She didn't understand what or why she was going through what anyone would describe as hell.

She, no doubt wondered what she had done, but denied knowing that she did anything wrong. That's probably what got her in her current situation.

This was one of the few times I didn't know the causation of my target's suffering.

Nonetheless, my amusement didn't cease, neither did my curiosity. How was it that this human came to be cursed?

Narrowing my eyes, I looked closely at the scene.

Toni Harding was a pitiful mess, from her bird nest of hair to her dirty clothes. The woman was giving herself what seemed like a pep talk in the mirror. "You need to get it together Toni!" She pointed to herself, I scoffed, in more ways than one girl.

"You aren't crazy! You're just stressed! Yes, that's it, stressed. Nothing a lot of TLC won't cure" Toni was trying hard to convince herself, but not even she believed her bullshit. Denial was a very common lover of humans. Closing her eyes, the woman began taking deep breaths.

I wonder, what's so hard about admitting your wrongs? Is it the fear of admitting you failed at something or was the thought so farfetched that it was unthinkable?

A giggle drew both mine and Toni's attention. Both our eyes widened as we gazed at her reflection, however, out of the two of us only I started laughing.

"You should know better Toni" her reflection sneered.

"No!" Gripping fists full of her hair, Toni keeled over, her airway became restricted as started to panic on her bathroom floor. "It's not real" She chanted over and over.

"Let go, Toni!" Her reflection purred "you know you want to."

Grunting, Toni shot up from her crouched position and snatched her hairdryer from the counter before hurling it at the mirror. Her reflection smashed to pieces and the voice quieted, leaving Toni breathing heavily as she stumbled and fell into the chair in the corner of the room.

The woman hugged herself as she tried to catch her breath, confusion and fear presented themselves clearly on her face as she began to sob. She wore herself tired and passed out from all the crying she did, leaving herself utterly vulnerable.

My understanding of the origins of Toni Harding's curse grew the more I observed her. The glow of the crystal necklace she wore was imbued with the craft of someone else. The whispers in the incantation filled the room, getting louder until the windows shook but Toni didn't stir, she was completely oblivious to the calamity that befell her.

As a soul collector, I have the ability to understand all languages no matter the universe. Toni Harding was finding out just what happens when one is too presumptuous and covets the possessions of others.

The source behind her curse had used the woman's ambitions. The aura of greed and pride consumed the woman, literally manifesting itself and toying with her life, she pissed off the wrong witch.

As Toni slept, the life form of her greed and pride combined roamed the streets of the city, doing whatever and whomever it pleased. The manifested desire was like a doppelgänger, beings that were known to be harbingers of death.  The dopplegänger sounded the same, acted the same, and most importantly, she looked identical.

I decided to call her Jezebel.

As her name implied, Jezebel was uninhibited, she danced, drank, fucked and stole the night away leaving her own mark on those she came into contact with. Those people would slowly become corrupted, and eventually, seek out who they thought was responsible and direct their unbridled desire unto them.

The curse had grown stronger with each passing hour, now finally everything had reached the tipping point.

The wife of the man with his head between Jezebel's thighs strode into her home with her suitcase in tow clueless that she'd be walking in on her man's infidelity. Jezebel of course saw the naturally heartbroken woman and chose that time to orgasm loudly, enjoying the ecstasy she got from the husband's tongue and the wife's devastated expression. Smirking, she pushed the man's head deeper into her groin.

The wife abandoned her suitcase by the door and in a fit of turmoil, rushed the two on her foyer table. She snatched her husband by the collar and drove her knee into his face before turning to Jezebel, but the manifested desire was already gone. Jezebel disappeared immediately at the first light of morning peaked through the door the wife left open.

It wasn't until noon at work that Toni reaped the repercussions of the actions of her manifested desire. Men and women by the dozens showed up demanding to speak to her. An angry mob had quickly formed, making the company's security intervene.

As usual, Toni was the center of all conversations within the company, it was inevitable when she was called to her boss's office. With a crowd of people out front and a news crew parked across the street, Toni's superior angrily dismissed her for the day. A smile made its way on the boss's face as she watched Toni leave, but the coldness in her gaze told a different story.

Begrudgingly, she packed her bag and made her way to the underground parking lot where she began to spiral. Toni looked around frantically as she walked to her car. She kept mumbling why while chewing on her nails as she wracked her pretty head about her unfortunate situation.

In her own self-absorption, Toni didn't take note of the figure that stepped from behind a pillar, following her through the parking lot. "Why?" The person growled startling Toni "you know what you've done you harlot!" The unfamiliar woman swung the weapon in her hand and knocked Toni unconscious. She was roughly shoved into her trunk before being hauled off by the mystery woman.

Upon awaking, Toni found herself bound to a wooden pole. I laughed as she shrieked in surprise, struggling, futilely to get free. "Took you long enough" the woman who kidnapped her snapped. Toni's eyes immediately met her kidnappers, they widened in disbelief at the number of people surrounding her. "W-what is this?!" Toni questioned, her voice shaking as her eyes darted around "who are you people?!"

"We're your victims," a man said as he came forward.

"I don't know you! I've done nothing to you!" Toni frowned.

"You know my wife though. Well enough to convince her that she likes pussy."

I cackled, guess he's one of those oblivious types. Women don't suddenly decide one day that they like vaginas.

Toni scoffed "your denial about your wife's sexuality has nothing to do with me."

"I told you this bitch has no remorse." Of course she didn't, Toni was one entitled woman, she whispered sweet nothings in order to get what she wanted.

The crowd of people started to shout angrily "you stole my husband slut!" why turn on Toni though? Her focus is on the wrong one.

"You took advantage of my son!" now, there's a helicopter parent!

"I lost everything because of you!" everything? I do hope she isn't referring to another human.

"Untie me!" Toni demanded "you people won't get away with this! Kidnapping is a crime!"

"And adultery is a sin, you whore!"

"Then why am I the only one tied to a pole huh? I don't see any of your wives or husbands you've claimed I slept with." Atta girl, Toni! I'm wondering the same, their spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, sons and daughters also hold the title of adulterer so why not tie them to a pole?

"We'll deal with them later." Came someone's reply. Yeah right.

"No, you won't." Toni spat, "You're just a bunch of cowards who want someone to take out your pathetic feelings to satisfy your damn insecurities!"

"You home-wrecking bitch!" the first rock flew out of a young woman's hands, kick-starting the violence that followed.

The screams of Toni Harding traveled across the open field and up to the evening sky. She could do nothing but take the rocks being hurled at her. Tearing open her skin, drawing her blood and breaking her bones. By the time each person's bucket was empty, Toni was unrecognizable, swollen and bloody from head to toe.

Realizing the gravity of what they'd done the mob started to turn on each other. Pointing fingers and placing blame on anyone but themselves. Off to the side, a curly-haired woman with mocha skin smiled at the soul standing beside me, with a satisfied expression, the mastermind who happened to be Toni's boss took a step back before turning and walking away.

"Been a while since I saw someone get stoned" I laughed "as brutal as ever, but still quite entertaining."

"They killed me" Toni whimpered as she stood trembling.

"No, honey" I smiled, as I turned to her "You killed you."