Chapter one – Dandara Majo

 

Chapter one – Dandara Majo

        When I woke up, I felt an intense headache, I hardly opened my eyes. My blurry vision showed me my own feet.

    —  Am I sitting on a chair? — I thought. — Where am I?

   I lifted my head which felt heavy as a ton. I focused my vision, and then, there was he, sitting, facing me. The man with white hair and bandaged eyes. He was dressed in dark clothes, like the last time. His hands in the pockets and his long legs crossed. He had an unsettling kind of calmness, but that damn smug smile. That scared me.

    “Good morning!” he said. “Are you calm now?”

    Taken by a sudden frenzy, I tried to escape from there. But I couldn’t move, my arms and legs were tied in the chair with a robust rope. I looked around, the place was an empty room illuminated by yellow lanterns. The walls were full of paper strips with stamped symbols.

        — Seals!

    "I wouldn't be in a hurry like this if I were you, Dandara Majo!" he gestured. "After all, your secret execution was decreed." His smile got bigger. “That's why I'm here!” He yelled.

    “You?!” I yelled back. “Who the hell are you?”

   “My name is Satoru Gojo. I am the teacher responsible for the newbies at the Jujutsu Technical School in Tokyo. Some Brazilian authorities asked the school's help to perform your execution. Have you caused problems here, young lady?

    —  Authorities want me dead!? — My breathing started to get faster again. — How the hell did I get into this kind of trouble?

        At that time, I attended as Dandara Majo. I carried that name for just a few years. You know how it works?! Family, financial and authority Issues force us to change. The difference is that, at that moment, I was a confessed witch. With that identity, I could be it. In fact, I used to work as a witch. You could easily find some of my ads lost on internet social media.

        My office was in a simple, rented apartment in an old building in the center of the capital of São Paulo.

        It wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, but it worked to receive people who had problems with evil spirits.

        The sessions were from Monday to Saturday, at 8 am to 6 pm.

        But the apartment was like my home for the rest of the day.

        It already passed of 6 pm when I was finally able to attend to my last client. I was prepared for the exorcism ritual when Alex brought her in. A 15-year-old girl. She had a humble appearance and was evidently tired from the 12-hour bus journey she had taken from her hometown.

        Candles, flowers and incense gave a mysterious atmosphere to the place, especially to the altar. The girl was crying when she approached, her fingers wriggling in anxiety. She didn't look up at me, not even once. Alex pressed his lips in worry, but he left us alone.

    “What is your name?” I asked.

    She took a deep breath, sniffled, then answered.

    "Ni...Nicole."

    Nicole didn't know it, but a creature almost her size was attached to her back. It had several eyes in its face and a long body. The creature's thick lips were fixed to the girl's neck in a wild suction. It was disgusting!

    I held Nicole's hand. But with my other hand, I touched her face, and I lifted it up, so her could look me in the eyes.

    “Everything it's going to be okay,” I said.

    I turned myself toward the altar and drank wine from a silver goblet. That looked like a part of the ritual, but the truth was, I needed a few sips for motivation. After a deep breath, I took the dagger at the altar and went back to the girl. With my right hand I held the dagger towards my abdomen with the point up, with the other hand I held Nicole's. So, I closed my eyes and started a prayer while the girl was crying. Prayers also seemed to be part of the ritual. But I used this moment to focus my body's energy and transfer this energy to the dagger. But the praying thing was something good. It calms and gives strength to the client. It always worked.

    At the end of the pray, I opened my eyes, stretched out my right arm and penetrated the creature with the dagger. The creature let go of the girl's neck and growled, then let out a long sigh. I swung my arm swiftly to the right, snapping it in two parts. Thus, the creature was exorcised, it fell apart until it disappeared.

    Nicole immediately stopped crying and looked at me with surprise in her eyes. A relief smile formed on that tear-streaked face. She touched her neck and smiled.

    “The weight…the weight is gone,” she said, then, hugged me.

    This kind of reaction was nothing new, but it always got me a little emotional. I even felt pleasure in helping someone. Even if that gift that I had was a curse.

    “Thank you!” She spoke.

    I waited for her to calm down. Now the tears were of joy.

    "You're welcome, my dear!" I patted her back. When she released me, I handed her a tissue so she could wipe her face. “Alex!” I called.

    Alex entered the black beaded curtains and gently led the girl into the other room. He was the one who handled with the payments and stuff. Who hires me can choose to pay in monthly interest-free installments. We also accepted cash payment, wire transfer, credit card, debit card and letter of credit.

    “Ooohhhh!” I sighed and straightened my back.

    It was a very tiring day, but it was so far from over. My next client was a building. Of course, because besides people, places also became cursed.

    When it happens to be in a place, I had no choice but to go there. However, I charged a good fee for it, so it was worth it in the end. Furthermore, I suffered from insomnia. Sleeping well was something that didn't exist for me, thanks to the nightmares. So why to rest if I could get extra work and earn more money?

***

Chapter Two - Alex

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