Sinister Curse This Side of Dawn, Winds of Hell
Sinister Curse, Winds of Hell
Josie sat, arms and legs wrapped around one of the huge posts on the ancient bed that was too heavy for even the ferocious wind that circled the room. Tears flooded her face and wet tangled hair whipped her cheeks, stinging them. The sound of the wind and screaming voices from the past thundered in her ears.
She was growing weaker and felt she could not hold on much longer. Arms and legs were aching so bad, but she had locked on to the post as soon as the noise started. When she felt her body being pulled away from the post the sinister curse suddenly stopped, for dawn was breaking. Josie collapsed on the bed like a wet rag. She fell into an exhausted sleep. The sinister curse was quiet now, but for how long?
Adam Princeton
The ancient estate manor where Josie lived stood at the top of Gistlewood Hill. Three centuries ago it was the home of Adam Princeton, the first Abbot of the Gistlewood Monastery in the valley below. Adam came to the abbey in 1690. He had the manor built for himself during the wars of 1692 when the Abbey at the monastery was destroyed.
Abbot Princeton was not well-liked at the monastery. There were just a few monks, his personal aides, who catered to him. The villagers feared and hated him. Rumors about the Abbot throughout the entire area were rampant with claims of evil and sorcery. When these rumors reached the king, a private investigation was carried out when two monks from another monastery were sent to join the one at Gistlewood. For three months the new monks gained favor with Abbot Princeton so they could spy on him. Their report to the king claimed the rumors were true.
The investigators also interviewed Jacob Princeton, the Abbot’s brother, who said he never really got along well with his older brother since he became Abbot. Adam changed so much, he was rude and had strange beliefs. “The only thing I really admired about him were his poems,” Jacob said. ” Before he joined the monastery he wrote beautiful poems and I love to read them. He gave me all his books of poetry because he said he had no use for them anymore. He was a different man when he wrote poetry, he was kind and gentle then,” Jacob brushed a tear from his cheek.
One month after the investigation a king’s army arrived at the abbey and arrested Adam Princeton, his counselor, and two monks. Orders from the king stated these four men were guilty of witchcraft and treason. They were all to be put to death by fire.
The day of the execution was dark and gloomy. All the villagers had gathered to watch. All the monks stayed in the priory and prayed. Jacob was in the crowd, too. He was not happy about the outcome of the investigation and accusations, yet he knew the claims were true. He had not known the friendly visit with the two new monks was actually an investigation. Memories of when he and Adam were young haunted him, yet there was no love left between the two. When the fires were lit, Adam Princeton yelled and cursed his brother.
“Winds of hell shall bear down on you this side of dawn. You, my brother, and all your descendants shall feel the fear and sting of Hades . This my sinister curse on you. You will suffer the winds of hell.”
Jacob shivered. Chills ran through his entire body as he watched his brother Adam burn in the fire. The people of the village cheered and shouted as Abbot Princeton screamed for a long time then finally died. The monastery was destroyed and all the monks were sent to one further away. The estate Adam Princeton had called his abbey was given to Jacob to do with as he liked. Jacob decided to move into the manor with his family. He wanted to erase the sinister evil that dwelt there by turning it into a community hall and farmlands that would help the villagers in times of need. Each citizen was allotted his own plot to grow foods for their families. The entire first floor of the mansion was remodeled into storage rooms for garden produce, each family had their own storage room. The second floor was for meetings and holiday gatherings for the villagers. Jacob and his family lived on the third and fourth floors.
Two years after Adam Princeton’s curse, Jacob woke up one night when strange things began happening. Winds were blowing inside his room. He awoke his wife and ushered her to the door, opened it and forced her out just before the door slammed, locking Jacob inside where the winds had become fierce. His wife screamed and banged on the door, but could not open it. Jacob was tossed out the window by the winds and fell to his death four stories below.
Three centuries later, Josie awoke in the same room to face the winds of hell, that many ancestors had died in from the sinister curse.
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© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
For part two of this story see Sinister Curse – Paranormal Investigators
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
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An eerie, but a well-written story, Phyllis. Looking forward to part 2.
Thank you, John. It is rather eerie. So glad you enjoyed it.
Yes very well written Phyllis, and write on part 2!
Part 2 coming out today. So glad you are enjoying this. Thanks, Tony.
One might say, “Spooky as Hell”…
Ah ha ha! “Spooky as Hell.” Good one, Kurt. Thank. you
Ohh…nice one Phyllis. Even worse when its your own flesh and blood that does it to you. Love how it ended too.
Great! I’m glad you like it, Paul. I will have the third episode on a little later. Thanks for reading and commenting.