Crucible Crisis

by Amberley Faith

  "Maman," Bibianne squeaked. "Does it hurt?"

  Méline looked at Ellie with large eyes. She was quiet, waiting for Ellie's answer.

  "Well, girls," Ellie hesitated. "Yes, it does hurt quite a bit. But it's worth it to be able to see you again!" Méline's big eyes started to water, and Ellie reached out an arm for a hug. She inhaled sharply at the pain the movement caused. "I'll heal."

  Julien stepped closer and said, "Maman must settle for a kiss, girls." He lifted Bibianne up so she could kiss Ellie's cheek, and Méline gave her a quick peck and a pat on the arm. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently.

  "Ma vie, that was scary. Don't ever do that to me again." He mock-scolded her with a smile. "Dr. Patel has already spoken to us. I know the girls can't stay long. Let me get them something to eat, and we'll come back when you've got a room. I hate to leave you alone, Ellie, but we'll be back as soon as possible." He looked torn.

  "It's okay. I'll be fine. You take care of the girls. I'll have plenty of people taking care of me. Plus, I've got to start those breathing treatments. Don't worry." She tried to smile.

  "Well, here is your purse." Julien said as he placed it carefully on the bed beside her hips, making sure not to let it touch her chest or ribs. "Your cell phone is in there; I checked to make sure. Text me as soon as you get a room. Maybe it won't be too long." He planted another gentle kiss on her forehead and left with the girls.

  Ellie drifted back to sleep after Julien and the girls left. She awoke to her bed being rolled down a long hallway. The orderly spoke to her.

  "Hello, there! We wondered if you'd sleep the entire trip to your room. Looks like I won the bet, though." He leaned in and whispered. "You just earned me a drink after work with the nurse I've been trying to ask out for weeks. I owe you one! You need anything while you're here? You let Ja'Quarius know. I'll take care of you."

  Ellie giggled. "Glad to be of service. Anytime you need a near drowning to secure a date, I'm your girl." She was in pain, to be sure, but giddy with relief at being out of the water and able to breathe again. Each time she woke up, she felt the thrill of not being underwater. It would have all seemed like a dream if it hadn't been for the pain in her chest and ribcage.

  When they arrived at her room, Ja'Quarius docked her bed into position and left the room with a little salute in Ellie's direction. "You remember what I told you," he said as he left the room.

  The attending nurse plugged in all the tubes and cords that were monitoring Ellie's condition. The nurse was lovely, and she had the merriest dimples when she smiled. Ellie saw that her name was RayVynn. When RayVynn came around to adjust the oxygen reader on Ellie's middle finger, Ellie smiled.

  "I hear you have a hot date tonight. Where will Ja'Quarius take you for drinks?" Ellie asked.

  "Oh, Lord. That fool has been runnin' his mouth. He cain't keep that big flap shut." She laughed as she spoke. RayVynn continued. "Yes, thanks to you – I'll be going over to Duke's after work. We'll see if Ja'Quarius lets me get a word in before the night is over. That's how I'll decide if he gets a second date."

  Ellie wanted to laugh, but it hurt too much. She smiled instead. "You two make a cute couple, if I may say so."

  "He has been pesterin' me for weeks to go out with him. I swear, I don't know what came over me today to take that bet. I'll say one thing – he is persistent." RayVynn leaned over to take Ellie's purse off the bed, but Ellie interrupted her.

  "No, please leave it here. I want to be able to reach my phone to text my husband." Ellie explained.

  "Alright," RayVynn acquiesced. " Ja'Quarius will be back in one hour to start your breathing treatment. You take it easy until then."

  Ellie opened her purse intending to call Julien. Her hands, however, landed on something other than her mobile phone - the anthology. How had it gotten into Ellie's purse? She hadn't been carrying it with her, had she? At any rate, she was glad to see it. After texting Julien her room number, she opened it and began to read.

  February 1721

  I was widowed at 41 and I have resumed the wretched role again at the age of 69. Despite the horrors of my first marriage and the awful Trials, my second marriage brought nothing but joy. I have often wondered if my choice in taking the journal and using it had anything to do with that.

  When poor Daniel died last month, I knew it was time. Having no female offspring of my own, I must entrust this journal to my son's daughter Elinor. She is young – ten years old – but I must give her the chance to right the wrongs of men as I was given. It will help her in troubling times, and it will allow her to survive the coming crucible, despite the wicked ways of men.

  This will be my last entry. I fear that my time left in the world is short. I must soon meet my Maker and face the consequences of my actions. I made my own choices and will not shrink from their results, but I am determined for my granddaughter to have the same choices available to her if needed.

  I set off tomorrow on my journey to my son's home. I will carry few belongings, this journal being the primary reason for my visit and weighted with both authority and mystery. It will be up to Elinor to decide what to do with it. I am ready to rid myself of the burden – physical and spiritual.

  E.B.P.R.

  Ellie stopped reading for a moment, saddened. She would never find out what happened to Ebbie other than that Ebbie had remarried and had passed the journal down to her granddaughter. Ellie sighed. She felt like she had lost a friend, an ally. Only the thought that Ebbie had been happy in her second marriage comforted Ellie.

  Ebbie's note about surviving trials stirred a memory. Ellie remembered Madame Margaux and her prediction at Le Chemise. She could still smell the patchouli and feel Madame's breath in her ear. She could hear the clinking of Madame's many beads and bracelets.

  "When the people buzz like insects, don't lose faith; you will survive the crucible."

  Ellie hadn't thought about the strange message in a while, but Ebbie's statement brought it to mind. The words weren't the same, but they seemed to imply the same message. The ancient anthology would help those who needed it.

  Like the women who wrote in the journal, Ellie lived in troubling times. Besides the fact that she nearly drowned at the fall festival, there were plenty of other worries to consume her thoughts: The rumors about Julien and Tai persisted. She was teaching an entirely new subject. She had already managed to get on her boss's bad side. Julien's studio, The Jewel, was set to open in a month, and they weren't finished renovating it yet. Ellie had discovered that The Jewel had been the scene of several murders centuries ago and hadn't been able to shake the feeling that someone was watching her ever since. A student had threatened her with physical violence. The same student had been beaten because of her. And to top it all off, she had been having both nightmares and daymares about Tai and Julien.

  Ellie wondered how Ebbie had handled her troubles all those years ago. If something in the anthology helped Ebbie, maybe there would be something to help Ellie, too. She found another entry and continued reading.

  Thus, I have used this book to pour out my troubles when no one else would care to listen. I would ne'er dare to speak my thoughts aloud. Daniel would say I were thinking too much and working too little. Yet I think there is power here for more than just writing. I have gained understanding as I have aged.

  I have indeed used the book's power. I will advise my granddaughter to do the same. I will warn her, however, to hide this book if she chooses not to use it, so that no soul should stumble upon the words within in case they be a stumbling block to those of lesser faith.

  I have burned the words of the first invocation I did ever deliver in the light of the full moon, lest the stories told by the slave girl were true. If the words were indeed a weakness on my part, then let them not become a condemnation for another, for I do not regret for one moment having them uttered.

  E.B.P.R.

  Ebbie's story so consumed Ellie's attention that she didn't hear Julien enter her hospita
l room until he leaned over to give her a kiss. She closed the book and jumped in surprise. He laughed.

  "Did I scare you? What are you so engrossed in?" Julien asked, reaching over as if to grab the book.

  "Ouch! My ribs!" Ellie interceded, stopping him mid-grasp. She shoved the book under the hospital blanket.

  "You startled me! And when I jumped, it made my whole chest hurt again." That part was true, but she wasn't quite sure why she had moved the book out of his reach. "Yes, I was reading. I guess I got too involved in the story because I never heard a thing." That was true, too. Why on earth was she feeling so edgy about Julien seeing her book? Luckily, he didn't seem to notice. His concern was all for her injuries.

  "Shh…shhh…take it easy, ma belle. Lie still. We'll get you some pain medication." He caressed her cheek and tucked one strand of hair behind her ear. Just then, Ja'Quarius came in with her first breathing treatment. As he approached her bedside, excusing himself for interrupting Ellie and Julien, Ellie spoke to him.

  "I met your date. She's great! I can see why you've been trying so hard." Ja'Quarius leaned over Ellie to make some adjustments to the tubing, and Ellie whispered, "A little birdie told me that the key to tonight's date is to be a good listener." Ellie winked at him.

  Ja'Quarius smiled wide and said, "Girl, you got my back! You can call me JQ, and I'll be looking out for you on my shift. You can count on JQ! I owe you!" He continued about his work with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

  Julien and the girls visited and talked while Ellie breathed in through the nebulizer. The girls chatted away about the prizes they had won at the fair prior to the accident. Before long, the treatment was over, and so were visiting hours. Julien gave Ellie a final kiss for the night and lifted each girl in turn so that she could do the same.

  As he left the room, Julien stopped in the doorway and looked back at Ellie. "After the grand opening of the studio in November, you and I need a vacation. This move has been stressful, and after your accident – you'll need a good rest. While you're convalescing, think about places you'd like to go, and I'll start working on making travel arrangements. Let's do it over Christmas break, yes? How does that sound, ma vie?"

  Ellie smiled and showed him a thumbs-up sign. What a great idea, she thought. What a great husband. Despite it all, she was a very lucky woman.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  THE SHADOW

  The Shadow crouched down low behind one of the azalea bushes that surrounded the house. The azalea didn't provide as much coverage as other plants, but the broad, sparse leaves allowed her to peek through and glimpse what was going on inside the Pelletier residence. Besides, she wasn't afraid of being seen; it was dark outside, and several interior lights were on. The Pelletiers, for all their city ways, didn't seem to be too concerned with saving energy.

  The emerald cord had led her here. The Shadow had been furious with the failure of the dunking booth; she had scared the wits out of Ellie and Julien, but Ellie's connection had not been severed. Then last night, The Shadow felt the unmistakable tug at her wrist.

  She had learned not to ignore its pull. Once, when she had been too slow to respond to the simultaneous pricked at her wrist and her mind, the emerald cord had expressed its displeasure. Her scar had turned a dark, fungus-green, the color of rot, and had burned what felt like all the way through her tiny wrist with excruciating pain.

  So even though the scar called to her when she had just drifted off to sleep, The Shadow had obeyed her branded guide and made her way to the Pelletiers' yard without hesitation. She squirmed behind the azalea bush underneath the kitchen window. A conversation drifted through the open window down to the flower beds. If she held her head at just the right angle, she could see into the home from her crouched position. There was a slight breeze that moved the sheer curtains. They blew in and out of the screen-less windows.

  "You what?" asked a shrill voice. "You want to take a student on our family vacation? Over Christmas break?"

  Ellie's voice was tight and accusatory. Predictably, Julien was unruffled by Ellie's outburst. Nothing seemed to faze him. He greeted every complaint with a sardonic laugh that drove The Shadow mad.

  "Ma vie," he responded and tried to pull Ellie into a hug. "She is not really a student. She is our baby-sitter, my assistant, a family friend - and if we take her along on our trip, she will be able to babysit for us whenever we want. The girls have fun with her. It will give us time to relax and reconnect. Just the two of us." The Shadow peered in through the window, ready to duck the second anyone began to turn in her direction.

  Ellie sighed, hesitantly accepting the embrace. She winced when Julien squeezed too hard. Ellie was still recovering from her accident.

  "You seriously want to bring Tai with us?" Ellie's eyebrows pinched together. "After all the rumors? Don't you think you'll just be adding fat lighter to the flame?" Ellie sounded more exasperated than angry now. She was even using local slang.

  "Mon cœur," Julien added. "Let the small minds brood. What have we to fear? We are innocent of the rumors that surround us. I, for one, refuse to allow such nonsense to affect my life. Why are you letting such petty gossip bother you, ma chérie?" The Shadow risked another peek inside and saw Julien take Ellie's hand.

  "Because it's my reputation, too, Julien!" Ellie exhaled in frustration. "The rumors at school are hurtful." She stepped back from the embrace and looked at him. "I act like I don't mind and that I'm above it all, but it takes every ounce of self-control I possess to maintain my composure. Everyone thinks she has you wrapped around her little finger and that you've cozied up in your studio taking God-knows-what-kind of photos."

  The bitterness in her voice was building, and Ellie stepped away from Julien, turning her back to him. She paused to catch her breath, one hand on her side. "It's even worse; they think that I'm the unsuspecting, loyal, idiotic wife who would rather turn a blind eye than face the awful truth. I want to rail at everyone and defend you, me, the girls. It's…it's…unbearable!" She ran one hand through her hair and turned to look out the window. The Shadow remained perfectly still while Ellie continued.

  "And what will the Reverintendent say?" Ellie asked. "You don't think he'd allow his niece to go? After all the rumors?" She stared out through the open window lost in thought. "It's not just sinning that's frowned upon; it's the mere appearance of sinning."

  Ellie reached over and wiped a spider web from the window frame. The Shadow knew Ellie cleaned when she was anxious. The Shadow held her breath and hoped that Ellie wouldn't lean out the window to clean the entire sash.

  Luckily, Ellie stopped wiping. "The insects here are awful! I really had no idea how annoying they would be." She gave a grunt of disapproval. "I don't know what's worse – the bugs or the busybodies."

  Ellie cradled her side again. "What would we do if I were fired over this? Have you thought about that? Our savings will run out eventually, you know."

  The Shadow smiled to herself. So, Ellie realized the precariousness of her standing in the community and its link to her employment. She'd given The Shadow a glimpse into her fears. Ellie felt anxious, ungrounded. The next element, then, would be earth.

  If the water element hadn't severed Ellie's connection to the heirloom, then an earthen element would do it. The Shadow took out a tiny piece of coal leftover from the fire she had made in the woods with her groupies. She drew an emblem on the side of the Pelletier's house where no one would see. It was her family insignia. Having marked the house, access would be granted.

  The Shadow crept back to her cottage. As she closed her eyes in satisfaction and pulled Gabby's quilt up to her chin, she decided to have a delicious rest before starting the next phase of her plan. Besides, she had to replenish her stores of herbs and essential oils. The next tisane would need time to develop to its full potential – just like her plans for Ellie.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  POLITICAL PROBLEMS

  Over the next week, Ellie kept her doubts
about Tai, Julien, and their upcoming vacation bottled up. Instead, she focused on taking care of her numerous injuries and on her students' struggle with learning American Literature. For once, small-town politics kept her treading water, temporarily out of range. There were, apparently, bigger fish to hook.

  Ellie discovered that small town politics were just as bad as those in big cities. They may not have involved as many people, but they seemed even worse when she knew everyone. And they affected everything that happened in Stusa.

  Ellie thought the oft-quoted maxim about the only unavoidable things in life being "death and taxes" should be amended. Wealthy citizens and big corporations could probably get around taxes with accountants and lawyers, but politics? Ellie thought they were the only truly unavoidable thing besides death. Anywhere humans were involved, there would always be a power struggle.

  Her glimpse into small town politics started when Ellie and her colleagues were in the teacher's lounge. The bell had just rung for lunch. As teachers were opening their lunch bags and warming up leftovers, the intercom came on. Trained as they were, they all stopped what they were doing to listen to the forthcoming announcement.

  Mr. Mullis rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Oh, please say that seventh period is cancelled. I can't take another hour of those hellions." A few of the other teachers chuckled. No announcement followed, however. What they heard was an apparent argument among several people who must have been crowded around the principal's desk.

  "Well, hnh hmm, as you all know - I have already hired Remuel Hardy, retired FBI agent, to look into the matter. I don't know what else I can do. I am sick and tired of the rumors circulating about my household. I want proof that we are innocent, proof I can show to the public," an immediately recognizable voice said.