 Horror/Scary: July 21, 2010 Issue [#3863] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Curses Edited by: Adriana Noir  
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Hi! I'm Adriana Noir , and it's time for another edition of the Horror/Scary Newsletter! We won't applaud monsters or things that go bump in the night this time around. No, my precious readers. This week, we are exploring something much more subtle and sinister . . . the curse.
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Curses come in many forms and sizes. They can be subtle inflictions upon home and health, or turn you into a werewolf 'neath the pale glint of the moon. Sometimes, curses are regarded as the burdens we carry. Many authors will be heard referring to their creativity as a blessing or a curse, often both. 
I've heard a story told in somber tones of a family who, by all outward appearances, seems normal enough. They bear no twisted scars or strange marks upon their skin, no warts on their noses, nothing that would denote them as being any different from the rest of the average world. But the women in this family, much like the Mayfair clan in Anne Rice's novel "The Witching Hour," all carry special gifts. Through the ages, they have carried the unique ability to foresee the future, to sense impending doom, feel the death of a loved one approaching, or see spirits. There are even stories of a "Great Aunt Taunty" who read tarot cards for a living until one day, her table walked across the room.
I guess to some, these women would be considered witches, though they practice no spells. They merely have the ability to be mediums or clairvoyants, some of them healers, though these abilities are seldom discussed and never used for profit. (Not since Taunty's experience.)Yet, among them, there is an undercurrent of unease, a dark cloud that builds in the distant horizon. This burgeoning, black beast is lined with distrust, superstition, and fear.
It is said, that the great-great-maternal grandmother passed away unexpectedly and was laid to rest sometime in May. Her youngest daughter followed suit, many years later, and was buried on Mother's Day. For years, the maternal grandmother would recant that story and her deep-seeded loathing of a much loved and celebrated holiday. She was the youngest of two girls and could never forget laying the card she had made for her mother in an open coffin. Oddly enough, many decades later, she fell ill, and was also laid to rest on Mother's Day weekend.
The generations left behind now dread that time of year. They wait and watch with heavy hearts, to see what the future will bring.
There seems to be a trend, even to the most causal of observers here; one that sends a ripple of unease down the spine. There are whispers of an ancient gypsy curse dating back to the days in the old country, though the origin or reasons for said curse are unknown.
Think for a moment of Stephen King's novel, "Thinner," which he wrote under the pen name of Richard Bachman. Here, a rich, plump lawyer is intoxicated and distracted as he is speeding down the road. One instant he's in the throes of ecstasy, the next, staring in horror at the old gypsy woman he struck. Of course, he gets off easy, but outside the courtroom, her husband is waiting and in a seemingly tender gesture, brushes the protagonist's cheek with a whisper. "Thinner." What follows is a suspenseful and unforgettable ride that also points a thumb at how easy the rich and powerful (not to mention famous) often get off in this country.
Yes, curses come in many forms. They do not all center around werewolves, vampires, and the like. They can be a soft whisper that lingers through the generations, or a walloping punch that brings someone to their knees. They can be carried within people, or handed down unwittingly through objects and heirlooms. Curses truly know no bounds.
Are they real? Do curses actually exist, or are they psychosomatic, brought on by a person's own fears and worries?
Perhaps you believe, and perhaps you don't, but here is an unending source of inspiration waiting to be found.
~Best wishes and happy writing!~ 
Adriana Noir
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billwilcox: Great newsletter Princess of Prada. I've been working on a new spider story...can't wait to show it to ya "Mistaken"
Ahh, yes, Bill! Another wonderful and chiiling tale drips from you pen! I'll never quite look at straws (or any tube) the same way again.  Can't wait to read your next story!
Nomar Knight : You have graced us with yet another excellent newsletter. You didn't just stick with the physical fear of darkness; you delved into the psyche of humanity and how it is ingrained in us. I agree, some of us do walk a fine line between light and dark. I guess that's what makes life interesting. Well done, Adriana. (e:thumbsup}
Thank you, thank you! I think you and I both know some prefer the shadows a little more than the glaring light of sun. I hope you are resting well and feel better soon!
Mara ♣ McBain  : *shivers with delight* I love reading about the darker side of humankind. It makes for the best fiction. Mawhahahaha
Me too! *hint hint* 
Debbie M : Just read your horror newsletter for today and I've gotta say it was inspiring.I've been fascinated by the darker side of human nature for some time now and have wanted to write stories of this sort.In fact,I've been struggling with a story idea for the longest time to make Jack the Ripper into a deeper,more complex,darkly romantic character...but I'm stuck.It's in my portfolio under "The Ripper" if you'd care to have a look at it and give me your opinion.Any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.
Thank you very much! I have to say, I think you have a really interesting premise going there and I would love to see you continue it, Debbie! Please let me know if you do. I hope my review and e-mails were of some help!
Cassie Kat : Adrianna, you have impressed me yet again with another one of your fabulous horror newsletters. Today's topic happens to be a favorite theme of mine (Why, the novel I'm currently working on is told from the POV of a serial killer! How ironic!). When I was in high school, I had a friend who believed that the world was "black and white;" anytime I shared one of my stories with her where the protagonist did something she considered "wrong", my friend would label that character as a villain, even though within the story I felt that character had committed the act (pickpocketing, let's say) with a justifiable reason (to make ends meet, perhaps). What this friend never understood was your whole newsletter: people aren't black and white, they have depth and no matter how kind or nasty a person seems, you just don't know who they really are...
Thank you so much, Cassie!  You are very right about there being a big grey area where people are concerned. As for your novel, I'd love to read it! It definitely sounds like something I'd enjoy. I'll be visiting soon!
LJPC - the tortoise : Wow, Adriana, this was a beautifully written newsletter. You brought up some fascinating ideas and wrote profound insights. It was a pleasure to read. Can't wait for your next one. -- Laura
Aww, thanks, Laura!  I hope you enjoyed this one, too!
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