Hope is yur survival A captive path I lead No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a long, long time No matter where you go
I will find you If it takes a thousand years Nachgochema anetaha Anachemowagan No matter where you go I will find you In a place with no frontiers No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a thousand years No matter where you go I will find you No matter where you go
No matter where you go I will find you- Clannad" I will Find you"

Chapter Eight:A Father's Betrayal

Inside the house. Jaqueline ran right into me. Tears in her eyes." What is it?" I asked her.

" Father is mad." She whispered." he's talking crazy and he keeps drinking." Even though I was sort of tipsy, I still remained focused.I knelt down to her and checked her face and arms, for any signs of abuse, surprisingly I found none." Jaqueline, listen to me, I will deal with father. " I whispered to her the directions and gave her my knife."Tell Clopin I request that he take care of you until I find him tomorrow." I said and hugged her.

I stood and pushed the doors open to the room with a large fireplace, benches, this was a huge room where bottles of wine lay scattered. Father paced back and forth muttering to himself. I approached him, and grabbed his shoulder." What is your problem? She is just one gypsy!" I shouted. In responce he back hand slapped me across the face. I back against the edge of the table hair in my face. Back of my hand touching my face.

" Do not presume you can speak to me that way, girl!" He hissed at me." I know you have been seeing that gyspy." He said stepping closer to me, I could smell the stench of wine on him and more so on his breath. I said nothing to him as I slipped away from him and walked towards the door. I leaned against it And tried not to cry as I could hear him, again.

" Betta Maria you know I am a rightous man, of my virtue I am justly proud. Betta Maria you know I am so much purer then common, vulgar, weak licentous crowd. " I turned my head and glanced over in the crack of the door, he stood in front of his fireplace." Then tell me Maria why I see her dancing there, why the smoldering eyes still scorch my soul. I see her I feel her the sun shinning in her raven hair is blazing me out of all control. Like fire Hell fire, this fire in my skin, this buring desire is turning me to sin."

He must of been halusinating, as he seemed to be frightened of some sort of thing around him," Its not my fault, I'm not to blame, it is the gypsy girl the witch who sent this flame. It's not my fault if in God's plan. He made the devil so much stronger then a man. Protect me Maria, don't let this siren cast her spell. Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone. Destroy Esmeralda and let her taste the fires of hell. Or else let her be mine and mine alone. " I could not quite believe what I saw, was he actually trying to embrace the sir beside the fire? I gasped and rolled to the side as guard walked in."Minister Frollo the gypsy has escaped.

" What?"

" She's know where in the Cathedral. She's gone."

" But how I...never mind get out you idoit. " I peaked back into the room as he continued," I'll find her if I to burn down all of Paris. Hell fire dark fire now gypsy it's your turn, choose me or, your pyre be mine or you will burn! God have mercy on her. God have mercy on me. But she will be mine or she will burn!" Abruptly, the alcohol took effect. He passed right out.

I stood, sighed. And walked in, I drug him over to one of the benches and pulled a blanket over him. I really do not know why I did. Maybe just because he is my father, Though it does not feel like it. Walked back out of the room, And took down my hair down and leaned against the door. And fell asleep.

I woke with a start. I fell back. I looked up. And saw father standing there, it must have been morning and he looked like shite." Get up!" He hissed.

" Why?" I asked sitting up, roughly hed grabbed me by my hair" You are going to help me find the girl! Get changed from that Japanese outfit. " He demanded and shoved me towards my room. I stormed over to my closet and tossed on my long brown skirt and white long sleeved shirt. I left my hair down and meet father fully dressed down stairs. I glared up at him." She is just one woman." I said.

" Quiet!" He hissed and shoved me outside. Into the carriage. We rode to the catherdral. Where the guards, lined up, with Phoebus. I climbed out of the carriage and stood to the side as father walked out," Morning sir."

Father moaned and rubbed between his eyes, everyone saw his face.The bags under his eyes. His pale expression.

" Are you feeling alright?" Phoebus asked.

" I had a little trouble with the fireplace." He answered.

" Your orders sir?"

"Find the gypsy girl!"

The troops had started to ransack homes. Eventually finding a group of gypsies. He had them lined up. Hand tied behind their back. Father stared down at them atop his great black horse.I sat on my black,grey, and white powedered." Twenty pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmeralda." He said to them. No answer," Lock them up!" He demanded.

Soon, the men tipped and trashed a gypsy wagon, then push it into the river. Forcing the gypsies out," Twenty pieces of silver for the gyspy Esmeralda!" Again, no answer." Take them away!"

I sighed and shook my head and looked at Phoebus. He too shook his head in disgust.

As the day progressed.And the moon rose. We came to the Miller's farm." We found this gypsy talisman on your property have you been horboring gypsies?" He asked the family in the house, I stood in the door way.

" Our home is always welcome to the weary traveler. Have mercy my lord." Miller begged.

" I'm placing you and your family under house arrest, until I get to the bottom of this if what you say is true, you are innocent and have nothing to fear." Father said. beginning to walk out, I turned and heard.

" But we are innocent. I assure you, we know nothing of these gyspies."

Father paid no heed and slammed the door shut. And bars it with a guard's spear. Turned to Phoebus." Burn it."

" What?" He asked.My eyes widened.

" Until it smolders, these people are traitors and must be made examples of." He handed a torch to him.

"With all so respect sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent." Phoebus said.

" But you were trained to follow orders." He sat on his horse as I mounted mine. Phoebus glared at father and put out the torch."Insolent coward." With that he grabbed another torch and torched the windmill attached to the house.

The place began to burn fast. I gasped. Phoebus leapt through the window, and kicked open the door. What a hero, eh?

The guards grabbed Phoebus," The sentance for insubordination is death. Such a pity you threw away a promising career."

" Consider it my highest honor." I closed my eyes and tried not to watch as I knew he was going to get his head chopped off. But I heard father's horse neigh loudly, I threw my eyes open as father was thrown from his horse and Phoebus jumped on. Arrows flying everywhere. One hitting him in the shoulder. He fell into the river.

" Don't waste your arrows let the traitor rot in his watery grave! Find the girl, if you have to burn the city to the ground so be it." My eyes lit up as I heard this.

After a few more hours, we reached an empty house. Father halted us to a stop. I jumped from my horse. I approached his horse and stared up at him." What is wrong with you? You've lost your mind!" I shouted.

He dismounted and stood face to face with me. He roughly grabbed me by my hair again." You're turn, Isabelle." He hissed.

" For what?" I asked.

" You know where these gypsies hide, you've already been to his bed, you whore!"

I lifted my hands to yank his arm from the back of my head." Whore! I'm your daughter!" I shouted in my own defence. I got free." I don't know where they live." I said.

" Lies!" He snapped." Tell me!"

" Go to hell Claude!"

" What did you just say to me?" He asked approaching me.

I glared," Did...I...stutter? Go...to...hell." In responce, he slapped me hard across the face, sending me against the door, of the home,I slowly leaned down. He walked to me.

" For your treatory, girl, you are sentance to burn alive. Here, in this home." he said, the guards bound my wrists together.

"Why?" I asked, my lips trembling.

" Because your love for a gypsy counts as treason."

" So because I have fallen in love,you're sentancing your own flesh and blood to death?"

I could see his smirk," Precisely." He said and shoved me into the house. Slamming the door. I sobbed slightly. As I heard glass shattering upstairs of the house. I tried to stand. I was not sure if it was a torch or not. I could smell the smoke. From fire. In still made my way up the stairs. But the smoke made me dizzy. I fell to the floor.

The last thing I saw before blacking out, was a burly figure, with a face that looked just like my home made mask.