The path was narrow, rugged and slippery with growing wet moss, trees on either side of the pathway created a canopy on the top. It had just rained and dampness in the air, clubbed with the thick smoke from the fire and smell of burnt wood made her eyes water. Determined to justify her actions she walked towards the village. The road seemed long and never-ending.

While she stumbled along the deserted path, still in trance. The woman of two worlds wondered why it had to be her. Born with a bloodline embedded with spells and potions, she had mastered the art of playing with destiny. Calling the spirits, changing the fate, prizes paid by others to gain what’s worth was her everyday fame. leaving everything behind wasn’t really easy but that’s what she was going to do…

she had fallen in love with pure flesh and blood, dreamt of life forbidden by birth as if it was a curse.

Her past now had played the cruel trick, had cast shadows for her to see the love of her life go away and curse as foretold to come in play.

it wasn’t long ago when the bones and the shells predicted the death of her love, on the star she drew on the forest floor. calling every soul, putting every ounce of energy together, remembering every small word of every single spell to create a way out she had finally found a ritual, a ritual to turn the fate around and it was her turn to pay the price for it was her fate she wanted to rewrite.

She had to give up the most loved, the purest bond, the precious , to save the one who created it. It wasn’t something she had wished for nor was it something she readily wanted to comprehend.

Aloneness and silence both were creating a web around her and she could barely understand what she was doing . Every muscle in the body was screaming at her to stop and yet she kept going with nothing to look forward to. she had lost the most adored and wasn’t sure the one who was left behind, would now be with her. if the one, who was still there, would ever understand her actions and the sacrifice she had made.

the road now seemed longer than ever, with the light leaving and the darkness taking over, her every step towards the village now was questioning her decision.. what would she say, would she tell the truth, would she make up a story that would sound more realistic than the reality.

she now was walking the forest floor after doing the most unthinkable.

the loss of the purest bond created a void that she never had imagined. Ash covered hands and head full of sorrow. This wasn’t the way she was supposed to feel. The triumph over the worldly emotions supposed to be a big thing and faith over her ability to overturn the fate was gonna make her feel victorious but nothing like this had happened.

On the forest floor when she marked the circle using the ashes and gathered the sticks to be placed like symbols, arranged the shells and stones, the bones while chanting the spells to summon the spirits , a part of her cursed the stars, the fate, the finesse of the craft she had achieved over the years and wanted to run away holding the bond close to her chest, that she was going to give away.

She was almost there now with the last of pre ritualistic bit completed. She gathered every ounce of strength. it was the last time she was going to breathe in the smell of soft skin, touch those tiny hands, hold the tiny fingers and kiss the forehead. she had administered the potion already. The sleep was deep, drugged, nothing could break it. The pain was not to be felt. The grief was here alone, the pain was hers to feel. The story of loss was to be twisted to make the reality seemed right.

She set the circle right. She created the fire, she summoned the spirits and she gave up her bond. She stood there watching the smoke rise while the flames played to the tune of chants she chanted. Soon the chanting grew stronger and so did the pain. The flesh and blood now turned to ashes. She dropped on the floor still chanting the spell as loud as she could. she was trying to challenge the destiny. Exhausted with grief and victory she gathered the still warm ashes as smooth as the fingers and toes they were before for she still had a few more things to do before the ritual ascertain her loves life was saved.

She stood up in trance, the crackling of the wood now had stopped, not a sound, the air as still stone she stumbled on the deserted path, while the acrid smell of smoke that still lingered in the air made her eyes water…