The Dark Side of Sharon Zap

On the very far west side of Gale, there exist a town of farmers, called Bittergourd. This town was known for its abounding yields, before a witch cursed it and made it into almost a ghost town.

Hundred years ago, while the town of Bittergourd sits in its glory, a beautiful baby was born. With rosy cheeks, skin white as snow, lips like blood and deep black eyes, the baby was named Sharon Zap. The whole town adored the baby. It was a custom in Bittergourd to offer gifts to all the children in their town when they reach the age of two. It was an act of thanksgiving for their yearly abundant harvest and new life for the next generation. Sharon Zap’s case was a special one, because almost all the town’s people—both rich and poor—gave gifts to her. Her mother died at her birth and no one knows who her father is. But, no one really bothered to scrutinize this fact.

Sharon Zap grew to be a child close to the heart of every people. She grew up in a community house, but she was very welcome in every home in Bittergourd. She was a darling! She was charming, kind and sweet. Until the day she reached the age of sixteen.

It was a custom that when girls reach sixteen, turning to an adult, they will choose a job. For girls, they choose from being a healer, feeder, grower, crafter, keeper or priestess. In Bittergourd, women were a great part of its work force. The chosen job of a girl will be her career even if she builds her own family, until she dies. It is an honour for a girl to choose a job. It is the most exciting event a girl in Bittergourd will experience aside from marriage and childbirth.

“So what are you choosing, Sharon?” asked Crowie while they are walking towards the plaza where the choosing ceremony are being held. Crowie was also a girl from the community house and like Sharon she was turning sixteen in a few days.

“I don’t know. I haven’t decided if I like being a keeper or a healer. Aside from those, Madame Froxy seemingly needs a new feeder apprentice,” Sharon replied. Madame Froxy is the owner of the largest food house in town. She was like a mother to Sharon. Those past years Sharon noticed that girls never choose feeder as a job. So that means, there weren’t new apprentice for any food house in town.

“Why not choose to be a healer?” Crowie said, “The people adores you and healers are respected people throughout the land.”

“I’ll decide later,” Sharon answered, “How about you? What will you choose?”

“I would like to be warrior, but that one is not in the list. Women cannot be warriors, you know,” responded Crowie. Crowie was a little bit boyish and she liked beating guys in all she do.

“How about choose of being a crafter and be an apprentice to the Blacksmith Master Bough?” Sharon said with a smile. Sharon knew that Crowie can be the best crafter in Bittergourd. By that time, they reached the plaza and were told to line up with the other girls.

One town elder, named Eucardo, stepped on the platform and gave his speech. He was halfway to his speech when the sky darkened and a figure appeared floating in the air. It was the town sorcerer, Charaught.

Sorcery was long abandoned job in the farming town of Bittergourd. Sorcerers were needed during the Millennial war; but since the war ended, the warriors just became gate and peacekeepers. Some sorcerers became healers, but most of them kept their job as sorcerers. There’s no need of many sorcerers in Bittergourd so about ten years after the war, sorcerer is removed from the job list and then a few years more sorcery was considered to be a taboo career. Charaught was the last sorcerer in the far west side of Gale.

“How’s my little girls?” Charaught greeted with a grin. She dashed and landed in front of Sharon and touched Sharon’s chin. “How are you my little sweetheart? I have been waiting for this time.” Sharon swallowed air and was petrified.

“Stop it, Charaught!” Eucardo yelled at Charaught. Warriors surrounded the plaza. The town’s people who gathered to watch the ceremony were cowering and finding a place to hide. The presence of the sorcerer gave such a fright that even other girls in the ceremony scurried off the platform.

Crowie lifted her arms and charged Charaught who is still touching the petrified Sharon. Crowie always bring with her small hunting knife. With it, she charged. Charaught noticed her and, before Crowie moved few more steps, she was lifted into the air. Crowie dropped her weapon and was gasping for breath. Her face became pale purple then she drew her last breath.

All the events happened in an instant that no one can even move a muscle. It was like time stood still for all except to Crowie. Sharon witnessed all of these.

Charaught blurted out a sinister laugh. The dead body of Crowie fell into the ground. By that time, Sharon moved her arms and slapped Charaught’s hand off her chin. That’s the time Sharon noticed that the people surrounding her except Charaught were not moving.

“What did you do to them?” Sharon panicky asked.

“I just stunned them, so that no one will stop you from coming with me.” Charaught said.

“Come with you? I am not coming with you,” Sharon strongly replied.

Oh! Such courage you got!” Charaught said with a sinister grin, “I’m sure you’ll come with me and be my apprentice, or else you want to know my bargain?”

“Bargain?”

“Yes, bargain, my dear. You will come with me and this town will be spared from my curse. But if you will not, you and this whole town will be erased by my curse,” Charaught said.

Sharon loved the town. The whole town became her haven, her loving family. She looked at her surroundings. She stared at the dead body of Crowie. She didn’t want more deaths. If Charaught only wanted her, then she’ll give her what she wanted, in order to save the town.

“I’ll go and be your apprentice, but leave this town,” Sharon said to Charaught.

Charaught smiled and waved her left arm. Sharon was raised immediately up into the air along with Charaught. Then, they are gone. The spell stopping the time for the whole town was lifted and the whole town lamented for the death of Crowie and the disappearance of Sharon.

Five years have passed from the incident; the town of Bittergourd was visited by another sorcerer. It was not Charaught. It was a new sorcerer. She had skin pale as the snow, deep dark eyes, full blood-red lips, long black hair and a familiar face.

She stood at the gates of the town. She murmured a chant. It was not audible or more accurately it was some sort of a strange language. The witnesses only remembered the words“dark side” and “Sharon Zap”. Then the sorcerer disappeared.

Few days later, a severe pestilence struck the town and all fields were conquered by the pests. It was followed by a never ending famine. It was said that the pestilence and famine was caused by the cursed chanted by the familiar sorcerer, the sorcerer who looked like Sharon. Nobody knows what made Sharon Zap, if she really was the witch, curse the town.What happened in the town Bittergourd was then known as “The Dark Side of Sharon Zap”. The case was still a mystery, but maybe in due time all answers will be revealed.