Chapter 12 Juliette
She was ashamed and panicked. All of her life, Juliette had wanted to be normal. Family and home, white picket fence, taking the kids to the park, having the neighbors over kind of normal. Now she was a freak, a monster, and there was no way in hell she would tell Nick about it. The only person who would accept her was Sean, Juliette had reasoned. He was the only one she revealed this new side of herself to, demanding something be done. After all it was Sean's mother who had done this to her. "Side effects! Do you call this a side effect," she had yelled at Sean. Fear and shame had turned to fury. If someone didn't cure her, there would be hell to pay, she promised. Her life had only gone downhill after the night Monroe was taken. She was in her own personal nightmare.
Just thinking back to that first glimpse of her strange and alien face in the mirror still terrified her causing a cold sweat to break out over her body. It had felt like her head was going to explode and to alleviate the pain, she had tilted her head. That's when the world shifted and a blood curdling scream had escaped her. Later Juliette realized Rosalee hadn't heard her because she was screaming herself. Rosalee had gone outside to see where Monroe was but he was nowhere to be seen. After all the threats, there was only one conclusion for Rosalee to make. When Juliette started cleaning up some glass that had shattered, Rosalee's frantic voice carried up to the guestroom.
Running downstairs to tell Rosalee, Juliette stopped with the next words out of Rosalee's mouth. "They took him, they took Monroe," Rosalee cried with a haunted expression. Juliette knew who 'they' were. Just when she thought her life was complicated enough. Juliette tried to calm her as best she could, but Rosalee was beside herself.
Nick arrived several minutes later after 911 sent another officer to secure the scene and take their statements. Rosalee went from tearful to vengeful and back to tears as Nick gathered information. "Right now what I want both of you to do is grab what you need and I'm going to have someone take you to my house," he instructed calmly to which Rosalee immediately objected in case someone called. Juliette felt a brief flash of joy before she reasoned it was for Rosalee, not her, that Nick had extended the invitation.
"We'll forward any calls to you on your cell," Hank explained to Rosalee.
"We don't want you HERE. I will call you as soon as we find out anything," Nick tried to comfort Rosalee as she continued to cry. "Hey, hey Rosalee. We will find him," Nick said with assurance. "Now grab your stuff." Just seeing him and his concern for Monroe and Rosalee, made Juliette resolve he would never know about her change. What would she say? Could Juliette really tell him she had just turned into his worst enemy?!
The only time Juliette didn't regret her change was as the fight ensued when they discovered Monroe and Bud's location. She didn't really understand what had occurred until later. She was being assaulted, by a Blutbad no less, and she imagined his head exploding. That was what happened. With the realization of what Juliette had done, there was terror and exhilaration. After that horrific night, Monroe had finally agreed they needed to get away. They were safely settled planning their honeymoon. Juliette would have been happy for them, if her own fears hadn't dominated everything.
Sean wasn't much help when she first went to him, but a couple of days later, he did come up with a name and phone number. Her name was Henrietta. Standing outside of a door with stained glass, Juliette wondered if this was such a good idea when the door opened on its own and she found herself already inside. "Hello, Juliette," came a voice from behind her.
What in the world was syncrotize and why was she looking at a hole through the table, the floor, and the ground? Juliette was confused. What had Sean been smoking when he sent her to Henrietta? "I've never seen anything like this before. I'm not sure how deep it goes or if it even stops," Henrietta said somewhat enigmatic.
"What is it?" Juliette asked.
"It's what happens when the syncrotization doesn't syncrotize," Henrietta replied. Whatever that means, Juliette thought.
"What did this?" Juliette inquired again.
"You," she simply replied. There was a sickening feeling at the pit of Juliette's stomach. "This is how powerful you are," Henrietta stated.
"No, no. I said I didn't want this," Juliette spat. No. It can't be. Someone has to cure me, Juliette was irate.
"You don't have a choice. You are what you are now," Henrietta said flatly.
"No, no," Juliette fumed. Noooooo!
"And there's nothing we can do to change that. I know this is not what you want to hear," Henrietta emphasized.
Juliette snapped, "Not what I want to hear?! Are you kidding?!" Feeling a powerful surge of wrath grasp her, Juliette woged as items in the house started to shake. Henrietta took a look then slapped her hard across the face.
"You must learn to control yourself," she commanded. "Now don't forget, they used to burn witches at the stake," Henrietta finished sympathetic but firm.
"So this is what I am now. Forever," Juliette replied incredulously.
"There's nothing anyone can do to change that, Juliette. You have to learn to live with it," Henrietta insisted.
Shaking her head, Juliette couldn't accept it. She wouldn't accept she'd always be a freak. "No. NO!" she responded marching out. She flew back to Monroe and Rosalee's sobbing and banging as hard as she could on the steering wheel that bent under her force. Someone's going to pay, she promised.