Isabelle felt her heart stop at those three little words. Butch hadn't moved at all but she knew he was waiting for her to speak...almost knowing that she didn't want him to look at her while she explained everything. Not that she even wanted to explain her heartbreaking past.
"Butch I-" she began but he just cut her off, giving her the Butch Cavendish Persona voice.
"Isabelle..."
he said lowly, he was serious. Isabelle just sighed and looked down at the floor. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear it in her ears. Why did he have to ask about that...that-mistake...
After a few minutes of deadly silence she let out a soft sigh and looked up at him, knowing he couldn't see her, so why hold back?
"...What can I say...I made a terrible mistake and it cost me my whole life" she began as the memories of that day flooded back to her...all those years ago...
Flashback
"25 years ago I was engaged to a man named Nathan Cole, Lathem Coles older brother. That man was quite the smooth talker' and charm'r...you see we lived on the river of the Apache boarder with my mother and younger sister, a family...or so I had hoped..."
Isabelle stood in the kitchen of the little cabin she and her family had moved into, along with her soon to be husband. The wedding was only a week away and she was so nervous it was killing her. Her mama had saved her wedding dress just for such an occasion, if not for Isabelle then for her younger sister, Marabeth. Outside the other help were getting wood cut for the new fence line along the river...on the Apache boarder...
Since they had moved in the Apache had gotten closer and much more violent, even going as far as killing three of their horses one night in the barn. It was terrifying...Marabeth was only 6 years old and the thought of her getting hurt or worse was dreadfull to think about. Isabelle watched the workers lift a few beams to take to the barn, seeing the sand and dirt wash across the ground as they walked. A smile spread over her face as she watched Marabeth run after them with that small doll their mother had made for her, her little feet going as fast as they could to keep up.
"Silly goose" she whispered smiling, finishing up the dishes needing washed in the barrel in front of her. The sun was close to setting, within the next few hours it would be gone. Looking out over the river she could see one of the help bringing up the horses from the corral...what horses they had left. As she went to turn around she jumped as a pair of strong arms encircle her waist.
"Time to quite darlin'" a deep southern drawl behind her made her smile even more. Nathan always seemed to do that to her, scare her half to death all the time. Turning around in his arms she smirked up at him.
"Is sat' righ'?" she asked slowy snaking her arms up his chest. He smiled at her as he claimed her lips in a swift kiss. He was truley very handsome, dark hair and broad shoulders, those blue eyes that bore into her all the time.
"Tha's righ'" he said pulling away from her, grabbing a towel from the counter and wiping his brow. She could see the sweat around his forehead and she already knew he'd been into town that day. As he stepped away her mother walked in with a bowl of freshly cut meat, giving Nathan a sour look before smiling at Isabelle.
"Sweetheart coul' you chop up this hea' goose fer' me?" the older woman asked softly. Isabelle nodded and watched as Nathan walked back outside. He and her mother didn't ever seem to see eye to eye on anything...needless to say she was positive they hated each other.
"Mama coul' ya at least try ta' be nice ta' him? I'm marryin' the man in six days" Isabelle said slightly frustrated at the constant bickering. Her mother just held up her hands in protest not wanting to start anything. Rolling her eyes Isabelle just grabbed an old knife and started away on the goose meat. Must be makin' stew for dinner tonight.
"I still don' know wha' you see in that man honey" she heard her mother say as she walked back outside. Isabelle didn't understand why her mama felt that way, she always trusted her mothers judgement but...with Nathan...it was like he had her under his spell. The way he walked and talked just made her melt inside. And in just a few days he would be all hers. As she cut the meat she couldn't help but feel that something was off...like something wasn't right. Shaking her head she just continued on with her work...until a high pitched scream echoed across the yard in fear.
"Marabeth!" she cried out as she dropped the knife and ran out the door! Running outside she could see her sister pointing towards the barn in terror, holding her doll close to her chest. Scooping up the child she held her close and looked her over to see if she was hurt.
"Wha' happened baby? Wha's wrong?" she asked while looking over at the barn. It was silent all around them, but she soon heard her mother come up behind her as well as Nathan.
"What happened!" her mother cried out taking the child into her arms. Nathan had his gun loaded thinking she had seen a wild animal, but Marabeth just continued to cry and point at the barn.
"What'd she see?" he asked holding up the shotgun while looking back at the small girl, she was scared out of her mind. Isabelle tried to see anything inside the barn, but the doors were only opened a bit, not enough to look inside. Turning around she looked at her mother and sister.
"Get inside" she ordered softly, watching them take off back into the house. The door slammed shut and they heard the lock bolt shut tightly. Isabelle looked at Nathan and started slowly walking towards the barn, both keeping an eye on their surroundings. It was quiet...way too quiet...even the horses weren't making any noise. As they reached the barns doors they could both smell-kerosene?
"Wha-" she began as he pulled the doors open...and she almost felt herself get sick at the sight before her...
"Oh my God..." Nathan said softly lowering his gun. The four men that worked on the ranch...they were all dead. Each one had been stabbed or clubed to death...their faces...their faces were gone. All the skin on their heads were gone...each one hanging from a wooden beam from above...a noose around thier neck. Isabelle held a hand over her mouth as she looked away, it was too horrifying to look at...but then she saw the horses...they had been killed too. Nathan backed up away from the bloodbath and sniffed the air, the whole floor of the barn was covered in kerosene.
"Isabelle. Get. Back-" he began but horrified screams suddenly burst behind them! Turning around they saw flames ingulfing the cabin!
"NO!" Isabelle screamed as she took off towards the house. Nathan ran after her and watched as the flames danced higher up the walls, the smell of kerosene getting stronger.
"Isabelle! Wait!" he cried out grabbing her arm holding her back...the cabin was about to burst faster than they could do anything. Suddenly they both heard an ear peircing war cry...Apache...
"Mama! Marabeth!" she screamed trying to help them. Within seconds they found themselves surrounded by Indians with war paint covering their faces and torsos, each one holding a knife or club in their hands. Nathan held up his gun and fired a shot at one of them, killing the Indian instantly. Isabelle ran up towards the front door of the house and pushed open the door, smoke pouring out as she burst inside!
"Marabeth! Answer Me!" she screamed covering her mouth and nose with her arm. Deathly screams filled the air around her and she knew it was her mother. The thought of them both burning to death made her sick to the bone...she couldn't see them. They had to be upstairs but the stairwell was already ingulfed in flames. Her mothers screams soon began to fade into mere crys of pain...she was burning...and so was-
"Marabeth!"
she screamed out once again...but the child didn't answer her...soon their crys faded into silence as the heat of the fire became too much for her to stand. Coughing and having tears roll down her face she stumbled back towards the door and pushed it open as the roof caved in above her...the house was gone...
"Na-Nathan! 'cough'! Nathan!" she cried out trying to see through the smoke. The barn was now on fire and almost completly destroyed by the flames. Falling to her knees she could see the Apache fleeing on their horses or on foot across the river. Their cries of victory filling her ears as she looked around her...and as the smoke cleared she could see him.
"Nathan?" he was standing there, his gun dropped to the ground beside him. Against the setting sun she could see him turn...and the dark outline of the arrows sticking out of his chest made her heart stop...
"Nathan! No-Please!" she cried out as he fell to the ground, his blood pooling around him waves of red...turning the sands ruby as the life slowly left his body. Isabelle collapsed beside him and pulled the arrows out of him with one jerk. They had gone straight through his heart...no man could survive that...and she knew it...
"No! P-Please Don'! Nathan! P-pl-please!" she sobbed into his chest as the life left his body, his skin going cold beneath her hands...he was gone. Isabelle screamed out in agony while glaring up at the sky.
"I'll do anything just don' take h-him! Please don' take him!" she screamed out while rocking him back n' forth.
"I knew he was gone, and I thought that God had abbandoned me in that moment...little did I know that someone did in fact hear my pleas for mercy...just not the person I wanted"
Isabelle sat there for what seemed like forever, feeling her heart shatter as the flames slowly died down into mere ash. Her world had crashed down around her...there was nothing left for her to live for...
"Ohhh I wouldn't say that my dear" a sudden shadowy voice said from in front of her. Jumping slightly she looked up to see a older man dressed in black with a cane in his hand, a wicked grin masking his features. Isabelle glared at him and watched as he looked down at Nathan.
"Shame isn't it, such a young man to die so soon...and before I was even ready for him" he said lowly. Isabelle didn't know if it was the low light or her tired eyes...but it looked like black shadows surrounded him as he stood there watching her.
"Oh, where are my mannors my dear, allow me to introduce myself" he said bowing to her, the dark shadows following his every move.
"Mephistopheles...at your service love" that sly voice almost echoed inside her head. Isabelle's eyes went wide at his remark-Mephistopheles? As in-the Devil himself?
"In the flesh" he finished for her, as though reading her mind. He stepped closer to her and put the bottom of his cane ontop of Nathans chest, pushing down onto the cold body. Isabelle raised her hand to bat the dreadful things away...only to have her whole arm go right through it. Black smoke swirling around her hand as it formed back into shape. Mephistopheles only grinned madley and looked down at her.
"I couldn'd help but overhear you saying you would be willing to give anything to save this young man before you...is that true?" he asked glancing down at the dead man. Isabelle looked back down at Nathan and then slowly she looked back up at Mephistopheles.
"...Yes" she said softly, a few more tears running down her face. Mephistopheles only grinned once again and reached into his jacket, pulling out an old worn peice of partchment paper...and a feather pen.
"Even...your soul?" he asked handing her the paper. It was blank. Isabelle looked up at him once again with confusion written all over her, what did he mean?
"I'll make a deal with you my dear...I'll save your charming young husband and bring him back...but at a price" he explained slowly, messing with the feather non-chaulantly. Isabelle looked down at Nathan, watching as her tears dropped down onto his pale face. She would give anything...anything for love.
"Name your price" she said not bothering to look back up. She could hear Mephistopheles chuckle softly before handing her the feather pen.
"Just, sign the contract" he said motioning to the paper. Isabelle looked down and gasped as the partchment paper was now covered with black ink, scrolled down the page in small letters with a line at the bottom. The feather pen began to drip with ink as she held it over the line...hestitant at first. Mephistopheles waited patiently while standing to her side. He had all the time in the world.
"You'll bring him back?" she asked to confirm his recent request. Mephistopheles only nodded slowly and watched as she set the paper down, the ink touching the line for a moment...before she slowly signed her name to the mysterious deed.
"Congradulations Isabelle, you now...belong...to me" he said venomusly. Isabelle stood up and watched as Mephistopheles circled her slowly.
"You are now a Ghost Rider Isabelle, my bounty hunter, you are to work for me to catch escaped souls or retreive a soul promised to me by a contract...or send a damned soul to Hell for their crimes committed on Earth...understand?" he said, watching as she slowly began to nod her head, as if in a trance. Grinning he put a finger to her chest and watched as her eyes turned to fire. Isabelle could feel something inside of her burst towards the surface...the fire. Mephistopheles only smirked as he watched the fire consume her, the flames tearing away at her skin. Soon she fell to her knees as the flames vanished across her body.
"What the hell have you done to me" she whispered softly, looking down at her hands in horror. Mephistopheles only grinned and snapped his fingers...then he dissapeared in a smoky shadow. Isabelle looked up at where he once stood, but her attention was soon drawn to the man now standing up only feet from where she was...Nathan...he was alive!
"Nathan!" she cried out scrambling to her feet to hold him once again. Nathan had a ghost white look on his face...his eyes hollow.
"Nathan? I-Its me...Isabelle" she whispered feeling his cheeks with her hands. He looked down at her and his eyes went wide in horror...what was he seeing? Isabelle was about to ask him what was wrong-when suddenly she felt a bolt shoot through her chest...her eyes going black as visions began to fill her head...Mephistopheles voice echoing in her ears.
"Allow me to show you the real Nathan Cole" she heard him say. Images began to fill her head. Nathan at a saloon with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a dancing girl on the other. Another image. Nathan...Fucking...a whore on top of him riding him like a horse. Another. Nathan screwing two whores at once...another image...Nathan drinking and dancing with a young woman before kissing her. Another image. Nathan fucking the same woman up in a saloon bedroom. Another Bloody Image. Nathan...in their home...raping a little girl...Marabeth...no...No..NO! Isabelle felt her blood boil with rage as she felt the fire burst forth and ingulf her once again. She was out for blood...
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
"And I did kill him...I-I killed him as heartlessly as I could...he was no man, only a coward...a liar...a drunk...and a lowlife son of a bitch that deserved to rot in Hell for all eternity...even now I can still hear his screams for Mercy..."
Isabelle stared at the pile of ash before her feet, the man she had once loved and cared for. She felt nothing. Only the anger...the rage...the power to use the fire at her will. The ranch was no more. The house and barn were gone...there was no one left. Only she remained...and it hurt. She was alone.
She stood in the middle of the house where the ashes and wood smoked, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. Isabelle looked around the destruction for any sign of her family...but there was nothing left. As she stepped forward she noticed something white under a fallen beam. Stepping over she picked up the object and wiped the black ash from it...it was a doll. Marabeth's small doll she always carried with her. Isabelle felt the tears running down her cheeks before she even knew they fell. Falling to her knees she held the small doll to her chest and screamed out in agony. This is what you get...this is what you get for falling in love...
"Heartache..."
