The Curse Conduit

Danny ( A mirror image of Declan with less hair) looked upon the photo of his true love stuck to the cockpit window of his world war II plane. The smiling face of Elizabeth, Bethie as he called her looking back at him like a guardian angel.

They had literally run into each other one day when a thief had knocked her off her bike and run off with her purse. It had been outside the entrance to the RAF Base and Danny had caught her just before she hit the ground. He had smiled to himself hearing the language escape from her lips as she yelled at her assailant what she intended to do to him next time they met.

Danny had taken her to the Base hospital to attend to a few cuts and scrapes but Bethie was far more upset about the nylons that had been ruined. Danny did not see her again for a few weeks and in that time he had used all his charm to procure some nylons for her.

When they did meet she was overwhelmed by his generosity knowing how much he would have had to spend. Their friendship blossomed from then on. It was like they had known each other all their lives; they were so comfortable with each other. They joked that they must have been friends in a past life. Danny would joke if that was the case then they were bound to be friends in the next life as well. Danny had introduced Bethie to his good friend Urian (a twin to Uri with less hair) not long after and it wouldn’t be unusual to see the three of them out and about together.

The sound of anti-aircraft artillery brought him back to reality as they crossed the coast into Europe. His co-pilot, Urian a little miffed that Danny could drift off in his own thoughts as they were about to be engaged in battle. “Danny, You married the girl okay, she’ll be waiting for you when we get back. Mind you I don’t know why you didn’t wait until this damn war is over before taking the plunge.”

Danny looked at his friend and smiled. “It is because of this damn war I had to marry her. What if something happens? I wanted her to know how much I love her, how much I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“And if you leave her a widow, what then?”

“Then you have to promise me to look out for her Urian.”

Urian was about to answer when the plane was hit by a barrage of flack and both men concentrated on keeping it flying. The attack was brutal and Urian saw other planes hit and fall out of the sky. They had been hit as well. They were going to have to turn around. No battle for them that day.

Once the danger was over Urian turned back to Danny and the colour drained from his face. His friend was dead, so quiet and so silent, no cry, nothing. Urian struggled with the plane until he was shot down and had to ditch. He should have just left the plane and made for safety but he was not going to leave his friend. So Urian dug the best grave he could and placed Danny in it, next to their injured plane before leaving.

It took him weeks to get back to England and everyone had assumed that they had both died. His commanding officer giving his condolences when hearing of what had happened.

Urian’s next stop would be even harder. Although Bethie had been told her husband had been killed in action she refused to believe it. Would not accept he was dead. That was until she found Urian on her front stoop. The look in his eyes said it all and the picture he held in his hands was the final straw. He held the small photo of Elizabeth that Danny had carried with him everywhere. “I’m sorry Bethie.”

Bethie just let the tears roll as the pain covered her face. Urian lunged to catch her as she fainted.

As time went on some of the pain healed but none of the sadness left Bethie’s face. Urian had retired from the air force after the war but continued to work with planes and he had stayed close to Bethie just as Danny had asked.

Neither one of them ever married, supporting each other through times of difficulty. Urian never finding the right person to settle down with even with Bethie’s match making. But he had worried about her for so many years; she had loved Danny so much.

One summer afternoon as they walked along the river she had told Urian that her love for Danny had been so complete she would not find it in her to love anyone else. She had hugged Urian and smiled saying that she would meet Danny again.

Not long after the Vietnam War broke out Urian was asked back into the air force as a consultant to help the United States. He was killed only weeks later.

Soon after Bethie also died.

She was found one morning by a friend who had noticed that she had not opened the curtains, passing away peacefully in her sleep. As they went to cover her with a sheet a small object fell out of her hand. It was a small silver dragon. A silly little gift that Danny had bought for her one afternoon saying he would be her Saint George and slaying any dragon that came to harm her.

It was the same dragon Declan had given Beth- Elena.