"You're not crazy at all, Zibby." Ellie replied. "Great literature makes us think - and think deeply. Most stories can be understood on different levels. You'll find that when you read something for the first time, you'll view it one way, and if you read it again later in life – you'll see it from a completely different perspective." Ellie paused.
She put on an exaggerated serious face, pinching her eyebrows together and pursing her lips, then faced Zibby. "This is me - taking you seriously, by the way. Good enough?" Zibby nodded. "Then fire away, reader." Ellie said. "Ask me what you will. This is my favorite kind of conversation!"
"Well," Zibby hesitated, "I have some ideas that are pretty bizarre. And you being a teacher and such a rule-follower and all – just don't give me an F, okay? I'm going kind of anti-establishment here." She cleared her throat and started.
Ellie missed what Zibby was saying. She was thinking. So that's how my students see me? As an uptight rule-follower? She pondered it for a moment. Yes, I guess I am at work. Well, at home, too. I'll have to think about this later. She forced herself back to the present conversation.
". . . and that's why I think that Reverend Parris in the play is totally our superintendent. They both want to protect themselves no matter what, and they both get so offended when people don't just bow down to their wishes. They can't stand it when anyone dares to disagree with them. Underneath it all, I think they are just great, big" Zibby took a gulp of air, "cowards." Zibby, chewing on her bottom lip, turned to look at Ellie.
Ellie thought for a moment. "So, you're basically calling the superintendent a coward."
Zibby kept biting her lip and didn't say anything.
Ellie grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, leaned forward, and burst into laughter. God, out of the mouth of babes. She couldn't contain her laughter. Her chest shook, and her stomach tightened.
Zibby stared at first, wide-eyed. Then, she gave a little chuckle. Before long, they were both wiping their eyes and crying with glee. Zibby laughed so hard she snorted. That sent them into another fit of laughter. It felt so good to share it with someone! Ellie would never have dared to say it first - she wouldn't want to sway a student - but now that Zibby had called out the Reverintendent, her spirits lifted.
They giggled their way to the church. They were still trying to regain their composure as they entered the vestibule. They would stop laughing for a moment, and then one of them would break down again. Ellie tried to hush Zibby as they groped for the light switch.
"Shh," she laughed as she tried to be the responsible, dignified adult. "We are in a church! We must be," she coughed to cover a chuckle, "respectful."
Zibby finally flipped on the lights, and their laughter was immediately curtailed. Two girls, who had been kneeling at the altar, jumped to their feet as the lights came on. They gasped. Ellie and Zibby watched them quickly snuff out candles and shove them in their bags.
"No worries, girls." Ellie tried to calm their fears. "I'm Catholic. There is nothing shocking about lighting candles when you pray." Ellie smiled at them, but Eve and Eden Matthews were not returning her smile. They were, in fact, pale-faced and wide-eyed. They looked at each other, something unspoken passing between them. It smelled of guilt and worry.
Ellie frowned. "Is everything okay?" She amended. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Ellie asked, realizing something wasn't right.
Eve spoke first. "We umm…we were praying. You were right the first time. We … just wanted to be somewhere that felt kind of sacred, powerful…and we didn't want to be interrupted-"
Eden broke in, "Our dad wouldn't like to find us praying with candles. Please don't say anything! He'd think it was heresy or something. It's just that…well, we are worried. We've been here since sunset and were planning on staying until daybreak."
Ellie wondered where they had gotten the idea of holding a vigil. Maybe Protestants and Catholics weren't so different after all. The girls did, indeed, look quite anxious. She had not seen them like this before. She couldn't imagine what could tear them away from their precious selfies to bring them to a prayer vigil. On New Year's Eve, no less.
Something was very wrong indeed. And now that she thought about it, the girls had been using black candles. That was odd. And had she seen Eden stuff a piece of paper into her pocket?
Eve cut back in. "We tried to get Jelly to come with us, but you know how she is. She was busy putting on some kind of Pink Party – whatever that is."
Eden spoke up, "I think it's one of those theme parties where everyone has to wear pink or something like that but -" One glare from her sister shut her up.
"Anyway, she couldn't join us." Eden continued. "So, we were here praying together. You know, 'where two or three are gathered in my name' and all that business." The twins kept volleying dark looks between them.
"You won't say anything, will you, Miss? You won't tell our dad, will you?" Eve asked, eyeing her sister. "Or the Rev?" Eden added.
"Well, girls, that depends." She looked at each girl in turn. "Is anyone hurt or in danger?" Ellie asked.
The twins looked at each other. Eve gave Eden a slight nod, and Eden turned to look at Ellie. "Well, it's about Tai."
It took Ellie's entire force of will not to roll her eyes. She inhaled deeply and asked, "What has she done now?"
Eve met Ellie's question with indignation. "She hasn't done anything. She's missing."
Eve hurled the statement straight at Ellie with such force that Ellie felt like she was being accused of something. She brushed the thought aside and asked, "Have you talked to her uncle? I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. I'll bet he knows where she is." Ellie paused, thinking. "Have you considered that maybe she wanted a break from the limelight and just decided to lay low for a while?" I know I'd love to, thought Ellie.
Eden responded, "The Reverend thought she was spending Christmas break with us, but we haven't seen her since we got out of school."
Ellie replied, "Well, I've talked to her. She babysat for us on the last day of school when the studio burned. She called me the next day, and Julien drove her home afterwards. That was a week ago. She has probably just been enjoying the break with relatives…"
Ellie's voice dropped off. Tai visiting relatives and her uncle not knowing about it? Besides, she probably didn't have any relatives if her uncle was the one rearing her. Little alarm bells were tinkling in her head again.
So, Tai had disappeared after Ellie's hospital visit, the visit in which Ellie had read a charm from her anthology. And eaten a page out of the book. A page to banish homewreckers. The ringing bells grew louder.
But that was crazy. Surely, she hadn't eaten a centuries old piece of paper? Wasn't that just a drug-induced dream? Instantly, her mouth was flooded with the same caramel, buttery goodness from that day. The alarm bells were clanging now. Ellie shook her head to rid herself of the noise.
"Well, if she has been missing for a week, has her uncle reported it to the police?" Ellie gulped, her sling suddenly weighing her down as she wondered if Julien had been the last person to see Tai before her disappearance.
"Yeah, a fat lot of good that did," Eve grumbled. "Deputy Dan said that it looked more like a case of a runaway than anything else. Her duffel bag was missing along with some clothes and her portfolio. He told the Rev to contact all their friends to see if she was holed up somewhere riding out the holidays."
"Why would he say that and not investigate further?" Ellie asked.
"Because," Eden responded gloomily, "she has run away several times before. To Deputy Dan, this just looks like a repeat offense. She always turns up after a few days when she and her uncle patch things up."
"But this time," Eve butted in, "she didn't take her phone. That's how we know it's serious. She always has her phone with her – even in the bathroom. I mean, it is practically attached to her like an extra limb."
"Hmm," Ellie stalled. A shallow wave of relief washed right up to her toes but receded before
it could completely cover her feet. "If she did run away, leaving her phone was deliberate. Now, no one can track her. If she wanted to get away that would be smart. Where did she leave her cell phone? At her uncle's?"
"No one knows for sure." Eden responded. "When we got online with the Rev to track it, the GPS and Bluetooth had been turned off, so we couldn't locate it. But we could see that no calls have been made from it since the Sunday after school got out."
Just then, Zibby's mom walked in with her bucket of cleaning supplies. "Well, I wondered why all the lights were blazin' this time of night. It's a regular party in here. Am I interruptin' somethin'?"
Zibby walked over to her mom, and taking the vacuum cleaner said, "No, mom. Miss P brought me here, and when we came in, we found the twins praying. Let's start in the back so they can finish up." Zibby and her mom started working in the vestibule, leaving Ellie with the twins down near the altar.
Ellie swallowed once, trying to sound braver than she felt. "It's really admirable of you girls to pray for your friend. I'm sure she'll turn up soon, but until then - keep up the prayers. Maybe Tai's uncle can pester Deputy Dan into a legitimate search. Why don't we leave and let Zibby and her mom finish their work? I'll let you know if I hear anything."
"As if," Eve grumbled as they started walking back up the aisle to leave the sanctuary.
"What do you mean by that, Eve?" Ellie cocked her head.
"Oh," Eden stuttered. "She just meant that Tai probably wouldn't call you if she were in trouble – or any teacher for that matter," she added quickly seeing Ellie's narrowed eyes. "She struggles with authority. C'mon, Eve, let's get out of here." Eden grabbed her twin's wrist and drug her out of the church.
Ellie hobbled back to her car without seeing her surroundings. A dozen questions were knocking around inside her head, and the alarm bells were pealing in full force now that she was outside. Was this why she and Julien hadn't been able to get Tai to babysit for them? Could Julien have been the last person to see her before she disappeared? Did he know anything about this?
A fist of anger punched her in the stomach. If he helped her run away, she thought, I'll kill him! She could just imagine Tai playing her role of innocent victim and turning to Julien for help. He would have been putty in her hands if he thought he was the only one that could save her.
But that would mean that he had deceived Ellie, and Julien would never do that. Why would he pretend he knew nothing about Tai's disappearance if he'd helped orchestrate it? He couldn't be stupid enough to help a teenager run away from home.
Ellie mulled over the questions imagining various scenes of both Julien's complicity and his innocence. Which was more likely to have happened? Ellie wasn't sure, and her stomach churned. An insistent pounding was starting behind her left eye. By the time she pulled up in the driveway, her entire body was clenched, anticipating the fight that was sure to follow.
When she entered the foyer, Julien was there waiting for her. He held two glasses of champagne aloft. He exchanged her keys for a glass before she could even say hello. It caught her off guard.
"Come, mon amour – let's celebrate the new year and make a resolution of our own." He pulled her close, and Ellie melted into his arms.
She couldn't help herself. He was her warmth, her comfort, her stability. How could she ever have doubted him? She didn't want to ruin the moment with accusations and fighting. Heaven forbid she allow Tai to ruin another night with her husband. No, Ellie refused to bring the wretched name into her home tonight of all nights.
She took a sip from her glass. The bubbles that raced through her weren't entirely from her drink. Breathing in the smell of him, and feeling her stomach unclench, Ellie allowed herself to be carried upstairs, where they rang in the new year with more than just champagne. And as for resolutions, Ellie resolved to be more trusting of her husband as her fears dissolved with kiss after passionate kiss.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
THE SHADOW
January progressed, and The Shadow found herself in the back of the classroom watching Ellie hobble around, secretly delighting in the fact that she could take credit for every one of Ellie's injuries. She had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that Ellie was navigating them bravely. Ellie never complained in front of the students; The Shadow only knew she was still in pain by the winces that flickered over Ellie's face as she reached up to write on the board or grab something from overhead.
The fire's failure to sever Ellie's connection to the heirloom had stunned her. She'd been mortified when she'd failed a third time. The only remaining element was air. The Shadow's elemental air attack had been difficult to plan and required several steps. After all, an explosion would be very public. Several steps were involved, and blame would need to fall squarely on Pelletier shoulders.
The Shadow relished the thought that Ellie had no clue about what awaited her. Ellie's current suffering was nothing compared to what was coming. The Shadow smirked. The timing couldn't be more perfect.
They were rehearsing the scene in The Crucible where Mary Warren gives Elizabeth Proctor a "poppet" that she made for Elizabeth during the trials. Elizabeth doesn't know how to react to the gift, being a grown woman with two sons, but she accepts the doll as what Mary intends it to be -- a small peace offering to soothe hurt feelings after the family fight centered on Mary Warren just days before.
In the play, neither Mary nor Elizabeth realizes that Abigail Williams has hidden a needle in the poppet - a needle plunged into the stomach of the doll - that will usher in Elizabeth's imprisonment. Several lines later in the play, Abigail turns up bleeding, claiming that Elizabeth's spirit has stabbed her in the stomach, and when authorities search the Proctor's home, they find the doll and the hidden needle which seem to corroborate Abigail's story.
It was, in fact, that very scene that gave The Shadow her idea in the first place. Somehow it just felt like the right thing to do, and she needed to vent her anger by doing something productive. The Shadow had been waiting for weeks to see the results of her handiwork, and the day had finally arrived.
The drug dogs were coming. The Shadow just hoped that they would search Ellie's room before the end of class so she could witness Ellie's public humiliation first-hand. She settled into her part reading the role of Martha Corey and waited.
Before long, there was a knock at the door. Officer Hardy stepped in and asked everyone to clear the room and to leave all their bags, purses, coats, and shoes behind for the dogs to examine. A collective groan arose from the class along with a few mutterings of "unfair, invading my civil liberties," but in the end, everyone cleared out as instructed.
The Shadow watched Ellie grab her class roster and head into the hall. She watched the dogs enter the classroom and charge to the wall behind Ellie's desk. She watched Ellie's face crumple in confusion. She watched Officer Hardy come out with a little plastic baggie of pot, and a colorful, poster-sized painting.
"Is this your personal property, ma'am?"
"No, I mean yes. The painting was a gift -- just hung it a few weeks ago." Even though she was at the back of the line of students, The Shadow could distinguish Ellie's faint words. Ellie was shell-shocked, and so was the rest of the class, judging by their silence. The Shadow heard Officer Hardy tell Ellie to follow him to a more private location. The whole class heard it.
Catcalls and whistles sounded from the other students waiting in the hall. "You go, Mis Paylahtay" and "show them they ain't got no right to invade our personal property!" The students obviously knew what was going on; they were probably relieved the officer thought the marijuana belonged to Ellie instead of to one of them.
"Hey, officer! What do we do? You just arrested our teacher. Do we get the day off?" A student called out as Ellie and the officer headed down the hall.
"Go to the gym and await further instructions!" Officer Hardy barked out the order. No one moved. They were all too busy pulling out their cell phones, snapping pictures, and posting online comments. The Shadow
stood there with them, watching. Gabby would have been so proud.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
ELLIE'S OUTRAGE
Ellie drove home in shock. She'd replayed the scene over and over in her mind. How could administrators think that she would bring drugs to school? And to hide them in her own classroom? In a painting given to her by a student? She couldn't decide if it meant they thought she was stupid or arrogant. She spent the entire drive home debating that irrelevant issue – to avoid processing what had just happened.
When her thoughts caught up with her reality, Ellie felt numb; how in Hades could the administration have put her on immediate professional leave? Her mind wandered aimlessly. She turned onto the dirt road that led to their farmhouse driveway.
A deep sadness enveloped her; she'd never recover from a professional blow like this. It would be almost impossible to get another teaching job after an annotation on her professional certificate. She continued her drive under a heavy, black cloud of despair, focusing only on the twenty-foot stretch of road in front of her. She couldn't bear to look around at the beautiful, sunny day; it was too bright. January shouldn't be this bright and cheerful; it should be grey and cold, like her mood.
As she rounded the next curve and approached her gravel driveway, however, a lightning bolt of anger struck her, piercing the numbness. That little slut!
Ellie accelerated as she turned onto the driveway, and her tires spat gravel. Tai gave me that painting as a distraction! She intended to stash drugs in it all along! And Ellie had been naïve enough to accept it as a peace offering – proof that Tai wasn't really the monster Ellie had suspected.
And to think, I let myself feel guilty for using that banishing charm on her! She's lucky I didn't find a charm to do more than just banish her. Ellie spun up the gravel drive and screeched to a halt in front of her home.
Clouds of rage billowed inside her. She could feel them swirling, roiling, as she stormed up the walkway to the front porch. She could not wait to confront Julien and fill him in on the "innocent" little assistant he always defended. Let's see how he explains this away. She slammed the front door shut and pounded her way inside.
Crucible Crisis Page 23
