Laura

Playing with Fate

This is a submission for Kevin’s No Theme Thursday.

The streets were flooded in misery.

Image by Kevin from The Beginning at Last

One by one, a plague was wiping out the village, and all the doctors far and wide weren’t able to find a cure or cause. It was almost as if the land was cursed, and the already broken and in pain were dying at a rapid rate.

The stench of death lingered in the air. 

There was one witch shaman who made it her mission to concoct a healing potion to save humanity.

Image by Kevin from The Beginning at Last

Of course, no one knew she was a witch.

Throughout her days, she masqueraded as a nurse at the local hospital, helping and healing the infected. This was her way to access the sick, hoping that her cure would permeate through the masses.

A few drops of quinine, dragon’s blood, and elderberry, (along with a few other things) filled her nostrils with their fragrant scent.

“Healing potion,

Filled with light,

Heal their wounds,

And save their plight!”

She cited her incantation with her hands placed over the liquid, energetically charging it.

It was done.

Perhaps an unconventional method, but…It was this, or apocalyptic misery and desolation.

Image by Kevin from The Beginning at Last

She made her way to work in the morning. The hospital was starting to look decrepit from all the workers dying out, some even in the streets.

A slow, agonizing death.

One of her patients contracted the plague just the night before. He was coughing, wheezing, trying to catch his breath, his end was near – she could hear the death rattle in his lungs.

Before it was too late, she asked him to take the potion. At this point, he would try anything.

He drank down the liquid in one, swift shot.

Image by Kevin from The Beginning at Last

Suddenly, the room was spinning, dizzying them both with swirling shapes, colors, and dozens of dead faces shifted and mangled before their very eyes.

“Nice try,” their voices all echoed in unison, craggy and menacing.

“Who-what?” the witch-nurse asked, flabbergasted. The potion wasn’t supposed to conjure spirits, nor cause visual hallucinations.

A laughter rang through her ears.

“You try to cure the sick. But the truth is, the sick belong here. With us,” the skulls croaked out.

“And what of the world? Is everyone supposed to die?” She asked angrily.

“Everything decays. There is not one person who can save the decaying of man’s mind, of their virtues, of their horrible deeds in life.”

“So then, what are you saying?” She asked.

“This world is doomed to fail.”

Then she was awoken.

Was it just a dream?

She hastily turned over in bed and opened the drapes to reveal a different place than she remembered.

Image by Kevin from The Beginning at Last

“Where am I?” She breathed.

What…and whose…fate had she altered?

©️ Laura Bennett

Where do you think she ended up? Is she dead? In purgatory? Butterfly effect?

Perhaps altering one’s fate is not always so smart after all?

Or maybe, it was the right decision?

The path constantly changes, doesn’t it? 🦋💀

*quinine was used in the Flu Pandemic of 1918.

45 comments

  1. Laura 👏👏👏… I was just so invested in this short story, I could hear their voices and picture the things happening! Amazing write! 🎉✨.

    Honestly, my take-away was that you can’t help people who don’t want help, or who you aren’t supposed to help. Not everyone wants to get better, and some will try to drag you down with them.

    Perhaps, it was all a dream? A test? To see what she would do with a decaying world, before she claimed her place in Heaven?

    I know your questions are rhetorical 😂. Great post! 💕✨

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    • Thanks so much, Kay 😊 really appreciated 🙏 and I don’t mind at all you speculating on the questions, that’s why they’re there, kinda trying to figure out what happened, which way did it go, and where does it go from here (if anywhere?) I so do appreciate your interpretation as that is what makes the story different for all – it could take many different paths or have different meanings! Thank you 😊 💕

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    • Laura,
      You brought back the pandemic and the wreckage brought upon us. We all sat around waiting to die. Some of our friends passed on in moments notice. I can see their faces agonizing over the faith brought upon them without reason, suffering were those left behind. The picture you drew is vivid and I thought forgotten. But flashbacks like a story like yours burns. brighter The nurses were the heros, on the front line saving us

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      • Sorry if this triggered any memories from the past, when I wrote it at first that wasn’t at all my intention but I can see how it has some parallel similarities

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  3. I like this story a lot! It makes a good point. In nature, there’s a balance, and when that balance is disrupted, it often leads to unforeseen consequences. Whether it’s through magic, technology, or even with good intentions, trying to change the natural course of events can sometimes cause even more destruction than the original problem. Attempting to control or reverse what’s meant to happen can come with a cost, and those costs are often greater than anticipated. It’s a very good story and very well written. 😎

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    • Thanks so much Tash, it kinda blurs between reality and a dream, doesn’t it? Maybe she just woke up from a dream and that was not the reality at all 😊 appreciate your comments as always 🙏

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  8. Very cool story, Laura. Is there a little of you in this one? I’m seeing a functional medicine doctor right now and cannot repeat anything she’s having me do to my GP. He thinks it is all crazy, even though I have no side effects with her supplements as I do with the GP’s meds and am feeling much better.

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    • Thank you so much Mary! Oooh that’s interesting, and actually sounds really good 😊 sometimes the natural way is how you need to go, I prefer to do everything myself that way if I can. Kudos to you! 🙏

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  12. Excellent use of multiple images and well written. I think she is in a parallel universe where maybe witches or woman who use their brains are treated better. However, that is another adventure!

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    • Aww thank you Alice! 🙏 I’m loving your thoughts, that she could wake up where she’s more respected, originally I was going to make her a doctor and I was like “ehhhh” cause I was thinking of the times. So super true! 😊

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    • I love Alice’s thinking on this as well! Glad you liked it 🙏 means a lot 😊 (off for a few days…the moon brought some good and bad chaos my way) lol 😆 I read your post though and hope to catch up soon, I hope you feel better ❤️

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      • Hopefully the chaos is clearing for you, Laura. Wish you a happy and hopefully peaceful Sunday! ❤

        As for feeling better, I'm doing what's needed, but it's strange… just kind of lingering. Gonna shower it off and jump into the day now!

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