Gabrielle pointed her index finger to the different parts of her body; her forehead, her belly, her left shoulder, her right shoulder, and finally he touched her index finger to her heart. After he made the sign of the Cross, Gabrielle bowed her head, and closed her eyes to greet the priest on the other end of the dark, covered altar.

Gabrielle pointed her index finger to the different parts of her body; her forehead, her belly, her left shoulder, her right shoulder, and finally he touched her index finger to her heart. After he made the sign of the Cross, Gabrielle bowed her head, and closed her eyes to greet the priest on the other end of the dark, covered altar.

"Bless me father, for I have sinned�" Gabrielle said the words, as she tried to keep calm, and leave all of her emotions behind. She tried to concentrate. "It has been very long since my last confession�"

"Yes, my daughter. Now go on�" Gabrielle heard a deep, comforting voice reply on the other side.

"I am a grave sinner father. I have committed the gravest sin of all, again. I keep committing it, over and over again, and I just don't know what to do�" Gabrielle couldn't help to hold the tears that were coming out of her eyes, and he felt the warm drop of water come out from her eyes, and down to her cheek. "I do not know to whom I could turn to, I couldn't go to the police, and--"

The priest had interrupted her.

"Nooo, there is no sin that our heavenly Father could not forgive, for He is a merciful, loving and gentle God. So, what have you done, my child?"

"I have taken the lives of a lot of people."

The reply on the other side made the priest's emotions halt. At first, she thought that this was just those average Catholics who were sorry for this, sorry for that, but this was something serious, at least the girl thought.

"You have killed? Why?!" The priest was as shocked as any would be, if they heard such an innocent, such a tender voice say those dreaded words.

"I believe that it's not my fault, Father. But something inside me tells me that I have done wrong. It started when I was still a little girl, see�" Gabrielle sensed that the priest wasn't serious. "See, father, you're not very serious�"

"No, my child, please, continue�"

"It was when I was in the fifth grade that I realized that I have this strange ability. My mother had gave me a doll, a beautiful blond Barbie. I had loved that Barbie so much, like she was my sister, and I brought her with me all the time. I would even talk to her when I had problems. Sometimes when I lied to my mom, I talked to her. She had become my older sister, and every time I was down and sad, she was there. I loved my Barbie so much. Perhaps too much.

I had brought Barbie to school everyday, to keep me company. Nobody else wanted to talk to me, or to make friends with me, I don't know, but every little girl or boy who I see was afraid to make friends with me. I don't know why, but that's just it. And I talked to Barbie about it, and her eyes seem to make me feel a lot better. Oh, those deep blue eyes just seem to understand what I'm going through, more than anyone else would.

But there was the time, the time when I had loved Barbie too much. It was Christmas Eve, and my family had organized this Christmas party, and we had exchanging gifts. Everyone had given everyone gifts, and I have received a lot of them. I received a lot of new toys and dolls which were cute, but I never stopped loving my Barbie. I had even bought her a little silver necklace. I think Mom had been angry at me, because I bought a gift for the doll, I mean, there were other "people" around, and she said that I looked crazy. Buying the doll a gift and everything.

I went to my room and cried. But I still had Barbie on my hands and talked to her. But before my eyes, my dear Barbie melted. Fire just ignited out of nowhere and I had to drop Barbie. The fire caught Barbie, and she was reduced to a black, crispy thing.

Time had passed, and I had forgotten about by Barbie. My mom had decided to move to a new town, far from our old one, as she thought that it was cursed. Yes. Since we were living in that house, strange things happened. Aside from the sight of Barbie melting before my very eyes, Mom started to "see" things. She said that she saw ghosts. I wasn't afraid, because I know ghosts couldn't harm us, but were there to guard us. Mom wasn't that shook up either, but it was the neighbors that had made her decision to move somewhere else. But things didn't turn out as Mom had expected them to be.

Things weren't a lot different in this new school I'm in. This time, I was in the eighth grade. The situation wasn't a lot different from that back in my old school. Even when I'm already in high school, the kids still made fun of me. I don't know why people did this, but they just did. But I just simply let them do whatever they wanted to do with me. I didn't care.

In this new town, Mom had never set foot in other people's houses, like she once did in our old home. And because of that, Mom and I spent a lot of time together. We went swimming together, we went fishing together, and we went to movies together. We had a lot of fun when we were together. I never knew Mom to be this wonderful, this strong, and this sensitive before. She and I were alike. Back in school, I was alone, but I kept going with my life. She, even though she had a day job, didn't went with any friends to parties, the way she used to do when we were in that old house. She didn't bring home hunky guys and slept with them, although Mom was a very beautiful woman, for a woman her age. I got curious and asked her about it, and she said, "I just want to be with you, Gabby, and no one else�"

We had a lot of fun together. Everyday was just great, and the day after that would just seem to be better than the last one. We rediscovered each other, and we learned that we loved each other� So much. I have never said those three words to Mom, but the perfect opportunity came. We were on a bus trip, and then there was a bomb on the bus. Mom did not know it, but I knew it. Back then, Mom's disease was getting worse, and she was turning deaf. She thought that the man on the bus holding some sort of console was the tour guide, but she didn't know that it was hijack. I refused to tell Mom that because I knew that it would only make her day difficult. I kept it to myself, and removed her hearing aide from her ears. She was sleeping so peacefully. And I said to her "I Love you, Mom�"

The sight on the end of the bus was scary. The other man, who was trying to get the console to disable the bomb, was violently whacking the hijacker's head on the metal pipe. It was bloody, but Mom was asleep. I just stared at the two men fight. Fortunately, the man had disabled the bomb. But the hijacker wasn't dead yet. He smiled, he smiled with a dark grin. He said that the bomb would go off if the cable was pulled. Of course, in pulling the console from the hijacker, the man had to yank the cable. People started to scream, but my mom was still asleep, peacefully, with no idea about what was happening. People started to get out of the running bus, and I tried to wake up Mom. But she didn't wake up. We were the only people on the deserted bus, with the driver and the man who tried to save us and the hijacker. It was then that I realized it, Mother was dead. Dead because I loved her too much�

The man who saved us pulled me and asked me why I wasn't getting off. I said that I had to remain here, with my mom. The man did his best to convince me to get out, and jump from the bus, but I hesitated. So all of them, except the bloody hijacker jumped off the running bus. I just stayed there with mom, praying with all my heart that this would be a quick death for me.

But time had passed, and the train still hadn't exploded. But the bus was running faster, and there was a disconnected bridge ahead of us. We were going straight for it, and I closed my eyes. I felt the bus go down towards the water, and I fell unconscious.

When I woke up, I was surrounded by medical people. I was alive - unfortunately. Although I didn't want to be alive, something had saved me from death. But Mom was gone, because I had loved her too much."

Gabrielle paused, and she sniffed on her handkerchief to blow away the mucous trapped in her nose. The priest was suddenly becoming uncomfortable, it wasn't the chair, but it was something else. Gabrielle wiped the tears that were coming out of her misty eyes, and she continued.

"You see, father, it's because of my love which takes the life of people. I guess you can say that my Love kills, but I only do it because I am human. But there's more�

After the accident, I have to live alone. I had to work the nights off to earn a living. During those hard times, I went to school during the day, but most of the hours of the night, I was working as a waitress. This very nice woman had introduced me to the proprietor of the Bed and Breakfast, and it was quite easy to take the job. But I realized that high school won't get me anywhere, it wasn't helping me in any way. So, I left school and worked instead. I worked the day, and the night. When the kind gentleman, he was my boss, an old, bald, gentlemen, saw that I was working too hard, he asked me to work only for the day, and take the night off. And he also said that I could keep my wages for the night. He was such a kind person.

I enjoyed my time working as a full-time waitress in a small bed and breakfast. I met new friends, although I tried to avoid them as much as possible, for I know that I was a living curse. I didn't want to hurt anyone else through my feelings. But fate has its strange, unwanted ways.

One morning, a cute guy entered through our glass door. He just passed right through and he stared at me through those sky-blue eyes, which were so enchanting. I couldn't help but look in them too, and as I stared deeply into those eyes, I felt something; the something that I wished I would never feel again, for I know that if I would feel it again, it would only bring out undesirable things. I tried to avoid his stare, but they had already captured me. Since then, the hunk would just come by and we'd exchange glances, until one rainy night, fate destined for us to be together. We made love, and it was great. I had regretted it in the first place, but I couldn't just escape his love. The next morning, I slipped off the bed, with him still sleeping. I arrived late at the diner, but still made it to work. And then the news on the TV caught my attention. It reported that a fire broke out of a local apartment building - his apartment building.

OOOOOHHH I just HATE Myself! I guess that's why I'm still alive! Fuck that, Father!"

The priest didn't know what to do; whether to pity the girl, or to believe her. The story was as crazy as the girl. But still, he felt that he needed to hear the rest of the story, something in it seemed disturbing.

"Continue�"

"After that incident, I found it hard for me to sleep at night. I couldn't sleep! I tried, but I just kept hating myself. All the people that I had once loved, are dead. Dead. FUCKIN dead! And it's all because of me, this - this GOD damn CURSE!"

"Please, my child, try to be calm�"

"How the FUCK am I supposed to be calm, after all that's happened?! I'm a living curse! God Himself had forsaken me! Oh, God� Forgive me� I-I'm so sorry�"

"It's alright my child, it's not your fault�" The priest had found it amazing that he ACTUALLY believed in the girl's story. But Gabrielle continued�

"But there's one more thing father, my Love, this curse is not yet erased. And that is why it had brought me here�"

"What are you talking about?"

"A long time ago, my father had deserted us. When Mom was being tortured by the sick comments of our neighbors, he wasn't there. It was him who had the curse inflicted upon us. We tried to live with it for the rest of our lives, my own fuckin LIFE! He left us because he knew something, something dark. He tried to escape it, but it came back looking for him. The curse was intended for him, but it came back to us. Doubled. But I realized that f I could find the person whom the curse was originally for, maybe I could do something about it�"

Gabrielle's voice suddenly changed from the once innocent, angelic voice, to this angry, hating, loathsome utterances that had penetrated the priest's mind. Definitely, he knew something, but still, he tried to hide it.

"What does it have to do with me--" the priest said, his voice becoming a little numb.

"OH just STOP FUCKIN with me, Father - DAD!" Gabrielle couldn't stand her hatred. She had said what she was here to say. But still, there were things to be done, the curse was yet to be broken.

With the words all said, the priest, Gabrielle's father, felt something painful within him. It wasn't his feelings, it was something else. He felt his heart stop beating, although he still breathes. But it was just so painful, like the crown of thorns on Christ's head was being crowned on his heart. He could not take it anymore.

Gabrielle made the sign of the cross and left that dark altar. She had realized that she still loved her father, for one obvious reason. She came here to do one thing, but the curse had beaten her to it. It had taken her father's life. She was going to kill him, but she had failed.

Gabrielle let out a salty tear, and it rolled down her cheeks.

For the first time, she felt free.

But was the curse broken?

The End

Copyright 2001 by Dominic Sanchez.

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