Awaken_A Rose Caldwell Tale

by JM Bannon

  The women Rose had seen earlier were still battling the other two imps, each trying to find an opening to subdue the other. Rose went to aid of the nearest woman whose hands were around the neck of the imp. Even though she was clearly squeezing tightly the imp was still trying to gouge her with its hind claws. The claws on the creature’s hands were dug into the meat of the woman’s upper arms and she was having difficulty keeping the creature at bay. Rose grabbed for its legs as the woman’s arms grew weaker and the creature’s jaws moved closer to her throat. As Rose grasped its ankles, the creature sunk its teeth into the woman’s collar bone. She let out a shriek of pain and relaxed her grip on the creature. Rose pulled on the creature, but it only made the creature clench its teeth harder.

  Rose was aware of Father Barnard passing her and his shout as he struck the creature struggling with the other woman with his fist in which was clasped a silver crucifix. That creature released its grip on the woman’s right arm in which its teeth were firmly fixed and screeched as it flew down the hallway with the force of not just the blow but of the holy object in the priest’s hand.

  Rose could not make the imp she held let go of the woman and was having a hard time stopping its squirming form from escaping her grasp. She turned to Barnard and called for his help.

  He was quickly at her side and struck the creature between the eyes with the cross he held. It shrieked in agony and as its teeth and claws relaxed their grip on the woman Rose pulled it clear and flung it into the smoke-filled room.

  The two women had sunk to the floor, their wounds trickling blood their pain obvious. The creature returned to view, from the room, its eyes now glowing red with an inner fire. From behind them came a growl as the imp Barnard had first struck moved towards them,

  The door to the alleyway opened wider and Mrs. Weber stepped into the hall. She was speaking in language that Rose did not fully understand, some words she recognized but for the main part the language was new to her. Mrs. Weber threw out her hands wide as she finished speaking and both imps turned to look at her.

  From out of the smoke that had begun to fill the hallway but was now being pushed back by the draught from the open back door, emerged the wolf of Rose’s dreams.

  The animal was enormous, as tall as a pony, and round its black furred form a faint blue nimbus shimmered. Its jaws closed on the head of the first imp and with a quick flick of its head the imp fell limp as its neck broke. It dropped the imp and brushed past Rose and the priest, and its jaws closed on the head of the second imp as it made for the cellar steps in an attempt to flee. There was a loud crunch and that imp too hung limp in its jaws.

  It turned to look at them its golden eyed gaze steady and knowing the padded past them back to the room from which it had emerged and dropped its burden next to the first body. It then closed its mouth around the two imps and stepped into the smoke. The smoke was drawn after it and the air cleared. Rose and Father Barnard got to the doorway just in time to see the wolf step into the flames in the fireplace and it fade from view. The smoke, flames, scroll and imps disappeared along with the wolf as if they had never been.

  Mrs. Weber spoke from behind them. “You have been privileged to see the Mother”

  They turned to her and Rose opened her mouth to question her when a shriek of despair came from the cellar.

  Mr. Cooper, she had forgotten him. She pushed past Mrs. Weber and hurried down the steps to the room below.

  She could not help the cry of shock that escaped her lips at the sight of Mr. Cooper Her friend and mentor was sprawled on the couch mouth twisted in a rictus of pain, eyes staring and unseeing. His shirt had torn open as his stomach had expanded and was now bloated with knobs of growths beneath the taut skin as if he was nine months pregnant.

  Rose turned away then her sadly made her way up the steps.

  In the hallway, Mrs. Weber and Father Barnard were attending to the wounds of the two injured women. The bleeding was slowing but they were both clearly in pain and in need of medical assistance.

  Rose’s mind was full of questions for Mrs. Weber, but it was she who spoke first.

  “Rose, be a dear and go to the corner of the street, you should find Mrs. Belkin there we have need of her skills and knowledge.” Rose was not surprised to find out that the doctor’s wife also had the necessary understanding of medicine to be able to help the injured women.

  Mrs. Belkin was indeed concealed in the shadows at the corner of the street and they swiftly returned to the bookshop where the doctor’s wife immediately began treating the worst of the wounds with salves and bandages she took from the satchel with her.

  Father Barnard came and stood next to Rose, his aid no longer needed.

  “I assume that is the relic?” he nodded to the skull clasped tightly in Rose’s arms.

  “What of Cooper?”

  Rose grimaced as she replied. “He is dead, his cancer returned to his body as those creatures died. I think we shall find the children returned to good health again in the morning.”

  Mrs. Weber joined them, and Rose asked the question foremost in her mind.

  “I am most grateful for your help Mrs. Weber, but how did you and the others know where to come?”

  Mrs. Weber gave a little laugh, “Rose, the entire sisterhood has been on the lookout for you since the attack on Glynnis, we were not sure if you were behind it, you were the last person to speak to her, we know that much from Haines.

  When you left the convent tonight we followed you, I must say you led us a merry dance through town. We had a difficult time remaining unseen.

  We were fortunate that the Morrighan responded so quickly to my prayer, she must have been close to our world already.”

  “The Morrighan?” queried Father Barnard

  “The wolf, it was that aspect the Mother chose to use,” Mrs. Weber said simply.

  The priest nodded but said no more.

  “How is Mrs. Culpepper?” asked Rose

  “She will recover in time, I fear she may never be her true self again and we will need to choose a new leader, but she will live!”

  “Now you should get away from here, both of you, we have things under control”

  “What about Mr. Cooper?”

  “He was an ailing old man; his time had come!”

  Chapter Seventeen: Monday, October 4, 1852

  1:30 PM, The Culpepper Estate

  Rose entered the bedroom of Glynnis Culpepper. She was resting in a massive four poster bed and the woman whose collar bone had been bitten by the imp was sitting by the window looking out. She stood as Rose entered.

  “Did I thank you for saving my life the other night?” said Rose.

  “I think it was the other way around,” the woman responded, smiling.

  “You know, I never got your name,”

  “Agnes, it’s Agnes Whiteside”

  “Are you related to Glynnis?”

  “Her sister in both the sisterhood and also her sister in law, my brother was Glynnis’s husband,” explained Agnes.

  “Enough chatting over there,” scolded Glynnis. Her speech was slightly slurred.

  Rose came over and sat on the edge of her bed. Glynnis' head was bandaged and her left eye covered, “How do you feel?”

  “Better every day. Agnes has told me of your adventures and your discovery of Mr. Cooper as the one behind the destruction of our defenses,”

  Rose sighed, thinking of how much the man had taught her and come to mean to her.

  “I cannot help but feel it is my fault that helping me was what led him into danger and his death!”

  “Nonsense girl! You two had a friendship that he betrayed. He helped you find your gift and for that you should give thanks. Without it we might all be very much in trouble! His misguided venture should not tarnish what you have learned from him,” said Glynnis.

  “He was always willing to listen, he never laughed or discounted my dreams, instead he gave me a way to learn more. I have to say that year I was lea
rning with him was that happiest I had been, the most complete I had ever felt,” Rose said wistfully.

  “I would like for you to join Agnes and I, to become our sister and be part of the sisterhood of the Morrighan. It would be our honor to be your sister,” offered Glynnis. Agnes nodded.

  “I wouldn’t think of leaving the convent, I have made vows before God,” declared Rose.

  “And I would never ask you to break those vows. Don’t you see the circle that you complete? You are Garwen returned. That is why you have had visions of her life. Just as she was both a Christian and a follower of the old ways, you shall be the same,” said Glynnis fervently as she took Rose’s hand.

  Rose grasped the woman’s hand and squeezed it gently.

  “I am not sure of anything anymore. The order is still in an uproar at the loss of the relic. I do not believe Father Barnard has said anything directly to the Bishop or the Mother Superior about the events in Mr. Coopers shop, or how we found the relic, or that I have it hidden, but I know that he will have to make a full report to the Curia in Rome.”

  “You may be surprised at their reaction Rose, the church in Rome has many secrets hidden away in its own cellars! Of course, falling under the gaze of the Inquisition in any way is not always a good idea but there is nothing we can do about that!”

  Rose smiled at the woman’s confidence. “I hope you are right Glynnis.”

  She gently pulled her hand from the woman’s grasp and stood up, she felt the need to move about. She walked to the foot of the bed and turned her hand on the intricately carved post.

  “I am torn between my love of Christ and the church and this new way of seeing the world and its mysteries! Mr. Cooper taught me so much he taught me how to inquire. How to to follow a chain of questions to the answer I sought or to at least come to some understanding. I owe him so much and yet I feel his gift may be tainted by my knowledge of Marbas. That he may have influenced me as well as poor James.”

  “You can stop that nonsense right away my girl! Glynnis’s voice was ascerbic.

  Yours is a gift that is given by the Gods not by a creature from hell. You must never think that. You are here to fight evil you are not evil!”

  “Thank you, I have learnt from you too, and I know there is much more I could learn from you, but at this moment in time I need to resolve the conflict in me, to find a way to balance these feelings and powers. Does that make any kind of sense?”

  “Perfect sense my dear. Just remember that the sisterhood is here whenever you need us and will welcome you with open arms into its circle.

  “I appreciate your kindness and will keep you all close to my heart. But for now, I have to get over to the Watts to check on the children. Since the imps were killed, the children have been on the mend. I just want to make sure that they don’t take a turn for the worse.” Rose explained as she made to leave.

  “Cooper had performed a minor summoning and indentured the souls of the children to the spirits of the imps. Quite ingenious, as it created a way for him to link the monsters to their souls and then transfer his ailments to the children,” added Agnes.

  “I don’t understand how he gained access to the children though?” said Rose.

  “We made enquiries around the town, discreetly of course. He was a favorite of the children, he used to keep a sweet jar on the counter and gave them out when children came to the shop with their parents. We think the children were given a sweet that had been mixed with certain herbs necessary for the linkage. The sweet taste would have helped disguise the herbs flavor.” Agnes explained.

  “Did they find out who attacked you?”

  “It was Cooper. He wasn’t able to get you to thwart our work, so he took it upon himself to try and take down the inner ring. What puzzles me is what stopped him after he attacked me,” Said Glynis.

  Rose sighed and shook her head, then gave the two women a small smile. “I must go”

  “Agnes, have the driver take Rose to where she needs to go,” instructed Glynnis.

  “Thank you, Glynnis and you too Agnes.

  Chapter Eighteen: Sunday, October 24, 1852

  8:40 AM, The Mother Superior’s Office

  Rose once again found herself waiting on the bench outside Sister Maria’s office; she was again unsure of why she had been called before her superior.

  Beatrix looked over to her and spoke, “I saw the letter from the Diocese. She has been in a fit since she read it."

  Rose knew this day would come. She had put it into motion, after all.

  The door opened, and the Mother Superior called her in. Rose got up and slowly walked through the doorway, noting Sister Maria was already waddling back to her seat. Not even the courtesy of waiting by the door to welcome her in.

  Rose stood before the desk she assumed she wouldn’t be offered a chair.

  The Mother Superior looked down at the letter on her desk and sighed. She looked up at Rose.

  “When you first came to the convent I knew in my bones that you would follow a strange path through the church. It seems to have started! Do you know what this letter contains?”

  Rose shook her head though her thoughts ran to her soon and rapid departure from the church.

  “It is from the Curia in Rome, from Father Barnard’s superior in fact. He has also written to the Bishop and I expect to hear from him soon as well!” The Mother Superior’s voice was sharp. Cardinal Alberto has read Father Barnard’s report on his investigation of the death of Sister Madeline in which Father Barnard has concluded from the tunnel he found in the cellar and the scratches on Sister Madeline’s neck, that a cat or some such animal had made its way into the convent and surprised Madeline who fell backwards and sadly broke her neck. An unfortunate accident.”

  Rose noted to herself, that there was no mention of the relic disappearing or how a cat broke the lock on the heavy cellar trap door and lifted it.

  “The letter also recommends that you leave the convent…” Rose’s heart sank at the words and she felt tears in her eyes.

  “Leave the convent and go to the convent of St Mary the Virgin in the diocese of Westminster in London.”

  Rose’s head whipped up and she stared at the Mother Superior in disbelief.

  “That convent is I understand an open order where you may mingle freely with those outside the order. It seems that you are to be given further training and teaching by the Jesuits! I have to say that I am at a loss to understand the reasoning behind this, but it is not my place to question it. You are to leave at the end of the month and your necessary expenses for the trip will be paid for by Rome. Now I suggest you go and say a prayer to our lord for this opportunity then you may go and inform your family.”

  Bonus Chapter: Monday the 8th of November, 1852

  This chapter is only included in the direct purchase books.

  8:20 PM, The Culpepper Estate

  The glass house was humid and had a deep earthy smell. The circular building was separate from the Culpepper estate house, south of the garden. At the center of the greenhouse was a low stone pond it was not circular but ten-sided with a fountain at the center of the pond gurgling out water. The greenhouse allowed Mrs. Culpepper to grow exotic plants unseen in this part of the world.

  Glynis took her garden shears and snipped off the bloom of the floating blue lotus that was in the middle of the lily pad. Below she could see the shadows of the Koi fish in the pond. As it was the night the flower was closed, better to contain its mystical properties. Her gloved hand gently placed the flower in her basket along with other cuttings she had taken from the greenhouse.

  At the door, she set down the basket on a bench, removed her gardening gloves placing them in a box on the bench. She removed her apron tenderly over her head. The wound sustained at Potter’s End still smarted and her vision in her left eye was all but gone. she hung the apron on the hook next to her coat, then donned her coat to protect against the chill between the greenhouse and the main house.

  S
he still wasn’t feeling up to snuff after the attack and had been warned by Dr. Belkin to be careful this winter and protect her weakened constitution from the elements.

  Once in the house, she unbundled. Haines helped her with her coat, while the housemaid took the basket down to her apothecary. The hidden room where Glynis did her research.

  She wore a fitted white top with a long sleeve and collar the skirt a lush green fabric was floor length fitted with a small bustle. She said nothing to the housemaid as she entered the apothecary, she just stepped aside to let the maid up the stone stairs. Once she heard the door shut upstairs she began her work mashing and muddling tinctures and herbs in the large bowl before the mirror. With the addition of a liquid, the mush began to produce a vapor, not smoke, not steam; something else.

  Glynis began muttering the secret language of the druid sorority. Upon completion she gently placed the blue lotus in the bowl, the flower opened, and the weird mist took on luminescent indigo color and wafted toward the mirror. Glynis was familiar with the effect, but a bystander would swear the fumes were being absorbed by the mirror. Glynis knew they were going through the Mirror out into the aether. They would call her contact on the other side.

  Glynis began to see the form take shape. One of the Ten, the one that she had been in communion with for years. Glynis was certain it was a female from her bare breasts and a human shape but that is where the similarity ended. Her counterpart had four arms and skin a deeper blue than the hue of the lotus flower. The surface of her skin was traced with intricate tattoos that looked as if they were done in quicksilver. Her visage was fierce, and she had three eye red in color with the third eye in the middle of her forehead. Her form changed shape sometimes appearing as if she had multiple faces or heads. Glynis understood the inspiration of the ancient Hindu cults when depicting their gods.