Chapter 4: Dilemmas

Summary:

Richard and Camille already seem inextricably linked to Saint Marie. But nothing is certain yet. Nor do the loas seem to be too happy with the way events are unfolding.

Chapter Text

Its late, very late. Camille is in her small room in the small hotel on the small island of Saint Marie. It bothers her that she can't get to sleep.

But it bothers her even more to realize that she is beginning to forget much of the content of her dreams... Those dreams so wonderful with, and she is sure of it, the one who is destined to be the love of her life.

She has come to call him by his first name, so why can't she remember him now? At least she does remember his eyes.

His eyes are like two beacons in the night. They express everything and seem to know so much...

Not to mention the adoration with which he always seemed to look at her... In the beginning she could even know what he thought, what he felt...

At the last meeting with him she was no longer able to perceive what he was thinking. When she finally manages to fall asleep...

She finds herself on the usual beach, on the beach that witnessed their encounters. But hes not there and it is dark again.

The sea is raging and furious.

She may have forgotten his name, but she knows who she is looking for and Camille begins to walk along the beach looking for him. And, as she walks barefoot, this time she does feel the cold and the wind. The atmosphere is frankly a bit terrifying and cold. Cold and dark, very dark.

But she has decided that she is going to keep looking for him. And keep walking...

Through areas where she has never ventured before.

Richard is on the plane on his way to Saint Marie. Somehow he senses that his life is at a crossroads. And that's something that doesn't happen to him too often. He twists his face when he remembers that Croydon held a party before his departure for his new destination... without him.

They were all celebrating his departure.

It is evening. He decides he'd better concentrate on his encounters with that special woman, that woman who might be real and might even be waiting for him!

He prefers to focus on that. And that he will look for her. After all, Saint Marie is not too big an island.

As usual, he has not been able to avoid collecting data about his destination. Of course Richard has gone over the case information that has been passed to him twice, but from experience he knows that the rest he will have to find out during the investigation.

Then he frowns. Hes an observant man by nature, and as he has left the UK, he has realized that he has begun to forget much of the content of his dreams about that woman, that dream. And he doesn't like it.

His life without her would go back to being that hell of loneliness to which he no longer wants to return.

At least he remembers perfectly her eyes and her smile. Two eyes in which he would let himself be caught without resistance. That look is his home, his refuge. And he doesn't want to live without that refuge, without her.

Richard doesn't know how, but at some point in his musings, he must have fallen asleep.

He recognizes the place, but he can't see her anywhere. It's night, or it's daytime with a terrible, raging storm. It's all the same.

He must find her no matter what. So, despite the wind and the cold, he starts walking along the beach.

He doesnt consider himself an easily impressed man, but he recognizes that he is afraid. At boarding school and in his work he learned to detect the antipathy and hatred that, without knowing why, he seemed to provoke in others.

And now, on this beach and in this storm he senses hatred, hatred for him. And he doesn't like that.

But, in spite of everything, Richard decides to continue searching for his love, for his refuge. And he keeps on walking. In areas where he has never been before.

"Camille! Camille!"

Camille stops petrified by fear. That voice is not his. That voice...

"Camille, stop. I need to talk to you. This will be the last time you walk this beach. You will never dream of it again. And you wont meet him."

She sits on the sand sunk by that disastrous news.

"Camille. Listen to me, do you know who I am?"

Camille then lifts her head and answers:

"I don't know."

At that moment the storm seems to die down a bit. The occasional ray of sunshine even sneaks in.

"I want to help you. I'm the one who brought about the two of you meeting before you even knew each other."

Camille looks up with alacrity.

"You said I could never see him again!"

"What I said is that you will never meet again on this beach, on your beach. It's time for you to meet in person. "

Camille looks everywhere for that presence, but can't see it.

"Are you Erzulie?"

"Yes, I am. You've been gone a long time, my dear. But you still remember me. "

"Where shall I meet him, I have forgotten his name! Even now I perceive that I forget more and more things about him. How am I to recognize him? I remember only his eyes."

"I'm very much afraid it's possible that you may forget even what those eyes mean to you, my dear. But you must not forget that you two have managed to "seal" your union with that kiss. The kiss with which you both sealed your agreement and your union beyond this beach and your dreams. That will help you recognize him, though probably without remembering where you met before. But the love you feel for each other will still be there. I'm afraid I can't do more for you."

"The rest of the loas don't want our union, do they?"

"They don't want a stranger to enter our spirit world, Camille. But they have forgotten that such a man is destined for our world all along. It doesn't matter that he wasn't born on the island, like you. He belongs to our island, thas why I have done everything possible to make you know each other. He needs you and you need him."

"Thank you, Erzulie."

And Camille woke up with a smile on her lips, but no memory of the dreams or Richard. Apparently.

"I must get closer to the shack and find out all I can about DI Hulme before his new replacement occupies it. Another stiff, stuffy Englishman! Just what Saint Maire was missing. But first I'll have to go to La Kaz."

Richard continues to walk almost blindly, because the storm is getting stronger and stronger. But he is very stubborn. Until...

"Richard Poole! Stop! You're not going to find her!"

He is petrified.

"You're not going back to this beach. Nor will you ever meet that woman again."

Richard senses the truth in that statement and, sunk by his sadness, sits down on the sand.

Then that presence speaks to him again as the storm subsides a bit and Richard feels some rays of sunshine on his skin.

"But you two are destined to be together, to meet outside the world of dreams."

Richard looks up:

"Where, what's her name? I forget more and more details of our meetings on this beach." He comments ruefully as he lowers his gaze again.

"Richard, you two sealed your pact with that kiss. You have established contact and that is my guarantee that you are meant to be together."

"But some of your people don't want to see me with her."

Erzulie laughs tenderly.

"I am on your side. You two love each other before you even met outside of dreams. You were meant to meet her. Even if you didn't belong to her world. Your soul is righteous, Richard. And you have much love to give. And much love to receive."

Richard thinks:

"Love no one has ever been interested in."

Erzulie can hear his thought.

"Richard Poole, now is your chance. In return, I ask only that you help protect my island. Saint Marie. And its people."

Richard looks up again with pride.

"That has always been my job. "

"But you're going to forget all about dreams. That's the

condition. Probably, as soon as you meet her, you'll remember something. That seal I told you about will get you to recognize each other at the right time. Now you must leave this world. I don't think I can protect you anymore. Im tired and I cannot fight anymore . You must go."

When Richard wakes up from his little doze, he feels exhilarated, if slightly worried. He decides not to make a big deal of it. Besides he never usually remembers his dreams.

It's probably because of something he's read in the case notes. He decides to review them.

At one point he looks up from his report and smiles his characteristic lopsided grin.

"The truth is, I'm curious about Saint Marie. At least I'll lose sight of Croydon. I think I'll heed Halliwell and try to forget about my Croydon 'companions' for the duration of my stay on the island until I solve the case. And furthermore..."

For a tenth of a second Camille's smile and eyes filled his mind, but that memory has faded again.

Notes:

Little by little the story progresses. I don't intend to make it too long, because it would link up with another or others that would be too similar to it at some point. But there are still some chapters left.