"Le Mage Magique"
by Clan LeFemme (clanlefemme@hotmail.com)
written by Lisette (Lisette_1@lycos.com)
Created
on 9/22/1998
Revised
on 6/22/2001
Authors' Note: Gargoyles
and everything associated with them belong to Buena Vista and Disney. They do not belong to Clan
LeFemme and we make no claims to them. This is done purely for fun. The
characters of Lisette and Joshua Erickson belong to the author and may also not be used
without permission. Feedback is welcomed, just please be constructive.
Each
story is a different segment of a much bigger whole and eventually they shall all combine into one.
This is the next segment of the Clan LeFemme Series. Enjoy!
:)
Also, please visit the Clan's
homepage to see pictures of some of the characters as well as the authors' own
character descriptions, floor plans for Janua Caeli, and another peak at the
Clan's stories at: http://www.geocities.com/clanlefemme/
Description: The next
installment of the Clan LeFemme Series. A new life begins for Lisette, le
mage magique...
Rating: PG-13 for content and
language.
Le Mage Magique
Had there been anyone there to notice, the change in the atmosphere
would have become apparent to them immediately. They would have felt the
slight difference in the still air; they would have felt the slight rush of
adrenaline as the feelings of expectation poured forth; and they would have
heard the tomb-like stillness be replaced by a quiet stream of breathing that
would steadily increase until it was the only sound to be heard -- that is if there
was someone in there to experience all of this. Sadly, there was no one in
the cold cavern, which was lit by forever burning candles... save one.
As breath returned slowly to her sleeping body, so too did warmth,
movement, thought... and then came awareness.
Long, dark, and beautifully formed eyelashes slowly began to flutter
against the tan skin of her cheek. Sighing, her plump and sensuous
lips parted slightly as her breath entered and exited her sculpted mouth for the
first time in one thousand years. As her pert nose wrinkled against the
foul scents that surrounded her, her dark lashes slowly opened to reveal a pair
of startling blue eyes that sparkled in the candlelight. And there she lay
on the hard stone alter that had been her resting place for so long -- there she
lay, alone and disoriented.
Alone and disoriented, the young woman slowly sat up on the cold
stone. Confused, she slowly lifted one strong hand ever so slowly until
it found the smooth planes of her face, swept back and lost itself in the
tangles of silky soft blond hair, and then fell down to finger the midnight blue
gown she wore.
Turning her body slowly, she then slid
until her
slippered feet were planted firmly upon the cold stone floor. Moving with
a grace reserved for royalty, she glided around the altar and knelt before the
dusty bones that were covered with tattered cloth -- her sole companion throughout
the centuries. And then the young woman reached out that same tan hand
till it rested gently upon the exposed skull.
And for the first time in one thousand years, the young woman's face
showed expression and her voice found use as her eyes filled with tears and as
her voice sobbed out one heartfelt plea of denial; one word that was a wish in
and of itself: No! Shaking her head from side to side as the one tear
turned into two, three, four, and then too many to count, the young woman tilted
her head up till she faced the ceiling of the sealed cavern.
"No! Craigen!" Lisette screamed aloud, her voice
echoing throughout her sealed domain.
Two Years Later
As the warm wind swept through the slanting streets of Paris, its
people filled them with their bustling activity. Everywhere on those
narrow little streets, traffic roared by -- obviously faster than they should --
as
people from all walks of life crowded the sidewalks and doorsteps to the tiny
cafes, bread shops, pastry stores, and little boutiques: there were
business women and men, vendors, older couples, teenagers, kids, gypsies, and
entertainers. All could be found on the congested streets and sidewalks of
Paris as they browsed, ate, shopped, and partook in the most famous of past
times for the French: people watching.
As people sipped their Colas, Oranginas, coffees, espressos, and wines
in the sidewalk cafes, their eyes continually wandered and observed the
passer-bys... such was life. To the people entering the Boulangeries for
baguettes and croissants, to the ones entering the Charcuteries for meat, and to
the ones entering the Pâtisseries in search of chocolate delicacies like Pain
au Chocolat, the people watched.
And so in tradition, they did watch as the young woman with long, pale
blond hair -- an oddity in a country full of dark haired people -- traveled expertly
down the crowded and busy streets of the city of Paris, her head held high and
eyes focused forward. "Foreigner," they murmured as she strode by, ever climbing higher and higher as the streets slanted sharper up.
For she couldn't be one of them -- a true Parisian... or even a Frenchman.
Even though she had the petite build of their country men, she was far too tall,
tan, blond, and had too blue of eyes to be one of the elite. Surely a
tourist from Germany, Norway, Sweden, or some other far off land on her way up
to see the famed Sacre-Coeur, the Sacred Heart church, which stood at the
highest point and looked down upon the great city of Paris.
While the Sacre-Coeur was
indeed her destination, they were far wrong about
her origins. She was very much a Frenchman with French blood running
strongly through her veins. And while their pure blood had been diluted
through the centuries, hers ran strongest as it came first hand from the tenth
century... almost before the time when France was instead called Gaul -- at least
closer to that time than the present.
Shaking her head in order to clear her thoughts, the young woman forced
her mind from the fog of the past and concentrated on her surroundings.
There was the famous Moulin Rouge, the elegant Red Windmill and hottest night
club of the past, now located in the seedy red-light district of the
present. She wasn't far now. Turning, the young woman quickly
continued her long climb as the streets became even steeper. Soon, her
breath came hard to even her, a young woman who was in
shape. Panting, a pain growing in her side, she walked up the final step
that brought her face to face with the mighty and ancient church. "Sacre-Coeur,"
she murmured quietly as her eyes traveled higher and higher up its steep
face. Sighing, she turned away from the stunning beauty, knowing that she
couldn't face the quiet dreariness of the inside quite yet, and instead walked
towards one of the ledges that divided the high church from the falling streets
below.
This truly was one of the highest point of Paris, she realized, as she
looked further and further down upon the bustle. As a slow smile lit up
her face, the young woman moved closer towards that hard granite wall and leaned
up against its surface, her face tilted down as she took in the magnificent
view: the lush grass spread out down far below, families strolling about the
square hand in hand, birds flying throughout the blue sky.
Suddenly, she felt a slight movement against her back. Relying totally
on instinct, she whirled about quickly, pulling the small black bag she had been
carrying even tighter against her as a short little gypsy man jumped back in
surprise. Before she could react further to the pickpocket, he quickly
shoved past her, his hands empty of her belongings. Unfortunately, the
wall beside her was too low and the little man's grimy hands and body against
her were too rough as she flew back against the granite, the sharp stone picking
into her skin. There everything began to move in slow motion as she felt
herself tip backwards over the wall, a small scream released from her lips as
the realization that she was falling over the edge of the wall hit her.. and
then a quick jerk as her fall was halted by someone's arms wrapped tightly
around her.
Gasping, she felt the arms tighten around her thin waist before pulling
her slowly back until her feet were touching the ground once more. As
the relief flooded through her, she slowly tilted her head back and saw her
savior. "Are you okay? I mean.. uh.. est-ce que.. oh, ça va?"
the young man asked, flustered by his language skills and his inability to
communicate in the different language.
The man was a mixture between that and a
boy -- no older than twenty-two yet no
younger than eighteen. He was tall, around six feet, with broad, well muscled
shoulders, ruffled dark brown hair, and large dark brown eyes -- he was by far one
of the cutest guys she had seen in a long time.
"Shit.. I knew that I should have paid more attention in French
class," the young man muttered quietly when he didn't get an answer.
"Um... j'ai dit.."
"You are American," the young woman murmured quietly as she
broke from her trance and focused on his warm gaze, noticing his arms still
wrapped tightly around her.
"And you speak English!" he replied, his grin turning larger.
"Does not everyone in Paris?" she asked quietly, a smirk upon
her face at the irony of it -- a country whose people were so fiercely proud of
their heritage and their language while in its capitol its people knew
English just as well as the foreigners.
"Are you alright?" he asked again, his gaze never straying
from the impossible depths of her crystal blue eyes.
"Yes, you can let go of me now.. I do not think that I will be
falling again," she murmured quietly as the color crept up his face.
"Sorry," he muttered quietly as he quickly dropped his hands
and took a step back. "I'm Joshua," he said quickly, trying to
cover up his embarrassment as he stuck out his hand.
Smiling, the young woman took his hand in hers. "My name is
Lisette," she replied quickly, shaking his hand and reveling in his strong
grip.
"Pleased to meet you Mademoiselle," Josh grinned, two large
dimples becoming evident in his cheeks.
"Likewise.. and thank you for the quick
reflexes -- although I could
have handled it," Lisette amended quickly.
At her brave words, a bemused expression quickly flitted across
Joshua's face. "Sure you could've.. what happened anyway?"
"Oh, just the usual gypsy pickpocket," Lisette casually
replied as she opened up her black bag and did a quick inventory.
"Did he get anything?" Joshua asked as he leaned
imperceptibly forward. Noticing this, Lisette couldn't help the smallest
of smiles. After all, it was a beautiful day out, she had a cute knight in
shining armor before her, he was obviously attracted to her, and not only that,
but he smelled really good as well. "No, I must have caught him
before he had a chance to take anything."
"If you caught him, then perhaps it's time for him to look into
getting another profession," Joshua laughed.
"Or maybe he was a very good pickpocket and I was just an
extraordinary person with great senses to have caught him in the act,"
Lisette countered quickly, a smile lighting up her face. Very slowly and
deliberately, she then lifted up a black leather wallet from where she had been
holding it at her side. As her smile grew, she quickly opened up the
wallet and withdrew a license from inside. "It seems that you were
not as skilled," she replied smugly as she showed him his own grinning
countenance from his American driver's license.
"Hey, where did you get
that?" Joshua cried out, his jaw
dropping open as he instinctively reached for his empty back pocket.
"From the gypsy man as he shoved past me," Lisette replied,
her smiling growing as the color once more rose in his cheeks.
Raising his hand, Joshua ran his hand through his silky brown hair as
he reached forward and took his billfold from the beautiful young woman.
Shaking his head, he did a quick check and was relieved to find all of his
money, credit cards, and passport still sitting in their proper places.
Closing it, he stuck it back in his pocket and faced Lisette once more.
"It seems that I owe you one."
"No, I would say that we are even now," Lisette replied with
a grin as she turned to leave the young man.
"Wait!" he called out quickly, his arm shooting out to grab
her own gently. "Uh, I think that I still owe you.. after all, you
claim that you didn't really need my help," Joshua said
quickly. "Why don't I treat you to a coffee?"
"No thank you," Lisette replied quickly as she began to
turn away once more. "I do not like coffee."
"Well how about something else? Do you have time to
spare?" Joshua called out, halting her with his words.
Turning back around, Lisette faced his smiling face and found her
resolve crumbling under his intense gaze. She really should be heading
back by now -- after all, it was quite a distance to the caverns that she had been
calling home the last two years. Then again, it had been so long since she
really had felt the company of another. Smiling, Lisette stepped towards
him once more. "Well, if you insist.."
"Which I do.."
"Then I suppose that I could make time to have a Cola with
you," she replied quietly, a grin spreading across her face.
"Why thank you, Mademoiselle," Joshua replied as he bowed
down to her and then held out his hand.
Blushing at the public display and the number of people staring at
them, Lisette hesitantly stretched out her hand and placed it in his. As
that blush crept higher in her cheeks, she watched as Joshua then bent his head and planted a small kiss on her outstretched hand. Laughing, Lisette
quickly grabbed her hand back. "Come along," she laughed,
"I know just the place."
"So, how long have you been in France?" Lisette asked after
they had been seated in a little café that was down the street from Sacre-Coeur.
"About a week now... I'm due to head home again in two days."
"Ah... and what does bring you to our lovely country?"
Lisette asked, arching her eyebrows at him.
"A gift from my parents..."
"And where are your parents now?"
"In Australia, I believe..."
"What? They are not with you now? Who are you here
with?" Lisette asked quickly, unable to cover the shock of his words.
Laughing, Joshua shook his head slowly. "No, they aren't
with me now... my parents work for the US Government and are always gone on
trips to one country or another. As a gift for doing so well in college
this year, they decided to treat me to a trip to France, seeing as how I've
always wanted to visit here, and as an incentive to keep it up."
"But are you here all alone?"
"Well, kind of. Some friends of my parents live at the
American Embassy here, and I'm staying with them."
"Ah, je comprend maintenant," Lisette murmured, nodding her
head slightly as his words.
"So do you live in Paris?" Joshua asked, turning his
attention back on her.
"Ah, yes.. but you do not want to hear about me in this dreadful
city! I want to hear all about America and your travels!" Lisette
replied quickly, a bright smile lighting up her face. "I have never
traveled outside of France.."
"You should come to the
US some time... I think that you'd
enjoy it there," Joshua replied with a smile. "Besides, I'd
love to show you around and let you see the sights. If you're ever in
Traverse City, Michigan, be sure to look me up," he added, the smile
growing as his dimples once more became apparent.
Returning the smile, Lisette nodded her head slowly. "If I
ever come to America and visit... Michigan, you can be sure that I will 'look
you up.'"
Laughing, the couple strolled side by side down the now dark and empty
streets of Paris -- oblivious to all that passed around them. "So you
actually told the Queen of England that you had to go pee?!" Lisette
laughed in amazement as they passed beneath one giant leg of the Eiffel Tower.
"Hey, I was only five years old at the
time -- I was way too young
to know any better... or at least that's what my extremely embarrassed parents
told the Queen!" Joshua defended himself as he ran one carefree hand
through his silky chestnut hair.
"Oh, no you do not Monsieur Erickson," Lisette cried out,
shaking her head till her fine locks were a whirlwind of blond. "That
is not an acceptable excuse! Why, when I was five, I was doing chores and
lessons daily..."
"Hah!" Joshua broke in excitedly as he quickly grabbed
Lisette's arm and turned her to face him beneath the tower. "I knew
that you had a childhood and grew up somewhere!" he cried out triumphantly.
"Excusez-moi?" Lisette asked uncertainly.
"All of today and tonight I've told you story after story of my
life, while each question that I've asked about your past has been tactfully
avoided," Joshua explained quickly. "Now why don't I even know
your last name?" he asked directly, nothing but gentleness and honest
curiosity shining in his eyes.
"DeBuschelle."
"Pardon?"
"My last name is DeBuschelle," Lisette whispered quietly, the
lie snagging in her throat. After all, how could she tell him that back in
the late 10th century, she was never given or told her last name.
"Lisette DeBuschelle."
"Pleased to meet you Mademoiselle DeBuschelle," Joshua
whispered as he gently took Lisette's hand in his and kissed it
tenderly. Without releasing it, he then turned the full of his chocolate
brown eyes upon her as he searched the unfathomable depths of her blue
eyes. "What has happened in your past to cause the hurt I see hidden
in those baby blue eyes of yours? Why do you avoid that topic as though it
were the Black Plague?"
"You would not believe me, Monsieur, if I told you," Lisette
whispered as a pool of tears formed.
"Ah, Lisette," Joshua whispered quietly as he drew her into
his arms, relishing the feeling of her body pressed so intimately against his
own.
"I am sorry," Lisette murmured as she trembled in his
arms -- not only from the painful memories that threatened to engulf her, but also
from the unfamiliar sensation of being held... of being safe and protected by
another.
"I know that you haven't known me long," Joshua whispered
against her silken crown of hair, "but I want you to know that you can
trust me and have nothing to fear..."
"Oh Joshua, I know that you would never..." Lisette gushed as
she pulled away slightly and met his eyes with her own.
"Shh," Joshua interrupted as he placed a finger gently
against her full lips. "I think that I'm falling in love with you,
Lisette DeBuschelle," he whispered quietly as he gently tipped her chin up
and placed his lips against hers, his breath mixing with her own.
Sighing, Lisette instinctively leaned into the kiss and wrapped her
arms around his neck even as he pulled her closer into his embrace. The
kiss seemed to last an eternity as a single shooting star trailed its fiery end
over the brightly lit monument to Paris.
Finally, the two parted lips, each gasping for their own air.
Turning, Joshua fixed his gaze upon hers once again. Reaching up, he
gently held her chin in his hand as his thumb swept over the smooth skin of her
cheek. "Vos yeux sont aussi bleus que l'océan."
Surprised, Lisette drew back slightly. "Your eyes are as
blue as the sea," she repeated back in amazement. "But how did
you..."
"Vous êtes un ange descendu sur terre et cela m'est bien égal
que le soleil ne se lève plus, si seulement vous me voyez encore," (You
are an angel come to earth and I don't care if the sun never rises again, so
long as you see me again) Joshua whispered quietly, his face a mask of
seriousness.
As a blush crept slowly up Lisette's cheeks, she smiled at him.
"Joshua, where did you learn to say such things?" she asked in
amazement.
Unable to maintain his serious demeanor any longer, Joshua broke into a
wide grin, revealing his adorable dimples. "'Wicked French for the
Traveler'.. I memorized those lines for just such an occasion!"
Laughing, Lisette shook her head slowly and was about to respond when
she felt Joshua stiffen beneath her hands. Turning, she watched as two
men approached them from behind. One was short, about 5'5" with
short black hair and dressed in jeans and a black tee-shirt, a lit cigarette
dangling from his mouth. His companion, on the other hand, was the short
man's exact opposite: exceedingly tall, the man had long, curly brown
hair, and looked to be about 230 pounds of pure muscle.
"Bon soir," (Good evening) the little man called out as he
drew near. Almost immediately Joshua pushed Lisette behind him as he eyed
the two men.
"Fichez-nous la paix," (Leave us alone) Lisette calmly called
out as the short man began to circle them while the tall one stood by and
watched.
"Vous êtes une chaude nana," (You are one hot babe) the
short one commented as he circled, his tone suggestive as he checked out the
woman. She was very beautiful, clothed in a snug pair of jeans and a form
fitting sweater that showed off her shapely form.
"Va te faire foutre, fumier â l'haleine de roquet," (Up
yours, dog breath) Lisette hissed quietly as she drew closer to Joshua who was
now stiff with tension.
"Tais-toi,
chienne!" (Shut up, bitch!) the small man snarled
at Lisette as he halted angrily.
"De.. l'air," (Back.. off..) Joshua ground out slowly, his
eyes trained on the two men as he tried to keep Lisette tucked safely
behind him. In reality, he had no idea what was being said during the
exchange between Lisette and the strangers, but from the tone in the little man's
voice, he was getting pissed at it.
"Donnez-nous tes argent, maintenant!" (Give us your money,
now!) the short man called out coldly as he stepped beside the tall man.
"Vous rigolez!" (You must be joking!) Lisette cried out as
she tried to step beside Joshua, her magic instinctively gathering at her
fingertips.
"Ouvre les yeux, imbécile!" (Open your eyes, imbecile!) the
short man snapped as he pointed at his accomplice. "Il aime bien
piétiner la gueule des gens et je suis sûre qu'il serait heureux de vous
casser les jambes!" (He likes to step on people's necks and I'm sure he'd
be happy to break your legs)
Sighing, Lisette rolled her eyes as she squeezed Joshua's arm
reassuringly, knowing that he didn't understand what was being said.
"Pourquoi ne cherchez-vous pas un vrai boulot?" (Why don't you get a
real job?) she asked in an annoyed tone of voice, shaking her head at her
luck. Out of everyone who was roaming the night in Paris, why was it that
she and Joshua were the ones being mugged beneath the Eiffel Tower?
As Joshua watched, the short man's eyes narrowed into tiny slits at
Lisette's words. Shaking his head, Joshua cursed silently -- whatever
Lisette was saying, it definitely wasn't helping their case any.
Suddenly, he heard the short man mutter something to the tall giant.
Translating quickly, he realized that the little one had ordered the tall man to
take care of the himself because the short man wanted the woman. Fear
building, Joshua quickly took a couple of steps back and pushed Lisette firmly
behind himself, all the while knowing that it was a useless action. The
man was extremely big, and there was no way that he could hold him off -- and it
didn't look as though Lisette was much of a fighter, meaning that she was easy
pray for whatever the short man had in mind. Suddenly, Lisette shoved her
way past Joshua and turned till she was facing him. To his amazement, her
lovely blue eyes were now glowing an eerie green color.
Before he could mutter a word, Lisette quickly grabbed his hands in
hers and began chanting low under her breath, "J'ai vu l'embassie
americaine aujourd'hui, maintenant prennons-nous là ou nous sommes fini!"
(I saw the American Embassy today, now take us there or we are finished!)
Stunned, Joshua could do nothing as a green light flew out of Lisette's
eyes and quickly surrounded them till he was blinded by the light. Closing
his eyes, he stood in darkness until he felt soft hands squeezing his own
gently.
"You can open your eyes now," Lisette whispered, a sad smile
on her face as she watched Joshua hesitantly open one eye and then another.
To his amazement, he was standing with Lisette in front of the door
that led into the Embassy at which he was staying. "But... how did
you do that?" Joshua asked as he took his hands from Lisette and slowly
turned on the front step.
"Magic..." Lisette whispered quietly as she closed her eyes
in shame, her head turned down as she waited for the yell of fright and anger
that was bound to come. Instead, she felt his strong hand lift her chin slowly till she was meeting his warm gaze once more.
"But how? Are you a witch?"
Wincing at the hated term, Lisette shook her head slowly.
"No, but I..."
"Well, whatever the case, thank God!" Joshua interrupted
quickly, a large smile covering his face as he quickly drew Lisette into his
arms and hugged her tightly. "We would have been in some real
trouble if you hadn't gotten us out of there when you did!"
"But... are you not frightened of me? Do you not hate me for
what I have done?" Lisette asked in confusion as she pulled away and looked
up into his large brown eyes.
"Frightened?" Joshua asked in confusion. "Why
would I be frightened of you? And don't talk as though you have a
curse... if you have magic, then it's a gift! Look what it did for
us!" Joshua cried out as he pulled her close once more.
Shaking her head slowly, Lisette leaned into his embrace and reveled at
what his words meant. Never before in her life had anyone ever just openly
accepted her inherited abilities -- never. She had never thought that such a
thing was possible. "Joshua, I..."
Suddenly, Joshua felt a rumble start in the house behind him.
Reacting completely on instinct, he quickly jumped forward with Lisette and
shoved her to the ground hard. As he covered her with his body, he heard
her gasp for her lost breath as a tremendous shock wave and then a wave of heat
poured over them. Bomb.
As Lisette slowly became aware of her surroundings once more, a
wracking cough filled her body. Opening her eyes, she saw nothing but
darkness and the filmy lines of smoke. Gagging on the sweet stench,
Lisette tried bringing her hands to her mouth and found that they were pinned at
her sides. Coughing harder, Lisette fought the dizziness that threatened
to overwhelm her as she tried pushing against the thing that entrapped her --
and
then cried out as a sharp pain flared in her left arm. Gasping, Lisette
stilled herself once more and turned her head to the side... and looked right
into the blurry face of Joshua.
"Joshua," Lisette gasped as more smoke filled her lungs,
causing her to turn to the side and cough till she was gasping for air.
When she didn't get a response, she quickly blinked her eyes in order
to clear her blurry vision and to regain some form of night vision. When
her sight had cleared, she turned her face once more back towards him and was
met by the sight of his unseeing brown eyes. "No," Lisette
sobbed, a rock forming in the pit of her stomach as the reality of her situation
hit her hard in the stomach -- Joshua was dead. "What happened?"
she asked herself quickly as she turned her face away, hot tears burning against
the smoke in her eyes. All she remembered was Joshua shoving her to the
ground and covering her with his body... and then this.
"Can anyone hear me?" a voice called out loudly, breaking
into her thoughts.
"Help," Lisette gasped, quickly rewarded with another fit of
coughing. "Someone help me!" Lisette yelled out louder, closer
to a scream this time.
"There's someone over here!" she heard the man yell out in
the darkness as there was a bustle of activity around her. Suddenly, she
felt the great weight pressing against her chest lift somewhat as debris was
pulled away from above. Closing her eyes, Lisette struggled to fight
the darkness that swelled at the corners of her vision as pain flared in her
chest and arm. Suddenly, bright light exploded above her as a large slab
of concrete was removed from above her. "My God... it's another
body," someone whispered quietly as he surveyed the mess that was hidden
below the slab of concrete.
"Yeah, but the body didn't cry out for help!" someone else
snapped.
"Help me," Lisette moaned quietly, salty tears washing her
face.
"Hurry up and help me move him," the voice called out
quickly. "There's someone below him."
Quickly, the hidden men set to work and a minute later Lisette felt all
pressure lift from her as Joshua's body was lifted out of the hole that the
workers had dug. Sobbing, she then felt soft and gentle arms reach down
and carry her out of the darkness. Gasping at the flare of pain in her
chest, Lisette opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. What had
once been the elegant American Embassy was now a field of debris.
Everywhere she looked she saw piles of wood, furniture, mortar, and fire.
Looking back, she saw that she and Joshua had in fact been buried beneath a
large pile of rubble -- a large slab on concrete ultimately hiding them from the
world. Turning once more, she watched as a young American soldier set her
very gently on a cot lying nearby. Working fast and efficiently, he
quickly set to work probing her arm and her chest.
"You're lucky.. you just have a broken arm and a few broken
ribs," he said in his fresh, American accent. "Are you
American?"
"No -- I am French," Lisette wheezed quietly as a wave of pain
flared up and down her left arm. "What... happened?" she gasped
as she struggled against the pain.
"A bomb," the American soldier answered quietly, a grimace on
his face. "So far, you're the only survivor we've found... what
were you doing here?"
