Curse Of The Kookith

     "You passed out during your exam," the nurse said gently to Asha. "Don't worry, your teacher will let you take it again tomorrow if you are feeling better."

     Asha's mom grabbed her daughter, holding her tight. "It's okay sweetheart, they are going to give you another chance. Let's get you home and feeling better."

     The family started to head home, with Asha still feeling in a bit of a daze. The whole experience was surreal for her and she realized just how much the pressure had gotten to her. Now she has to do it all over again and still has to succeed on the test. It was an overwhelming task for sure, but she knew she had no choice in the matter. Her parents had invested so, so very much into her and she had to pay it back to them. She was quiet the entire walk home, just trying to get her head straight. They curved and turned through tight alleys, broken buildings, and grey faces until they returned to their apartment. They stepped inside and her father retrieved the mail.

     "Asha, there is some mail here for you," Nicholas said to his daughter, reaching a large envelope out to her. Asha halfheartedly took the envelope and the three of them went upstairs to their apartments.

     Asha immediately went to her room to rest, but decided to see what the mail addressed to her was. She peeled open the envelope and took out the sheet of paper enclosed.

     Dear Asha,

     Thank you so much for your submission to the Neopian Writer's Guilds. We're pleased to inform you that your application has been chosen as one of our finalists and we would love for you to submit a short story to us for our newsletter. Your writing style is unique and creative and we would love to feature a young artist like you in our upcoming series. Please send us a 2,000 word short story within the next 10 business days and we will be able to publish it in next month's newsletter. Thank you again for your submission and we cannot wait to feature you.

     Sincerely,

     The Neopian Writer's Guild

     Asha's heart dropped. This was one of the most notable associations of writers in Neopia and they had recognized her work! Not only did they recognize it, but they wanted to publish it!! Asha grabbed the letter and sprinted down the hall to her parents in the living room.

     "Mom!! Dad!! Look!!" Asha thrust the letter into her father's hands and watched with joy as they read it over. She saw her father's expression turn to a proud smile, but her mother's turned into a frown.

     "Congratulations! This is amazing, what are you going to write about?" Asha's father was enthusiastic in his response.

     "What about your studying? You have your big exam again tomorrow, and the science exam is in just a few days. You have to focus on THAT, don't waste your time submitting for a lousy newsletter," her mother said as she handed the letter back to Asha. "This is good, it shows you are proficient in writing and will get top scores in that, but you need to get top scores in the other subjects too. You've already mastered this, don't waste your time on it. Master the rest."

     Asha was gutted, it was like a punch to the stomach. She had worked really hard on her submission to the writer's guild and this is an amazing first step to her writing career. She took the letter and retreated back to her room dejectedly, disappointed in herself for getting so excited and thinking her mom would be proud of this accomplishment. Even though it wasn't in math or science. She settled into her room at her desk and started revising on her math to get ready for the next day. After a few minutes, there was a knock on her door and her father entered.

     "I'm so proud of you for getting your writing accepted, I know your mother is proud too," her father starts. "She just has her eyes set on one specific thing. Don't let that get you down, you are going to do amazing on your exams and you have been working so hard. And you will find the time to get your studying done on top of your submission. If this is your dream, pursue it. You can do both."

     Nicholas hugged his daughter tight, trying to comfort her through this stressful day that she has had.

     "Thank you dad." Asha wiped a few tears off her face.

     "Get some sleep, you need a good rest for tomorrow."

     Asha spent the rest of the evening studying and went to bed at a reasonable hour. When she woke the next morning, she still had butterflies in her stomach over the test that she had to retake.

     She climbed up out of bed and had her breakfast, then went off on the long walk to school. It was a day very similar to the one prior, where she was running her equations and whatnot in her head to prepare. She walked through the winding alleyways, the fallen bricks, the overflowing trash cans, and then something caught her eye. As she was walking past one of the smaller alleyways, barely big enough for a Neopet to fit down, she saw a light catch her eye. She looked down the alley and saw a Kookith.

     "Hey, you, come here!"

     Asha was spooked by the voice. It had a hollow tone to it, almost like it was doubled over and not coming from the Kookith, even though she saw its lips move. It sounded distant, but near at the same time.

     "Yes, it's me, come and talk," the Kookith repeated, beckoning Asha to come closer.

     Asha was scared, but curious, and began to walk down the tight alleyway. "Who are you? What do you want?"

     "I know everything, Asha," the Kookith spoke with a direct tone. "I know you want to make your mother proud and I know that you have been struggling. The math test is hard, the science test will be hard too. If you want top scores on these exams, I can give you the power. The power to make your family proud, to dig yourself out of poverty, to get on the main streets of Roo Island and thrive financially and socially. These powers can all be yours, Asha, it's just one little trick that will boost you far ahead. I can grant you this power, child. All you have to do is give me something in return."

     Asha was even more scared now. How did this Kookith know everything about her and her situation? And where did he come from all of a sudden?

     "How do you even know all of this," Asha was a little angry in her tone. "What do you want from me in return?"

     "Ahhh, so you do want to do the trade. I can tell or you would not have asked what I wanted," the Kookith had a smirk on his face, knowing that he had caught her in his trap. "You don't need to know how I know what I know, all you need to know is that I can give you what you need. If you want to pass these exams with top scores, just say the word. I will take what I need from you, and then your debts will be paid."

     "But what are you going to take??"

     "That's for me to know and you to find out. This is my last offer. Do you want to make your family proud or continue to live in the disgrace of a place?"

     Asha was intrigued, mostly because this could guarantee her family a good life. If a Kookith in an alleyway somehow knows her whole life, he must also know how to improve her whole life, right? And what could he possibly take from her, she already doesn't have very much and what she does have she is okay with giving up. She pondered over this for a few seconds, knowing her time was limited.

     "Okay. Okay. Let's do this, let's make the deal," agreed Asha.

     The Kookith smiled at her, giving a slight nod. "And it is done. You will ace your exam today, and you will see that everything is going to go according to my plan. Go on now and take your test."

     "Thank...you..I think?" Asha said and began to walk off. She turned back to see if the Kookith had anything left to say, and he just nodded. So she continued to school, feeling a bit weird about the whole situation. What was the worst that could happen though, she was away from him now and in the main streets of Roo Island, it's not like he could rob her or do anything bad. Honestly, it probably was just a weirdo living in the alleys that she had just encountered, and she decided she wouldn't focus on it and let it distract her through her exam.

To be continued…