Doomed Child in a Coffin of Sins
A priest has shown up at my first birthday party. He claims that I'm a cursed soul—that my presence will bring doom to those close to me, and my existence itself can snatch everyone's luck.
The only way to counter this is to give me up to an orphanage and let me live a life of poverty and suffering. Without a family, I'll be able to overcome my fate as a cursed soul.
Daddy has the priest cast out of our home immediately. Meanwhile, Mommy hugs me tightly.
"My son is the luckiest boy in the whole wide world!"
But everything has changed when my younger brother, Andy Lawson, has fallen off the 20th floor. His body is completely shattered from the fall.
I can only stand by the window uneasily. Fear is evident in my eyes as I wave my hands with all my might.
"It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!"
The wind that day is very strong, but it can never drown out Mommy's cries.
Daddy hoists me up and stuffs me into Andy's coffin. I keep latching onto the sides of the coffin to the point my fingers are all bloodied and trampled over. At the same time, I keep screaming for Mommy.
Mommy stares at me blankly at first. But her hollow gaze is soon filled with hatred.
"Why aren't you the one dead? That priest told us that you'll have to stay in the coffin for seven whole days and nights just to atone for your sins! Only then can Andy's soul rest in peace!
"This is your fate and your sin, Adam!"
The heavy lid slowly covers the coffin, soon sealing my hoarse cries and screams away.
A long time later, a few voices ring out amid the sorrowful melody played by the organ.
"Why is there a tiny gap in the coffin? Hurry up and nail it shut! We can't afford to have misfortune spread to us!"
When the final nail is bolted onto the lid, I close my eyes.
Mommy, Daddy, I'm no longer a cursed soul.