Lost, Cursed, Returned.

Long ago, a young girl died. But her spirit still wanders this world, cursing those who encounter her... What becomes of a boy who decides to free her soul?

"Precisely fifty three years and two months ago, there was a girl. She lived in a mansion near this place, and her family was rich. Everyone had loved her; she was a beautiful child with dark, defined features and a pale moon-like face. But then one day, when the little girl was six, she fell terribly ill. Even after two whole weeks, her fever never once subsided, but nor had her situation worsened, as if it were some kind of twisted miracle. The doctors tried everything, but not even the most scientifically advanced medicine at that time had worked on the girl.

"The pain for her had been unbearable, and she had spent countless hours wishing that she could just die and put an end to this living hell. But her parents loved her- They refused to let her be put to rest. They did everything they could to obtain her recovery- They turned to various Gods and prayed for their daughter, but no progress was ever made. They travelled overseas to look into various universities of medicine, but their efforts had been in vain.

"Alas, the mother turned to a cult. A cult which had managed to heal the girl somehow, but in return the family was stripped of everything they had ever owned. They had to give it all to the cult- the mansion, the money, everything. The family had been left with utterly nothing, and the mother and father had to then work hour after hour just to pay the rent. Eventually, the father stopped loving the mother because of her involvement with the wretched cult, and he had left her, taking the daughter with him.

"The cult was angered by this, and the daughter was devastated. She loved her mother more than life itself, and she didn't know what was going on. She wanted to visit her mother, but her father would never let her. He would beat her if she even uttered her name, and all the family photos with the mother in them were burnt. The memory of her mother's face started to fade, eroded by the flow of time; but she decided she would set off on her own to visit the mother.

"She had her address written in a phone book which she had secretly hid, and whenever the father was out at work, the young girl would head off to the city by her own. She would walk for hours after hours, but never arrive at the mother's place.

"She didn't know why, but she just couldn't get there. She would walk past the address printed on the tattering piece of paper, then walk past it again when she turned around.

"The road would disappear everytime she approached it.

"And yet she refused to give up, every day she would walk. She would wander, with no avail. She did this for year after year, and one day the father had caught her. He had really loved her, but the father had been stressed. He beat the girl hard, and he could no longer control himself. The little girl was killed that night.

"But even after death, she had been determined to meet her mother once more. And though she had finally died, the girl was never given peace. She continued to wander. Her heart had grown cold, and she had felt very empty on the inside. She had been so lonely- Cursed to see the world that couldn't see her, to watch others grow old and be laid to eternal rest whilst she had to wander towards a place she could never arrive to.

"And for decades, the girl never spoke. There was simply no one she could confide into. Normal humans don't talk to cursed beings, but then..."

"What happened?" The boy's hazel eyes were widened, desperate to know the end of the tale.

"Don't you get it? The girl was me."

***

"W-what?" Kazarael blinked, unable to believe what the girl had just said. He had only tried to help a lost child standing still under the fleeting hail in nothing but an oversized gray coat, he hadn't once expected to come in contact with a... Ghost. Maybe she was lying. A bluff. A prank, maybe. No, that couldn't be it... Such words were too dark for a normal 6 year old to simply make up off the top of her head.

"What exactly are you, Kazarael?" The girl prompted, glaring up at him with curious, dark eyes.

Are you dead too?

That silent question had been what formed on the boy's mind as he stared, dumbfounded, back at the child's pale face. But was he? Suddenly Kazarael wasn't sure himself anymore. Maybe an oddity had happened to him beyond his knowledge, he could never say for sure. Moreover... How did the girl know his name? Clenching his fists, the brown haired boy grit his teeth, hoping that this was all just a crazy dream.

"Let me put it this way... Do you believe in the supernatural, Kazarael?" The child had pressed.

Kazarael blinked. No, of course he didn't. Why would he? Supernatural beings and powers were no more than fantasy in children's stories, were they not? But then, wouldn't that clash completely with what he had just heard?

"I believe what I experience." The answer came out simple, avoiding all assumptions if possible. "But other than that, i don't know." He sighed and held out a hand, hoping that the girl would hand him the piece of paper now after his past two attempts had failed. And she did, laying the crumpled sheet onto his palm before the boy held it up to read.

"Please help me then." The girl had bowed.

"I shall. I know that place..." He murmured, setting off with the girl behind him bustling with newfound hope. "I walk past it everyday on my way to school, I don't understand why-" Kazarael came to an abrupt stop, eyeing the numbers engraved a silver plate that had been attached to barred iron gates. Something odd about the villa had struck out at the boy, something he couldn't really place his finger on...

"What's wrong?" The child asked, tipping her head. Her voice had sounded so innocent, so untainted; just as that of a child should be.

"Wrong way..." The boy had muttered, turning around to head in the opposite direction. But no, that was a lie. He knew sure well that they had walked past the destination, but he couldn't merely bring himself to believe that... Had he, too, been led astray by the curse simply by talking to the girl? That was possible, wasn't it? Kazarael's mind whirred, trying to reach a conclusion to the never ending puzzle.

Perhaps... The cult that healed her were the ones that placed the curse upon her? Or it was the mansion that was cursed? No, that couldn't be the case- I saw it there in plan sight only yesterday...

"Kazarael, you've gone way past..." The girl whimpered as they crossed yet another road.

"No, I haven't." The boy took a deep breath. "Where I'm taking you to... Is a monastery."

***

Encountering a mysterious child who had lived and died long ago; offering to lead her to a place where her soul could potentially be free once more... Would this end with the horrors of a definite tragedy, or the gift of eternal peace?

***

"A... What?" The child's widened gaze met Kazarael's. "But they..." The brown haired boy let out a deep breath, turning away from her. "Wait, Kazarael. The monastery is bound to reject me, being cursed and all." 

"No they won't," He replied cooly, continuing his journey down the street without turning to see if the girl had followed. "Not this one, at least." she sighed in dismay, hurrying after her savior. 

"But why can you see me, Kazarael?" Her voice quivered, as if she had been afraid that this beautiful dream would shatter and fade away like the shards of hope she had once been deceived by. "I've been alone for a long time now; could it be that you, too have a very strong wish you just need to fulfill?"

Kazarael stopped dead in his tracks. "Yes, there is. There's a wish very important to me... But right now, it's irrelevant." The pair approached a tall, old-fashioned structure built of white marble off a clearing on the side of the city streets, the aged arch of the entrance towering over the both of them. "Here we are."

Kazarael led the girl inside, treading lightly on the thick, red carpets. He headed towards the chapel where three statues coated in gold rested. A young nun with a basin of water had greeted them, and the boy had briefly explained the situation. Mirroring his movements, the got onto her knees, resting on a square cushion that had been laid out on the floor.

"I can't see her, but I'll do what I can." The nun lowered her head, reciting a series of words in hope to lift the child's curse.

The girl yelped, alarmed by the electric sensation as the melodic words took effect, tearing the wretched curse away from her young body. Glimmers of silver formed before the nun's eyes, seemingly out of nowhere as Kazarael watched the girl's image begin to fade, gasping in awe. Mesmerized by the light as the last flicker of her image disappeared, he turned to the nun, who had paused amidst her words.

"She's been freed." Kazarael murmured beneath his breath, gaze lowering. "Thank you very much..." The nun nodded slightly, her casting an apologetic look at the boy.

"Anytime." She started. "I cannot fully understand the situation, but from what I comprehend... The curse will always be here, even after the child's soul is free."

"What does that mean?" He was confused.

"Meaning, that the curse is merely transferred to another person..." Her voice wavered, as if she'd been highly unsure of herself. Yet all the same, it was a reasonable, educated guess. "You mentioned to the girl that you have an important dream. And the curse... It feeds on dreams."

Eyes widened in realization.

"Now go, Kazarael. Achieve your goals before your time is up." 

Author's Note

Was originally split into three parts- Lost, Cursed and Return. But yup, decided to lump it all into one. Critiques welcome, go for it and thanks for the read / comment!