Introduction: The Life of John Berry
John Berry was living a luxurious life by any definition of success.
At the age of 45, he was a young man rising up the ranks to become the CEO of a multinational company operating in the technology sector. John was commonly known as a creative solution finder in his business, as well as having a good business management knowledge.
They say hard work pays off and this proved true in terms of his financial status; he had a luxurious house in a posh area of the city,
he owned new gleaming cars, and he often vacationed abroad. John was an affluent man, yet he was never proud of his achievements and wealth as he was a very humble and empathetic person towards others. Most of his time was spent giving back to the community through philanthropy and conservation. However, he lived a struggling life that was not free from pressing challenges. John was a friendly person; His dedication to hard work was obsessive and thus contributed to the fact that he always remained alone, including his neighbors. He had no idea that living alone made him a lonely man who would become the perfect prey for evil and jealous people.
Neighbor's Jealousy:
John had just moved into his new palace, a huge and luxurious house that was equal to his achievements.
Living in such an isolated neighborhood, the house easily became the subject of envy as the gardens were well maintained, the architectural design used in the construction of the house was the latest, and the long stretching swimming pool was enough to entice anyone. However, not everyone living in the neighborhood was impressed with John Berry's progress. One of the neighbors was Harold Finch, a retired government agent who had been living there for quite a long time.
Harold's house was neat and attractive compared to the other two houses, while John's house was luxurious.
Comparing the two neighbours revealed the different nature of their lifestyles. Harold was a very dignified man who had a small world of his own, but now he had changed and was living a simple life. As Harold saw John coming,
A feeling of jealousy began to grow in his chest. He could not compare his small pension and simple life with the luxurious life that John was naturally living. Harold saw John being successful and this created even more jealousy in his heart. This made him mad and it turned his admiration into hatred.
Every time John drove past his window in a luxurious car, anything related to prestige, power or elegance, it again aroused hatred in Harold's mind. He began to think of John not as a prosperous businessman living at the other end of his friend's life, but as the embodiment of all the things he had lost. The last mistake was made when John threw a lavish housewarming party. Every resident of the entire area was invited - except Harold. Whether it was a slip of the tongue or a deliberate act, he knew how Harold would take it. Thus, watching the party from his home on that rainy night, Harold made a decision that completely changed the fate of both of them.
The Dark Path:
This is typical of Harold: a rational man, however when frustration and jealousy take over one's mind, even the most sensible person can go to the brink of insanity.
After the party, Harold hated John and became focused on completely destroying his social standing. He spent time and effort finding ways to bring John down, but he could not think of any. Then, one evening he saw something that fascinated him- an old book that contained the rules for practicing black magic. Harold bought this book from a second-hand store where he found many good books tucked away in a corner; the book contained mystic symbols and charms. As Harold began to turn its pages, he felt some kind of authority. At last, here was something he could use to bring the situation under his control. Coming up with the concept of black magic was ridiculous, however Harold was being unreasonable. He was willing to do anything to make John suffer.
Thus, Harold read the book of black magic in secret for several weeks.
He performed rituals at night, while he and his neighbors were asleep, he read and followed the instructions. The further he progressed in the path of the dark arts, the more he was immersed in the power he began to feel. Slowly Harold's peaceful home turned into a den of darkness, with a horrible, and suffocating smell and noise.And one dark, moonlit night Harold's anger took over and he performed the terrible ritual that he thought would lead John Berry to his doom. He followed the instructions in the book to the letter, and created a doll the size of John, some pins, some candles and a spell that made his skin tingle. He put the pins on the doll's head and neck and muttered the spells in a voice that trembled with fear and anticipation in equal measure.
The Revelation:
The results of Harold's ritual were not immediate; however, the effects of black magic were slow to set in. Over the next few weeks, John's life began to change in ways he couldn't even describe.
The first signs of the company's collapse were losing keys, not understanding colleagues at work, and, of course, being rude to himself. These were minor complaints that eventually grew into major flaws. John's previously successful company began to suffer such mishaps. Contracts that were almost signed were withdrawn and key employees of the company resigned from their positions. John had always been a healthy man and suddenly began to feel all kinds of sick symptoms that could make anyone feel sick. He would be frightened all night, wake up from his sleep, soaked in sweat, and have a feeling of panic that one could hardly get rid of. The mansion that had previously been his safe haven turned into his worst nightmare.
John began to hear a variety of unusual noises at night, including footsteps in the hallway and whispers in the night.
Furniture began to move on its own and lights turned on and off by themselves. These incidents of violence unsettle John and he tries to justify them by attributing them to stress and fatigue, but he feels things are very wrong. As his bad life continued and he lost his job, his girlfriend, and was eventually fired from his company, he became paranoid. He began to notice that people around him wanted to kill him; he lost trust in everyone around him. And he broke out into a sweat as a result of his nervous and irritable nature. At the same time, Harold, of course, was having the best time of his life, as he finally saw John receive his punishment. He then sat in his window watching everything in John's life get worse while he happily lay back. The energy he got from the black magic was strong enough and he started performing even more strange rituals.
The fear grows stronger:
One night John was sitting in his study, overwhelmed by the confusion that was taking over his life, when he heard a frightening knock.
He tensed up and felt the adrenaline rush through his system as he stood absolutely still. The door was immediately knocked on and again, and the sound of knocking grew louder and more powerful.
When he mustered up the courage to open the door, no one was there. But now he was there to turn his eyes towards his study; and the horrifying sight made his blood run cold.
On the wall, which seemed to be stained with blood, were written the words: "You cannot escape".John Berry was stunned; he mentally shook and staggered, his body moving in the same way. He knew that he had not written those words and that there was no one else in the house who could have written them. For a while he felt that whatever was haunting him was nothing but bad luck - or at least he believed so until he had the horrible realization that it was something much worse. After that day and night, the hauntings never stopped. It seemed to John as if every corner of the mansion held a new horror.
In his case, he would hear people calling his name and feel a heavy presence behind him,
movements out of the corner of his eyes and an intense feeling of being followed. He never slept again; every time John closed his eyes he would see terrifying visions - the worst kind of nightmare of the worst kind. Thinking that the situation might be serious, John appealed to priests, sorcerers and supernatural experts but no one could help. He always had pursuers, and the more he tried to let it go, the worse it got. His health declined very severely and it seemed as if the man was giving him a preview of what to expect of death.