Curiosity & The Cat

Curiosity killed the cat.

The cat was Rhea and she wished someone could drive a stake through her eyes. She told herself she would throw the damn card away but curse that strange woman who enjoyed torture! The card she received was just sitting inside her drawer like some cursed foreign object. Rhea even dramatically chanted the bible's verses the night before to drive away the spirits that taunted her to look because the curiosity in her couldn't bring her hands to shove it in the trash.

But in the end, some part of her knew what the outcome would be. Early Monday morning and tensions were in full swing. Rhea was casually wrapped inside her blanket like a burrito in the comfort of her own room.

She placed her hands together and began praying the moment her lids opened to pitch black darkness, "Oh lord, please guide this tempted soul..."

The door slowly creaked open and her eyes widened, forgetting she wasn't alone.

"Scary! Rhea. Why do you look so scary while whispering to yourself in the corner?" Damien asked, as he poked his head into her room.

"I'm praying."

"For what?"

"To wash away the temptations inside my soul and discard the cursed object in my drawer!" she was breathing so heavily that she choked on the last few words.

Damien's tiger mask made it hard for her to capture his revolted expression. He made his way inside the room. She anticipated his revolted response. And yet, instead of judging her further or telling her she was insane because she probably was, Damien strutted over and lowered himself to kneel beside her.

Rhea's eyes widened as he placed his hands together just as she did, "Alright. Let me pray with you! I'm sure if we pray together then what you wish for, will surely come true if there's double the efforts!"

The sound 'Ahhhhh' like god's messenger singing, echoed inside her mind.

Was he an angel sent from heaven? He was so blinding that it was hard to look at him. Her heart squeezed a little because Damien was the only one who tried to understand her. Watching him intently clenching his hands together made her smile a little. Sometimes, she felt like he was truly her only friend in the world.

They prayed together and eventually, it had reached that time. The time to part. Rhea took care of Damien on random weekends and then he would return home with his mother on weekdays after sending him off to school. Rhea urged the small backpack onto Damien as he continued looking gloomy as ever.

She handed him a candy, "Here you go. Kids should just eat candy, be happy, and go to school okay?"

Damien took the candy but just looked at it for moments. "...Hey Rhea."

"Yes?"

"Today's my first piano performance at school. I'm nervous I'll freeze up...Do you think mother will make it? I know she's always busy with work and her boyfriends b-but...She promised to make it so she would come, right?"

Rhea leaned down and slowly but surely ruffled his hair in one quick motion, still awkward with loving touches. "Your mother wouldn't miss it for the world. She'll make it. I'm sure she will."

He fisted his hands in the air and made a triumph sound. "You're right! Well I've gotta run and catch the bus. Rhea, make sure to take care until the next time your mighty tiger friend returns."

She waved him off and went around to the window to make sure the bus picked him up like scheduled. Rhea remembered the first and only argument she had with her sister was about Damien. Countless times, Elaine had failed to properly care for him. One time she missed Damien's own birthday because she had chosen to travel with her current boyfriend at the time and forgotten about the day she had given birth to such an angel.

Rhea raised her voice for the first time, angered that Elaine was so selfish and neglected her son too often. Elaine had gotten pregnant from a young age, hence why she was finally going out and doing wild things despite having a kid because she never got to experience those things earlier. Still, that was no reason to force a kid to grow and mature so fast like Damien had. He didn't play enough like a kid should and sadly, took care more of his mother and Rhea than any of them deserved it.

Now that she was alone, it was the perfect time to play some role playing games on her switch. She hummed a tune and crawled back to her room and rummaged through her drawer.

FUCK.

THE DRAWER.

All that praying had gone to waste because she stupidly opened her drawer with her console and the wretched card was obviously right there too. Her eyes couldn't help but carefully skim over the details of the card more clearly. She hadn't looked at it too much yesterday but now that it was right in front of her face, she read it more clearly. Her brain was cursed forever.

She flipped open her laptop and killed the curiosity.