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| Father Ryan, Fatima & The Villagers gather at Dusk |
Everything seemed so perfect.
A cool fresh summer night with not a single cloud in the sky. The villagers all gathered in Village Park under long strands of glimmering bulbs that hung from streetlamps that bordered the large tree-filled park.
Children played funny moon themed games. Ladies sat in groups of 4 and 5 gossiping about the latest village news--that of course included the Lord family and their constant drama. Gentlemen in top hats and long black coats smoked and cracked jokes while music placed in the center of it all by a large orchestra supplying the soundtrack.
Everything seemed perfect, just as the moon slowly rose over the far-off horizon where it's full face would soon baith them all in it's gray light supplied by the sunken sun.
Off in the distance, almost as if they were hiding who they were, Father Donavon Ryan and Fatima Braga arrived together. Fatima covered her white hair with a black shawl hoping no one would recognize the town palm-reading fortune teller arriving with the perish priest.
She sung the long side of the scarf around her neck allowing it to cover half her face in hopes she could somehow hide her identity and still be able to thwart anything her son Filipe was about to do in his wolf form.
"How do we know he'll come here?" Ryan asked.
"He'll feel the hearts beating, it'll be the pulse of the city. We've all converged here. It will be a pounding beat in his mind like the ticking of a clock." Fatima replied cryptically.
"Dona Fatima," Ryan began as he pulled her back by the shoulder before they entered into the park "We cannot allow him to hurt anyone. Do you understand? If he's discovered-- the villagers will kill him."
Fatima lifted a brow at Father Ryan irritated.
"You speak as if it hasn't crossed my mind. I want to stop him as much as you do, Padre Donavao, but we have to find him first." Fatima replied using his Portuguese name.
Father Ryan nodded and released his hand from her shoulder. She swung the hanging shawl once again around her face and head and together they entered Village Park hoping Filipe, in his wolf form would come and they could somehow stop him before calamity struck.
****
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| Innocent victims hunted at twilight |
Across town, near the edge of town on a street that led up a hill to small houses that clung to a bluff overlooking the rocky coast, two women walked together on their way to Village Park.
They were young ladies smartly dressed for the celebration. The night was to be full of energy and life just as they were. As they headed down the quiet darkened road they laughed over stories of the gentlemen they had in their lives.
They basked in the silly jokes of youth and the gentle things of their summer evening stroll arm-in-arm.
It was so quiet this night that the tapping of their boots echoed on the cobble stones streets between their giggles and then — another sound.
The odd sudden rustling behind them made one of the women yank her friend back and stopped them dead in the street.
"What was that?" She asked.
"What was what?" The other woman wondered still giggling over the story she just heard.
The first woman, a blond, lifted the rim of her hat slightly and looked off into the distance where she could see the glow of town square and Village Park.
"Nothing." the blond replied, shaking off the shills she received up her spin.
They continued to walk all the while something rustled in the bushes behind them and ducked under trees and hid behind buildings as the friends got deeper into the village.
"So what do you think of that Evie story in Baxter's column the other day?" The dark haired lady asked.
"Oh it’s all just silly stories, don't you think?" The blond replied.
“My father has always said the Lords were hiding something about themselves inside those walls at Tirymor, maybe Sebastian’s weird lust for blood is the answer.” The dark haired woman said giggling at the absurdity of it all.
“Evie’s become …” the blond stopped mid-sentence as a suddenly rustling of brush began again off the side of the street.
“There it is again.” The dark haired woman said in a whisper.
“Come on.” The blonde replied yanking on the dark haired woman’s arm. “Let’s get to town before we…”
Then without a single second of allowance for the blonde to finish her sentences, in a whip of air a blur of black and gray leaped in front of the the two young village women. It was Filipe the in vicious wolf form.
The women screamed at the sight of his hungry gaping jaws that dripping with saliva and fury. His giant paw passed across one woman’s face and without her noticing her screaming suddenly stopped and turned to a gurgle sound — her throat had been slashed.
The dark-haired woman, who didn't finish her sentence, grabbed on to her blond friend’s bleeding and limp body and tried to go back up the hill. She dug her nails into the blonde’s arm cutting into the exposed skin: a fear fell over both women the likes they’d never felt before in all their lives.
The blonde passed out and slumped to the ground as the wolf circled his prey.
He growled deeply and sniffed the blood in the air.
“Get back! GET BACK!” The dark haired woman screamed as she slipped in the friends’a blood.
But it was too late, they'd met their end, Filipe Braga, the wolf of the full moon, pounced and slaughtered the two innocent women right in the center of the street, ripping them apart.
They lay there, the happy party dresses soaked in blood, dead and silent.
No more happy stories of the men they loved. No more smiles and giddy girlish skipping down a cobble stone street.
Father Ryan's fear of death had come true again-- and the body count was mounting.
***
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| Nightfall, Evie & Matthew run into Lucas |
Back in Village Square, Evie, Matthew arrived together in a state of wonder at all the people and festivities all around them. The Village Square and Park was completely turned into a sparking world of lights and happiness that emitted an energy that the three had never felt before.
It didn't help that as the duo walked in, all eyes were on the couple who seemingly defied the odds of fate and returned from being buried alive and from being lost at sea.
"Everyone is staring." Evie noticed.
Matthew gulped. "Yes."
"MATTHEW!!" A friendly voice called from inside the large gathering of town's people.
It was Lucas Mural.
"Lucas!" Matthew replied happily. "Lucas, this is Evie, Evie, this is Lucas. he's the one that saved me."
Evie reached over and grabbed Lucas warmly and held him. "Thank you for everything." She said. “Because of you I’ve found something very important in my life again.”
Matthew’s eyes sparkled, Evie’s words were like music to his ears after all the hoping she’d love him again.
"If anything Matthew has helped me more. I've come so far since I've moved here. And Matthew is to thank for that."
"Lucas has applied for citizenship. He's been working with Lear Lockwood a few days a week making sure his citizenship paperwork goes through."
"Oh." Evie replied, the name Lear Lockwood being foul sounding to her ears.
Matthew noticed "Is something the matter?"
"Lear was the lawyer who helped Jacob and Celeste take my son from me. When I hear his name I tend to go back to realizing I don't have my son with me every day." She reminded them.
"Oh.” Lucas replied disappointedly. “He's been very kind. I wish you could meet the man I met. He's been ... well he's becoming more than my advocate really. He's becoming a close friend."
Evie looked over at Lucas. The way he said close friend was not unfamiliar to her. She had known two other men who were seemingly as close. Close enough to be partners in life. Partners in love. Evie was quickly reminded of Dr. Andrew Kim and the story he told her of his own love story with his long-time medical partner Dr. Michael Daphne. It was a new way of looking at two people who loved each other and wanted the best for each other. She didn't understand it at first but over time she realized love was love no matter how it was generated, or where it came from, or how it was expressed between to adoring partner.
Now Evie could see that all love was the same.
“Well Welshport seems to be treating you much better than it did me, and I am very happy for it Lucas.” Evie said with a grin as she squeezed his hand.
She could see the same spark in his Lucas spoke of Lear as the way Andrew spoke of Michael, the only down side was, Evie didn't trust Lear in the slightest.
"Just keep your eye on him." Evie said with wink.
"Does he sometimes run off and hide?" Lucas joked.
"I wouldn't say that no” she laughed “I should be fair, I’ve only just fact I've just met him myself, but he's related to my in-laws and if I know anything about the family I married in to you'll want to keep both eyes wide open." Evie explained.
Lucas grinned and took her advice "Duly noted."
And as if summoned by the simple speaking of the name Lord, they appeared. Rebecca, Jacob, Caspian, Fabian, Cora and Little Gabriel. The entire group arriving to even more glaring eyes at the Full Moon celebration.
Evie's eyes zeroed in on her little boy who's green eyes floated over to her in a way inexplicable. They're mother/son connection was undeniable to anyone would watched.
Cora handed the child to Celeste and Celeste walked over to Evie who was already on her way to them.
They met in the center of the park encircled by the entire town.
Celeste stood there, holding baby Gabriel and smiled then happily handed the child to his brith mother.
"He's missed you." Celeste said as the crowd all chattered all around them.
"I've missed him too. So much!" Evie said kissing her baby's cheeks.
Rebecca looked on proudly, happy to see Evie and Gabriel back together.
"I've convinced Jacob to allow Gabriel to be with you tonight during the festivities. It didn't take much, he knows how important a mother and child's relationship is." Celeste noted with a thin veiled description of how Jacob relationship with his own mother was strained.
Evie furrowed her brow "He should be with me. Period."
"Evie, you know that we have to disentangle everything with the courts. As soon as we do that, Gabriel can be with you again." Celeste replied.
"You want me to trust you, but how can I? You were involved in taking him from me too. How am I supposed to just trust that now you've had a change of heart?"
Celeste held in a deep sigh. She had burned this bridge with her former best friend. Not only was her marriage to Jacob incredibly problematic because of his history for tormenting Evie in the past, but Celeste had her own hand in taking Gabriel when they all believed Evie had died.
That truth could not be erased from anyone's mind, and Celeste's word was in a ruined state.
"All I can do is ask you to believe me, that's it. That's all I can do and I hope you remember how close we were and how much I am beginning to regret what I did." Celeste confessed.
Evie did not reply, but as she began to turn Celeste reached for her arm and pulled her back "Wait."
Evie held on to the baby her trauma triggering the idea that Celeste would suddenly have a change of heart.
"What do you know about Jacqueline Gray? You spoke with her the other day at Tirymor and that whole conversation made me think there was more to it than what you made ir seem.” Celeste explained
Evie raised a brow “Celeste you think I would help you after what you’ve done?”
“Evie you’re not a cruel person I know what I’ve done, and I truly only did it for Gabriel’s sake. Look, you may know by now that Jacqueline is romantically involved with my brother and I...”
Evie interrupted “They're married Celeste. Married.”
Evie’s reminder of the marriage cut though the music in park to Celeste’s ears like a bullet she gulped in the truth “well... I don't have a good feeling about her." Celeste explained.
Seeing Celeste come off in real distress made Evie decide to take the high road and be careful with her words. She knew all too well Jacqueline’s danger and wanted nothing to do with the witch and her treachery but at the same time didn't want anyone else drawn in to Jacqueline twisted web of lies. Even if it was Celeste’s brother.
Still, Evie needed to be careful.
"Ironically, I was just having a similar talk with Lucas over there." Evie said, turning to Matthew and Lucas still standing off to the side waiting her return. "He's become very good friends with Lear. I mentioned how I didn't trust Lear as far as I can throw him thanks to him being such a good aide to you taking my child from me. Nevertheless, I'll give you that advice too Celeste; Friend to friend -- watch Jacqueline like a hawk. Never ever let her out of your sight."
"Why? Can you tell me why?" Celeste said, her anxiety suddenly spiking.
Evie pursed her lips. The feeling of wanting to be honest and open filled her quickly but then she realized perhaps she could let Celeste, and the Lords fall into Jacqueline's clutches, but in reality, Evie couldn't do it. She was too honest for that.
"She has her own motives for doing whatever she does. The good things and the bad things. Just keep an eye on her -- and most of all Celeste -- don't believe everything you see with your own eyes. She's quite the magician."
With those last strange and cryptic words, Evie walked back to Matthew and Lucas who melted over the sweet little Gabriel leaving Celeste in the center of the park with more questions than answers.
"That went well." Rebecca said coming over to her daughter in law followed by Jacob. "I'm happy you did that." She added.
"Well, my wife has a wonderful heart." Jacob replied. "She's the giver of the family. She's just given Evangeline a wonderful memory of the Full Moon festival. I'm sure tonight will be an incredible night for them."
"For all of us." Caspian added as he came over.
"She deserves her son. That's all." Celeste replied.
***
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| The DeViana clan |
Off under a cluster of Village Park's large Beech trees that had strings of lights swaying in a summer breeze, Jacqueline and Johnathon sipped on sweet drinks the celebration committee provided for the festival goers. Johnathon, his mind completely locked in Jacqueline's love spell, only had eyes on her. He studied her face, the soft curve of her jaw, her tight curls of dark honey hair that fell on her shoulders. She smile, a bright light in the night that rivaled the moon's glow.
Johnathon was completely locked in love and earlier in the day, they'd had a tryst in bed. She smirked at him under the strands of light. Her eyes began to twinkle the same color as the bulbs above their head that hung from the Park's tress. She then began to telepathically send him memories of their love making just hours ago in his bed at Tirymor House.
He could still taste her kiss. Smell her skin. She too could almost feel his body on hers the way they were in bed. The passion that flowed through their bodies was like a roaring river crashing down against ridged rocks in powerful bursts.
"Today was...was truly one of the most amazing days I've ever experienced." The mind-controlled Johnathon said.
"You're the amazing one." She whispered over her paper-cup of sweet tea that she purchased at a small vendor's stand.
"I've never felt like this about anyone ever in my whole life Jacqueline." He added. "I've tried to find someone just like you and then when I finally thought it would never happen, especially after what happened with Geneveive, there you were. A beautiful stranger sitting in a pub with the face of an angel and the body of a goddess."
Jacqueline felt the touch of true love in her heart, but she had to shake off that feeling. She knew her love spell was causing him to express his feelings in a way that were more in line with her magic than his true love. But it warmed her heart none the less.
She missed Sebastian so much. This is what she wanted to hear from him and yet she could not even find him with magic and have him returned to her. Johnathon, for now, would have to do.
"There isn't any other place I'd rather be than with you here right now." She replied, lying. "And in our bed as husband and wife." She reminded him.
He leaned over and kissed her passionate. Little children passing by giggled with embarrassment and rushed off laughing while to women snickered at the public show of affection.
Johnathon's bewitched mind could care less. He continued to kiss her like a newlywed man would to his blushing bride.
As they kissed, a person cleared their throat alerting to their arrival. Johnathon and Jacqueline turned to see Celeste standing there with her son Fabian.
"He wanted to come say hello to Uncle Johnny." She said.
"Well, ol'sport! Look at you all dressed up for the festival! Are you ready to celebrate this giant moon we're going to see in a few hours?" Johnathon asked squatting down to be eye-level with his little nephew.
The little boy squeaked with glee.
"Look," Jacqueline began "you can already see it peeking over the kills. It's almost here."
"You've been rather distant lately Johnny. Jacob and Rebecca aren't too happy you haven't been at the office." Celeste said.
Jacqueline shied away and stepped back.
"I've been on my honeymoon." He replied. "I deserve that, don't I?"
"Johnathon, you haven't even been there one day. Before you...." Celeste paused and looked at Jacquline, "got married." She said finishing her thought.
"I love my wife. I want to be with her always. Forever. All the time. I love my wife." Johnatho said almost robotically.
Celeste tilted her head "I know that." She replied finding his response odd. "But you have a responsibility to your family and before Rebecca decides she wants to renege on her promise to you to give you more a viable position at the company. This is what you had been wanting, isn't it?" Celeste pushed.
"He wants it." Jacqueline said. "He wants it because... well, I was going to wait to tell everyone at a different time but perhaps this is the best time to say it."
"Say what?" Celeste wondered.
"I love my wife." Johnathon said again in his bewitched mind.
"I'm having our child." Jacqueline said surprising Celeste and Johnathon alike.
"You're ..." Celeste began.
"Having my baby????" Johnathon replied gleefully.
"I am."
Johnathon jumped in the air like a schoolboy and scooped up his new wife into his arms kissing her all over. Jacqueline's eyes glowed, but only Johnathon could see them. He was trapped, locked in an affair with a woman who did not love him. She was using him for protection. She was using his connection to Sebastian's family to keep herself near the man she truly loved, and Johnathon was the key to unlock that door.
The icy vibe Celeste shot her way at their every interaction signaled that Celeste would do what she could to split them up, no matter how powerful a spell Johnathon was trapped in. A true loving sister would and could break it if she tried hard enough. But a baby-- a baby changed everything.
"I'm early, but I know that I'm having your brother's baby. And I cannot wait for Fabian to have a little cousin." Jacqueline said.
"Come!" Johnathon said grabbing Jacqueline's hand. "Let's tell everyone!"
The two quickly ran off and told every person they encountered at the park that they were newlyweds and were having a child sometime that next year -- a sprig baby.
Jacob walked over to a seething Celeste. He picked up his son who looped his little arms around his father's muscular neck.
"Now what." Jacob grumbled to Celeste.
Staring out into the dimly lit Park with hundreds of celebrating Weslportonians, Celeste told her husband the news. "You're going to be an uncle.... again."
Jacob rolled his eyes.
"What do we do about that?" She asked.
Jacob turned to his wife, he had seen this devious side from her before but never aimed at her own brother Johnathon, but Celeste realized Jacqueline was something else-- she had swept into Johnaton's life and twisted her way into the family for an unknown reason. They had no idea her true motives, but now a child was involved and that would link Johnathon to Jacqueline forever.
"Is this a real question or are you asking me rhetorically? Because I can give you an answer for both." Jacob replied as he cuddled with 5-year-old son in his arms.
"She cannot have his child. I can't allow that. He's not ready." She replied.
"Ah," Jacob replied. "So, you want a real answer. I want you to take tonight and forget about all of this Johnathon business. We'll deal with him after the festival. Enjoy tonight my love because tomorrow is a new day, a new moon and we'll deal with whatever this Jacqueline Grey has done to dear old Johnny. Trust me, I can take care of all of it."
Jacob kissed his wife on the cheek. She remained silent but as he walked away with Fabian, back to where his mother and Caspian were, he left Celeste alone under the group of Beech trees wondering what it was she had just requested of her husband- a man known to murder his own family members.
She might have just made the biggest mistake of her life.
"JACOB WAIT!"
***
Celeste stood alone now under the Beech trees watching her husband go back into the celebrating crowd holding their little boy.
In the brush...something stirred.
It watched Celeste whose mind was occupied with worry over her brother and his new wife. There was movement in the brush behind her. She turned hearing the cracking of branches and crushing of leaves by something clearly large.
"Who's there?" Celeste asked. "Come out! I hear you."
The prowler did nothing but watch in the shadows. Its yellow eyes hidden in the dark.
It was the wolf, Filipe, sniffing the air, hungry for more human flesh.
Celeste slowly walked over to the bushes thinking a child or some random Lord family gawker was watching her and her husband Jacob as they spoke.
She stepped closer and closer to the shadowy bushes under the Beech trees and reached over to pull back some of the brush hoping to see what it was that was watching her so secretly.
She pulled back a fish full of branches and revealed nothing but a hiding raccoon that scurried off into the other side of the brush.
Filipe, the wolf, still hidden to Celeste's right side hid. His psyche would not attack the woman he once loved for over 10 years. Celeste turned and the wolf slowly made his way over to the other side of the park sparing Celeste's life.
***
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| Jacob & Fabian see Donavon & Fátima |
Later that night, walking back into the crowd, Jacob and Fabian ran into a shrouded Fatima and Father Ryan who both grew increasingly worried about the entire situation. Everyone in town was in Village Park, to the hunting wolf, they were sitting ducks awaiting his vicious jaws to rip them all to shreds.
Jacob, ever the keen observer, noticed their nervous demeanor.
"Well, good evening, Father Ryan, I didn't think someone of your stature would grace the Village for such a silly occasion as a full moon." Jacob said turning to the shawl covered Fatima. "And who may I ask is....Oh..."
"Good evening Mr. Lord, and young Fabian, I know you know Ms. Braga." Father Ryan said feeling odd for showing up to the celebration with the town Fortune teller.
"Palm readers at the Full Moon Festival, yes, The perish Preist? No." Jacob joked.
"Fatima is an old friend." Father Ryan noted. "And a parishioner." He added. "We were, uh, at Saint Catherine's and I decided to walk her over."
"Is that so?" Jacob asked clearly detecting a lie. "And how are you finding the night's party Mrs. Braga?"
Fatima did not want to speak but she also wanted to throw Jacob off their clearly nervous energy. The wolf could sense fear but Jacob could sense a lie from a mile away.
Like knew like.
"Charming." Fatima said. "How are your children, Mr. Lord. I haven't seen your Charlotte and the Thorne boy with you in town in a very long time."
Jacob smirked seeing Fatima trying his patience, then lifted a brow "Morgan of course, poor chap, has his own issues dealing with his mother Genevieve’s sudden departure to parts unknown but he's doing nicely. We've all taken to him as one of our own. Actually, I assume he's doing well, of course. He and Charlotte are with her mother. I predict they're well, but of course being a card reader you could have predicted that too? No?"
Fatima scowled at Jacob but before she could snap back at him clear attempt to shake her wits Father Donavon Ryan interrupted.
"Well god bless then." He said.
As the small turner sour, a devilish howl echoed from beyond Village Park and cut through the music like a thunderclap in the sky. There were audible gasps. The band stopped playing. People were startled. Never had they ever heard such a bloodcurdling monstrous sound before. Not from any other native wolf of the Tirymor Forest.
Fatima shot a look at Father Ryan.
"Mr. Lord, enjoy the night, and please be careful." Father Ryan said excusing himself and grabbing Fatima by the arm as they walked off.
"He's coming." Fatima whispered.
Jacob watched them as they walked away and wondered who "he" was.
***
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| Peter, Laurel, Rebecca, Caspian, Aurora & Gregory |
Dr. Ward and his wife Laurel stood at a booth where children were enjoying the company of small goats and lambs. It was a sweet moment in a tense time. Their granddaughter Samantha, just a sweet little 4-year-old child with curly blond hair, could stand being held in Laurel's arms another second with the adorable lambs in front of her.
"Alright, alright, stop wiggling." Laurel said allowing little Samantha some space to pet a lone lamb laying in the booth.
"She's quite beautiful." Caspian said walking up to the Wards with Rebecca.
"Very." Rebecca added.
"Hello." Laurel smiled, surprised to her old friend.
"Are you both enjoying the evening? I was excepting it to be a little cooler but the summer night has proven itself to be quite nice." Dr. Ward said.
"Oh, absolutely wonderful." Caspian added.
Small talk between the four went well. They spoke of the evening and how this special Full Moon Festival was different than the last since it was the first of the summer season. Laurel and Rebecca, two very old friends, joked about their times here at the festival as young ladies. They'd pit boys against each other for their affections and then leave them stranded with neither of the girls choosing any of them to court. The happier times before they were married. Before Rebecca was a Lord. Before Laurel was her handmaid and before the terrible tragedy of little Vivi's death and Rebecca becoming barren.
Happier times were always easier to talk about than the dark days.
But soon, as the happy memories filled their minds, a rain cloud in the form of Constable Gregory Reigns and Aurora Jordan entered the fray.
"Happy full moon." Aurora said, unsure of how to frame the festival as it was her first.
"Mrs. Jordan, Constable! How are you both?" Laurel asked.
"Well, thank you Mrs. Ward." Reigns replied.
Ward stared at Reigns, his mind rushing back to his plot with Nik to find Asha who, they believed, was being held by Reigns somewhere. Ward wanted to confront him, force him to tell them where Asha was. He was furious that he had to stand there and pretend that everything was fine when he knew nothing was fine. Asha was not away somewhere with a sick mother. Asha was being held, somewhere, by Reigns and no one could know the truth until Nik was able to sneak in.
"It's so good of you to come out Mrs. Jordan, I know that things have been rather stressed in the Jordan Household." Caspian said.
Aurora sighed, unsure how to address Caspian-- the man who at one time was possessed by a demon that tricked her mind and made her believe she was making love to Gregory and in turn, got her pregnant. Could she stand there and have small talk with a man she did not trust or even like?
She relented, and for the sake of everyone watching around them, swallowed her pride.
"We're just glad everything is now changing for the better, at least we hope." Aurora said, referencing Evie's return from the grave alive.
"We do too." Caspian answered. "Change for the good is all we can pray for." He added.
"You pray Caspian?" Gregory asked with a hint of sarcasm given Caspian's devilish history.
But before he could answer, Rebecca changed the uncomfortable topic back to Aurora's children, but not before giving Gregory an icy stare.
"I've seen Evie, but not Nikolas, is Dr. Jordan working?" Rebecca asked changing the subject.
"Actually, no I can't seem to--- " Aurora began before being interrupted by Dr. Ward.
"-- Yes! He is."
"Is he?" Reigns asked.
"Yes. Unfortunately, we had to ask him to come in since Dr. Hoffman has left Welshport." Ward said keeping up appearances.
Gregory squirmed.
"Has she? That’s a shame. A young female doctor is such a wonderful push into a diverse future, what a loss for Welshport Hope." Rebecca said.
"Yes, apparently her mother was ill, and she had to rush off to be with her. Isn't that right Constable?" Ward asked, pushing Gregory to keep up his own lie.
"I don't know, if you say so?" Gregory returned.
"Well, I know you too were very good friends, I would have assumed she told you she was leaving. Did she not?" Ward grilled.
"I haven't spoken to Asha in a while, and she doesn't have to tell me when she leaves and when she returns. We're friends but she owes me nothing." Gregory replied with an lifted brow.
"Nik must be very sad she left." Laural added.
"They've gotten so close, and he didn't mention it to me, how odd." Aurora added.
"Perhaps it hurt too much." Rebecca said.
"No, actually, she sent a very strange, typed letter to the hospital explaining her departure which both Nik and I looked over. Very abrupt, in my opinion. Does that sound like something she'd do Constable?" Ward pushed.
"Again, Doctor, I am not her keeper. She is free to do as she likes. I hope her mother is well, that's all."
Ward's eyes narrowed. He knew this was all lies. All of it. But he could not say another word. His wife, Laurel, noticed the odd pushing from her husband but would wait to grill him herself later.
"Yes, I agree, she helped me when the baby was born, and I will forever be grateful for that. I hope her mother gets well soon." Aurora said, Caspian felt his heart sink at mention of the child he helped conceived even if he didn't remember it.
Rebecca looked over at her new husband-- she saw his eyes link with Aurora's at mention of the birth. His eyes were soft, somewhat watery. He was emotional and hurt and Rebecca sensed it. The link, the tie, that bound Caspian and Aurora they all believed did not survived but it had.
The child they all thought died at birth lived-- with Mary on Goode Island, the dark secret Gregory was so adamite in keeping secret and the whole reason Asha was locked away in his house.
"Well, let's all just enjoy the evening. The moon is already half risen, look!" Laurel said pointing to the moon as it was now just about 1/4 of the way directly above them.
Samantha rushed over and they all looked up into the sky with little binoculars telescopes awaiting its full rise.
Gregory, for his part, looked off into the distance into town where he was hiding Asha. Dr. Ward noticed -- and seethed with anger watching the liar stand there and pretend everything was fine.
***
Evie, Matthew, Gabriel and Lucas sat on a blanket towards the center of the park. They were giggling and laughing doing all they could to enjoy the night bundled up together at the festival and pretending to ignore the very eager on-lookers watching their every move.
One onlooker could resist walk up to them... it was Baxter Murphy himself, The Welshport Globe's writer with the poison pen who'd written the awful article blaming Sebastian for the deaths of the two fisher men the night before.
"Mrs. Lord, Mr. Winterborn, good evening, Baxter Murph---" He began before being interrupted.
"We know who you are." Matthew said standing up to Baxter. "What do you want?"
Before Baxter could answer a photographer snapped a picture, leaving Evie and Gabriel seeing spots from the bright flash.
Matthew grabbed the man's camera.
"HEY!!" The photographer barked.
"Matthew, no." Evie said.
"We just want a little quote for the paper, Mrs. Lord, no harm no foul." Baxter replied, grabbing Matthew's arm and pulling it off the camera. "That's Globe property, meaning that Lord property. I would catch a lawsuit so soon after returning from your own watery grave, sir." Baxter added with a snide eye.
Evie wrapped a blanked around the baby and stood up to face Baxter. She stared at him, their eyes locking. He was craving interaction with her. This was his moment, the moment he had been waiting for all this career, a minute of time with someone he'd written about and hopefully she'd give him a little juicy story for his next column.
"I don't know where you get off lying to your readers, Mr. Baxter, but you're doing them all a disservice. Nothing you've written about Sebastian is true, and you know that. He had nothing to do with those deaths and he's not some kind of creature we're hiding somewhere. It's ridiculous. No one believes you." Evie said.
"No one." Matthew added.
"The thing is Mrs. Lord, I think they do believe me. Maybe Sebastian isn't the kind of creature that haunts their dreams at night but we all know something is wrong with him." Baxter replied.
"He's dead Baxter, he's dead." Evie snapped back.
Baxter sniffed and looked around. Everyone in the park near them was staring. The camera man snapped more pictures. He leaned in to Evie, her skin felt as if it were crawling, she could smell the cigarette smoke on his breath "No one believes that." he whispers. "And some day, it'll all come out."
Evie did not reply.
"Get out of here." Matthew said as Lucas stood up and backed up his friend.
They were a wall together, Matthew, Evie and Lucas and Baxter smiled seeing that he'd made his mark and his point. He shrugged off the icy reception they'd given him and handed Evie his card.
"If you'd ever like to clear the air, anytime, just give me a call or come by. You know where I work." Baxter said with a wink. Evie took the card and ripped it up in his face. Baxter smiled and motioned to the photographer to back off as the two went back into the crowed.
Outside the park, still watching every single movement was Filipe the Wolf.
As Baxter walked away, standing with Jacob, Celeste, Lear, Rebecca and Caspian was Cora Taylor: Baxter's sister. She watched as her brother smugly walked around the crowed of Welsportonians and felt her stomach in knots. It was her fault he'd written that about Sebastian. It was all her fault, she thought to herself.
***
 |
| Nik accidentally sets a fire |
As everyone in the village celebrated in Village Park awaiting the hour where the full moon was highest in the sky directly over the island and fireworks would go off, music would play and dancing and libations would continue, Nik Jordan was dipping in and out of cast shadows and sneaking into Gregory Reigns home in hopes to find Asha.
Nik knew that the Constable's office below Gregory's apartment would be open, it always was. He peeked into the glass of the front door and noticed there wasn't anyone in the office.
It was odd. He thought he'd encounter at least one person, but his luck came in. All the other police were in the Village Square at the celebrations.
Nik slid into the office. The floors creaked his every step. He quickly walked over to the staircase that lead up to Gregory's third floor apartment but just before he ran up the fourth step remembered the strange lettering of the typewriter that wrote Asha's goodbye letter.
Nik quickly went back down the staircase and saw that each of the four desks in the office had a typewriter. He went to the first and pull off the top cover to see if the internal key of the letter 'A' was off center.
It was not.
Then the second typewriter -- the same. The letter 'A' was fine.
As were the third and fourth machine.
None of the downstairs typewriters wrote the letter.
Feeling he would find something upstairs, Nik dashed back up the staircase to the third floor and found himself staring at Gregory Reigns door.
He could hear the excitement coming from down in the village. The fun. The happiness. The music.
Inside all he wanted to do was bust the door down and get Asha, if she were there, and take her away.
No matter what she did, how many times she lies, he did care for her deeply and if she were being held captive as he suspected, he wanted to be sure she got out alive.
Nik crouched down and began to pick the lock of the apartment. It took several times but finally the satisfying click of the unlatched lock sounded, and Nik turned the knob and entered the apartment.
He looked around the front room. It was dimly lit by the lantern Gregory had left glowing on a side table. Nik walked slowly and quietly hoping he would find proof that Asha had been there. He searched for a garment of clothes, an extra coffee mug, a piece of forgotten jewelry. Something Anything.
And as he searched, he saw a desk in a dark corner with a typewriter. He rushed over, pulled off the cover and there it was. The off-center letter 'A'.
Proof. Gregory must of written the letter posing as Asha.
Nik knew now, she was there. Somewhere.
As he walked through the front room and over into a small hallway to the back rooms, his right foot hit the leg of the side table with the lantern and the lantern fell over burning slowly on the floor.
Nik did not notice.
He continued on into the house opening doors: A bathroom. A bedroom. A hall closet. Every door he opened he called out for Asha to no response.
At first.
Finally he entered the main bedroom towards the back of the third floor apartment.
The lantern in the living room began to burn more and more. The flames that followed the leaking lamp oil crawled across the burning liquid and caught a carpet. The flames lit up the room and smoke began to fill all around.
"ASHA!?" Nik said in the bedroom, still not noticing the front room was on fire.
Asha heard Nik. She began to struggle. She began to move around on the brass bed and using all the sound her gagged mouth could make to make him hear her in the secret room behind the secret closet door. She rocked her body back in forth on the bed, banged with her shoes on the brass foot board.
Nik felt the walls hearing this. He kept calling for her. Begging her to continue to make noise. He opened the closet. Asha's noises were louder. Nik pulled back all of the clothes hanging on the rod. The scratching of the hangers got louder and louder as he got closer to the secret door. Asha could hear he was close.
She continued to move around and make noise.
Nik saw the door. He felt with his hands to find where to open it, finally, a latch. He pulled it open
Inside Asha on the bed tied and gagged.
"OH MY GOD!!" Nik said, rushing over to her.
Nik began to untie Asha, he untied the and removed the gag and she reached over and hugged and kissed him.
"Oh Nik, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry for everything!" She said crying hysterically.
"Come on, we don't have..." Nik began to say before stopping mid-sentence when he smelled smoke. "Smoke."
Asha sniffed the air "I smell it too."
They both got up from the room and when they went through the secret door inside the closet, the bedroom was filled with thick black smoke from the fire.
"FIRE!!!" Nik shouted.
Nik grabbed a the cover of the bed and threw it over Asha and himself. They quickly made their way through the darkening smoke filled hallway and into the front room the was completely engulfed in flames.
"We can't get out!!" She screamed.
"There must be a back way." Nik shouted over the loud licks of hot flames battering their bodies from the room.
"Its so hot." Asha said.
"Come on!" Nik shouted pulling her towards the burning kitchen. "THERE!" he said, noticing a back door.
"There's too much fire!" Asha shouted.
"We have to..." Nik again began to speak but the fire was so intense in the front room the ceiling began to fall. Beams of wood tumbled from the top, huge amounts of embers filled the adjoining kitchen rushing Asha and Nik's face and body.
"Cover your face!" Nik shouted.
"There's too much!" Asha shouted again, as she started to put out small flames on the blanket covering them with her hand.
"We have to go!" Nik shouted. "Take my hand, and on the count of three throw the blanket and run towards the door.
Asha nodded.
"1....2....3!!!" Nik shouted and as they went to the back kitchen door they leaped over fire from the burning floor catching on to the hem of Asha's dress.
Just as Nik grabbed the kitchen doorknob that led to an exterior staircase to the street, the kitchen ceiling caved in all around them in an avalanche of burning cinders, ash and flames.
