Bewitched
Chapter 4
I woke up the next morning to find that Jesse was gone. I was a little disappointed.
But, no, I shouldn't grow attached to a ghost. He's dead, Suze!
I sighed heavily and rolled myself out of bed. I instantly regretted it. My ribs started throbbing the moment I moved. They were worse than yesterday. And I had to go to the trial today.
This was going to be horrible.
I hobbled down the stairs as best I could without falling, then outside to the back of the house where the...you know was. When I was finished, I climbed back up the stairs and into the washroom to wash up.
I went back into my room, attempting to put my new gown on for the trial. However, I soon realized that I needed my mother to help me lace the corset up. Oh, how I despise those things.
I went into my mother's room, where her and Andy were just rising.
My mother rubbed her eyes. "Susie," she said with a yawn. "What are you doing up so early, darling?"
I walked closer to her, slightly limping. "I...had a bad dream, Mother, and I could not fall back asleep. So I decided that I should just get ready for the trial." And I gestured toward the dress. "I need help."
She suppressed a laugh, all the while shaking her head. "Susannah, you are nearly a woman. You cannot always come to me when you need to lace up your dress."
I small smile formed on my lips. "I know. But my stomach is still hurting, Mother, and its very difficult to do this by myself like that."
"I see," she said, beginning to lace the corset up.
I winced when she pulled it tight. "Can it be a little loose today, Mom?"
She nodded. "Yes, I suppose, if you are not feeling well." She finished lacing it up, then laced the dress up as well. "Now go along and finish getting ready. Then wake your brothers up."
I did as I was told.
But waking my three step-brothers up was no picnic, I am telling you. David was all ready up; he's usually the first one up anyway. Jake was okay, I had to yell his name a few times, but he woke up. Brad, though, he was bad.
"Brad!" I yelled, knocking on his door. "Wake up! Mom wants you to get ready!"
He yelled at me to go away, which just got me mad. So I barged in his room, but let me tell you, I regretted doing that.
He was naked there with a girl in his bed. A girl who happened to be Debbie Mancuso.
I shuddered and quickly closed his door. That was something I hoped I would never see again.
I was scarred for life.
- § -
"W-we were at h-her h-h-home for d-dinner that n-night." Kelly stopped to wipe her eyes. "A-and we j-just thought it would b-be a n-normal supper, b-but she p-p-poisoned our f-food!"
I rolled my eyes. Imbecile.
I mean, if anyone could believe something as fake as that, they had to be thick.
The judge, however, seemed to believe her. "And why do you think she wanted to poison you, Miss Prescott?" he asked her softly.
She looked up at him with her big, baby blues and said, arrogance clearly lacing her tone, "W-well, I th-think it might b-be because I w-was always p-prettier than her d-daughter."
My head snapped back to the trial going on.
What?
There was nothing I could say, however, that would make this stop. If anything, it would put me in a bad position. Everyone — and I mean everyone — fell for her charm. She was a very pretty young woman and everyone knew that. They always believed the pretty, innocent-looking ones.
"Miss Prescott, I do not think that is a justifiable excuse for why she would poison you young ladies. Goody Grace, as I have been informed, was always there for you girls, no matter what. She thought of you as her own children. Why would she do that?"
"I told you!" Kelly cried.
The judge looked over his spectacles. "You think the reason she poisoned your food was because she was jealous that her daughter was not as...good-looking as you?"
I turned to look at Mrs. Grace's daughter, who was sitting there with tears rolling down her face. She wasn't bad looking. Not as beautiful as Kelly, but she wasn't ugly.
"Yes!" Kelly cried, literally.
The judge banged his mallet. "I think this has been enough for the day. You ladies can go ho—"
Just then the chandelier in the courthouse fell to the floor, right next to Kelly. She shrieked and jumped back.
I looked up and saw Mary. She had a malicious grin on her face. Then she dematerialized.
"See, she did it! She's the one doing this! She's using her powers to try and kill me!"
The judged whipped around to look at Mrs. Grace. She looked really frightened. Not guilty, scared.
"Did you do that?" the judge asked accusingly. "Did you use witchcraft to make the chandelier fall, Goody Grace?"
"N-no!" she stammered.
"Tell the truth!" he yelled.
Her eyes went wide. "I am!"
He turned back to his fellow judges, who were whispering to each other. A moment later, one lifted their head and said the one word that frightened me the most. "Guilty."
Not even telling the truth can save you anymore.
- § -
My mother made me leave. She said to go back home. She didn't want me to see Goody Grace being taken away.
Not that I really blame her. I did not want to see the face of the poor woman as she was being taken away against her will over something so...idiotic.
So I went back home. Slowly. Because my ribs were still throbbing heavily.
I decided to go upstairs and take a nap. Then I would go see Father Dominic when I woke up.
But before I could even shut me eyes, Jesse appeared. "Oh," he said, once he fully materialized. "I am sorry. I did not realize you were about to sleep. I'll go."
I smiled. "There's no need to leave." Normally, I would never say something like that to a ghost. I really never wanted them around. But Jesse...he was definitely different. He didn't annoy me like the other ghosts did. He was company. I was alone most of the time and he was there to keep me company, so I would not be alone. I needed that. I needed a friend. Even if he was dead.
"Are you sure?" he asked uneasily. "I just...I thought—"
"No, you can stay. I don't mind." I mentally slapped myself. I sounded way too eager. He is dead, Susannah, there is no reason you should be eager for him to stay.
He smiled easily and sat down on my window seat. "How are you? Are your ribs feeling any better?"
I groaned. "Uh...not really. They actually feel worse."
He grimaced. "Then why were you—oh." I tried looking at his face for any clues to what he was feeling, but I could see nothing. His face was deadpan. "I saw the trial," he said in a monotone.
"You - you were there? I didn't - I didn't see you anywhere." Where was he? I know I saw Mary, and she was the one that sent Mrs. Grace away. Well, indirectly. But it was her fault that they even suspected her as guilty.
His face was still emotionless. "Yes, I...I didn't stay around for long. I couldn't bare to see that poor woman accused of something so...barbaric." He sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I did not mean to bring this up. I know it must have been horrible for you to watch it."
"It was horrible. She didn't do anything wrong." I sighed. "Were you there when Mary...dropped the chandelier?"
He nodded. "I knew once that happened that she would be convicted automatically. I tried to stop her, but I was too late..." He seemed to blame himself for this.
"Jesse, there was nothing that you could do," I said.
He just shook his head. "No, I..." he couldn't seem to find any more words. Like they had dried up and shriveled on his tongue.
"Don't blame yourself, Jesse. You had nothing to do with it. You tried the best you could, that's all that matters." I thought I sounded pretty convincing. Apparently he did not think so, though.
"Do you not see what could happen to her, Susannah? She is going to - to die!" he exclaimed.
I winced at his tone. "You don't think I know that? This is harder on me than it is on you, Jesse. I knew - know - her. She's a great woman. Those insolent girls were the ones that are at fault, not me, and certainly not you." It seemed as if I was trying to assure myself too. I guess I was. I knew I felt the sam way he did - at fault.
He sighed heavily. "I apologize, Susannah. I should not be yelling at you. You do not deserve it. Not one bit."
A smile formed on my face. "It's fine. Let's just forget about what happened today. I really do not want to think about it anymore."
He smiled back. "Of course," was all he said. There was no need for him to say more.
There was a silence that fell over the room then. It was not uncomfortable, like some tend to be.
I decided to break it, however. "Jesse," I said. He sat up straighter and looked at me expectantly. "What was your family like?"
I admit, it was rather . . . random, but it just came to me.
He smiled. "My family..." he trailed off. "Dios, I have not thought about them in a while." He shook his head, as if shaking himself out of a memory. "Well, there was mi madre. She was a stunnigly beautiful woman. She was as kind as a kitten, but she had the passion of a lion." He paused. "My father was a very hard working man. He died when I was young, though. I had to help take care of my mother and sisters after that. I remember, before he passed on that day, he said to me, 'Hector, you are more than I could have hoped for in a son. Please, take care of your mother and sisters for me,' and that was when he died..." I noticed his eyes were glossy. He must have been on the verge of crying. Not that I blame him, though, that was really touching.
When he looked up at me, he smiled warmly. "What were your sisters like?" I asked softly.
His smiled broadened. "Rambunctious," he said. "I had five sisters: Josefina, Marta, Mercedes, Carolina, and Esperanza. Esperanza was the youngest out of them and the most adorable. She brought a smile to anyone's face. Josefina and Marta were the oldest ones, both a year apart. Marta was very outgoing and Josefina was the little quiet one; she claimed that everyone ignored her. I always thought Marta was destined for greatness." He took a deep breath. "Carolina and Mercedes were...handfuls. They were twins, but very different. They acted the same at home, but when it came to public, Carolina was as quiet as can be and Mercedes was as loud as can be." He paused for a moment. I thought he was finished, but then me whispered, "Dios, I miss them so."
I grinned. "It sounds like you really loved them. I wish I had a sister..."
He chuckled. "Yes, I did love them a lot, but you really don't want a sister. Although, I guess it would be different for a girl..." He laughed again. "I had to fight the men off with sticks for them. They were five very beautiful girls." Then he got this unexplainable glint in his eye. "Esperanza was only seven when I died, though. I was not there for her when she grew up..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Susannah. You do not need to hear this from me."
I smiled easily. "That may be so. But I enjoy hearing it from you. I never had siblings growing up. Its nice to hear stories about them."
A smile grew upon his face. "Or maybe you're just trying to get rid of me."
My eyes widened. "No! No, of course not!"
He chuckled. "I was joking, querida."
And there was that word again. The word that thrilled my ears when it reached them. The word that made it sound like he cared for me so much. The word whose meaning I did not know.
- § -
The next day I went to visit Father Dominic. I know I said I would visit him when I woke up from my nap. But the thing is, I didn't wake up. I guess I was very tired.
Father Dominic looked very busy, talking to someone. So I decided to wait until that someone left. But they didn't.
Father Dominic finally noticed me. "Ah, Susannah, come hither." I did and noticed the boy - no, man - that was standing near him. He was very...good-looking.
"Susannah, I would like you to meet Paul Slater. Paul, this is Susannah Simon."
Paul flashed me a grin that made my knees go weak. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Susannah," he said, and took my hand in his and kissed it.
I ignored him calling me Susannah and said, shakily, "It's nice to meet you too."
I turned back to Father Dominic and said, "I need to talk to you, Father. It's very important."
He looked at me curiously, "Is it about—"
"Yes," I interjected. "It's about that."
A smile came to his face. "Well, then, you can say it in front of Mr. Slater here. He's one of us, Susannah."
My eyes widened considerably. "Excuse me?"
"Susannah, he is a Mediator, like us. He just moved here from Virginia."
"Wait. How do you know this, Father Dominic?" I asked suspiciously. I mean, this guy could just claim he sees ghosts, but he is really just trying to make us seem crazy. It has happened before.
"Uh, hello," Paul said. "I am right here. And, yes, I can interact with the spirits of the deceased. But I'm not a mediator. I'm a shifter."
Father Dominic and I both looked at him confusedly. "Shifter?" I echoed.
"Well," he said, arrogance slightly leaking into his voice, "yes. It's like a mediator, but far more powerful. And," he said, looking me up and down, "you are one too."