by Reid, Terri
Eloise pondered Sally’s words for a moment and then looked over at the man.
“He’s almost taunting us not to go,” Eloise said, “What if there’s something there that we need to know in order to stop Delphine?”
“Yeah, but what if he’s using reverse psychology?” Sally countered, “What if he’s taunting us because he knows that we’ll take him up on it?”
“He reminds me of an alligator, patiently waiting,” Eloise said, “I don’t think he’s as stupid as he looks.”
Sally nodded. “I agree. Do we want to deal with an alligator?”
Eloise shrugged, “Well, maybe if we have an alligator trap.”
She walked away from Sally and up to the man. “Great, we’ll take it.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out the money. “I’d like to see the map before I turn over my money.”
The man smiled, it sent cold shivers down Eloise’s back, “Yes, I have the map. I’ll be right back.”
Sally walked up to Eloise. “I thought that we agreed that we were going to die old,” Sally said.
Eloise smiled. “Okay, trust me a little.”
The man handed Eloise the map and Eloise handed him the money. She opened the map and studied it for a moment. Then, instead of taking the two tattered life preservers he was holding, she turned and walked back to the SUV.
The man watched, confusion spreading across his face, as Sally and Eloise got in the SUV, turned it on and backed out of the parking lot. Then, his face red with anger, he tried to run in front of them to force them to stop.
“Get back here,” he screamed, “You ain’t just walking away from me!”
“Looks like the alligator just missed lunch,” Sally commented as Eloise drove around him, across the grass and back on to the highway.
“Boy, I just hate when that happens,” Eloise said with smile as she continued down the highway.
Several miles later, Eloise pulled off the main road and drove down a small dirt-packed secondary road for several miles. She pulled off the road, partially hidden by some large trees, and put the SUV in park. She pulled out the map the man had given her.
“If you look at the swamp, it follows the road pretty closely,” Eloise pointed out to Sally, “I figured that we could drive down the road awhile until we either find a way to get to our destination, or we find another canoe rental place.”
“I vote for the road for as far as we can go,” Sally said, “I have a feeling that the angry alligator isn’t going to sit quietly.”
They drove south for several miles. The road was surrounded by small tributaries and marshy plants. After twenty minutes, the road started to veer off towards the west. They followed a cross road to the east and came upon another small store that offered canoe rental.
“Okay, this looks less spooky,” Sally said, climbing out of the SUV. “Well, as less spooky as a bayou marsh can look.”
Eloise smiled. “Well, hopefully we’ve shaken whoever from our path and we can follow that map and see where it leads.”
They stepped up onto the bare wooden porch and pushed open the screen door. The little store was an interesting combination of hunting and fish bait equipment, as well as little craft items and specialty foods. Eloise walked to the counter where a young African-American teen-age girl sat weaving a basket from local reeds. She had her hair pulled up in two pony tails and was wearing denim shorts and a red and white print top.
“Wow, that’s great,” Sally said, as she glanced around the shop at the inventory of baskets hanging from the rafters and the walls, “Did you do all of these?”
The girl smiled. “Me and my ma did them – she showed me how.”
“She’s very gifted,” Eloise said.
The girl put her weaving down and came to the counter. “How can I help you?”
“Well, we’re interested in renting your canoe and taking a little tour of the bayou,” Eloise said.
The girl smiled, “Sure, it’s ten dollars for the afternoon.”
“Sounds like a deal to me,” Sally said, “And when we get back, we can do some real shopping.”
The girl smiled at Sally. “Where y’all planning to go? I can tell you about some real purty spots in the bayou.”
Eloise pulled the map out and laid it on the counter. “Well, we want to end up here,” she said, pointing to the red mark on the map, “But we’re not quite sure where we are.”
The girl studied the map for a moment, and then she looked up at them with a frown.
“I need to call my ma,” she said.
She called back into the room behind the shop and soon a middle-aged tall, slender black woman joined them. Without asking permission, the girl gave her mother the map.
“Who gave you this map?” the mother asked.
“Big Al,” Eloise answered.
“He’s not a good man,” she replied.
“Yeah, we got that feeling too,” Sally said.
The woman looked at Eloise and Sally for a moment, and then said, “You look like nice ladies. What you doing messing with hoodoo?”
“We’re trying to protect some folks we love,” Eloise said. “We need to find out as much as we can as fast as we can.”
The woman studied them once again and then she nodded. “Well, the place you going is the right place – but the way he sent you, I think he was figuring on you not making it back,” she said. “Here, let me show you the right way.”
She took a marker from the counter and marked the correct path through the bayou.
“I’ll be waiting on you,” she said. “If you’re not back in two hours, I’ll send my husband for you. He’s strong, he’s not afraid of hoodoo.”
Eloise smiled. “Thank you. We really appreciate your help.”
The woman shrugged, “I can tell you’re good people, I like helping good people.”
Sally smiled. “You know, that’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all day.”
Chapter Eighteen
The girl led them to the dock and showed them the old aluminum canoe. It’s once bright green hull was worn and scratched, but it still looked like a sound craft. She helped them push off into the murky waters of the swamp. Sally sat at the front of the canoe, with the map open in her arms, watching for the landmarks that had been carefully pointed out by their new friend. Eloise sat in the back, rhythmically moving the paddle to either side of the canoe, moving them noiselessly down the waterway.
Spanish moss dangled down from tree limbs to float in the water. Vegetation covered the top of the water, so you felt like you were rowing through a field of grass. However, occasionally a ripple would appear near the paddle and then a sinuous body of a water snake would follow.
“So, do you think we’d be gator grits by now if we’d gone the other way?” Sally asked.
Eloise chuckled. “I’m thinking I’d be grits – but with the crap you eat, no self-respecting gator would even nibble on you.”
Sally laughed. “I’ve always been told that eating healthy would add years to my life, now I understand why.”
Eloise looked around the large channel that they were traveling down. She saw large hollow logs that floated slowly down the river and dead Cyprus trees that housed nests for the water birds and eagles.
“You know, swamps are not very friendly places,” Eloise commented.
“That was brilliant, El,” Sally said, “Sure you’re not pushing for my job?”
Suddenly, from a small island in the middle of that channel, Eloise observed a rustling in the high grass and heard a soft splash. Instantly, the birds took flight and the swamp seemed to become silent.
“Sally, look,” Eloise whispered, “an alligator.”
Sally turned her head and watched as a seven-foot alligator started to swim in their direction. Sally turned back to Eloise, “So, what do we do now?”
Eloise shrugged. “Nothing, alligators don’t attack canoes, they stay away from humans.”
“That’s good news,�
�� Sally replied.
Eloise heard another soft splash coming from the other side of the bank and turned her head. Two more alligators entered the water.
“El,” Sally called, “Don’t want to mess up your theory or anything, but I could swear these alligators are coming right towards us.”
Eloise looked around. Sure enough, there were five large alligators all bearing down on their canoe from different directions.
“Sal, there’s a paddle at your feet,” she said. “Why don’t you pick it up and help me paddle for a little while. Let’s see if these guys are in for the chase or if this is just a coincidence.”
With Sally and Eloise both paddling, the canoe picked up speed and quickly cut through the swampy vegetation. Eloise steered the canoe so it performed a slalom course through the large Cyprus trees, slowing down the alligators.
“Did we lose them?” Sally asked.
Before Eloise could answer, the side of the canoe was knocked by the body of an eight-foot alligator. Eloise and Sally grabbed tightly to the sides, making sure they also kept hold of their paddles. The canoe rocked back and forth in the water.
“I’d take that as a no,” Sally answered her own question, “What do we do next?”
“Keep paddling,” Eloise said, “Unfortunately, we’re not even safe on dry land. Alligators can sprint nine miles an hour on land.”
The other alligators joined the first and soon the canoe was being barraged with alligator attacks. The aluminum hull was strong enough to take the battering, but with each attack, the canoe rocked further from side to side, the murky water almost lapping into the canoe.
“So, what happens if we get tipped?” Sally asked.
“Let’s not think about that,” Eloise responded.
“That bad?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, so let’s just paddle a little harder,” Sally said.
They paddled harder, their arms aching and sweat glistening on their foreheads. Eloise steered them between a grouping of Cyprus trees that stood only a few feet apart.
“This should give us a breather,” Eloise said, wiping the sweat from her head.
Sally turned around to speak with Eloise and saw a massive alligator climb up on the roots of the nearest Cyprus tree. “El! Paddle now!” she screamed.
Eloise shoved her paddle into the water and connected with one of the ancient tree roots; she pushed off the root and shot the canoe forward just before the alligator dove toward the canoe. The residual splash the alligator made sent the canoe rocking forward and the adrenalin from the scare, prompted Eloise and Sally to paddle even faster.
The canoe continued forward, Eloise trying to use the ancient trees as barricades from the attacking reptiles. Finally, Sally called out, “That’s the cove on the map. We’re supposed to go in there.”
Eloise tried to steer the canoe into the cove, but the alligators seemed to be working together to keep them out of the cove.
“What are we going to do?” Sally asked.
“Paddle backwards,” Eloise yelled.
Putting their backs into the movement, they were able to reverse the movement of the canoe and put some distance between themselves and the alligators. The canoe sat, bobbing in the water fifteen feet away from their destination.
“Sal, you ever watch football?” Eloise asked.
“A couple of times,” Sally admitted. “Why?”
“We’re going for a Hail-Mary,” Eloise said, “There’s a sandbar just to the side of the canoe. If we both push the paddles into it at the same time, we might just have enough momentum to squeeze past the alligators.”
“Okay, El, you’re the quarterback, tell me what to do.”
“Keep acting like we’re paddling back, but don’t bring the paddle into the water,” she said. “On the count of three, push with all your might.”
“Ready,” Sally whispered.
“One...two...three,” Eloise called.
They jammed the paddles against the sand bar and forced the canoe forward. Eloise used her paddle as a rudder, and they cut sharply to the right and were able to enter the cove before the alligators could react. A curtain of moss hung over the entrance to the cove and blinded them momentarily. “Whoa, did we just enter the twilight zone?” Sally asked, as they paddled into the secluded area.
A thin fog hovered over the water, reflecting the green and grey of the moss and the water itself. Ancient Cyprus trees formed a circle around an old wooden dock that jutted out into the water.
Eloise steered the canoe over to the dock and threw the docking line over a protruding piling. She pulled it tight and tied it off.
“Let’s get out before our escorts figure us out,” she said, scrambling out of the canoe.
Sally shook her head. “You were too busy to notice,” Sally said, “But our escort service dropped away once we entered the cove. That could either be a very good thing or a very bad thing.”
“Well, let’s find out.”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
They walked across the dock to the marshy bank. There, fifty feet or so from the swamp was an old cabin. In front of the cabin, clotheslines were strung from ancient trees in a spider’s web of white nylon. As they got closer, they could see that on the clothesline hung drying herbs, animal skins and some dead chickens.
“Remind me not to stay for dinner,” Sally whispered.
They walked up to the cabin and knocked on the wooden door. They could hear someone moving around inside and then the door was thrown open. A withered and slight woman with long white hair answered the door. She wore a long grey dress and had a crucifix hanging around her neck. But her most apparent feature was her white clouded eyes, she was blind.
“So, you’ve made it to my cove,” she said. Her voice held traces of a soft Irish brogue and sounded younger than her appearance.
“Yes, we were sent here,” Eloise said, “But we are not sure whether it was by a friend or an enemy.”
“And yet you ventured in,” she said, “You must be very brave or very desperate.”
“I think that desperate is the correct description,” Sally said.
The woman laughed – a youthful laugh that made both Eloise and Sally feel at ease. She stepped to the side and invited them into her cabin.
The cabin was tiny, but neat and clean. There were several chairs situated around a rough hewn table. A tiny cot and an old bureau that held antique photos from the late 1800s sat in the far corner. Sally and Eloise sat at the table and the woman joined them.
“I am Mary Margaret Ebenezer,” she explained, “I came here many years ago, as a missionary. I lived with these wonderful people and I learned their ways and taught them some of mine. Now, I’m too old to do much – but I still remember many things. How can I help you?”
“We work with the United States Government. We do... unusual work for them, we help those who have died find their way to the other side,” Eloise explained, “We are here to help those affected by the hurricane but we ran into a problem.”
Eloise and Sally explained the situation while Mary Margaret remained silent. Finally, when they were done, she shook her head.
“If she calls Yemanja you must call someone even stronger,” she explained, “Someone who can drag Yemanja back to the depths of the sea.”
“How do we do that?” Eloise asked.
Mary Margaret stood up and walked to one of her shelves. She took down a canister and opened it. Inside was a yellow powdery substance.
“This is simple cornmeal, but you must follow my directions perfectly.”
She slowly poured the cornmeal out on the table in thin lines and circles, creating an intricate design. She closed up the canister and then walked over to the bureau, there she opened the top drawer and pulled out a leather rattle.
“After you draw with the cornmeal, you shake the rattle and you dance, calling on the name of the Vodoun god you wish to contact.”
“Dance? What kind of da
nce?” Eloise asked.
Mary Margaret smiled, “It’s a very simple, primitive dance – two steps forward, turn in a circle from east to west and then two steps back. Then you just shift slightly to the west every time you complete the main steps.”
Eloise watched her carefully,” Okay, I can do that.”
Mary Margaret nodded, “Then all you have to do is offer your sacrifice.”
“What kind of sacrifice?” Eloise asked.
“The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power you have over your enemy.”
“That doesn’t really give me an answer,” Eloise said.
“When you call upon the god, he will often make a request,” Mary Margaret said. “If not, offer him something of value.”
“Who should I call upon?”
“Call upon Agwe,” she said. “He is the spirit of the sea and is stronger than Yemanja. He can help you.”
“And then it’s over?” Sally asked.
“Oh, no, you must still destroy Lalaurie. Until she is gone, she will still have the power to try this again and again.”
Mary Margaret walked over to where Eloise sat and put her hands on her shoulders. “You have a great power,” she said, “You can conquer her.”
Mary Margaret stepped back, then packed all the equipment into a black satchel and walked to the door.
“Now, you must go back,” she said urgently, handing Eloise the satchel. “There are others who wish to have you fail. They are closer than you think. Go back the way you came and you will be safe.”
“How can we thank you?” Eloise asked.
Mary Margaret laughed. “You risk your life to save the people I love and ask how you can thank me. Go, be safe, and have courage. God speed.”
They walked down the wooden dock and placed the satchel in the middle of the canoe before climbing in. Sally took a deep breath. “So, do you think we’re going to have any escorts on the way home?”
Eloise shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I feel safer knowing that Mary Margaret is on our side.”
Sally smiled. “She’s pretty amazing.”