Day 176

We used to light nine candles once a week.
We've done it for as long as I can remember.
Even when I moved out I still light them.

Three weeks ago I decided to gradually stop, just to see what would happen.

The first week I only lit eight.
My mother phoned and said my great-aunt died.
For the rest of the week I saw at least one dead animal each day.
Eight in total.

At the time it was just a coincidence.

The next week I only lit seven.
I saw a co-worker in a horrific car crash just outside the office.
That week my neighbour's cat left me a dead bird each day, fresh and bloody.
Seven in total.

I was too shaken up my my co-worker's death to spot the link.

The third week - last week - I lit six candles.
My mother was found beheaded in her car.
That week a child was killed each day.
Beheaded.

I've gone back to lighting nine candles.
It hasn't stopped anything.