+1+
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.
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.
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 almost leveled the entire house”
“It’s just a house.”, I said more to myself
“Do you find this will all worth it ?”
“It will be"
By the next morning I was somewhat intebierated 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.
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 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, his own personal Tell Tale heart, as it were.
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.
"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.
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 ?”
"No", I lied and began making my way upstairs.
What is underneath it
?
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
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.
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 it was not an easy task to break through. 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.
+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.
"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
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 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 ?"
"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"
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.
"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, her begging in sighting more anger. he picked himself and rushed towards her. Ms. dropped the knife slicing her palm as it fell to the floor. I tore away at the firm grip he now had on her neck.
He stumbled as I pulled him away, instead of his body hitting the wall hr landed against the glass window, breaking it and falling several feet to the ground.
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.
I understood , but a 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.
In fear the three of us made it as far out as the front door. Emile continued looking back. On the ground in the backyard 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.. . "
Ms. DeLune stopped me from going after him, pulling me father 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 meet me at mile marker 45"
"Where are you going ?", she asked
"Please, just listen to me. I need you to understand", and suddenly she did
"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."
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
Author's Note
Just thought I'd let you know that the translation of Auld Lang Syne for this purpose is "For Old Time's Sake"