Josette's Journey -- 2Date:
12/14/98 4:08:32 AM Central Standard Time
From: Beverly
LaCroix
Julia's look was one of complete horror as this beautiful
woman recounted the tale to her of Angelique's torture of her day after
day, as she had laid helpless in her coffin. Barnabas had been helpless to
help her, and had not seemed interested in her tales of woe at the time.
Josette had learned to survive. Using her own supernatural powers, she had
learned to shut the voice of the cruel evil witch out of her hearing by
concentrating on her mind to shut down the part that controlled hearing
during the day. It was very dangerous for her to do so, but it was either
risk destruction or madness. Coming to the conclusion she would rather be
destroyed than driven mad for an eternity she risked destruction.
Julia was fascinated by this revelation, and asked Josette how she had
come to this kind of knowledge. Josette replied "when I was in Martinique
witchcraft was as common as church was here in 1795, and using my vampire
ability to recall, I remembered listening as a young girl to an old crone
talk about mind control, and watched as one of her quote 'students'
unquote stuck a knife in her abdomen, after she had gone into a trance. I
watched in amazement, as the young apprentice, as I shall call him, pulled
the knife out, and there was not a drop of blood on it nor any evidence of
a wound. When the knife had entered the old woman's body she had not even
gasped from pain, she was so deep in her trance. Well, I never forgot that
obviously, and so I used it to shut Angelique's evil and vile voice out,
until one day she went away. It happened about 50 years ago.
"Josette, does Barnabas know you are here?" Julia asked, still
staring.
"No, I do not think so, " Josette answered her.
"He should be coming in at any time. He will be shocked to see you."
Julia said.
"Why is that?" Josette asked.
"He thought you had been destroyed in a fire several years ago," Julia
said.
"Oh, is that what he told you?" Josette asked the by now confused Dr.
Hoffman.
"Yes, he did." Julia said.
"Well, he lied to you, Dr. Hoffman. And if you know Barnabas very well
at all, you know he is quite capable of lying. He only wishes I had died
in a fire. As I lay in that coffin suffering from Angelique's torment day
after day, he would shut me out, and let me suffer alone. I had only
wanted to be with him forever. Dr. Hoffman, I loved him so much, I would
have died for him a hundred times over. When we left Collinsport, and we
were on that ship, he abandoned me. I was starving. I had no idea how to
feed, how to hunt. I was almost destroyed on that ship. I was sloppy and
careless, but I only wanted to stop the hunger, and I couldn't even feed.
I didn't know how without ripping and tearing up the victims. " Josette
was closing to sobbing by now. Julia could see the blood tears start to
run down her beautiful porcelain face.
Julia almost felt the need to cry with this wounded young woman --
well, she was hardly what you would call young.
"Josette, why are you back here now in 1897?" Julia asked.
"I'm tired, Dr. Hoffman, and I'm alone. There is no one for me now. Oh,
I have had companions from time to time, but they're gone now. I'm tired
of taking care of myself, tired of hiding, and mostly tired of existing. I
became this infernal creature to be Barnabas' bride for eternity, and we
have not been together since the first week after disembarking from that
ship in England, Doctor." They were interrupted by someone walking in the
double doors of the Old House.
Julia's ears perked up as she heard two voices, neither one belonging
to Barnabas, it was Angelique and Quentin. Oh goodness, Julia thought. She
knew Josette had heard Angelique's voice. That thought was interrupted as
Julia heard a whoosh of air, and Josette was gone.
Josette peered in the window, and saw Angelique, and decided she would
see her destroyed, the old hate bubbled up inside of her like a sore that
had festered for a hundred years, but then, just as her mind was made up,
she noticed that the doctor had left the room and Angelique was left with
the young man she had come in with, Quentin she had called him. With her
superb hearing she heard Julia greet him as Quentin. Now, she heard
Angelique talking to him about being her fiancé!
"I will be Mrs. Quentin Collins," Angelique said gazing into the
beautiful blue eyes of Quentin Collins.
"Don't get carried away, my dear Angelique. Remember I know why I'm
marrying you, and it's not for love." Quentin said disengaging her arms
from about him.
"Oh, you will learn to love me, Quentin." Angelique said with
security.
"Yes, I'm sure I'll learn to love you, just like Barnabas did," Quentin
shot back sarcastically.
"Quentin, be careful how you talk to me,"Angelique said in a voice that
had hurt and anger in it.
"Or what, my dear, will I get to join Barnabas in the recesses of the
night?" Quentin replied.
"Or worse." Angelique retorted.
"Don't forget, my dear, I have already suffered a curse to match yours
placed by a mere gypsy woman. And there was not one thing you could do
about it, and now thanks to Count Petofi, you still can't be very
effective, so save it, my dear. We are going to be married as I promised,
but don't expect affection from me." Quentin told her very matter of
factly.
"We shall see, Quentin. We shall see," Angelique replied almost to
herself.
"Now, where's Barnabas?" Quentin asked.
Josette had been listening very carefully as a plan formulated in her
mind. Revenge will taste very sweet, my loyal maidservant. Josette smiled,
and felt her fangs descend. She all of a sudden grew very alert, there was
another vampire very close by. She felt it. Barnabas!
To be
continued....
