by William King
A grin appeared upon Elizabeth’s face when she said,
“Pretty smooth there Mason, pretty smooth. I know exactly what you are trying to do, and it will not work on me. I have already told you how I felt about you, and at the moment, I am going to make you wait to hear it from me again.”
Before I could speak another word, Elizabeth turned and walked out of the library, throwing her hand up in the air, as she said, “What a punk.”
It had not been but a few minutes later when I heard a wild and crazy laugh echoing throughout the Manor, but I could not make it out. The laugh seemed as if it was getting closer to me when suddenly, everything seemed to get deadly silent within the room, until I heard the eerie voice say, “Keep on searching Mason Williams, the bells will soon ring for your own funeral.” It was unmistakably a woman’s voice, and it could be none other than Bastelet’s.
Cold chills ran straight up my spine as I ran out from the room, almost running into Hillary as I was leaving. Fortunately, I was able to stop my forward momentum just before contacting her. I stood there for a brief moment to catch my breath and said, “Whew that was a close one!”
“Yes it was Mason. I was just coming to ask if you would like your supper now, or wait until later.”
“Thank you Hillary, but I am not that hungry at the moment, but I could use a hot cup of tea,” I said trying to keep from sounding scared out of my wits, and then asked, “Hillary, did you hear anyone speaking as you walked up to the library door?”
Hillary inquisitively replied, “Why no Mason, why do you ask, did something out of the ordinary happen?”
“Yes Hillary, something very out of the ordinary just happened, and I believe that it was an evil supernatural force trying to scare me enough to stop me from getting the answers to the puzzle pieces that I need to solve this hellish nightmare that we all seem to be in. Most likely, it was that evil bitch Bastelet trying to break my spirit. Lets forget about it for now and go have some hot tea.”
“Sure thing Mason, I have already prepared some hot tea in anticipation that one of us would want some with dinner, and it is waiting for us on the kitchen table.”
Hillary and I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table where she poured some hot tea into a couple of mugs for the both of us. We sipped at our tea when I said before thinking, “Hillary, Elizabethwill be making arrangements tomorrow for a trip to Devil’s Island. I believe that there might be something on that island that will shed some light on all of the evil supernatural things that have occurred to us here.”
“Oh, why on earth would Elizabeth want to take you there? Haven’t you got...,” she paused, giving me just enough time to finish the sentence for her.
“Haven’t we got enough problems, is that what you meant to say?”
Her cheeks blushed.
“I am terrible sorry Mason, I had no right to question you, and I only meant that the trip could be quite dangerous.”
“Hillary, how much more dangerous do you really think it could be there than it is here?”
My nerves were so tightly strung that they seemed to be tearing me apart from the inside out, but I managed to keep my composure. I gently placed my right over her left hand and said, “Hillary, Elizabeth is an intelligent woman, and she would never do anything that would place someone else in harm’s way, really Hillary, we will all be fine. There is nothing to worry yourself about.”
“I suppose that Elizabeth will want Lyle and I to return to the MacDougal’s while you two are away?”
“I would suppose she would Hillary, although she did not really say, as we have no idea how long we will be on the island. It could take up to several weeks, and I really could not begin to speculate on that.”
Hillary got up from the kitchen table, pushed in her chair, and said, “Very well Mason, I guess we will know in good time. I wonder if Elizabeth would like something to eat.” Talking more to herself, than to me.
She turned and left the kitchen leaving me in silence to sip on my hot tea. I should have eaten something, but after what had happened in the library, I seemed to have lost my appetite. My head was filled with so many thoughts about our trip to Devil’s Island, but I could not grasp even one of them. Thus, I got up from the kitchen table, pushed my chair in, and walked over to put my mug into the sink. I had just placed my teacup in the sink when Elizabeth walked in and said with an angry voice, “Mason, what on earth made you decide to take it upon yourself to tell my servants that we were leaving for Devil’s Island tomorrow, before I had the chance to discuss it with them properly myself?”
I looked at her in complete shock, and total disbelief, as this was a side of Elizabeth that I had never seen before, and quite frankly would have not wanted to see. I could see that she was angry, but I soon learned that the word angry was an understatement.
“Mason, did you get the bright idea that because I had showed you a little affection that you thought it gave you the right to try and run my household.”
I found her impossible to reason with. Even looking at her was like looking in the eyes of an insane person. The one thing that I knew for sure at this particular moment was that whatever evil supernatural forces was responsible for the dreadful things going on within the Manor was capable of changing Elizabeth’s disposition. There was a tremendous evil power behind what was going on here, there was no doubting that.
I replied, “I sure did not Elizabeth! Perhaps you have forgotten that you had sent me a very generous fee for helping you with your problem.”
I was getting a little pissed off myself when I replied, “Elizabeth I would not worry about showing me a little affection from time to time if I were you. I am capable of distinguishing what has real meaning and what does not. I will tell you something else that you may not want to hear at the moment. It is not me who needs to have unwanted supernatural forces removed from my house, it is you!”
Elizabeth pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table, sat down, put her hands over her head, and said, “Mason can you ever forgive me? I had no intention of saying anything of that nature to you. I do not know what had come over me, you have every right to say or do anything that you wish.”
“I am not angry with you Elizabeth. I now realize that it was that evil bitch Bastelet that made you say those awful things to me.”
I found my anger returning, and I screamed aloud at her, antagonizing her. “You just could not stand for her to show me some affection could you Bastelet, you evil bitch! Why don’t you show yourself?”
I knew instantly after I screamed out loud at Bastelet that I had made a terrible mistake by trying to provoke her. I did not know what I was thinking at the time, probably nothing, and I presume that it was all out of anger and should have not been done. I knew that if I was going to survive this ordeal that I was going to have to think before I did something as foolish as this. This was no ordinary woman. Bastelet was a supernatural being that had powers well beyond anything that I could imagine. I had now put everyone and myself within the Manor in a very bad situation that I could not take back. The only thing that I could do now is wait for her counter attack, and then try to fight my way back out.
“You say the bells will soon ring for my death. Well, I am waiting for you Bastelet, come and get me! However, I do not think that you will get the pleasure of hearing the sound of those bells, because when they ring, it will be for mine and Elizabeth’s wedding.”
Bastelet wasted no time in answering my provoking challenge. Her eerie screeching sounds could be heard echoing throughout the Manor when I suddenly seen an iron skillet flying through the air, headed directly for me. I ducked just in the nick of time, as the cast iron skillet flew past my head, barely missing me, and then smashed through the plaster wall of the Manor. Bastelet was not finished, oh no. That evil bitch began to throw heavy pieces of furniture at me, effortlessly, and went through the Manor overturning everything else in her site that she could get her hands on. It seemed as if she would leave
nothing but destruction in her wake when I was suddenly hit in the face, with a heavy blow that had brought me to my knees. As I was at the point of going unconscious, somehow I found the strength to say, “You cannot destroy me Bastelet! I am part of the good bloodline of Yahweh. I was born to rid the evil from this sin filled planet, and I order you to be gone you evil bitch.” Then fell to the wood floor lifeless, totally drained of all my strength and emotion, and everything went black. The next thing that I remember was the sound of Elizabeth’s voice begging me to respond to her, as she rocked me back and forth, cradling me in her arms. I opened my eyes, managed a weak smile, and said, “I am alright Elizabeth, just a little beat up.”
The Manor was quiet, and Bastelet was gone, that is for the time being anyway, and I hoped that we could all find a way to survive the Witching Hour.
“Mason, what in the hell did you think you would accomplish by provoking Bastelet? She could have very well killed you and every one of us within this Manor, and what would that have accomplished.”
“Elizabeth, don’t you see, I have found out that we have one weapon at our disposal that is more powerful than anything she could ever use against us, and she will never be able to destroy it.”
“Well, what is it, what is this weapon you speak of Mason, speak to me!”
“I was born to rid the planet of all its evil that is my destiny, and Bastelet knows this!”
“Mason you still took a big chance, please do not do that again. I could not help you because Bastelet had me pinned on the floor, it was like I had been paralyzed, and
I could not move an inch.”
“Elizabeth, I think it might be a good idea to stay in your mother’s room for the remainder of our stay here at the Manor. It seems as if your mother’s room is the only room in the Manor that could possibly provide us with sanctuary from Bastelet, and it seems to me that we need to be in the safest place within the Manor. Now let’s go and find Lyle and Hillary to make sure that they are alright.”
We maneuvered our way through the destruction that Bastelet had left behind and made our way to the servant’s quarters. Elizabeth knocked on their door and Lyle answered. Elizabeth had explained the situation at hand and informed Lyle and Hillary to follow us to her mother’s room, as it was the safest room in the house, and that it would protect us from Bastelet. The four of us walked together to Elizabeth’s mother’s room, which was located upstairs from the servant’s quarters and at the end of the hallway, to what we thought would be to our safety. The four of us walked inside and I closed the door behind us.
I did not expect that evil bitch Bastelet to cause any more trouble during the Witching Hour, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Lyle had brought a twin-sized air mattress upstairs for him and Hillary to sleep on for the night. He laid it on the floor, plugged the cord to the blower into the outlet to air it up, and within minutes, it was inflated and ready to sleep on. Hillary took out a sheet that she had brought with them and put it on the air mattress, and then threw a blanket over the top for her and Lyle to cover up with. They plopped down on it, covered themselves up, and called it a night.
Bear in mind, this air mattress was not some cheaply made mattress. It even had its own blower built right into it. It was the top of the line, and the Blackwood’s spared no expense when it came to luxury. Elizabeth and I were to share her bed, which was just fine by me, as I was getting to sleep with such a beautiful woman, even under the circumstances. The room seemed as if it was a little crowded, even though it appeared to be very large. I had thought that there is nothing like safety in numbers while I recited a silent prayer before getting into bed for the night.
I thought that I would be comfortable sleeping in the same bed as Elizabeth, but I was mistaken. I tossed and turned, going from one position to another. I knew that it was not going to be easy to fall asleep, even though I was sleeping next to a beautiful half naked woman. The more I tried to go to sleep, the more uncomfortable I became, as the occurrence down stairs a short while ago repeatedly played out in my mind, which sent chills through my entire body.
I somehow managed to fall asleep, but the dreams of Devil’s Island were haunting me. I was dreaming the same dream all over again. The only thing that was different was that now Elizabeth and I were among the tribesman and women dancing and chanting around the fire. The drums were pounding inside my head like a strong woofer, while the chanting was endless, keeping perfect rhythm with the drums. However, the intensity of the sound lessened after a while, and the chanting grew more and more distant, until it finally disappeared. I tried listening for any sounds, straining my ears, but no sounds could be heard.
When I awakened from the horrid nightmare, I was drenched in sweat and feeling as if I had invaded the privacy of the undead. The bedroom was pitch black, with the exception of a slight glow within the room. It turned out to be the portrait of Elizabeth’s mother. It was glowing like a beautiful star within the heavens. I whispered softly, our protector, and her portrait smiled and I heard a faint voice say, I must warn you, not out loud, but as if it was within my head, as though I received her message telepathically. The voice went on to say that, The Island is beautiful, but as deadly as the warrior with whom you did battle with tonight. I caution you, see everything, not only as it is, but also as what it might later become.
The trance like state that I was in was now broken, and the glow of her mother’s portrait slowly faded away, disappearing without a trace that it had ever occurred. I could not help but wonder about her strange warning. I wondered why she had not warned me not to go to the island altogether. I laid down and quickly fell asleep, as I now had a feeling of safety surrounding us for the time being. When I awakened, the darkness had given way to a beautiful morning, rays of sunshine shined through the window, and with that a promise of an eventful day. I hoped that there would be no dark clouds to diminish it, as the light gave me so much hope.
I quickly realized that Elizabeth, Lyle, and Hillary had already awakened and were no longer in the room. I slipped out of bed, walked over to my duffle bag, got out a clean t-shirt, pair of socks, pants, and underwear, and then headed into the bathroom to take a shower. I closed the bathroom door, opened up the shower door, reached in, turned on the water, and once I saw steam start to fill the bathroom I got in. I washed up in less than ten minutes, turned the water off, and reach for a towel, but nothing was there. I forgot to hang one on the outside of the shower door before I got in. No worries, I just walked over and grabbed one off the shelving unit and dried off. Being the pervert that I am, I imagined Elizabeth coming in and taking the towel from the door on purpose, just to see me naked. However, it was just my imagination, and a good one at that.
Once dressed, I walked down the stairs, enjoying the strong aroma of coffee, along with the delightful smell of Hillary’s cooking. As soon as I walked into the kitchen I already had a big smile on my face, as the aroma was so pleasing, making me very hungry. I pulled out a chair, sat down at the kitchen table, grabbed two biscuits and poured gravy over them, grabbed six pieces of bacon, two eggs, sunny side up, and went to town devouring the food that I had put on my plate while Elizabeth, Lyle, and Hillary watched me with smiles also on their faces. I learned over breakfast that at some time during the night Elizabeth had made a very important decision regarding our trip. She had decided during her night’s sleep that Hillary and Lyle would now be accompanying us to Devil’s Island. She thought this way she would not have to involve the MacDougal’s with this mess, and that it would be much safer if we brought them with us.
After finishing her breakfast, Elizabeth headed into town to make the arrangements for our long journey to Devil’s Island, and gave me explicit orders that at the first sign of trouble I was to quickly leave the Manor, and take Lyle and Hillary to the MacDougal’s until her return. Lyle, Hillary, and I took up most of the morning packing up our belongings and preparing for the sea voyage. Elizabeth informed me before she had left into town that she would
bring back enough camping gear for all of us, just in case there was no place to shelter us from the elements.
Hillary and Lyle were quite excited about the trip, as they had never been anywhere outside of England. I wondered how excited they would be if they understood the real purpose of the trip? I myself stayed very busy and tried not to think of the hideous nightmares that I had been having, or any other unpleasant things that has happened to me since my arrival in England. I did not find it all that hard to do, as everything was very quiet and running quite smoothly. I took it upon myself to take down the portrait of Elizabeth’s Mother so I could take it with us. I wrapped it up with linen to keep it from being damaged and set it by the other luggage, to keep it hidden from Elizabeth. Somehow, I knew that she would not approve of me taking it with us on our voyage to Devil’s Island. I felt that we would somehow be a lot safer under her watchful eyes.
Elizabeth returned a few minutes past three o’clock and was very surprised to find that everything that we thought we would need on our journey had been packed up and was ready to be taken to the ship. She walked up to me with a great big smile and said, “Mason you must have read my mind. The ship starts its boarding procedure at twelve o’clock tomorrow and it sets sail approximately one-hour later. I have made reservations at Darkness Falls Motel for the four of us. We will stay there tonight and be ready to take our luggage aboard by noon.”
“That sounds great Elizabeth, but did you say you had made reservations at Darkness Falls Motel?”
With a weird look on her face she replied, “Yes I did Mason, why do you ask.”
“The name of the hotel silly, Darkness Falls.”
“It had never dawned on me until now. Nonetheless, that is where all four of us are staying the night.”
After speaking with me, Elizabeth walked over to Lyle and asked, “Lyle would you make a last minute check to make sure that all of our belongings are locked up and secured properly. I need to call the MacDougal’s to let them know that all of us are leaving. Please hurry, I want to get to the hotel early.”
