My Roommate Placed a Hex on Me

I found Maya on a roommate app in San Francisco. She seemed cool; an artist, into crystals and tarot, had good references. I'm not superstitious, but I respect other people's beliefs, you know? Her witchcraft stuff seemed harmless. Aesthetic, even.

The first month was fine. She'd burn sage, had an altar in her room, and did moon rituals on the balcony. Whatever. I grew up Catholic, and she practised Wicca. We coexisted.

Things changed when I started dating Josh. Maya got weird about it immediately. Said his "energy was dark" and that he was "blocking my spiritual growth." I laughed it off. She got quieter after that. Too quiet.

That's when stuff started happening.

I'd wake up with scratches on my arms. Three parallel lines, like something clawed me in my sleep. Josh noticed them too. My hair started falling out in clumps. I got sick; constant nausea, headaches, couldn't keep food down. Doctors ran tests. Everything came back normal.

One night, I came home early and heard Maya chanting in her room. I pressed my ear to the door. She was saying my name. Over and over. Along with words I didn't recognise.

I confronted her. She smiled this cold smile and said, "You should've listened when I warned you about Josh. Now you'll understand what it means to ignore guidance."

That night, I found something under my mattress. A cloth doll that looked like me, same hair color, similar clothes. It had pins stuck through the stomach and head. There was a photograph of me attached to it, one I'd never seen before. She must've taken it without me knowing.

I lost it. Grabbed the doll and threw it at her. She didn't even flinch. Just said, "Breaking it makes it worse."

My health deteriorated fast. Lost fifteen pounds in two weeks. Couldn't sleep. Started seeing shadows in my peripheral vision. Josh broke up with me, said I'd "changed" and he couldn't handle my energy anymore. Those were Maya's exact words from weeks before.

I moved out and stayed with friends. The symptoms stopped within days. Hair stopped falling out. Scratches healed. I could eat again.

But here's what I can't explain: I found out later that Maya had never lived in that apartment before me. The landlord said she'd moved in specifically after seeing my application. She'd requested to be paired with me by name.

We'd never met before the day I moved in. I'm sure of it.

But somehow she knew my name. Knew enough about me to request me specifically as a roommate.

I still don't know if what she did was real magic or just psychological warfare. Maybe she drugged my food. Maybe she was just really good at gaslighting, and the physical symptoms were stress-induced.

But I do know this: I'll never live with someone who practices any kind of witchcraft again. Real or not, the intention was there. And intention is a powerful thing.

Sometimes I still see her around the city. She always smiles when she sees me. And within a day or two, I'll get a headache. Have a run of bad luck. Small things. Reminders.

Maya still has that doll. I know she does.

And I think she still uses it.