Cursed by My Sister-In-Law

I'm at the supermarket when an old woman I don't know suddenly grips my hand tightly. I instinctively shielded my pregnant belly, but she exclaimed, "Someone's cursed your pregnancy with a swap spell, and the stillborn fetus inside you is about to start feeding off your body." Just as I thought she was another scammer, she added, "You should try to throw up as much of that fish you just ate as you can."..."Fish?" I blurted out, covering my mouth in shock. I had indeed eaten fish just moments ago, and my mind raced as I wondered how she could possibly know that. I took a cautious step back, glaring at her as I felt she was just some con artist targeting me. Before I could say anything, she placed her hand right on my stomach, ignoring my reaction. I tried to push her away, but somehow, I could not move—it was like I was frozen in place, forced to let her bony fingers search over my belly. "Oh my! What blasphemy! This is unbelievable!" she exclaimed, jerking her hand back as

The old woman said, "The spirit of the stillborn will tell her where you are."As she spoke, she plunged her fingers into the clay jar and stirred the blackened soil. Before long, a few shiny, oily insects crawled out from between her fingers. I felt a shiver run down my spine.Then, she crushed the insects in her hand and sprinkled their remains into a glass of clear water before handing it to me. She commanded, "Drink this."I hesitated, but the old woman explained, "Even curses have weaknesses. Drinking this will temporarily suppress the evil spirit inside you."I gulped anxiously. Just then, another text from Vanda popped up on my phone: "I'll be there in 15 minutes!"Terrified, I quickly downed the water in one gulp. "What about my baby?" I asked, my voice trembling. "How do I bring my baby back?" The old woman's expression darkened. "The spirit of the stillborn is under her control, so we can't bring it back yet. You need to retrieve the controlling insect from her first a

I checked the time—Hector should have already left for work. Taking a deep breath, I muttered, "I'll go back and find it now."Once home, I ran straight to the bedroom and started searching. I rummaged through drawers, checked under the bed, and combed through the closet. I turned every possible hiding spot inside out, yet there was nothing.Exhausted and overwhelmed, I slumped to the floor, my thoughts spiraling into chaos. Then, I suddenly remembered what the old woman had said—the Twin Hex insects needed blood to survive.Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the small knife from my bag. With trembling hands, I drew the blade across my finger, opening a shallow cut. Blood pooled quickly, dripping onto the hardwood floor. I held my breath and listened intently, waiting for any sign of movement. Before long, I heard a faint sound echoing from the wall, like something crawling.As I turned to the source of the voice, I noticed it was coming from behind the large wedding portrait of Hector

Vanda opened her mouth to say something, but I interrupted by handing her a sandwich. I kept my tone soft, sounding as concerned as I could as I said, "I noticed you haven't eaten all day, so I got this for you."She did not take it and instead gave me a suspicious glance. "I'm not hungry."I forced a worried look, though inwardly I scoffed6. "Come on, eat something. You've been skipping meals, and it's not good for your health."Vanda turned her head away, refusing to respond. She kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling, completely ignoring me.Just then, a nurse walked in carrying another sandwich. She chimed in, "Dr. Watson, you really need to eat. Skipping meals isn't good for the baby!" "Here, take mine," the nurse offered, holding it out to her.Vanda hesitated, glancing between the sandwich in the nurse's hand and the one I offered. Sensing her indecision, I said, "You shouldn't starve your baby just to prove a point to me. Eat something, okay?"She touched her stomach and