Why was red hair such a curse?
Why was being different called a curse?
On a family of brunettes, Agatha sure was unlucky to have red hair. Due to a genetic variation, her supposedly brown hair was tainted in wine red.
How unfortunate for her to live in a village whose beliefs were so biased about her.
She was oftentime forced to wear a thick cloth on her head, so no one would see her hair. And when it grows too long, her mother cuts it clean.
Her mother told their neighbors that she have a disease, just to save her from suspicions.
Because it they do...see her hair. She would be tortured and accused of witchcraft.
Her life became a circle of sadness as she looks at her shaved head on a mirror. Only her long lashes and amber eyes were proof that she was a beautiful girl. But her crown, which she loves very much, wasn't allowed to grow and exceed her shoulders.
When she grew to 15 years old, she somehow get a peek of how ferocious her village really is.
A baby born with extra limbs, were snatched from her parents' grasp and thrown into the scorching fire.
"YOU GAVE BIRTH TO A DEMON!"
"IT IS BETTER TO BURN IT WHILE LITTLE!"
"PLEASE HAVE MERCY! SHE IS ONLY A CHILD! LET ME HAVE HER FOR A WHILE! SHE IS STILL HARMLESS!"
"DON'T LISTEN TO THE HAG JUST THROW IT!"
"NO! NO! PLEASE NO!!!"
"STOP THAT LADY!"
"THROW THE CHILD!"
"NO!!! MY CHILD!!! MY POOR CHILD!!!"
"MY CHILD DID NOTHING WRONG, YOU MONSTERS!"
She watch in agony as her poor baby was thrown into the flames, crying. But her cries stopped quickly as its body burned down swift. The mother froze, then dropped sobbing to the ground. Agatha couldn't help but fear for her life. She despised her hair because of that.
The mother looked sharply at them, her sanity, slipping away. The next day, she hanged herself for all to see. Her arms bleeding. And on the walls beside her she wrote, "I will tell the demons to burn this village down."
The village people feared so much that they didn't even gave the lady a burial. They fed her to the wolves in the woods and quickly cleaned the wall. They even offered food to their sanctuary. To please the gods. But Agatha knew better. The cruelty they were giving, she knew that the Creator won't listen to such hypocrisy.
But...maybe the lady WAS able to talk to the demons. Because when Agatha was woken up by her three sisters, they said that the village was burning.
"AGATHA WAKE UP!"
"Lianne? What happened?"
"EVERYTHING IS BURNING! LET'S GO!"
"HOW ABOUT MAMA AND PAPA?"
Tears rolled down from their eyes as they announced that their dad died while trying to rescue a child from the first burning house. Their mother on the other hand, was still on the other room, gathering all the things she could save.
They all were unharmed but still, they had to move to another village.
Agatha grew more beautiful every day. Even if her hair is often covered. Many men would acknowledge her beauty. And so her mother always had difficulty getting her out of the public's noses.
Because of her rising fame, it was later found out that she really have red locks. Her mother and sisters, rather than lose her, was forced to wander around and find another home. But instead, Agatha said she'll wander alone and that they should stay in this prosperous village.
And she did.
She thanked the village first, then without a word left with her little belongings.
But as she wander to find a home, hair still covered in a piece of cloth, a man tried to assault the 19 year old red hair.
She screamed for help. And cried at how misfortunate she was. Her beauty, was the reason of her downfall. The man smiled and covered her screams, then slowly cuts the fabric covering her legs.
A man, luckily was able to move the attention away from her. A man with...heterochromia?
Agatha took a good look at his hero before she ran away.
She told everyone about it and later on found two dead bodies. Agatha crumbled as she haven't even thanked him, nor knew of his name.
She swore that no one would have to die for her sake again. And prayed every day that the next time she wakes up, red hairs are already accepted.
But no secret could be left untouched. When she was walking and saw a little boy begging for food, she happily gave him a piece of bread. The kid smiled and tried to pull the piece of cloth on her head, as if wanting to have it too.
AGATHA: You like this? Sorry but you can't have it...
But the kid was persistent and started to cry.
The people around her tried to convince her to just give the poor child her cloth. She looked rather scared of how they would react if she ever do so. But as the village folk came closer and closer, as if judging her morals, she had no choice but to give the child her piece of cloth. Which revealed her red hair.
She was too beautifully out of the ordinary, that they accused her of a witch who hunts for children. She had nowhere to run nor beg to. This village seemed more ruthless than her previous. She sadly accepted her fate of being hanged for the public to see. She looked at the skies one last time, uttering her prayer in a soft voice, then she jumped, the chord tightens, and then lost her breath.
The people rejoiced. But none of them knew that an angel of death was just watching them by. Monica, who was superior of the jinxes, felt pity as she saw the poor red hair go. She felt weirdly attached to her that she couldn't help but avenge her passing.
At night when the people were sleeping peacefully, the playful jinx queen lead her snakes to their beds. Those who woke up and avoided the snakes were bitten by her wolves waiting at their door. If ever they escape the fangs of the hungry wolves too, they were met with the unending episodes of bloodshed, until they die of insanity.
Only the innocent and the children were spared.
...
A hundred years later, a little girl with red hair was deeply loved by her family. Everyone around her cherished her very much.
She had a happy happy childhood, except when she tries to sleep at night. The naughty spirits and ghosts haunts her everytime. And even if she does close her eyes, she could feel and hear them.
It wasn't until she was 13 when she learned how to open and close her third eye. Though sometimes, when the entity is too strong, Gabby couldn't help but see them. To help her avoid their playful antics, she tried to avoid them and pretend they weren't there. But sometimes, it was very hard to do so...to avoid their cries and begging.
Why does she have to have a curse?
She sighed...and then prayed that the next 'her' would live a happier life.