A/N: Enjoy children

Cursed

"No, for the last time Mary, I won't see the new Harry Potter movie."

Mary's been bugging me on the phone for the last half an hour about going to see the famous four-eyes wizard.

"Come on Jani, please," she begged. Thank God we were on the phone or else now she would've pulled the puppy dog face. Sadly, Mary was excellent at the puppy dog face. I think it's all in the eyes really.

"No! And that's final Mary! Look it's not like I don't like the movies, I'm just not in the mood today that's all."

Mary sighed on the other line. There was a slight moment of silence, then finally Mary said, "Alright, I'll ask my brother to take me. Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"Positive!"

"Alright fine." Mary put no effort into hiding the disappointment in her voice.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll go with you to the carnival. How about that?"

Mary took a minute to think it over, but agreed. After hanging up the phone, I finished doing the dishes from the morning and rush to take a shower. Today was Sunday. Sunday was horseback riding day. My papa's friend owns a horse ranch by the lake that's a few minutes from my house. Every Sunday, I went to the stables to help care for the horses until one. In return, David, my papa's friend, lets me ride one of the horses for as long as I please (and there's a little tip involved, but I like riding the horses better).

The ranch is so near my horse, it only takes like ten minutes for me to walk there. I put on my old jeans, a tank top, and my riding boots. Grabbing my bag and plugging my iPod in my ears, I was all set.

As I walked down the street, Bollywood music rang in my head as I put the playlist on. Most kids in my school thought it was weird to have Hindi music on, but freak them! I love Indian music, always have always will. The sound is nice, the message it sends is wonderful, and dancing to it is the most fun thing in the world. My dance, Miss Ray, teacher told me that I should consider going for Bollywood. She herself was once a dancer of Bollywood, so she knows what their standards are, and says my dancing is perfect for them. If I go, she said, I could possible start a career. Though it's in my parents' hearts that I dedicate myself to a "real career," like a lawyer or doctor. Why even raise my spirits, huh?

I arrived at the ranch just in time. David was in one of the stalls brushing a mare's long mane. He looked up at me when I knocked on the wall.

"Oh good, you're here," he said putting the brush down. "Well you can get started on the usual, cleaning stalls, grooming, and stuff. But can I ask for a small favor?"

I placed my hand on my hip. "Yes master?"

He chuckled. "My niece is coming here for a lesson this afternoon, and I really need some help with teaching her."

I raised a brow. "But David, don't you usually teach kids anyway."

"Yes, but my niece is a little manipulator. She'll pull a trick on me and next thing I know, I'm the one riding the horse. So won't you please help out? Right after the lesson you can go for your ride."

Looking at his pleading blue eyes, I nodded. I started out on the work. It suddenly occurred to me as I was feeding the horses that the lesson was at six thirty, which meant I wouldn't be able to ride until at least seven thirty. With a sigh I made a mental note to call my parents to the tell them I would be late.

David's niece arrived in the afternoon for her lesson. Boy David was right, she was a sneaky one. Four times she tried to convince me to tack (put the horse's saddle on and stuff) the horse when I was explaining to her how. Then she asked me to bring the horse out, but I held my ground and said she was old enough to do it. She cooperated for most of the lesson to my surprise, but then she asked David if she could get some water. David was about to say yes, until I quickly said that I would gladly get it for her. She shot an evil glance at me as I walked out to get it. I praised God when I saw that it was for her to leave when I came back.

As she drove away with her mom, David and I both sat down in his air conditioned office with two fresh Sprites in our hands.

"You know David," I said. "I've helped you train even the most toughest mustang, but that seems like a cake compared to having to deal with her."

David laughed as he took a sip of Sprite. "Yeah, well hopefully she'll go complaining to her mother that she doesn't want to do it anymore. Hey, do you still want to go riding?"

"Hell yeah!" I gulped down the last bit of Sprite. "I'll go tack up Storm right now!" And with that I was out of the office.

It only took me a few minutes before I was on Storm, ready to go out. As normal, first I headed out to the moorland that was right next to the ranch. It was windy and hilly there, but I didn't really mind. That wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was these cats that were always lingering around there. They were usually in small groups, about four to six in each group. Skinny little things, hardly well fed. Whenever they saw me, they stopped and looked at me, like they were expecting me to do something.

I gazed at the wide lake as Storm trotted along its bank. The sun was setting, and a few stars were in the sky. Turning Storm around, we trotted out of the hills and went farther out towards the houses. There was grassland a little behind the houses, perfect for riding in. I'm tired of riding a round that lake. It was the same old sights and sounds (and occasionally cats). I wanted to explore some more land, live a little. You only have one life.

It was really starting to get dark. Luckily I called my parents saying I wouldn't be home until at least nine, so I still had plenty of time. I rode a little farther. As I continue riding, I could see the mountain range the resided a little beyond from here. I've always wanted to go there, but Papa said it was too dangerous, and that I would only see rocks there because it couldn't support life. I guess only birds and stuff lived up there.

I kicked hard and sent Storm into a caner. The wind blew in my face sending my loose hair flying all around. That's when I noticed I forgot to put a helmet on. Oh well, hopefully if I fell I'd land on my butt.

Night was coming as daylight sneaked out. The sounds of night were ringing in my ears, but I ignored them and lived for the moment as Storm raced across the grass, his hooves thumping against the ground making a rhythmic sound.

Suddenly Storm stopped dead in his tracks, letting out neighs of panic. He began kicking both his fore and back legs. I gripped the saddle horn and tried to calm him down.

"Easy Storm! Steady boy."

But Storm wasn't listening; he was kicking and letting out high-pitched neighs. Why was he acting like this? Was it because we were riding at night? No it couldn't. David and I have gone on night rides before, Storm was usually okay.

As my head went in all directions, I noticed a familiar sight in the distance. A small wooden shack lay still in the silent night. My blood went to ice and fear traveled through my entire body.

My head began to tremble and my hand loosened on the horn. With a mighty kick, Storm

I turned back to the house. It was a few simple feet away from me. How did I not notice it? It's like it appeared out of nowhere! It towered over me, like a giant creeping shadow. A shiver ran down my spine as the wind howled against it, making ghostly sounds and creaks.

Pushing myself, I tried to stand, but as soon as I stood, I went crashing down again. My ankle was busted from the damn fall! Of all the times for my body to spazz out!

I hit my ankle, seeing if that work. Nope. Actually it just made it worst. Sitting down I tried to think of something fast. What the? Something was poking my butt?

I felt my read with my hand. Something was in my back pocket. My cell phone! Oh thank you every possible god/spirit out there! Okay so it was simple, I just have to drag myself far enough from the shack, and call my parents. My parents might overact when I come home muddy in the middle of the night, but if I'm injured, they'll smuggled me like I was a newborn baby with a high fever.

Before I could start to crawl, my phone vibrated. The words Low Battery flashed on the screen a few times before it went black. Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. I have the luck of a dead person: None!

A stick broke behind me. I froze, petrified with fear. I held slow breath behind me. As I turn around, a shadow crept over me. The shadow belonged to a short woman, who, actually didn't seem too old, with long (I'm talking down to her knees long) black hair, and gothic black eyes. She looked like a Native American, or Tiano Indian.

For a second I stared at her, thinking, well she doesn't look dangerous. Then something began wrapping around my ankles. I screamed in both pain and fright as weed anchored me to the ground. I tried pulling, but the weeds just kept getting tighter with every pull I made.

"Don't even try," said an old-creaky voice. It was coming from her. The witch. Strange, I thought her voice would sound more like a wicked witch, but it sounded more like a grandma who's smoked too many cigarettes. Could witches smoke?

I tried to pull away, but then the weeds began to drag me to her. That's when I saw her arm was stretched out and she was wiggling her fingers. She was doing this. Okay, now I could commence freak out.

The weeds pulled me to her more. I tried grabbing on to grab on to something but grass isn't very sturdy. Next thing I knew I was looking dead into her black eyes. She narrowed them at me, so much that they looked like little silts in her face.

She barred flashing white teeth. "So, what's this now? Come to see my beautiful shack-again?"

I widened my eyes. "I . . ."

I couldn't even finish my sentence. As she looked at me, I felt her black eyes staring into my soul. I gulped.

She dropped me. I tried to make my escape, but suddenly, it was like I head two hundred pound weights tied to me. I couldn't move at all.

The witch wiggled her fingers again, and I rose up into a sitting position, looking up at her.

Glowing white swirls were swirling around her finger tips and hair. Her eyes now were not a jet black like they had been before, but also a glowing. Her hair flew around her head like crazy.

My stomach felt like it had a rock in it. I felt like I was about to throw up. No no! I can't die! I'm too young.

"Please don't kill me!" At least my voice still worked. "I'm sorry! I'll never come on your property again!"

The witch smiled and shook her head slowly. She pointed a bony finger at me. "Foolish human!" she boomed in a voice that sounded almost god-like. "I let you escape last time. But now you will learn to respect me ungrateful being!"

A high, piercing scream came from my mouth. Tears poured from my eye docks. "No! Please, please, don't kill me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

The old witch smiled at me and laughed an old creaky laugh. "Ignorant human, who said anything about killing you?"

I raised a brow. "But you said-"

"-I said I would punish you." She raised her hand and flexed it. "Which I will."

Her hand came down and stopped before me. White glowing light blasted out of it and went directly to me. It circled me around at lighting speed. The wind hollered in my ears, echoing so loud I could barely hear me scream.

Suddenly I felt something weird happening with my body. I looked down at my hand. It was disappearing-no! It was . . . transforming. Into . . . a paw! My other hand too. And my feet. I felt myself shrinking, like Alice did when she ate that mushroom.

The world went black for a minute. When I came to, I saw human feet in front of me. Then something thumped me from behind. I turned my head to see what had, but all I was a tail. What the? A tail! And attached to that tail, a cat! Great, I was seeing cats again. I moved a little, then I noticed to cat body moved too. I turned my head. Why did it feel like I had no ears. I reached up to feel my head, but something clawed into my skin. I winced at the pain. As I tried to stand I lost my balance and fell. My feet didn't feel like feet. They were . . . paws!

I screamed, but something meowed instead. Now I was freaking out. I panted hard and my stomach turned into a tight not. What the hell was happening?

I heard a laugh and looked up. The witch laughed like she had seen something extremely funny. Kneeling down, she did some weird thing with her hand and a mirror appeared in it. You know what after what I just went through, that actually seemed normal.

She held the mirror up to me. I gasped. Instead of seeing my oval brown faced with amber eyes and dark black hair, I saw a cat's face with dark brown fur and slashes of black running down's it's back. It took me a minute or two to realize that this wasn't just an ordinary cat. Once those amber cat eyes stared back at me, I finally understood. The witch had indeed punished me. She turned me into a cat.