A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Alone, Harper looks at the pictures of her family, her phone’s battery dropping to 5%. She realizes how little the number means in terms of how long the battery will last. It’s similar to how Rhen doesn’t know how long he’ll suffer with the curse, and she realizes it’s “some kind of miracle it hasn't broken him” (179). Harper looks at pictures until the phone dies, and her cries of frustration bring Rhen running to Harper’s room. Harper is sure his concern is false, and she slaps him across the face.

Through a closed and locked door, Harper tells Rhen about her life—her mother’s cancer and her brother running jobs to pay off bad creditors. In return, Rhen shares his desperation to break the curse and how it has taken everything from him, offering nothing in return. This exchange marks the first time Harper truly believes Rhen, and she opens the door so they can play cards and talk. The game is quiet, but even so, it feels more alive than anything has in a long time.