I thank you all for your reviews! You know what? I'm going to do a roll call for you guys at the end of the story! O.K, this chapter is actually uneventful, but don't worry! I'll make up for it later!
Disclaimer: I own…. This story.
Eudora wrung her hands together, nervously. She had just received a call from her daughter, from all the way down town. She had barely understood a word she had said, because she was crying so much.
Now, Eudora was wise enough to recognize the feeling behind this situation. Her daughter had been shedding heart break tears. And only one man had such a good hold on her Tiana's heart.
"He's a sweet boy," Eudora whispered to herself, "But if he hurt my baby girl…" She took a hammer and lightly tapped it against her palm. "I'm going to have to even the score."
She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the door bell ring. Knowing who it was already, she prepared herself ready to hold on to her child and never let go. Sighing, she opened the door to reveal Tiana.
Her hair was dishelved, as if she had been running her fingers through it a lot. Her eyes were a little red, and her cheeks had tear stains on them. "Mama…" Tiana looked tired, and for once in her life, weak.
Eudora ushered her in, and lead her to the couch. "Baby, what happened? I've never seen you look this defeated."
Tiana rubbed her eyes, and took a seat on the couch. "It's… Naveen, Mama." Tiana whispered.
Eudora shook her head. "Mm, mm, mm," she muttered. "I should have know. Baby, I think you're making the right choice divorcing him. He's good- looking, but there was never a chance of that spoiled, little rich boy ever having a loyal bone in his body. It's O.K, you'll find someone much more suitable for you. Someone with a smaller ego!"
Tiana was quiet. "Mama, is that really how you feel about him? I thought you liked him!" She was shocked. Her mother never spoke ill of people.
Eudora shrugged. "I never really wanted my baby girl to marry some lazy bum who was going to make her do all the work, and such. But you seemed so happy when you brought him home, I didn't say anything."
Tiana folded her hands in her lap, and said, "Mama, I wasn't crying because he broke my heart. I was crying because he's in trouble!"
Eudora was quiet, as she slowly bit her lip. Finally, she said, "So….he didn't cheat on you, or anything?"
Tiana shook her head. Eudora stared at her hands, and laughed. "Well,… uh… you know how we old people gab." She noticed tears were about to spill from her daughter's eyes again, so she stood up and said, "Let me go get you some coffee, sweetie."
Tiana nodded as her mom went into the kitchen. She didn't know what her mom could do to help, but who else could she go to? Who else could comfort her?
Her mother came out with a steaming pot of coffee, and sat down next to her. "O.K sweetie, just start from the beginning."
Tiana took a sip of her coffee. "I really don't know when it began. Naveen just started acting funny yesterday. He seemed…. I don't know, spooked I guess. Then, he started to act different…. Oh, Mama, if I only I had read the signs!" She whimpered, and placed her face in her hands.
Eudora smiled softly and rubbed her daughter's back. "I'm sorry sweet heart, but I'm not following your story."
Tiana didn't move. "Shadow Man." she finally muttered.
"What?" Eudora was confused. What did the Shadow Man have to do with anything?
Tiana removed her hands, revealing a deep frown. "It's the Shadow Man, Ma. He….took Naveen." She bit her lip to stop her tears from falling.
"The Shadow Man? Honey, I thought he was dead?" She commented.
Tiana looked at her mother. "He was. But apparently he can still hurt people from Hell. He's taken over Naveen's mind!"
Eudora's eyes widened. "What? Do you mean he's decided to practice Voo Doo and such like him, or is this some sort of symbolic thing?"
Tiana covered her mouth to hold back a sob. "Mama, I mean he's actually taken over his body! The Shadow Man is forcing Naveen to hurt people! What should I do?"
Eudora paused for a minute. "Honey, are you sure that's the case? Maybe Naveen decided he wanted to be like the crazy 'ol loon."
Tiana shook her head. "Oh no, trust me Mama, Naveen isn't doing this on his own free will." She shuddered as she remembered the Shadow Man's ghastly and threatening words spill from her innocent husband's lips. It had seemed so wrong and misplaced; she knew she would remember the terrifying moment for as long as she lived. "Besides, I've known Naveen long enough to know he would never hurt a living person." She tried to push the memory of Naveen killing that man in the car out of her head.
Eudora sat her cup down on the table. " I always knew the Shadow Man had strange powers, but I had no idea he was capable of such horrible things."
Tiana sighed, and lay her head on her mother's shoulder. "Yes, and now he's going to force Naveento do those horrible things. Mama, how am I going to save him?"
Eudora straightened. "What do you mean save him? Honey, this is the Shadow Man we're talking about! What can you do?"
Tiana thought about this. She had never told her mother, but she had been the one to get rid of the horrible man in the first place, but all she had to do was destroy his talisman. What could she do now? There was no talisman, but her own husband. And there was no way in New Orleans she could destroy that!
She sat up and looked at her mother. "I don't know, Mama. I don't know how I can do anything without… without hurting the man I love, but I have to do something! Not just for Naveen, but all the innocent people he'll hurt!"
Eudora took her cup pressed her lips to the rim. "Hm, he can be spoiled, a little selfish, reckless….but violent? The poor boy wouldn't dream of it."
Tiana held her legs. "I know Mama. Can you just imagine what he's going through? Being a prisoner in his own mind, being forced to hurt people he cares about. Having to change his lifestyle completely….and I mean that in a bad way."
Eudora pressed her hands together. "Don't you think we should call the cops?"
Tiana raised an eyebrow. "Sure, I can hear me now: 'Police, my husband's mind has been taken over by the dead Shadow Man, you know, the one who was practicing Voo Doo? Can you save him without killing him?"
Eudora, realizing how bad that sounded, cleared her throat. "I guess you're right, but sweetie, I don't want you to go anywhere near that man! Even if he is in your husband's body!"
Tiana sighed. " I don't know how, but I have to save him. Mama, he needs me. Have I ever given up on something that was precious to me?" She stood up, a determined look on her face. "I won't sit here while my husband suffers the Shadow Man's evil. I'll find a way to rescue him, even if it kills me!"
Her mother didn't like the sound of that one bit. She stood up an said, "Now wait a minute young lady! You can't just-"
"Wait, that's it!" Tiana smiled all of a sudden. "There's one person who knows all about the Shadow Man! She can help me! She can tell me what to do!" Excited, she rushed into the kitchen.
"Now where are you goin'?" Eudora asked, confused by her daughter's sudden change in mood.
Tiana started packing apples and peaches into a nap sack. "I need to get the heart of the bayou! I need to find Mama Odie!"
Eudora raised an eyebrow. "Mama… who now?"
Tiana left the kitchen and looked at her mother. "I…met her from somewhere. She knows all about Voo Doo, and the Shadow Man! She'll have a solution to our problem!"
Eudora grabbed her daughter's arm. "Honey, you can't just leave and head into the bayou! There's gators, and quick sand…"
Tiana stopped her mother by holding her hand. "Mama, if I don't go and see her, I'll never see my Naveen again. Please understand I love him far too much for that to happen, and also understand I can do this." She gave her mom a pleading look.
Eudora sighed. She knew there was no stopping her daughter when she was determined about something. She was just going to believe in her strong child. "On one condition." She lifted Tiana's face by her chin. "Once you get your man back, tell him he can pay you back by giving me grand kids!"
Tiana smiled and hugged her mother. "Thanks Mama, I just need to go get some things from the apartment, and I'll be on my way." She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, and ran out the door.
Eudora sighed, and looked over at the family portrait that was taken before her husband's death. She smiled, and whispered, "We raised a brave one, didn't we darling?"
It might have been her imagination, but his smile seemed to grow….just a little bigger.
Tiana took a deep breath as she got hold of a few item she needed for the trip. Her plan was to find Louis to give her a ride through the swamp, and they would head to Mama Odie's boat-in-a-tree home. She'll help me again, she thought to herself , She has to.
She looked over on the dresser were a the picture of her father was. "I'll be fine, Daddy. No one can stop me from getting what I want when I set my mind to it. Not even the Shadow Man."
She then looked over at the picture right next to her daddy. It had been taken right after she and Naveen had finished the restaurant. They were standing right in front of it, and Naveen had pulled his cap over Tiana's eyes, so they were both laughing in the picture. It really symbolized their relationship. They weren't just a married couple. They were best friends.
She picked up the picture, and looked at Naveen's smiling face, and flashed back to how dark and full of hatred he had looked when the Shadow Man had taken control of him.
"I'll save you, baby." she whispered. She gave a little gasp as a tear drop landed on Naveen's gorgeous face. She cleared her throat, and wiped her eyes. "You're mine, and no one's taking you away from me, especially not that demon!"
She placed the picture next to her daddy, and looked them over. She had never given up in her life, and she sure was not about to start now! "I lost one important man in my life," she whispered to herself, "and I'm sure as Hell not going to lose another!"
Like I said, uneventful. But I still like how it turned out! I heard someone describe their relationship as more than just lovers, and I have to agree with them! Please review!