Chapter 2: Madame D'heur
Alright, all I'm back and hoping to make these updates pretty regularly, we'll see where this takes us! Anyway, I don't anything belong to the Covenant movies. Oh, but I wish I could… Thanks for the read, please drop a review! Thanks for your continued support with your reads! I appreciate it!
The screaming woke me from my not so deep slumber, yet again. My eyes narrowed as I heard the guards chuckling amongst themselves at the far corner of my dungeon. "How much longer, you think?" One guard asked the other. The other simply shrugged, both their stances were relaxed by the only door into this long hall of death, The hall was lined with cells. Dingy, dirty cells that I currently resided for the last four days on account of being arrested on charges of witchcraft. They'd come to my house standing outside the gates with their torches and billowing, black robes and bibles. I remained still on my thin straw stuffed cot.
I heard the clank of the door opening and the guards stance went rigid. "Sir." They greeted, but the man in the robes ignored them entirely. He marched down to my cell with purposeful long strides. I knew this was coming, the way I'd lived was vastly too 'wild' for the folks here in Montbeliard.
"Bonjour." He greeted me with a wide toothy grin, one of a wolf.
I sat up looking towards the cell door. "Bonjour." I greeted with a nod, knowing to have a chance of getting out of here I'd have to play nice. "Mmmm, Madame D'heur. Do you know why you're here?" He asked cutting straight to the point. I nodded biting my cheek to prevent any remarks from blurting out.
"Very good." He nodded as he turned to the guards, "Open this." At the guard's slow movement he snapped his fingers, "Now!" He added with force.
"Yes, Monsignor." The one who'd spoken earlier grabbed the keys from the hook next to the door and raced over.
"C'mon Madame." The monsignor said with her arm out, welcoming me to freedom.
I stood slowly, my dresses dragged along the straw-covered dirt. I made my way to him and stood in the doorway unsure where to go next. "This way, Madame." He said turning further down the death hall. I shuddered hearing more screams from that direction. As we walked further down the worse the screams became. "Where are the children?!" I heard a deep voice yell and then more screams. They had taken the woman net to my cell hours ago, and the screams had started shortly after bringing her to that particular room. The Monsignor stopped outside a door on the right and gestured for me to enter. I looked into the room timidly, not knowing what lay before me.
"Please, sir…" I began softly.
"Hush, Child. In here, please." He said his smile disarming. I entered the dimly lit room a chill passing through me.
A table was set up in the center the stone walls surrounding it were left bare and cold. The window had bars across it as an unnecessary reminder that I'd been arrested.
"Alright, Madame. I've been sent down here to ask more question- we are trying to sort out the truth from the fantasy. It has been decided to collect information from you now." He explained as he pulled the one chair out for me to sit in. I just nodded, taking my seat.
"You know- Madame. All these stories we have according to witnesses. Your behavior the last few days, is not at all reflecting any of them true. Would you say that's correct?" He asked me. I looked up at him feeling defensive. "Well.." He prompted coming around to the opposite side of the table.
"I-." I began looking up nervously. "I would say that's true, Monsignor," I answered shuffling my feet under the table.
He just nodded. "Can you explain further, Madame?" He asked me staring intently.
"Ex-Explain…?" I asked confused.
"Your behavior." He clarified. "The behavior, your neighbors might be describing." He stated further banishing any sort of confusion I'd had.
"I- uhm, well Monsignor. My- My husband had died, sir." I began.
"Yes, yes," He began his tone changing. "And, the lonely nights were torturous. Is that right?" I hung my head knowing the men that visited my house so late were there for certain pleasures frowned upon by the church.
"Yes, sir," I muttered not wanting to go into detail.
"Well, Madame. It isn't looking good for you. It's been shared with us that your neighbor had come to you stating that you'd been with her husband and a fight ensued. Just two days later her cow had died."
"Yes sir, but I-." I started only to be cut off.
"We'd gone to her house, and to the barn where the cow had resided only to find no such evidence of any other animal being sickly." He continued. I kept my mouth shut not wanting to interrupt. "We went back with Carl Beaucourt- The expert on farm animals it would seem. He deemed that all other animals on Madame Bourgogne's farm were all as healthy as can be."
"Monsignor, how could I possibly have-."
"Witchcraft, of course." He answered matter-of-factly. I shook my head stunned by the sincere stupidity of his accusation.
"How could I b-."
"Well, that's what happens when you sign a pact with the devil." He responded absently standing by the window. "How about the witnesses of you sparing some bread with a family in the village, and the infant died shortly after eating it."
"I-I don't recall-." I began astounded.
"Well let me refresh your memory Madame D'heur." He said suddenly moving in.
"It was just the past month of July. You'd been shopping in town that day according to the shopkeepers in the marketplace- Coming back from the Bakery and upon seeing children in the street you'd offered them a loaf of bread-which, of course, they brought back to their family only for the guards to find dead the next morning." He explained as memories hit me of the children.
"I- I didn't-." I began my mouth falling open. "I couldn't-." I stuttered my shock overwhelming.
"And, let's not forget the accusations of you just appearing in all sorts of places in the town. How can you explain that, Madame?"
"I- I can't," I stated knowing to deny it would just lead to more questioning and tortures.
"I know you can." He said coming around behind me. "Witchcraft." He said in my ear. My back stiffened at the closeness.
"You signed a pact with the devil, didn't you?!" He yelled suddenly making me jump.
"I-. I did not!" I cried trying to maintain my innocence. "All these accusations are just hearsay." I declared.
"Oh?" He said coming back around to face me. "The dead cow and child aren't proof enough that you've been caught? What about all the men in town that claim to have been bewitched by you?" He asked. Leaving me breathless at the lack of support I'd had back in town by my people.
"Madame D'heur I would like to know when it was and with whom you'd signed the pact with. I know the works of the devil-. He does not just take one soul." I sunk low in my seat feeling defeated.
"I did not sign a pact with the devil." I maintained my innocence knowing no one else would.
"Lies!" He yelled his arm moving so fast I'd not seen it coming.
Kayla awoke with a scream feeling the burning on her cheek where she'd just watched the priest slap her. "Kayla? Babe?" She heard Reid's voice as he hovered over her. She was in her bed, wearing Reid's over-sized shirt.
"Are you okay?" asked another voice as Reid's hands ran up and down my back. His arms holding her tightly to him. Kayla was surprised to find the other 'Son's' in her bedroom as well. She nodded becoming acutely aware of her attire- or, lack thereof.
"Babe? What happened?" Reid asked pulling back. "One minute I was with pulling my phone out to call the guys, and the next you were passed out on the floor." She could still feel the sting on her cheek as though someone had physically slapped her. Getting up she quickly made her way to the bathroom checking her face for any discernable marks or redness. "Kayls…" Reid trailed off his eyes following along.
"Kayla. Are you okay?" A new voice asked from the doorway. Her face was the same it had always been- other than the leftover pain she looked fine.
"I- I don't know," Kayla answered feeling crazy.
"Kayla. What happened…?" Caleb asked coming up behind Tyler. Kayla sighed running her hands through her hair careful of the shirt riding up too high.
"Give her some room guys," Reid said trying to pull Caleb and Tyler away from the doorway. "C'mon…" He gently moved Kayla back to the bed- still visibly worried about her. Kayla huffed and sat down on her bed feeling exhausted.
"Reid said something about a mark…?" Pogue said from the window. He was leaning against the wall next to it.
Kayla nodded, "I- I didn't get to see it really. It's more like a burn. I don't know where it came from. I think I'd remember being burned." She explained her confusion only growing.
"What d'you mean you didn't see it?" Tyler asked. "You didn't notice a mark on your body?" He asked his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"It's on her back," Reid stated bluntly looking to Tyler quickly.
"What does it look like?" Caleb asked his arms crossing as his eyes studied Kayla's form. Reid glanced at Kay as if asking permission to tell them.
"It's between my shoulder blades. Right under the scapula bones." Kayla answered shortly feeling slightly uncomfortable knowing the next question.
"We're um. Gonna have to take a look at it." Caleb said standing up from leaning at the bathroom doorway. Kayla felt Reid tense up next to her, his mouth opening.
"Okay." Kayla nodded interrupting the protest about to erupt from Reid's lips.
"Whoa. Wait." Reid began as Kayla opened her mouth to talk. "I know-." She cut him off going to her dresser. "I'm getting dressed first Reid, God." She finished grabbing whatever out of her drawers and shutting the guys out of the bathroom.
"What do you think it is?" Tyler asked breaking the silence his eyes looking over to Caleb.
"I don't know, Baby boy. I've never heard of anything like this." He answered as he leaned against Kayla's desk. Tyler sat in the chair at the desk he'd pulled it around so he was facing the bed. "We might have to go to your dad," Caleb said to Pogue.
Pogue shrugged in response. "Th-Thanks for coming guys," Reid stated as he stared off into space. Pogue had been on a date with Kate-which he'd left early to come here. Caleb was home with Sara, and Tyler had been just down the hall, luckily. Tyler had gotten there before he could even cover Kayla decently.
Kayla cleared her throat in the eerie silence. She was changed into jeans and a tank top, the spaghetti straps left her shoulders bare at the back as she turned. All the guys' moved in close looking at the symbol that marred her skin. The lines were two curved ones not meeting in the middle to form a complete circle, a small mark completed the scar dead center of the two lines. There was a sound of a camera snapshotting it and Kayla jumped turning around.
"I'll take it with me when we meet up with your dad tomorrow," Caleb said directing it to Pogue. All the guys looked exhausted. She scanned her bed area taking note that her clock read 3:12 am. I must've been out for a while. She thought her arms crossing over her feeling a chill.
"What I wanna know is what happened when you were out…" Caleb said as the guys went back to their previous positions.
"I- I- uhm." Kayla began as she sat down on her bed beside Reid. "I was someone else." She answered not sure how to explain it. The guys glanced at each other but stayed silent for her to continue.
"It was as if I was back in the 1600s. Under trial for witchcraft." Kayla explained further.
"Like a dream?" Caleb asked as the guys looked more interested and alert now.
"No." Kayla shook her head her fingers tying themselves in knots as she could remember every little detail of her dream. "I could feel everything that happened. I-I don't think it was a dream." She explained. "The smells, the emotions, the… pain." She continued, "It was as if I was in the woman's life." She said staring off into space.
"They-. The Monsignor- He kept calling me Madame D'heur."
Caleb's brow furrowed and Reid's arms encircled Kayla pulling her closer. "Anything else?" Caleb asked. His face remained blank, but Kayla could see in his eyes he was alarmed.
"No. Not that I can remember." She replied crossing her arms to warm herself.
"The two have to be related," Reid said looking at the other guys from Kayla. "There has to be a connection between the symbol and the Madame D'heur chick, right?" He finished. Caleb stood up shrugging. "I- I don't know. More than likely, but we won't know for sure till we find out more."
"We should check the books at the Old Danvers place," Tyler said knowing all the books there had to have some sort of mention of the mark, or the lady Kayla was dreaming about. The guys nodded in agreement.
"It's too late tonight. I-I don't want to disturb Gorman." Caleb said with a pointed glance at the alarm clock. "We can go tomorrow and sift through the stuff we have there." He finished.
"Well, as much as I want to solve this mystery, I do also want to get to bed," Pogue said standing up alongside Caleb. Kayla nodded knowing it was too late to do much about the current situation. She patted Reid's hand as he stood unlatching his arms that had been around her.
"Thanks, guys. Again." Reid said as he followed Caleb, and Pogue to the door.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay," Pogue said him and Caleb turning to face Kayla.
She nodded with a smile as both boys left. As Reid closed the door Tyler opened his mouth, "You gonna be okay? You looked freaked when you awoke." Kayla nodded knowing that what little she had witnessed terrified her. She hoped that was gonna be it, but when Tyler left. Reid and she had gone to sleep she knew she was wrong.
Welp everyone, here is chapter 2. Let me know your thoughts! I know it's been forever, but I'd appreciate on it thus far. Thank you guys!
XXTigerXEyesXX