A woman sat on a rocking chair in the middle of a greenhouse, knitting winter cardigans with a peaceful smile on her face.
It was still spring but it was more of a hobby for her, plus it brought about a certain sense of solace.
Besides her, two children—A girl and a boy no older than six—sat on smaller cushions.
Light red hair caught the light of the morning sun filtering into the greenhouse which smelled of fresh flowers.
Her skin held the pale warmth of early spring.
Vibrant green eyes fell on her children with an emotion so warm it could only be shown to them.
"Oh my, you two are fighting again what happened this time my lovely cuties." She asked, her tone was light and honey-sweet.
The boy spoke up first, his lips quivering as he cried out.
"Mommyyy, Augusta doesn't want to play with me, she's been weird for days now uwaaaaa… wahhhhh."
The woman smiled then ruffled his red hair.
"Hush hush my dear, don't cry." She cooed. "Mummy has a suprise for you ok? If you stop crying then you can have them."
At the mention of a suprise, his green eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Yes, yes… infact it should be ready now why don't you ask Helena to show it to you." His mother replied.
"Yayyyy treats."
He got up, stared at his sister Augusta who didn't say a single word since they got to the greenhouse.
"I'll save some for you!" He whispered innocently, then ran off.
The woman placed down her knitting kits then asked softly.
"Augusta dear? What's gotten into you lately, you've been quiet, too quiet."
Augusta stared at her mother, her nose was a shade of pink and her eyes were red from crying.
Her mother noticed this instantly, she leaned forward then hugged her closely.
The dam broke.
The tears Augusta had been fighting back spilled, her small frame trembling as she held on to her mother tightly.
"M-Mother, don't go… hic…hic… I'm scared, I don't want to be alone." she wailed.
Her mother hugged her tightly, whispering words to soothe her child but it only made the little one cry harder.
"The curses… they're getting closer, it's all around you… and Avankel… they want to take you and him away, mummy why is this happening to us… why! Why… just what sin did we commit, why doesn't daddy ever do anything to stop it, why doesn't he love us!"
The woman's eyes widened, her pupils dilated and her face paled.
A tear slipped down her freckled face as she bit down on her lips trying to suppress the tears that welled up in her eyes.
With a shaky voice, she asked.
"A-Augusta? You can see the curse?"
Augusta choked on a sob, her hands tightening around her mother as though she'd be taken away the moment she let go.
"Yes… they're everywhere, they're always around you and Avankel… how am I supposed to face my brother, how do you expect me to play with him when I know he's going to die soon! Their whispers, it's so loud and scary they keep saying they'll take you and they'll take Avankel too, why do they keep saying that! Why can't they leave us alone!"
"Augusta… don't worry, everything will be fine." Her mother assured her but it didn't do anything to calm the red haired child.
"No, no no! Nothing is fine, you always say this but everytime you still leave me. It's the seventh time now, I can't take this anymore." Augusta's voice dropped until it was barely a whisper, she whimpered her body jerking softly within her mother's grasp.
Her lashes fluttered involuntarily, eyes turning sleepy as her body gave in to the sweet promise of oblivion.
Before she passed out, she overheard her mother saying.
"Daddy loves us all honey, perhaps he loves us a little too much, he's trying his best Augusta, please try not to hate him too much."
Then sleep came.
****
The next few months passed by in a blur.
Augusta spent most of her days in her room, her strange behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the family.
Her father didn't care, just like always he didn't seem the least but concerned about her.
Her mother on the other hand would come and visit, telling her stories while doing her best to put her daughter in a good mood but every time she visited, the shadows remained attached to her mother, staring at Augusta with their faceless features with mocking grins, a constant reminder of her weakness.
She knew nothing could be done to change it, she'd tried but her interference only made them die much worse than the last loops.
Her brother too would often come into her room but she didn't have the heart to face him.
Most times she'd pretend to be asleep yet Avankel her twin brother never seemed to miss a day to visit.
He loved her too much but he was too naive, too young to notice her pain, the stubborn and playful twin of hers didn't know what was coming for him.
Augusta spent her days within her own quarters, she stopped coming outside, stopped interacting with the family.
Perhaps she thought if she gave them a bit of space, maybe if she stopped seeing them, their deaths would hurt her less but she knew all too well, those were merely excuses she told herself.
The truth was…
She was scared.
She cried herself to sleep every night, painfully counting the remaining days left until they died.
And today… today was that day.
That accursed day where she'd lose both her brother and her mother.
No matter the pattern, no matter the change, the curse never missed it.
The sixth day of the twelfth month.
A day which was supposed to be full of happiness, a day their mother had painstakingly made preparations for… her birthday, same date as Avankel.
She observed the time on a pocket watch she'd stolen from her father as a child, it was less than a minute to eleven.
Her breath hitched, eyes filled with unshed tears.
She brought her knee closer to her body as she sat on the mattress.
Her trembling hands reached out to cover her ears but she was too late.
A high pitched scream echoed from the room of her brother then a second one from the master bedroom where her parents shared.
Augusta closed her ears firmly, sobbing loudly while her body trembled.
Her lips quivered, her breathing quickened.
She was having a panic attack.
Countless scenarios flashed through her mind, visions of their deaths from the past loop, each one more vivid and devastating than the last.
The room suddenly became suffocating and then the whispers followed, this time loudly and inhumane.
They kept whispering different words, each overlapping against the other but only a few were clear enough.
Words they didn't mention in the past loop.
"Price… this… is.. the price… to… pay… from stealing… from a… godddd…"
"S-Stop…" Augusta pleaded.
Her eyes were shut tightly yet tears spilled forth without rest, her nose had long turned pink from all the sniffling while she wailed.
The whispers stopped abruptly, causing her to open her eyes.
That… was a mistake.
What followed next broke her, even though she thought she'd seen the worst.
Something was in her room
No—
Someone.
A familiar red hair, one she was accustomed to.
In front of her, her brother Avankel lay motionless, his neck was twisted unnaturally, eyes wide open in terror.
His lips parted in a silent plea.
The horror frozen in his eyes told her he hadn't gone peacefully.
She stared at the corpse without moving, her eyes lingering on the little gift box he'd prepared for her birthday.
Her heart skipped a beat, then… a scream full of anguish left her lips.