I should be working on my assignment but I wanted to jumpstart this silly little website again. My novel is a bit all over the place but it’s progressing… Slower than expected but still.
Here be horror, a bit of a period setting. It’s not immediately clear, which is probably something I could fix. I wrote this last year so I wanted to leave it in stasis for posterity’s sake.
Please remember that all original writing published here is protected under copyright by virtue of authorship.
Maria could concede that her own daughter was beautiful, indeed more beautiful than she’d ever been. However, she dared not look again at the necklace, even though she’d been the one to put it on Sophie’s neck moments before.
Her fingers slowly combed through Sophie’s long, brown hair. It came down past her shoulders and flowed with the most lustrous shine. Yes, Maria could bear the seed of envy growing inside her heart as long she did not have to look again at the necklace.
“Oh Mother, it is the most beautiful piece. How the emerald shimmers in the sunlight! And I do love how the gold looks on my skin. To think this is the first time I’ve ever been given a piece jewellery to own as well.” Sophie beamed.
Maria glanced at her feet almost ashamed. She could not think of a reason why such a silly thing as a necklace might be giving her such ill thoughts. “I saw it in the window shop, and knew you would look just gorgeous in it. But what an odd shop it was!”
“We must go back to it sometime together to find something for Penny. Maybe when she is old enough.” Sophie turned around to take her mother’s hands in her own.
This time, there was no escaping it. Maria found her gaze settled upon the deep, green pendant which hung from Sophie’s neck.
“What is the matter?” Sophie took a step back.
She now realised, without ever meaning to, her face had contorted into to a deep scowl as she’d looked into the emerald pendant.
“Oh, I think I’m coming down with something is all.” Maria said, stepping once again closer to her daughter. “Let’s have it off now, the dinner is not for some hours.” Maria said, her hands instinctively rose to lay softly upon Sophie’s shoulders.
As she went to begin to thread the dainty chain through her fingers to find its clasp, Sophie broke away from her hold. “No, I would like to keep it on. Penny will be home soon with Father, I must be wearing it to show them when they arrive.”
“Come now, it can be a surprise for the dinner party when all the guests are here. I think even Penny will be shocked to see it on you.” Maria once again went to grab at it.
“Mother, I said no.” Sophie put her own hands out to stop her mother’s advances. “It was the strangest thing, when I first saw it I thought little of it. But now, seeing it on myself… I cannot imagine wanting to be without it.”
“Sophie, let’s have it. I’d like to keep it safe until the dinner.” Maria now bent all her will into her words and a touch of anger coloured her voice.
“But where else it is safe but with its owner?” Sophie asked in reply.
Instead of grabbing for the necklace, she put her small fingers around her daughter’s neck and pulled her in so that they were nose to nose. Although her fingers were small, her daughter was still only a growing girl and so her neck was smaller still. Her grip tightened as Sophie attempted to gasp a breath.
Maria’s eyes became glued to the brilliant emerald pendant, and she smiled with the simple imagining of clasping it around her own neck. How wonderful she would be!
The room darkened as a cloud shadowed the morning light. Maria’s vision tunnelled until all she could contemplate; nay, all she could ever want to contemplate, was the emerald which hung upon the wrong neck. The walls of the bedroom began to close in to hug them and Maria began to feel a cold sweat crawling down her arms. Her fingers kept slipping from their grip, but she managed to hold firm. She would have it back, and she would cherish it properly.
“Let me have it!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
As they struggled, the two twisted until Maria caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were large, almost rabid and filled with a fell darkness. Her lips were wide, but herteeth were gritted in the most hideous scowl. Even in the quick glance she saw how bone-pale and white her knuckles had become as she held Sophie’s neck.
Maria let go at once, began sobbing, and collapsed to the ground. Her hand was over her face, covering her eyes as she whispered over and over, “What have I done, what have I done?”
Sophie’s body slumped beside her, a broken piece of porcelain.
The sun shone down once more to illuminate the room. There was something peaceful about the way she lay, as if only sleeping and at any moment she might awaken from a dream.
“What have I done?” Maria wailed as she took the body into her arms.
However, even as she sobbed and held her daughter’s body to her breast, Maria’s fingers began to search for the clasp of the golden, emerald necklace.
I was very much inspired by Tolkien and the idea of a cursed talisman or object. The Ring is so iconic that it qualifies as a kind of villian on its own.
More recently, I have started listening to The Magnus Archives and it brought this story to my mind. Hope you enjoyed!
Please feel free to go check out my other excerpts. It means more than you know.
Image Reference
Jewelry Designs in Gold and Rose Gold, Plate 5 from ‘L’Art de la Bijouterie’
Andy Montajes 
Leave a comment