The Omniscrolls

I was just six years old when I learned that I could speak to animals. My parents said it was just my imagination, but even back then, I knew they were wrong. Every sound they made, I could clearly figure out what they wanted to say. Other children my age didn’t believe me, and some even avoided me after I revealed my secret. Mom urged me not to speak of it with anyone else; she said people would only ostracise me even more. I took her advice and kept things to myself. Towards the end of my schooling years, however, my abilities helped me excel at my job at an animal shelter. I was able to detect any animal that was in distress, and I always knew exactly what was worrying them. One of my colleagues said I should become a vet, which I had already considered but was hesitant to pursue. After a discussion with my parents, I was convinced that it was the job that suited me the most. A few years later, I had my own clinic, and it wasn’t long before many people from my hometown, and even its...

As a child, I would often see figures moving in the corners; silhouettes that stuck to the shadows and lingered in the distance. Whenever I brought the matter up to my parents, they dismissed it. They said it was just my imagination. However, it only got worse as I grew older, and I would often run to my parents’ room, fearing that monsters were out to get me. I was a stubborn child, often refusing to sleep in my room. One day, however, my mom was able to convince me that our cat, Jupiter, would take care of any monsters that would try to hurt us. Jupiter was my grandma’s cat; we adopted her right after Grandma passed away. From the day she joined our family, Jupiter always seemed to be inspecting the surroundings. She would never leave my side when I was alone, and even slept in my room. Whenever I heard or saw something, Jupiter would run in that direction even before I could react, and I would often hear her hissing and growling at the shadows until any presence I felt disappeared. ...

My parents prohibited me from taking photos of myself. They were so strict about this rule that even my friends were asked never to do it. I didn’t think about it when I was much younger, but once I reached middle school, I began to grow tired of their rules. They said taking photos only brought misfortune upon our family, and that both my grandmother and my aunt lost their lives because of it. They never really opened up about why they avoided taking photos until that day. Mom told me that some of her ancestors were witches, and that there was a curse on our family from over a century ago that siphoned a portion of our soul each time we took a photo of ourselves. It didn’t matter whether the family member was a witch or not, the curse would still flow through the bloodline. Mom also said that I was a witch, unlike her, so the curse would be even more potent for me. I was speechless and confused, since I had never been able to use magic, but Mom said there was magic emanating from me w...