Read by Michael Flamel

IIn the mist-shrouded hills of Ireland, where the veil between the mortal world and the realm of the spirits grew thin, there dwelled a fearsome creature known as the Banshee. With her long, flowing hair and piercing eyes, she was said to appear to those destined to meet their end, her mournful wail echoing through the night like a harbinger of doom.

Many had heard the Banshee’s wail in the dead of night, a chilling sound that sent shivers down the spine and struck fear into the hearts of even the bravest of souls. But few had seen her with their own eyes, for she was a creature of darkness who preferred to keep to the shadows.

One stormy evening, as the wind howled and the rain lashed against the windows, a young man named Liam found himself alone in his family’s cottage deep in the hills. His parents had gone to market in the nearby village, leaving Liam to tend to the hearth and keep watch over the sheep.

As he sat by the fire, lost in thought, Liam suddenly heard a sound that made his blood run cold—the unmistakable wail of the Banshee, piercing through the night like a knife.

Trembling with fear, Liam peered out the window, his heart pounding in his chest.

And there, standing in the darkness just beyond the threshold of the cottage, was the Banshee herself, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light and her hair streaming in the wind. Liam felt a chill run down his spine as he gazed upon her spectral form, his mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

“Who dares to intrude upon my domain?” the Banshee’s voice rang out, her words like ice on the wind. “Speak now, mortal, or suffer the consequences of your trespass.”

But Liam, undaunted by the Banshee’s presence, summoned all his courage and stepped forward to meet her gaze. “I am Liam O’Malley, son of the hills and keeper of this cottage,” he declared, his voice steady despite the fear that gripped his heart. “I mean you no harm, Banshee, but I will not cower before you either.”

The Banshee’s eyes narrowed at Liam’s words, her wail growing louder and more piercing with each passing moment. “You are a bold one, mortal,” she hissed, her voice echoing through the night like the cry of a thousand lost souls. “But mark my words—death comes for all who dare to defy the will of the Banshee.”

And with that, the Banshee vanished into the night, leaving Liam alone in the darkness, his heart heavy with the weight of her words. For days and nights, he pondered the meaning of the Banshee’s warning, wondering if he had truly escaped the clutches of death or if his fate had been sealed from the moment he heard her wail.

But as the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years, Liam came to realize that the Banshee’s wail was not a curse but a blessing in disguise. For in facing his fear and standing up to the specter of death itself, he had found a strength within himself that he never knew he possessed.

And though the Banshee’s wail still echoed through the hills on stormy nights, Liam no longer feared its chilling sound. For he knew that he was master of his own destiny, and that no creature, no matter how fearsome, could ever take that away from him. ❖