The Cursed

Word count: 7,116

The Cursed

Prologue

The ocean looked dark and threatening. Giant waves, highlighted by the moon's occasional ray - when it was not in refuge behind a thick blanket of clouds - thumped against the pier, breaking into a fine spray of water.

The entire Cursed population from the small border town gathered on the beach, carrying kerosene torches that threw twisted shadows on the sand. Facing the stormy waters in three lines, they stood in unison, holding hands, challenging their destinies.

The wind kept whispering tales of horror, trying to weaken their hearts, break their formidable unity and put back fear in their minds. The elements seemed determined to stop the ritual about to take place on that forsaken beach, but nothing could deter the people who lived for generations on the edge of society, toughened by both worlds. The ritual was their last hope of rejoining humanity, originated from an old prophecy and gave them extra courage to face the unknown.


***********


That morning I woke up hungry, my room cold and my pockets empty. It had been a long time since I last went that hungry. I'd forgotten what it felt to have cramps in the stomach, persistent even when you folded down on your bed and pulled your legs deep into your belly. I needed to earn some money or I would lose my shelter, die of hunger, or worse - sink into the black pits of Depression. I hardly slept the previous night. A thunder storm had hit the city with such force that my old building nearly collapsed. It woke me and that was when my stomach started rumbling. I tossed and turned, until exhausted, I managed to grab a couple of hours sleep.

Everything seemed to have fallen apart in the last few days. The main set back was that I lost my job which made my main income. My employer wanted more than I was willing to give; it was a non-compromised issue that had cost me my job before. Losing employment was bad for most people. I, on the other hand, had another resource - beachcombing, which came in handy. An inherited occupation passed on from mother to daughter and was known to shield its members from any chance of crossing over to D World. The only trouble was that beachcombing had become a hazardous occupation.

A while before I lost my job I found a concealed beach, one that hadn't been listed on any of the city charts. It was surrounded by sand mounds, at the northern part of my regular beach. I never paid attention to those man-made hills, thinking they were meant to stop the sand from blowing into the streets. On that day, my hat had flown off my head and had landed beyond a hill. While retrieving it I found myself in a small enclosure which by all signs was never combed before. It was protected from sight and was surrounded by a wall. I went back the way I came and made a note to return soon to investigate it further.

My mother brought me into the beachcombing trade and introduced me to the Beachcombers Guild. It didn't take special talents to comb beaches. It was merely a privilege granted to the guild when the authorities closed the metropolis to outsiders in fear of diseases and violent gangs. It was then that beaches were declared out of limit, and were fenced off. The unused beached were converted into solid trash landfills, being the only location within the city which could be used for that purpose. Members of the guild were allowed to comb the beaches and keep the finds. Beachcombers could only comb a beach in the immediate vicinity of their dwelling and were given a key to the access gate. That is why one can't find beachcombers living in the city centre or in the new suburbs, away from the ocean. We live in the oldest and most run down buildings along the beachfront. We called these buildings "shelters" and they were easy on the rent.

Guild members are a close knit society and stand up for each other when in need. Some of my best friends are Beachcombers. I used to share my shelter with a beachcomber girl until she had vanished one day, right after we celebrated my twenty fifth birthday. That was strange indeed, since no one at the guild seemed to know anything about her whereabouts.

In the old days before D World was formed by the mean wizard Gupta, it is said that he wasn't happy with the destruction he'd caused during his life time, and before dying he created a parallel world from which he continued to spread evil. He lured depressed and broken souls from our world, turned them evil, and sent them back to cause further disorder. By means of his dark magic, Gupta held those souls in bondage and the only way they could gain their freedom was to be killed by another soul.

Beachcombers in our society were and still are considered somewhat special. They were the descendants of Sorceress Dimalda who had ten daughters and was poisoned by Gupta just before he started his twisted world. On her deathbed, she gave them strong minds and the courage to stand up to evil. As time had passed, her descendants became beachcombers and had formed the guild.

I often wondered how that bondage came to be; we all knew about it. One could not afford getting depressed for whatever reason. If Depression took hold of a person, he was transferred to D World and transformed by Gupta to become whatever suited his needs.

I kept thinking about Grandma Nina and what she used to say in troubled times: "Don't ever let your mind slide into total despair… If you will, then it's D World for you, where all moguls of our time come from… and when you're allowed back, Cursed you'll be called, live the rest of your life as a leper and no one will ever trust you!" That was a horrid prospect… I did my best to keep my existence secured and never gave in to despair. Hunger was more difficult to manage though, but I had the Beachcombing genes and knew I could control my fate.

I knew the Cursed had a strange influence on the rest of the population. It seemed they had sold their souls to the devil. A few of my acquaintances who had vanished one day came back and I was shocked to see them wandering the streets, looking for someone to talk to them, someone they could rob or swindle. They had lost their healthy look and appeared greenish, as if they'd been sick. I avoided them like the plague and never asked for their help. They were not allowed to dwell within city limits and were housed in a small town outside the city. But they still came every day to look for work, get their supplies or do whatever they were instructed to do, which was always destructive.

Most of the Cursed were petty thieves, small time crooks and forgers. But Gory Allen was different. I don't think she ever crossed over to D World, being plain mean. She used the fear people felt when the Cursed were around and came out on top, stealing, beating and terrorising them. Why were the Cursed set on destroying our world? It wasn't a great world since the D World started pulling in depressed members of the community, spewing them back with twisted minds. In a couple of centuries they managed to ruin the economy and their number was increasing.

I got out of bed feeling dizzy and made a cup of herbal tea. It helped settle down my stomach and cleared my thoughts. I could always go to my friend The Great Pretender and get a decent meal, but my pride took over the hunger I felt. Admitting I was hungry meant I would have to tell him about the problems I had and I considered that as an admittance of defeat. I wasn't beaten yet, and there was always hope.

It was time to explore that landfill in the hidden place on the beach. By sheer willpower I got dressed, took my bag, stashing into it a change of clothes, sun protection accessories and my beachcombing tools. I walked out of my building, making sure I wasn't watched. It was early morning and I hoped I won't be tailed by Gory Ellen and her bullying companions. Making off with beachcombers finds was their latest hobby. Ellen was a woman of mystery. I couldn't tell if she was Cursed for she always wore heavy makeup and seemed to be well off. On the other hand, she did more damage than one hundred Cursed people. Some of her gang were Cursed and she used the fear of them to do whatever she pleased. She harassed the neighbourhood and even beat up a few beachcombers. Targeting us made her my problem and I needed to take care of it. I wasn't sure how, but I was sure praying to the beachcombers ancient God - the Lord of the Sands.

When I reached my beach, I unlocked the gate and hurried towards the sand hills. The beach was deserted and no one saw me drag my feet up the hill. I was thinking about the wall I saw the other day and wasn't sure I'd be able to enter the enclosure without a key to the gate. My doubts turned to be unfounded when I reached the top of the hill and looked down. The previous night's storm had loosened a couple of poles and I was about to find out what was so special in that place.

I needed to work fast in case one of Gory Ellen's men saw me sneaking out of my shelter and had followed me. I wasn't up to fighting. No strength when the belly is empty.

I started combing by the gate using the stick-comb Aunt Astrid gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Inch-by-inch I combed the entire enclosure and finally came to the conclusion that whatever was hidden there must have been buried deep. I turned my stick-comb to the other end and started poking the sand with it. I kept poking until around the middle of the closure, the stick hit something solid, about two feet deep. Going down on my knees, I started digging. I was reminded of the emptiness in my stomach and felt I was running out of energy, but the prospect of finding something valuable gave me strength. It wouldn't be long before I could buy some food.

I cleared the sand away. My fingers touched something solid and smooth. I moved more sand and finally managed to recover the piece. It was a glass ashtray, almost as big as a train wheel. It had three grooves in it, large enough to hold a few Lullu cigars. The opaque bottom had an image of a man imprinted on it; young and handsome, wearing a short tunic. His face looked relaxed and in a strange way, just looking at him made me feel content, although I had nothing to be content about. The Great Pretender in the antique shop would surely buy it, but I couldn't carry it in my bag. With great effort, I rolled the ashtray out of the enclosure towards the hill furthest away from the beach. I buried it deep, marking the place with a pile of pebbles and shells. Who or why was that piece of beach fenced I had no idea. Perhaps there were other items buried deeper, but I wasn't equipped for such a dig.

My luck was still holding as I combed the regular beach. I found a gold watch which looked expensive, a small zipped bag containing ladies' make-up and a colourful beach towel. I put everything into my reversible bag. Immensely pleased, I patted my empty stomach and left the beach.

The streets were still quiet, few people standing in queues for groceries and a group of Cursed working the rubbish collecting machines. That was one of the only jobs they could take, legally. I walked home as fast as I could, throwing an occasional glance over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't followed.

At home I checked the make-up kit and found it undamaged by seawater. It would fetch a good price. I put it back into my bag and headed out, visualising the food I could buy when I'd sold it.

Gory Ellen was waiting for me outside my building. She was alone and looked her usual self; face made up in multi-colours, dress in striking blue that made her fat body look like a balloon and a short wooden stick in her hand. Mean and dangerous.

I looked at her eyes, searching for the crazed marks of D World but she wasn't looking at me. Her gaze shifted around, not resting on one spot long enough for me to make an accurate examination.

"What do you want?" I said, trying to walk past her. I knew she wanted something from me, other wise she wouldn't have bothered to wait in the street. What could it be?

"Not so fast, little lady," she said. "I want to make you an offer. Come work for me. I'll pay you a salary plus twenty five percent of your finds. No woman gets this much from me. I know you're a good beachcomber and I'm short of one. I strongly advise you to take it."

The threat was there; do as I say or else. I turned my head away, trying to overcome my dizziness. I needed food and the old hag was offering me a deal that ordinary people would kill to get. Although hated and feared, Gory Ellen protected her employees, securing their jobs, putting food on their tables. But what else was involved in being one of her beachcombers? I knew they feared her and once she made them work for her, they were no longer part of our guild. I could never work for her. I was doing fine on my own, most of the time. I had a place to stay and didn't want to share my finds with her or anyone. I had no reason to throw my freedom away.

Pushing her out of my way I said, "Get yourself another slave, Ellen. I've refused your offer before and I haven't changed my mind."

I kept walking then heard her shout, "I know you're hiding something, Kira. I'll find out what it is. Be sure of that! And no one turns me down. Do you hear? No one!"

I quickened my pace, disappearing around the corner. I was shaking and had to lean on a wall. Gory Ellen could be a bitter enemy and I had to watch my back.

I reached the flea market, founding the Great Pretender busy in his little shop. The door was still closed for customers but when he spotted me through the window, he opened it, standing aside to let me pass.

"Welcome to Pandora's Box, Kira," he said brightly. "It's very early. Anything wrong?" He looked at me - and knew.

He was a sweet old man, fat and flamboyant, with the biggest heart in the world. He'd always treated me like I was special.

I gave him a hug and we went to the backroom kitchen where he served me fresh juice. His beloved parrot Groom greeted me with his usual clatter and the Great Pretender ordered him to shut up.

"You need food," he stated. "You're in time for breakfast. Drink this up and prepare yourself to feast on the best porridge this side of the city."

I drank slowly, watching him spoon thick porridge into two bowls. He added fresh butter and sprinkled cinnamon on top. With a wide smile, he laid a bowl in front of me and lowered his heavy frame unto a chair.

My stomach made loud noises but the polite Great Pretender ignored it and urged me to eat, so we concentrated on our steaming bowls. It was delicious and just what I needed.

I leaned back, my eyes closed. In the background I could hear him remove the dishes and when he came back, I opened my eyes and said softly, "Thank you. I really needed that." I pause then brought out the make-up kit and the watch, silently handing them over to him. He reached out a ring adorned hand, took the kit and examined the contents.

I knew little about make-up and cosmetics, but everything looked expensive and had the original seals. It was a great find.

The Great Pretender made some calculations using his fingers, then said, "Girl, you have outdone yourself. This stuff is imported and brand new. I shall be VERY generous today. The watch is not worth much; it's a cheap imitation. Here…" He opened his tattered wallet and took out a stack of notes. My eyes widened. There was more money in his wallet than I had ever held at one time, and what he shoved towards me was a small fortune.

He examined my face and seeing I didn’t comment, he said hurriedly, "If this is not enough?"

"No, no," I protested. "It’s more than enough." I heaved a sigh and said, "Let me rest for a while longer. I need to go to the beach again. There's something there that is too heavy for me to carry. Any ideas how I can bring it here without having Ellen Gory on my tail?"

The Great Pretender thought for a minute then said, "How big is it?"

I looked around the room. A small round table by the window seemed to be the same size. I pointed at it and said, "About the diameter of that table, only made of glass. It's heavy, I couldn't lift it."

The Great Pretender stared at me. He looked shocked. He rolled his eyes up and shook his head from side to side, giving me a fright.

"What is it? What have I said? If you can't help me, it's ok. I'll manage! Just stop looking at me like that!"

He managed to compose himself, folding his arms around his fat belly and taking a deep breath. "Child, if what I think it is you've found, then the Lord of the Sands is still on your side."

I laughed. "Don't tell me you too believe in that old myth! I think there are but a few who still believe he exists. I always pray to him when I need help, in vain, I must add. He had abandoned the beachcombers. I don't want to mention his name ever again!"

Then I looked at him suspiciously, "Is there something you're not telling me, my friend? Do you know something I don't?"

The Great Pretender got out of the chair and started walking around, calling to his parrot to him, placing him on his shoulder.

"Well? What are you hiding?"

The Great Pretender came back to the table, leaned forward, whispering, "It's the old prophesy. I'm sure your mother had told you about it. When one of Sorceress Dimalda's descendants will find the image of the Lord of the Sands imprinted on glass, then she will eradicate evil from our world. It might be you, dear girl. Just hurry and bring that object to me. I can lend you my old wheelbarrow, if you think it can carry that thing. Please don't waste any time, for if Gupta finds out about it, he'll send his people to get it. This object is the only way one of us can enter his world without becoming Cursed. That would be the only chance we have to get rid of him forever. Do you understand what I'm saying?

I nodded. "Mother did tell me about the prophesy but I never… I never thought it would be me… And that thing I found… It did have an image of a man imprinted on it!

"No time to waste then. Come with me to my tool shed and take the wheelbarrow. Go to your beach as fast as you can and talk to no one."

He took me out of his shop through the back door and gave me the battered wheelbarrow.

"Thank you for breakfast," I said, "and for your help. I'll be back as soon as I can."
I kissed his smooth cheek and left through the garden door.

I was near the neighbourhood market store when I noticed I was tailed. An old man, dressed in a long dark overcoat was walking behind me, stopping whenever I did, pretending to look in a window. He couldn’t fool me though. Gory Ellen’s henchman. Bad trouble. Ellen wouldn’t rest until she'd found my secret beach. As a matter of fact, I wasn't sure she knew about it, but that was her way – intimidate an innocent person, let him think she knows his secrets, and something would turn out profitable for her. I had to lose the tail, fast. He was Cursed and there was no telling what he might do.

I ran into the supermarket, vanishing into the rest rooms. In a locked cubical I rummaged through the stuff in my bag. Bits and pieces had helped me before in similar situations; I took off my jacket, changing it to a red see-through blouse. A red short skirt replaced the blue slacks and my long hair disappeared under a red beret. Dark sunglasses which hid half my face were the last touch. I was sure the old man would never think I was the same person he'd been following. For good measure I turned my reversible bag inside out to change its colour. I was ready for the game.

Coming out of the rest room, I saw Ellen's man watching the door. He pretended to check a ripe melon, but I knew he wasn't interested in it. His eyes stopped on me and then went back to the door. He didn't recognize me. I walked past him and exited the store, heading straight to my beach. I needed to retrieve the ashtray and bring it to the Great Pretender. Somehow, I had a feeling that the ashtray will change my life, and not only because of the prophesy.

The beach was still deserted, but as I reached the hill, I knew something was wrong.

A man was sitting on the sand, in the middle of the enclosure. He used my pebbles to form a circle around himself and was plying with the shells.

Was he a Cursed? I couldn't tell. He was well dressed and seemed to be cleaner than the ones I'd seen roaming the streets.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted. "Gimme back my shells!" All I wanted was to scare him off so I could dig out my treasure.

The man froze, his hands went still and he stared at me intensely. He got up, bowed and said pleasantly, "I am but a messenger, dear friend. I'm here to help you. Enter my circle of life and come with me to the Beachcombers' Park."

Another loony, I thought. We had loads of them floating between sanity and complete depression, harmless mostly.

Looking at him I noticed a nervous tic on his handsome face. The right eye was twitching and his left hand was quivering. Having no idea what to do with him, I tried talking him out of his 'circle'. Nothing worked. He returned to his sitting position, eyeing me, afraid perhaps I might leave. I noticed that his eyes had an opaque colour, as if no vision could penetrate them.

He seemed to be innocuous, so I stepped into his circle, intending to lure him away by force if necessary, but as soon as I crossed the pebble line, each pebble turned into a bright red star, surrounding us like a ring of light. I froze, not daring to move. The man was again on his feet. He didn't frighten me. The red light did.

While looking around, thinking I'd better get out of there, he said, "The park? Shall we go?"

"Stop this crap and get out of here. It's my beach. If you think I'm going to let you---"

I stopped in mid-sentence. He was smiling tenderly, his eyes no longer opaque. They were blue and shone excitingly. The nervous tic had stopped.

"The Lord of the Sands has not abandoned you, Kira. It was I who got caught in the storm and spent many-a-day to come out of it. Forgive me for being late."

I had no doubt he was crazy. But how had he known that I thought the Lord of the Sands had abandoned us? A chill went through me. But I had to get rid of him, no matter what. I thought then I'd use his craziness against him so I said, "If you were sent by the Lord of the Sands, show me some proof. And what kind of help does His Lordship have in mind?" Sarcasm had its benefits when dealing with strangers.

Before I could even blink, he produced a ring. My eyes went to the small red band. I realized it wasn't made of metal but was constructed of tiny links of crystals that reflected the light. I reached to take it and the man closed his hand around mine, the ring trapped in between. His hand felt warm and comforting. He actually managed to calm me. I was still puzzled about him, but I knew he wasn't Cursed.

Then, for the first time, I noticed he looked familiar. I had seen him somewhere recently. The memory was vague, but there all the same. He was wearing different clothes then.

Shrugging, I said, "If I go with you to your park, what's in it for me?" I was willing to promise him anything as long as he left my beach.

"Put the ring on your finger and find out. Isn't helping your fellow beachcombers worth taking the risk?"

What was he talking about? How did my fellow beachcombers get into the conversation? And what did he care whether I wanted to help my friends or not? He seemed to know a lot about me. Who the hell was he? I panicked and looked wildly around, expecting to see Gory Ellen with her gang closing on me. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the beach or anything else through the red light. We were isolated within the circle. Then a thought crossed my mind – it was just him and me. And he was crazy, so I should be able to handle him.

He stood there, a faint smile on his lips. He was pathetic, but very good looking and had a way with words. I removed his hand and said in a tone I used when talking to a child, "Fine. Put the damn thing on my finger and let's get the hell out of here!" I was sure the game was over and that once the ring was on my finger he would leave.

As soon as the ring hit my finger, the red light changed to yellow and the beach disappeared.

****************

We found ourselves in a beautiful park, like no other I had seen before. The only parks in the city were those around public buildings and had but a few trees and a couple of benches where the unemployed Cursed used to pass their days.

We stood on a wide path, pebbled and sheltered by a canopy of shimmering gold leaves. The air was sweet smelling, and in the distance I could hear soft singing. It was magical. But I was alarmed nonetheless. I said, "What have you done to my beach? Where are we?"

He looked calm and poised; the smile never left his face. I wondered what his name was so I said, "What is your name?"

"You can call me Sandy, dear, and we are at the Beachcombers' Park. You were thinking about getting help, so now is your chance to change things and help yourself and your friends. Shall we walk through the park?"

I was beginning to think that there was something in that ancient prophesy after all. Like the Great Pretender had said, perhaps I was the one to end all misery in our world. But I still couldn't believe it. I felt like being in a dream. But maybe the park was the foyer to D World, sugar coated to help the medicine go down… I was utterly confused. A shiver went through me. It could have been a dream, but there was no way I was on my way to D World. I was not depressed or desperate. I was merely trying to retrieve my treasure, and believed that the Lord of the Sands still existed.

Despite the crazy thoughts that went trough my mind, I took his arm and said, "Lead the way, Sandy. Wake me when the dream is over…"

He looked at me scornfully and started walking towards the left path. As soon as I entered it, the world around us had darkened, the only light coming from the golden leaves above. On both sides of the path I could see small windows of light, each with its own bright colour.
The view was spectacular. I started to run toward the first window, which emitted a deep blue glow, enticing me to reveal its secrets.

In the window I saw a familiar room. Pandora's Box? Can't be. But when I saw the Great Pretender walking into the room with his parrot nestling comfortably on his shoulder, I screamed. Sandy came running and held me tight, saying, "It's alright. It is only a porthole to reality. Don't be scared. Keep looking and see if there's a way you can help the beachcombers." I felt as if our roles had been reversed – he was talking to me like I was a child, as I had done earlier on the beach. I hoped he didn't take me for a crazy person.

I swallowed hard and turned my eyes back to the window. Suddenly, the shop's door opened and three hoodlums came in, followed by a fat and ugly woman. Gory Ellen! What the hell was she doing in the Great Pretender's shop?

My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to pop. I knew what the bitch wanted with the Great Pretender. That tail she had on me had probably seen me coming out of his shop. Great. And she was going to hurt my sweet old friend. I couldn't allow that. He knew about my beach and my ashtray, but she didn't know that. Or did she? Something had to be done. I needed to stop her, get rid of her and punish her for the vile things she'd been doing.

Sandy might know something. I turned to him saying, "Why is that woman in my friend's shop? Do you know her? She's evil and must be stopped."

He said nothing for a while then took my hands in his and said, "The ring is detectable by both good and evil forces. The moment you wore it, your presence here was known. Now they are after the object that enabled you to come here. Naturally they want to destroy it, but they have no idea where it is. They think your friend might know. I'm sorry."
I felt my world had been turned upside down. As I understood it, I was on a mission, to save the world from Gupta and his D World. Sacrificing the Great Pretender was not an option. I would never let anything happen to him.

Returning my gaze to the window, I assessed my options which were not many at that moment. Sandy released my hands and stood still beside me. I wasn't sure what was his part in the prophesy, but his presence filled me with confidence.

Ellen was talking to the Great Pretender and I could see she was getting into one of her frenzies. She signalled one of her men who drew out his gun and pointed it at the Great Pretender. That was bad. Ellen must have wanted my beach badly enough to kill for it. And I knew why. She was a Cursed all along. The reason she used heavy makeup was not because she was a vain woman. She needed to conceal her sick looking skin. And she was fat, which also contributed to the illusion of being an ordinary woman. But she must have had help from Gupta, or people would have guessed her true nature sooner or later. He must have told her about the prophesy and that was why she kept employing beachcombers, looking for the one who had found the ashtray. Clever. No one suspected her.

It was time for action. On the window frame I noticed a red button. I pressed it and found myself inside the room, with Ellen and the Great Pretender who were unnaturally frozen in time. The Great Pretender looked pale as if dead but Ellen finally revealed her true colours. Her skin turned green, a sickening shade of green, just like all the Cursed people I've seen. My theory was proven right.

I thought I could move them around like puppets in a show, so I pushed the Great Pretender away from the line of fire. Then I turned Ellen, to face her armed goon. A small change of positions which would make a difference once they come out of the frozen state. What now? I needed to get out of there. Upon thinking it, I was back outside at the window and they were breathing again.

The goon didn't hesitate when he shot Gory Ellen through the heart. She fell to the floor, her mouth open in surprise. Her skin turned green within seconds, her heavy makeup could no longer conceal it.

Good riddance, I thought. She got what was coming to her!

Ellen's men fled and my sweet Great Pretender bent over her and realizing she was dead, he called the police. Poor thing. He was going to sacrifice his life to protect me, and it was I who saved him!

I stood outside the window, immersed in thoughts when the lights in all the windows went out. The entire path sank into darkness. I could hear angry growls and felt a touch of unseen hands trying to get hold of me. I took a couple of steps away from the window when I heard Sandy say, "We should go. Someone's waiting for us at the fountain. Come."

The lights returned and we walked the park. It was beautiful but I hardly noticed any details for my mind was busy trying to visualize a world without Gory Ellen.

The fountain area was well lit and when I saw it, I nearly fainted. Unbelievable. The fountain was a replica of my ashtray, made of glass, with an image of a man imprinted on the bottom. Water jets were running through holes in the grooves. Sandy didn't seem to be surprised.

Nervously I said, "What's going on? And who wants to meet me?" I still needed to find some answers before leaving that place.

Sandy pointed to the image in the fountain, and winked. I knew then where I've seen him before. He was the man whose image was imprinted in the ashtray. Was he the Lord of the Sands? The ashtray was the gate to his kingdom and to the D World. That was in the prophesy. As the realization dawned on me, the lights went out and I felt myself floating, drifting towards an unknown destination.

This time I found myself in a dark place. A large room lit by black candles held by a dozen or so figures, standing around a low platform. I watched them from behind a marble pillar. They wore long black robes and I had no doubt as to what they were. Cursed! I nearly screamed, but realizing it would reveal my presence there, I swallowed hard and turned my attention to the platform.

A gold coffin surrounded by black tulips was placed in the middle of it. A black cloud hovered above, obscuring whoever was in it. I had a feeling that the scene before me meant that finally, somehow, the rein of terror and the hold D World had over us had come to an end. Gut feeling you might call it.

A murmur came from the Cursed figures. They placed their candles around the coffin and one by one vanished into thin air.

I left my hiding place behind the pillar and rushed to the coffin. I had to know who or what was in it. The coffin had no lid and in it lay Ellen Gory, dressed as a man, in a black tuxedo, wearing a diamond and onyx crown on her head. A white silk sash was placed across her chest. The words "Rest forever Gupta" were embroidered on it. Gupta! Prince of the Cursed! Ellen was actually the prince!

I was so relieved that Ellen was dead that my knees folded and I had to sit on the floor and bury my head in my hands. No more D World, at least I hoped so. The puzzle in my head began to clear. The only loose end was the reason the prince had found it necessary to take part in the real world disguised as Ellen. Perhaps he couldn't trust the Cursed to find for him the one beachcomber who was going to destroy him? And finding the ashtray first would have meant access to the Beachcomber Park where he could kill the Lord of the Sands! That was it. The D World was not enough for him. He wanted access to the one world that could destroy his!

The air around me swirled. I was caught in it and carried away.

The sun shone into my unprotected eyes. I was back at my beach, on my knees, hands deep in the sand where I had buried my ashtray. It was gone. I looked around, but saw no one.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. Gory Ellen… Flashes of the Beachcombers Park came back to me, and wasting no time, I headed back to Pandora's Box.

Several police cars were parked by the Great Pretender's shop. I rushed in, heart hammering. Policemen were everywhere. The Great Pretender was talking quietly to a man in civilian clothes, but when he spotted me, he came over and said, "I'm fine. There had been a robbery attempt and someone was killed. No, don't look. It's a gory sight…"

I pushed my way through the crowd, and there, on the floor, lay Gory Ellen, her face green and morbid and a blood stain marred the front of her dress. She was dead.

I opened my mouth to say something when someone tapped on my shoulder. I half turned, and there, in living colour, stood Sandy, my crazy man from the beach.

"I'm inspector Sandy Ash, third precinct," he introduced himself. "Did you know the woman? This was found in her hand." And he handed me a small shiny glass ashtray.

******

Epilogue

The ocean kept roaring, sending powerful waves in a deadly succession, warning to keep away from the beach.

The rows of Cursed opened to let one of them pass. He was the oldest member of their community. He looked at the angry sea and said, his voice no more than a whisper: "Show yourself, Lord of the Sands. We summon you to the final challenge!"

The moon came out from behind the clouds and as its pale light hit the beach, a man materialized on the sands, tall and majestic, dressed in a white tunic and holding a glass ashtray in his hand.

"Who dares summon me?" he asked the elder.

"We are the Cursed, my Lord. We need you to release us from the hold Gupta has on our souls. We need you to confront him and make use of the coming eclipse to defeat him. Will you do this for poor souls who wish to return to the world and help restore it instead of ruin it? Will you embrace us back to society and give us peace of mind? Will you help us die with honour and leave forever the dark D World? Will you?

The Lord of the Sands threw the ashtray to the sand. As soon as it touched the sand it started to grow until it reached the size of a train wheel. The moon shone on it and everyone could see the image imprinted in the bottom.

"Summon Gupta, prince of the Cursed!"

The Lord of the Sands stepped forward to stand inside the ashtray. He was ready for the confrontation.

"Show yourself Gupta, Prince of the Cursed," said the elder, this time his voice was strong, full of hope. "We summon you to the final challenge!"

Moments passed and there was no sign of Gupta. A murmur went through the lines of the Cursed. Gupta refused the challenge. That was something they did not anticipate. He was obliged to respond on a night of a moon eclipse. His coming was essential for their release.

The elder went back to his people, trying to figure out what to do. Time was short and the eclipse was about to begin.

The Cursed felt betrayed and hopeless. They were doomed to live their lives as lepers, condemned to hell.

The Lord of the Sands stood looking at the distraught people and when the eclipse started, he raised his voice and said in a strong loud voice, " Do not despair good people. Gupta is no more! He was killed this night and D World will no longer have any hold on you.

The Cursed listened and when they finally grasped what was said, they started to cheer and dance.

"Listen to me," said the Lord of the Sands. "When the eclipse reaches its darkest point, all of you must step into this glass ashtray. This is the gate back to the real world. Clear your hearts and say a prayer, for your ordeal is over. Bless you people and may you prosper!"

He then vanished, leaving the gate open for the Cursed to walk through and return to society.


December 2004