Chapter 14: Kathryn Standish's Legacy
Kay and Theresa walked up to Tabitha's house, Kay still holding the necklace. They rang the doorbell and Jessica answered the door. "Jess, what are you doing here?" Kay asked. "Visiting with Tabitha," Jessica responded. She invited the two in to the house, where Reese and Vincent were there too. "Hey, I got your note," Vincent said. "Obviously," Kay responded, hugging him. "So, what brings you here, Kay?" Tabitha asked. "This," Kay responded and carefully placed the necklace down. "I found it in the graveyard today and the angel I saw last night told me it was mine. From a long time ago," Kay explained. Tabitha looked carefully at the necklace.
"Where did you exactly did you find this?" Tabitha asked. "In front of a grave marked 'Kathryn Standish,'" Kay responded. "Kathryn Standish? Did the grave have no dates?" Tabitha asked. "No, it didn't have any dates on it," Kay said. "Just one saying right?" Kay nodded. "A lamb amongst the goats, the angel returns to heaven where she belongs," Kay recited from memory. "A lamb amongst the goats?" Jessica asked. Tabitha nodded. "Her dates were forbidden to be placed on by her family's patriarch. She was the black sheep of her family. She was born on April sixteenth, sixteen-hundred-twenty-seven and died November twenty-fourth sixteen hundred fifty-two. She was twenty-seven years old," Tabitha said. "I knew her." Kay sat down, as did Theresa. "Was she a Standish as in the Standishes we are chasing?" Kay asked. Tabitha nodded. "They dominated the town I lived in before I fled here for safety. I don't know if this town still exists in Massachusetts. They called Standishton," Tabitha explained. "This goes back over 350 years ago…"
The town of Standishton was under the ruthless rule of Mayor Joseph Standish. Then again, all the Standishes were ruthless. They all controlled this small town, and new colonists soon learned to stay out of their way. Once in Standishton, it was very hard to leave the town. Tabitha Lennox was one of these unsuspecting colonists. She had boarded the first ship she found to America, not knowing that its destination was Standish Port, controlled by the power-hungry George Standish. The only thing Tabitha liked about the Standishes was George's youngest daughter Kathryn. She was twenty-five and incredibly beautiful, inside and outside. It was a surprise that no man had courted her. Then Tabitha learned about the Standish tradition. Through her help, Kathryn was able to meet the perfect young man away from her family.
His name was Michael Lancaster, a recent colonist who escaped with Tabitha. Tabitha was being persecuted for witchcraft; he for his debts. Now he lived on a somewhat successful farm, and had respect in town. He and Kathryn were perfect for each other. Michael was willing to love her despite her family, and Kathryn loved him for everything he was. The two were the most beautiful couple in the town. Many felt that Kathryn could not be from the evil Standish family, since she was kind and generous. Kathryn's grandfather, Oliver, also felt that way and made a familial decree that officially said that Kathryn was no longer a Standish and never had been.
Kathryn moved in with Tabitha, and Michael proposed to her. While living with Tabitha, the three realized that Kathryn was a Standish, since she had the powers all Standishes had. Kathryn had the gift of telekinesis, something she found incredibly useful—in good ways. This annoyed her family to no end because for once, the Standish powers were being used to help the people rather than terrorizing them. Kathryn wanted her powers to be used to defeat her evil family, and joined with Tabitha and her group destined to bring down the Standish family once and for all.
The Christmas of 1652, not knowing that this would be Kathryn's last day, she and Michael reluctantly accepted her family's invitation to spend Christmas with the Standishes. Kathryn and Michael showed up at the Standishes after Christmas mass. The party started out innocently enough. There was an elegant dinner and some Christmas music played. Michael pulled his fiancée outside the party room and gave her a special present. It was a gold angel on a chain, holding a jeweled heart. "For my little angel," Michael said, placing it on her. She gave him a small kiss. They returned inside to her family, happy as they could possibly be.
Oliver Standish approached the young couple, all smiles. That was Kathryn's first clue that something was wrong. Her grandfather never smiled, unless something ruthless was going to happen or had happened. Kathryn stood in front of Michael, as if to protect him, knowing that he was who was going to attack her fiancé. "Oh no need to do that Kathryn dear," Oliver told his granddaughter. Kathryn stepped closer to Michael, doubly cautious, as her grandfather had never called her "dear." Oliver grabbed her arm and said, "We just want to welcome him into the family. Apparently you two will not be separated for any reason and I admire that." He gently pushed Kathryn out of the way and escorted Michael into another room.
Fifteen minutes later, Oliver reappeared with Joseph, George and his son-in-law Jeremiah Herring by his side. Kathryn ripped herself from her mother's hold and demanded, "Where is he?" Oliver just smiled nicely. "Where is who, Kathryn dear?" he asked. "Father! What have you four done with Michael?" she asked her father. "Dear, dear. Michael who? Are you feeling well? Sarah, I think she's sick," George said. Sarah Standish bustled up to her daughter's side. "I believe she is!" Sarah responded. "Oh, Mary, Grace help me get her to her bed." Mary and Grace Standish moved to help their sister-in-law, but Kathryn pulled away. "Don't touch me. I want Michael back, wherever you put him!" she shouted at her grandfather. "There is no Michael, Kathryn dear. You should let your mother and aunts help you into bed," Oliver said, reaching for his granddaughter.
Kathryn broke from his grasp and darted out of the room. She ran through the maze of hallways that her grandfather constructed. She had to reach Michael before something horrible happened to him. She ran and ran, until she came to the one door she was always forbidden from entering. With all her strength she pushed the door, and was greeted by red smoke. She braved her way in and fought through the fog. After a few minutes, Kathryn came upon Michael's body, slumped unconscious on the floor. He was growing colder and colder. She lifted his body up and felt her way back to the door. She was able to drag him out and shut the door. She collapsed on the floor, panting. Michael was unresponsive. "Michael, come back to me," she sobbed, praying he wasn't dead.
She suddenly felt a cold sensation pass over her. She looked up and saw her grandfather smiling at her. "Come, now, Kathryn dear, come meet your new fiancé," Oliver said. A young man, sinister looking, with a false smile, stood over Kathryn and offered her his hand. "Never," Kathryn simply said.
Kathryn stood up and faced her grandfather. "What did you do to him?" she asked, ice dripping on her breath. "Nothing, Kathryn dear," Oliver replied. "Isn't that right, Michael?" The other man smirked and nodded. Kathryn realized that this man did look very similar to her fiancé, but not as pleasant and caring as him. "You are not Michael! You are what my grandfather wanted Michael to be!" she shouted. The new Michael laughed and grabbed Kathryn. "We will be married, Kathryn dear," he said. Kathryn tried to squirm out of his grasp. The angel pendant Michael had given her began to grow. This Michael stepped back, shielding his eyes. Kathryn kept her pendant upon him and watched as he shrank into a wisp of smoke. This smoke re-entered it's real body, as Michael came back to life.
Kathryn collapsed at his side, weak from the power she had to use to heal him. Michael weakly grasped her hand and she held it close. "Thanks," he was able to say. "All for love," she replied. "Kathryn Standish, stand forth!" a loud booming voice said. She turned around to face her furious grandfather. "Stand forth, girl," he boomed again. She weakly tried to stand. "Don't overexert yourself," Michael warned. "I won't," Kathryn replied, fully standing. "Yes, Oliver," Kathryn said. "That is Grandfather to you, young lady," Oliver told his granddaughter. "I believe there was an official family edict declaring that I wasn't a real Standish. You also don't deserve the title 'Goodman,' so I shall just call you Oliver," Kathryn said.
Oliver was furious now. "Foolish girl!" he boomed. "You dare go up against me? Don't you know how powerful I am?" Kathryn stood defiantly before her grandfather, reddening with every word "You don't frighten me, Oliver. You have no power over me," Kathryn declared. "Wrong words to say, Kathryn dear," Oliver responded. He shot off a black beam towards her. Kathryn deflected the beam and it raced towards Oliver. He didn't blink, just sent it back to her, more powerful than before. In her weakened state, Kathryn couldn't save herself and was soon consumed by the light.
Michael watched in helpless horror as the light died down and Kathryn crumbled to the floor. He gathered all his strength to crawl towards her. He reached her and realized that he was too late. Oliver's dark powers were too much for Kathryn's already weak body. He had lost his only love to her despicable grandfather. Oliver stood over Kathryn's body smirking. "Let this be a lesson to all of you," he said, addressing the Standish family, which had congregated together to watch the demise of one of their own. "No one forsakes this family," he said. "Or they will face the wrath of this family." Michael watched in horror as Oliver proceeded to kick Kathryn's body. He looked to her immediate family, to see if any of them felt anything. George and Sarah, Kathryn's parents, looked down at their daughter. Her sisters Patricia and Charlotte smirked at their dead sister's body, while her brother Andrew held his wife Johanna closer, never taking a disgusted look off his face. Only Johanna Standish seemed effected, as did some other Standishes who were married in to the family.
Oliver threw Michael and Kathryn out in the street. Michael held Kathryn's body close to his as Oliver made another family decree. "No one from this family buries her or goes to her funeral," he stated, and then sent the family back inside. "As for you," he sneered at Michael. "You can bury her, but no dates can appear on her tombstone, understand?" Michael nodded. Tabitha appeared by Michael's side and reached for Kathryn. "She's dead," Michael whispered, near tears. "Oliver Standish, you have gone too far this time," Tabitha said. "Killing your own kin?" Oliver stared her down. "I am not afraid of you, Oliver," Tabitha said. "That's what my late granddaughter said as her final words," Oliver said. "You really have no power over me, Oliver, and you know it. I dare you to try anything on me," Tabitha said. Oliver sneered and turned to go inside. Halfway inside, he turned to Tabitha. "Your small pathetic group of good-doers will never defeat my family. You know I killed your last hope, Tabitha, so just join us. There is no other solution," Oliver said. Tabitha stood defiant. Oliver returned to his party, leaving the two alone.
Michael, Tabitha and their group against the Standishes went to Harmony, Maine, to escape Oliver's iron crush. There they buried Kathryn's body, keeping Oliver's order to not put any date on the tombstone. Instead, Michael picked out a Bible symbol that represented Kathryn perfectly. He never did regain his strength, and the fact that the Standish power had infested him for awhile did a number. He died, but he and Kathryn were reborn over and over again. Michael's reincarnations always had some evil to overcome, some did, some didn't. Sometimes the two lovers met, sometimes they didn't. Tabitha's group slowly was killed off by the Standishes, leaving only a tricked Tabitha to spend the rest of the centuries alone.
"And that's the story of Kathryn Standish," Tabitha said. A silence descended on the table. "So Kay is the reincarnation of Kathryn," Jessica said, slowly. "Then is Miguel the reincarnation of Michael?" Theresa asked. "I guess so," Vincent said, hurt. Kay launched herself at him. "No, you are," she said, smiling. "Me? How? Kathryn, Kay. Michael, Miguel, it works out," Vincent said. "But Tabitha said that the reincarnations of Michael had an evil to overcome. Miguel never did, if you think about it," Kay said. "The disappearance of his father," Vincent said. "It was a personal evil, Vincent," Tabitha said. "That isn't a personal evil." Kay smiled at Tabitha. "See? You had to overcome your alcoholism, remember?" she said. "Besides, isn't your middle name Michael?" Vincent smiled and nodded. "See? We were destined to be together," Kay said.
"Alright, I hate to break up all the sap right now, but we do have a problem," Hank said. "What?" Sam asked his brother, who just appeared. "We have an evil family approaching the city. The hotels of Harmony are flooded with Standish families, and the two in jail are trying to break out. We need to get ready," Hank said. "Alright," Kay responded. "Call everyone together. We need to plan and prepare. Guys, this is the final battle." Vincent took the angel necklace and placed it around Kay's neck. "This will help you," he whispered.
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A/N: Thanks for reading everybody! Please review. I kinda like to know if my work is appreciated or not. It makes me feel good. Thanks! ~*Mac*~