A/N: It took awhile but know summer vacation is here and I finished chapter 4 of bloody sin. I hope that nobody is mad for the long wait and have not lost their interest in my story. I envy these people who update 3 times a week, I can never do that. XD
Thaovyphantran Erik will show up very very soon, don't worry. And thank you for the reviews on every chapter! :D
Disclaimer- I own nothing. POTO belongs to Gaston Leroux and ALW. But I own the characters I make up myself!
In this chapter we will get to know some secrets, but what is the secret? And will Christine recover from the last chapter?
Morning came. It was the day the festival would occur and you could tell. The people of Falldark were gathered at town square and they were in a rush with the decorating and tables with food; one of them being for Madame Giry's pastries. They even built games for everyone to enjoy.
Christine sat in her living room and looked down at the people. She had a perfect view of town square from her house on the hill. Christine leaned back in the armchair and hugged herself. It was over lunchtime and she had still not gone out the door. She did not dare after what happen last night.
A knocking sound made her jump. It was the front door, somebody had knocked. Christine knew it could be anyone, but she had still thoughts about that monster. With slow steps she reached the door, it knocked again.
''Who- who is it?'' Christine asked.
A voice on the other side responded. ''It is Meg! Let me in!''
Christine let out a sigh of relief and opened the door. She dragged Meg inside and rushed to close the door and lock it.
Meg frowned. ''What has happen, Christine? You look so tense.''
''It- It is nothing.'' Christine shuddered. ''Nothing to worry about.''
Meg took Christine's hand in her own and gasped. ''Your hands are so cold!''
''Y- Yes, I have no firewood for the fireplace.'' Christine answered.
''Why do you not go out and fetch some, then?'' Meg's hand was at the door but Christine slapped it away.
''No!'' She screamed. ''No! Not outside!''
Meg frowned. ''What is wrong with you today?'' She took Christine's face in her hands. ''And you are so pale.''
Meg was very concerned. It was as if Christine had seen a ghost.
''I am.. I am sick.'' Christine stated.
''Sick? No, I can tell you are not sick. You look more… frightened.''
Should Christine tell Meg? This fear was taking over her life and she did not want that. She wanted to go out; it was the all hollows eve festival for God's sake! She had worked hard on those pies and she would not miss the people's faces when they eat them.
And somehow.. She had a feeling that she had to be there for something else as well.
''Meg,'' Christine began. ''I was followed by something last night on my way home.''
Meg's eyes went wide. ''Something? An animal?''
''I do not know. I saw a dark figure and it frightened me into locking myself in the house. It felt as if that thing wanted to kill me. I am too frightened to go outside.'' Christine sniffed.
Meg bit her lip. Could it be.. Could it be that Christine too.. Could have been?
''Um.. Christine, there is a reason to why I came to your house.''
Christine wiped her face with a handkerchief that had been in her dress pocket.
''Yes? What was it, Meg?''
''Rebecca Cobbard, she was found dead this morning.'' Every muscle in Christine's body froze.
''She was killed.'' Meg finished.
''What?'' Christine remembered seeing Rebecca the other day at town square. She had looked so happy, married and a mother.
Christine started panicking. ''How is Brandon reacting to this? How is the baby? Is the baby alright?''
''The baby is fine. Brandon is in shock, he was the one who found her.''
Poor Brandon, he must be devastated. He had just found his true love only to lose it so quickly. Christine knew how it felt to lose someone precious to you and it is heartbreaking. Death. It was a horrible thought and it had been the only thing Christine had been thinking these days. First her parents and then that thing chased her last night.
A thought came to Christine. ''Oh, my God! Can it be that-that whoever or whatever was running after me
last night took Rebecca instead! It is my fault.''
Brandon's daughter would grow up without her mother; Christine had at least spent ten years with hers.
Meg gasped. ''Do not say that! It was not your fault!''
''If somebody was to die last night it should have been me! Rebecca had a family for God's sake!''
Christine was hyperventilating now and Meg pushed her down slowly unto the sofa.
''Take deep breaths, Christine. Nice and easy.''
Meg sat down next to Christine and held her in her arms. They were in silence for a couple of minutes.
Meg wanted her friend to calm down before they continue their conversation.
Rebecca Corbbard had always been such a nice person to everybody and the town had appreciated that a lot.
Rebecca would not join them at the all hallows eve festival now either, if it even shall be a festival.
''What about the festival?'' Christine broke the silence. ''What does the major say about this?''
Will it be cancelled?
Meg told Christine that they do not know yet, they would have to go down town and listen to what the
major's opinions about this were. Meg helped Christine to take the first step of the day in the outside world
and then they walked down to town together.
Major Goldburg was a chubby man, grey thin hair and a moustache. Fifty years of age. He wore a brown suit,
a hat and a walking stick in his hand. Goldburg walked into the police house in a hurry and he had a reason;
Rebecca Cobbard was dead, murdered. His town had not had a murder since the Daaé case, why now?
The police headquarters was not a big building at al and it was one of the original houses still standing so
it was very old. The floorboards had holes and creeks, old food. One bucket stood in the middle of the room,
filled with water that was dripping from the sealing. Their were only 3 policemen working there, the prison guard
who only guarded two cells and two other men that took strolls in town and did the paperwork. One of those
men was Police chief Roger Whatman who was sitting by his desk, rumbling with some papers when major Goldburg came in.
Roger was dressed in the formal police uniform and the helmet covered his raven hair.
''Were is the body?'' Goldburg asked.
Roger rose from his seat and motioned for the major to follow him. They went though a door and behind it were a windowless
room, lit by lanterns. A table stood in the middle of the room and on it lay a female body covered with a white sheet up to it's neck. The body was Rebecca Cobbard. She was ghostly pale and her face was sunken in from being drained of blood. Most of the blood had covered her body, it stained the white sheet. The body had yet to be washed and the smell was so bad that Major Goldburg had to cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
''Not a pretty site, eh?'' Roger sighed.
''Indeed.'' Goldburg mumbled behind the handkerchief.
Roger turned to the major. ''When will she arrive here?''
Goldburg cleared his troth and took out a pocket watch to check the time.
''She should be here any minute now.'' He said and then there was a knock on the door.
Roger moved to open the door but it opened without his help. A cloaked person stepped into the room and the door closed.
The person drew back the hood and revealed a face that everybody recognized. Roger took of his helmet and Goldburg his hat.
''Madame Giry, thank you for coming.''
''I heard the news.'' Madame said. ''I knew that you would crawl to me for help.''
''And we appreciate it.'' Goldburg said. ''You are the one who has most knowledge about this.''
Madame's eyes went to the body on the exanimate table. She slowly walked over to it, her black dress dragged behind her.
Poor girl, Madame thought. She had her whole life in front of her.
''Mrs. Cobbard was found dead on the backside lawn by her husband this morning.'' Roger informed.
''Mr. Cobbard told us that she walked out of bed in the middle of the night to drink some water. He had fallen asleep without knowing if she had come back to bed.''
That was all the information they had. Now the question was…
''Who killed her?'' Goldburg said it first. ''Falldark has been a town of salvation and peace for over seven years. I thought you spoke with them about-''
''As you said, seven years have past.'' Madame interrupted the major. ''I do not longer know how many of
them there are now living among us.''
''But I know everyone in my town.'' Goldburg blurted out. ''I can never imagine that anyone of them could do..''
He looked over at the dead body. ''Well, that.''
''Then I would guess that you have some new population we do not know about, and they clearly do not seem
to know the rules here.'' Madame's eyes never leaved Rebecca's sunken face.
Madame knew what had killed Rebecca and so did Goldburg and Roger. Vampire, a bloodsucker. The three of them were the
only ones who knew that vampires lived in Falldark, how many they did not know. But there had been no human victims for
seven years. Poor Isabelle, she did not heed my warning and she died. Madame dried one single tear without the two men noticing.
Madame broke the silence. ''I must ask Mr. Goldburg and Mr. Whatman to leave me alone with the body.''
''What? Why?'' Roger asked. ''Do as I say!'' Madame raised her voice, startling him. ''This is not something you
would like to witness!''
The two men did not question her anymore and left her alone in the room.
Madame closed her eyes, took deep breaths and cleared her mind. She raised her hands and moved them in the air over
Rebecca's body. As she did this everything went quit as if the time had frozen. The room went darker and darker after each lantern, one by one went out. Madame frowned and clenched her teeth. Words that were unknown to men were formed on her lips. An extinct language. Madame was first mumbling, and then she spoke in a higher and higher voice. It was not quit anymore, the ground was shaking under her feet like an earthquake but she stood her ground and kept on speaking in that unknown language. The table started to shake and then the body on it. In one second, Madame laid one finger on the body and then everything froze again.
Quit, still.
Madame opened her eyes and meets two others. Rebecca's eyes. They were yellow with some white goo in them,
dehydrated from lack of oxygen and completely different from her usual blue ones when she was alive.
Rebecca's breaths were strained and her scared eyes went everywhere until they found Madame again.
''Antoinette?'' She whispered. She could hardly talk, her troth was so dry.
''Yes, Rebecca it is me.'' Madame said and ran a comforting hand over Rebecca's head.
''Where am I?'' Rebecca asked and then she acknowledged the exanimate table that she was laying on. ''What-what is this?''
Madame hushed Rebecca who was acting like a scared little child.
''I am sorry to have awaken you from your slumber,'' Madame said. ''But I need to know what your last memory was before you died.''
''Died?'' Rebecca took the information in. ''No, no, NO!'' Her head flew back and fort, denying the deed that was already done.
She sobbed. ''Brandon! My little Anna!''
Madame had to struggle with the girl so she would lay still.
''You need to tell me your last memory Rebecca!'' Madame shouted. Rebecca was still struggling.
''If you do not tell me, your husband and baby might die as well!'' Rebecca froze at those words.
Madame could finally let go of the girl. Rebecca had understood and she did not want her family in any danger.
She put her memories together and then told her story.
''I-I went up for some water.'' Rebecca sniffled. ''When I was in the kitchen, I could hear someone calling for me. I looked out of the window and saw a figure standing on the backyard. The voice told me to go out. I did not want to,
but my body seemed to move on it's own.''
''You went out?'' Madame questioned.
''Yes.'' Rebecca answered. ''I was pulled to the voice that was calling me. Next thing I remember is a horrible pain on my neck.'' She drew a finger over the wounds on her neck. Then al emotions came at once, Rebecca was crying and screaming.
''I SCREAMED! I CRIED! NOBODY COULD HEAR ME! MY MOUTH WAS COVERED SO NOBODY COULD HEAR ME! I DIED! ''
Madame held Rebecca in her arms. ''Did you see the face of the one who did this to you?''
''NO! IT WAS TOO DARK! AND NOW I WILL NEVER SEE MY BRANDON AND BABY AGAIN!'' And then Rebecca went limp
in Madame's arms. She was dead again.
''No, Rebecca you will see your family again,'' Madame stroked the girl's cheek. ''As their guardian angel.''
Christine and Meg stood in the middle of the gathered crowd outside the police house. The news had spread around town and now everyone knew what had happened. Right know the major was inside the building and the crowd was waiting for him to come out and share his thoughts with them.
Many people comforted and told how sorry they were for Brandon Cobbard who was also there, holding his little baby girl. He did not say anything, just nooded at everyone but held his head hanging low. His bangs covered his eyes, making them look dark. Little Anna chewed on her hand and looked around with big blue eyes that resembled her mother.
Christine took a deep breath and walked over to Brandon. He looked up when Christine's hand made contact with his arm.
''Brandon, I know you must have heard this all day but.. I am sorry for your loss.''
Brandon sniffled and put his hand over hers. ''Thank you, Christine.''
''You still have Anna to remind you of Rebecca,'' Christine stroked one finger over the baby's cheek. ''And I know that Rebecca will be with you always, you will just not be able to see her.''
Brandon smiled for the first time that day. ''You are right. For Rebecca I will be the best father in the world for our little angel.''
Then the police doors opened and out came the major, the police chief and Madame Giry. Madame Giry? What was she doing in there?
The crowd started pushing and shouting quaestiones for the major. When major Goldburg held up his hand everyone went quit.
''People of Falldark!'' He talked loud so everyone would hear. ''By know I think you all know that one of us has been a victim of crime.''
He countinued. ''I ask you not worry! The murderer is not one of us! It was an animal attack!''
People started speaking among each other. So it was an animal?
''You can all calm down because any day, one of us shall shoot this beast. Rebecca cobbard was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and she was defenseless.''
''Will we still have the festival tonight?'' Someone in the crowd asked.
''Yes, let it be!'' The major answered. ''But, let us have the festival in the memory of Rebecca Cobbard!''
Madame Giry took a step forward. ''But is it alright with you Mr. Cobbard?'' She asked and everyone looked a Brandon.
''It is alright.'' He answered. ''Rebecca was looking forward to the festival, I think she would have liked if we still had it.''
''Then so be it!'' That was the major's final words and the people cheered. For Rebecca! For Rebecca!
A/N: O_o I hope you look like that right now! XD What happened? I know, I wrote it but do you know?
Review! Thank you for reading!