Spirits of the Bayou

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  “Fifteen. She was twenty-eight.”

  “Whoa, was she a neighbor?”

  “You could say that, but not in the way you’re thinking. We both frequented the same streets.”

  “She was a prostitute?”

  “I prefer lady of the night, but yes, she was a pro.”

  “So you paid her for sex?”

  His eyes found hers. “Never.” He stared at the ceiling again as if remembering. “I met Ruby not long after I found myself living on the streets. She teased me. I was painfully shy around her because she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

  “I couldn’t string two words together to form a complete sentence whenever I was in her presence. She told me later she found it cute. Also, I made her feel beautiful because I didn’t see her as a prostitute like most men, but as a woman. I treated her with respect. Something she’d never had. She too grew up on the streets, so we had a lot in common.

  “I was thirteen when we first met and for two years we were just friends. On my fifteenth birthday, she said it was time and took me to bed. She taught me how to make love to a woman and about their needs. We became lovers.”

  “How long did your relationship last?”

  He frowned. “Six months.”

  “What happened?”

  “I was crazy in love with her. I wanted her to quit, told her I’d support her. I was just a stupid kid and she knew it. She told me it wasn’t real love, just infatuation because she was my first lover. I argued that she was wrong, that I would move heaven and earth to make her happy.

  “She took my face in her hands and as tears ran down her cheeks she said quietly, I believe you would. Then she walked out of my life. My heart was broken. I searched the city, but never found her. To this day, I have no idea where she went or what happened to her. I still think of her often.”

  Celestine ran her hand over his chest. “Of course you do, she was your first love. She will always be a special chapter in your life.”

  Luc stopped the progress of her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “Looking back, I’m actually embarrassed by the way I’d acted. I was so naïve, stupid, really. I’ve analyzed that last conversation a million times, wishing I could take it back. We might still be together had I not confessed my love or tried to change her.”

  “No, Luc, you can’t think that way. She was a prostitute and you a young idealist. She left to give you a chance at a better life. A life where you could fall in love with someone your own age, perhaps have a family one day. I think she loved you too and that was her gift to you,” she said.

  “I never thought of it that way. You may be right. I remember the intensity of those feelings and wonder if I’ll ever experience a love like that again.”

  “You will. Nineteen is still young. You have a lot of things to accomplish with your life before you settle down and have a family.”

  “I don’t see children in my future.”

  “That could change, you never know,” she said.

  His face took on a pained expression. “No. I will not pass this burden on by procreating. The turmoil it’s created in my own life I would not wish on even my greatest enemy.”

  “The gift usually skips a generation, so your kids should be fine,” she informed him.

  He shook his head. “It stops here.” He took a deep breath. “What about you? Do you want to marry and have children someday?”

  “No.”

  “Just no? Twenty-two is also too young to make such a definitive statement.”

  “In my case, I know it to be true.”

  He scrunched up his face. “How could you know such a thing?”

  “It was foretold to me. I have many things I will accomplish in this life. I will be a great Voodoo Queen like my ancestor Marie Laveau.”

  “How come everyone in New Orleans claims to be related to Marie Laveau?”

  Celestine sat up. “This is not a claim, but the truth. My full name is Celestine Alberta Glapion. I was named after Celestin Albert Glapion, Marie’s son born in 1809. He too had a son that he named Celestin, he was born in 1842. There is much speculation regarding the disappearance of Celestin the son.

  “Grandmere, whose full name by the way is Arelia Marie Glapion, said that she heard he left his wife and family for a beautiful young woman who was forced to marry a much older man she did not love. It is believed that the husband caught up with them and killed them both.

  “I have heard too from one of my aunts that this is simply not true. That he would never have left his family on purpose, and that he must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and was murdered, his body buried or dumped in a swamp somewhere and never found.”

  Luc smiled. “I stand corrected. You have quite the family tree filled with many secrets and intrigue.”

  She lay back down and cuddled up to him. “That I do. I could tell you stories all night.”

  He put his finger under her chin and raised her head until their eyes met. “I’m sure you could, but I can think of better ways to spend our evening.” He bent down and kissed her passionately. After making love again, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  EIGHTEEN

  When Luc awoke, he found Celestine on top of him, rocking back and forth. “Good morning to you too.”

  “I couldn’t let your morning hard-on go to waste.” Her voice was as smooth as a rose petal.

  He couldn’t help but smile. “By all means, help yourself.”

  “How’s your back?”

  He thought about it. “I don’t feel anything. How can that be?”

  “Old family recipe. It will still take some time for your wounds to heal completely, but at least you won’t have any pain while they do.”

  “You’re amazing in more ways than one.” He reached up and played with her dark pink nipples. He was rewarded when she closed her eyes and her head fell back, a soft moan escaped.

  After making love, she curled into his side.

  “I really should get going, but I don’t have anything to wear. What the hell happened to Jake?”

  She pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the room. He noticed a stack of folded clothes. The shirt looked suspiciously familiar.

  “Where did you get those?”

  “I found them on the porch this morning when I went out to get the newspaper.”

  “Why didn’t he knock?”

  Her head tilted to the side. “Maybe he didn’t want to interrupt us?”

  “That’s ridiculous. He couldn’t know what we were up to in here.”

  “He may be more perceptive than you think,” she said.

  “Maybe,” he said slowly while considering it.

  “Before you get up, let me change your dressings.”

  This time when she slathered the goop on, it didn’t hurt at all. “You know, you ladies could be millionaires if you marketed that stuff.”

  “That goes against all we believe in. One must not use their gifts for self gain, but to help others.”

  “You would be helping others; you’d just be getting paid for it.”

  The look she gave was stern. “There are many ways to be compensated, money is only one.”

  He gave her a quick peck on the lips before he climbed out of bed.

  He began to dress. “Thank you for taking care of me. Maybe next time we could actually eat your fabulous dinner.”

  “I snuck out of bed last night, wrapped it up and stuck it in the fridge. It’s actually better reheated. The spices really blossom. Your mouth will not know what hit it.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Celestine drove him home in her old Volvo. He kissed her and thanked her again. He climbed the porch steps and stopped. A small bone rested on top of a hydrangea bush in the flowerbed below.

  It was just before seven and the house was still. He headed straight to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He decided to forgo a shower so as not to get his bandages wet. He left
the door open. By the time he finished, Jake filled the doorway. “How was your night?” His grin told Luc he knew without asking. Luc ignored the remark.

  “Thanks for the clothes. How come you didn’t knock?”

  Jake leaned against the door. “I did. Several times, but I guess you were otherwise engaged.”

  “Sorry. Was Clara still here when you got home?”

  “Yes, I told her you were eating out with a friend,” Jake said.

  “Thanks.” Luc draped his hand towel over the rod. “Did you see that bone lying in the bushes?”

  “I tossed it there. It was right in front of the door when I got home last night. I think some cat must have left it after eating its dinner.”

  “Did you find any feathers?”

  Jake shook his head. “No. Just the bone.”

  “And when you first saw it, did it look like it was placed there? I mean was it directly in front of the door, or just lying somewhere on the porch?”

  Jake stared at the ceiling as if trying to remember. “Come to think of it, it was right in the middle of the doormat. Why?”

  “That was no accident.” Luc passed Jake and ran down the hall toward the back stairs.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake called after him.

  “I think someone put a curse on us,” Luc shouted over his shoulder as he galloped down the steps. When he got to the kitchen, he picked up the receiver on the wall phone, and slammed it back down. “Shit.”

  “What?” Jake shouted over the banister.

  “I need Celestine’s phone number.”

  “I have the shop’s card in my room. Just a second.” Jake disappeared.

  Luc waited impatiently as he heard Jake’s thundering footfalls running down the hall, then coming back this way. He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was seven-twenty. Clara would be there at eight.

  They didn’t have much time. Then he saw the lower half of Jake’s body appear as he flew down the stairs. He grabbed the banister and jumped to the floor, missing the last four steps, and skidded to a stop in front of Luc, holding out the card.

  “Thanks.” Luc snatched up the phone and dialed quickly. It rang three times before it was answered. Luckily, it was Celestine’s voice that said hello. “We need you over here, it’s an emergency.” He explained about the bone and why it was urgent. That Clara must not know.

  “I’ll grab what I need and be right there.” She hung up.

  They waited for her on the porch in the wide wicker chairs. Her Volvo came to a screeching halt in front of the gate and she appeared with a fabric bag in her hand. She climbed the stairs and stopped in front of them. “Where is it?”

  Luc led her over to the bush and pointed. She took out a lime and sliced it in half with a pocketknife. She squeezed the juice over the bone until it was thoroughly soaked and covered it with salt. Afterward she picked it up and put it in a plastic baggie before she sealed it.

  Celestine addressed Jake. “Don’t ever touch anything left on your doorstep. This means a curse has been put on this house and all who enter.”

  She focused on Luc. “You were right to call me. There will be two more threats, one tonight and another tomorrow night. You are dealing with evil. Like the claw marks on your back, they use the number three to mock the holy trinity. I brought you some limes. Soak the bones with their juice and cover it thoroughly with kosher salt before you touch them.”

  She held out the fabric bag she’d been holding.

  “What’s that?” Luc asked.

  “Salt that’s been blessed. I’m going to circle the house with it.”

  “Clara already did that with brick dust,” Luc informed her.

  “I’m aware of that. This will simply add an extra layer of protection.” She set her things down on a step and disappeared around the side of the house.

  Luc didn’t know what else to do so he sat back down next to Jake. He glanced at his watch and noticed it was five minutes to eight. Clara would be there soon. Unless she decided to stop for groceries first, she was always punctual. He silently prayed this was shopping day. Before long, Celestine appeared.

  “It’s done. I have to get back and prepare to open the shop.” She grabbed her purse before she climbed the porch steps. Luc got out of his chair to meet her halfway. She placed the bag of salt in her purse, and then fished around. When her hand reappeared, she was holding something small that she handed to Jake.

  “This is a gris gris bag. Wear it around your neck. Since you touched the cursed chicken bone, it will protect you. Continue to keep the obsidian rock in your pocket at all times.” She turned toward Luc. He began to lean down and kiss her, but she was all business, so he stopped.

  “I need to make you something very powerful because you’ve been marked. Keep the rooster foot on for now. I’ll let you know when it’s ready. Gotta go.” She galloped down the steps, tossing a wave over her shoulder before she disappeared through the gate. The rumble of the old Volvo filled the otherwise quiet street and she was off.

  Luc heard the back screen door slam. “That was close,” he whispered.

  “Don’t kid yourself. You and I both know Clara is a sensitive. She probably knows something is wrong, just not what it is, so be careful.”

  They entered the house and went to greet Clara.

  “Good morning,” Luc said.

  “How was yur suppa?” Clara asked.

  An image of Celestine’s naked body flashed through his mind before he could answer. “Fine.”

  “Ah, ha, twas wit a lady frien’.”

  “How did you know that?” Luc blurted.

  She chuckled. “Tis written on yur face.”

  “What is?” The idea that she could read his mind horrified him.

  “Chew hesitate before answerin’ an’ blush. Tis all righ’, boy, chew allowed ta keep company wit da opposite sex. Tis good fur young men such as yurself.” She chuckled again.

  “And Jake? Chew have lady friend?”

  “Not me. I’m too busy,” Jake answered.

  “Posh. Not too busy fur love.”

  “Who said anything about love?” Luc said, affronted. “I only just met the girl.”

  “Chew did.” She waved her finger in front of his eyes.

  “I did not,” Luc said firmly.

  “Not in words, but chew reaction say chew have feelin’s fur her. I know chew, Jon-Luc, dere’s something special about dis girl. Do you deny that?”

  Luc stared at Jake, whose brows were raised in question, and then turned back to Clara. He did not feel comfortable talking about his love life like this. “I need to get something from my room.” He left their prying eyes and ran upstairs to his room, shutting the door behind him.

  He pressed his back against the door and slid down to the floor, wrapping his arms around his legs. Images of Celestine filled his head. He couldn’t deny that the night was amazing, or that he didn’t feel different today. But he’d never call it love. That was idiotic.

  He rested his chin on his knees and shut his eyes. He was so tired. He wasn’t sure if it was because of everything that had happened the day before, or the fact that he’d gotten little sleep the night before. He felt a tugging on his hand and opened his eyes to see Charlotte trying to pull him up.

  “What is it now, ma petite?”

  “You have to hurry,” she said urgently.

  “I’m doing all I can. We are working on saving the children. I don’t know what else I can do.”

  “They have another little girl.”

  “That’s not possible,” he said in earnest. “They already have their sacrifice for the month. We have until the full moon.”

  She vehemently shook her head. “No. They took someone else last night.”

  “You must be wrong. The spell only works with one child per full moon. Why take another child now?”

  “The bad lady is scared. She’s afraid you’re going to stop her before she completes the ritual.” She let go of his hand and stomped her fee
t. “You must go now!” she shouted.

  Luc stood. “I’m sorry, Charlotte, but I don’t even know where to look.”

  “You were there yesterday. That’s where she’s keeping her.”

  “I can’t go back there, she’ll kill me.”

  “Yes, you can. Take the police.”

  “And what do I tell them?”

  “Jon-Luc, you must go now!” Charlotte disappeared.

  Luc awoke with a jolt and found himself still sitting on the floor with his back against the door. “Dammit.” He climbed to his feet. He didn’t know where to start. He slipped his hand into his pants pocket and produced the card with Celestine’s number. “I guess that’s as good a place as any.”

  He cracked his bedroom door and listened. He could hear Clara banging pots in the kitchen. He slipped out and tiptoed down the stairs and headed for Frank’s study. He sat behind the desk and picked up the phone. Celestine answered on the first ring. “Hi, it’s Luc.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He relayed the story of Charlotte’s visit. “Is it possible? I mean, you said the spell was with one child per full moon.”

  “Your friend Charlotte could be right. You arriving at her front door must have spooked her. She might be speeding up the timetable. If she’s as powerful as I think, she could rework the spell to fit her needs, but she’d have to move fast. The full moon is only two days away. That means she’d have to complete the rest of the cycle all at once.”

  Luc sucked in a breath. “You mean abduct and kill four more children?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Luc felt helpless. “How the hell am I supposed to stop that?”

  “She may be right about going to the police.”

  That made him furious. “And tell them what? There’s an evil lady practicing black magick in the bayou and she’s sacrificing children in order to make herself younger? How do I know? Because the spirit of a dead girl told me. After they stop laughing, they’ll lock me up in an insane asylum for sure.”

  “You’ll think of something. Look, a customer just walked in. I’ve got to go. Good luck.” The line went dead.

  “Dammit!” He slammed down the phone.

  The door opened and Jake’s face appeared. “What’s up?”