Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe difference between an enchanted item and a cursed one is often one of perspective. Not discounting the truly cursed items that drive the holder insane or afflict with a deadly disease anyone that touches them. Those exist, but they make up less than two percent of all items currently labeled as cursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam held the silver ring up to the light. It was the more common kind of cursed item. Someone had decided at some point that its power was twisted in some way and labeled it cursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She set the ring down on the counter, careful not to speak while holding it. \u201cTell me what you want for it, miss Tabita,\u201d she said to the wizened old gnome woman behind the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tabita brushed her white curls out of her eyes, which sparkled their bright blue. \u201cI\u2019m sure you know what you\u2019re doing, sweetie, but are you sure you want this one?\u201d She pointed at a narrow band of gold in the display. \u201cThat\u2019s a wish ring, you know. Special price for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam shook her head. \u201cNo thanks, too dangerous. This is the one I want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToo dangerous? And this one isn\u2019t?\u201d Tabita shook her head. \u201cIf you\u2019re sure, eight thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam whistled. \u201cThat\u2019s steep. Five.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeven and a half, that\u2019s coming way down for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can go six.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tabita frowned. \u201cSeven. I can\u2019t really go lower than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow about we split the difference,\u201d Miriam said. \u201cSix and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tabita\u2019s brows knitted. \u201cTell you what, throw in a growler of the Dwarven ale you picked up last week, and we\u2019ll make that deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam extended her hand for Tabita to shake. \u201cDone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After running her credit card, Tabita said, \u201cI\u2019ll hold this for you here. You bring the growler and it\u2019s a done deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One fewer $300 growler of Dwarven ale in her pantry, and a cursed ring sealed in a cloth-lined, leather pouch in her pocket, Miriam set out for home. Once home, she set the pouch in her safe and locked it up tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing how the ring worked, she sat up most of the night and planned how to best use it. She could use its effect on someone else, or herself. If she planned carefully, she could do both at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She spent a restless night, imagining scenarios where she used the ring to ruin a few, select people\u2019s day. No. Not falling down that rabbit hole.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen she finally fell asleep in the wee morning hours, she\u2019d hatched a plan. It would help her, and someone else that deserved it, far more than she.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The atmosphere in the office was glum. Everyone there knew that Elastic Front Business Services was struggling, having lost several of their largest clients to their larger competitor, Exeter Global. The sales team was having yet another motivation meeting, before getting on the phones and trying to drum up business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the HR director, Miriam spent a good deal of time one-on-one with Edria, the lithe, pale elf that owned the business. The state of the business obviously weighed heavily on her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Edie, what do you say we go for a walk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure. I need to clear my head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They walked through the downtown corridor, Edria being candid with Miriam. \u201cIf we don\u2019t get a lot of new business this week, we may have to shut down. It\u2019ll suck for our existing customers, but if we can\u2019t even keep the lights on, we can\u2019t continue servicing them, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They stopped in a convenience store, where Miriam bought a SuperLotto ticket, with numbers chosen at random by the machine. The chance of winning was one in three hundred million. It could be considered true, within reason, that she did not have the winning ticket. She also bought them both coffee and motioned Edria to sit with her on the bench outside the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have something,\u201d Miriam said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t know how much it will help. If you want to try it, I\u2019m willing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a ring that eats fear,\u201d she lied. \u201cBut it only works once a year.\u201d That part was true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow does it work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping we can both use it at the same time,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, we\u2019ll hold the ring, and on the count of three we both say out loud our biggest fear. Not like phobias, or anything, but concrete things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike having to close the business?\u201d Edria asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d she said, \u201cbut more direct and concrete. Like, say, \u2018We won\u2019t get the clients we need this week to keep the business open\u2019. Something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSounds silly, but I\u2019m game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam removed the ring from its pouch and held it in her palm. Edria placed her hand over Miriam\u2019s, so they held the ring jointly. Miriam counted, \u201cOne\u2026two\u2026three.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They spoke at the same time. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to get the new business we need to keep my dream alive,\u201d Edria said, while Miriam said, \u201cThis is not the sole, jackpot-winning ticket for the SuperLotto drawing tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edria laughed and let go of Miriam\u2019s hand. \u201cThat\u2019s<\/em> your big fear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nMiriam carefully wrapped the ring and placed it, in its pouch, in her pocket. \u201cHey,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019ve got a great job with a great boss, and I have faith in your dream. You watch. We\u2019ll make it through this week, and then you\u2019ll see your dream bloom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad you have so much faith in me,\u201d Edria said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t seem to eat the fear, though. I\u2019m still scared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe it takes time,\u201d Miriam said. \u201cReady to go back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scene when they entered the office was far more upbeat than the morning, and hectic. Salespeople were busy on the phones, and it looked like the support team was helping them answer all the calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam smiled. \u201cI\u2019ll be in my office if you need me, Edie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edria nodded and entered the sales area. She waited for one of the execs to finish their call, then asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The huge orc, his ochre skin offset by a dark grey suit and overly bleached tusks smiled. \u201cEveryone\u2019s leaving Exeter Global,\u201d he said. \u201cThe former CEO just got a ten-year sentence for tax evasion, and the new CEO just got picked up in a scandal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat kind of scandal?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot really sure. Something to do with a trip to the Cayman Islands, an underage intern, and forty-million dollars of missing capital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phones continued to ring, every line lit up. Edria shrugged. \u201cWe\u2019ll take it. I\u2019ll get out of your hair so you can handle the calls.\u201d She raised her voice so everyone in the office could hear. \u201cAnything you need to me to jump in on, just ring my line, I\u2019ll step in where I can. And no grandfather deals for the clients who left and are coming back. They could afford Exeter; they can pay us full price for not being faithful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day ended when Edria switched the phone lines over to the automated answering service. A running tally of new business had been scrawled on one the dry-erase boards in the sales area. New business totaling over two million in annual recurring revenue in one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to be busy,\u201d she said to Miriam. \u201cWe\u2019ll need to hire more sales support, IT, and account managers ASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlready on it,\u201d she said. \u201cI just need to know the open head count and the calls will go out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t a fear-eater ring, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Miriam said. \u201cIt\u2019s a ring of reversal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that cursed? Are we going to be cursed for this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like that,\u201d Miriam said. \u201cDuring its active phase, any reasonably true statement is made false.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, at least the name makes sense. And the curse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo curse, just an enchantment. If someone gave you a ring, and you said something like, \u2018I have everything I\u2019ve ever wanted,\u2019 and then suddenly didn\u2019t, you would consider the ring cursed, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edria nodded. \u201cYeah, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf, instead, you got the ring and said, \u2018I don\u2019t have enough business to keep my dream alive,\u2019 and then suddenly, you do, would you still consider it to be cursed, or just enchanted?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edria considered. \u201cWell, enchanted, I guess. As long as there are no strings attached.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNone. I\u2019ve been tracking this ring down for ten years now. It\u2019s called the ring of reversal, or the ring of ill fortune, depending on who\u2019s talking about it.\u201d Miriam smiled. \u201cI prefer the ring of reversal, myself. I still don\u2019t know if it worked for both of us. It only has one use per year, but I\u2019m exceedingly glad it worked for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe should go find out.\u201d Edria held the door for Miriam. \u201cWe\u2019ll go to the sports bar on Fourth for dinner. The lotto numbers always show up there. My treat, unless you actually win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As they left the bar laughing, Edria said, \u201cThanks for dinner and drinks. Does this mean I have to find a new HR director?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miriam put her arm around the small elf. \u201cNot any time soon,\u201d she said. \u201cI may be 940 million dollars richer, but if I didn\u2019t work, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do with my time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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