A boiling hot curse and a spooky museum4 min read
Reading Time: 3 minutesThis is a story that is going to give you the heebie-jeebies this spooky season. 36-year-old Nicole believes she has been cursed!
It all began in 2005 when Nicole left Canada to go on an innocent holiday. She visited Pompeii in Italy, a place known for an unspeakable tragedy.
Back in 79 CE… well 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a flourishing Roman city. There were beautiful temples, stadiums and city halls, and 20,000 residents. In the backdrop stood the grand volcanic Mount Vesuvius.
However, on the 24th of August, 2,000 years ago, something terrible happened. Mount Vesuvius erupted with more force than an atom bomb! Hot ash, poisonous gas, and volcanic debris flew miles out of the mountain for two whole days. In it, the entire town and about 1,000 of its residents were buried.
Owliver’s Obscure Observation: The ash and lava from the volcano blanketed the town and its people such that they became safe from decay. Even though the volcano blew up Pompeii, it preserved them for the ages to come!
What about Nicole?
Well, in 2005, when Nicole decided to visit Pompeii, as millions of people do, she did something she’ll never forget. She stole some of the rocks and tiles from the ruins of Pompeii. Thus, Nicole managed to possess a piece of history that no one could buy. 15 years later, this poor lady wants nothing to do with her loot! In fact, in September, she returned the items to the Italian government.
Nicole wrote them a letter in which she states that in the past 15 years, she has been very sick and her family has struggled too. She seems to be convinced that the tragic incident in Pompeii has something to do with her string of bad luck. In fact, Nicole feels terribly guilty. It is Nicole’s belief that by stealing the rocks that caused so much pain and suffering, she has brought suffering upon herself. Now, she has had enough. Nicole’s letter begged for forgiveness!
“We are good people, and I don’t want to pass this curse on to my family, my children, or myself anymore,” she wrote. “Please forgive [the] careless act that I did years ago.”, wrote Nicole.
CNN
Well, we can only hope that Nicole’s string of bad luck, whatever it may be caused by, comes to a speedy end.
Owliver’s Obscure Observation: Nicole was not the only one who stole from Pompeii. In fact, many people have stolen and then returned their items to Pompeii. What’s spookier is that a lot of them felt that they had been cursed. There were so many letters that Italian Officials have opened a museum to showcase them!
Disclaimer: There is no scientific evidence to support the theories that curses exist.
Spooked yet? Let Owliver know in the comments below.
Images: Britannica, Live Science, CNN, The Guardian
With Excerpts From: Britannica, The Atlantic, CNN, The Guardian
