Mary, Born 1976 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Mary should have been about to enjoy one of the happiest moments of her life, but she knew it could just as easily turn into a living nightmare.

John was useless at keeping secrets hidden, and she knew he was going to propose that evening. He had conspired to get her alone for the weekend, taken her to a lovely spa hotel in the countryside since she "deserved to be spoiled sometimes" and brought a bottle of champagne with him. The even bigger clue was when she accidentally saw all the research he had done on engagement rings that he had failed to delete from his browsing history.

Of course she would say yes, she adored him, but she could not do so without telling him about hr curse. It just wouldn't be fair not to let him know what he would be letting herself in for if he was going to share his life with her. She couldn't imagine for a minute he would ever use it against her. Not John, he was the sweetest, most decent man she had ever known. But countless Petersen women over the centuries had thought the same about their partners, good men who turned into beasts the moment they were given the corrupting powers the curse let the wield.

And so it was, with John down on one knee, the Mary found herself placing her hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes.

"John, before I answer, I need to let you know something. You have always wanted a family, haven't you?"

"Yes, with at least two daughters ideally. They would be sure to be beautiful, assuming they took after you and not me" he quipped, despite how anxious he was currently feeling.

"You see, that is the issue" Mary began awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I.." John started leaping to more logical conclusions than the fantastical reality "There are all sorts of fertility treatments you can get nowadays. Or we could adopt. The most important thing is that I'm with you"

"No John, I have no doubt I will be able to provide you with the beautiful daughters you crave. Beautiful daughters is what us Petersen women specialise in, after all. But you have to know they would be cursed. You might have to watch helplessly as truly terrible, unimaginable things are done to them. Things you are powerless to stop, without resorting to ****"

"What do you mean?" John looked completely baffled "Why would our daughters be cursed?"

"Because John.." Mary was trembling now as she barely managed to **** out the words "I'm cursed too"

---

After fifteen blissful years of marriage, Mary couldn't have been happier with the decision she made to share her secret with the man she loved. He had been absolutely brilliant about her curse. He had vowed never to use it at all, for good nor bad, nor to worry their children about it, but to instead live like any normal, happy family. She was sitting in her living room on this, her 15th anniversary, thinking to herself just how lucky she was to have found one of just a handful of men in hundreds of years of Petersen family history who could not be corrupted by absolute power over a beautiful woman, when her train of thought was interrupted by drama of the more mundane variety.

"Mom, look what Maisie did to my English assignment!"

Holly stomped into the room with a face like thunder, holding up a neatly written paper that had been defaced with crayon drawings.

At 14 years old, Holly could certainly be stroppy sometimes, but she could barely have been a more perfect daughter. She was hard working, honest, conscientious, self motivated and, for all that she bickered with her sister, loved Maisie dearly and would do anything for her.

"She is eight now, she's too old for this shit" the teenager complained.

"Watch your language Holly" Mary warned, before calling out "Maisie Petersen, get in here now!"

Maisie ran into the room, followed by her friend. That little boy who seemed to follow her around everywhere she went. Unlike Holly, Maisie had always been a handful. She was a free spirited, rebellious and mischievous child, but with a kind heart, and so adorably cute it was hard to stay mad at her for long.

"What have you done to your sisters homework?" Mary asked her sternly.

"It wasn't me it was him" she nudges her friend "Wasn't it?"

Mary almost felt sorry for the poor boy. She could tell he was terrified of her, but also seemed unable to defy Maisie. He nodded weakly at her.

"They are both lying Mom, she always uses him as her patsy" Holly told her.

"Yes, thank you Holly, I'm quite sure I'm capable of getting to the bottom of this one without your assistance" Mary sighed.

She was about to deal with the matter in hand when John came into the room holding the phone with a face like he had seen a ghost.

"Um, Mary, sorry to disturb you but it's Carly" he said in a tone aimed at letting his wife know the severity of the situation without panicking the kids "Matthew has shown up again"

"Oh God, not drunk and with a baseball bat again?"

"No this is worse" John told her in an expression she had never seen on him before "much, much worse"