B.P.R.D. Case # 17-0798-1482

Location: Paris

Date: June 17th, 1998

Agents: Hellboy and Dr. Kate Corrigan


Hellboy and Kate go to Paris

Cecile had a rather large house for one person. Many relics from the past lined the shelves and walls, mainly photos and paintings of the Cathedral and history of the city. It was nothing new to those involved in historical societies or even history buffs. However, most of these artifacts were cheap replicas or small sidewalk paintings from aspiring artists. It was here, in Cecile's large home, Dr. Kate Corrigan and Hellboy began their mission.

Many tourists had seen the figure, yet not a single resident of the area seemed concerned. It wasn't the typical complaint, yet Dr. Corrigan felt there was validity in the statements from local academics and had insisted on joining Hellboy.

Kate had long since returned from the University with the most current research on Bogarts and cave-dwelling nymphs. Hellboy dismissed Kate's request to come along, stating, "it was all a fiction created over a hundred years ago" while fingering a cigar he was not allowed to smoke indoors. Yet the paperwork had been filed and the request made for an immediate presence. A steady reminder of the three-day deadline was the hourly chiming of those cursed bells. The pealing was only minimally tolerable in that they were well played

Hellboy stretched his legs out over the Ikea bed, his hooves dangling off the edge, reading "Harry Potter". Kate, involved in relevant paperwork, sat at a nearby desk pouring over old notes regarding ghost sightings dating back to the French Revolution, perhaps earlier.

"Are you not even the least bit interested?" inquired Kate

"If it's anything like the last five investigations it, whatever it is, can't be reasoned with." Hellboy held up the right hand of doom, which cast a large shadow on the wall over Kate. "Not concerned at all."

Kate let out a sigh and returned to her old manuscripts.


As the bells tolled over dinner, Cecile had mentioned that when she was younger the pealing had enchanted her.

"The notes always ring strong and true, beautiful melodies that are far too short."

"No pealing can be too short," grumbled Hellboy. Cecile continued talking, through Hellboy's complaining, without stopping for air.

"…songs that would take great effort and experience to play, for even the most experienced bellringer. I listen to their tolling every day, you know. I imagine that it is the middle ages, I'm a gypsy beauty and Quasimodo is ringing the bells rather than a monk or priest."

Kate looked at Hellboy, who signed to her from below the table edge with his left hand.

"N-U-T-J-O-B"

Hellboy set down his coffee mug and nodded to Cecile. No words were needed. Kate and Cecile sat alone at the table, a teapot between them. Both cups were soon filled and they walked slowly down one of the narrow hallways.

"Here, have a look at this one." Cecile passed Kate an old dusty stack of parchment between aged leather bindings.

"The building is old, the city is older" said Kate, not lifting her gaze from her fingers as they flipped through an old manuscript. "…and stories are stories."

"I suppose so. Yet to imagine that such a person existed, that there was once a bellringer in that very church that lived such a life? It's romantic." chimed Cecile, following Dr. Corrigan closely as she examined the artifacts. "Imagine if I'd been the one to rescue him. Mon Dieu, it would have been wonderful."

Kate, only half listening, flipped through the books of photos and sketches on the shelves with quick jerky movements. This was the best place to learn, aside from within the walls of the Cathedral itself, about a haunting. Cecile was trying her patience significantly.

"600 years ago, you would have been as scared as anyone else, Cecile. It was a dark time, the Renaissance was merely beginning." Kate really didn't know what else to say. There was something wrong with this aged woman, an imbalance between the lines on her face and her juvenile outlook on a work of fanciful fiction. Cecile continued to follow Kate towards her room.

"When I was younger, I crept into the belltower in search of Quasimodo, you know. I didn't find him of course, and was soon removed by a priest. While I was there, though, I found something. It's likely nothing, but I will show it to you. It made me believe he was there, even though I couldn't see him. After all, how else would it have gotten there?"

Kate smiled and nodded, her eyes drifting to her door as if to say "I'd rather deal with that demonic pickled puzzle-head again" Instead, Kate turned towards Cecile and asked if she could bring the object to her.

Cecile brought her childhood find, carefully cupping it in her hands. It was a small piece of carved wood. She set it, upright, onto the table before Kate. It was clearly a dog, and a very well carved dog at that.

"This, child, is what inspired me to move to Paris. You have no idea the joy I felt when I found it."

Kate gingerly turned the dog in her hand, staring at the doorknob to her room. "I'll look into it, Cecile."


"That woman is nuts"

"She's delusional. Yet the wood is old, and very well could be at least 100 years old."

The two figures walked through the narrow streets toward Notre Dame by light of the crescent moon.

"Weren't there werewolves last time?" Hellboy lit his cigar.

"You killed the three of them and Roger took a bullet for you."

"Right. Thanks for clearing that up." Hellboy looked up at the towers of the great Cathedral. "Before that it was a possessed homunculus head, then an incubus. How did we miss this one?"

Kate said nothing, but followed Hellboys' glowing yellow eyes as they passed over the layered shadows of the great stone façade. Kate anxiously followed a figure between the columns.

"There is a man up there."

"Not what we're looking for, Katie." Her companion puffed out a long stream of smoke. "It's just a guy in a coverall with a bucket and broom."

Hellboy took one last draw in his cigar, then tossed it to the ground, grinding the ash into the cobbles with his left hoof.

"Shall we?"

The two agents walked slowly toward Notre Dame. Infrared camera switched on, Kate walked beside her friend.

Kate opened a small door, left unlocked for service staff, and walked calmly onto the checkerboard floor of sanctuary. Few candles lit the belly of the church, within which drifted the faint odor of incense. Aside from about a half dozen worshippers, the place was empty.

Hellboy watched as the faithful prayed, his eyes watching as they remained immotile with their heads down. His hooves let out a faint echo on the aged marble floor despite a conscious effort to remain silent. He stood quiet and watched them carefully, following the shadows that hovered above them in eerie shapes that resembled him. Kate pulled him along.

"We're here for more than a few possessed churchgoers" whispered Kate, "besides, you've seen them in every church we've ever been in."

"Still doesn't make it right."

Kate snapped a few photos of the frescos and fine sculpture as she walked past the worshippers.

"It's not why we're here."

The partners advanced into the darkness of the cathedral, following the narrow passageways and stone steps through the arcades, finally arriving at the narrow stairway to the North belltower.

Within the tower was dust, and lots of it. As they ascended higher, the air became clearer and the area far cleaner. Of course, there were barriers across the narrow ladders and steps meant to prevent visitors from entering. Kate photographed the disturbed dust and irregular patterns of cobwebs.

Kate set her camera down near a stone gargoyle that appeared to have suffered some serious misfortune. Hellboy poured a clear liquid onto the wood floor, one lit up only by Woods' Lamp.

"Red. Could you lift this? I think it's sitting on something." Indeed there was. Dr. Corrigan snatched a thin, yellowed envelope from under the dusty sculpture while Hellboy held the gargoyle in his hands. Kate quickly slid the contents of the envelope into her palm. Dust began to fall on the both of them.

"We'd better go, Katie."

Dr. Corrigan looked up to see the bells slowly beginning to waver from side to side, their clappers in motion.

Dong

Kate covered her ears as her and Hellboy ran down the ladders and out of the tower. More notes were soon added to the melody as they made their way to the row of columns between the towers and to the inside on the church where there was faint candlelight. The bells remained loud, yet bearable.

Kate opened the letter and held it so both her and Hellboy could read it. It was definitely the writing of a girl, as hearts topped each "i". It was written in broken French, as a student of French may write. Through the damaged language, Kate could still see that this person had a deep passion for whom she had written her confession of love. Indeed, it was written in such a manner as a confession. It was addressed to "Quasimodo the Bellringer".

Hellboy shook his head in disgust. There was really no easy way out of this, it was warped. It had likely happened before hundreds of times, the messages left under stones and removed by repairmen or clergy.

"It is somewhat touching", stated Kate, matter-of-factly.

Hellboy merely grunted and continued walking through the Cathedral, leaving Kate behind him with the letter in her hands.

Having walked through the entire church belly by night, they returned to Cecile's home. Cecile's light was still on, her window open slightly.


Hellboy read a few chapters of "Harry Potter", then set the book on the ground next to him. Kate lay across the room, already sleeping beneath a thick blanket. A cold cup of tea stood on her night table.


...Hope everyone likes this, at least to some degree. It's supposed to be light-hearted & yet keep the comic-verse in character. I am not against editing, so if something doesn't flow or seem right, let me know. Good comments are rewarding, yet constructive criticism helps me improve. The "Roger" fic needs more editing and should be done soon.

--- jenny