flashbacks slowly begin to fade and a force finally СКАЧАТЬ