The Healer

From a young age, I could peer into people’s minds, and even feel their bodies’ conditions, with just a single touch. This was both a blessing and a curse, for with this ability came the power to heal them of mental and physical ailments at the cost of my own. The side-effects were temporary: sometimes, I would be rendered immobile for days, other times, I would remain bedridden for weeks. My parents were initially against my willingness to heal anyone who needed it, saying I was being too selfless, but the pain was worth it to see them feeling better again.

Being in a small town, word of my deeds spread swiftly and it wasn’t long before both medical professionals and religious zealots joined forces against the one whom they saw as a common enemy. They threatened my family and me on numerous occasions and even spread rumours that I was a witch working with the devil—that I was making deals for people’s souls without their knowledge. If it were just me, I could’ve cared less, but their threatening my family and harassing them at their offices made me discontinue my healing practices.

This, however, did not work in favour of those that bore ill will against me. The majority of the townspeople cut ties with all places of worship, and many chose medical centres and hospitals in the surrounding towns over the ones in our own. And so, the people who opposed me at first eventually turned to me for help. However, their intentions were still for their own benefit, not for those whom they had sworn to serve. I was urged to heal people only partially—to make sure that their symptoms would resurface eventually. I recorded the conversation without their knowledge and released it to the media.

From that point on, I was able to carry out my usual practices without anyone to stand in my way. Soon, even people from other towns began to come to my doorstep seeking help. A few months later, I encountered a patient I never expected to see. She was the polar opposite of me, being born with an incurable illness but with the ability to make other people sick in order to make herself temporarily better. However, once she learned that she could make others fall ill, she had vowed to isolate herself from society. It was only after hearing about me that her family had forced her to come to my house.

I agreed to help her, although she herself was reluctant to go ahead with the procedure, not knowing how bad the toll would be on my body. But I didn’t mind, for it was a task only I could perform. If I couldn’t help her, no one could. The procedure lasted for over six hours, and by the end of it, I was left frozen where I sat, unable to even move my lips. It was a state I had never experienced, but I had no regrets. I was thrilled that I was able to fully heal someone who’s life was a living hell.