The Curse of Amelia Lockwood

It was a beautiful July morning. The air was silent,the birds sang a symphony and the trees coated with soothing colurs swayed to the rhythm.

While I sat down on the pavement,I saw a little girl. Despite the heat of the scorching sun,she still managed to ride her pink bike with a smile on her face ringing her bell with much enthusiasm. It was hard to not smile at her.

It gave me a slither of hope that there is still happiness in the world. It went with her and my eyes darted to see my father packing our things to the front lawn.

I didn't want to leave California seeing as it was the only connection I had to my mother, well that and the lovely crescent necklace she gave me before she passed on. The events that led to her passing are still as clear in my mind as if it happened yesterday.

"Dad watch out" I screamed as I saw a bus heading directly towards us.

Dad was too occupied with shouting at my mother for not making lasagna as he wanted,to see the incoming vehicle.

I should tell you that my father has anger issues. His doctor, Doctor Robin,has placed him on a lot of therapies and medications for the past two years but nothing seems to work. The last report he got had a comment "Mr.Brown,we have tried the best we can but you are a tough nut to crack. Nevertheless,we will not give up on this journey"

The bus did not stop coming and dad only saw it when mom shouted out (a little too late if you ask me). All I could remember next was the glass shattering,my glasses falling off my eyes and the last bang before I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I woke up,I was greeted by the sun staring directly at me. I blinked my eyes a few times to see clearly, scrambled on the floor to find my half broken glasses. I put them on and searched earnestly for my mother and that's when I saw my father pulling her out of the passenger seat.

I went to help him with it because I could not picture myself surviving without her. We succeeded in pulling her out of the passenger seat just in time for the car to explode therefore extending us few kilometers away from it.

At that point,my entire body hurt more than it has ever hurt in my entire human existence. I forced my eyes open,grateful that the sun did not blind me like before,and I saw my mother looking at me with tears in her almond shaped eyes and I knew she was about to utter her last words to me,so I held on to her with my last strength.

"Amelia,you are a beautiful and intelligent girl,do not allow anyone to tell you otherwise. You come from a line of fighters and we fighters never stop fighting even when we do not know if we will win. This necklace has been in our family for ages. Take it,it will protect you and bring you good luck. Take care of yourself,take care of your father and remember I love you with everything in me"

A tear fell on her cheeks and it was the last things she felt before she gave up the ghost.

I sat there drowning in my tears as I watched life slip out of the only person that meant the entire world to me.

I could not move,I could not think, I am not even sure I was breathing. All I did was cry.

Dad woke up a few minutes later. The devastating wail he let out on realising that his wife is dead was soon drowned out by the sirens of the ambulance.

The Uber driver got there just in time to take us to the airport and still numb from watching my mother being dropped into the ground at the cemetery,I could not move. Dad picked me up and put me in the back seat.

We didn't carry anything apart from our clothes. I believe the memory attached to the furnitures was too much for dad to keep around. So he left everything there.

Why we were leaving California, I had no idea, but I sat and watched from the back seat as the only place I called home faded away from my view. I was comforted by the singular fact that my mother's necklace laid proudly round my neck.

We had a smooth flight and in the next minutes,I found myself standing on the native soil of New Orleans. The city where the supernatural meets the natural. It all sounded like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me. But looking at the streets filled with ancestral artifacts,I was a little bit excited that I would be living here.

The car took us to our new home. It was smaller than the one back home and I immediately hated it. All feeling of excitement that I had on the drive here went with the wind.

The sitting room was designed with outdated furniture design. The floor needed a cleaning company to clean it ten times before it would appear clean.

The only striking feature of the room was the fireplace,which looking at it closely, had a dead rat in it.

The table cloth placed on the dinning table had a hideous stain on it, nothing a little club soda and salt won't solve.

Dad showed me to my room upstairs and I almost threw up at the sight of it. The bed was creaking and the mattress had cockroaches on them.

My wardrobe was too times too small for me. I hated the house and wondered why dad would make us leave our haven for this mouse trap.

Suffocated by the smell oozing out of the house,I ran outside only to behold the most breath-taking sight I have ever seen in the form of a boy.

I stood there for few minutes soaking up his features and daring to think if I would be allowed to run my hands through his chiseled jaw bone.

I was so occupied with the thoughts that I didn't even notice that his hand was out for me to shake. He touched my shoulder to snap me out of my dream world and I fell into a deeper one.

The next thing I heard was

"Are you alright?"

I stuttered a little but could still get out the words "Yes,I am fine"

"My name is Derek" and there was that hand again. Touching it may make me fall into a complete bliss but judging from the day I've had,I knew I deserved it.

Taking his hands,I said "Amelia". And he smiled at me.

Suddenly,I could feel the air that took my excitement of being in New Orleans bringing it back to me.

I guess New Orleans won't be so bad after all.

A sleepless night was the best thing I had hoped for because I was still traumatized from my mother's dead. It was perfectly normal for a kid my age to be worn out after witnessing her mother's death but my friend back home,Bonnie, will not agree. For some reason she was really angry when I told her that I could not stop crying.

I never really understood her. She was always kept her feelings locked in. I tried telling her that it wasn't good because when those walls are opened and the feelings start rushing out,she will be a mess. But no matter how hard I tried,she never listened to me. I had to leave her to her fate. I just hope she will have a shoulder to cry on when it happens because,all thanks to my father,I won't be around.

She did sound friendly when I told her about Derek. Oh,just the thought of him makes me smile. We did not get to talk for a long time but I believe that we are going to be very good friends. And Bonnie seems to agree with me on that. She even told me that if I don't take him,she will. Call me a bit of a character,but I always over hype normal situations. I have an attitude of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Mom always said that it was a terrible habit. I remember her shouting at me whenever I did that. Thinking about my mother was starting to bring tears to my eyes,so I shoke off the memories and got out of bed. I woke up feeling grumpy. I couldn't sleep in my room or on the couch seeing as both places made my skin crawl at the moment. So I decided to take the floor.

Dad was able to get the fireplace running and the cold sipping out of the floor was met with the warmth coming out from the fireplace and the mixture of both gave a warm breezy feeling that made me fall asleep within seconds.

I went about my business packing up my blankets and I headed to the bathroom to get ready for school.

Dad had informed me the night before that I would be going to the prestigious Lusher Charter school.

One hour later,I was all set to get to school and Dad had to take a taxi to get us there because he didn't actually get a car yet.

The view of the school was spectacular. "Lusher school" was boldly inscribed on the gate. Like most high schools,it has a long staircase leading to the main hallway.

Dad stopped at the entrance of the school and he said "Be safe out there".

Why he made it sound as if I was going into a war zone,I will never know.

My father and I haven't really had a decent conversation since my mother died. I think we both just need some time alone to mourn. Though a little "how are you feeling baby girl?" once in a while won't hurt.

I stepped out of the car and started taking my first steps into the new world that is Lusher Charter school.

I tried finding my way to the guidance counselor office because I needed to get my locker space and my time table. And that was when I bumped into Sandra.

"I am so sorry" feeling anxious that she would get mad at the sight of her books lying on the ground,I immediately apologized.

"Here,let me help you with that". I got on my knees and started picking up the books.

"No,it's okay. I should be the one apologizing. I'm too much in a haste to get to my class that I didn't look at where I was going". She had the sweetest voice I have ever heard. It sounded like a melody the humming bird normally sings.

"Thank you for not getting angry. See, I'm new here and I think I'm kinda lost. I'm looking for the counselor office."

"Oh,then sweetheart you really are lost. The counselor office is all the way on the other side. Let me take you there."

"You don't have to,you can just point me in the right direction."

"It's no bother. You won't find it by yourself anyway."

"But didn't you say that you were late for class?"

"To be honest with you,I am not. I just want to go there early so I can watch Derek Hammer as he walks into class"

I laughed. I could not believe that she was rushing just for a boy. But if it is the same Derek I met last night,then I could totally understand. And suddenly the thought of her having a crush on Derek made me angry. It was totally unlike me. I never really cared before if someone was crushing on a guy I liked but with Derek,it was totally different. I had to call myself to order. I don't even know the guy that much and I was already throwing a fist over a small issue like this. I didn't know what came over me but I blamed it on New Orleans.

We walked to the counselor's office together and in the process,Sandra and I became friends.

She told me about her mother who is a nurse and how she works two shifts to take care of herself and her daughter. She also mentioned that she had twins brothers but they died few weeks after they were born. It threw the mom over the edge. She started drinking and keeping late nights and Sandra had to get one of their family member to talk to her. After a series of therapy,she was finally back to normal. She realized that she might have lost two babies but she still had one to take care of and she had to be strong for her. So she took on two jobs to keep herself busy and be able to provide for Sandra. She didn't make enough time for her daughter but Sandra said that she will pick this version of her mother to the alcoholic any day.

Sandra dropped me at the door to the counselor's office and I was so grateful for that. We exchanged numbers and she left for her class. She didn't say anything about her father and I decided to not over step my boundaries. She has already shared more than a what two people who just met each other would. I guess she is just free with her words and emotions than I am cause I could not see myself telling a stranger about the death of my mother. It hurts too much to even think about it. I couldn't imagine the pain it will cause me to talk about it.

The counselor was a woman in her thirties who had a nack for bitting her pencil all the time. I introduced myself and asked her for my locker space and my time table.

She gave me a tour guide and a slip to show to a Mrs. Rebecca for going late to her class.

After the tour,I decided to just skip the class since my time table said it was already time for lunch break. I headed off to the cafeteria and waited outside for the doors to be open.

Five minutes later,it was opened and I walked in. I didn't bother going to the counter to get my meal. I just walked to a table, took out my breakfast and had it for lunch.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I went back home with Sandra. Her mother couldn't come to pick us,so we had to take a taxi and then walk down to our different houses. It turns out,we live on the same block. So I had a friend in school and in my street. I was pretty excited about that.

I got back home to realize that dad wasn't there. I took some cash out of my piggy bank and went down to the store to get some cleaning materials.

Two hours later,my room finally looked habitable and I expressed my joy at that by taking a quick nap on my bed.

I woke up to the sound of the pot falling. I rushed to the kitchen to see my father in the dark and the stench of alcohol when he shouted was enough to tell me that he has been drinking all day.

"It's all your fault." He walked angrily towards me while saying those heartbreaking words.

"Dad,you need rest. I have cleaned my room,you can stay there." I tried to ignore the fact that my heart was breaking by telling me that he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

Immediately he took the flower vase and threw it at me. "How can you stand there and try to be nice to me when you took away the only person I have ever loved? If you had told your mother to make the lasagna like I asked you to,she won't have made something else and I won't have gotten angry with her. I would have seen the bus coming and she won't be dead by now!" he shouted

It finally hit me like a train. I was responsible for my mother's death and then the feeling of rage washed over me and I yelled back. "How can you say something like that.I wasn't the one behind the wheels.I am not the one with anger issues.I am not the one who didn't listen when I screamed that a bus was headed towards us. No father, that was you. I didn't kill my mother,you did. Be a man and own up to your mistakes for once in your pathetic life!"

A resounding slap was what I got for speaking out of turn. The spirit of anger left my body with it and I was very much aware of my father pulling me by the hair to the bathroom while screaming. "How dare you talk back at me? You think your mother is here to defend you like she always does? You will learn some manners young lady and I will be the one to teach them to you!!!"

I want to believe that he didn't hear me pleading with him, telling him profoundly that I am sorry for being rude. I could feel my body tearing as he dragged me up the stairs. I screamed so loudly,part of the walls started cracking. Screaming and thrashing only increased the pains I felt,but at that point it was all I could do and somehow,I couldn't feel the pain from being dragged up the stairs. The only pain I felt was at the realization that my father hated me.

My pleading fell on deaf ears because he put my head through the toilet seat and held my head down to the toilet water as I tried to break free. He pulled me up after few minutes and screamed "You will learn to obey me,you bitch" and pushed me down back into the water.

When he saw that I was near death,he pulled me up and threw me to the ground.

"Clean up this mess and when you are done,fix me something to eat." And he left.

I sat on the ground, pulled my legs close to my body and cried. Hot silent tears that went down my cheeks.The bruises,scars and the blood dripping down my body was something I considered as being minor when compared to the way my heart was shattering. I felt numb. I felt devastated,broken and frustrated. I took my mother's necklace,kissed it and took it close to my heart.

"I'm sorry mom,I couldn't take care of myself and dad like I promised" and I cried the more. I was sure if my mother saw me now,she would be shaking her head and would be very disappointed in me for losing my temper and speaking out of turn. And the thought of it made me tremble with grief.

The hooting of the owl could be said to have a calming effect on a troubled mind. The evening breeze slowly erased the sting from my skin. It felt wonderful to soak in the rays of the full moon, and few minutes later,I fell asleep on the front porch.

The night was traumatizing. I kept having dreams about what happened,in my head the scene was replaying over and over again. And the worst part was that I could not wake up from it.After a lot of struggling I finally awoke to the meowing caused by our neighbor's cat and I lifted my half numb body off the resting chair and went inside.

Looking through the doors to my father's room,I saw him lying scatterly. I hated the sight of it. I suddenly had the imagination of taking his bedside chair and banging it on his head repeatedly till all that was left of it was his brains organs splattered all over the pillow.

"How could he be so heartless to the point of saying such gruesome things to me! For Christ sakes,he is supposed to be protecting me and supporting me as I go through this troubling times.

But no,he decides to put my head through a toilet. Well,I just hope this happened because he was drunk."

I left his door open and headed off to my room. I hoped the cold flowing into the room from outside will freeze him to death.

I was never the one to take things kindly with my enemies. I never liked being bullied and that's one of the things I adore about myself. Normally when I'm being bullied,I would beat whoever was bullying me up till they understood that I was not to be messed with. But with my dad,there was nothing I could do. I could not beat him up,I could not fight back. After all he was my father,not a 19 years old looking to make his miserable life a little bit exciting by beating up somebody younger than him.

I got comfortable in my bed and drifted into a nightmare filled sleep.

Pancakes was the only thing I could make for breakfast because I woke up late and I had to get to school early.

Dad was still not up by the time I had to leave for school,so I called Sandra and asked if I could go with her. She said yes and few minutes later her mom was blaring her horn indicating for me to come out.

I left a note for dad on the fridge telling him that I had left for school and that his pancakes are on top of the cabinet. And I rushed out to meet Mrs. Hale.

Mrs. Hale was a very pleasant woman. From the drivers seat,I could see that she was very beautiful. She had almond shaped eyes like my mother and a brilliant set of blue eyes. Her blonde hair was sparkling against the morning sun and I had to give some accolades to God for creating such a beautiful woman. Throughout the ride to school,

Sandra kept talking about how Mrs. Rebecca's assignment was a pain in the ass to complete.

I reached out to get my own assignment from my bag and that was when she noticed the mark on my arm.

"Amelia,what is this?" she asked while holding my arm.

How was I to answer that question? How was I to tell her that my own father dragged me up the stairs and pushed my head into the toilet?

It didn't sound pleasant to the ear so I decided to go with something that will.

"I fell while I was cleaning the house" and I pulled my sweater down my hand.

She gave me a look of disbelief but I wasn't ready to tell just anyone what would probably be a one time thing.

We finally got to school and Mrs. Hale told us to behave while we were away from our parents. And then she drove off. I looked at Sandra and I saw sadness in her eyes. I knew it was because it appeared like her mother enjoyed working than she enjoyed spending time with her. I knew she was not okay with her new mother's behavior. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said. "Why don't you just talk to her about it? Tell her that you want her to make time for you or you could plan an outing for the both of you."

She sighed. "Amelia,you don't understand. I have tried to make time but she always tells me that she is busy".

"Then you tell her how you feel. This is eating you up and it's not healthy. I know it's difficult but nothing good ever comes easy."

"I guess I could do that. Every other thing isn't working out. Maybe this will help. Thank you Amelia." She hugged me and we headed off to our classes.

My thoughts throughout school was why my father did what he did and if I was safe with him.

I was too engrossed in this thoughts that I didn't notice the pale looking boy coming directly towards me in a skate board.

"Ouch,watch where you going you numbskull" I released my built up anger on the boy.

"I'm sorry,are you okay?"

"Do I look okay? You almost broke my hip" and then I looked up to see the same raw features that made my knees weak the first day I got here.

"Amelia?"

"Oh hey Derek" the anger I vented out on him made me feel terrible

"I'm really sorry I ran into you like that,I just wasn't focused I think"

"Why are you even driving that in the hallway. Isn't it like prohibited?"

He laughed. A smooth,earth shaking laughing that made butterflies come alive in my stomach.

"It is but I do have my ways of getting away with such things by now"

"Really, indulge me"

He looked surprised when I said that. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Most people know it. My father is the principal here. How did you not know that?"

He looked like someone who just had his bubbles bursted and I immediately caught on to him having everyone here treat him like a celebrity and being surprised that I didn't.

"Well I guess I've been too busy to indulge myself in conversation. Anyway,I gotta go. Will soon be late for class. Catch you later" And I walked away without waiting for a response from him.

After school,I was reluctant to get back home so I decided to walk the whole way home.

Sandra's mom offered to drive me home but I refused telling her that I had to pick up some things at the grocery store and I didn't want to delay her.

The walk was calming. I think the only thing I love that New Orleans doesn't have is the terrible heat that California presented.

The trees were in a lovely color of brown. The streets was filled with citizens of New Orleans celebrating a festival I had little interest in knowing.

I looked to my left and I suddenly picked interest in a couple holding hands and walking behind their daughter. She looked so happy licking her ice cream and I suddenly got this sting in my heart.

A tear started to form in my eyes and I held on to my mother's necklace. I missed her terribly and I wish for nothing more than to have her sing me to sleep.

I quickly moved my eyes away from the sight and I ran home.

I went upstairs to see if Dad was back and my entire body was filled with dread when I realized that he was not. I knew he was out drinking again and I feared for my life.

I tried to console myself by repeating over and over again "nothing will happen to you. Maybe he is just out looking for a job. He is your father,he won't hurt you."

This became my mantra as I walked around trying to fix a sandwich for me to eat while doing my assignment.

I decided to take a quick nap when I was done with my homework. I woke up to the front door banging. I rushed downstairs to help my father in and as expected,he was drunk again.

I assisted him to the dinning table and started making dinner for both of us. Surprisingly,he didn't yell at me like before. He just sat there looking at me with admiration in his eyes as I walked around trying to fix dinner.

After he was done eating,he got up and walked close to me. Pulled my chair out and knelt down in front of me.

"You remind me so much of your mother" and he slightly traced his hand down my skin. It made me shiver with disgust.

"You have the same skin as her. So smooth,so tan,so perfect" And he sniffed my thigh.

I pushed him away from me and he got up,looked at me angrily and went upstairs.

I shook off the feeling of anger that was boiling up in me and went about tidying up the kitchen and dinning room.

When I was done,I headed upstairs to take a shower and when I was done,I d off to bed. I passed by my father's room and he was sound asleep. I went about my business and few minutes later,I fell asleep.

I woke up to something crawling up my thighs,I looked down and saw my father slowly sneaking up towards me.

I quickly got up and he pulled me back down. He pressed me by my neck to the bed and all my kicking did not help.

I tried screaming and he laid his full body weight on me and took his hand to silence my screams while his other hand went down to my vagina.

"Since you took away my sex partner,I guess I'll just have to turn you into the new one."

My brain was still telling me that this was not happening to me,it was after he made that statement that it became totally clear to me that I was about to be raped by my own father. This realization came with anger and at this point I was filled with rage so I bit his hand while I took my one free hand and removed the textbook that was under my pillow.

With all the strength I had,I hit him on the head with it. He fell off me while holding his head in his hand and I scrambled away. I ran downstairs and I could here him coming at me.

I opened the door to the house and rushed out.

I didn't notice the car coming at me. I didn't hear my father shouting at me. The adrenaline rushing through my bones did not allow for me to see the lights from the car till it was too late. I turned around and the light from the car was the last thing I saw before I felt a thug on my waist. I didn't feel any pains,I didn't feel any sorrow,I just felt empty.

I fell down and I saw my mother's face. She stretched forth her hand and I took it with happiness in my heart.

I looked down at my body and saw my father weeping over my dead body. I could feel his guilt. First he killed his wife and now he has killed his daughter. Sadly,I didn't feel any pity for him.

I wondered how Sandra will feel when she found out that I was dead. Will she cry? Well,I don't think so. We have just known each other for a short period of time. I just hoped that she will fix things with her mother. That way,I could know that I did at least do one good thing while I was alive.

I just turned away and smiled as my mother led me to a place I have never been.