Tears Of A Virgin
Tears Of A Virgin – Short Story
Photo credit: earl53 from morguefile.com
“Here take this,” said my aunt handing me over a little bottle.
She had no children, no husband. I was very fond of her. She was like a second mother to me. Well, more than a mother. You see, since she had no children of her own she showered all her love on me. I don’t know why but she seemed really sad that day. It looked as if she had been crying. Her mascara has been washed away and without it her eyes seemed lonely just like she had been all these years. Curious, I asked her what it was. She just ignored my words and carried on with what she was saying,
“this from now on is your most precious possession and if you can make me a promise that you will take care of it always I’ll promise you anything you want.”
I was seven then. Nothing was making sense to me except that I had to take care of that container and she would give me anything I wanted. The container wasn’t big. No more than the size of my thumb. I quickly agreed. Then after thinking for a moment I asked,
”Would you take me to the cemetery?”
She looked confused. I reminded her that she had promised to give me anything I wanted. She smiled and said,
“I would take you there anyway my dear. Save this for something bigger. But why do you want to go to the cemetery anyway?”
I told her about a tree right next to a well in the cemetery which had very delicious apples but how my mother never allowed me to go there. She seemed satisfied with my reason and expressed a wish to eat some of them herself. She then said again,
“Remember Astaf , no matter what you will look after the it always, never separate it from yourself and promise me you will never open it…never.”
Her last words sounded to me dialogues from some movie. I asked her what was inside it and why mustn’t I open it. She didn’t seem to mind my question and said,
“It contains so much power that if it is opened all the humanity will drowned.”
I almost giggled at this. I couldn’t imagine how that little thing could contain so much to drown the whole humanity. I just couldn’t work it out and I was in no mood to question her anymore. None of my questions seemed to get any direct answer and my mind was too young to solve the riddles. As it is I was getting late to go out and play with my friends. I wonder what made my aunt think that I could take good care of it. My mum always kept on complaining that I spoil all my things. However time passed and I soon forgot about the container.
Then one day year’s later news came that my aunt was highly unwell. She was on her death bed and had not more than a few hours to live. She had wished to see us all. I was reminded of that night when my aunt had given me that container.
Suddenly I was so tempted to open it. It seemed like the most important thing. I excused myself from my family who were just about to leave to meet my aunt and said that I would catch up with later. I went inside my room.
After straining my mind a little. I remembered where I had put it. It was a wonder that all these years it hadn’t been misplaced. I quickly took it out and without and second thoughts opened it. It was empty! I even jerked it once or twice but nothing came out of. I joked to myself,
“probably the water that had to swallow the humanity had dried up.”
It didn’t seem to make any difference to me. Besides my aunt was about to die in few hours. She would never come to know. I rushed to the hospital and saw her taking her last breaths. She said she wanted to talk to me alone. Soon there was no one in the room except the two of us. Her last words till now sound clear in my head,
“I know that you have opened the container. Now this world will drowned in the pain and agony of a virgin.”
Since then each night has been a nightmare for me. No one is at peace. The world is slowly losing its breath. It’s drowning. Each night I curse myself and wait for my death day
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