Cursed ✔️

31. The Photograph

Was he haunted by Diana? Was she after him? Did he have the stones too? What was it? Why was he apologizing?

These were some of the random thoughts knocking on their heads. A part of them was not so sure whether to read further - every entry made by Nick made them teary-eyed about his life - how lonely was he in this world of billions of people, how no one was his friend except this diary, how he had only his dad who was acting weird - but a part of them was convinced that something strange was definitely up which they had to find out. This was the only thing that could give them some clues. This diary could be the solution to the questions they had in their head. Maybe this could help them. Maybe it had something that would help them know more than they know now.

23 Dec 1921

Dear Diary,

I'm so excited! Christmas is coming! Snow has started to fall. I tried to catch it with my mouth and tasted it and, well, let's just say it tasted - interesting. Anyway, Dad is coming home late nowadays, he says that he has a lot of work to finish up before Christmas. So, I stay up late waiting for him to come home but my eyes always drift to sleep. But today, he came home early, so we're going to have dinner together! It's been so long! And as far as the weirdness of dad is considered, I think that he is getting normal, but he has gone silent - I hardly see him say even a word. Anyway going to have dinner. Bye.

24 Dec 1921

Dear Diary,

OH MY LORD!!!! You won't believe what happened last night during dinner. A gigantic wave of shiver is running down my spine and my whole body. It was so horrible that dad told me, It's not safe anymore and to pack everything - that we were leaving the house! I don't know what was he talking about but having seen him like this, I'm totally convinced that we should leave. I'm currently in the back seat with my dad driving. You see, last night when we were having dinner, dad was murmuring something with his face down looking at his plate. I couldn't understand what was he saying so I came closer to him. I couldn't understand then too. So, I shook his shoulder a little saying his name, and then abruptly, all of a sudden, he moved his head. I gasped and screamed seeing him.

He was staring at nothing but the space with nothing in his eyes. His eyes were totally white. White like the snow. He kept staring and staring with his white eyes with no pupil or anything. It got me so scared that I almost threw up my dinner. I approached him cautiously. With another light poke in his arm, I called out to him in a shaky voice. But nothing. I screamed his name, yelling Dad! Dad! And shaking him. And then all of a sudden, a green shiny stone - which I think is the same stone which dad once said in his sleep - fell from his pocket as he stood from his chair, knocking it over. His pupils began to roll from beneath his eyelid, back to its normal position.

He blinked twice, adjusting to his surroundings. When he finally came back to what I hoped was normal, he turned towards me. He asked what happened as if he had no memory of the past few minutes, looking at my scared, terrified and about to faint face with eyes popping out of fear. When I told him everything, 'Pack your bags, we're leaving this minute. It's not safe anymore.' Was all he said kicking that stone. I wanted to pick it up - it was so gorgeous but dad pulled me and told me to not waste any time to pack.

I don't know where we are heading to right now. Where are we going? It's Christmas time and we don't have any other home or relative. It's cold out here. My only wish for Christmas is for dad to become normal and cheerful like he used to be. But as for now, I'm really scared - scared of everything that's been going on, everything that's been happening to me. But above all, I'm scared of my Dad.

26 Jan 1922

Dear Diary,

I know it's been too long but we were busy unpacking. A lady was kind enough to rent her house to us even when it was Christmas time in a snowstorm. I guess Christmas spirits are still alive in these 'town people'. The house is small but at least we have a roof over our head and Dad's going back to normal!

9 Feb 1922

Dear Diary,

Back home or this town - it made no difference to me though! The school was hard back then too and it's no different now. And People? Well, no one's my friend. But this guy, Clyde, he seems nice. He is really friendly to me.

16 May 1922

Dear Diary,

Clyde had invited me over his house to chill and play. I think we have become friends. He is the only one who is not rude to me and helps me genuinely. Over the months, our friendship is getting stronger. He also helped me when someone at school was troubling me. I can confide in him. I think he is the only person that knows me. I even told him everything which happened back home - all those eerie things. He is so supportive and kind.

John thought of Harry - after all, their friendship also started when he was being bullied and he stood up for him. Somehow Nick and Clyde's friendship made him remember him and Harry's. A bead of tear rolled down. He felt good for Nick. His lonely days were getting over. He got a friend.

"Maybe Clyde was that dead man's ghost which was helping us, who told us that he was his best friend! Made sense now." Hannah exclaimed.

John nodded as he skipped the pages.

26 July 1925

Dear Diary,

It's my 20th Birthday! Clyde told me that he had a big surprise for me! I can't wait to see what he got. I'm going over to his house! I will tell you when I come back.

That was it. It was the last diary entry that Nick wrote.

"Well, one thing for sure," John said turning a few more pages hoping to see something. But he only saw rusty old blank pages. "Whatever is that that we need to know about the stone or Diana is definitely in Nick's house."

As John closed the diary, a yellowed piece of paper fell down on the floor.

"What's that?" Hannah scooted closer to see what it was.

He bent over to pick it up and flipped it over. "It's an old photograph. Look, this must be Nick and his dad." John said pointing to the two fading figures that stood in front of a house with trees and grasses surrounding them. Since the photo was centuries old, it was a bit unclear and a little faded but a few details could still be made out from it.

"And, maybe this is the house that we need to go to," Hannah said tapping the photograph.