I chose a pair of expensive diamond earrings he had given me during our fifth month anniversary celebration.
As I tried fastening one earring, it slipped from my fingers unexpectedly and bounced against the thick bedroom rug.
I watched helplessly as it rolled in a straight line beneath the large king-size bed.
My heart skipped slightly because the forbidden space suddenly felt closer than ever before.
I stood still for several seconds, hearing his warning echo clearly in my mind about ancestral protection and disaster.
But it was only an earring, an expensive one, and I could not imagine explaining its disappearance carelessly.
I knelt slowly on the rug, telling myself I would retrieve it quickly without truly looking at anything unnecessary.
Using my phone flashlight, I lowered my head toward the floor and directed the bright beam into the darkness.
At first, I noticed something unusual about the rug itself because it seemed cut precisely along the bed’s outline.
