(Thursday Morning)
Punk awoke to find Evalena already awake and watching him sleep. He pulled back from her a bit, hoping she hadn't noticed his morning wood. She smiled up at him.
"Good morning Punk." She smiled.
"How long you been awake?" he asked.
"I dunno. I woke up and just stayed put so I wouldn't wake you." She shrugged. "You look so cute when you sleep."
"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.
"Still scared." She admitted.
"Me too. But we are gonna get to the bottom of this. We're going to find a way to get all this supernatural shit to stop and then we are going to go somewhere out of Louisiana together." Punk said.
"We are?"
"If you want to. I would love to. I have grown quite fond of you and would love for us to spend some time together without all this supernatural stuff in the way." Punk said.
"I would really like that." She smiled. "But should we be getting so attached to each other considering you have to go back on the road at the end of the month?"
"Is that what you want?" Punk asked.
"No, but…..I don't wanna get hurt either." She said.
"Baby, life is about taking chances. But….I like you a lot. And if we find that we really want to be together….you already travel to research your books and such, right? That opens the door for us to spend time together more than some of the other guys get to see their girls. I just hope you can be patient with my hectic schedule." He told her.
"You really thought this out?" she asked.
"Yeah….guess all this time we spent together, I got to know you and I really like you." Punk said.
"I really like you too. But…I have a confession to make." She said.
"What? You're not married are you?" Punk asked.
Evalena giggled. "No worse….I am a huge Cena fan. I even put it on my answering machine when he won the United States championship at Wrestlemania XX."
Punk chuckled. "Now I have heard everything."
"You really wanna keep seeing me? I am not just a summer fling?" she asked.
"I am straight edge remember? I don't do flings." He said.
She smiled and leaned over and kissed him. "I have another confession."
"Don't tell me. You are Dwayne Johnson fan too?" he smirked.
"Yes, but that isn't my confession." She giggled. "When I watch you on TV, I would wonder what kissing you with your lip ring would feel like."
"And the verdict?"
"I like it. And it's very you." She smiled.
He leaned over and kissed her again.
"Come on, we need to get answers if we are ever gonna feel safe again." She said.
"You're right, but can we pick this up when the supernatural shit is all over?" he smiled.
"We better. I haven't even told you what your straight edge tattoo on your abdomen has made me think before." She winked and hopped out of bed.
(Afternoon)
Evalena and Punk walked down the sidewalk towards one of the local Catholic churches. Both of them wondering if a priest could help. They walked up the front steps and entered the church.
"I am not sure what to do." Punk said taking off his ball cap.
"There is a font. It is full of holy water." She said. She hurried over and stuck her fingers gently in the water.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"It doesn't burn. The church isn't upsetting me. It means that whatever attacked us last night, hasn't possessed me." She said.
"This is weird." Punk admitted.
Evalena grabbed his hand and put it in the water as well.
"No burn, you're okay too." She smiled.
"Should we take some of this with us?" Punk asked.
"I dunno. Would that be stealing?" she asked.
"Can I help you?" a priest appeared behind them.
"Oh, hello Father. We were…..we were….we have…..have you ever had any encounters with devil worshippers?" Evalena asked.
"Is this some kind of prank?" the priest asked.
"No sir, we know someone that practices devil worship and were wondering if it would be possible for him to….put a curse on us?" Evalena said.
"Are you a believer?" the priest asked.
"I am." Evalena said.
"I'm…let's say agnostic for now." Punk said.
Evalena looked startled but said nothing.
"If you are a believer and your faith is strong, Satan cannot harm you. It is most likely that this is psychological." The priest said.
"Can demons possess animals?" Punk asked.
"Of course, that was even in the Bible." Evalena said.
"If you believe someone is using demons to harm you, maybe you should have your home blessed." The priest said. "However, it will not work unless you have real faith."
"You mean she could be in danger because I don't believe?" Punk asked.
"Her faith will keep her safe, depending on how strong it is. Those without faith are the most vulnerable." The priest said.
"Can my faith keep him safe?" she asked.
"That I cannot answer. Would you like me to arrange to have your house blessed?" the priest asked.
"We don't live here. And wherever we go it seems to follow us." Punk said.
"Father, I know that this being New Orleans you probably have heard a lot of crazy things. Can someone be a disciple of Satan to the point they become powerful?" Evalena asked.
"Satan plays tricks and lies, so someone who believes Satan is helping them is truly being deceived." The priest said.
"Thank you father, if there is anything else we need, we will come back." Evalena said.
She grabbed Punk's hand and hurried out of the church.
"Evalena, what? Maybe he could help." Punk said.
"I don't think so. He was obviously reluctant to get involved. Either because he thought we were trying to pull a prank or because many in the Catholic Church are reluctant to get involved with demon possession and such. Besides, I don't think a prayer or blessing is gonna work." She said.
"Your praying helped last night." Punk pointed out.
"Yes, but what if it doesn't work next time. And baby, you are naked without faith in God in this battle." Evalena said.
"So what do you suggest?" Punk asked.
"I think we need to see someone who knows the ways of hoodoo or something. Find out how to fight this. I think unconventional methods are called for." She said.
"Okay, I will try anything. I just want us both to be safe." Punk said.
"Come on, we can try the voodoo priestess I talked to last week." Evalena said.
(Outside town)
Evalena had instructed Punk to drive to an old building that was just outside New Orleans. The place was unmarked but there were herbs and roots hanging in the windows.
"How did you find this place? It looks creepy." Punk said.
"I knew I wouldn't get anywhere with the cheesy tourist trap voodoo shops in New Orleans. So I asked around until I found out about this place. It's authentic and definitely not a tourist trap." Evalena said.
"Okay, I am willing to give it a try." Punk said.
"I need you to go in there with an open mind. You will need to put aside everything you ever thought was real and be open to new ideas." Evalena said.
"Considering everything that has happened that will be easy." Punk said.
Punk got out of the car and opened the door for Evalena. The two of them walked inside the shop, seeing it was empty. Punk could see herbs, oils, roots and other memorabilia around the shop.
"Hello? Madame Tasse?" Evalena called out.
After a few moments a lady walked out of the back. Madame Tasse was an older African American lady dressed in a long white dress and had a white scarf tied around her head. Punk was surprised at how normal the woman looked.
"Ah yes, you were here last week. How are you?" Madame Tasse asked.
"Actually, we are having a bit of trouble and we were hoping you could help." Evalena said.
"This your husband?" Madame Tasse asked.
"No he's my….we just started dating so I am not sure what to label us." Evalena said.
"I'm Phil, you can call me Punk." Punk said.
"What seems to be the trouble? Last week you were asking about that bag you found and mentioned finding an altar." Madame Tasse said.
"Do you know the Beauchene Inn out by Lake Pontchartrain?" Evalena asked.
"This is about the Beauchene Inn?" Madame Tasse asked. Evalena nodded. "We better step into the back."
Evalena squeezed Punk's hand and they followed Madame Tasse into the back. They were surprised to find a room with a table and chairs, candles and figurines around the room.
"Please take a seat." She told them. "Now tell me about the Beauchene's. How do you know them?"
"We were both staying at the Beauchene Inn. At first everything was normal except for the fact Evalena's dog hated the Beauchene's. Anytime any of them were near, he would growl and bark and go crazy." Punk explained.
"Animals sense things humans cannot. The dog probably sensed the evil in them right away." Madame Tasse said.
"Evil? So it's true that Tom Beauchene practices black magic or something?" Evalena asked.
"Not just Tom…the entire Beauchene family has practiced black magic for generations. They have used their evil for money, power and murder." Madame Tasse said.
"Murder?" Evalena paled.
"Anyone that gets in their way usually comes up missing. Of course there is never any evidence of wrongdoing so no charges are ever brought. And any rumors are always hushed away by their powerful friends." Madame Tasse said.
"Wait…local officials are in on this?" Punk asked.
"Not knowingly. The black magic has brought the Beauchene's friends in powerful places, but those in authority do not realize they are being used. It is easy for the Beauchene's to make friends in high society because they have been a business family in New Orleans for over 100 years. Very few know how deep their evil runs." Madame Tasse explained. "What happened to you at the inn?"
"Well after I started snooping around when I noticed Tom acting weird, I started having nightmares, Tom was in them and he said things there was no way he could know. Then there was a fire in my room and I couldn't get out but when Punk got the door open…there had never been a fire." Evalena said.
"They are more powerful than ever before." Madame Tasse said. "Anything else happen?"
"The pool filled with blood and something pulled me under, I nearly drowned." Evalena said.
"Then I started having nightmares too." Punk said. "Then we found a weird altar or something in a room at the inn. And then a dog…possessed or something attacked us." Punk said.
"We thought by leaving the inn we would be safe. But last night something we couldn't see attacked us. It went away when I prayed." Evalena said.
"Child, if I had known you were staying at the Beauchene Inn I would've told you to leave when you were here last week." Madame Tasse said.
"Tell us about the Beauchene's. What all do you know about them?" Punk asked.
"The family got into the dark arts at the end of the Civil War. Every Beauchene for five generations has sold their soul to the devil at the crossroads." Madame Tasse said. "And the devil has given them everything they wanted. In 1942, Jacob Beauchene even married a girl against her will."
"Jacob…isn't he the one that was killed in Europe during the war?" Evalena asked.
"You have done some snooping. Yes, that was Jacob. You see Jacob had fallen in love with a local girl, but she wanted nothing to do with him. Her name was Laura. She had heard the rumors about the Beauchene's and wanted nothing to do with Jacob, she was very afraid of him and his family. But he placed a curse on her family and only agreed to lift it when she agreed to marry him." Madame Tasse said. "Him being killed in the war was a blessing for that child. She left Louisiana and never looked back."
"How do you know all this?" Punk asked.
"My family has lived in New Orleans for years. My great-grandmother was a mambo priestess as well. Thomas Beauchene…Jacob's father came to my great-grandmother wanting her help with his black magic….but she refused. Voodoo is not to be used for evil." Madame Tasse explained.
"This is a picture of a worship room or something we found at the inn." Evalena pulled out her cell phone, showing the pictures she took to Madame Tasse.
"A black magic altar." Madame Tasse said.
"So what do we do? Has Tom put a curse on us?" Evalena asked.
"Would you let me read the tarot cards? It will help the flashes of empathy I get." Madame Tasse said.
"Does that involve demons or anything?" Evalena asked.
"No, it just helps me get a better reading of your energy." She said.
Evalena looked at Punk. He nodded and squeezed her hand.
"Okay." Evalena told Madame Tasse.
Madame Tasse grabbed her deck of tarot cards and shuffled them. She began laying the cards out in a diamond pattern. She set the rest of the cards aside and looked over the cards.
"Tom wanted Evalena out of the way. He knew she was on to him and that she had learned too much….more than just the usual gossip. But Punk was an unexpected hindrance…so now he wants you both out of the way. He knows now that if something were to happen to Evalena, Punk's accusations would be hard to ignore…you're famous?" she looked at Punk.
"I am a professional wrestler." Punk answered.
"Tom's plan is for you both to die in a way that is mysterious and cannot be traced back to him. He thought he was rid of Evalena in the pool but Punk foiled that plan. He cast demons into the water, but when Punk pulled you out, he threw a dead animal in the pool to cover his tracks. He then tried the dog but that plan didn't work because you found holy ground." Madame Tasse said. "He realizes that as long as you two remain together he is going to have trouble."
"What do we do? How can we move on in life and be free of this?" Punk asked.
"You must destroy the Beauchene's power. It has gotten stronger over the past 100 years as each Beauchene died making the next more powerful, and you must destroy it. As each Beauchene died, they worked for evil in the afterlife to help their descendants; it was part of the pact they made with the devil." Madame Tasse said.
"How do we do that?" Punk asked.
"You must destroy the evil at its source. And you will have to put to rest the souls of his ancestors who now work for him in the afterlife now. They must be buried in holy ground." Madame Tasse said.
"How do we destroy their power?" Evalena asked.
"You must destroy and purify the altars. Send the evil back to hell." Madame Tasse said.
"Wait…weren't Tom's ancestors buried in holy ground to start with?" Evalena asked.
"Only Jacob was buried in holy ground during the war. All the other Beauchene's…men and women have been cremated. Their ashes are somewhere at the inn. Until those ashes are laid to rest in holy ground and the altars purified…Tom and his parents will remain powerful and will work to destroy the two of you." Madame Tasse said.
"Punk, what do we do? I'm scared." Evalena said.
"I am too." He hugged her. "But we have to do this. Police can't help and the Beauchene's have some powerful friends. We'll get through this."
"That is good. You'll need that." Madame Tasse said.
"Need what?" Evalena asked.
"Your bond. Though your romance is new, the feelings you both have are strong. Tom knows that and it is a weakness of his. He will try to turn you against each other, but don't let him. Hold tight to your feelings for each other and let them grow. The stronger your blossoming love grows the better your chances of defeating him." Madame Tasse said.
"What else will we need?" Punk asked.
"I will give you what you will need. The rest is up to you." She said. "Come with me."
Madame Tasse got up and walked back out into her shop. Punk and Evalena followed her. In the shop, Madame Tasse began gathering items.
"This is bundles of sage. You will need them to cleanse the area after destroying the altars. And here is some holy water; it should come in handy for cleansing and protection as well." She said. "This is mugwort; sprinkle this near your bed to prevent Tom from invading your dreams again."
"Does this stuff really work?" Punk asked.
"If you truly believe Philip." Madame Tasse grabbed his hand.
"How did you know…?"
She chuckled. "It's part of my gifts, child. For this to work Philip, you have to believe with your entire soul. Evalena has a strong faith in God because of her upbringing and it is going to be a fierce weapon in the battle you now face. But you must believe as well, in her, yourself and the power of good. Maybe this will even help you believe in God." She squeezed his hand.
"I won't let Tom hurt her." Punk said.
"There is that bond I was talking about. Hold tight to it." She said and turned back to the shelves. "You will need red brick dust. Put a line of red brick dust in your doorways and anyone who means you harm cannot cross it."
"Like in the movies?" Evalena asked.
"One of the few accurate details in a movie dealing with the dark arts." Madame Tasse said. "Cascarilla…sprinkle this powder around your home and even on your body for protection against negative spirits."
"Is this everything?" Evalena asked.
"One more thing for you, child." Madame Tasse said. She pulled out a wooden cross about 5 inches long. She placed it in Evalena's hand and wrapped Evalena's hands around it and covered Evalena's hands with her own. "You hold on tight to your faith. Do not let the devil deceive you because he will try."
"I'm still scared." Evalena said.
"You must now be braver and stronger than you ever have been before. Keep your faith; hold tight to your feelings for Philip. You two will get through this." Madame Tasse said.
"Thank you." Evalena hugged her.
"A soul bond is very special and comes along only once in a lifetime." Madame Tasse said.
"A soul bond?" Punk asked.
"In time you will understand, it will all make sense." She smiled.
"Thank you for everything." Punk said.
"Take care of each other." She said.
Punk gathered the things she had given them and walked with Evalena out of the shop. He opened the door and let her into the car and put the items from Madame Tasse in the back seat. He climbed in the driver's seat and started the car. He pulled out and headed towards their rented cabin.
"Punk?" she asked.
"We're gonna be fine. No black magic asshole is going to hurt me or you. I told you, we're gotta get rid of this mess, leave Louisiana and go somewhere, just the two of us. And when I fucking go back on the road, I am flying you in for Summerslam." Punk said.
"You are?"
"I am." He took her hand.
"I would love that." She smiled.
"We'll make it Evalena, I promise." He smiled.
(Evening)
Evalena was putting the red brick dust along the doorway and windows. Punk was outside sprinkling the cascarilla around the outside of the cabin. She walked outside to the porch and sat down on the swing.
"Dr. Mike called. He said we can pick up Rocky tomorrow. He is still doing well." Punk said and sat down beside her.
"That's good. I miss him." Evalena said.
"You okay?" Punk asked.
"This is all my fault. If I had minded my own business, Tom wouldn't be out to kill us. You got involved trying to help me. If I had just stayed out of it like you told me to, none of this would be happening." Evalena said.
"Baby, listen to me. Madame Tasse said the Beauchene's have hurt people with this mumbo jumbo. They are the ones choosing to hurt people, and just because you learned their secret doesn't mean they have a right to hurt you. They are in the wrong here." Punk wrapped an arm around her. "Stop blaming yourself. I don't blame you."
"How is it you always make me feel better?" she asked.
"Just a gift I guess." He smiled.
"What are we gonna do?" she asked.
"We're gonna come up with a plan and then we're gonna take away all the Beauchene's power. Then we are packing up and going to…where do you wanna go?" Punk asked.
"I dunno."
"We'll figure it out. For now let's just relax and enjoy the sunset." Punk said.
"Sounds wonderful." She cuddled beside him.
Author's Note- Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I haven't had any reviews in two chapters so it is difficult to know what readers are thinking. I want to stress again that this story is fiction so if some of the religious or supernatural parts were written differently than legend states or what you believe, remember this is FICTION and just for entertainment!