THE CURSED CITY

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"Daddy! Daddy! Can we go to Red Haven city now?" A five-year-old Daniel kept on asking his Dad.

Daniel wouldn't stop disturbing his dad. Ever since he heard of the city's tourist center he had wanted to go there. However, Mr George, Daniel's father, wasn't finding his request funny. For one reason, he had his reservations about that city.

Melody, Daniel's mother, chuckled at that.

"You just won't stop disturbing your father, will you?" She asked Daniel.

The kids were on holiday, so Daniel saw this as a perfect opportunity to push his father into taking him there, as there was no excuse for him having to go to school. However, Mr George wasn't budging.

"I've told you several times, you can't go there" he said sternly to Daniel.

" But why? " Daniel asked him with a pout.

" Because that place is not good for you", his father replied, slightly raising his voice at him.

Daniel's persistent disturbances were really getting on him. He couldn't help but be frustrated at his insistence. Melody, sensing that Daniel was about to cry, decided to take over the conversation.

" Come here honey" she said to Daniel, beckoning him to come to her.

With teary eyes and a pouty face, Daniel ran to his mama.

"You know, what your father was trying to say is that the city brings a lot of bad luck" She said to her son, carrying him in her arms.

Daniel turned to look at his mother.

" You mean the city is cursed?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes! Exactly that" she replied almost too quickly.

"But how?" Daniel asked, ever curious to know more.

"Okay then, it's story time, listen carefully" she said to her son.

A long time ago, Red Haven city was a very rich and beautiful city with many tourist centers and attractions. The people pride themselves on their strong economy and active tourist industry. However, one day, things stopped being so good for the people of Red Haven.

Rumours had it, that they had incurred a curse upon themselves. Their indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the riverside and oceans had angered Neptune, God of the sea. As a result, their fishing industry, which was the bed-rock of their economy, began to fall.

There were no more fishes in the river. Even when they found some few fishes, which were on rare occasions, it was either they were dead or about to die. Before they knew it, the once thriving fishing industry had closed down. But that was only the beginning. The shut-down of the fishing industry sent a blast wave throughout the city. Ever since then, the city has not been the same. Dominoes after dominoes began to fall

Before the people knew it, the manufacturing company responsible for the supply and maintenance of boats and other equipment for the fishing industry went out of business. They closed down. Even the town's main bakery that supplied bread to the fisheries' eatery began to struggle and there was now low demand for bread. The company was forced to lay off some staff members, rendering people jobless.

Within a span of two months, the once strong economy, the people of Red Haven city often prided themselves in, crumbled bit by bit like a domino effect. Foreigners and outsiders who visited Red Haven confirmed the city was cursed. Gossips had it that one would go there rich and come back poor. It was that terrible. As a result people avoided the city like the plague. Foreigners and visitors from other cities that often flooded Red Haven due to its wonderful sites of attraction now avoided the city.

The tourist industry began to crumble, as the cost of maintenance became to high and people barely visited the city anymore.Till today, things have not been the same for the people of Red Haven city. The citizens are still trying to get back on their feet.

"So you see why your daddy doesn't want to go there, not take you there lest you incur the curse."

" Daddy, is that true "Daniel asked his father with his innocent face?

Mr George looked at his wife with a smile.

"Well, son, your mom is quite a storyteller".

"But you should listen to her, unless you want to be cursed too, do you?" Mr George asked his son.

"No, I don't want to be cursed" little Daniel answered.

" You can take me to another city someday" Daniel said, and both of his parents burst out laughing.