The Ugly Vase

The migraines started on the day Casellee's grandmother Nolu died. Casellee tried ignoring them, but the migraines got worse. Gradually, medication and sleep became her only means of relief. So Casellee locked herself in her home and spent her hours painting pictures. She used to paint animals, people, and cityscapes for her grandmother Nolu. But after her death, Casellee only made unfinished portraits of Nolu. Every time she started painting, her heart filled with grief until she couldn't continue. So, she stashed the paintings in her studio closet, telling herself she would finish them when she felt better. Only to repeat the cycle once more.

One afternoon, a package arrived on Casellee’s porch. Attached was a letter from her grandaunt, Taku, grandmother Nolu's younger sister. Casellee had only seen Taku once in her life. At Nolu’s funeral. Neither one had said much to the other outside of the usual condolences. Casellee opened the letter and read it.

Dearest grandniece,

How are you doing? I hope you are feeling better. I am writing this letter to inform you of a wish Nolu asked me to fulfill. It concerns two treasures of hers that she wanted you to have. She knew how much you liked them. I hope these will bring some light into your life again.

With love and warm wishes, Grandaunt Taku

Curious to know what the box contained, Casellee picked it up and went to the kitchen. After putting the letter on the table, Casellee cut the tape and opened the package. Inside were two bottle-necked flower vases half-buried under packaging peanuts. The first vase was painted in pink, red, and gold colors. Images of colorful birds and flowers decorated its clay surface. Something was etched on the side of the neck in small red letters, Hychu. The second vase was the complete opposite of the first. It was an ugly shade of olive green and had a hideous face. Bulging, half-closed green eyes, a round nose with large flaring nostrils, and a wide-open mouth. Casellee couldn't tell if the face was disgusted or getting ready to sneeze. Something was etched on the neck of the vase in black letters, Lomurik.

Casellee recognized these vases. Grandmother Nolu used to keep them in a glass display case in her house and forbade anyone from going near them. When Casellee was a child, she snuck into the room and saw the beautiful Hychu. She had drawn closer to the glass, wanting a better view of the vase. But when she saw the Lomurik’s face, she fled the room in horror. Grandmother Nolu had scolded her until Casellee apologized and promised to never go near her vases again. 

Casellee thought she had seen the last of the Lomurik on that day. Now it was in her home.

A folded slip of paper lay between the vases. Casellee picked up the sheet and opened it. Inside was a line of words written in Nolu’s tiny handwriting. These two are a set. Where one lies, the other is not too far behind. Treat them well, and they will return the favor.

Casellee shrugged and returned the letter to the box. She would figure out what it meant later. She looked at the vases again. The Hychu was gorgeous, but she had no intention of keeping Lomurik. Casellee carried the Hychu to the living room and placed it on the mantle above the fireplace. Its presence made the fireplace look three times better. She retrieved the Lomurik from the box and brought it into the living room.

Even though it was an ugly vase, Casellee didn’t want to throw away a gift from her grandmother. Perhaps she could sell it to someone. Casellee took several photos of the vase, uploaded them to her computer, then searched the internet for information about the vase. However, she couldn’t find anything about the Lomurik, not even the creator's name. Perhaps the vases were one of a kind? Grandmother Nolu did have a penchant for collecting rare items. In that case, Casellee could charge a high price for it. She went to a bidding website and uploaded one of the photos. Instead of a clear and clean picture, the computer displayed clusters of white dots. Casellee tried a different image and received the same result. Was something wrong with the computer? Casellee went to another website and uploaded the pictures again. This time she got a bunch of black squares. What was going on? Suddenly, she felt a low throbbing in the back of her head. The onset of another migraine. Casellee rubbed her head as she stood from her desk and left the living room. She would deal with the vase later. Right now, she needed her pills and a nap.

~

Casellee awoke the next day and went to the living room to take more photos of the Lomurik. Perhaps the strange images were byproducts of her migraine. This time things would be fine. But when she walked into the living room, she saw the Lomurik sitting on the mantle next to the Hychu. How strange. She didn’t remember placing it there yesterday. Casellee walked to the fireplace and picked up the Lomurik. She paused and examined the ping-pong sized eyes. Had they always been yellow?

She wasn't sure but thinking too hard about it might cause another migraine. Casellee looked at the vase again and noticed the closed mouth. Wasn’t it open yesterday? A shiver went down Casellee’s spine. Ordinarily, vases didn't change their appearance overnight. Something was wrong with the Lomurik.

Forget trying to sell this online, Casellee thought. Best to get rid of it now.

She carried the vase out of the living room and went to the front door. As soon as she opened it, the bright sunlight and the chirping bird songs assaulted Casellee. The noise aggravated her brain and threatened to call forth another migraine. Casellee held her head as she stumbled down the porch steps and towards her trash bin. She threw the lid open, tossed the vase inside, and hurried into the house. Casellee slammed the door and leaned against it, blocking out the noise. Slowly the migraine retreated into the depths of her brain, only to be replaced by guilt. The vase had scared her, but it had still been a gift. The last gift her grandmother had given her. Casellee slumped to the floor and buried her head in her arms.

“I’m sorry, Granny Nola,” she whispered. “I just couldn’t keep that vase any longer.”

Casellee sat on the floor for a few minutes, then looked towards the living room. She still had the Hychu. Might as well figure out a use for it. She walked to the living room, pondering which flowers would go well with the Hychu. She entered the living room, and her heart fell into her stomach. 

The Lomurik was back in the same place. Casellee didn’t know how it had returned, but she no longer wanted it in her house. She grabbed the vase and ran to her car. If she couldn't trash it, she'd give it away to someone else. She tossed the vase into a box, carried the box to her car, and drove to the nearest thrift store. As she pulled into the parking lot, she felt the early warnings of another migraine. Her body wasn’t used to so much stress and stimulation in one day. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could get home and sleep.

Casellee entered the shop, carrying the boxed vase in her arms. She walked to the end of the store where the donation bins were and placed the box in one of the bins. Hopefully, the vase stayed put.

“Ma’am, we don’t take boxes.”

Casellee looked up to see a female employee staring at her.

“Oh no,” Casellee said. “The item I’m donating is in the box. You can open it up and see, Mrs-”

“Jill,” the woman said, pointing to her name tag. “And I can’t. It’s forbidden to handle donations within concealed packages. You’re going to have to take it out of the box.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.”

Casellee looked at the box. She didn’t want to touch the vase, but she didn’t want to be forced to leave with it either. With no other choice, she opened the box. Then leaped back in surprise. Earlier she had placed the vase face down. Now it was staring at her with a new expression. Its eyes remained the same, but the nostrils were fully flared and full of painted lines that resembled nose hairs. Its mouth was wide open and showcased two rows of pointed teeth. The vase looked ugly before, but this was hideous. Casellee groaned and held her head, wishing she were back at home.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” Jill asked.

“I-I’m fine. Just got startled by the vase.”

Casellee looked at Jill and tried to smile. The last thing she needed was for anyone to think she was suspicious. Jill eyed her, then walked to the box and looked inside. She winced, then quickly cleared her throat.

“That’s a…peculiar vase,” Jill said. “Where did you get this?”

“It was a birthday present.”

It was a lie, but Casellee didn’t want to paint her deceased grandmother in a bad light. As Jill lifted the vase and inspected it, Casellee hoped Jill didn’t ask why she was donating it. Somehow the excuse, I think this vase is cursed, and I don’t want it, didn't seem plausible. When she saw Jill place the vase in the box, Casellee held her breath, awaiting the dreaded question.

“Okay,” Jill said. “It’s in good condition, so I can take this off your hands.”

“Really? Thank you so much!”

“No problem. Come back anytime you have something else you’d like to donate.”

“Sure,” Casellee said. Once Jill left with the vase, Casellee rushed out of the store. The gentle knocks of the migraine had turned into loud poundings that reverberated in her ears. But her relief at being rid of the vase helped dull some of the pain.

“Finally!" Casellee thought, "I’m finally rid of that freaky vase!"

She peeled out of the parking lot and drove home. As soon as she got inside, Casellee took her medication and headed to the living room. There was still the issue of the Hychu vase, but now she could figure it out. She walked into the living room and stopped. The bottle of pills slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor. Sitting on the mantle next to the Hychu vase was the Lomurik. This time splotches of yellow and purple dotted its olive-green shape, creating a freakish clown mask over its creepy face. Its wide eyes stared at Casellee, seeming to mock her. You thought you’d gotten rid of me? I fooled you!

Casellee groaned and collapsed to the floor, feeling the happiness leave her body like air from a balloon.

“Grandmother Nolu,” she muttered. “What have you given me?”

~

For three days, Casellee tried to get rid of the vase. She buried it in a cemetery, left it by the highway, and snuck it into a random yard sale. But the vase always returned, uglier than before. More colors appeared on its surface, and its facial features became increasingly exaggerated. And Casellee’s migraines worsened. Every time she saw the vase, pain tore through her head. Her medications grew less effective, and it became harder for her to do the simplest tasks. She blamed the Lomurik vase for her worsening pain because it continued to thwart her attempts to get rid of it.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. After dumping the vase in a forest 30 miles from her home, Casellee returned to find the multi-colored Lomurik in its usual spot. So, she rushed to her office and grabbed a hammer. She hadn’t tried destroying the vase because it was a gift from her grandmother. But now Casellee was at her wit's end. If the vase wouldn’t stay gone, she’d make it disappear. She grabbed the Lomurik and looked at its face. Red veins covered its eyes, and large fangs protruded out of its mouth. Hundreds of different paint splotches covered the entire vase, obscuring the olive green. The vase was no longer ugly; it was grotesque. Casellee raised the hammer high over her head.

“No, don’t!”

Casellee froze. Someone had cried out, but it wasn’t her. She looked around the room.

“Who said that?” Casellee asked.

“I did!”

Casellee looked at the fireplace mantle where the Hychu vase sat. She put the hammer and the Lomurik down, walked to the fireplace, and picked up the Hychu. Scratching noises arose from the inside. Casellee dropped the vase and leaped back as it bounced on the floor and rolled to a stop. Something tumbled out of the opening and landed on the carpet.

It was a tiny woman with braided green hair and dressed in clothes made from leaves. The woman groaned and stood up. She shook her head, dusted herself off, and pointed at Casellee.

“How dare you drop me! I, Hychu the First, demand you apologize! And I demand you stop picking on my sister!”

Casellee stared at the creature. Since when did people randomly pop out of jars? Was she hallucinating? Or was this something worse?

“Well?” Hychu said. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Casellee opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that came out was a deflated sigh. Her legs went limp, and she fell to the floor. She felt dizzy, weak, and wanted to puke.

The tiny woman looked at her, then looked at the Lomurik vase. She sprinted to the Lomurik vase, climbed to the opening, and disappeared inside the vase. Casellee gripped the carpet and took deep breaths. Her head didn’t hurt, so she was sure she wasn’t hallucinating. But if this was real, what did that thing want with her? And what was it doing in her grandmother’s vase? She heard scratching noises, and when she looked up, Hychu emerged from the Lomurik vase with another little woman behind her. This tiny person had a long white ponytail and wore clothes made from a plastic bag. A black pill bug adorned the top of her head. Hychu helped the person down the vase, then they walked toward Casellee.

“This is the one, Lomurik,” Hychu said. “The one who keeps attacking your shell.”

 Lomurik looked at Casellee, her face clouded with concern.

“Are you okay?” Lomurik asked. “You don’t look so good.”

Casellee couldn’t speak. She was struggling to breathe, and her head was pounding. The room was spinning around her and sweat poured down her face. Hychu looked at Casellee and shrugged.

“She’s probably hyperventilating. Or having a heart attack. Serves her right if she is, especially after what she was about to do to your shell. Don’t you agree?”

Lomurik didn’t say anything. She hurried to Casellee and placed her hands on Casellee’s arm. A cold sensation traveled up Casellee’s arm, and she feared the tiny person was trying to take her soul. Was this punishment for what Casellee had done to her vase?

Granny Nolu, Casellee thought. What did I do to deserve this? Why did you give me these cursed vases?

Then the pain was gone, and Casellee could breathe again. Slowly she steadied herself and stood up. Lomurik smiled and walked over to Hychu, who huffed and rolled her eyes.

“That’s so like you, Lomurik. I wouldn’t have helped her at all.”

“It’s wrong to watch someone suffer. Especially if you can do something to help.”

“Well, if I close my eyes, I don’t have to watch them.”

Lomurik chuckled, and Hychu stuck her tongue out.

“Excuse me,” Casellee said.

The two creatures looked at her. Casellee looked at Lomurik and held out her hand.

“Um, thank you for saving me,” Casellee said.

“You have some nerve!” Hychu shouted.

“Hychu,” Lomurik said. “Calm down. No need to get riled up.”

“Riled up!? I’m furious! You should be too! This woman was going to smash your shell to pieces!”

“I’m sure she has a reasonable explanation,” Lomurik said. “After all, Nolu said she is a nice person.”

“Wait a minute,” Casellee said. “You two knew my grandmother?”

“Of course. Nolu cared for us for years. She polished our shells every day and talked with us. Even gave us our own room.”

“Yes,” Hychu said. “Nolu was such a kind woman. Not a big meanie like you.”

“But I don’t understand,” Casellee said. “Why would my grandmother pass you to me?”

“She was worried about your health,” Hychu said. “She feared you’d fall to pieces without her. So, we promised Nolu we’d look after you so she wouldn’t have to worry.

“And you thank us by smashing our shells,” Hychu said.

“I didn’t know you two lived in the vases. I mean shells,” Casellee said. “How come neither of you said anything?”

“We were still hibernating,” Lomurik said. “The move took a lot out of us. Whenever we go to sleep, we place a barrier on our shells to protect them and keep us from getting separated.”

“A barrier?”

“Yep. Our shells are linked together through magic. As long as Hychu is in a safe place, I can find her and vice versa. However, it’s a good thing Hychu stopped you when she did. My barrier is super strong, and you might have gotten hurt if you tried to break it by force.”

Casellee lowered her head, feeling so ashamed. She felt foolish for misjudging her kind, caring grandmother, and the gifts she left for her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “After everything I did, you still saved me.”

“Well," Lomurik said, "Since I was asleep the entire time, I have no idea what you actually did. That's why I’m not angry.”

“I still feel awful. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to-”

“Hang on a minute!” Hychu shouted. “Are you really going to forgive her so easily?”

“She apologized. That's good enough for me.”

“Well, it’ll take more than a verbal apology to earn my forgiveness.”

“What would it take?”

Hychu paused, rubbed her chin, then snapped her fingers and looked at Casellee. “If you’re really sorry, paint a portrait of my shell. Nolu always bragged about how good of a painter you are. So, prove it by painting a portrait of my shell.”

“Hychu,” Lomurik said. “What do you need a portrait for?”

“Beauty like this must be preserved in all forms. Especially among the arts.”

Now it was Lomurik’s turn to roll her eyes. Hychu ignored her and looked at Casellee with an expectant gaze.

“Can you do that?” Hychu asked.

“Sure,” Casellee said. “Lomurik, would you like one too?”

“Sure. I don’t mind.”

Casellee collected the vases and carried them to the kitchen. She gathered her art supplies, rolled up her sleeves, wet her brush, then stared at the vases. It had been a while since she painted a portrait that wasn't her grandmother. She felt stumped on how to proceed. Hychu huffed and tapped her foot.

“What’s the holdup?” she asked.

“I-I’m sorry,” Casellee said. “I just need some time to think.”

“What is there to think about? Just paint already!”

Casellee winced and dropped the brush. She reached to pick it up and stopped when a pill bug climbed on top of it. Lomurik walked over and picked up the bug, then looked at Casellee.

“Calm yourself,” she said. “Take as much time as you need.” She walked over to Hychu and pointed to the living room. “Why don’t we wait there? She probably can’t work if we're watching her.”

Hychu rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fine. But I better see something when I get back. And it better be pretty!”

She stomped off towards the living room. Lomurik winked at Casellee, then followed her sister. When they were out of sight, Casellee picked up the brush and got to work. She took deep breaths and let the brush move across the canvas. Taking in the silence and blocking out the noise. Soon, she finished Hychu’s vase much quicker than she had anticipated. Casellee realized she hadn’t needed to stop because of a migraine. It seems that Lomurik had healed more than just her panicked state. She set Hychu’s vase to the side and picked up Lomurik’s vase. She froze. The vase had changed again. This time it was back to its usual shade of olive green. Its eyes and mouth were closed, and they no longer bulged off the vase’s surface. The nose was gone too. Although Casellee wasn’t sure if it was an improvement. She set the vase down and went to work on the portrait. After an hour, Casellee put her brush down and looked at her work. She had captured the beauty of the Hychu vase perfectly. For the Lomurik, she had brought out as much of its beauty as she could. Thanks to its current form, it didn't look so bad.

“Are you done yet?” Hychu asked.

Casellee jumped and looked down to see Hychu and Lomurik standing next to her. Casellee nodded and placed the picture on the floor so they could see it. Hychu looked at the painting for a moment and nodded.

“Well done,” Hychu said. “I like it.”

“Me too,” Lomurik replied. “It’s very nice.”

“Thank you,” Casellee said.

“Very well,” Hychu said. “I forgive you. Now, please return my vase.”

Casellee picked their vases off the table and set them on the floor. Hychu walked to her vase, jumped to the top, and disappeared down the hole. Lomurik laughed and walked to her vase.

“Lomurik, hold on a sec,” Casellee said.

Lomurik stopped and looked at Casellee. Casellee knelt and held her hand out to Lomurik.

“Thank you for healing my migraines,” Casellee said. “And I’m really sorry about everything.”

Lomurik smiled and touched her index finger. “You’re welcome. However, I should let you know that I didn’t cure your migraine. All I did was block it temporarily. It’s up to you to keep it away.”

“How do I do that?”

“Simple. Stop cooping yourself up indoors and go outside. Don't let the small things bother you, and don't blame others for your pain. Most importantly, make new memories. Your grandmother wouldn’t want you wasting away in here, thinking about her 24/7. Start holding onto the good memories you shared with her. They will make it easier for you to move on.”

“I’ll do that. Do you mind if I ask one last question?”

“Go ahead.”

“What’s with the face?”

“Oh, that? It measures the durability of the shield. If my shell gets tossed around or separated from Hychu, the barrier takes damage. As it deteriorates, it alters the appearance of my shell to make it look repulsive. This way, people and animals will be less likely to disturb my shell and cause further harm. My sister has one too. Except her barrier makes her shell prettier. When we wake up, we restore the barriers to their full health. Doing this also returns our shells to their natural look.”

“I see. Thank you for the information.”

"You're welcome."

Casellee stood up and watched Lomurik approach her vase. She jumped to the top and landed on the lip of the opening.

“The two of us are going back to sleep, but we’ll be here if you need us.”

Lomurik waved and leaped inside the vase. Casellee moved the vases back to the fireplace mantle, then hung the portrait in the living room. She looked around the room and was delighted to see that the living room looked five times as bright.

Casellee returned to the kitchen and noticed she had plenty of paint left. Enough for one more portrait. She walked to her studio, opened the closet full of unfinished paintings, and pulled one from the pile. It was a portrait of her grandmother, sitting next to a glass case with two unfinished vases inside. Smiling, Casellee carried the canvas to the kitchen and moved her supplies into the living room. After setting everything up, Casellee picked up her paintbrush and began painting.