by M Jet
Together they ran up the stairs and down the dark hallway. He led her to the furthest door on the right, one she had not yet opened or explored. He threw open the door, revealing a pitch dark stairway leading to an unfinished attic area.
"I don't want to go up there, Auréle!" Danielle worried, frightened of the dark and the wave of heat that assaulted them.
"You must trust me," he urged, gently pulling her on.
Once in the attic, Auréle lit a candle. Danielle could see the dingy room was full of hundreds of candles, including a large ring of thick white candles in the center of the room. Quickly, he began lighting the candles in the ring. He turned back to her. "Come on," he said, offering a hand. "Step inside the circle."
Danielle felt terrified, but trusted Auréle. She stepped into the circle amongst the dancing flames. He raced around the attic and she quietly watched him though a dozen questions were busy in her mind. Auréle opened a drawer in a massive armoire, retrieved a bottle, and returned to the circle. He stepped into the circle of flames himself and took the cork out of the small bottle.
Rapidly, Auréle began to whisper. "In the name of the Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, proceed we to our work in these mysteries to accomplish that which we desire; we therefore, in the names aforesaid, consecrate this piece of ground for our defense."
As Auréle quietly prayed, he sprinkled white dust out of the bottle onto the ground in a circle that rimmed the candlelight. "So that no spirit whatsoever shall be able to break these boundaries, neither be able to cause injury nor detriment to any of us here assembled: but that they may be compelled to stand before this Circle, and answer truly our demands, so far as it pleaseth Him who liveth for ever and ever; and who says, I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, which is, and which was and which is to come, the Almight."
When he completed the circle of white powder, he slowly walked around the circle three times while finishing his fervently whispered prayer. " I am the First and the Last, who am living and was dead; and behold I live for ever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and Hell. Bless O Lord! this creature of earth wherein we stand; confirm O God! Thy strength in us, so that neither the adversary nor any evil thing may cause us to fail, through the merits of Jesus Christ. Amen."
Danielle sat primly in the center of the circle on her knees, peering around the room. It looked much like Toinette's cottage but felt somehow different. "What is this place?" Danielle asked in awe.
Auréle took a seat on the floor next to Danielle, and the awful banging of doors and windows beneath them stopped. "This is my sanctuary. I feared a day like this might come someday; Danielle and I made this place. To protect myself. And I'm glad I did, because now I can protect you."
"What did you just do?"
"I made a consecrated, protected circle. The white candle magic and sea salt protect us. We are safe inside."
Danielle gasped. "What? I thought you said she couldn't get in!"
"Darling, as far as I know, she can't. But in case brick dust falls through, I'd like to think we have a backup plan!"
Danielle stared at him sadly. "Well, what do we do now?"
Auréle sighed. "Wait for day light. Her powers weaken under the light of day."
Danielle cuddled into Auréle's arms and together they drifted off to sleep in the flickering circle.
***
Somewhere in the house, music began to play.
"I'm comiiiin' foh yooooou," said a quiet sing song voice.
Danielle and Auréle simultaneously jerked out of their incredibly peaceful slumber. "Oh my God, what was that?" Danielle whispered frantically. Instinctively, Auréle encircled her in a fierce, protective embrace.
"I'm comiiiin' foh yooooou," came the lyrical Creole lilt once more.
Anxiety constricted Danielle's chest in a vice grip of fear, stealing the breath from her lungs. Hot tears sprung to her eyes. "You said she couldn't get in here!" Danielle exclaimed, just as the attic door burst open and beautiful Toinette emerged into the room with a glittering wicked smile.
Auréle glared into Toinette's eyes as he reluctantly released Danielle and stood.
"She's conjured the wind," he growled in response to Danielle's question.
Toinette cackled. "Tha's right, chile," Toinette delightedly informed Danielle with that Southern flavor in her voice Danielle normally would've found so appealing. Except in this case it was sinister and frightening. "I called up the wind, and blew yo' brick dust away." Everything she said was like a child singing her phrases to make fun of another.
"Danielle, do not leave the circle. Conjuring the wind took a lot of her energy. And she can't come inside this circle here no matter what; no matter what she conjures! The only way she can harm you here is if you offer yourself! STAY INSIDE THE CIRCLE!"
Danielle roosted on her haunches, circling her arms around her own knees. She buried her face into her knees and planted her hands over her ears, rocking to and fro.
Toinette tittered again. "I think I can interest you in coming to me, chile," Toinette said softly, speaking right to Danielle.
"Danielle, DO NOT listen to her, do not do a thing she says!"
Danielle did her best to ignore Toinette, but the woman's magical voice seemed to come to her from inside her own mind.
That's when the baby began to cry.
Danielle's eyes opened involuntarily and she peeked at Toinette. She cast aside the folds of the black cape she was wearing and it became apparent she was holding a Caucasian, crying baby.
"DANIELLE! DANIELLE! DO NOT LISTEN TO HER!" Aurélle cried desperately.
But her eyes were now locked with Toinette's. Toinette grinned again. "I got yo' baaaabaaaae," she crooned.
"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Danielle screamed.
"Come on chile, I'll hand her over, jus' come on out the circle," Toinette whispered her evil encouragement.
Sobbing, Danielle crawled toward the edge of the circle.
"WAIT!" Auréle screamed. "Wait… I'll give you what you want, Toinette. Just don't hurt her. Or her baby," he pleaded, as he slowly stepped over the circle of burning candles. His shoulders slumped, every part of him demonstrating the despair of defeat.
Toinette laughed a shrieking, unhinged sound enough to chill the dead. "FINALLY!" she screamed. She laid the baby on the floor and the baby shrieked as well. Danielle's head spun as she watched her lover kneel onto his knees before Toinette, tears pouring down his face.
And then she spotted a large shard of glass, lying on the floor right outside the circle, from an attic window that had broken in the earlier display of banging windows and doors. Danielle frantically scurried to the edge of the circle, reached out and snatched up the glass. The shard bit into the flesh of her hand but she wasn't even aware of the pain as the blood poured.
"No! No Auréle!" she declared with a sudden confidence that came from someplace deep inside her.
She knew how to break the spell.
She plunged the glass into her stomach.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Toinette screamed, dropping to her knees. The last thing Danielle saw was Toinette's beautiful face warping and contorting into the ancient, deformed face of a Devil.
And then Danielle died.
Part 4: Blessed Be
"Thank you for freeing my beloved people once again, my darling," said Pascaline Mantagne. "I've been with you all your life; I knew you would be the one to free them."
Joyful tears slipped down the flawless face of Danielle Mantagne as she stood face to face with her own great great grandmother who was the picture perfect replica of her. Pascaline carefully embraced her granddaughter, in a way as not to disturb the baby sleeping in Danielle's arms.
"And you," she told Auréle, caressing his face. "I'm so proud of you, always. I've watched you too. And I'll watch you both, always."
Auréle hugged Pascaline with one arm, leaving the other arm tightly around Danielle. "We'll not be going with you?" Auréle asked.
Pascaline
cast a bright smile on the newly formed forever family. "Not this time children. I'm finally able to return and bring my folks home. But you, you get to stay behind here in your own personal Heaven; Mantagne Winds, with no Toinette. No evil. Only joy while you love each other and the baby. Forever."
One by one each of the freed slaves stopped in front of Auréle and Danielle, hugging them, giving tearful thanks. An amazing sight was watching when they finally turned and followed Pascaline slowly, disappearing into the trees.
The End
M Jet is an internationally bestselling author, wife, mom, artist, fortune teller, and witch.
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