Spirits of the Bayou

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  “You live in Thibodeaux?” Celestine asked.

  Luc focused on her. “Not the town. We live in a home in the Garden District that’s been passed down through generations of a family by the name of Thibodeaux.”

  “Nothing about this is an accident. All the signs point to you.” She put up a finger. “We’re searching for a practitioner of black magick and you played in Devils Swamp as a child.” She added a second finger. “You grew up in the town of Thibodeaux, and you now live in the Thibodeaux home? This goes way back, Jon-Luc. Back before you were even born.”

  Celestine gave him a solemn look.

  “This is your destiny.”

  THIRTEEN

  Luc swallowed hard. The enormity of that statement was too much for him to take in. His destiny.

  “We need to check out Devils Swamp.” Celestine stood. “Just let me change my clothes and get us some flashlights.”

  “Wait!” Jake called before she got away. “You want us to go into the swamp at night? Isn’t that dangerous? I mean, with all the creatures lurking there.”

  “I’ll bring a staff,” she answered as if he’d just asked the dumbest question in the world.

  Jake’s eyes rounded. “What good would that do?”

  “Well you do need to be careful where you walk. But if a snake hassles you, I’ll just use the tip of the stick to guide it in another direction. If a gator tries to take a bite, I’ll hit it on the end of its snout. It will take the hint and scurry away,” she said as if speaking to a child.

  “But shouldn’t we take a gun?” Jake asked.

  She pinned Jake with fiery eyes. “It’s their home, we’re the outsiders. How would you like it if someone broke into your house and shot you? The animals are just doing what they do naturally. There’s no sense in killing them for it.” Celestine went off in a huff.

  Jake grabbed Luc’s arm. “Don’t tell me you agree with her.”

  “It’ll be okay. As long as you’re smart, you have nothing to worry about. We’re fully dressed in long pants, shoes and socks, unlike the other night when I was wearing only my boxers. I had nothing with me to see or combat the predators. Oh, and I was alone with no idea where I was.

  “Let me tell you, that was some scary shit. This time there are three of us going in. Together. We’ll know from which way we came so we can get back out. We’ll have flashlights and a walking stick. Besides, Celestine seems to know her way around a swamp at night. Just let her take the lead.”

  Jake didn’t look convinced. “You’re nuts.”

  When Celestine returned, she had changed from her wide-legged pants and crop top into a pair of jeans, a long sleeved white blouse and hiking boots. She handed each a flashlight. “I just replaced the batteries myself, so they should be fine.” She handed Jake a small stone. “Put this in your pocket for protection.”

  “What is it?” Jake stared at his hand.

  “Obsidian.”

  “How the hell is a little black rock going to protect me from an alligator that wants to make a meal out of me?”

  “It won’t, but it will protect you from evil entities,” she answered calmly.

  Jake blanched. “Evil entities as in ghosts?”

  “Well, yeah, Devils Swamp is known to be the most haunted swamp in all of Louisiana,” she informed him.

  Jake frowned. “This idea of yours is just getting better and better.”

  “Celestine, do you have something we can put on to repel the mosquitoes?” Luc turned to Jake. “They’re big enough to carry away a small baby.”

  She laughed. “The Louisiana state bird.” She laid the staff against the wall before she left.

  Luc picked it up. It was wooden and roughly six feet long with a four-inch circumference. He ran his hand along the beautifully intricate carvings. He had no doubt this was not just any walking stick, the carvings were there for protection. Celestine returned with a plastic bottle that she handed to Luc.

  He unscrewed the top and poured some into his hand before he passed it on to Jake. “Apply liberally.”

  Jake took it. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically.

  Luc covered his arms, neck and face then ran his hands through his hair. “Smells nice.” He wiped his hands off on his shirt.

  “It’s an old family recipe made up of essential oils,” she said.

  “You should put this stuff on the market. That crap you buy in the store smells like skunk piss,” Luc said.

  “Can’t do that.” She shook her head. “This potion wasn’t exactly made to repel mosquitoes, that’s just one of the benefits.”

  That made Luc a bit nervous. “Then what is it made for?”

  Walking past him, she just smiled as she snatched the staff on her way out. Luc glanced back at Jake, who shrugged. He ran to catch up with her. “You’re just screwing with me, right?” Luc asked.

  “I’ll never tell.” She pointed to Jake’s Jeep. “Let’s take your car. Mine’s in the shop.” She opened the door and threaded the staff through the back, and jumped into the front seat alongside Jake.

  Luc sat in the back, not exactly thrilled to be a third wheel. It was a long, dark drive. To pass the time Luc stared out at the stars, the moon was almost full. An hour and a half later, they pulled off of Devils Swamp Road onto the dirt and parked. Celestine was the first to open her door.

  Luc followed her to the back of the Jeep. “I agree we need to do a thorough search. I just hope you aren’t expecting me to point the way.”

  “We’ll let the spirits be our guide,” she answered with confidence.

  Luc stared at her. “What if they don’t show up?”

  “Then we’re not in the right spot and we continue to look until they do.”

  Jake seemed remarkably calm. Celestine led the way down the bank to the shoulder running along the water. Luc’s feet immediately sank into the muck a few inches. He glanced back at Jake, who seemed to be taking it all in stride. “How ya doing, buddy?”

  “Fine,” Jake answered.

  Luc caught up to Celestine. “What did you do, how come he’s not freaking out anymore?”

  “I may have amplified the properties of the obsidian to keep him not only protected but calm. Our search wouldn’t be very productive if we had to keep reassuring him all night.”

  “Good thinking, thanks.” Luc fell back in line as they followed the waterway. He listened to the night song around him, the cicadas, the frogs, the crickets. A hoot owl joined in. They went around a bend and Luc noticed a man on the far shore. He had a big gut and wore overalls with only one strap on his shoulder, the other hung down his side free.

  It wasn’t a fashion statement, but more out of necessity. The strap had nothing to hold it up because he was missing an arm. Further inspection showed his entire side was bloody, a large hunk of flesh dangled from an open wound.

  Alligator attack was the most obvious cause of death. If Celestine noticed him, she made no remark. Luc kept him in his sights until he could no longer see him. Not all ghosts were cause for alarm, but one could never be too sure.

  A little further in and a young woman appeared. She looked as if she’d come from a 1960’s movie set; her teased blonde hair flipped up on the ends, her lipstick was a frosty white. She wore black eyeliner and blue eye shadow. Her dress was very short. She frowned at Luc as he passed, while blood dripped from a single bullet hole in her forehead.

  Some time later, they came upon more ghosts. This time, there were two men and a woman standing off to his right. They were slaves, their skin was dark and their clothes were nothing more than tatters. As he walked by, he turned to see that their backs were bleeding and covered with whip marks. An incredible wave of sadness enveloped Luc.

  “We’ve been walking for more than an hour. Maybe we’re in the wrong place,” Luc said.

  “Just a little further, then we’ll call it a night,” Celestine answered.

  Luc sighed. This place was a virtual dumping ground for killers. Twenty minutes later
, Celestine stopped and turned around. “Okay, I give up. Maybe you’re right.”

  “Wait.” Luc passed her. He saw someone else up ahead in another bend of the waterway. Something about the man was familiar. He was tall, his eyes were black and his mouth was sewn shut with thick black thread. “Duke?” Luc left the shoulder and ran inland through the trees toward him.

  “You know him?” Celestine asked.

  “What do y’all see?” Jake joined Celestine.

  “He was once a friend of mine,” Luc answered with great remorse.

  “This is no coincidence,” Celestine said.

  “I’m afraid you’re right,” Luc added.

  “He says he tried to stop them,” Jake replied.

  “Stop who?” Luc asked, startled.

  “The ones who took the children,” Jake answered.

  “Ask him who they are?” Luc said. Just then he disappeared.

  “I’m sorry, but he doesn’t answer,” Jake said.

  “He’s gone.” Luc knew they would get no more information from him tonight. “His body must be around here somewhere. Help me look.” Luc began pushing away shrubs and decaying vegetation until he came upon a badly decomposed body. Many parts were missing, obviously scattered by animals.

  “We need to call the police,” Luc said to the others.

  “And tell them what?” Celestine asked.

  “That we found a body. He’s obviously been murdered,” Luc stated.

  “And how do we explain what we’re doing out here? What made us look in that particular spot?” Celestine asked.

  “I’m sure we can come up with something. We can’t just leave him here.” Luc couldn’t believe how cold she was acting, he turned to Jake.

  “I’m sorry, Luc, but she’s right. There is no sensible reason why we should be out in a swamp in the middle of the night. And his body is hidden far from the shore. If we called the cops, it would look suspicious. No one is going to believe we had nothing to do with his murder,” Jake added.

  Celestine laid her hand on Luc’s arm gently. “No good can come from it. He will still be dead. Leave him here where his body can return to nature as intended. All living things return to the earth, enrich the soil, and become something new.”

  Luc stared at her, shaking his head slowly.

  “Come.” She grabbed his hand. “I think it’s time to go home.” Celestine pulled Luc away from Duke’s rotting corpse and they headed back to the Jeep.

  The car was silent as they drove toward civilization. Luc watched the moon follow them home while he thought of better days. It had always been stuck in the back of his mind that he and Duke would rekindle their relationship at some future date. Surely he’d realized over the years that Luc had not, nor was he capable of, snitching on the crew.

  Luc had thought about him from time to time. He wondered what he was up to. If he still ran with the old gang. He looked for him often when he headed into the city. He knew now why he hadn’t seen him the other day, his body was already bloated and decomposing in the swamp.

  When he and Jake returned to the house, Luc said goodnight and headed for the shower. Afterward, he tossed his damp muddy clothes down the laundry chute before finding sanctuary alone in his room. The last time he’d felt this miserable was when he’d left home.

  At first, he didn’t understand his bereavement for a friend who was no longer a part of his life. Then he realized he mourned for what could have been. The last time he’d seen him ended on a bad note. Now they would never have a chance to make it right.

  FOURTEEN

  Luc found himself transported back to the swamp. Alone. He crouched low in the palmettos, waiting. Somehow, he knew his target was the camp, a tin shack built on stilts in the middle of the bayou up ahead. A long rickety bridge ran from the shore out over the water and up to its porch, where a couple of chairs sat abandoned.

  A lantern flickered inside while a dark form paced back and forth in front of the flame. He must be patient and wait for them all to arrive. The mud covering his body did double duty. Not only did it keep the full moon from reflecting off his skin and giving his position away, but it also kept the mosquitoes from eating him alive.

  He heard voices and eased down onto his belly, closing his eyes as their footfalls approached. They were so close he could leap out and slit their Achilles tendons, but he would only get two at best before they killed him. He had to be smart if he were to stop them all. He concentrated on controlling his breathing, which was no easy feat considering the amount of adrenaline pumping through his body.

  Something slimy crossed over the back of his right hand stretched out in front of him. He couldn’t help but squint. In that moment, he noticed a black water moccasin a mere foot from his face, slithering through the swamp grass.

  It was now more imperative than ever that he remain still, and that included holding his breath. He didn’t kid himself; he knew the viper could feel the warmth of his body and his erratic pulse. He just prayed that as long as he wasn’t seen as a threat, he would be left alone. Gently his eyes closed as the snake continued its journey over his other hand. All the while, just a few feet away, four men traipsed through the marsh carrying a large burlap sack.

  The moment the snake was no longer a threat, he exhaled as quietly as possible and inhaled again. The men were now stomping across the wooden pier, the thump thump thump of their feet made a hollow sound. The old boards sagged under their weight. It would serve them right if it collapsed and they fell into the bayou in time to become some lucky gator’s dinner. But he couldn’t wish that on their innocent victim.

  The moment they were inside and the door closed behind them, he ran toward the bridge in a hunched gait. He stepped onto the wooden planks slowly and quietly as he made his way toward the porch. He peered into the window from the side and saw the little girl laid out on the table, her eyes closed. Thankfully she was out cold; it made her none the wiser of what was taking place.

  He climbed up onto the roof, worried that it might not hold his weight. He didn’t think his heart could beat any faster. Carefully, he inched his way toward the center. Once there, he took out the small can of butane and squirted it over the shingles as he backed toward the edge.

  Then he hung off the side of the building while he ignited the accelerant with his lighter. With a whoosh, the roof was engulfed in flames. He dangled until his foot found the banister, and then he dropped to the porch. He stood just to the side of the door with his knife at the ready and waited for the occupants to emerge.

  When the door finally flew open and hit the side of the building, he sprang forward toward the man, trying to catch his breath. His knife sunk deep into the man’s fleshy stomach before Luc flipped him over the railing. A huge splash followed. The next man to show in the doorway must have heard the splash because he hesitated to exit.

  Finally, someone behind him yelled and pushed him out onto the porch. Luc attacked and a fight ensued. He jabbed and jabbed with his blade, but the man was quick. In the end, he too made it into the water; unfortunately, his wounds were only superficial.

  Luc prayed the giant vibrations from the bodies hitting the water got the attention of any gators in the area so they could finish what he’d started. That’s when he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and everything went black.

  The next thing Luc knew, he was floating on the ceiling looking down. Below him an unconscious Duke lay on a table. Four people wearing African masks stood around him. A fifth person stood at the head of the table using a large machete to gut him from stem to stern, his head and face obscured by a hooded cloak. Luc was helpless to do anything about it.

  They removed his entrails and threw them in a bucket, then filled him with dirt. They finished by sewing him back up with thick black thread. His eyes and tongue were removed and his lips stitched shut with the same coarse string. All the while they chanted in words Luc could not understand.

  Luc screamed as he bolted upright in his bed, dr
enched in sweat, his heart hammering violently in his chest. It took a couple of minutes for him to calm down. Once he was able to think clearly again, he realized it was not a dream, but a vision. It was Duke’s way of showing Luc how he died, and in doing so, he also revealed what was happening to the children.

  He still had no idea who these people were; they wore black robes and African tribal masks. The shack had surely burnt to the ground that night, so searching for it would be useless. At least Duke was able to kill one. Luc wondered if they would be able to do their ritual successfully with only five members or if they needed six? That was a question for Celestine.

  Luc glanced at the clock, it was five twenty-eight. He wasn’t going to try to get any more sleep. He took a cold shower, grabbed his backpack and galloped down the stairs to the kitchen. After he put on a pot of coffee, he went into the dining room because the table was much larger.

  He pulled out the copies he’d made at the library and put them in order by date. He positioned his pad and pen to his right so he could take notes. After the coffee was ready, he pulled down Frank’s favorite mug from the cupboard because it was the biggest. It would save him a few trips to the kitchen.

  Luc snatched the calendar off the wall and took it with him back to the dining room. He looked up the date for the first abduction, and flipped the calendar to that month. Sure enough, it was the night of the new moon. He did this with the rest of the victims and found it to be true in each case.

  On the one hand, he was glad they were on the right track, but on the other, he felt a deep sense of grief. The thought that there was a group of people out there killing children simply because they were innocent upset him beyond anything he’d ever experienced. What kind of monster did that?

  Of course, there were pedophiles out there preying on children. Each and every one of them should be castrated before they were shot. But these lunatics were killing kids for some fucked up fantasy that it would make them young again. It boggled the mind.