Cursed - part 1

"You shouldn't have come here."
I skitter backwards, just out of his reach, but do not retreat. "Where is he?" I hiss.
"He doesn't want to see you," Harrod says menacingly.
"Like hell he doesn't!" I yell. "You've been trying to keep us apart from the moment we met. Josh!"
I brush past Harrod, running up the stairs at top speed. I half expect him to grab me and beat me senseless, but he lets me go, muttering obscenities under his breath.
"Josh," I call, bursting into his room. Josh is lying on his bed. His hands are in chains tied to the bedpost.
"What did he do to you?" I gasp, rushing to untie him. "Are you alright? How long have you been like this?"
I search the drawers frantically for a key, aware that any second, Harrod could come up here and drag me out.
"Lara. Stop."
"It's ok, I'll get you out of here," I say, still searching. "He can't keep you prisoner, even if you are his son. We'll go to the king if we have to, you are a free man."
"Lara, I asked him to tie me up."
This brings me up short. Slowly, I straighten and look at Josh. "Why?"
He holds my gaze for only a second before addressing the carpet. "I have the curse."
I am vaguely aware of the floor coming up to meet my knees as they give out. "What did you say?" I whisper.
"I have it," Josh says in a broken voice. "It happened three days ago. I asked my dad to tie me up so that I can't hurt anyone."
"But - but you can get help," I sputter, trying to think over the buzzing in my head. "The king has healers, facilities..."
"How many people who go into those facilities ever come out?" Josh says bitterly. "Let's face it, we all know what goes on there. There is no way to break the curse. Those facilities do not try to help those afflicted with the curse; they execute them."
I shake my head dumbly, as though I can change the situation simply by denying it. "But you'll be different," I whisper. "You won't hurt me."
Josh laughs grimly. "You know how the curse works as well as I do. It's just started, but soon enough, I will be able to kill with nothing more than a touch. Soon after that, my mind will start to go. I won't be able to recognise anyone and I will be filled with a raging desire to kill every living thing I see. There's a reason those with the curse are quickly killed; we are too dangerous to keep alive."
"Stop, stop it," I say sharply, getting up and starting to pace. "We both know how bad this is; fixating on that isn't going to help us. We need to think how we are going to solve this. There must be some solution."
Josh looks at me with something I have never seen him direct at me before: scorn. "There is nothing you can do - nothing any of us can do. Just leave me. My father will keep me here until he can no longer control me. Then he will send word to the facility."
"No," I say. "No, Josh, don't you dare give up. You need to fight it! You promised, remember? We both did! We said we would always fight for us."
As he stares at me, I see the beginnings of a crack in his wall of anger; I start to see the true fear and sorrow underneath. Then he pulls up the tough exterior which is his only defence against the terror of reality right now.
"There is no us, Lara. Not any more."
He turns to the door and yells down to his father. "Dad - get her out of here! Make sure she doesn't come back."
I hear Harrod's heavy steps coming up the stairs.
"This isn't over," I say, speaking fast, aware that I only have seconds left. "I'll find a way to save you, Josh, I promise."
Before he can stop me, I lean over him and kiss him swiftly on the lips. "I love you," I whisper.
Then Harrod has me by the arms and is dragging me away from Josh. I am screaming at him and kicking, desperate to get just a few more minutes with the man I love, but Harrod is too strong for me.
"Don't come back here," he says roughly as he throws me out of the front door. I hear his voice break on the last syllable.
I slowly force myself to get up and start trudging back home, thinking of Josh. Everyone has already given up on him, even himself. I am his only hope.

To be continued