The hell with luck (2018) - full story

The story is not suitable for under 16, potentially disturbing, shocking and depressing scenes, auto-destructive scenes, milder curses, inspired by an article from a magazine with occult, astrological and religious themes that has intrigued me, only with the real story ending differently .
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03/29/2018 14:23

 Happiness. For someone like me it's just a overused boring word whose meaning I don't know, but for some other lost of it means a crash and a premature end. Some believe it can be called, manipulated with it, even to take it away from someone else. There are also those who don't believe that it exists, but then this story is a waste of valuable time for them, just to mention. In our nature belief in mystical, occult or spiritual is rooted, no matter it is sometimes called superstition - we all do it and that's good because it makes us careful. Of course, no exaggeration is good even if it makes us better because it always destroys us from another side.

 So, happiness. Whatever was the someone's definition of the particular term it could be said that this average woman Hjordis had a life she wanted- a good job, a devoted friend, a stable relationship and a well-arranged apartment. The parents lived in a nearby town, she also saw them often. It seemed like an idyll about which I wouldn't even like to write, but it is obvious that I didn't even plan to. The utopia is, in real life, actually extremely boring, I don't know who would read the story in which everything is damn ideal, but I need to be patient.

 Meginfrid, Hjordis's best friend, just went home when somebody rang on the door again. Hjordis's aunt Hema, smiling indignantly, entered the apartment and began: "Oh, what a wonderful gift I have for you! You love purple, don't you?" Hjordis: "Yes, that's my favorite color. Aunt Hema, you shouldn't have bother about it, for a while you are preparing delicious treats and putting so much effort around me, you really didn't have to bring me presents, you are too good. " Hema: "Oh no, dear, I'm glad to see you ... so satisfied, it's not hard for me!" (removes the coat from the bag) Try it out. " Hjordis (tries):" It's great and wonderful! Thank you, I just planned to buy a new coat now for the autumn, but you brought me one and what a great one! I'm really lucky. " Hema (mumbling): "Yes... you have luck... a lot of luck ..."

 Evening: Hjordis is with her fiancé Kori, they are ready to go out. He says: "Have you decided where to keep the wedding?" Hjordis: "I've been looking at some places with Meginfrid and I have already ordered the wedding dress, it will be ready for the several days . " Kori: "It will be difficult for me to wait a marriage, I count days with a longing ... I wish we could get married right now!" Hjordis (laughter): "I will not escape anywhere, we will soon bless our love with marriage ... (embraced him) ... I'm so glad I have you. " Kori: "Me too, honey, me too."

 The following day Meginfrid and Hjordis meet again and, besides the various random topics, the topic of the funeral of a woman accidentally appeared. Meginfrid: "Yesterday my neighbor told me that she was at the funeral. What's a pity, a woman was our age, I was sorry when I heard. "Hjordis:" What did she die of, from some illness? " Meginfrid: "She took away her life, she took some poison or something." Hjordis: "Oh, that's awful ... she must have been very unhappy when deciding for such a step. Hope it won't happen to anyone else." Meginfrid: "Yes, that's right."

 It's been a couple of days. Hjordis noticed that some very unusual things were happening these days as if she had some bad luck - the car broke down, just like a few devices, spilled the coffee over the cellphone, broke several heels by that each time being late for work even though she would go on time... She thought that it was just a temporary bad-luck and she didn't pay much attention to it.

 Rehearsal of the wedding dress. For some reason Meginfrig didn't come so she was alone, standing so in front of a mirror in a gorgeous glamorous dress. The phone rang and the Kori's name appeared on the screen. Hjordis (excited): "I just tried the wedding dress and it's beautiful ..." Kori:" I'm calling to tell you that I'm cancelling the engagement. " Hjordis (stunned): "What?! Why ?!" Did something happen ?! "Kori:" No, I just realized that I didn't want to spend life with you, that's it. Don't call me anymore, I don't want to be with you at all. I don't know why I didn't do it before, but it's better now than in front of the altar. Farewell. (interrupted)"

 Hjordis looked at the mirror with a disbelief - what did just happen?! Did her long-standing love just ended with one 'I do not want you anymore'?! Why, what did she do, what happened...? She quietly took off her wedding dress, not wanting to see the symbol of something that was supposed to be crowning of their relationship, took on her purple coat and stumblingly headed toward the apartment.

 Wanting to inform her friend about what had just happened she called her by the phone, but no one answered a few times until she finally answered: "Hey, I'm in a hurry, tell me what you want and don't take too long." Hjordis: " Why do you sound like you're angry at me? " Meginfrid: "I ... I realized that it's time to find new friends." Hjordis (shocked): "What is wrong with you all, what is this nonsense?! Kori has left me, and now you tell me that - what have I done?" Meginfrid: "I feel bad when I'm with you, that's it. I can't stand you lately, I don't know why, but I know it's smarter to avoid  you for some time. Goodbye."

 Hjordis was completely lost this time, covered with unbelief and confusion. Why would the person with whom she is friends from the childhood do that? How is this possible, on the same day to be dismissed by the two most important people, without any obvious reason? She still hoped that something will change for the better and this is a joke.

 She didn't dream often so she didn't care much for dreams, but this night wasn't like that, she woke up in the middle of the night because of a very disturbing dream. She was in a large room with golden walls on which the pictures of her dear people were hung, but then everything started to turn dark and a woman in a dark shirt and skirt up to her knees appeared in the middle of the room, began to cry and took a full box of some medicines, looking at Hjordis and repeating that she was cold and to leave her a coat. After this dream, Hjordis could no longer return to sleep.

 Regardless of the yesterday's fiasco she couldn't leave everything and skip the work, so she went there. The important document was in the laptop so she gave her best to keep it safe. She was careful, but... Again, bad luck appeared and the laptop stopped working. Counting on several delays and today's failure, the boss fired Hjordis without thinking much, so she knew that something had been completely got out off the track and that this didn't make sense, but not understanding anything because everything seemed like a nightmare.

 In the evening Hema came and brought the flowers in the pot, so she asked about what had happened. Hjordis (after telling her): "You see, like some bad-luck! I don't understand how this all happens as a domino effect, I'll go insane if this continues! Marriage is canceled, friendship ruined, I have no job anymore and I can't see the reason behind all this! " Hema:" Do you want me to find you a phone number from a witchdoctor ..." Hjordis:" I don't believe in such superstitions, forget it. I didn't even come to tell you that the flowers are wonderful, thank you." Hema:" You are welcome, it'll be a nice refreshment for the bedroom. Put the pot on the bedside table. " Hjordis: "I will. (Sighs) At least you're with me, hope you won't leave too." Hema (fake smile): "No, of course, I will be there till the end." (Hjordis looked at her) I mean, till the end of your problems. "

-

 Night. In the dream Hjordis found herself in a meadow full of flowers like the one that Hema had brought before, it seemed like there was nothing but flowers and dark skies, but in the distance she saw a clearing so she went to it. There was a cave, she approached and saw the corpse of a woman from the last dream so she got scared. Next to it were two empty tombs and Hjordis anxiously ran from there, but the corpse got up and followed her through the flowers that grew in height, creating a forest in which Hjordis got lost. She was hoping that at least corpse is far away, but then she felt hand on her shoulder ...

 Morning. She is waking covered with sweat, dressing up and moving towards the door. "Not everything is lost ... I will meet new people, find someone I love, find a new job... I'm still alive and will overcome this. Who knows why this is good."

 She came out to breathe fresh air, while the rays of the sun made a purple coat even more noticeable. The old phone that she had rang, she thought it might be Kori or Meginfrid but it was an unknown number so she cautiously answered. She thought that the bad events were over and that better days will come, but... her parents passed away on the same day! This was the hardest hit for her, she completely lost her mind from everything that happened, but she knew she had to go to a town where they lived to organize a funeral.

 Everything felt on her shoulder but no one even thought of her or offered help- as if she was totally alone on the planet. Apart from emotional there was a material loss as well as she paid everything out of her pocket, even the big debts that her parents had from earlier. For less than two weeks from a happy woman who planned her wedding she became a completely numb creature. She wondered what was next.

 On returning home Hema offered to stay one evening. She said: "Go and wash your face, I'll put on bedding." Hjordis: "You have no idea how grateful I am that you are the only one with me. No one cares about me, as if I was cursed. " Hema (while Hjordis goes to the bathroom) To leave you now? (quiet) It's not over yet. (returns the pillowcase to the pillow and puts it on the bed). "

 The next nightmare began- this time the corpse tied a noose for a bare tree, looked Hjordis in the eyes and said, "This one is for you." She winced from the bed and heard the noise of the ravens under the window, then went off to wash her face in order to take away nightmare from her head.

 In the following days Hema didn't come, but the disaster continued to happen, so Hjordis was increasingly suffering psychologically. She again suffered great material damage because she made an accident while returning the car home, the devices were still broken, people kept a distance from her. She decided to sell a car so that she could at least pay the rent if the landlord don't decide to throw her out too when everything was going bad for her already.

 She put ads on the street until at one moment heard a random conversation between two elderly women; Woman 1 (looking at Hjordis's coat): "I think Betari wore such a coat!" Woman 2: "I told you it is not true, she didn't have a coat, I would remember! " Woman 1: "She did!" Woman 2: "You mixed something up!" Hjordis (approaches): "Is everything all right?" Woman 2: "Yes, but this friend of mine claims that a girl was wearing such a coat at the funeral, so she remembered when she saw your coat." Woman 1: "You stupid creature, I'm sure of that claim! She had a coat this night before the funeral!" Hjordis (confused): "Maybe she took that coat somewhere ...?" Woman 2: "No, no ... Betari died and she claims that someone has taken, or whatever, that coat. I don't know why are we even thinking of it at all." Woman 1: "I read that taken stuff from the deceased can cause serious damage if there are casted spells on them! " Woman 2: "Hell yes, now someone will cast a spell on Betari's stuff, oh, please. (to Hjordis) Do not pay attention to her, she is superstitious to the core." Hjordis (intrigued): "Who is Betari? I heard about her somewhere, but ..." Woman 1 (as they walked away): "There is an obituary on that pier, you can see her image. Come on, let's go slowly. (leaving)"

 Approaching a pier,  Hjordis seeks a obituary among other obituaries, advertisements and posters... This face... impossible... It's a woman from her dreams! The corpse that hunts her in dreams is Betari's body, who she had never seen before in her life!

Completely turned pale, Hjordis sat on the sidewalk and barely reached her breath and then thought of where she had heard of her... Hema. She told a few weeks ago she'll go to the funeral of a woman her age, maybe even Meginfrid mentioned that day... Fine, but what does it have to do with her and her nightmare? Is it a sign? No, it can't be, she doesn't believe in such foolishness and ,again, this amount of accidents can't be explained either. She didn't know what to do.

 She went to the park, sat on the bench and the silently watched around while the light breeze waved the colorful leaves, lightly like a feather, and carried it on. The tree nearby, under the strong blowing of the winds, was left completely without leaves. Hjordis stared at the tree. As the tree from her dreams it stood like that, stretching its bony branches to the sky and standing so bare on the mercy of the winter that forthcomes. So she remained alone, as if she had spread her arms while the firing squad was about to shoot, without anybody else to cover her. In those bare branches missed only one detail- noose.

 At the moment she thought this bad luck will keep repeating and that she will forever remain like that, alone without anyone else, so she thought it would be the best to...

 "Hey, kid, would you mind if I sit on a bench a little? This pain in my legs is killing me." Hjordis looked and saw an old lady so she moved a little for her to sit. The old lady: "That energy around you is odd, very odd to me. Your aura is completely black, as if someone casted a spell on you." Hjordis: "I don't believe in auras and spells, nobody cursed me... I am just a naturally ill-fated for a weeks." Old lady: " How so?" Hjordis: "It's true that I don't know you, but nobody else cares so here we go: my fiancé left me for no reason, my best friend too, I got fired, parents are deceased, I made a car accident, my devices keep breaking, plus with all of that I have and some nightmares with a corpse of a girl who I never had seen before! All of that for only one month. I don't understand how!" Old lady (shocked): "As I thought - someone cursed you. Are in these dreams some tombs, blades, weapons, nooses or something similar? Some clothes? Earth?" Hjordis (confused): "Yes... how do you know that...?" Old lady (gets cards from the bag): "Pull out three cards." Hjordis: "What does it have to do with me and with this what is happening?" Old lady: "Just pull them."

 Hjordis pulled three cards, doubting she will hear something smart. Old lady (turning the first one):" Card sixteen- Tower. Trouble, breakup, insecurity,complete and sudden change. That, as you said, already happened to you. Present... (opens the second card)... nineteenth card of the Great Arcane, Sun, but reversed, so the meaning is loneliness, sadness, bad-luck, despair... It's not good. I hope the last card is positive, it represents the future... (turning it)... I knew it. Thirteen ie. card Death. Pull one more, just to check if all of this is because of magic. (Hjordis takes one more) The fifteenth card, Devil. Yes, someone turned against you. Is there anyone who hates you?" Hjordis: "No... I don't know... it's impossible that you are right, magic doesn't exist." Old lady: "Child, this will kill you! It must be that some evil person gave you something that belonged to a deceased person, ie. something that is taken off from the deceased person before the funeral, or flower planted in a ground from the tomb of a suicide, or to put little rope formed in noose below your pillow... I've already seen such a cases, that's why I am telling you that." Hjordis: "Thank you for your effort, but I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with magic or something like that... No clothes from deceased person, no flowers with the graveyard's ground and no ropes formed as noose, no one even entered my house for a while, let alone to put ropes under my pillow." Old lady (while Hjordis takes bag and leaves): "Check for any case. I know what I am talking to you." (Hjordis leaves)

-

 This night the nightmare came again. Betari did, as a zombie, walk to Hjordis shouting: "You are the next, run! Don't come, run! Listen to me and run!" Hjordis couldn't listened to her, so in a dream she ran to the railway and died with the first hit of a train.

 During the weekend she found the Betari's apartment and, under the excuse of buying an apartment for herself, she came to see who Betari actually was. Hallway, nothing unusual, just like the living room, a little bit gloomy but usual. It was probably because there were found candles and flowers from the funeral, who would know it. The room had more details: business notes that clearly showed a sudden fall and complete destruction, several empty bottles of wine, a destroyed computer. The bedroom contained a lot of boxes with medicines from which most were empty because Betari used them to die, the noose that was seen under the bed and the broken glass on the picture frames. Hjordis looked at the pictures- they were pictures of Betari's happy moments, some with friends, some with a potential partner since they were kissing on the pictures, some with her parents and family. She took one photo from the floor. On it, Betari is in front of Eiffel Tower smiling, but ... her clothes... coat... purple coat ... Hjordis compared the coat on herself and that coat and they were completely the same!

Shivers went down her spine, so she again began to persuade herself that it was impossible, she sat on the Betari's bed and took the pillow to hug it and calm down, but then saw what the old woman warned about her case- a small noose-shaped rope was still there, even though several weeks since the funeral passed. Hjordis finally began to believe in the old lady's words, so right after it she went home to see if it was all true or bunch of nonsenses.

 She didn't wait too long, quickly went into the room and picked up the pillow. There was nothing. "Nonsense, I knew it was a superstition!" - she said and hit the pillow against the wall. The rope dropped out of the pillow, making Hjordis turn pale and fall on her knees. "The hell... what is this? How did it get here, damn it?" She rewinded the memory in her head, remembering that in the meantime only Hema had entered the room, but- why would aunt be pushing her to the ruin? Would the aunt indirectly kill her? It must be a mistake ... No. Inheritance. Hema wants her sons, who are abroad, to get the inheritance of a rich cousin. She gave her that flower in pot, just like a coat from which everything started ... Damn it, how she didn't see it before?!

 She went to the kitchen, took the knife and returned back to bedroom, where she broke the pot with all power, then took off the coat and began to cut it into pieces, furious and shocked at the same time. She cried on the floor for some time, holding the knife in her hands. "In vain is all this. I am alone, that goddamn stupidity has taken everything from me, so much damage is done that I don't know how to fix everything ... Ah, aunt, why did you do this to me?! WHY? Why? ... "

 The reflection of the lamp bounced off the blade of the knife and scratched Hjordis's face, Hjordis's eyes kept looking at the knife. So much anger, so much pain, so much betraying, so much priceless damage, so much suffering ... With an unconscious motion of her hand she stabbed knife into the stomach, feeling a warm spurt of blood flowing under her palms. The phone rang, she answered with the bloody hands. Hjordis (sees who's calling): "What... do you want... Kori?" Kori: "I'm here, at the front door, I came to apologize." Hjordis: "It's too ... late ... for that ..." Kori (scared): "What's going on with you, where are you ?!" Hjordis: "On the floor... of bedroom... in the puddle... of blood..."

 He didn't take long to open the door and ran to her, Meginfrid appeared just a few moments later. Kori (raises Hjordis): "Who did this to you ?!" Hjordis: "I... I... stabbed myself. " Meginfrid: "Why?! Oh, I hope the emergency will come fast! "Kori:" Why didn't you tell me you wanted to commit suicide? Why? " Hjordis: "You wouldn't... come... spell... casted on me..." Meginfrid: "It's not magic, you need the help of a doctor! Just hold on for a while, we'll be with you for treatment." . "Hjordis:" It's too late... now I... no longer... need anyone. "Kori (seeing that Hjordis is getting lost):" Hold on, love, everything will be as before! " Meginfrid: "I'll redeem for the time I wasn't here for you. I have a terrible guilt over this!" Hjordis (closes her eyes): "Betari... coat... Hema... misfortune..." Meginfried: "Don't get tired, the urgent help will arrive soon!" Hjordis: "It's... over..."

 The nurses quickly brought the stretcher into the apartment, thinking they would immediately give the transfusion so that they wouldn't waste any time. Still, it was really over. Hjordis bled out on the floor, dying on Kori's hands. The purple pieces of coat were completely colored with blood as a witnesses of a bad event .

 At the head of the profession there were Kori and Meginfrid, while Hema, with an apparently teary facial expression, was somewhere behind the coffin. She got what she wanted, shouldn't she be happy now? Regardless of the fake tears the feeling of well-being filled her from the inside, she was glad that others couldn't see it.

 The coffin slowly descended to the ground. Kori was crushed, the loudest he could shouted: "May the heavens punish the culprit for this, even if it was me! Let him now get what he wanted for my beloved one!"

 As she was near the tomb of the recently buried Betari, Hema bent down to grasp the shall that had been flew away under the breeze and then the gravestone felt down just like that, killing Hema in a place. Shocked people couldn't believe their eyes.

 Hema's sons didn't become the heirs of a wealthy relative since he gave wealth for humanitarian purposes, but they didn't return to the country of birth anyway so they didn't care. Meginfrid felt guilty whole life and she could never forgive herself. Every year she came to the grave and cried for the stupidity she had done to her best friend. Kori spent the rest of his life in a mental clinic, as Hjordis's death was very shocking so he could no longer recover. He used to talk for a years that, instead of him being in the hospital and Hjordis in the grave, he could be with his beloved and enjoy the descendants and happiness they deserve. This way, a dangerous black magic game performed by Hema took away happiness from her and the harder form of mental disorder took away happiness from him, as the ill human can never be happy.

 Happiness. Why is it so necessary for people? Can it be manipulated by destiny? Some say that everything is predestined, the others that we are editing it ourselves. I am not saying anything, my head hurts from so much thinking. One thing is sure, and that is my stories aren't made from happiness, but from pain, and happiness is just a overused boring word. The fact is that we don't have all the same pleasures in life - for someone it would be the greatest happiness, for example, to have a child, and is not able to understand that exist us who don't want children at all. There are us who are pleased with music and those who don't understand how we pay attention to something trivial for them. There are different people and we all have different views of the world. When our balance breaks down everything else starts to break apart with it-as quicker something changes, it's more difficult to adapt to that situation.

 Happiness may not exist. Maybe it exists, but what is its function? Wouldn't Hjordis end up in the same place (though, probably much later) and without casted spells, even if she had an ideal old age with a bunch of grandchildren and a fulfilled life? The answer is yes, both billionaire and a man without a single coin are dying, the only difference is that the billionaire would be praised more because behind him remains what no one carries from this planet, and the poor one left nothing for materially hungry  creatures. There are dying both a believer and the one who doesn't believe, both beautiful and one who doesn't fulfill the standards of society, both healthy and ill, both scholarly and ignorant. Everyone. There is no luck anymore in the end, even if we had it, everything we had and what we were is left before that tunnel of glittering light we all have to pass... The hell with life when there is no use of it.

The end
3.4.2018
Suzana Ristic Suza