first time I saw her I was a young man, full of hopes, dreams, and money. Money I had plenty of. Money could fix any problem in the world. That’s what my father had instilled in me, before he died of the fever and left me his fortune. My mother died soon after of a broken heart. Or so they said. I wasn’t sure if I believed in love, because my parent’s marriage seemed nothing more than a marriage of convenience, and my mother’s death, her fear of being a widow at only forty.
I returned home from college to sit at his bedside as he told me everything he believed would help me become a great man. A good man wasn’t good enough, for my father at least. I had to be exceptional. The best of the best. The best clothes, the greatest education. A beautiful home. All of it paid for with my father’s money, earned off the sweat and labor of the workers in his factory, who had none of those things. Talking about such things was beneath us. And because I was desperate to be great, I followed his words as if they were law.
My father passed, because money could fix anything–except death. I went back to school, as per his wishes, notified by a telegram only weeks later my mother had joined him in whatever awaited us after this life. She went quickly, and there wouldn’t have been enough time to rush home even if I had known earlier. So I stayed at school, finished my program, and headed home in the spring, ready to take over the family business as the new head of my one-man family.
Time passed and I fell into a routine–monotonous, but simple. I woke up and went over the company’s ledgers at breakfast. I visited the factory in the morning. Supply ordering was done in the afternoon, and at the supper table. Sundays were for church, a ritual I kept out of habit rather than belief. Because if money was king, where did God fall into the mix?
I knew the women of the town wanted to marry off their daughters to me. I wasn’t clueless. I was young, relatively good-looking, rich, and available. Everybody and their mother knew it. Church was constantly filled with ladies telling me about this relative or the next. They couldn’t help themselves, tapping me on the shoulders and pointing out the women I didn’t care about.
“My niece, Cora, would be perfect for you, Felix. Simply stunning, and the best cook you’ll ever meet.”
Like women of our standing ever stepped foot in the kitchen.
“Felix, you must meet my daughter, Adaline. Beautiful black hair. She sings like an absolute bird, too.”
If I wanted to hear a bird sing, I would buy a damn bird, not wed a wife.
“Did you see how pretty our Emma looked at the service last week? She’s a pious one for sure. What a wonderful wife she would make for you.”
Because piousness was really what I was looking for.
But I kept these thoughts to myself, smiling and nodding, politely agreeing while knowing I had no intentions of ever courting, let alone marrying, any of these women. I had money, and I was destined to be great. These women were simply okay. Subpar. I wanted the best.
So I kept to my rules, and my routine. More and more I thought about how nice it would be to have a companion to live life with. To celebrate wins with. And maybe, just maybe, to love. Love would be a bonus, but not a necessity. After all, hadn’t my parents’ marriage worked without love? Really, a wife was another step on the social ladder, an excellent addition to the money that had gotten me so far.
Then it happened. I saw her, as I was coming out of the factory one afternoon. She was with a friend, and they were stepping out of the grocers, arm in arm. She was laughing, tossing her golden hair back as it shone in the sun. She was the prettiest thing I had ever seen in my life, and I knew right then and there I would do whatever it took to make her mine.
Hannah was her name. Hannah. I used to roll her name around in my mouth, letting the vowels slide over my tongue. I would daydream about our life together, the children we would have. For the first time I knew what it felt like to truly love someone.
She didn’t come from money, but that didn’t bother me. I had more than enough of it for both of us, and she was pretty enough for people to ignore her shortcomings. Whatever she wanted, she got.
“Fe,” she’d coo, batting those long lashes at me. “You love me, right?”
I would smile and squeeze her hand. She wouldn’t let me kiss her yet, claiming it to be improper. “Of course I do, my darling.”
“The dressmaker has the most beautiful dress in the window. I’d love to wear it and make you proud at the Smith’s dinner next week.”
I bought her dresses and hats. Bikes, and roller skates. Riding lessons, and paints. Flowers and the most delicate pieces of jewelry. All of it necessary to prove herself to society, she’d say. And all of it necessary for me to prove my love to her.
I was so clouded by love and beauty I didn’t see her for what she really was. I just wanted to make her happy. I didn’t stop to notice she never once told me she loved me in return.
Summer turned to Fall, and the trees began to lose their leaves. I wanted to ask Hannah to marry me, and so I bought the prettiest ring I could find, smiling as I imagined it on her delicate finger. I had the cook plan a meal of all her favorites, and dressed myself in my finest suit. Her mother came to the dinner as well, as a chaperone. We ate the meal, before I dropped to one knee before her chair.
“Hannah, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive, and becoming my wife?”
There were no tears, or over-the-top professions of love. From Hannah at least. Her mother broke down into tears, overwhelmed with emotion her daughter was marrying so well. Hannah only smiled and offered her hand for me to slide the ring on. “Of course I will, Fe. But I want something first. As a wedding gift.”
The ring looked stunning on her ivory finger. I would do whatever she asked. “Anything for you.”
“This house,” she waved her hand around the dining room I had grown up in. “It’s too old. It’s not modern anymore. All I can think about when I’m here is your parents. You can’t possibly expect me to live in such a place.” She wrinkled her perfect nose.
I followed her gaze around the room, only seeing walls and a roof. It was a house, and a house was a house. The family inside it was what made it a home. “You don’t want to live here?”
Hannah shook her head. “No. The Moores are selling the back part of their land. The part past the pond. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to call our own, Fe? Something that was just ours.”
“If you’re sure…” I wasn’t sure a new house was necessary. But my father had taught me to be a great man, I needed to have the best of the best. Hannah was the best. And if Hannah needed a new house to be mine forever, then I’d build her a new house. “Yes. Let’s do it.”
“Oh, Fe!” she cried, jumping out of her seat.
I didn’t stop to think about how she was more excited about the house than the proposal.
I went to the bank the next morning, declaring my intent to purchase the acres from the Moores. The banker smiled at me. “I’m happy to help, sir. But that portion of land has been settled by travelers. That’s why Mr. Moore is selling it. Are you sure you want such an undertaking?”
I thought about it for a moment. Hannah wanted the land. And I wanted Hannah. “I’ll deal with it.”
I walked out of the bank the proud new owner of a parcel of land in the woods, and one step closer to the woman of my dreams. The next day, I visited my new land, to examine exactly how many travelers were now trespassing on my property.
There were a dozen or so makeshift tents set up, with dogs and horses tied off with ropes. Children played in the small circle in the middle of the tents. I marched down the hill, armed with a sense of propriety, my deed, and money. The children stopped playing as I approached and ran off into different tents. I stood awkwardly for a minute or two, before a gnarled old woman stepped out of the largest tent. “Who are you, boy?” she asked.
“Felix, ma’am. I purchased this plot of land, and I intend to build a house on it. I’ll need you and your family to vacate the area as soon as possible.” I offered her a smile that usually helped me with the church women, but received only a frown in return.
“We’ve lived here for years, and never bothered anyone. Why would we have to move now?”
I sighed. Obviously, this was going to be more difficult than I expected. “I just explained, ma’am. I’m building a house here for my fiancée. I can offer you money to find somewhere else to settle.”
She shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. “Your money means nothing to me, and neither does your bride. This is our home. And it’s almost winter. We have children, and it’ll take time to find somewhere else to live before the snow falls.”
I rolled my eyes. Like a bit of snow ever hurt anyone. They were already living in tents. Nothing I said or did persuaded her. Her face grew more pinched, wrinkles appearing where there were none before.
“Ma’am, if you are truly unwilling to move, then I’ll have to get the police involved.” I was exhausted. Why couldn’t she have been reasonable, and taken the money? I would’ve been more than generous.
“Come back with your police then and see what happens,” she challenged.
I left, disappointed but not defeated. Hannah would be mine, one way or another. Luckily, unlike the travelers, the cops were willing to see the logic of money. They followed me out to the parcel, armed with batons and handcuffs, threatening jail time or beatings to those who didn’t comply. The tents were dismantled, and the children packed up. The horses were hitched to wagons, and it took a shockingly short amount of time before their homes were reduced to nearly nothing. I stood off to one side, watching the proceedings with satisfaction, until the old woman appeared in front of my face. I had to pretend like I hadn’t nearly jumped out of my skin at her surprise arrival. She carried a bag on her back that seemed much too large for her small frame. A dirty-faced child whined at her feet.
“You’ll regret this, boy,” she spat, picking up the child. “You’ll get what’s coming to you.” I turned away, and addressed the closest policeman instead, trying to pretend like her haunting words didn’t affect me. I watched the police herd them off the land, making sure they were long gone before I turned back to town. I was conflicted. Sad for the travelers leaving their home, but filled with an overwhelming and complete happiness that I was now able to give the love of my life what she so badly desired.
Construction began the next morning, the old woman’s words ringing in my head. You’ll regret this, boy. I tried to ignore the voice, focusing instead on building the most beautiful house I could imagine. Each element of the house was carefully selected to be of the newest fashion, and the highest quality. I couldn’t have Hannah being ashamed of our new home. The house was decorated with the finest materials, and I even hired a man from the city to install the newest form of electricity so Hannah wouldn’t have to mess about with oil lamps at night. A plumber was also hired, to install the first indoor bathroom the small town had ever seen. I wasn’t about to make Hannah use a chamber pot, and I wanted her to be able to take baths whenever she wanted. And of course, I built a special room for myself, just off the foyer. The house was for Hannah. Everything was for Hannah. But I thought maybe I could let myself have one room.
I bought the nicest furniture, arranging the rooms so they were ready for my new soon-to-be bride to move right in. The cook stocked the pantry with everything we could possibly need, so Hannah wouldn’t have to worry about anything for ages. The handymen hung paintings that reminded me of Hannah, sunsets that looked like her hair on Sunday mornings. Lakes that reflected the shade of blue she liked to wear. Gardeners planted rose bushes all around the house, the same shade of red as Hannah’s full lips. They would look so beautiful in full bloom. Maybe we could even be married in front of them, if Hannah wasn’t opposed to a non-church wedding.
Before I knew it, the house was completed. I arrived one Sunday afternoon to do a final walkthrough. I wandered the rooms, picturing how Hannah and I would spend the rest of our lives together. She would meet me there shortly, and finally get to see her new home.
A knock at the door had me straightening my shirt, wanting to look my best for Hannah’s first time at our new home. But when I swung open the door, it wasn’t Hannah. It was the old traveler woman on my doorstep. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
She glared at me. “I warned you, boy. I told you not to mess with us. You kicked us off all the same. Right before the snows, too. By the time we found a new place to camp, many of my people died of the cold.”
“It was my land. I bought it fair and square.” I threw my shoulders back, ready to remove the old woman by force if necessary. I felt bad about the deaths, but it wasn’t my fault they had chosen to live the way they had. Was it? I reminded her, “I offered you money, if you recall.”
“Money means nothing to me,” she spat. She rubbed her hands together. “You were warned, and now you’ll get what’s coming to you. You wanted to live in this house, you can live in it for the rest of your sad life.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” But the woman paid me no mind, chanting on my porch.
“From the grace of air, and strength of the ground. My desire knows no bounds. You are sealed to the roof you made. Never wilt, never fade. My power is given by the moon and touched by the day. Until you are free of sin, here you will stay.”
“You need to leave, now. I mean it.” Still she chanted, growing louder. In the front yard, amongst the blue and sunny skies, a bolt of lightning struck one of the trees. The tree cracked and peeled into two, reminding me of the sounds of bones.
“With fire I cast, with smoke it will stain. Let this curse not be in vain.” And then just as suddenly, she stopped, staring at me with eyes that were too clear. “You will forever share a lifeforce, each of you keeping the other alive.” She paused. “You won’t need sustenance. You’ll never grow. You won’t die of old age. But at least you’ll have your house, right?”
She cackled, and my blood ran cold. “What…what do you mean?” I stuttered. “You’re insane.” She shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m the sanest person you’ve ever met in your life.” She took a step off the porch, but at this point I was pissed. I took a step forward, my foot passing over the threshold.
A strong wind immediately blew me back, slamming me against the winding staircase railing I was so proud of.
I frowned, scrambling to my feet. Again I tried to follow the old woman out the door, and again I was thrown back. Again. And again.
The old woman laughed. “I told you, boy. You can’t leave. Of course, people can join you in your curse. But once they step inside, they too will be cursed to never leave. Don’t worry. I’ll make it so people don’t miss you. People in town won’t think it’s odd that there’s an abandoned house. Except for your wonderful fiancée of course. I’m sure she’ll want to see you.”
She waved and stepped onto the path. “You’ll be sorry you messed with me!”
I was still ranting when Hannah appeared at the end of the drive. She began picking her way up the path carefully, looking radiant in a cornflower blue dress I had bought her. I watched as her smile froze in place as she studied my appearance. She stopped on the first porch step, hesitating. Thanks to the wicked winds pelting me, I looked a mess, blown and disheveled. My hopes of looking perfect for Hannah were long gone. “Fe? Who are you yelling at?”
“Oh, Hannah, my darling. Thank goodness.” I had never been more grateful to see her perfect face in my life. I was immediately reassured. Even if I was stuck, we could be stuck together. We could spend an eternity together, just us and our love.
I told her about the travelers I had run off, and the old woman who had shown up. I told her about the curse, showing her what happened when I tried to step out the door. While I talked, her face grew more and more somber.
“So you really can’t leave?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Apparently not. I haven’t searched for a loophole yet. But don’t you see? This is really a blessing in disguise! A thousand lifetimes spent with each other, with no interruptions. Just us, forever.”
Hannah looked at me for a moment, then slowly swung her head from side to side. “No. I’m not coming in there.”
My heart sank as I watched her face fall. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, Fe, you’ve been fun and all, but I’m not wasting the rest of my life in a house in the woods with you. That’s insane.” This wasn’t my Hannah. I wasn’t hearing clearly.
“You don’t mean that.” She lifted a slim shoulder, not half as bothered as she should be.
“I’m sorry, Fe. This is goodbye. This curse is none of my business. You were the one who ran them off, after all.”
My mouth dropped open, the veil finally lifting. My heart was crushed as it fell. “Excuse me?”
“Goodbye. Thank you for everything.” She turned and stepped off the porch, taking the same path as the old woman. Scrambling from window to window, I banged on the glass as she refused to look back and acknowledge me. I was a toy that had grown old. Like my family’s home, outdated. Unwanted. She would find a new sucker now, and I would remain in the house she begged me for until I rotted.
I ran over to the dining room, watching her walk away without so much as a look back. I kept banging on the glass, screaming. “Hannah! Hannah, don’t you dare do this to me! Hannah!” Tears were openly streaming down my face now as I thought about the rest of my life spent in this stunning godforsaken house. “I thought you loved me! Hannah!” I screamed and banged and yelled in vain as her beautiful blue dress swished out of sight, never to be seen again. Eventually I tired, slumping to the floor while my head sank to my chest.
All the money in the world couldn’t help me now. I was jinxed.
