I read this story for my Children's Literature class and had a desire to blog about it. It comes from the book Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor. It is a fairly new book, so I don't think it is widely popular yet. The story is called "Spicy Little Curses".
They story begins in Hell. A demon and the Ambassador to Hell. The demon loves to play tricks on people and put curses on them to get their souls. The Ambassodor, Estella, replaces the children's souls with people who have done terrible things. One day twenty two children were trapped under rubble from an earthquake. She makes a deal with the demon to save the children only if she will put a curse on one girl. She accepts the deal.
She held onto her side of the deal by going to a baby girl and cursing her to have the most beautiful voice anyone has ever heard, but cannot speak a word or everyone who hears will die. The little girl, Anamique, grows up and knows she cannot speak without harming everyone she loves. She writes all her thoughts and feelings in a diary.
Then one day a soldier coming back from the war on a train spots Anamique's missing diary and proceeds to read it. By the time he reached his final destination, he had fallen in love with the owner of this diary. He decides to find this woman who cannot speak. When he spots her, he immediately is entranced. It is love at first sight for both.
They write each other and go to balls and fall more and more in love. He finally whispers in her ear to say something. He doesn't believe in the curse. Then one day he proposes to her and before she can answer, he kisses her. She realizes he is afraid of her and flips out. She goes straight to the center of the room at this grand ball and sings this beautiful song. Everyone within hearing range falls over dead--including her love.
The demon was so happy his curse finally lead to souls coming to Hell that he was dancing and bragging. Estella, the Ambassador, was very old and upset. Anamique was so upset she had killed her one true love that she went down to Hell to get him back. While down there, she ran into Estella who told her all about the deal she and the demon had made and that she was terribly sorry for the curse. The only way she could make up for this terrible curse she put on the girl was to get James, Anamique's lover, back from the fires of hell. The only way that could happen was for Estella to sacrifice herself. After Estella died by Anamique singing the most beautiful song Anamique walked into the fire and grabbed went on a search for James's soul. While still singing the Lord of Hell heard her singing and was entranced. He made her a deal. He would let her bring all the people she killed, including James, back to life if she would replace the now dead Estella as the Ambassador of Hell. She gladly accepted. "She didn't see James or the others and she didn't turn round to look for them...She had learned from Orpheus's mistake, and did not look back".
She and James were married and had three beautiful children. She lived in both worlds. She had her family up on Earth and she would sing as much as she wanted while in Hell. The demon who ordered the curse on her in the beginning softened when he heard her sing and agreed to save as many children she wanted.
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