by The Abbotts
“Maybe, I can get him to invite you to his ranch, one day when he’s not working.” She offered kindly and they nodded agreement.
She hugged them both and saw them walk away towards the car. For a brief second, she wondered if she had done the right thing, severing all her chords with home and then, she thought of Lucien and knew that all would be right!
Lucien smiled knowingly, when he saw her standing beside Zack in the wings of the theatre and he strolled over and kissed her. “I knew that you would come!” he said in an exalted voice. She looked so fresh and young in a yellow dress that accentuated her fair beauty.
Then he returned to his rehearsal. Suddenly a heavy weight fell from the ceiling and just missed him by inches. His green eyes flashed heavenward and the next moment, a teenage boy fell heavily with a scream to the floor. Everybody stood stunned.
Ashley ran over and knelt beside the prone boy. His leg was at an odd angle and she realized that it was broken.
“We must get an ambulance quick!” she said staring up at Lucien who looked undisturbed. Then he relented and walked towards the kneeling girl and prone boy.
“No need! I will heal him!” he said softly and knelt and put his two hands on the boy’s hip and leg. A glow came around Lucien and everyone present held their collective breath. Then the boy’s leg snapped back into place and looked whole again.
“Hey, it’s okay now!” said the boy who stood up and walked around a little. “I’m sorry about the weight falling, Lucien. I’m such a clumsy devil!”
Lucien nodded and strode away with Ashley running behind him. She caught up to him and took his hand, but she saw him flinch and she dropped it.
“You have incredible healing powers, Lucien! You should show the world! Why you could heal people on stage and attract even more followers!” her eyes were bright with ideas.
“And sap my own powers! I think not!” he muttered and she looked surprised. “Perhaps, I will do some special cases, just for you, sweet Ashley!” He did not want to lose her adulation.
“Maybe, you could choose them for me and I will heal several on stage each show. Can you do that?” he smiled at her and she nodded eagerly.
“Yes, you’re just like a saint or Jesus or something!” she said looking at him adoringly. But instead, he looked affronted and walked away and she had to hurry after him again. It was difficult being with a genius, but she would try to please him, if she could!
Later, she was given a room in his luxury hotel suite. It was small, but well appointed and she was happy merely to be near him and his entourage. Later, she sat alone with him, as he talked of going to his ranch in Butte County after the concert. He played with her golden hair and seemed bemused by her adulation. He inspected her new tattoo and laughed.
“Do you want to see the original?” he asked her and pulled up his shirtsleeve. There, she saw a small but distinct birthmark with the familiar inverted cross and circle in white against his bronze skin.
“Does it really mean Lucien and Love, as you spoke about, on stage?’ she asked him shyly, as she traced the strange pattern.
“It means, what you want it to mean!” he laughed coldly.
Just then, the tall, blonde model Alexis strode into the room and saw the two sitting on the sofa. Her blue eyes gleamed with anger.
“Who is this slut!” she screamed and went to strike Ashley.
“Leave her alone! She is my new lover, my future bride!” Lucien answered coldly. “Pack your things, Alexis and leave! Your time is over!”
The older woman looked shocked, but she drew herself up haughtily and said, “You will regret this Lucien. I know more about you then you believe! I will drag your name through the mud with the press and everyone will know your nasty, little secrets!” And she strode from the room. They heard her sobs, as she packed he clothes and swept through the rooms, to the exit.
“Leave me!” he said moodily to Ashley and she quietly stole away, feeling a little guilty. She hadn’t wanted to hurt the blonde, but she just knew that she was meant to be with Lucien. Wasn’t all fair, in love and war?
Alexis got into her car and began to drive away, tears still running down her cheeks. After a few miles, the motor suddenly accelerated and she found the car speeding through the streets. She tried the brakes, but they didn’t work and she looked very frightened.
Suddenly the car veered towards a stone-wall and the steering wheel seemed frozen. She pulled on the handbrake and crossed her arms over her beautiful face. There was a resounding crash and as the car’s air bags inflated, she lost consciousness.
***
Meanwhile, Kate had come home, to spend a celebratory meal with Ashley. She had bought a pizza and a sponge cake and set the table with the best crockery. She was surprised to find the house empty, but reasoned that after the curfew of the last six weeks, Ashley would probably be celebrated her regained freedom with Sarah and her friends.
However, by nine o’clock, she became worried and rang the Wilkins’ home. Sarah answered and sounded quite flustered and refused to say where Ashley was, which upset Kate. She demanded to speak to Sarah’s mother and the tired woman listened, put down the receiver, went away for a few minutes to question Sarah and then she returned.
“I’m sorry Kate, she told me that Ashley’s run away to be with that Lucien fellow. They drove her to Pierre and he’s staying at a hotel, there. I can’t believe Sarah would do that! She’s always been such a good girl!” lamented Mrs. Wilkins.
“They’ve all had their heads turned by that Lucien!” groaned Kate. Then she hastily thanked her and hung up.
Just then, the phone rang and she picked it up tentatively, perhaps it was Ashley ringing to say that she wanted to come home, but instead it was her boss, Dan. She told him what had happened and he instantly offered to drive her to Pierre, an hour and a half away.
She sighed with relief. “I can’t always be depending on you to help, Dan” she said with a sob “but I’m oh, so grateful that you can help!”
He soon turned up in his car and she ran outside and joined him. They discussed the matter, as they drove along and Kate noticed how she had come to depend on Dan’s good common sense and caring manner. At one point, he leant over and took her hand in his and squeezed them reassuringly and she was surprised how comfortable and right, it felt.
Dan had been in love with Kate, since he had first hired her as a sales woman, not long after she was newly widowed and he had watched her deal with her problems and raising Ashley, with admiring eyes.
He had not wanted to frighten the young, grieving widow by making romantic overtures and then somehow, he had left it too late and they had just become friendly workmates. Perhaps, now she was finally over Joseph’s death, she could consider a future with him? If only they could solve this immediate problem with Ashley, maybe then, he would have a chance!
By the time they reached Pierre, the concert Hall was dark and empty and they sat in the car discussing their next move. They decided to call all of the larger hotels and see, if Lucien’s entourage was staying there. It took some time, but at last, they found a hotel night-staff member who reluctantly confirmed that Lucien was staying there. But the same man refused to forward any phone calls to his luxury suite.
“We’ll have to go there and book in and try to find Ashley ourselves!” Kate reasoned and Dan agreed. So they proceeded to the large hotel and registered, as Mr. and Mrs. Frost which made Kate blush slightly.
They freshened up in the hotel room and then began to prowl the hotel corridors. They heard loud music coming from the rooms above and found that it was the presidential suite and that it was only accessible, from a private locked elevator.
“Let’s go back and have a nap in our room and then, be ready to confront Ashley, when she leaves in the morning!” advised Dan, while Kate who would have sat stubbornly by the exit all night, reluctantly agreed.
They set the alarm for six o’clock and then each lay down on the soft twin beds, f
ully clothed and drifted off to sleep. Dan sighed; he had often dreamed of sharing a bedroom with his beautiful Kate, but not quite like this!
In the morning, the alarm woke them and they took turns to watch the elevator door, while the other showered and had breakfast. There were no stirrings from the presidential suite until ten o’clock, when several band members exited carrying their hand luggage and their guitars.
Kate heard one of them say that Lucien would be down in a few minutes and she and Dan waited expectantly. Finally, they heard loud voices, one of which sounded like Ashley and the two adults stood ready to spring.
Kate saw Ashley holding on to the arm of the infamous Lucien with an adoring smile on her face. He looked a little bored and surly. He frowned when he saw them standing there and mistakenly took them for older fans.
However, Ashley turned white and exclaimed, “Mom!” before hiding behind Lucien’s back.
“Ashley, you must come home with me now!” pleaded her mother with tears in her grey eyes.
But Ashley merely groaned and asked Lucien to help her. Suddenly his green eyes gleamed and a strange white mist began to fill the room. It enveloped them all and it was soon impossible to see, anything more than six inches away. Kate and Dan felt as if they were both suffocating and sank to the floor. The strange mist seemed to sap their strength.
They heard running footsteps and then silence. The mist gradually dispersed and they found themselves alone, lying on the carpeted floor.
“Oh my god, what was that?” exclaimed Kate. “And where’s Ashley?” She and Lucien had made their escape and when the worried adults later searched the hotel car park, they found that the entire entourage had left, ten minutes ago to an unknown destination.
They went back to their hotel room and Kate cried hopelessly, for a few minutes. Dan held her in his strong arms. They discussed the strange mist and how time seemed to be suspended for a while, but they could not make any sense of it.
“I’ve heard that he is supposed to have strong psychic powers, but I thought that it was just publicity hype!” murmured Kate despairing. “How will we ever get Ashley back from him? He must have enchanted her, somehow!”
“Don’t give up too soon, Kate; we’ll try another way!” said Dan holding her tight, but he wasn’t sure, just what.
***
Ashley felt very guilty about leaving her mother and Dan behind, in the hotel corridor. She had been amazed to see Lucien manifest the strange mist, in the hallway and see it surround the two adults. However, it had allowed them to make their escape and now they were heading along the highway towards Lucien’s ranch. He had assured her that the strange mist would not hurt them and that it would merely disorient them, for a time.
Ashley was so happy to be in his presence that she soon forgot about her mother and Dan. She thought back to the previous night, when he had allowed her to sleep beside him in his huge king bed, but he had not tried to make love to her, which had disappointed her, a little.
“Let’s wait for the right time!” he had reassured her with icy cold kisses and she had then fallen asleep in his arms.
In the morning, dressed in their bathrobes, they had heard of Alexis’ car crash and severe injuries and she had expected him to be upset, but he had merely watched the television newscast with an expressionless face. “She was going to betray me, she deserves this!” he said coldly and walked from the room.
His manager Zack Hobbs sitting in the corner sucking on his ubiquitous cigar pointed to Ashley with his index finger, “Take note, young lady, betray him or if he gets bored with you, then you will be pole-axed, just as quickly as poor Alexis!”
She looked startled at this comment and quickly left the room to shower and dress. She hadn’t considered that Lucien would ever tire of her; wasn’t he talking about making her his bride? Her heart fluttered at the thought.
And last night, hadn’t she handpicked two young people from the audience, to be healed by Lucien? It had been a great success and the audience had cheered wildly and left praising his psychic abilities, when he helped a young girl stand from her wheelchair and a young man had a large, red birthmark removed from his face.
Lucien had smiled and nodded to her, after his healing work and she felt that he had realized that her bright idea had worked. Surely, she was of more value to him than the vain and spoilt Alexis? She dressed in a low cut white blouse and tight jeans and placed four-inch heels on her dainty feet.
Lucien smiled when he saw her and unusually held her tight in his arms. “Oh, you’ll make a lovely bride!” he whispered into her ear. However, Ashley felt a cold shiver run through her young body that she couldn’t account for; surely she should be ecstatic!
Chapter Seven
The Ranch
They drove for hours, until they reached Butte County South Dakota and the entrance to Lucien’s ranch came into view. One of the roadies in the band opened the large steel gates and they drove down a red winding dirt road to a large complex of white buildings. The surrounding countryside was flat with dried yellow grass and odd shaped distant mountains.
Ashley saw a Mexican-style hacienda with wide verandahs and a large blue pool attached. Lucien proudly showed her the lavishly appointed home and their own suite of rooms. His entourage soon made themselves at home and rock music blared out, as they danced, made cocktails and jumped into the pool. They were more animated than she had ever seen them.
Ashley was surprised to see four tall pillars of clear, crystal quartz at each corner of the house, but when she asked Lucien about them, he merely shrugged and whispered cryptically, “You’ll see!”
A few hours later, many trucks and cars pulled up. They were full of young men and women, locals who wanted to join in the fun. The roadies and band members welcomed them noisily and a large party was soon in full swing. Ashley was excited by the noise, heat and raucous sounds of the young men and women playing and having fun.
“Everyone can come,” Lucien remarked his face aglow, at the sight of so many healthy young men and women “As long, as they’re under twenty-five!”
“Why twenty-five. Lucien?” asked Ashley.
“The mind is still pliable until then and later, it often becomes fixed!” he answered lightly. “I like my acolytes to be easily mastered!” And he laughed coldly.
“And why did you buy this particular ranch, far out here?” asked Ashley waving her hand towards the deserted hills in the distance. She thought it was a strange place to make his camp.
Lucien’s eyes lit up. “Here, we are at 44 degrees north and at the very central beating heart of the good, old USA!”
“Is that important?”
“Absolutely! From here, I can gather energy from all the places that I have performed, including your own little Middletown. In fact, I can also draw energy from Europe, Asia and even, Australia. I visited all the chakra centres of the Earth and now, they are all linked to here and me!” He gave a cold laugh. “Even these kids here, are feeding me energy! Do you want to see it, Ashley?”
She nodded and he touched her forehead with an icy finger. Suddenly she saw vivid streaks of light coming from all the young men and women around them. The strangely coloured chords were all directed at Lucien’s abdomen and he seemed to absorb them and it helped feed his own aura that was now blazing with a deep red light.
She noticed that she had a deep pink chord of light emitting from her heart and that it was directly focused towards his chest and as he purposely inhaled and accumulated this energy, she felt weakened.
“Is it right, to do this?” she asked in a frightened whisper and his eyes flashed looking at her critically, for once.
“You are all here, to give me strength for my mission, so do not question me, Ashley!”
“What mission is that?” she asked quietly with her head bowed.
He relented and stroked her long, blonde hair absently.
“You’ve heard me talk about unifying all the youth of the world. Youth Power! It
is time that we ruled the world, not the oldies! With enough power, I can make this happen and I will be the New Order’s ruler. I will rule for a thousand years!” His voice grew excited at the thought.
“And I will rule beside you, as your queen!” laughed Ashley joining in his fantasy. How imaginative he was; a thousand years, indeed!
“Perhaps!” he muttered and then he moved away from her, to join the young people in the pool.
***
Kate and Dan had contacted Oscar, who seemed pleased to hear from them. He listened to their tale of woe with wide eyes and then told them that he would ring them back, in half an hour. They waited impatiently and Dan grabbed the cell phone when it finally rang.
“Listen up.” said Oscar. “I’ve found out through one of the anti-Lucien websites that he has a ranch outside Belle Fourche and that’s where he goes, to unwind. I bet ten-to-one that is where Ashley is now, as he has no more show performances listed on his website.” He gave them directions and added, “Good Luck!”
They booked out of the hotel and drove towards the address that Oscar had given them. It was a good hundred miles away. At last, they found the right unmarked road and in a cloud of red dust, came to the huge steel gates.
They rang the bell and a young man came to the gates holding a rifle. He spoke through an intercom. Despite Kate’s pleas to let them in, he shook his head and walked away, taking up a guard’s stance with his rifle half raised. They got the message and moved back around the next bend, in the road.
“I’ve got to get in there!” cried Kate. “She’s not answering her texts and who knows what he’s doing to her, in there!”
They sat watching the fence for an hour and then saw several cars pull up and older men and women talk to the stubborn guard, but they were not allowed entry, either. Kate waved to them, as they drove by and they stopped and came and spoke to her. One was a grizzled man in a stetson hat.