2.
~ The train deposited me in New York, and into the care of Mr. Cobb's man, Arthur Brahman. He was a slender man; dressed fashionably and in the company of a handsome Irish setter. The dog was congenially seated on his haunches and looked at us with interest.
"Are you Ariadne Bishop?" he asked and I nodded; feeling sense of relief to see a welcoming party of sorts. "So you're the one who saw the demon on the little girl?" he said as he looked at me skeptically.
I almost felt insulted. This man was a stranger to me and he had already judged me and tied the noose around my neck.
"I'm not sure what I saw, sir." I said as I noticed a young woman in a large dress that was at least twenty years out of fashion.
"Edwin? Is Edwin Lodger on this train? He said he would be here. He's on leave from the front." she cried.
No one was listening to her and, as I peered more closely at this sad girl, she washed away from my sight. Becoming nothing more than mist. A phantom that was doomed to look for her lost love forever.
"Is this all you have?" Arthur asked me. "No trunk?"
"No trunk." I told him as he politely took hold of my larger traveling bag, and I the smaller one. I had been given an artist portfolio as a graduation gift from one of my teachers. In it, contained all my sketches and water colorings I used to recommend me as a passable art teacher.
My other bags held my meager trappings of clothing and personal items. I had only three dresses to my name, and no need for much else. The dresses were all matronly dark in color as befitting a governess. Even though I knew the drabness did nothing to enhance my appearance.
On closer inspection, I saw Arthur was dressed splendidly. His suit fitting a man of consequence as he guided us to a handsome cab that stood waiting.
The setter, close at his masters heels, was quick to jump into the cab with us.
"Miles didn't tell me much about what kind of man Mr. Cobb is, Mr. Brahman." I told the gentleman as, with swift hands, he guided me into the cab beside the dog.
"Arthur. Call me Arthur. We don't stand on formalities in our group." He told me with a thread of efficiency. "This, by the way, is Hannibal. I would tell him to stay off the seats, but he isn't one for obeying orders."
I felt an odd light of happiness shine over me as Hannibal nestled himself between us. The dog gently licking my cold hands that were not covered by gloves.
As the cab lurched forward into the streets, I shivered uncontrollably. The chill in my body still had not left me, and my winter coat was proving inadequate.
"Are you cold? You're shaking." Arthur observed.
"I'm fine." I told him as I could feel the sharpness in the air burrowing into my bones. The driver making the horses canter lightly over the city streets.
Arthur rudely took hold of my un-gloved hands and glared at me angrily.
"These are like ice, Miss Bishop." he said in mild irritation. As if I had done something offensive to him.
I protested weakly as he pulled off his own well made coat and draped it over me. His body heat still clinging to the fabric as Hannibal took the opportunity to lay his head in my lap and enjoy the cover of his master's fine coat as well.
Outwardly, I tired to look embarrassed as he was no doubt cold now. Inwardly, I felt my cheeks flush hot with the courtly ritual of a gentleman protecting a lady.
I found the feel of Arthur's coat, as well as Hannibal warm body, wonderful weapons to combat the frost. It didn't banish the chill that had come to live deep inside me, but I couldn't deny it made me slightly warmer.
~ Mr. Cobb's house was beautiful and spoke of a man with money and influence. It was a lovely town home that was apart of an affluent, quite neighborhood outside of the city.
Arthur was kind enough to carry my bags as he ushered me inside and away from the cold chill of evening.
As soon as Arthur brought me inside the elegant home, however, I sensed something was wrong.
Things, shadows, stirred in corners and fled from my sight faster then my eyes could catch them. This house was tainted and haunted my something truly menacing.
"Something is living in here." I whispered to Arthur as I returned to him his coat. The house was slightly warmer to me then the outside. The coldness inside of me, however, was growing stronger.
"Mr. Eames would agree with you." Arthur said as he looked at me. His brow becoming softer as I wandered down the hall.
Whispers. I could hear whispers coming from the walls. All of them half words and sentences that my ears, straining as hard as they could, were not able to understand.
I could hear Hannibal woofing softly and Arthur hushing the beautiful dog as I searched for the source of the strange thing.
Arthur kept his distance, and allowed me to find my own way. To follow the hissing sounds that lead me to an unlocked door. The hissing was growing louder and louder, and I could almost make out a woman's voice in the mess of snarling and terrible threats.
'You did this! You did it! You have to pay! I'll rip you apart! I'll catch you!'
I opened the door slowly, prepared for the worst, only to find a cheery room with two men casually sitting before an inviting fire.
Nothing was wrong, or out of place about them or the room. The hissing and whispering had seemed to stop as soon as I entered.
"I'm sorry, I thought I heard." I said as I no longer sensed the hissing noises. I realized how distasteful I must have looked to these well groomed men.
The new governess, inviting herself into closed parlors. This was obviously my employers own private space for his friends to congregate.
I tried to retreat but Arthur was suddenly behind me; blocking my escape. Hannibal at my side whining up at me worriedly.
The gentlemen stood and one came to me in welcome.
"You must be Miss Bishop. Although I think Arthur has already preferred to call you Ariadne." the first said in a charming English accent that I found agreeable.
"I am Ariadne Bishop." I told him.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you." he said.
"You have?" I questioned.
"Certainly. I'm Mr. Eames."
I nodded as he seemed to think I should be any the wiser about him with just his name.
"This is Mr. Dominic Cobb." Eames said as he waved a hand to a very handsome man of middle age.
I gave a small curtsey to my elusive Mr. Cobb and tried to remember the speech I had prepared as my friend Arthur completed our strange party.
"I'm very pleased to be here and I'm looking forward to meeting the children." I said as Arthur pulled out a delicate wooden chair for me to sit on.
The three men exchanged looks that made me nervous.
"I don't know how much Miles told you about what to expect from this house." Cobb explained as Arthur nodded for me to have a seat. "We've had our fair share of governesses leave in the night without notice since we've moved here."
I observed then that Mr. Cobb looked ill and tired. His eyes were an unnatural blue and he seemed like his neck was hurting.
"He said you were in need of a governess." I offered as I wondered what was wrong with him. "Nothing about my predecessors or this house."
I felt Hannibal come by my side and rest his head on my lap again. His tail thumping contentedly on the floor as his master, Arthur glared at the two of us.
"Is it true you found a demon on a little girl? That you were able to get rid of it?" Cobb asked me in a blunt fashion.
"It's true." Eames said suddenly.
I turned to him in surprise.
"You... heard about that?" I asked hesitantly. A fear my reputation had followed me all the way to New York was founded. A pain going off inside me as I knew I would never find peace now.
"It's all anyone has been talking about in our circles." Arthur muttered darkly. "We need to know if it's true."
He stood a ways away from everyone else with his hands in his pockets; surveying me skeptically.
"Don't mind Arthur, he's our resident skeptic. Every group has to have one." Eames told me. A roguish smile itching up his lips.
"Did you chase away a demon from the girl?" Arthur asked sternly.
I wanted to lie. Wanted to say they had the wrong person; but I couldn't.
"I'm not sure what happened, sir. But yes, I saw him, and he left her." I whispered. Feeling slightly intimidated by this man now.
"But you can see other things to." Eames whispered as he moved closer to me. "I can sense it."
"Eames is a clairvoyant." Cobb explained. "He can read people like they were an open book."
"Pretends to be a clairvoyant." Arthur corrected.
"Yes, and Cobb is our hypnotist. He puts people under and pulls out all their secrets." Eames told me.
I looked at these men. A growing unease settling in my body. Were they criminals of some kind? Con artists?
"We have been experiencing what can only be described as a haunting." Cobb told me and the dog whined to be petted.
"Haunting?" I questioned innocently. My blood running cold as a rubbed Hannibal behind the ear obligingly.
"Cold spots, Furniture moving around, whispers at night... other things." Arthur said as he appraised me in an unfavorable way.
"Other things." I repeated and felt my body go colder, despite the presence of a warm fire.
They were looking at me expectantly.
"I need a moment." I told them and stood.
Ever the gentlemen, they stood with me until I had escaped out of the room.
~ Out in the hall, I tried to collect myself. I could hear them talking in the parlor. Their voices hushed but still audible.
"She has the gift, Cobb." Eames was saying in his charming accent.
"I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Arthur grumbled. "There was that scandal about the child."
"Who is perfectly well now." Cobb argued. "Miles says the child has recovered completely."
"And screaming that her former governess is a witch." Arthur countered.
"We need her." Eames reiterated.
"We need to be careful, Mr. Eames." Arthur snapped.
I'm not sure what came over me then, as I decided I would not stay. I would march into the parlor and ask Arthur to take me back to the train station. This conversation was strange, even for me.
No sooner had I opened the door then I saw the once cheery room had changed.
I had caught the creature by surprise. It didn't have time to hide as I threw open the doors without knocking.
There, perched on Cobb's shoulders was a gaunt and decaying woman. Her skin was blackened with rot and her hair was stringy and limp. She was hissing and growling as Cobb seemed not to notice she had taken residence on his shoulders.
He only seemed uncomfortable by the obvious demon that was sitting on him. Not even Eames or Arthur noticed she was there. They seemed innocent to the horrible thing so near to them.
She saw me then. Realized I could see her, and she cast her red eyes on me.
"Get away from him." I said simply, before she attacked me.
