That is what a curse is.

  A curse is deeply rooted in what they wish, not what they fear. Not a twisted wish, not a punishment. Don’t be confused. No one punishes them for their curses.

  Only the harsh reality of what could have been if they had wished no more.

  A curse is just a wish.

  Isn’t that brilliant? A world riddled with curses, a history of pain and wonder, all for people who did not halt wishing.

  They wished for love, fearing hate.

  They wished for control, fearing loss.

  They wished for eternity, fearing death.

  They wished for riches, fearing the others.

  They wished for peace, but only once they did not fear war anymore.

  Why do you weep? We aren’t cursed. They are.

  They will make their wishes true. We won’t. We aren’t cursed.

  That is what curses reveal. Seeing what could have been.

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  And they will never outlive them. So maybe weep for them.

  The singing was not always in a language she had sung before, but once someone would come to the cabin in the After, she would always change her tune, to match what the visitor would need to hear. She would change the melody, words, and rhyme. She would sing to light a spark in their soul, as she would often have to do that before she started weaving them back together. Singing as they walked their way up the cabin, or sitting at the balcony enjoying the eerie sunset.

  The sun would never set in the After. It was not meant to be, that was her guess at least. She often wondered if the sun was glued to the sky like an ornament, or just moving excruciatingly slowly. Other times, she was grateful there was always the sun’s light because she could not guess what would happen if it was ever gone. Maybe at some point, she would find out, after she was done weaving.

  While she weaved, some stayed silent, and a few laughed. But most of them wept, as they had no wish fulfilled if they were meeting her there. The cabin was a blessing for them, a short stop before moving on, and most were not eager to move on.

  This song was taught to her by one of her many visitors in the After, one that did not seem either particularly happy or sad to be there. She was one of the few who smiled and worked together with her to weave as much was needed. Time passed in mysterious ways in the cabin, and she was one of the few that she enjoyed weaving, for however long she stayed with her. Sadly, she was too young to be there, but she reminded her of her daughter.

  “How do curses work?” The young woman asked her on her very last day, although none of them knew that it would be her last back then.

  “Well, there were always curses, as old as humans are. Only a few of them discover theirs. I found mine, only after I came to the After.” She responded.

  “I don’t think I am Cursed. In fact, most of the people I have met were not. I only met her… You know.”

  “I know. They are not the most popular. Cursed. In some places, they are adored, and revered. In others chased. But they have their role to play. They are needed.”

  “Why?” The young woman asked. “Wouldn’t the world be simpler, if they did not exist?”

  “The world would be simpler if none of us did. Reality does not cater to simplicity, sadly.”