The Lineage.

The wind roared outside as Mia approached the building, a sense of trepidation tightening her chest. She hadn't been in her mother's house in ages, not since the sudden disappearance of her mom, Janet, without a trace.

As she stepped through the front door, the air thickened with memories. Memories of happier times sullied by the shadows of her mother’s sudden and devastating disappearance. The once homey atmosphere now felt stifling.

Mia’s footsteps echoed in the cobweb-filled hallway as she made her way deeper into the house, her heart pounding with each sudden sound; especially the creaks of the floorboards. The sensation of being watched lingered, like eyes unseen were following her every move.

In the sitting room, she found a photograph of herself, smiling without a care in the world, nestled in her late father's embrace. Close to their picture was a photograph of her mother, a haunting reminder of the woman she had lost. Tears built up in Mia’s eyes as she traced her fingers round the photograph, her heart heavy with unanswered questions.

Intent on revealing the truth. Mia made her way to the basement, the one place her mother had always warned her to stay away from. The stairs squeaked as she climbed lower and lower. The darkness becoming more evident as she descended.

Below, Mia found herself surrounded by a labyrinth of forgotten treasures; old coffee makers covered in dust, boxes filled with memories long forgotten. In the midst of the chaos, she found something that captured her attention— an old jotter laying in the corner with a pen resting on top of it.

With trembling hands, Mia picked up the jotter to read from the beginning.Each page described a picture of all the events her mother encountered. She wrote about hearing voices in the night, of sudden flashes of light in her room whenever she took a nap and lots more. Each page painted a picture of her mother's spiral into insanity.

As Mia reached the page which laid open upon her entry into the basement, her heart stopped – A sentence hastily written in her mother's handwriting:

"They're watching, Jenna. Don't trust anyone. Not even me!" How could this be the last thing her mother wrote on such a jotter, Mia pondered.

While still lost in thought, Mia heard the sound of footsteps walking in her direction, sending instant chills down her spine. She turned, her heart pounding in her chest, only to find herself face to face with her mother; only a more haggard version.

Her mother's eyes were empty and devoid of life.

“Mi..Mia? What are you doing here?” Janet asked, her voice frail.

Mia who was still trying to recover from the shock responded

“Mom?”

They both stared at each other in silence.

“I'm so sorry Mia. I didn't mean to…”

“But you did mom! You vanished with no trace leaving dad all alone. And you didn't even bother to show up for dad’s funeral.” tears effortlessly flowed down Mia’s cheeks. “ All these years, I thought you were dead.” Mia blurted.

“I didn't want to, Mia, believe me. I was given an ultimatum to either varnish or risk losing you.”

“Who gave you such ultimatum?”

“I cannot say much Mia, all I would advise you to do is leave immediately.”Janet said almost inaudibly.

“What do you mean to leave? I cannot leave you in such a state, at least not without a proper explanation.

"Alright. Generations ago, an elderly woman cast a curse upon all the women in my family due to the actions of your ancestors. This curse decreed that they would never know the happiness of motherhood. Should they persist in their desire to be near their children, tragedy would follow. The good news however is: the curse was foretold to endure for seventy generations, and it concludes with me." Janet took a moment to catch her breath. " You need not worry as this curse shall not affect you."

Mia cried uncontrollably as she looked at her mom, wondering what crime her ancestor must have committed to warrant such a curse.

“Go far away Mia and do not come back. Start your life on a clean slate but always remember that your mother loves you” Janet instructed.

Mia, still in tears, helplessly turned around and walked in the direction she came in from. Although she didn't believe in generational curses, she realised that it was better to trade with caution.

As she stepped out of her mother’s house her pupils dilated courtesy of the sunlight. She headed directly for the car, thinking of how many days her mother had left. Janet already looked devoid of life and it was only a matter of time. Mia wondered how she was going to explain all of this to her kids in the future? It was definitely going to be one interesting story to tell.

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