I felt fine - until I passed through the doorway of my new home each evening. Then I would want to fall onto my bed, and forget supper.
I couldn't understand it, I'd always had a healthy appetite. I still did, when I had lunch under my favorite Rowan tree in the family field.
When I asked Ma what I could do to make it better, she gave the answer I expected. But not the one I wanted.
"Maybe you should sell it, and come back home," she suggested. Her little feet were dancing in anticipation of having her eldest son back in the family home.
Looking at her eager face, I almost gave in. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that. I'd bought this place so I could mix my potions at night, without disturbing my family.
I know it sounds like a quiet activity, but that's not always the case. Sometimes the spells sort of get away from me. I'm a wizard, but I'm no Merlin.
I tried all sorts of things to get rid of that stomach churning illness, from cleansing to wards. Nothing worked.
Having failed to find a magical cause and solution, I began hunting for a more mundane explanation.
The place was clean when I bought it, and cleaner still now. Ma was always saying that she would come by soon. Could there be any better motivation?
Hovel or not, never let it be said that Raphael Freeman Hunter lived in squalor!
Despite being sure that I hadn't overlooked any of the nooks and crannies where mold likes to hide, I gave the place yet another thorough inspection. This didn't take long, the place is only a few paces long and wide.
I slid my hands carefully along the rough wood doorframe. At the top, right above my head, I noticed a small set of carved runes. Surprised, I checked the rest of it.
There were four other sets, hidden in the four corners. I didn't recognize any of the symbols, except for "danger" and "illness".
I felt like there had to be a set in the middle, right under my feet. But the threshold was made of the smoothest wood in the entire place.
"It has to be there," I thought. Kneeling, I ran my hand along the edges. They were smooth too.
I stood, and gave it a gentle kick. "Aha! It's loose..."
I got my hammer, and carefully pried the board up. "I knew it!" I exclaimed, as I looked at the identical set of runes.
"If these are some sort of curse, I have to be careful. If I destroy the runes, the curse might stick to me - maybe forever. I can either change it to a blessing, or move back home."
Not wanting to move, especially after going to some expense to add a lab, I went about copying the symbols. If I could change the right ones, I should be able to get back to full health.
First I tried to decipher the strange symbols. If I'd had time for a journey of eight days, I could have consulted my master.
Unfortunately I had to fill orders for ten healing potions, or face several families and try to explain why their loved ones were either in severe pain, or already passed.
Once I felt confident that I could change the negative symbols into positive ones, I got my woodworking tools out. It was slow and painstakingly exact work - one badly formed rune could get me killed.
By nightfall, I was ready to make the final edit, and say the words of power. Before I did, I went outside to soothe my frayed nerves.
Despite the door being open, it felt so much less oppressive outside. After the cool air cleared my head, I went back in.
I made the final scratch, then held my protective crystal towards the doorway. "Power of Earth, mother of hearth and home. I call upon your might to change this dark energy into light!"
No sooner had I said the last word than a nice golden glow emanated from the wood. I smiled, thinking about the good night's sleep I was sure to have.
The glow continued to get brighter. Gradually it turned a deep red, then maroon. Suddenly bolts of black lightning struck my bed and cooking pot. The burn marks were in the shape of perfectly round holes.
I tried to get out, but a black lightning bolt almost zapped me. I looked at my window. It was too small to even consider climbing out of.
I sighed. "I'll just have to wait and see if whatever I did will settle down eventually," I thought as I watched the doorframe become ever darker.
About the time I thought nothing more would happen, another black lightning bolt streaked across the room. It hit the spot in front of the fireplace, leaving a burn mark in the shape of a scorpion.
The mark began to move. I wasn't sure exactly what it was made of, but I was more interested in avoiding the thing than finding out!
"Uh oh, I'm trapped in here with that thing," I said aloud.
That was a mistake... it heard me.
Approximately the size of a real scorpion, you'd think it would be easy enough to avoid. You'd be wrong!
I grabbed my broom. After leaping, whacking, and sweeping for over an hour, I was exhausted.
I decided to see if the door had quieted. Slowly I edged the tip of the broom handle over the threshold.
A tiny black lightning bolt hit it, and a few seconds later, I had a little baby scorpion after me, along with its full grown friend.
"Those first two marks were different," I thought. Now that I was tired, I was beginning to think like a wizard again.
"Maybe if I can do something with them, it'll affect the scorpions."
With careful timing, I flipped a hot coal into my tin drinking cup. I used a fork, and pressed it against the mark on the pot. Instead of burning the mark away, the coal slid into the darkness, and disappeared.
The scorpions became confused, running without purpose. The doorway turned a shade lighter.
"Power of Earth, mother of hearth and home. I call upon your might to change this dark energy into light!" I chanted again, as I went back for another hot coal.
The doorway seemed to be getting lighter still. I'll admit that I was reluctant to put the hot coal on my straw mattress, when I was trapped inside. But I took a chance, and pressed it hard on the burn mark.
It too disappeared. The doorway emanated a brilliant white light. I held out my crystal again. "Power of Earth, mother of hearth and home. I call upon your might to change this dark energy into light!"
Two bolts of white-hot lightning streaked out, zapping the two strange, black scorpions. They became ash almost instantly.
Instead of gradually returning to normal, the doorway was mere wood again the next time I looked at it. I carefully tried to put the broom handle through again. Nothing happened.
I ran out, then back in several times before I was satisfied. Then I cleaned up, and had supper.
Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, I was out. That was probably the best night's sleep I'd ever had!
I felt great the next day. Elated that my home was now safe and healthy, I got down to the serious business of healing the townsfolk.
Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery and my original fractal artwork
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