Mom Ignores Pimple on Son’s Back until It Sharply Enlarges and Appears to Move – Story of the Day

Anna didn't care about the pimple on her son's back until it grew in size and started moving. When doctors couldn't help her, Anna took matters into her own hands.

Anna poured herself a glass of wine and turned on the TV. The voices of her favorite television show characters flooded the room, shattering the silence around her.

"Mom, the pimple is itching a lot," Theo complained, lifting his shirt, and Anna flinched.

"Oh dear God, Theo! You scared me!" she gasped, noticing her son standing near her.

"It has started to hurt, Mom," he whined. "Can you please check it and see if it's getting worse?"

"I told you not to scratch it, Theo," she replied, turning toward him briefly, then sipping her wine. "Almost every child your age goes through it. You'll be fine."

"Please, Mom. It keeps itching," he added, making Anna sigh. She finally turned toward him and lifted his shirt properly, only to notice that the pimple had enlarged and become redder.

Her opinion didn't change until she took another look at it and touched the hardened bump.

"What in the—Did that thing MOVE?" she gasped.

"What?! What's wrong?" Theo asked.

"Uh, everything is fine, baby. Don't worry. Are you feeling okay?" Anna could have sworn the pimple was about 2 inches lower than where it was now. She touched her son's forehead and realized it was warm. Theo was running a slight fever.

"I feel fine, Mom. It's just that the itching won't go," the boy admitted helplessly.

"Look, Theo," Anna turned him around. "Don't worry about it, okay? The pimple has grown, but it might be due to some infection. Let's get a doctor's appointment right now."

Anna called Theo's doctor, and they got an appointment on the same day. Theo looked anxiously at Anna in the car and noted her worried expression. He needed to confess something, and he knew his mother would chastise him for what he had done.

"Mom," he started, staring in his lap. "Don't get mad, but I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Anna looked at him, then at the road ahead of them. "Is it about that pimple, baby? Is it itching again?"

"No, no, Mom. I mean, the itching never goes away. Something happened last week, and I swear I didn't do it on purpose. It's just that it was an accident…You remember the local fortune teller across from our house, right?"

"That gypsy woman? But what about her?"

"I kicked the ball too hard, and it landed in her garden, and she was, like, really mad. Like furious. When I climbed into her yard to get the ball back, she said something awful."

"What?" Anna slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a screeching halt. "And you didn't think it was necessary to tell me about it? What did she say?"

"She…" Theo trailed off.

"Speak up, Theo! Or I'm going to be really mad at you!"

"I don't know what language she spoke, but she said something very strange, like a scary spell. And then she told me that I had only ten days to live. She was very angry, Mom."

Anna's eyes grew wide as saucers. "She said that to you just because you went to get a freakin' ball from her garden? How dare she do that to a child? And you, little man, while she was wrong, she had a reason to be angry because I don't think that ball went into her yard 'accidentally!'"

"S–sorry, Mom," Theo said quietly. "I won't do it again. I was just wondering…if this pimple, you know, did she curse me or something? I've seen it in shows, Mom, like only the person who curses you can lift the spell. And everyone knows she's a strange woman who does black magic."

"Oh, we don't believe in that." Anna started the car again and grabbed the steering wheel, dismissing her son's suspicions, although she had started getting worried.

"She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, Mom," Theo sighed and shook his head.

"Then don't worry, baby," Anna consoled him. "I'm sure Dr. Rowe will be able to tell us what's wrong. I'm hoping it's a mild infection. Just spit over your shoulder three times, and don't pay attention to such nonsense, okay? And yeah, stay away from her. Got it?"

"Yes, Mom," Theo nodded quietly.

At the hospital, Dr. Rowe examined Theo's pimple and sighed. "Looks like a mosquito bite to me, Anna. But that's strange, considering we don't have mosquitoes here in Arizona. We'll know more once the test results are in. How long has it been there?"

"I don't quite remember, doctor," Anna admitted helplessly. "Theo kept complaining about it, but I thought having pimples like that was normal for kids his age. It happens with almost every kid as they undergo puberty, right? So I didn't give it much thought until today when I noticed the pimple was getting larger. And it looked like it was moving!"

"That's unlikely unless this is a cyst. Do you feel any other symptoms, Theo?" asked the doctor.

Theo hung his head. "No, I feel fine, but I'm very tired sometimes. And I don't feel like doing anything," he said.

"But you didn't tell me anything like that before, honey," Anna said worriedly. "Is that why you've been skipping basketball practice after school?"

Theo nodded quietly, and Anna's heart sank, wondering what was wrong with her boy. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that a mere pimple made her son so tired that he had been skipping his favorite sport after school every day. Theo wouldn't do that until he was very sick, and Anna was extremely worried now.

"Doctor, I don't understand what's going on. Is he going to be fine?"

"Actually, Anna," Dr. Rowe paused. "This could be a sign of some disease. Theo could've come in contact with someone in public who might be suffering from the same illness. I'd wait for the results, but there's something else that could be the cause."

Dr. Rowe looked at Theo and smiled. "Theo, would you like to wait for us outside? I need to discuss something with your mom."

Theo nodded, but he didn't say a word as he rose from his seat. As he headed to the door, Dr. Rowe turned to speak to Anna. But before the two elders would talk, Anna screamed. "Oh god! Theo!"

Anna dashed to the door and patted her son's cheek while his head lay in her lap, but Theo wouldn't respond. He was unconscious and running a high fever. Dr. Rowe suggested hospitalizing him, which only increased Anna's worries.

"What's wrong with my son, doctor? Why did he faint suddenly?" Anna asked tearfully as she peered at Theo through the circular glass of his ward's door.

"Theo has a compromised immune system, which means that his body's ability to fight off infections and diseases is low, Anna," Dr. Rowe explained. "Once the tests are completed, we'll have a clear picture, but…" he paused.

"I don't have a better way to put this, and I know that's difficult for any parent to hear, but I have to ask: Is it likely that your son has been indulging in any form of...substance abuse?"

"What?" Anna's hand went to her mouth in shock. "Theo wouldn't do such a thing, doctor! I know my son."

"I'm only saying what I can infer, Anna. I've been his doctor for some time now, and Theo has been a perfectly healthy kid, except for his weak immune system now. As you pointed out earlier in my office, Theo is no longer a child. He is in a phase where kids tend to fall into bad company. Go astray. We need to find the underlying cause of his condition, Anna."

Anna drove home in a daze. As she arrived, she hung her coat on the rack near the front door, then climbed the stairs to her son's room.

Everything was spick and span. Anna had taught Theo that—to always keep his space clean. How could a boy who always listened to his mother be into something so awful as drugs? But Anna had to be sure.

Anna searched Theo's closet but didn't find anything there. She looked in the drawers and even under the bed, but nothing. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to Theo's backpack. She unzipped it, and a chill ran down her spine.

Inside one of the pockets was a metal box with a thin wad of dollar bills and a card that looked like an access badge. When Anna fed the address on it into Google Maps, a location in the town's west popped up.

"Oh my god...He isn't even working anywhere, then what does all this mean?" Anna wondered.

"I'm going to unravel the mystery behind whatever you're up to, Theo! I'm not letting you throw your life away like that!" Anna told herself as she grabbed her car keys and rushed out the front door.

As she drove to the location fed into the GPS, Anna only hoped her son was not a part of something illegal.

***

"You've arrived at your destination." The voice from the GPS snapped Anna to the moment. She looked out the window and found herself near a towering structure of weathered brick and faded paint. It looked like an old warehouse.

Anna noticed some people moving crates via the building's front entrance. Her heart pounded as she suspected this was a prime location for an underground drug trade.

Anna needed to know exactly what was happening inside the facility and how many children, like Theo, were caught in the illegal trade. So she drove her car to the back entrance of the building and sneaked inside.

Hiding behind a tall pile of crates right next to the entrance, Anna was met with an aroma that was too familiar. It was sweet and fruity, something she smelled when she passed through the section of fruits at the neighborhood supermarket.

When Anna peeked into the space, she saw lines of boxes bearing fruit tags neatly arranged in one corner. Some boxes lay open, revealing the vibrant colors of ripe peaches, glossy apples, and plump strawberries. A conveyor belt transported crates from one section to another. Anna was inside a fruit warehouse.

"Are you looking for something, lady?" A voice startled Anna.

She spun around to see a chubby man, his hands on his waist.

"I, er, I'm sorry for sneaking inside like this," she admitted. "But I came here because of my son."

The man shook his head. "No, no, I'm not buying that story, lady. You wouldn't walk in like that if it was about your son. Now, are you leaving, or should I kick you out?"

"No, please, listen. It's really about my son, Theo," Anna pleaded. "He works here, I guess. If not, he must be helping out a friend who works here. My son is very sick, and I ended up thinking he was into drugs, and it all went wrong from there, and—"

"Theo?" The man cut Anna off. "You are Theo's mother?"

"Yes, yes! You know him?"

The man smiled warmly. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Wilson. Yes, of course, I know him. What a good lad. Hardworking boy. Works part-time here. By the way, did you just mention drugs? What's going on?"

"Sir, Theo is very sick, and I don't know what's wrong with him. The doctor indicated he might be under the influence of substances, and…well, long story short, I found an access badge in his backpack. I freaked out and thought he was into something very wrong."

"Oh!" the man laughed and shook his head. "You shouldn't doubt your son, Mrs. Wilson. Your boy doesn't even touch cigarettes or drinks. Some workers here are into those things, but Theo is not like them. In fact, he only joined 'cause he said he wanted to lend you a helping hand. Big-hearted guy. Wanted to support you financially."

"Oh God," Anna sighed, covering her mouth and realizing how wrong she was to doubt her son. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I should leave."

"Hold on, Mrs. Wilson. Come with me." The man took Anna to Theo's workspace.

"This is where he works. He helps us arrange the fruit crates. Here," The man gave a fruit box to Anna. "This is for Theo. I hope he gets well soon."

Anna thanked the man and left the warehouse. As she climbed into the car, her phone rang.

"Anna, it's me," Dr. Rowe's voice appeared on the line. "I have some test results with me, and Theo's liver function is worsening."

"Oh my god, what—How? What's wrong with my boy?" Anna asked desperately, trying to contain her tears.

"We have to wait for the other test results to determine what's the matter with Theo, Anna. I think we'll keep him hospitalized here," Dr. Rowe revealed.

A sudden rage took over Anna. "Well, I'm coming to the hospital right now, and we'll discuss it there!" she fumed and hung up. Sitting in her car, Anna recalled Theo's words, how scared he was about the fortune teller cursing him.

If Theo was suffering from a medical condition, the doctors would've been able to diagnose it. But that wasn't the case. Theo was not doing drugs, and Dr. Rowe couldn't figure out what had happened to him.

"It has something to do with that fortune teller! She cursed my son!" Anna thought.

Anna grabbed the steering wheel tightly and drove to the hospital. As she arrived, she burst into Dr. Rowe's office. "I need you to discharge Theo now!" she demanded, making Dr. Rowe rise to his feet.

"But Anna, we need to keep him under observation. We still don't know what's wrong with him," said the doctor.

"That's because you won't be able to figure it out, doctor!" Anna yelled in tears. "My son is lying sick, but your medical science can't cure him! That moving bump could be possessed for all I know! And I don't want his condition to worsen! He is cursed!

"And the woman who cursed him is the only one who can help him! I don't want to lose my son!" Anna broke down into tears, and Dr. Rowe placed an arm on her shoulder, but Anna yanked his arm away.

"Don't tell me you believe in superstitions, Anna," he said. "Please sit down and listen to me. The bump did not move. You probably forgot its location. I wouldn't suggest discharging Theo. It can be risky. He is frail, and if we have all the test results, I'm sure we'll be closer to finding what's wrong with him," persuaded the doctor, but Anna wasn't listening.

"I will do anything to save my son, Dr. Rowe! And yes, I believe that woman can heal him. You can't keep my son here without my permission!" she angrily demanded, wiping her tears. "If I tell you to release him, you better do it! Do you want me to try other ways? I might be a single mother, but I'm not weak, sir!"

Dr. Rowe shook his head. "Anna, I'll have to discharge Theo if that's what you want. But please, think it over. I'll sign the discharge papers right now, but like you, I want Theo to be fine soon."

"Then discharge him so that I can make sure my son is perfectly fine!" Anna replied immediately, not leaving Dr. Rowe with another option.

As Anna drove home, she tried her best to contain her tears in front of Theo. She had made him lie comfortably on the backseat because he was too weak to sit.

"Mom…" he said weakly. "What did Dr. Rowe say?"

"You're going to be fine, baby," Anna mustered the courage to smile at her son's reflection in the rearview mirror. "The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I'm taking you to the person who can solve this problem. You just rest, Theo. It's going to be alright."

Anna pulled outside the fortune teller's house and helped Theo out of the car. She hesitated to knock on the door for a moment, looking at its strange floral paint and the yard lined with weird herbs and plants.

"Mom…" Theo said. "This is her house…You—you told me to stay away from her."

"She might be able to help us, baby. And I would do anything just to see you get better."

Anna took a deep breath, knocked on the fortune teller's door, and waited. Moments later, the wooden door creaked open, and an elderly woman in a vintage dress with billowing sleeves appeared on the threshold.

Anna scanned the woman from head to toe, taking in the gemstones on her fingers, the bracelets around her wrists, the necklaces around her neck, each bearing a strange crystal, and the bandana wrapped around her head.

"Hi, I'm Theo's mother, Anna," Anna introduced herself. "My son is sick, and he said last week you—"

The woman raised her hand, signaling Anna to stop talking. "I told you it would happen, boy!" The woman's eyes were fixed on Theo. "You were cursed by me, so now you bear the consequences!"

The woman stepped back and began closing her door, but Anna stopped her.

"Please, don't," she begged. "We are sorry for what happened. Theo wouldn't do it again. Only you can save him. Please. I can't afford to lose him, ma'am. Theo is all I have."

A smile appeared on the woman's lips. "How far will you go to save him?" she smirked.

"I'll do anything you tell me. And yes, please don't worry about the money. Just help us," Anna requested, and the woman nodded, thinking carefully.

"Come on in. But don't touch anything!" She opened the door wider and asked Theo and Anna to follow him.

Stepping inside, Anna held Theo close to herself. The interior was dimly lit, with the soft glow of candlelight casting dancing shadows on the walls. The main room was adorned with tapestries, each depicting scenes of astrology, tarot cards, and ancient divination methods.

Crystal balls of various sizes adorned shelves. A round table sat in the center of the room, covered in a richly embroidered cloth adorned with mystical symbols. On it, a crystal ball and neatly spread tarot cards rested.

"Where…where are we supposed to sit?" Anna asked, and the woman stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Make him sit right there!" She pointed to the sofa.

Anna told the woman everything, including how she had gone to the hospital before. "You should have brought him here, you fool!" said the woman, examining Theo. She touched his forehead and closed her eyes, reciting something quietly.

"He needs it," she said. "He can only heal from the potion." Then she looked at Anna. "$10,000, and your child gets to live. Or he dies."

Anna hesitated. $10,000 was a significant amount for her. She only had a little over that in her savings account. But then again, nothing mattered more than Theo's life.

"I'm fine with that. Please help my son," Anna said.

The woman nodded and disappeared inside.

Anna sat at a table and noticed the woman standing before a burning pot in the kitchen. The elderly woman removed the vessel, circled the flames, and sang ancient incantations. Then she stopped in front of the vessel and closed her eyes.

Anna noticed her silently reciting something as she added ingredients to the vessel while brewing the decoction. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman returned with a wooden bowl containing a liquid.

"What is that exactly?" Anna asked as the woman titled Theo's head and made him down the whole potion.

"Shhh—" the woman turned toward her angrily. "Your son will be fine. This should heal him, woman! Wait for some time, and you'll see the results."

"Thank you, ma'am. Keep this," Anna gave her $3000 she'd withdrawn from the bank earlier that morning. "I'll give you the rest tomorrow morning. I don't have enough cash on me right now. We live right across from your house."

"Don't forget that if you deceive me, your son won't get better."

"Yes, I wouldn't do that."

Anna sat beside Theo, holding his hands while the potion showed its effect. Hours later, he was feeling better, and Anna couldn't be more thankful to the older woman. His fever was gone. He no longer looked sick.

"Oh god, Theo! She really helped us! You're fine!" Anna kissed her son's forehead as he woke up.

"Yeah, Mom," Theo smiled as he stretched himself. "I feel better after a long time."

Anna promised the fortune teller she would return to make the payment, then drove to the hospital to meet Dr. Rowe.

"Anna?" The doctor was surprised as she burst into his room.

"What had you said? That I shouldn't believe in superstitions, right? Well, I'm glad I believed in it; otherwise, you would keep my son here and extort money from me!"

"Anna, relax. What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered.

"My son is recovering, doctor! And all thanks to the woman who gave him the magic potion! If I had kept him here, my son would have never gotten better!"

Dr. Rowe leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "Did your so-called magical lady tell you what was wrong with Theo?"

"Well, who cares? What matters is that he is better!"

Dr. Rowe sighed. "Do you remember when you came that day, you had carried a fruit basket with yourself, Anna? Can I ask where you got it?"

"The fruit basket?" she asked. "Well, Theo was working part-time at this place, and I got it there. It was from a fruit warehouse."

"I still have it. One second," Dr. Rowe asked his assistant to get the basket. "Well, you see this fruit," he lifted a Marula. "This is extensively grown in Africa. It contains enough moisture for a malaria mosquito to survive.

"So it's very likely the fruit carried the contamination all the way to the warehouse, and that's how Theo was infected. He was suffering from malaria. You left the basket here, and we took the liberty of conducting some tests and arrived at this conclusion. Since the incubation period for malaria is 7-14 days, you didn't see the symptoms earlier."

"But then, how did Theo just get better after having the potion last night?" asked Anna, refusing to believe Dr. Rowe.

"Well, I can't deny that it improved Theo's condition because you are saying so. But…Do you remember what ingredients went inside it?"

"I couldn't recognize everything the old lady used, but she added bromides and dog nettle, and I guess cinchona bark and valerian root."

Dr. Rowe smiled. "You'll be happy to know, Anna, that your magical lady was lucky to guess Theo had malaria. Cinchona bark helps with malaria. Now what I want to tell you is that it will only provide temporary relief. And I would need you to bring Theo here so we can treat him properly."

"No way!" Anna refused to believe the doctor. "I won't fall for it again! I see right through you. We will never come back to you."

Anna left the hospital, almost slamming her car door as she climbed into her vehicle. "They thought they could keep fooling me?" she angrily muttered under her breath as she turned the ignition on.

"We're never coming to Dr. Rowe again, Theo!" she grumbled, but Theo didn't say anything. When Anna looked at him in the rearview mirror, his eyes were closed, and he seemed to be sleeping. Anna felt weird. She touched his forehead and realized he was running a fever again.

"Theo, oh god! Are you okay?" she asked, and the boy moved slightly.

"I feel like sleeping, Mom. I don't feel great."

Anna realized Dr. Rowe was right. Theo was sick again. He was admitted to the hospital and remained there for several weeks before being released.

***

Arriving home, Anna spotted Theo's ball in the garden. She picked it up and hurled it into the fortune teller's garden. It just missed the elderly woman's window.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Theo asked.

The fortune teller's door creaked open, and she appeared on her porch. "Wasn't once enough for you? I'm still waiting for my money! You'll get worse—"

"Don't boast too much, old lady!" Anna cut her off. "Your herbal remedies only alleviated my son's symptoms slightly, but doctors cured my son! You charged me $3,000 for your stupid remedy, right? Well, let me give you something else."

Anna removed a book from her bag, approached the woman, and hurled it in her hand. "We came to give you this," she said. "It's a wonderful book that shatters your entire extrasensory circus. I hope you find it useful."

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