Coimeadai, Page 4

said “I don’t know, I’ve never done that before” as they all moved away from the black car. They watched one of the men help the other into the car. There was no doubt the fight was over. “I was riding with Steven when I suddenly just knew that I needed to get here fast” she explained. “And when we got here, I just seemed to know what to do and they were moving so slow” she said. “Slow?”, Travis groaned, “Its bad enough that the three of us were losing to the two of them, but do we have to tell anyone that my little sister saved us?” he asked. “Lets get out of here before Sorvine recruits more muscle” I said flatly. Steven was still looking stunned. I knew that I had been unable to protect my children, and things could have gone much worse. At the time I wasn’t sure how far Sorvine would go to get what he wanted.

  “Chris, I know you want me to take you at your word. And I know you aren’t crazy….but silver bullets?” Max asked. I had gone to my old hunting partner and asked about making up special rounds for my guns. “Its not a matter of just changing the bullets” he explained. “I’d have to make them up special, and I am not sure my bullet molds will hold up to the temperature needed to melt silver” Max said. “I’m not even sure if my equipment will melt silver” he added. I sighed and realized I would need to explain more to my old friend. And I wondered how many people’s lives I was willing to put at risk to save Justin. So I started at the beginning and told my old friend about what I saw in Vermont and what Justin had told me. In the end he offered what help he had available, and promised to work on my special request.

  “Ok gang, its time we get serious” I told the kids as they gathered in my kitchen. I dragged a large footlocker in from the garage. “I went to see Max and he sent us some help” I told them as I opened the trunk. I handed semi automatic pistols to each of them. “Take these and keep them with you at all times” I said, realizing it sounded like a bad movie line. “You will each have 2 clips besides the one in it” I explained as I gave them all a quick run-down of the workings of the M1911 .45ACP. After the short lesson with the pistols, I reached into the trunk and pulled out a pair of shotguns. Although no one was sure the weapons would stop the real menace, everyone except Katie was still sporting bruises from Sorvine’s men.

  “We are gonna need some unorthodox help”, I told the kids, “I’ve left a message for Lita”. Travis looked up and smiled. “Yeah, I was just thinking that a librarian would be just what we needed.” he said sarcastically. “Who do you know that would know more about weird legends than Lita?” I asked him. Travis shrugged, then smiled and said “Justin”.

  “Yes, I know it sounds crazy, believe me I know”, I said into the cell phone, “but I need information and I thought you might be able to help”. On the other end of the phone was an old friend. She was from New Orleans and was a free spirit if I have ever known one. She had moved around for years and had finally settled back home as a librarian. “Kiddo, you HAVE to believe me, this thing is real” I said pleadingly. With a sigh, Lita told me of an old woman living outside New Orleans. “She follows the Secta Rouge variant of Voudon”, the librarian explained. “She deals in both the light and dark sides of this world and others” she explained. “If anyone can help you, Marie Ladmiraul will know about them.” She said, “But you need to know, this is no tourist trap, this is the real deal, and you need to be respectful and careful” the librarian said with a note of worry in her voice. Lita gave me all the information she had about Marie Ladmiraul, and as I got ready to hangup I thanked her. “You are the only one who hasn’t laughed at me, thanks kiddo I owe you one” I told her. “Just be careful and you owe me dinner”, she told me. Before we hung up, Lita promised to do some research on werewolves and get back with me. I knew she could find more information than anyone else.

  I walked into the living room, “Ok gang, load up.” I said, trying to sound positive. “We are going on a road trip, Lita gave me the name of a Voudon priestess outside New Orleans” I explained. Travis looked incredulous, “Umm, wouldn’t a phone call be the better idea?” he asked. “That’s what I wanted” I replied, “but she doesn’t HAVE a phone”. “Well, I have been doing some research online” Travis said, “but there isn’t much out there besides the usual horror movie references and mythology, so I hope Lita’s source has better information”. Travis seemed dismayed that any topic or fact was not documented in the cyber-world beyond old legends and science fiction. “But I’ve got some ideas” he said, “let me grab my stuff and I can work on the way”. The four of them went about gathering what they needed, and loaded everything to the old Suburban. Justin said, “Plenty of old legends have a kernel of truth as their basis. You just have to read deeper into the mythology.”.

  Somewhere in Mississippi, I stopped worrying long enough to enjoy the time with the kids. I laughed to myself as I realized they had taken the same places in the vehicle that they always had when they were children. On all of our road trips, Katie sat up front chattering away, Justin sat behind me and slept or read, and Travis sat behind Katie, rarely making it out of town before he was asleep. This time, Justin fell asleep, Travis tapped on the keys of his laptop, and Katie talked some, but mostly stared out the window in silence as the miles of the delta rolled out in all directions. Steven had wanted to come, but she wouldn’t let him. I think she was scared of the outcome. We all were.

  In the musty parlor of the old shotgun house, I tried to explain all that had happened and enlist the help of the old woman. I did my best to ignore the strange odors and jars containing various odd items that were scattered about. She was obviously a proud lady who was suspicious of us. When I had finished she just smiled and stared at me for a moment. “I have a lotta people try an tell me stories, but dat was de best one in a long time” she said. “So you won’t help us?” I asked incredulously. No longer smiling, she stared at me without answering. “Come on Dad” Katie said rising, “we’ll go back and see that Foulone lady, I bet she’ll help”. The old woman bristled at the mention of the famous voudon priestess. “What? You gone see dat witch?”, she spat. “Let me tell you sumpin you not know, dat woman come from a long line o’ flimflams”, she chuckled.

  The old woman walked to Katie and put her hand on her arm. Suddenly she recoiled from it as though she had burned her hand. “What da…?”, the woman stared into Katie’s eyes, searching for something. “Pretty lil miss, you a lot more dan you seem, no?” she said finally. “let me see da ting that he wants” she said turning back to Justin. Justin brought the relic out of his satchel and unwrapped it. The jewel was dark, but the silver shone in the pale light. “Oh my lawd, you wasn’t playin wit me?” said the woman, as she made gestures in the air. “You folks done got into a patch o’ trouble, ain’tcha?” she said. The woman busied herself getting the various things she needed for a ritual. Everyone else sat quietly while she called on a Loa for protection and sought help from the elements. When she finished she went to Katie. “Lil miss, you done got something you not know you got” she said. She took Katie’s hands into hers and stared into Katie’s eyes once more. The woman began to hum and sway to and fro, never breaking eye contact with Katie. Katie stared back, still at first but slowly following the woman and beginning to sway. I recognized that Marie Ladmiraul was slowly going into a trance. Suddenly she shook herself and broke eye contact with Katie. She reached up and touched Katie’s face, “You have a Loa, a guardian, in you” she said softly. “it come from dat old piece” she said gesturing towards the relic. “de ting gives you strength and a warrior’s spirit” she explained. “I will help you hide from da beast” she said. The old woman spun on her heel and hurried out thru the beaded doorway. They could hear cupboards being opened and slammed and she searched for something. When she returned she had a small blue jar in her hand. She walked straight up to Katie, “Dis will hide you from da beast, but not from da man, and it ONLY work for you” she said, handing the j
ar over. “Just dab this on you, it only take a lil bit” she said. “But now you all mus go” she said, walking towards the door. “ I am sorry I can no do more, but what you face is bigger dan me, and dese ol’ bones ain’t up for no fightin” she said sadly as she opened the door for us to leave. As I walked by she spoke to me, “I know you wants to protect you family, but he is following you. He can sense the talisman. You be on guard at night, you hear?”.

  “Jeez, was THAT weird or what?” Travis said as we drove away from Marie Ladmiraul’s house.

  “Are you ok?” I asked Katie.

  “I’m fine, but that was strange” she answered. “It was like I could feel her looking inside me” she explained.

  “But it explains how you handled Sorvine’s men. The relic apparently gave you something” Travis said.

  I nodded, “Yep, that does help explain how my daughter beat up two trained thugs”.

  Katie held up her arm, mockingly showing her muscles.

  “But she hadn’t seen the relic when she showed up on