Julie and David had always worked hard to give their children, obi and Dandy, a good life. Julie worked in marketing, and David was a mechanic. With their busy work lifestyle, they decided to hire a nanny to help look after the kids. After some searching, they settled on Mary, a gentle young girl who was willing to help.
For the first two days, things were going just all right. Mary kept the house tidy, cooked meals, and cared for Obi and Dandy like they were her own; she was indeed hardworking. Julie and David felt relieved, thinking they had found someone trustworthy.
But then everything began to fall apart. Just a few days after Mary started working for them, Julie was unexpectedly laid off from her job. She was devastated. “It’s just a bad time in the market, and we can't keep everyone,” her boss said. But Julie couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unfair; she was the among the best at work.
A week later, David got into a car accident. It wasn’t his fault, but the car was completely wrecked. Without insurance to cover the damage, they had no means to replace it quickly. It was a blow to their finances and daily routine.
As if things weren’t bad enough, their eldest child, obi, fell seriously ill. He had a high fever, body aches, and a rash no one could explain. Doctor after doctor ran tests, but no one could figure out or diagnose what was wrong. Julie and David were terrified, watching helplessly as their once energetic boy lay almost lifeless in bed.
Julie started noticing a rather strange pattern. “Everything was fine until Mary came,” she told David one evening as they sat in their living room.
David frowned. “You think it’s Mary’s fault?”
“I don’t know… but doesn’t it feel strange? We’ve never had this kind of bad luck before.” Julie said with hesitation
“Come on, Julie. Mary has been nothing but helpful. She doesn’t have anywhere else to go, and we’re like family to her. Don’t blame her for things out of her control.” David dismissed the thought.
One afternoon, she sent Mary to the market to buy groceries. Hours passed, and Mary hadn’t returned. Julie became worried and decided to call her. The phone rang twice, but Mary didn’t pick up. On the third call, Julie heard Mary’s phone ringing inside the house.
“She must have forgotten her phone,” Julie thought. "But how will she go out without her phone."
Julie went to the room and confirmed the ringing came from inside Mary's room. Julie went in and followed the sound to Mary’s bed. It sounded like the phone had fallen underneath, so Julie bent down to check.
What she found made her heart skip a beat. She instinctively crawled back away from the frightening thing she saw
Under the bed was not just Mary’s phone but a small red clay pot. The pot was adorned with bird feathers and wrapped in a red cloth. Julie’s hands trembled as she picked it up. The pot seemed to radiate an eerie energy, and she felt a chill run down her spine.
“David!” she screamed, her voice shaking with fear.
David rushed in and saw the pot in her hands. “What is that?”
“I think Mary’s… into something strange,” Julie whispered. “This… this doesn’t... is she fetish?.”
David’s face turned serious like he was in deep thought. He grabbed the pot, carried it outside, and smashed it on the ground. Julie brought out her Bible, and together they prayed seriously, asking for protection over their home and family.
Mary never returned that day. Julie and David waited late into the night, planning to confront her, but she didn’t come back. Days turned into weeks, and there was no sign of Mary. When she didn't return Julie and David burned all her belongings.
Strangely, after they destroyed the pot, everything began to improve. Obi's fever disappeared overnight, and his energy returned. David received a call from his previous boss, offering him a better position at work. Julie, too, found a new job with even better pay than her previous one.
Julie couldn’t explain what had happened, but she felt a deep sense of relief. It was as if a heavy cloud had been lifted from their lives.
One evening, as they sat together as a family, David turned to Julie. “You were right,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to believe it, but something wasn’t right about Mary. I’m glad we found that pot when we did.”
“We were kind to her, treated her like family. I don’t know why she’d bring such things into our home.” Julie felt a mixture of anger and confusion
They never saw or heard from Mary again, but they were grateful for the second chance at peace. Julie and David learned to trust their instincts and to protect their family above all else. Their bond grew stronger as they moved forward, leaving the strange and unsettling chapter of Mary behind.
