Chapter 11
December 18th
+1+
I lead Emile to the car, he appeared
calm keeping his usual good nature at bay. Truthfully, I was to the point of
terrifying even myself.
The journey was quiet except for the light rain shower beating softly against
the roof, I kept my eyes ahead, Emile did the same, his breathing was irregular
and nerves on end.
It was not long before the house came into view, the exterior looked harsher
than I remembered and the windows were darken except for one light down stairs.
Approaching the front door, I noticed there was a sweet smell coming from the
kitchen and even Emile seemed surprised by the warmth the haunted house now
emitted. Before the door could close behind me I heard her voice.
“What do we have here?”, she said.
So, this is kind of confusing so back in one of the third person chapters we come back to the present where Lucie (who we think is Clara) opens the door for Joshua and lets him in. This is where this is picking up from.
Of course Lucie wants
to use him because he has the “Light” (meaning he has died and comeback) so
Victor can have a host body. Victors not there yet
Lucie appeared behind us, taking care to close and lock the front door.
She moved closer to Emile with a slight smile on her face. Lucie and Emile had
met in passing before, though he had never known she was my wife.
“Your light”, she said leaning closer to Emile and moving a strand of his hair,
“It is very very dull.”
See light. Kind of throwaway plotting but okay.
Emile stepped away from her, not quite believing what he was seeing or hearing.
“There is someone else here”, I couldn’t explain I just felt it.
“As a matter of fact there is .”, she lead Emile and I into the kitchen
The boy, I recalled from the road was sitting in the kitchen. His red and white
cap was on the table and his clothes had been dried. The boy sat hunched over
the table writing, his hand smudging the wet ink
“His light is very bright”, she continued to taunt Emile, "very very
bright"
“Lucie”, I pulled her aside and away from our visitors, “What are you doing”
“This is Joshua and he needs our help”, she said with a smile, “ He is like us
you know. Seen what we’ve seen. . . been where we've been. His family is
long since gone. I thought you of all people would understand. Besides
won’t it be nice that the house won’t be quiet any longer. I want him to stay”
“Lucille, surely someone will miss him”
“Well then”, she continued to circle me, “If I can’t have guest neither can
you. . . how many pieces do you suppose Emile can be turned into to ?”
She exclaimed the last part loud enough for Emile himself to hear.
Oh, I think I really
like Lucie now. She is witty
“Enough, Lucie. Joshua may. . . for now”
“. . .and why exactly is Mr. Emile here anyway ?”
“I can assure you Lucie, that he is only here for our benefit.”
She smiled
Muse : THREESOME
LiLe : Whoa What ?
Muse : Oh like you don’t see it.
+++
The game was nearly over, Emile’s queen was very close to being captured still
I hesitated making the move.
LiLe still doesn’t know how
to play chess
“Addison”, he said, “I’m concerned you truly don’t see what you’re doing.”
Emile getting all srs
bsns first name on Mr. F
Through the open door I could see Lucie hovering over Joshua. She had been a
teacher for nearly 30 years and it seemed almost natural for her care for
child, there was however something a bit off about her behavior.
Retcon, Lucie didn’t
work after she had Martin
“May I ask you something”, Emile said without pause, “when you look at her who
do you see ?”
I looked up from the board, our eyes met briefly across the hall and I was lost
for an answer.
“I used to be quite jealous of your Fierro”, Emile continued, “you had always
appeared sure of at least one thing and that was the love you felt for Lucie”
“I will tell you Emile you would not have recognized me when I was married to
Lucie, I was utterly content.”
I released the latch on my pocket watch, gently pressing the face till it
flipped revealing the only remnant of our life together.
In the photo, Lucie’s eyes were soft, her lips relaxed into a smile, I’d hardly
recognized myself gazing down at her perhaps just seconds from kissing her.
“I am sure of nothing anymore, Emile”, I decided
We had reached the end game and Emile’s defeat appeared inevitable.
“Have you come up with any reasonable plans, Emile”
“Well”, he said with uncertainty, “I’d considered a rather crude method”
“Go on”
“It’s a bit rash but perhaps”, He leaned into whisper, “an exorcism?”
“Do you truly believe such things work?”
“Well, I went 35 years assuming ghost didn’t exist.”
I love you Emile. You
make this story work. You get straight to the point and move the plot forward
without being obvious.
My thoughts went to Rev. Allen. He was a spiritual man and a bit of an
enigma himself and would certainly keep the preceding secretive.
“ . . .and if it works ?”, Emile had been speaking, “You’ll let Clara go ?”
“Not just yet, I need Roger to confess. To admit what he has done.”
“And how will you do that ?”
“Another fake letter from Ms. DeLune ; pleading with her grandfather to
confess his past crimes for her sake. Which he will eventually."
“And then you let her go?”
Emile suddenly became very persistent.
“Then we leave. . . together.”
“Do you think she will choose to leave her family for you?”
“For a while.” I said honestly
Emile shook his head as if he understood something I did not. I refused to
believe I had missed anything but the thought was now in my mind and never
left.
I think at this point Emile realizes that Clara will NEVER leave her family for him. Emile is so smart. I should have trapped him in the house earlier.
Mr. F is being so idealistic here, and I find it kind of refreshing but maybe to woobie-ish.
+++
Very late in the night, or rather very early in the day I had once again been
unable to sleep through the night. Instead I had taken to wandering aimlessly around my
house. Everything was in its usual place. Not a single vase, painting or book
out of place.
The halls were dark and quiet without the hum of electricity, just a few
kerosene lamps to light the way.
In the kitchen I found the list that Joshua had written through the smugged
ink. I could make out a list, a list of things he remembered before he died.
Dad bought a new car
The dodgers won the world series against the Yankees
Dad voted for Johnson
I shouldn’t have been playing ball in the street
“Sir . . . is there something wrong?”
I hadn’t even heard the boy come in. He looked to be around 11 or 12 but
appeared relatively small for his age. He did however resemble a much younger
Martin DeLune which was equally troubling.
“Tell me Joshua, has Lucie said something specific she wants from you.?”
“I don’t know”, he said, “Miss. Lucie seems really nice though. I mean, my
foster home was okay and everything but I just don’t. . .belong. I think Miss.
Lucie understands she’s actually pretty swell. I can see why you married her.”
Aside from the most pressing matter Joshua was relatively normal, there was
nothing ordinary or extraordinary about him. Perhaps she did want the company
or maybe she was up to something and if so did I have a right to care ?
He sat at the table going over his list trying to think of more things to
write.
So this scene is in
here to contrast how Joshua’s voice changes when Victor is in his body.
Although it was nearing sunrise it looked as if it were going to be another
bleak bitter winter morning, but it was one of the most peaceful.
Things are about to get super rocky
+2+
COMPLICATED RETROSPECTIVE
Everything had quite literally fallen to pieces.
Tears stung at the edge of my eyes but I somehow kept myself together. I kept
seeing her beautiful face over and over again for what I believed to be the
last time.
What
the what? Is Mr. F almost crying , what have I done?
Emile watched by the front door, we were both listening to the thrum of Joshua
pounding against the guest room but I knew the locks wouldn’t give.
“What have you done with her”, the boy’s voice carried downstairs.
Emile came next to me, leaning down he grabbed the other end of the sheet as it
and its content were dragged closer to the front door. Emile quietly backed
into a broken chair twisting the sheet and causing the malformed body to
roll across the floor.
OMG, it’s Clara’s body. They kilt here. . .
No one thought this ?
okay
Emile fell to his knees sick with fear and guilt; it was far from the time to
be weak.
What a terrible terrible mess we had made.
---
December 22. That Morning
I checked the calendar twice
I found it difficult to believe it was only a few days before Christmas.
The spirit, of the holiday that is, had not found itself to this poor house.
That was a little
zinger on Mr. F’s part.
Emile and I had enacted very quickly and carefully to attempt to exorcise Lucie
from Her Grandaughter. I had driven miles across the state to hand deliver a
letter to Reverend Levi Allen asking his assistance.
Rev. Allen replied quickly, citing a certain . . . coldness he felt in the girl
when he had visited my home previously. He claimed there was a misplaced evil
in her, though I hesitated to agree.
Uh, I feel so bad for
Mr. F now. His whole life he has only been certain of one thing and that is his
love for Lucie. Now everyone is trying to tell him she is evil.
As I relayed the news to Emile he once again seemed tense. I had
selfishly not realized that while I had entangled Emile into my weave I was
keeping him away from those who cared for him.
If Lucie knew what we were planning she never let on.
My first concern had been Joshua. In the few days he had been present he had
become rather attached to Lucie. She seemed to be teaching him French and spent
long hours learning as much about him as she could.
Now Joshua is Victor
and she isn’t teaching him French they are speaking it.
I found Joshua alone in one of the rooms fiddling with a radio, there was a bit
of static and apparently Western New York was preparing for a blizzard. He paid
no attention to me and I closed the door, no bothering to lock him in.
Downstairs Emile had begun to pace, he realized that getting rid of Lucie
would be his way home. I had in my letter advised Rev. Allen to drive up to the
tree line and walk the rest of the way.
A little after nine his small dark figure began to emerge from the woods. There
was a silent glance between Emile and I . I left him and began to look for
Lucille.
Lucie had occupied herself with putting up extravagant paintings, the speakers
were turned on and smooth jazz filled the hallway. Lucie hummed along slightly
off key.
Oh, now he is finding
faults in her.
“Lucille, I want you to do something for me ?”
“What is it, Sweetheart”, she appeared happy believing she could so something
to please me
I took her hand leading her down the hall farther away from the gaudy paintings
and towards my bedroom.
Her hair lay perfectly straight and was nearly as dark as her eyes, even so she
appeared very young of course that was more than likely because she was.
“I miss waking up to you”, I told her, and “I miss watching you sleep.”
“Really ?”
“When I look at you Lucie, I hardly see her. It’s almost uncanny how similar
you two are.”
I motioned for her to lay down and she did and quietly closed her eyes, she
remain completely still content to think she was making me happy.
“Please Lucie”, I said very close to her, my lips almost touching hers, “Stay
just like that.”
Lucie didn’t move. I began to touch her eyes, cheeks and lips as to keep her
distracted.
She did not even sense as Emile and Rev. Allen moved by the doorway. The
reverend began to whisper a long devotional litany under his breath, His
eyes were dark and serious, he was an older man very frail but still a few
years younger than myself.
Litany !
Emile stood close by the door frame his hands visibly shaking.
I held my breath as Rev. Allen reached out to touch her, the moment his
hand made contact with her skin her eyes fluttered open revealing just the
whites of her eyes framed by light red veins
It’s working . . .
Actually it’s not Lucie is just messing with them. She has a much creepier trick
up her sleeve.
Rev. Allen attempted to pull away, her long nails digging into his wrist
drawing blood and tearing his skin. Still he kept speaking, his words only
inciting her anger.
Then it started like a hum, I heard the foundation began to creak before the
house began to shake beneath me.
The unsteady ground became volatile, in the hall pictures and mirrors were
falling, the ceiling began to crumble and dust everything beneath it. furniture
was being thrown around the room, leaving nothing in it's place Emile held firm
to the door way before turning into the hall
EARTHQUAKE !
"Enough”, I warned him I feared the entire house might fall.
Still he continued, her grip on him becoming tighter.
I pulled the reverend away from her grasp, both of us falling to the floor.
After a few moments the shaking stopped.
Emile returned with Joshua in tow. Ms. DeLune still lay perfectly still, the
whites of her eyes still showing. She was very cold now, from the air coming
through the cracked window.
You did it LiLe. You
killed Clara cause that’s the only way she can be free from Lucie.
“Is she—“, Emile started
“No ! NO !”, Joshua struggled out of Emile’s grasp to get closer but I wouldn’t
let him.
He was strong but I managed to drag him out of the room, I needed him out the
way. As I took him down the hall I noticed something was different.
In the middle of the hallway from the now cracked ceiling there appeared a
little doorway, an attic I hadn’t noticed. With probably more force than needed
I locked the boy into one of the bedrooms.
Emile and I stood at either ends of the hall, neither of us moved when
something creaked.
Looking up the attic door began to slowly open on its own. I was paralyzed. Unable
to move as something made it’s way down.
My breathing was so loud
What was it ?
A pale lifeless hand followed by an arm, another hand and arm, the rest of the
torso began to descend and I could make out the back of a woman. The figure
somehow able to descend upside down began to turn.
This whole ordeal was inspired
by the scariest scenes in horror films.
It was Lucie
Her face, her body, it was her just as I’d last seen her so many years ago
She descended from the attic her hands touching the ground first before she
fell and picked herself up and began to walking gracefully towards me.
“Now”, her/its voice was a hushed whisper, “now you can really see me.”
So from now on Lucie
appearance is that of her younger self. I’m picturing Kat Dennings.
I fell to my knees my eyes not shut anticipating her as she came closer, I
opened my eyes to come face to face with her.
And she was gone.
The attic door was still open. Emile appeared comatose on the floor, refusing
any help.
I’m so sorry Emile
I found Ms. DeLune still in my room which was now destroyed as was much of the
house.
Her heart was still beating but otherwise she appeared lifeless an empty shell.
The reverend however had not been as fortunate and it appeared it his spiritual
warfare he had lost. A perfect red stain had formed on him as if something had
clawed at him till death over took him.
So yeah, he tried to
exorcise a ghost and it somehow ended up with his insides getting clawed out.
So that dead body wasn’t Clara it was the reverend.
I wrapped him in a dark sheet and proceeded to dispose of him, how would I ever
explain this?
Well that’s two people
who have died in this house. Counting Ms. Beck. Heck let’s just throw in the
dogs.
I removed his Bible still clinched I his hand and covered his face still filled
with fear.
Chapter 12
Nothing was in it’s place anymore.
Under any other circumstance I would have worked till the night until
everything was back in place. I had decided to live around the chaos
This night seemed to go on forever. Emile and I carried Reverend Allen's body
down towards the shed where there was a large icebox till we could think of a
more permanent solution.
“Perhaps. . . we should say some words”, Emile suggested as I closed the lid.
“What shall we say?”, I asked him not at all ready to admit what we were doing.
He hesitated to answer and I left him there. Still in the midst of our
treachery we drove the reverend's car to his parish, returning to the house
just as the snow began to fall.
Plothole : how does
the reverened get in the house with Lucie guarding the gate ? With that said
Emile and Fierro are able to leave because the gate fell down during the
earthquake/excorism.
The book shelves in my study had fallen over, smashing everything in the room.
A chandelier had caused equal damage to the living room, the stairs now
tilted slightly to the left. The entire house was beyond repair, chipped paint
and the parts of the ceiling had fallen to the floor.
Joshua became inconsolable and had not left, who he believed to be,
Lucie's side and so we left him to it.
Okay, maybe Victor’s
not here yet. I think Lucie went to get him.
I spent the rest of the late
afternoon looking for a bottle of liquor that had not been smashed or
carried away by the shaking. Emile, as a rarity, decided to partake.
"Was that her. . . Lucie ?", he said pointing to the ceiling
referring to the attic incident.
"Yes", I said thinking about the attic door which I now could not
find.
"She was very beautiful"
"Yes, she was", I said. Though the Lucie I remembered never appeared
so ghostly and lifeless.
“Do you think she is still in there ?”, Emile asked, “Clara, I mean”
“I’m not sure of anything now”, I told him, “ Lucie is still here, have you
thought of anything else”
“Are you serious ?”, Emile's voice was tense, “She leveled the entire house”
“It’s just a house.”, I said more to myself
The House of Fierro,
that is.
“Do you find this will all worth be it ?”
“It will be"
By the next morning I was somewhat inebriated and watched from the broken
window as it continued to snow as it had all during the night. I had placed Ms.
DeLune in an empty room, waiting for her to wake up but she never did. I had
lowered her eyes so she appeared to be resting, but watching her was beyond
unsettling.
Like Snow White !
In my dreams and troubled sleep I saw Lucie's face as I had in the attic and
all to quickly it disappeared.
I kept expecting to see her in mirrors and peering at me through windows but it
was simply paranoia.
Two days after the good reverends death came Christmas Eve, and it was shaping
up to be a white Christmas. Lucie had yet to make an appearance and I was on
edge waiting for it.
On this night I found Joshua in the kitchen working away at his French, in
hopes that his teacher might return. Emile stood by the window and looked
out to the shed as if waiting for the police to come.
As the hours counted down to Christmas I had busied myself with a rather
simple house of cards, alternating between numbers and face cards. I was very
careful no to let it fall.
LiLe Oh, he’s building a house of cards. A House of . . .
Muse : Was that the best you could do ?
LiLe : Okay, the name is mostly rule of cool
"Mr. Fierro", said Joshua clutching his papers covered in neat
letters, more pointless writing for
Miss Lucie, I assumed.
"Yes, Joshua"
“What is that ? Out there.”
He was facing the window, with his hands behind his back. Outside there was a temporary lull in the snow fall and I saw to what he was referring.
It was that gravestone outside, now almost covered in snow.
What kid holds his hands behind his back ?
It sat just feet from the front entry way, it was large and proactive. I would never fathom why my Aunt and Uncle would place something so extravagant so close to their new home.
“It is yours is it not ?”, Joshua continued, “I do wonder what is underneath it, don’t you ?”
Wow, kids don’t really talk like this . . .
"No", I lied and began making my way upstairs.
What is underneath it ?
Mr. F : What is in the grave ? My body ? Am I still in there. Am I a real human ? Maybe people who come back from the dead are missing something.
So, this hardly gets explored. I couldn’t figure out what he would find in the grave.
The thought stuck with me. I passed and glimpsed it nearly everyday surely there was something
I stopped midway and began to backtrack
I did have a right to know
This next section was one of the first of three scenes I wrote (the others being Clierro after Mr. Beck dies(except the corset version) and the prologue.)
Almost mechanically I began to get dressed and pull on my wool coat, trying to predict the outcome of what I was about to do.
The cold cut across my skin the moment I stepped out the front doors, the wind howled quietly and the snow began to rapidly fall in a blur of pure white.
It was white as far as the eye could see, even though sundown was approaching snow made the day appear brighter. Puffs of gray smoke filled the sky from a distant chimney.
Cause Roger’s dead and his chimney is still working. He died like two weeks ago or something since that’s when Clara first notices it during Thanksgiving. I should probably write a thanksgiving novella or something.
I found a shovel in the dilapidated remains of the glasshouse which now stood with a gaping whole in the roof. I kept my eyes on the awful headstone, it was as if it knew what I planning.
Beneath the snow The ground was cold and hard . Once I began I couldn’t stop. I was anxious to know what was underneath. What I would find.
Being so close to it created so much rage. It was to late for Lucie but I would not let Roget take this secret to the grave, his family would know his greatest sin.
So I began to dig.
My hands were numb, soft blisters began to form but I could tell I was close, the grave was crude and hastily put together.
I cursed as I hit something hard.
Entirely immersed I scrapped gently at the dirt till a cheap oak coffin began to surface. My hands were moving on their own now, I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.
The coffin was heavy, I sank down into the grave and hit the latches with the shovel.
Open it.
I began to coach myself.
The final latch broke
What felt like seconds began to turn to minutes.
I could see everything replaying in my mind, Lucie and Roger treating my body with as much respect as I had Reverend Allen. I saw Roger convincing Deputy Rainer to move the news of my found body to another county. I saw Lucie and Roger with a life together, free of omission.
I was tired of waiting
I was tired of playing games.
Roger would admit what he had done, to me
In person.
Still, something wasn't right.
So, Mr. F is like “F that being tricky, I’m just going to go to his house and make him admit what he’s done”. Then he gets interrupted when he realizes Joshua isn’t Joshua.
+2+
I climbed out the grave going back towards the house, shivering from exposure
as I entered. Joshua's writings were still on the table. They had appeared very
innocent
"Where is he?", I demanded from Emile
"Joshua ? I think he is upstairs why--"
I found Joshua standing in the room with Ms. DeLune. There was now a
mischievous smile on his face. Emile had followed me in confusion.
“You must have taught her everything she knows”, I said
“I unlike you, would never turn my back on a friend.”, the boy said
“Is that so Victor ?”
Emile dropped the book he had in hand.
“Victor ?”, Emile started, “Is that really you ? Addison are you sure ?”
It was those damn words he had written so neatly this time with his right hand, the way he spoke to me. I felt like such a fool.
Whoa, two drinks Mr. F cursed.
"All I ever wanted”, Victor said slightly amused, “Was to be human again. Do you see what you’ve turned me into ?What you've reduced me too ? You and your little maid ”
He turned to Ms. DeLune and whispered to her sleeping form.
"It's time to wake up Clara", he said
So, not sure why Victor has the power to do that. Rule of Cool.
Originally this scene had Joshua unconsious on the stairs and Mr. Fierro and Emile walk in on Ghost!Victor kissing Clara but I thought that was kind of unfair to her.
She blinked once her eyes opening immediately.
"You've been helping Lucie, haven't you ?"
"I told you I helped out a friend. Lucie was so distraught to see you so enamored by Clara. I told her how to posses Clara and promised her I would show her how to claim Clara's body permanently if she found a host for me as well. I'm sure this body will grow to a perfect fit. You see Addison. unlike you I can successfully force the hand of revenge"
"Where is Lucie ?"
Okay, Victor does have a point. That’s why I like him. I mean he went hardcore with his revenge plan.
"Waiting for her new body", he said, "I told her I would take care of everything, though she does tire of playing games, and so am I. I believe we all understand the harrowing power of cold blooded murder"
So Victor is going to kill Clara so Lucie can have her body. Now this comes back in DSI because in LiLe’s light-paranormal world under the right conditions you can give up your soul by taking another.
In his hand he turned over a silver knife that must have gotten away in the
rubble. Victor held it over Ms. DeLune as if to impale her, murdering her and
leaving nothing but a body for Lucie. Emile and I rushed towards him. Ms.
DeLune however grabbed his hand first. her eyes wide not clearly not wanting to
hurt the boy. She wrestled the knife away away from him, only slightly
cutting him.
Ms. 3 : Yes, Clara finally
"V-victor, please don't do this.", Ms. DeLune appealed to his former good nature.
Victor appeared frustrated by the limits of his new body. He picked himself up and rushed towards her. She dropped the knife slicing her palm as it fell to the floor.
He stumbled as I pulled him away, instead of his body hitting the wall he landed against the glass window, breaking it and falling several feet to the ground.
I kind of wish Clara had pushed him out the window but it had to be an accident.
A silent look passed between the three of us before leaving the room. Ms. DeLune had started down the stairs, in awe of the damage that had occurred in her absence.
"Where are you going Ms. DeLune", I stopped her before she tripped.
"Please, we have to leave. We have to leave right
now", she said, "Before she comes back, please"
Part of me was not quite ready to leave the house forever, to leave this place
that had once upon a time been my only home.
The three of us made it as far out as the front door. Emile
continued looking back. On the ground Joshua's form lay, struggling to get up,
his baseball cap now a few feet away from him
"We can't just leave Joshua", Emile said turning back, "Maybe I
can try to reason with Victor.. .
+3+
Ms. DeLune stopped me from going after him, pulling me
towards the woods, the gate that once stood
was now flat on the ground buried under the snow.
I couldn't leave, not just yet.
"Ms DeLune”, take one of the cars and meet me at mile marker 45"
"Where are you going ?", she asked
"Please, just listen to me. I need you to understand"
"You're going after Roger aren't you ? Let him be, he is an old man.
."
"So am I ", I told her kissing the side of her face.
"Please", she said, "I'm begging you to let him live in
peace."
"Why should I ? He never allowed me
to."
No. Mr. F don’t you
read Shakespeare. Your worst attribute will be downfall. Yours is not letting
go.
There was always that second when Roger had a chance to redeem himself, those
minutes before he broke my neck and watched me die. He had a chance to change.
Perhaps if he had dedicated his life to being a better man and making up for
his sin I would. . . No I wouldn't.
Ms. DeLune attempted to reason with me, but it fell on death ears. That knife
in my pocket now felt heavier than I remembered. I was already on the path and
there would be no turning back. Smoke billowed again from Roger's house and in
a matter of minutes I would be there face to face for the first time in 50
years
Auld Lang Syne
Hmmm, I wonder where Lucie is.
Chapter 11 blog post http://lindaleighblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/tu-eres-un-angel-de-el-cielo-una.html ( I know it says chapter 10 but it's a typo)
Chapter 12 Um, What Rhymes With Nintey (Hey, Hey, Hey)