Ellie had originally planned to show the videos in class and to let the kids have popcorn and soda – a homemade video extravaganza. Now, though, she wasn't sure. What if all the videos were like this? Would the students spread the news around school? That Ellie was bucking the system – or encouraging her students to buck it?
It was hard to predict their reaction. If it was something they cared about, the students would probably talk about it outside of class. But if it were seen as any other assignment, they would barely deem it worth completing - much less discuss it outside of class.
One thing she knew for certain, though, was that the quickest way to make sure everyone in the tri-county area saw the video would be to ban it.
◆◆◆
The next day, as students filed into her room, Ellie didn't notice any unusual undercurrents, so she proceeded as if nothing had happened the day before. When the students were seated, Ellie placed a packet on each desk about copyright infringement, movie piracy, and their penalties.
"Before we get started viewing videos, I just want to make sure you guys know the rules about borrowing information from others without proper permission or citations. I know a lot of you probably used scenes from the movie, and that is fine to turn in for an assignment. You cannot, however, post said videos on YouTube or other social media without having express written consent from the movie's producer. Now, let's examine a brilliant piece of work that was submitted early."
Ellie turned on the interactive whiteboard and clicked on the link to the offending video from the day prior. While they waited for the video to load, she said, "This was a great piece. It reflects deep thinking and plenty of effort. The only problem is that it should never have been posted on YouTube – ah look – they've already taken it down. That's too bad. I wanted you to see it, but someone must have flagged it for copyright infringement. Gee, YouTube reacts quickly!"
The class moaned. Ellie smiled. "No worries, you can see it whenever the group that created it turns it in. They forgot to take credit for their amazing work. It's lucky I got to watch it last night! Anyway, just make sure none of the rest of you decide to post your videos. Besides copyright infringement, you'll have to have parental consent if anyone in your group is under eighteen." More groans.
"I know, I know." Ellie continued. "You guys are used to putting everything online. Maybe after Christmas we'll do a week-long lesson on what is legal and what is not. You need to be informed." She put on her concerned face.
TriNeika was the first to respond. "No, no, no, Miss. We won't post anything. Please, please don't make us do another Internet awareness lesson. We have been having those lessons every year since middle school. I swear we won't post anything!" TriNeika advocated for her entire class, and the rest of the class agreed.
Ellie pretended to consider it, then said, "Well, if you're sure you understand the consequences of posting copyrighted information or -"
"Omigod, yes, we know!" Students interrupted. "Let's just watch the movies!"
"Ok, if you're positive," Ellie responded with an inward smirk. "Let's get started then and see what your classmates came up with! Popcorn anyone?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
THE SHADOW
The Shadow sat in bed cursing the pain that started in her wrist and traveled up her forearm. She'd tried everything she could think of to stop the burning - to no avail. She resorted to submerging her forearm in a washtub of cool water spiked with lavender oil, baking soda, honey, and tea leaves.
She knew what the problem was: the pain wasn't from an external injury, so the topical remedies weren't helping; the pain was internal. It came from inside her wrist, radiating outward, and it was spreading.
It was the heirloom. It was calling her, punishing her for not being quick enough. Her first two elemental attacks had failed. She needed to act swiftly. The pain intensified with each failure.
The dunking booth and the poison ivy had created strife, but they had not severed Ellie's connection to the heirloom. Neither the water element nor the earth element had been Ellie's opposing force. Her link to the heirloom was dueling The Shadow's, and Ellie still had no idea what was going on. She hated to admit it, but the real problem hadn't been Ellie at all. The truth was that The Shadow had misread Ellie. How on earth could naïve little Ellie have outfoxed her? It didn't make any sense, and it infuriated The Shadow beyond reason.
If only she had managed to capture Julien's attention before Tai had. What did he see in Tai, the scheming little ho. The Shadow still couldn't believe he had hired Tai as an assistant instead of her, when she had practically thrown herself at him – hinting and flirting in ways that even an imbecile could figure out.
She'd approached him in August when the weather was swelteringly hot and humid. She had dressed carefully, completely opposite of what awaited him at home. She'd studied Ellie and had played up her own physical characteristics that Ellie lacked -- curves. The Shadow revealed enough of her flawless, milky-white bosom to garner attention without being entirely indecent.
The pheromones and tinctures had just been insurance. No man could resist what she'd been flaunting. She lit a cigarette just outside the studio and took a long drag. She knew Julien craved cigarettes but had given them up at Ellie's urging. She also knew that he still sneaked an occasional cigarette on the roof of his studio when Ellie wasn't around.
She'd exhaled a perfect smoke ring as she opened the door to the studio, careful to make sure he saw it as she entered. She feigned surprise at his no-smoking sign and held the door open while she crushed the cigarette under her red stiletto. She strode to the counter and leaned over, giving him an eyeful of exactly what he wasn't getting at home.
"I hear you need an assistant. I'm available, and I'm extremely skilled," she arched an eyebrow, "at giving people what they need. So, when can I start?" She licked her lips and looked him up and down.
Julien's demeanor remained impassive as he returned her stare. "I think I already have everything I need," he arched an eyebrow in return, "but merci pour l'attention. You flatter me." And he turned away.
She was shocked at his refusal - but not dismayed. It was part of the game. A man wanted to feel like he had won the hunt. She couldn't let him think he could win too easily.
"You think you have everything you need because you've never had me. Then you'll know you've got it all." He turned back around to face her. Ha! She had him!
She continued, "I'm a wonderful assistant. I can assist in anything you like. I don't interfere with," she paused, "management." She gave a coy smile. "Here's my number. Call me when you realize how discreet I can be. Management would never have a problem with me." She threw a card onto the counter and sauntered back out, walking slowly, making sure he got as good a look at her rearview assets as he did the front ones.
When he didn't call within the week, she began to stew. Then she heard that Tai had been hired – the little slut. She'd thought Tai was too busy playing the part of innocent victim to compete. The Shadow fumed.
She'd burned white sage and recharged her crystals and stones by moonlight, but the results were lackluster. Somehow, she sensed that nothing would work except the heirloom itself. In fact, Gabby had warned that something like this might eventually happen if the family didn't regain control of the beloved script.
The Shadow grew irritable; her feminine wiles had never let her down until now. What could she do next? How would she take the heirloom? Her scar reminded her daily of her burning need to regain the heirloom.
Even more urgent was her need to expunge the wrath that built inside her. She needed to do something, anything to rid herself of the fury that blocked her prowess. She grabbed a joint and lighter. The tiny flame sparked an idea.
Marijuana. Drugs could ruin Ellie and Julien both if discovered by the right people. And The Shadow knew exactly where to put them to wreak the most havoc. And as for the connection to the heirloom, an elemental fire could destroy more than just Ellie's link to t
he heirloom.
"Long-held hatreds of neighbors could now be openly expressed, and vengeance taken, despite the Bible's charitable injunctions. Old scores could be settled on a plane of heavenly combat … suspicions and the envy of the miserable toward the happy could and did burst out in the general revenge."
--Arthur Miller, in Act One (an Overture), The Crucible
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
DANGEROUS DELUSION
Ellie ended school that December afternoon feeling free, almost dizzy with relief. She had managed to squelch the video rebellion. Zibby's group had turned in a wonderful project. Her group's portrayal of the villagers' point of view was spot on. Ellie thought for sure that Zibby's group would win first place - until she saw GG's video.
GG had worked alone to create an advertisement from the accuser's point of view, specifically that of Thomas Putnam. She used still-slides and captions to show Putnam jumping at the chance, seizing the moment of chaos to work to his benefit. Her portrait of a man full of greed, malice and scheming was uncannily accurate.
GG had used images of a current money mogul to represent Putnam. Her slides showed him touring farms, then accusing owners of witchcraft when they refused to sell to him. Overall, her presentation was quiet but powerful, wicked yet wonderful. It sent a shiver down Ellie's back as she watched it with the class. GG won first place by unanimous vote and received the coveted bonus points added to her grade.
All in all, it was a good end to her first semester in Stusa. Christmas break would allow her to reconnect with her husband, too. She needed to get out of the teacher role for a while and tend to her marriage. The rumors had been stressful; maybe what Ellie needed to do was to show Julien that she believed in him. Their upcoming vacation would do a lot to help her achieve those goals.
After the final bell sounded, Ellie and Zyla toasted the end of the semester with a cup of hot tea together in the teacher's lounge. They had originally planned to go out for something a little merrier than hot tea, but Ellie had received a text message from Julien.
"Well, maybe for New Year's," Zyla laughed as they parted ways. "Send the girls my love!" she added as she hopped in her car and drove away.
Ellie agreed and unlocked her own car door. As she put the key in the ignition, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She shook her head to clear her mind. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't go out for drinks after all. She was so tired from all the stress that she literally felt dizzy. She was mentally reviewing everything that had happened throughout the semester – no wonder she was exhausted - when she pulled up at the studio.
From outside The Jewel everything looked normal. As Ellie opened the heavy front doors, however, a tremendous wave of heat rolled out and almost knocked her down. Her hair flew back as a violent, hot wind rushed out. She saw an orange glow coming from the back of the studio. When her brain finally interpreted what was happening, Ellie rushed inside and started calling for the girls.
"Girls! Where are you?" She screamed. "I'm coming for you!" Where were they?
Despite her mental sluggishness in processing what was she was seeing, Ellie's maternal instincts forced her to walk directly into the heat. The fresh air she had let in upon opening the doors fed the flames, and they grew. They were alive; the flames were coming straight for her, trying to push her back outside. She wouldn't be forced out, not until she found her girls.
Regretfully, the text message she'd received hadn't struck her as terribly urgent:
Girls at studio.
Can you pick them up?
Now that she was in the studio, however, guilt sickened her as she realized she could have hurried more and gotten there sooner. Why had she taken that last gulp of hot tea? It hadn't even been that good; it had tasted rather bitter. Why hadn't she rushed more? She should have flown right over instead of rinsing out the teacup and dawdling with Zyla. Where were her girls? How much time did she have? She yelled for them again.
"Girls! Where are you? I'm here! Let's get outside - quickly!" As Ellie searched the studio looking frantically for the girls, the heat from the fire scorched her face, singing her eyelashes and eyebrows. She grabbed one of the heavy, velvet photography drapes and wrapped it around herself like a cape as she continued searching The Jewel.
"Méline! Bibianne! Where are you?" She shouted, trying to control her rising panic. "It's ok, mes petites, maman is here. Don't be frightened. Tell me where you are!"
She took another step towards the counter. Perhaps the girls were hiding behind it. The flames were climbing up the support beams, heading for the ceiling. How much longer did she have before the wooden ceiling caught fire, too? As she made her way around the worktop, she crouched down and looked inside the open storage underneath.
She heard a whimper and rushed to the far end of the cabinetry. There, amidst the various drapes and cloths lay Dedé. Ellie grabbed her up from the nest of fabric taking one long piece with her and wrapping Dedé up like an infant, leaving only the dog's snout exposed. As she tucked the trembling dog under her left arm, she felt dizzy from the heat and smoke. She fumbled and dropped her cell phone. It shattered on the concrete floor, so she left it and continued her search.
"Mel! Bibi!" She shouted. "I found Dedé! Come out – she needs you! Tell me where you are so we can come get you!" She coaxed, trying to give the girls something to focus on other than their fear.
As she called for them, she worked her way to the back of the studio. It hit her then, Méline's dream about being in a fire and Dedé escaping without her. Was it this? Had Méline had some type of premonition?
No. It couldn't be. Ellie had Dedé safely in her arms, and the girls were together – somewhere. Hiding? In the dream Méline had been all alone. Ellie's thinking was muddled. Hadn't Julien left the girls with Tai? Why would they be here at the studio? Had Tai had some type of emergency? What had that text message said? She needed to calm down; panic and smoke clouded her thinking.
"Girls! I need to get you out of here!" She heard a creaking groan from overhead and looked up just in time to see a smoldering ceiling timber break off and fall towards her. She instinctively threw up her free hand to shield her face and sprinted backwards. As she ran, she heard glass breaking behind her and smelled burning plastic. Surely heat alone wasn't enough to crack glass.
She searched the office area and found nothing. She would have to look in the attic. She approached the wooden staircase and shouted again, "Mes enfants! Where are you?"
No response. She mounted the stairs cautiously. How much time did she have before the whole place burst into flame? Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. If only she knew where the girls were! The smoke became heavier as she ascended the stairs. She coughed and gagged as she continued upward.
Ellie was about halfway up the staircase when she saw something large coming towards her. It was big, rectangular. It looked like the back of an upright piano, but they didn't have a piano. Her mind couldn't make sense of it.
When she finally processed the danger she was in, she ducked and took a step backwards in retreat as the large object came crashing down. She forgot she was on the stairs, instinct driving her to rush backwards as quickly as possible. Her foot stepped back into nothingness. Ellie reached out grasping for something to break her fall when thunk!
A heavy object crashed into her upper body, pushing her into the air. She felt the air slam out of her lungs in a loud grunt. The flames and smoke around her swelled as she continued to fall backwards in slow motion. It was dizzying and graceful.
She was flying through the air just like an acrobat. Had she missed her catch? She hoped the net below would break her fall. She didn't want to disappoint the crowd. Her velvet costume was smoking. That wasn't right. Where were the other trapeze artists? Was the net in place? Something was horribly wrong. Where were her girls? Were they in the audience?
Her fall was broken, but not by anything nearly as nice as a net, and Ellie's head smacked against something hard. At the sa
me time, whatever had knocked her down the stairs landed on top of her with a sickening crack. Her left arm, shoulder, and side exploded in pain. At the same time, she saw tiny pricks of light that were quickly chased away by an all-consuming darkness blocking her peripheral vision.
The darkness grew and reduced her vision to a circle that was closing in, growing ever smaller. The last thing she saw through her tiny tunnel of vision was Dedé jumping through a ring of fire. Why was Dedé at the circus? When did she learn to do that?
And then the blackness consumed her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
THE SHADOW
The Shadow imagined plumes of smoke climbing into the sky as she waited. Sure enough, less than five minutes later Julien's car flew past her headed towards the studio. The Shadow had counted on the news travelling quickly, and it had worked. Small town gossip always moved fast, but factual bad news moved even faster.
Julien didn't glance her way. His dust trail lingered longer than he did, intent as he was on getting to his precious studio. He would never know she had been there, parked off the side of the road, shielded by the trees and shrubbery of the woods.
She waited for his dust trail to clear, and then slammed her gear shift into drive, making her way down the dirt road leading to the Pelletier's house. Now that the twins had accomplished their task, she would have plenty of time to search the Pelletier home and find her heirloom. She was sure that the fire element, the strongest of the four, would burn through any connection Ellie had to it, and after a fruitless search of the studio and Ellie's classroom, The Shadow was convinced that Ellie kept it at home.
Ping! A text message came through on her cell phone.
EP unconscious
Crucible Crisis Page 19
