Sweet Desire, Wicked Fate

by Wray Ardan

  “This isn’t a prank, Hubs. Her name is Jaden. I introduced you to her the other day.” Briz was doing his best to speak clearly and slowly, to relay the urgency of the situation without prompting Hubs to lock himself back in the trailer. “We need to get her to the triplets. Dr. Whiting told her you’d take her to them. She needs to go there now.”

  Hubs looked from Jaden’s inert form to the gauze bandaging Briz’s leg. He fidgeted, buttoning his shirt all the way up to cover the faded scars on his throat.

  “W-what happened to her?”

  “She was at the shack, at the back of Guyon Manor. She got bit.” From what Violet had told Briz, he trusted that Hubs would understand.

  Agitated, shifting from one foot to the other, Hubs ran his hand over his mouth as if sealing in the pain of Briz’s words.

  “What bit her isn’t going to kill her,” said Briz. “It isn’t even going to make her mind slow.” Like yours. “But, it could make her… .” Briz couldn’t say it, he couldn’t say one of them, he wouldn’t allow himself to believe it. After all, maybe Violet was wrong. Maybe Violet didn’t even exist. “Please, Hubs. For her sake. For the whole town’s sake.”

  Hubs leaned against the car for support. His eyes were fixed on Jaden. He could see that her body was succumbing to the venom that was overwhelming her nervous system, her organs, her mind.

  “Help us.” A tear escaped from Briz’s eye. He wiped it away before it reached his cheek. “Please. Take us to the triplets. She’s a good person. She doesn’t deserve this. Neither did you.”

  They both watched Jaden’s body convulse.

  “If you won’t take us, tell me where to go.” Briz pleaded, his voice heavy with despair. “Where can I find the triplets?”

  Hubs didn’t respond. He returned to his trailer and shut the door.

  Slouching against his car, Briz could hear Violet’s voice telling him it would be useless to take Jaden to the hospital. Now he had no other choice.

  Then Hubs came back. Carrying a flashlight and a set of keys, he walked over to an old Chevy Impala and said, “Fo-follow m-me.”

  Without saying a word, Briz climbed back into his car and started it.

  They drove for thirty minutes, on the highway at first, then on a back road skirting the new part of town. Briz wondered if Hubs was trying to get him lost out in the boonies.

  “What the …” Briz slowed as they turned onto the grassy mead. “They live on the bayou? Is he messing with me?”

  Twenty yards in front of them, an old shed sat on the rim of the marsh. Moonlight played across the water. Nothing about the tranquil scene reflected the nightmarish event it truly was. Hubs jumped from his car and started up the path, leaving Briz to lift Jaden into his own arms. Hordes of croaking toads hid in the grass vying to see who could bellow the loudest. When Briz caught up to Hubs inside the dark shed, Hubs was standing next to a flat-bottom skiff and lighting a cobweb-filled lantern.

  Briz eased Jaden onto the front bench of the skiff as Hubs hooked the lantern to the bow next to a broken light. Together they guided the boat into the water, and climbed in.

  “Ya kn-know, ga-gators have g-great night vi-vision,” Hubs said, shining his flashlight across the water.

  The motor growled and sputtered as the boat moved forward and Briz remembered going on the jungle ride at Disneyland when he was seven years old. It had seemed so real to him. He’d sat holding his dad’s hand to feel safe. Only this wasn’t Disneyland. This was real—and nothing was going to make him feel safe.

  The smell of the bayou reminded Briz of his mom’s fermented tofu. Mosquitoes that had been hovering deep in the grass swarmed Jaden and Briz, loudly informing him that this was their element. He couldn’t swat them fast enough. He gave up keeping them away from himself and tried to keep them off Jaden. Sliding his palm over her arms, he transformed her skin into a canvas of modern art smeared with the draguitoes’ black bodies and her red blood. Briz glanced back at Hubs. The bloodsucking pests weren’t bothering him.

  The somber man tossed him an herbal-scented clump of soft wax. Briz smeared it over Jaden’s fevered skin, then on his own bare arms and legs.

  Once the onslaught of mosquitoes dissipated, he took in their surroundings. A cloud wandered in front of the moon, washing away all color, bathing the bayou in a dismal gloom. The bald cypress trees rose from the water like sentinels guarding their domain. Spanish moss hung from branches like tangled hair. Steam blanketed the surface. It was as if they were on their way to perform a macabre ritual with Jaden's sickly body.

  The golden flame from the lantern shimmered on the water, highlighting the bumpy backs of alligators as they glided by. From the way that Hubs guided the boat through the channels, Briz figured the man could do it in his sleep.

  Almost an hour passed before they came to a sharply angled outcrop nestled in a mound of bog. Hubs turned off the motor and guided the skiff with a long pole to a small dock and boathouse at the water’s edge. In the distance Briz could see lights glowing from a house. A shroud of mist gave it the appearance of floating in space.

  With a boisterous voice he called out, “Ooo-ee.”

  Three women emerged from the house.

  “It’s me, Hubs.”

  Blinking the sweat from his eyes, Briz stared. The women had long silver hair that billowed around them as they crossed a raised walkway to the boat, a lantern guiding their way. In the distance, they seemed almost translucent.

  “Hubs, what are ya doing here, now?” The woman’s voice held a rich tone that embodied the bayou. “Ya never come here in the night.”

  Hubs tied up the boat as the women approached. The moon rushed out from behind the clouds casting its light like a fluorescent net that captured the dock and lit up the triplets.

  Briz’s mouth was hanging open. He snapped it shut. No wonder they look translucent. They’re albinos.

  The matching women wore matching bathrobes. Petite in stature, at first glance everything about the women was unique. From their pale skin to their pale blue eyes. The lines on their faces were like embroidered patterns of knowledge.

  Perhaps wisdom.

  If fairies were real, the triplets looked as though they would be the ruling fairy queens of the bayou. Briz leaned to one side to see if they had wings. Maybe they were related to the Bellibone, Violet.

  “Th-they needs y-yer help, Mama.” Hubs raised the boat’s lantern to illuminate Jaden and Briz.

  Hubs is related to the triplets? His mom is an albino? Things just keep getting weirder.

  “She’s b-been bit—” Hubs’s voice quavered, as if he were afraid to say the words, “—b-by a Mal Rou.”

  The women gasped.

  “Th-they was at th-the shack.” Hubs gestured toward Briz. “He s-says Grand-pere wanted me to b-bring them here.”

  Grand-pere. Briz stood next to Jaden, rubbing his forehead. Who’s Hubs’s grandpa?

  “Hubs, ya carry the girl. That boy is weak with fever.”

  “Yes, Mama.” Stepping back onto the boat, Hubs set the lantern down and eased Jaden into his arms. He held her body away from his as if she had a contagious virus.

  Briz’s plan for the night had been so simple: put Ava in her place, help Jaden and her mom paint some walls. Now, for some bizarre reason, he’d stumbled into the world of Shakespeare’s weird sisters and the lore of the three fates. Why’d my parents make me read all those stories? They’ve messed me up.

  Briz carried the lantern from the boat as they walked toward the house. Straggling behind the others, his stomach tightened and his mouth felt dry. He wasn’t sure what to expect here in the middle of the night and in the middle of the bayou. Voodoo high priestesses hiding out in a shack?

  The place was larger than he’d first thought. Four feet off the ground, it was a unique blend of a rustic cabin and a house you’d find in the suburbs. A large screened porch surrounded the building like a moat and obviously kept out rats, snakes, and mosquitoes while giving three tabb
y cats a refuge from bayou predators. A group of wicker chairs sat at the far end next to a swinging bench.

  Moths fluttered around a light above the door. The moths movements slowed, as if they were watching Briz. Wondering who this intruder was. Two hound dogs lay entwined under a hammock, napping. They didn’t bother to raise their heads when Briz walked past them into the house.

  Hubs and the triplets hurried into a dark room with Jaden. Briz stayed right behind them, uncertain what their intentions might be. He knew that under the dirt and grime Jaden was burning with fever. Hubs’s mother gestured for Briz to set his lantern on top of a chest-of-draws.

  She set hers on a nightstand next to a lamp.

  “This here lamp don’t work,” was all she said, as she pulled aside the mosquito net that surrounded the small bed. One of the other women folded back a patchwork quilt. Hubs set Jaden down as if she were a priceless vase.

  Briz watched as the women started undressing her. Hubs guided him to the door. Noting that there weren’t any headless chickens hanging from the ceiling or voodoo dolls on an altar, Briz felt that it was okay to leave Jaden in there with the triplets. Besides, he was in no condition to fight them off. Listless, he felt his strength diminishing quickly. He needed to sit down. I’ve got to be dreaming. Monsters. Fairies. Albino triplets living on the bayou. I must be delusional from the fever. Maybe too many mosquito bites. I bet I’ve got West Nile fever.

  The bedroom door closed behind him and he staggered over to the sofa and sat down. For the second time that night, Briz passed out.

  When he came to, all he could see was a bright light.

  Oh no … don’t follow the light … don’t follow the light. I’ll live if I just don’t follow the light.

  “His pupils are dilated,” he heard a female voice declare.

  The light clicked off. Briz shrank back as a snow-white face came into focus just inches from his, the delicate features frail under sheer wrinkled skin. He tried to sit up, but a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder holding him still. Looking up he saw Hubs.

  Good, okay, I know him.

  This time the woman spoke directly to Briz. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, son. I’m gonna unwrap your leg now, to see what all you got going on here.”

  Briz stared into her pale irises. They were crystal clear, fringed with long white lashes. Gradually Jaden, Violet, and the triplets emerged from the quagmire of his mind as the alabaster woman carefully peeled the moist gauze from his calf.

  He worked to steady his breathing as he surveyed the large room. An ornate desk was tucked into the corner, surrounded by a wall of books. Three wingback armchairs with handcrafted footstools sat facing a window overlooking the dark bayou. An oversized chair stood across from the sofa. A cloud of incense hung in the room. It smelled like the waxy bug repellent Hubs had on the boat.

  Briz’s attention went back to the woman as she got up and walked down the hall. Hubs lifted Briz in his arms. Surprised by how strong the man was, Briz remained still and silent as Hubs carried him into the kitchen and placed him in an old wooden recliner near a window.

  Herbs dangled from the ceiling making the air spicy and pungent. The woman stood in front of a stove at the center of an island counter that stretched across the room. Pots and pans hung overhead. Under a window was a large sink. Jars containing fermenting concoctions sat in a row along the length of the counter.

  Insects attracted to the lights were clinging to the screens, wailing in frustration at their thwarted desire to get into the house. A ceiling fan gyrated, not quite drowning out the humming refrigerator. The room was twice the size of a normal kitchen and it included all the conveniences you’d expect to find in any middle class home.

  Where do they get their electricity? I don’t hear a generator. Solar, must be solar energy. They’re too far from town to be hooked up to a power grid. They have running water. Must have a catchment nearby.

  Briz was grateful for every analytical thought that he could capture in his brain. It made him feel normal, or as normal as he could be right now.

  “Hubs, bring that there cup of tea for the boy.”

  The woman carefully carried a pan of steaming liquid and an herb poultice to a small table. Sliding a chair over, she sat next to Briz.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you, son. I’m Isadora. What’s your name?” She spoke with a light southern accent that faded in and out.

  Hubs reached past Isadora, setting the tea down.

  She nodded toward the cup. “Drink up. It’ll help break your fever.” With a reassuring smile, she added, “I’m sure you’re a bit nervous about Hubs dragging you all the way out here. Actually, so are we. He’s never brought anyone to our house.”

  Briz felt as though he was in a foreign country, reluctant to speak, uncertain that anyone would understand him. Still, his voice came out strong. “My name is Briz. Brisbane Nolan.” His eyes darted to Hubs, who was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, then back to Isadora. “I suppose Hubs never had a reason to bring anyone here before.”

  Her gaze met his and she nodded in agreement. Washing the blood off his leg, she studied the six inflamed holes. “This here has been cleaned very well. Did you do it yourself, son?”

  “No.” Briz wasn’t sure whether he should say who or what had. “A friend who told me to come here did it.”

  “Hmm, just who might this friend be?”

  “Actually, I doubt you’d know her.” Briz glanced around the room while sipping the warm tea. Or maybe you do. “A man named Dr. Whiting mentioned you to Jade … Jaden, she’s the girl in the other room.” Curiosity deepened the lines on Isadora’s face as Briz continued, “She went to visit him, um, to learn about her family history. I guess he knew them.”

  “Doctor Whiting is our stepfather.” A weighty undertone colored Isadora’s voice.

  Briz wondered what she was thinking. Something prophetic about fate, destiny, timing? Perhaps she wanted to say, We have all been waiting for this moment. Now you’re part of this most regrettable situation—hopefully including some words of wisdom. She secured the poultice against Briz’s leg with a thin towel and strip of gauze, and he heard her mutter the word “fate” under her breath as she gestured for him to finish his tea.

  Did she just read my mind?

  While he was inwardly piecing together this unusual family, one of the other albino women entered the kitchen. From the way Hubs reacted, Briz assumed she was his mother.

  “Hubs, take the boy into the other room. I put clean sheets on the sofa for him. He needs to be getting some sleep now.” Standing next to Hubs, she gently placed her hand on his arm. “Since yer bed and the sofa is taken, ya is gonna have to sleep in the hammock tonight, son.”

  Hubs nodded, but didn’t move away from the door. His golden eyes continued to take in the scene.

  “Thank you,” Briz said. “Thank you for helping us.” Everyone turned to look at him. “Is Jaden going to be all right? That thing was bleeding when it bit her. She might have rabies … or something worse.” The two sisters blinked rapidly as if speaking to one another in Morse code. They seemed to know all too well what he meant. His voice faltered as he asked, “You’re going to be able to help her, right?”

  The women seemed reluctant to reply. Finally Hubs’s mother spoke. “We’re not really sure. We are counting on the fever burning any poisons outta her system. And I need to research what kinda healing tonic to be making for her.”

  Isadora continued where her sister left off. “You know, when Hubs was a boy he was attacked?”

  Briz gave a grimace of understanding.

  “Back then our stepfather did all that was medically possible. But we have other formulas now. One of them may help.”

  A chill swept through Briz. What was going to happen to Jade?

  Hubs approached him. This time he helped Briz walk to the other room instead of carrying him.

  After that, Briz had fitful dreams about alien-lo
oking rodents, people making him drink a bad-tasting herbal mixture—and Jaden.

  In the middle of the night he woke with a jolt.

  CHAPTER 24

  A loud screech roared through Jaden’s head and she bolted upright, eyes springing open. A hint of moonlight shone through a small window, offering barely enough light to give shape to the room. In unison a sea of croaking frogs rattled her brain. She sank back down on the unfamiliar bed as if someone had clobbered her on the head with a cast-iron pan. Lying there, she tried to figure out where she was and what had happened. Her leg ached. When she reached under the flimsy cover, she felt a bandage wrapped tightly around her calf.

  Shadowy patterns covered the walls, reminding her of the Mal Rous. Abhorrent memories of the night came to the surface of her groggy mind. Sitting up more gingerly this time, she took the covers off and realized that she was naked. She pulled the mosquito netting aside and lowered her feet slowly onto the wood floor, considering whether she could be in the mansion. The mansion had wood floors too, but it smelled like mothballs and disinfectant, not herbs and spicy potpourri.

  She stood up, moving as if she were blindfolded. The frogs were silenced by another loud screech that made her head feel as though it was going to burst. Uncertainty began to override her fear. Fumbling around, she found a lamp, but its switch didn’t work. She searched for her clothes in the dimness but couldn’t find them. Removing the thin sheet from the bed, she draped it around her and made her way to the door. She turned the knob slowly. Then she paused.

  When nothing came after her, she stepped into the next room. Its larger windows let more moonlight flood in. She could make out a couch with someone sleeping on it. Briz. Jaden couldn’t help smiling as she walked over to him. Once she was standing next to him she gasped, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe. Except that wasn’t the problem. She was breathing.

  Heavily.

  She traced her fingers along the curve of his chin, down the front of his throat, and lightly across his bare chest. Surprising herself, she lay on top of him. When the weight of her body didn’t wake him, she stretched upward, placing her lips against his, kissing him repeatedly until he responded by drawing her closer, his body welcoming hers.