Chapter Seven - Griffen

There was no mirror in my room so I used the reflection in the window glass. I brushed out my long raven hair twice. Like the previous evening, I felt watched. But unlike the night before, I wasn't frightened. Somehow, I knew the eyes that gazed upon me belonged to my benefactor.

"Thank You," I whispered into the night.

I slept well that night. If there was any mewling or screaming, it did not wake me. The sky was just beginning to lighten when I crawled out of bed. I changed into clean clothes and took my brush to the window once again. I could not believe my eyes, 'You're Welcome' was written in the dew. My hand shook as I touched the glass and found the words were on the outside of the window. My room was on the second floor.

The second day of my stay at The Willows was filled with visions. The first was when I was trying to eat breakfast. A bowl of what the kitchen was passing off as oatmeal sat in front of me.

My coffin sat on wooden planks waiting to be lowered into the ground. The few mourners in attendance were moving away except Cynthia. Polly pleaded with her as William thanked people for coming. Suddenly my little sister was trying to open the wooden box. She wanted to see for herself that my body lies within. Her belief in my visions was so strong that she just knew there had to be a mistake.

The vision was bittersweet. My sister knew that I was not in that coffin, but she was going about it, as I would have. I hated to see her get into trouble or even put her life in danger. I had to get a message to her somehow. The next vision of the day came to me soon after I began my daily session with Dr. Kippes. I was thankful that he loved the sound of his own voice and had just begun a long speech.

A black robed figure entered my room and crossed to my bed. He moved so fast that he blurred for a moment. He knelt, and slid his hand under my pillow. He stayed still slowly inhaling and exhaling for several minutes. As he took great care to smooth my blanket, his hands moved through a ray of morning sun. They glittered like a crystal. There was a blur of movement around the steamer trunk, and then the room was empty.

The lecture continued, but I could not focus on what he was saying. He did not ask any questions-good thing. It was tough to stay still because I wanted to run up to my room and catch the intruder in the act. I wondered why I could not see the groundskeeper clearly, and I knew it was Mr. Jones from his black robe. Luck was not with me, as Dr. Kippes wanted to discuss how I felt about shock therapy.

The sun was higher in the sky when I made it back to my room. I had missed him, but not by much. There was no sign that he had been in my room not that I could see anyway. A sweet floral scent lingered as I knelt by my bed. Under my pillow, I found a small colorful feather tied around a small scroll with a pale lavender ribbon. I wondered what kind of bird would have such plumage as my shaking hands untied the scroll.

I wish to call on you at ten this evening-G.

The handwriting was eloquent, and the parchment looked old. I read and reread the words before I looked in the trunk. My heart nearly burst when I found three of my nightgowns neatly folded. The one on top was my favorite. I hugged it to my chest and spun around in a circle. Something fell to the floor. A paperboard folder held a photograph of my mother wearing her wedding dress. A melancholy smile was on her familiar face. I could not wait to thank Mr. Jones for his kindness.

The day crawled at a snail's pace. The day was warmer than the previous day so I spent most of it in the courtyard. A few of the other patients milled around and sat on benches. I took a nap after lunch so I would not be tired when my visitor arrived. Just moments after I woke, I had a vision of Cynthia telling Polly about the missing items from my room. The list was far longer than what I had received so far. She was angry that they had not allowed her to look in my coffin. Now she was sure that the man with the strawberry birthmark had stole me away.

I had barely recovered from that vision when I had another. Polly expressed her concern to her husband. When she was assured that I was still locked up, she worried someone may be intending to blackmail them or that my mother was haunting them for what they had done to us. William became very angry at her superstitious ramblings. He mumbled under his breath that he should have kept me around because at least I was a competent housekeeper.

There was trouble in paradise. This made me smile, and my good mood lasted until supper. That was when I had a vision of Nurse Judith finding my brush, photograph, embroidery sample and my grandfather's pocket watch. She insisted that I had to have Helen's permission for any personal belongings, and that she must report the infraction. She didn't seem to notice my pillow and nightgowns.

It was shower night for all the women in my hall. I wanted to stay in my room, but I was there only long enough to get a clean hospital gown. Helen and Barthel led seven of us down to the shower room. When he tried to follow us in, a tall thin woman began to scream and mewl. I recognized her voice from my first night at the Willows. She calmed down as soon as the mountain of a man stepped into the hall.

One by one, Helen combed out head of hair. She took some kind of pleasure in the rough way she groomed each patient. A content smile was on her face as she pulled and tugged. The others winced and cried out, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction. I set a serene expression upon my face and let her do her worst. She finally handed me the comb and instructed me to finish.

When I was finally back in my room, I looked around for somewhere to hide my things. The sparse furnishings didn't offer any options. In my vision Judith had been searching for evidence of rodent infestation, and she had been quite thorough. I finally folded my things into the extra blanket hoping she wouldn't notice.

Helen came by to lock my door for the night, and my light was off. I feigned sleep and she noisily jingled her keys. Obviously, she was trying to wake me. She cleared her throat loudly, but I continued to breathe deeply and evenly until she gave up. If not for my nap, I probably would have fallen asleep.

When I knew it was safe, I changed into my favorite nightgown. After I brushed my hair, I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Moonlight streamed in through the window and cast long shadows on the floor. I didn't know the exact time, but I knew it was close. There was a flash of light like lightning only I was looking out the window when it happened. I waited a few seconds, and there was no clap of thunder. Over come by a sudden eerie feeling, I clicked on the light.

"Greetings little bird," the groundskeeper said his voice like musical chimes, "I am Griffen Jones Esquire and I am pleased to finally meet you."

I was speechless. He was as beautiful as he smelled. His hair was long and silver. It was neatly tied with a leather throng at the base of his neck. He looked to be in his fifties, but his skin was perfectly smooth. His face was pale but had a kind of luminescence in the dim light. I thought the light was playing tricks, as his eyes appeared to be a deep red.

"And I am Alice freak of nature," I said softly as I curtsied, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

An amused smile lit up his face and he inquired, "Why do you say this?"

"You will know soon enough," I replied cryptically, "I want to thank you for returning my things to me. You have no idea what having these meager objects has meant to me. I am eternally in your debt."

"It was my pleasure," he said sincerely, "I have another gift for you."

"My grandfather's pocket watch," I blurted out before I could help myself.

He became completely still for several moments. His eyes did not blink, and his lungs neither took nor released air. I thought he had had a heart attack and had just not fallen when he finally spoke.

"You have taken the pleasure of your surprise from me," he whispered and removed the watch from his sleeve, "I do have a pocket watch from your jewelry box. How did you come by this knowledge? You are a gifted one?"

"Cursed is more appropriate," I began and did not stop until I had told him everything.

Not long into my tale of woe, he became frozen. He did not thaw for several minutes after I became silent. I found his statue like stillness intriguing. Instead of fear, I felt a kind of kinship with the unearthly man. He was obviously different from anyone I had ever met.

"I knew when I laid my eyes upon you that you were unique," he finally said, "I have never been rendered speechless as I am an opinionated old cuss, but you my lovely little bird have made me a mute."

"You are the loudest mute I have ever heard," I chimed with a huge smile on my face, "Why do you call me bird? I have no feathers-no beak."

"Well," he explained, "When I spied you from the courtyard, you looked like a beautiful little bird in a cage. Your scent is quite heavenly."

"No," I said sweetly, "That heavenly scent is yours. "

"I know of a place that Goody Judith would never find your things," he offered changing the subject.

"In this room?" I asked intrigued.

"Yes," he explained, "The trunks were donated by a sea liner company and they have hidden compartments."

"Would you be so kind as to show me?" I nearly begged and he nodded.

After my things were safely tucked away I inquired, "I have shared with you everything about my peculiar life. Won't you take me into your confidence?"

"The secrets I keep will endanger your very life, and I have too many lost souls on my conscience as it is." he replied sadly.

"I am already technically dead," I reminded him, "Please won't you tell me your story."

"You remind me so much of my daughter," he said with a melancholy tone in his voice, "And I could deny her nothing."

"You are so kind," I chirped sweetly.

"You will take those words back," he sighed, "Once you have heard my tale. I will need to start at the beginning, and please understand that my human memories are foggy."

"Human memories?" I asked in a little voice.

"In due time my dear girl. Please let me tell it straight through or I will lose my nerve," he began, "I was born in 1527 England-York to be exact. I know my childhood was a happy one, but I do not remember much more than that. I married my wife Joyce in my early twenties, and I did not think I could love anyone more than I loved her. Then in 1564, my son John was born and the following year my daughter Abigail came into the world. The seventeen years that my children grew were the happiest of my life to this very day. All that ended in 1581 when Joyce and Abigail contracted Gaol Fever now known as Typhoid Fever. My wife passed on first, but my little Abigail fought it. We thought she was getting better then suddenly she was gone too. I was a broken man, but I held my self together for my son. It was just John and I for a few years then he met and married Jane. I sailed off to the new world with them because they were the only family I had left. During the two and a half month voyage, Jane lost a child."

He continued, "We arrived in Roanoke Virginia on July 22, 1587. Captain White expected to find Sir Richard Grenville's men, but all we found were abandoned dwellings. There was much fear among the Colonists, and we took measures to ensure the safety of the new colony. We built a fine village, and it was not long before the Dare child was born. Virginia was the first child born in the new world. Her grandfather left for England with a promise to bring supplies. Through hard work and perseverance, we began to prosper. Then just over a year later, my fellow colonists began to disappear. It began with one man every couple of weeks, but then the Dare toddler vanished. Ananias and Elyoner Dare were frantic to find their precious daughter. I joined the search party because I knew what it was like to lose your little girl. In the following week and a half, four men and one woman were found mutilated. But despite the danger, we continued to search for Virginia."

He paused for only a moment before resuming his tale, "Late one afternoon on my way home from searching, I came upon the Dare child. She was curled in a ball near the side of the path. A strange noise was coming from her tiny mouth so I approached intending to lend her aid. She looked up and hissed at me, which froze me in my tracks. Her eyes were blood red, and she smiled at me with a full mouth of perfectly straight teeth. With inhuman speed and prowess, she pounced on me like a cat. As she bit my shoulder, I heard a woman scream. Goody Harvie's cry brought a few others running, and the little monster dropped from me to give chase. I was able to make it home despite the terrible burning pain. I was able to gasp out what had happened before I gave in to the blazing torture. The fiery pain burned through me for days as my son and daughter in law watched over me. When I awoke…"

Emotion overwhelmed him for several minutes as I waited patiently for him to speak, "When I awoke, a burning thirst was all that was left of the transformation. I satiated that thirst on my dear family's blood. I killed John and his wife Jane before I could stop myself. After I gave them a proper burial, I fled into the wilderness. Guilt overwhelmed my new existence, and I attempted to end my life. My flesh had turned to stone and no matter what I did; I could not end my suffering. Then one evening the robed ones found me. They called themselves the Volturi, and they had tracked me from the Roanoke Colony. They called Virginia Dare an immortal child, and determined that I was to be put to death. I was finally going to obtain peace. But when the smallest of them saw my serene smile, she stopped my execution. Little Jane seemed pleased when I begged for death, but she granted me her sadistic mercy instead. I would be allowed to live as a monster forever. I have spent the past three hundred and twenty two years ending human misery. Only those who are near death or in great pain have been my victims. For centuries I stalked battlefields for injured soldiers, but I grew tired of war. Now I spend a handful of years at institutions like the Willows before I move on to another. So do you still think me kind?"

"I think like me, you can't help what you are," I said sadly, "But I am grateful that you are here now. I don't know what I would have done without your kindness."

"You are a survivor," he said confidently, "And you would have been fine."

"I am not so sure," I said and yawned.

"It is late and you are tired," he said disappointed, "May I call on you tomorrow evening? I promise not to stay as late."

"Yes you may," I said happily, "Thank you for your honesty and I hope talking about your past pain helped somehow."

"It has," he said lightly, "Is there anything I can bring for you?"

"Surprise me," I said and grinned.

"I will do just that," Griffen said with determination.

"What type of bird is the feather from?" I asked curiously.

"A Painted Bunting," he replied, "Lovely little creatures."

"I would love to see one someday," I said wistfully and yawned again.

"Well," he said quietly, "It is time for me to take my leave-until tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," I agreed, "Good night Griffen."

"Sweet dreams my fair Alice," he said and was gone.

I turned off the light and fell asleep thinking about new friend. I did have sweet dreams that night. I dreamt of my wedding day, and Griffen was my father giving me away. As he walked me up the isle toward my beloved Charlie, my mother cried tears of happiness. All was right with the world.

oooOooo

I did a lot of research on The Lost Colony of Roanoke. I wanted the vampire that made Alice to be special and have a tie to a mystery in history. I hope you like it. Please review.