Five Days of Darkness

by Greg Hall

  Modeste hoped that her relationship with the Conjurer wasn’t too broken for her to build Henri a mojo bag.

  Modeste had spent the night collecting the items for the mojo bag. She worried about crossing paths with the slave catcher, but he never showed. Modeste hoped it was because she scared him. She had to dry some of the different roots she had found. She laid them by a smouldering fire. She tore pieces of her suede packing to make a tea-bag sized case. She whispered the words of her protection spell, and hoped the Conjurer still had an ear for her.

  She spent the wee hours of the morning creating the mojo bag for Henri, and when it was done, she placed the spell on the bag.. Once finished, she had every intention of dropping it in the window, but when she left Franklin’s, David and a small mob were already lingering outside of the shack. There was no way she would be able to get close enough to drop it then leave.

  “Now you’re leaving without him?” Franklin asked. His voice startled Modeste.

  Modeste was tired and didn’t feel like talking to Franklin, but she needed one more thing from him.

  “I can only pray this works then,” Modeste said, handing the small bag to Franklin. “You need to get this into the cell for Henri.”

  “What? I can’t get there.”

  “Just drop it in the window. He will assume it’s from me. He needs it.”

  “I’m sorry about last night, Modeste.”

  “It’s fine. Just please drop it.”

  Franklin nodded to her and took the bag.

  “I just… I just need him to get it. Okay?” Modeste pleaded. She could feel the tears building around her eyes. She looked away, but she knew Franklin could tell.

  “I’ll try.”

  Modeste took one last look at Franklin. There was still something bothering her about the previous night.

  “How were you able to stop the mob from pouncing on me last night?” Modeste asked.

  “We have a sort of pact here. Remember when we said that David was the self-proclaimed mayor of Bunkie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, our votes didn’t count, but since we outnumber the white folk, I made a deal with David that if he leaves us alone, we will leave him alone.”

  “You made a deal with the Devil. I see why you were so quick to defend the actions of the slave hunter,” Modeste said with disdain

  “I wasn’t defending him,” Franklin shot back. There was a hint of anguish mixed in. “We want peace. All of us want to be left alone. If our safety depends on forgiveness of what has happened in the past, then I will give it every chance I get.”

  “Forgiveness? We can’t forget what has happened.”

  “And it was twenty years ago.”

  Modeste was taken back by his words. Such a simple justification didn’t make sense to her.

  “And yet you mentioned that if you mob to search for the girl, you might not be coming back.”

  “Safety is never guaranteed when you’re black.”

  Modeste nodded to him, acknowledging their shared experiences.

  “You take care of your family,” Modeste said, then turned away from him.

  Modeste made her way to the platform. She could feel the stares of many as she walked. Among the crowds of watchers was the slave hunter. He watched her from a safe distance, and when their eyes met, he looked away.

  A thumping followed by the sound of pounding footsteps creeped up behind her. Faster and faster the steps came until they were almost behind her. Modeste stopped and braced herself for what was about to happen. She lifted her cane and readied it to hit whoever it was.

  A hand grasped her shoulder, and she spun, as best she could, and tried to strike the stranger. A hand caught the cane, and she almost lost balance.

  “Modeste,” a friendly voice said.

  Modeste looked at Franklin with panicked eyes. He loosened his grip on her cane and made sure she didn’t fall.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m afraid you’re not going to make it too far on your own.”

  “You have to get the bag to Henri.”

  “I will, but right now, you have to make it to the train safely.”

  Franklin walked beside her, keeping his eyes on David and his men. He remained as close as he could to Modeste.

  Modeste felt an immense weight. Walking with her friend gave her a sense of comfort. She realized that she was too hard on Franklin for the deal he had made with the mayor. At this moment, it worked in her favor.

  “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”

  “Modeste, you never have to apologize to me for anything. My son wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you,” Franklin said, grinning ear to ear. “I owe you everything.”

  They arrived at the platform. Modeste knew everyone who was outside was watching them standing there, but she didn’t want to turn to look. She felt safe now that Franklin was with her and she wondered what would have happened had he not been there. The thought was short lived. It was best to leave it alone.

  The train came to a squealing stop beside the platform. Modeste stood at the back, and a few white folks entered the train first. Just as Modeste was about to enter the train, a man dressed entirely in black stepped in front of her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the man asked.

  “To Cheneyville.”

  “That’s fine. But you ain’t going in this car. You go to that one.” The man pointed toward the last car.

  “Sorry,” Modeste said sheepishly.

  She already knew she was supposed to sit in the rear, but she was distracted her byHenri and what was going to happen to him. Her only hope was the mojo bag in Franklin’s hand.

  “Please. Make sure he gets it.”

  “I will. And when this is all over, I want you to come back, you hear?”

  Modeste looked back towards David who was approaching the platform. Their eyes locked. She could feel the intense hate in his stare.

  She broke her gaze. “I don’t think I will be welcomed back.”

  “Don’t worry about him.”

  “Please,” Modeste said, as she glanced back at the bag in his hand. Franklin nodded and stepped back into the crowd. .

  Everyone from the car she had mistakenly tried to enter watched from the windows. A small crowd gathered at the edge of the platform to gawk at Modeste’s interaction. She turned to take one more look at the town, and one last look at her friend. She could see the mojo bag still gripped in Franklin’s hands. She nodded to him, then walked to the last car.

  Inside, there were only a few seats. The stuffing had been ripped out of most backrests, and the seats were just wood planks. It was a three-hour ride, and it would not be a comfortable one. Being the only one in the car, Modeste was able to find the best seat with the most stuffing still attached and sat down. She sat down, placed her cane on the bench beside her and rested her head against the window. The cold glass felt nice on her forehead.

  The crowd outside had begun to disperse. Modeste looked towards the shack that housed her travel companion. She watched Franklin walk over toward the building. There was still a small mob outside of the shack, but the side with the window seemed to be clear. She hoped that Franklin could use this opportunity to give Henri the bag.

  The train horn blew, and shuttered into motion. There was no turning back now. She was on this journey on her own.

  Henri was on his own.

  28

  Henri could hear the muffled sounds of men outside the door.

  They had been out there for several hours now, but none bothered to come in. The suspense was adding insult to his injuries. Henri was tired, weak, and near broken. Even if he wanted to escape, he doubted he would make it far. At this point, all he could hope for was a quick death.

  A bag fell from the window, smacked him on the head, and landed softly on the hay beside him. The small pouch was made of burlap with a tied rope at the top. He reached over and felt the weight of the little bag. Judging by
the weight and feel, and the throbbing in his head, Henri figured there were rocks inside.

  “Modeste?” Henri called out.

  “No, it’s Franklin. Modeste is gone. On her way to Cheneyville.”

  He was happy to hear that Modeste made it out safely but saddened that she had to continue on alone.

  “Good,” Henri called out. “What did you throw at me?”

  “Modeste said to make sure you got it.”

  “Do you know what it is?”

  “If I know Modeste, it’s something to help you. Maybe it’s to make peace.”

  “I’ve made my peace,” Henri said aloud, but only enough for himself to hear.

  “She admires you.”

  “I admire her,” Henri claimed.

  “Then you should have listened to her,” Franklin said.

  “I don’t need a lecture. Thank you. I know that I should have listened to her. It’s all I’ve thought since finding the shack,” Henri said. It was true. He played the previous night over and over in his mind. How stupid he was to use a slave catcher to help him search. How he didn’t see that his choice would impact the ones he cared about. How if he could go back, he would have never put either of them in harm’s way. He thought about how he had ignored Modeste’s presence in Morrow for the six months she was in town and how their lives to this point could have been different if he had just looked past his prejudices—if he just didn’t have any biases at all. He saw her as a witch, and that was enough to decide that he didn’t want to know her. Little did he know how selfless, smart, and determined she was. All qualities he respected.

  As his thoughts continued to race, he didn’t notice that David had entered the building. He stood taut and avoided eye contact with Henri. It wasn’t the same angered individual who sat across from him the night before. After a few awkward silent moments, David finally reached for a wooden stool and sat down across from Henri.

  “We shoulda hanged ya last night,” David said, still avoiding eye contact.

  Henri tried to guess where this conversation was going, but he came up with nothing. His hand still gripped on the bag, and he wanted to hide it from David, in case he tried to take it from him. But he didn’t want to make any sudden movements

  “I didn’t kill the girl.”

  “You have some friends in high places,” David said, ignoring Henri’s statement.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “A messenger arrived a few minutes ago. Brought a letter from the Sheriff claiming your innocence,” David stared down at Henri. His eyes burned into him.

  “How?” Henri asked, but it was meant to be said quietly. He couldn’t explain what or how it happened, but it happened, and now it felt like the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. Modeste’s mojo bag still gripped tight in his hands; he lifted out his hands so David could unlock the shackles.

  “But… I thought about it, and I don’t like the Sheriff’s opinion.”

  “You just said he claimed my innocence.”

  “That is what it said,” David said, and Henri watched as David’s face went from anguish to delight. The expression sent a shiver down Henri’s spine. “But I came up with, let’s call it, an alternate plan.”

  “You that I never killed anyone. The Sheriff is backing me up.”

  “And I don’t know how you sent word to the Sheriff, and I don’t know how he got his word back here so quickly. Your partner has already left, and I can only assume she had something to do with it. I shoulda hanged both of you.”

  “You can’t hang me! I’m innocent,” Henri pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.

  David raised himself up on a stool. He crouched down, just out of Henri’s reach. There was a rage behind his eyes that said he had been waiting to kill someone. And at this point, anyone would do. David was unhinged.

  “I’m going to send a message back. It’s going to be an apology. I’m going to tell the Sheriff his message arrived too late, and Father Henri Joffre has already been hanged,” David said, letting out a maniacal laugh.

  That was it. Henri’s fate was sealed. One last-ditch effort and the fleeting moment of hope had passed. Henri finally broke down. It wasn’t tears, but more of an angered cry. The piercing sound stopped David’s laugh. It caused David to step back a couple of steps. It only lasted a moment before David knocked Henri across the face. The impact silenced Henri. It was just more pain for Henri to deal with before having his life taken from him.

  “That’s not goin’ to happen, David,” Franklin called in through the window.

  Henri was just as surprised as David, yet David appeared to be more alarmed by the absent voice on the other side of the wall. Henri assumed that once David entered that Franklin would have left. It brought a moment of reprieve that someone had heard their conversation, and at least one other person knew Henri was innocent.

  Franklin lifted himself to the four foot window and stared down over the pair below.

  “This doesn’t involve you,” David called out.

  “Hanging an innocent man in Bunkie involves the entire town. You release him now, or I’ll tell everyone that David, the self-proposed mayor of Bunkie, hanged an innocent stranger in our town. A priest, no less.”

  Henri watched the range of emotions pass through David like a spinning wheel. His face showed shock, anger, contempt, and finally acceptance. David reached into his pocket and fumbled for the keys. He reluctantly unlocked the shackles from Henri’s wrist. He remained a few inches from Henri’s face in one last-ditch effort to intimidate the priest.

  “You leave. You never come back. You hear?”

  Henri didn’t respond. He didn’t want to communicate anymore with the man who had almost taken his life. He was quick to his feet. Too fast that the pain shot through his back and radiated down his leg. He was in no shape to run.

  Outside, Henri wrapped his arms around Franklin. The gesture brought a mix of smiles and glares from different people. It was a gesture Franklin wasn’t keen on, but Henri didn’t care. At that moment, it was all he wanted to do. Henri wanted to hug the man who saved his life. As Henri freed Franklin from the hug, he didn’t realize he still held the mojo bag that Modeste had left for him. He wondered if that little gift was what set the whole plan in motion.

  Henri’s joy didn’t last long, as he remembered that the train only came once a day. He had no way to get to Cheneyville. It meant that no matter what, Modeste was going to be alone in Cheneyville. There was nothing he could do until tomorrow.

  Modeste was going to be alone with the monster.

  Although Henri was only behind bars for a short time, he never realized how incredible freedom felt. It wasn’t something that had crossed his mind ever. It was such a simple concept, but less than a few hours ago, it was all taken from him.

  He held onto the mojo bag. He didn’t want to open it. He figured if Modeste had given it to him this way, it was meant to be kept in this specific manner. A small part of him was still skeptical about her beliefs and what she could be capable of, so he remained a bit wary of the bag. He wasn’t quite sure what was in the bag, and thought that it might contain illicit material.

  As Henri slowly walked toward the train station, he reflected on the last few hours. He sat on the platform, waiting for the next train. It wasn’t supposed to arrive until the next day, but Henri had no other option. He couldn’t help but think about the troubles Modeste could face spending the night in Cheneyville by herself. And it wasn’t just the monster, there were other monstrous people they had met along the way, and any one of them could cause similar issues with Modeste. He needed to know that she would remain safe, but as long as he was trapped in Bunkie, there was nothing else he could do.

  “You’re going to be waiting a while for the next train,” Franklin said from behind Henri.

  “I don’t have any other options.”

  Franklin approached and took a seat beside Henri. Henri could feel Franklin staring him up and down. He co
uldn’t help but wonder how Franklin looked at the stranger who disrupted the town.

  “You love her?” Franklin asked.

  “I’m not sure what I feel. I just know I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

  “And do you think about her?”

  “All the time.”

  “My friend, I think you love her,” Franklin said with a grin. “And I think she loves you too.”

  Henri held a coy grin for a moment, but it faltered as he remembered the predicament they were in.

  “None of it matters if I can’t get to her.”

  “You’ll get there. I need to know something. How did the Sheriff’s letter get here so fast?” Franklin asked.

  “I have no idea,” Henri said, then held up the mojo bag, “but I think it has something to do with this.”

  Franklin took a small knapsack and handed it to Henri. “Here, take this.”

  Henri hesitantly opened it. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find, but he thought that maybe it wasn’t something he would want to see.

  Inside was a wrapped loaf of bread. There was a small sack of berries and a corked water carrier. In a small compartment was a pack of crushed nuts.

  “What is all this?”

  “It’s nine miles to Cheneyville. Follow the tracks, and you should be there by nightfall,” Franklin said.

  Henri had thought about walking it, but it wasn’t a thought that lasted long in his current condition. The supplies helped, being that he hadn’t eaten anything since the previous night’s festivities. As he looked over the contents of the bag, his stomach rumbled.

  “I suggest you leave now; that way, you’ll be sure to make it by nightfall. You know as well as anyone that there are monsters out there at night.”

  Henri knew all too well.

  Franklin was right. It was a trek that Henri needed to make. He couldn’t leave Modeste on her own to fight off the bloodsucker. That was the first time he had thought about the monster by the name Modeste had given it. He smiled to himself. She had even made more of an impact than he had realized.

  “You’re right. I have to go,” Henri said as he stood. “Thank you for everything. I’m sorry that—”