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Continued…

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Cursed? What did they mean by that? 

“You have come in contact with a dangerous entity. And it has placed an unknown curse upon you.” 

“A dangerous entity? You mean Julie?” 

“This ‘Julie’ you’ve encountered may not be who you think she is.” 

“The Crying Julietta” Sir Barber added. “She is an old spirit that has haunted this world for hundreds of years. 

An old spirit… Hundreds of years… 

Lady Hannah continued, “She is said to charm men into falling madly in love with her. Whether the men are already wedded, or even with children. They fall. The men are said to be tricked into believing that they are married to the Julietta instead of their own wives. And if the men are convinced of this trick long enough, they soon turn insane. And then eventually, they disappear without a trace.” 

“What do you mean ‘disappear without a trace’?” I wondered. 

“They are never to be found again.” Lady Hannah explained. “No evidence of their departure, no clue to where or when they could have gone. Just… gone.” 

“Some men fight off her charms well and are not immediately driven into madness” the hotel manager added. “I hear they claim to have encountered a gentle and quiet woman whose beauty could easily melt a man’s heart. They all say she is someone they’ve never met before. But they say she tries to convince them that they’ve already experienced a life and love with her. They all say they believed that the young beauty was troubled in the mind for believing they shared a love. And so, the men would stay away from her. But soon after that, the men are said to experience countless bad luck, and eventually turn mad from her tricks, believing they are married to her. The story always ends the same way. Insanity, and then disappearance.” 

“Wait.” The strange tale was a lot to understand. “So, you believe I’ve encountered this haunting spirit.  And that I’m eventually going to turn insane and disappear?” 

The three of them gave me a slow nod. 

“And wait. Who are you two supposed to be again?” I asked the elderly couple. 

“We practice the arts of guiding souls away from this world” The old man said. 

“You are ghost hunters?” I asked. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to make sense of what is going on.” I tried to smile, hoping not to offend them. 

“We’re a little different than what you see in those television shows” Sir Barber explained. “But, yes. You could say we are ‘ghost hunters’ if that makes it easier for you.” I could tell he wasn’t happy about that. 

“And, if what we’ve heard from you and Jean is all true,” Lady Hannah spoke up. “Then we are sure we are dealing with the Julietta. That is good news. But that is also bad news.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Jean asked, if that was the hotel manager’s name. And why did he appear worried? Wasn’t he together with these two? 

“It’s good news,” she looked to the manager, “because we know what we’re actually dealing. It’s bad news because we are not completely sure about how to deal with the Julietta. She is different to the usual restless spirit. She has centuries of works behind her. And because of that, we are not even sure of how to deal with his curse.” She jerked her head towards me. 

Not sure how to deal with his curse? She was talking about me! Me and my curse! My curse… Was I cursed? I didn’t feel cursed. 

I was taking in all they were saying, but I felt disconnected from it all. 

The talk of spirits and ghosts was a strange matter to take seriously. I mean, I always had a sense for these sort of things. But to be talking to two apparent ghost hunters about all of this was not something I was prepared for. And why was I involved in this discussion? I was cursed? By Julie? Julie was this old haunting spirit? I acknowledged the idea. It did make sense. But why didn’t I feel the gravity of this problem? Was it because we were talking about poor Julie? Was she truly the Julietta? 

I thought about how this poor girl knew who I was. What if I had just forgotten all about her? It wasn’t her fault that things happened to me during the war. I’m sure if I gave it time, maybe I’d eventually remember her. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was just happy to see me again. I’m sure I’d remember her again. Remember our time together in Tykliss. Remember when I propo… 

She was wearing my grandmother’s ring… 

No! 

Wrong! 

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong! The sight was complete wrongness! 

“… it’s not guaranteed to lift the curse.” Lady Hannah was busy explaining something to the manager. I had to interrupt. 

“The photo she showed me of me and her,” I asked. “Was it real?” 

The three stopped to look at me.  

Sir Barber spoke, 

“The Julietta was said to produce believable memoirs and items. These memoirs were used to convince her victims of their make-believe romance. It was hard to convince them otherwise once they had their hands on this evidence.” 

“So, was the photo I saw real?” The uncertainties were twisting my mind and soul. I needed some confirmation. 

“Most likely not, son” the old man told. “It sounds exactly like the memoirs she used to confuse her victims.” 

“But how did she get such a photo?” I needed more answers. “It was a perfect image of me when I was younger. Of her. Of the Dagab River. Of my grandmother’s ring.” 

Lady Hannah spoke, “Reports of these items were said to appear with victims who had intimate relations with the Julietta. Pictures, items related to wedding vows, items related to where the romance supposedly begun. Anything that could convince a man that the relationship was true.” 

“But I never had intimate relations with her” I confirmed. 

“You said that you fell asleep in her presence” Sir Barber reminded. “That must have been the Julietta’s opportunity to solidify her connection to you.” 

“I think” I added, “that’s when she also took my ring from me.” I gripped at the ring around my chain for security. 

“You also said,” the hotel manager added. “That she hugged you during your first encounter. The connection had already started by then.” 

I remembered how somebody suddenly held their arms around me at the market. I thought it a lost child, holding on in fear. But that was actually the start of her enchantment. It made so much sense. That was why I was following her around so easily. So clumsily. That was why she knew my name. Julie truly was the Julietta! 

“How do we get rid of the curse?” I demanded. “Please set me free from this evil!” 

“We’re not one hundred percent sure of how to lift this curse” Sir Barber told. “We can try the usual cleanse we use when dealing with the common succubus or upset spirit. But the Julietta’s energy has heavily coated you. It’s at a strength I don’t usually feel upon others.” 

“Aye” the manager nodded. “It felt overwhelming. I remember, when I placed my hand on him. It was something I simply couldn’t push over to the side. But there was a strange thing I noticed for such an overwhelming presence. It… It didn’t feel like pure evil or wickedness.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked. 

“Wickedness feels sharp and rigid. It feels harmful, as if its intentions were to cause destruction. Whatever has overcome you didn’t exactly feel that way. It felt more defensive, for lack of a better word. As if it wanted nothing to come near you. And it would harm whatever other presence tried to overtake you, whether it be the tender presence of a friend, or the love of a dear one. It wanted to be the only presence upon you.” 

“The energy is possessive” the old man commented. 

“Yes! That’s it” the manager agreed. “Possessive. It was saying that you now belonged to it.” 

“I now belonged to… the curse?” I looked to them all. 

“The Julietta has laid claim of you. And the curse is her mark to see it through.” 

“And that’s not evil?” I looked to the manager. 

“Well. I just meant it felt different to other dark entities. And I’ve dealt with many before.” His face looked a bit jumbled at the thought. 

“It is clear the Julietta is not of another world” Sir Barber clarified. “She is still just another soul from our realm.” 

“A powerful one…” the manager added. 

“An old soul,” Barber said with pity. “Who has not found rest for a very long time. But what the Julietta has done is not right. And she must be dealt with, either way.” 

I felt pity at the thought of Julie. “How did she become like this?” 

“There is a common trend that the men she targets are all men who have gone to war or battle.” Lady Hannah leaned forward. “We believe she may in fact be the same spirit that haunted a small town just outside Peetsurg a long time ago. 

“Similar cases were reported a few hundred years ago. And they were said to be the doings of a young maiden who lost her fiancé to a war.” 

The hotel manager leaned in to listen. He did not seem aware of the tale. Lady Hannah continued. 

“There was a farmer in those days who supplied much of the food for the war against the Gustovo Invasion back then. This farmer was said to have a beautiful daughter that many men wished to marry. She was said to be a wonderful cook, and often aided in feeding the men in the war effort. That is how many noticed her. But the girl was not interested in anybody, no matter how rich or powerful they were. 

“Then there was the guard commander of Mooksan. He was wealthy and powerful. He had eyes for the farmer’s daughter. But she would often reject his advances. He even tried to bribe the farmer for his daughter’s hand. But the farmer was not tempted by more riches than he already had. And he cared more about his daughter’s happiness. 

“The daughter was often seen with a young man from her village. This was who she had eyes for. The guard commander caught word of all of this. And in his rage, he had the young man, and even the farmer as well, both conscripted into the war. I think both of those men died in the war. And after that, the daughter was not heard from again. It’s as if she disappeared. 

“Years later, a beautiful young maiden was said to be luring men who had once gone to battle into her charms, only to disappear without a trace. 

“The story of the Julietta started in Pallio, but it has popped up in many of the neighboring countries around the world. We believe the Julietta is that very farmer’s daughter.” 

Something about that story was familiar. 

“Julie told me,” I felt the need to mention, “that her father was the organizer of the food hanger many people used to visit and eat at during the war. It sounds like the story of the farmer’s daughter.” 

“Then we are on the right track.” Sir Barber nodded to himself. 

“She really is the Julietta” I frowned. 

They all gave me a certain look. 

“Well,” I asked. “Can’t we cleanse me of the curse somehow?” 

“Ummm. We can, but there’s just one thing.” Sir Barber glanced downward. 

“We need to ask you a favour” Lady Hannah spoke up. “We need your help.” 

“My help?” 

“We can’t exactly locate the Julietta.” 

“Why not? You saw me leaving her apartment. You know where she will be.” 

“Well, not exactly.” Lady Hannah then glanced to Sir Barber. 

“We could sense her presence when she was dealing with you.” The man spoke. “When she was at work with you, we were able to feel her energy and pinpoint where we could find her.” He looked back to the old woman. 

“Yes. And?” I questioned. 

“When you broke away from her, we suddenly lost track of her.” The old man frowned. 

“What do you mean? Didn’t you go to her apartment? I’m sure the door was still open when I left.” 

“It was,” Sir Barber explained. “But by then, she was already gone.” 

“You didn’t see her leave?” 

“No, son.” Lady Hannah spoke. “She was gone. Her. Everything. We entered the apartment. It was completely empty.” 

“What do you mean ‘completely empty’?” 

“Everything inside. Even she was gone. No furniture. No Julietta. No nothing.” 

“What?” I stood up. 

“She must have decided to disappear once she lost hold of you.” 

“She was cooking me dinner while I was there” I told. “Are you sure you entered the right apartment?” 

“We entered the very door you walked out of.” Lady Hannah confirmed. “We even saw a glimpse of her. We heard her voice calling for you, her shriek when you shrugged her off. She was there at that very moment. But when you left and we went check, all trace of her was gone. The apartment was completely empty.” 

“What? How could that be?” I scratched my head. “When I was inside, the apartment was full of things. I smelt the food she cooked. I heard the music she played. I tasted the tea she brewed.” 

The elderly couple just shook their heads. 

“We’re not sure, son. But there was nothing there when we came.” Sir Barber shrugged his shoulders. “We’re not denying she was there. Like Hannah said, we saw her. We heard her voice. But by the time we entered, it was too late.” 

“What…” More of the uncertainties scrambled my mind. 

“I’m not sure if she decided to take every trace of her away with her. Or, if maybe everything you experienced with her in her apartment was all just part of her illusion. Her way to lure you.” 

All just part of her illusion. 

The thought of that shook me to my core. I felt my existence shift out of my body in fright. Everything I experienced with her in the apartment… an illusion? 

I then saw Julie’s face. Her gentle smile appeared in my mind. I panicked. 

“Help me!” I begged. “Can’t you do something about this? About the curse?” 

“We could lift the curse if we finally lay her soul to rest.” Sir Barber clasped his hands together. “But…” 

“But?” 

“But we need to locate her” Lady Hannah added. 

“Well?” Aren’t you going to locat…” 

“We don’t exactly know where she will be” the lady spoke over me. “But we do have an idea of something she might still be interested in.” 

Something she might still be interested in… 

Something… interested in… 

The two gave me a slow nod. A very dark and slow nod. 

“No!” I finally understood what Lady Hannah was saying. 

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To be continued…

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(Part 09-20) Hotel Mysteria 016 – Forgotten