Salem Moon (28 page)

“
Oh, and Helen…well done,
”

“
Thank you sir
.
Jack? I hope…Lilac
’
s okay. I
’
ll be prayin
’
for her.
”

Chief Thompson made a quick call to his ex-wife, who was at that very moment performing some Wicca
n
ritual to help find her daughter
. It
wasn
’
t working. She insisted on going with them.

“
Jack, I
’
ve had a lot of time to think, and if Lilac left with someone…well, you and I haven
’
t been the best parents to her. I think she needs to see us together, united in our love for her.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Jack sighed.
“
I
’
ve been thinkin
’
along the same lines. We need to find a way to put our differences aside.
”

“
I
’
ve come to accept that our marriage is…over. I
’
m tired and I don
’
t want to fight anymore. I just want my baby girl back.
”

“
Me too, Jillian
, l
et
’
s go get her.
”

When Chief Thompson, Jillian and the two young officers, Collins and Weston landed on the tarmac of
the
small airport, just outside of Saint John the Baptist parish, they were met by the sheriff and one of his deputies.

Sheriff Newsom was the epitome of
a
southern
gentleman
. He was warm and friendly, and spoke with a heavy southern drawl. Jillian thought he looked like Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. He explained there was only one way to gain access to Devil
’
s Tear Swamp and that was by airboat.

“
Nothin
’
there but an old house, once belonged to an animal doc from what I hear, the swamp is fixin
’
ta take the house down into it at any time. If your gal
’
s there, she
’
s in danger. Any of y
’
all ever been on an airboat?

“
No, none of us have. Don
’
t even know what they are if you want to know truth
,
”
Jack said.

“
Airboat
’
s are used a lot in these parts
,
with the swamps an
’
all. It
’
ll git us there. I just wanna let y
’
all know
,
they
’
re
very
loud. They
’
re propelled by a large fan, there are no mechanisms underneath the waterline, so
’
s they don
’
t git hung up in the swamp weeds or marshlands like a regular boat does.
”

They looked in awe at the oddest looking watercraft they
’
d ever seen. The operator was waiting for them at the
“
stick
”
which they learned was the way the
he
’
d
navigate the rudders.

When the operator turned the propeller on, Jillian stepped back, frightened by the deafening noise of the boat
;
Jack took her hand and guided her to a seat. The airboat took off with unexpected speed. The warm wind blew hard at their faces. The breeze, although heavy with humidity felt good. They
’
d been on board for about twenty minutes, amazed by this alien landscape, where the Spanish moss hung off the huge, gnarled oaks, and the water was a murky, muddy greenish color.

It seemed as if only the Pelicans watched as they moved swiftly
,
yet gracefully through the water. They saw a few alligators on the shore, sunning themselves. If one didn
’
t know better, they
’
d think they
weren
’
t
alive, they were so still.

Sheriff Newsom pointed to the shore.

“
There!
”
He had to yell in order to be heard above the whirring fan of the boat. They were fast approaching shore, when they saw a dilapidated old house, leaning forward toward the swamp.

When the airboat stopped, the officers
immediately
drew their guns. Jillian heard the sound of safety catches being released. In traditional police stance, the men held their weapons with both hands, straight out in front of them. There was movement at one of the windows.

All five men, Chief Thompson and his two officers as well as Sheriff Newsom and his deputy, moved stealthily around the house.

Officers
Collins and Weston flanked either side of the front door, mindful of the deep holes in the rotten wood of the landing. The Sheriff and his deputy went around to the back of the house.

The quiet stillness, interrupted only by the low buzzing sound of cicadas and the cawing of crows was unnerving.

Jillian felt haunted by a
sense
of loss. She was disgusted as well by the thought that her daughter may have been held here, in this desolate place, against her will, trapped by the ruins and the swamplands.
And whoever had brought her here.

She put her face up to the window, squinting to see through the faded, yellow curtains. A pale ghost of a shadow moved through the room. Jillian
’
s eyes
widened in
recognition
; i
t was Lilac! She appeared to be all alone, pacing the floor, a small pitiful waif, weeping as she walked, totally unaware of any presence outside.

Not wanting to frighten her, Jillian slowly pushed the front door
. It creaked
open on
its
rusty
hinges.

“
Lilac—
”
She was interrupted by her ex-husband.

“
Holy shit!
’
Jack hissed
. He hadn
’
t secured the scene yet. There was a possibility that someone else besides Lilac was in the house. It was too late for that, thanks to Jillian
, although he couldn
’
t really blame her.
He and the rest of the men did a sweep around the premises, finding no one. He walked in behind his ex-wife, weapon still drawn, looking left and right, knowing that the other
officers
had his back. They remained just outside the door, just as the Sheriff and his deputy flanked the door of the rear entrance.

Jack and Jillian came face to face with their daughter. Jack lowered his weapon. His mouth and eyes
opened
in total shock
.
Jillian began to cry. To see their daughter like this
, in this horrid
condition was every parent
’
s nightmare!

Lilac
’
s skin was
a
pallid, unhealthy shade of white gray. Dark black circles and angry purple
bruises
surrounded her eyes
; lifeless eyes
, vacant of any emotion.
Caked with dirt and dried blood, her clothes were torn
and
ripped
. L
arge slash marks
ran
across the front of her shirt, where crimson colored blood bordered their edges. Even through the filth, the bruises on her arms
, legs and lips
were noticeable
.
Large cuts and gaps appeared on the swollen skin.
Fat
drops of blood lay beneath where she
’
d
stood; dotting the rotted wooden floor
as
she
walked.

Upon closer examination, they saw where the blood on the floor
was coming from,
as drops of it still accumulated
,
streaming in small rivulets from between her legs.

“
Oh my God, who…did this to you? I
’
ll fuckin
’
kill the bastard!
”
Jack shouted
. Lilac flinched. The look of horror and the timid way she cowered when he shouted, told him just how damaged she was.

****

His was the only voice she
’
d heard for days now, since Lucien had last been there and left without a word
.
He had
n
’
t
brought her any food or drink. He
’
d only come to her for sex.

He was no
longer
the seductive angel she thought she was in love with
. H
e
’
d brutalized her in every way imaginable.

Hurting all over, she
’
d cried and sobbed and screamed in mortal terror and pain at
his repeated assaults on her body.

Jillian held onto Jack
’
s arm tightly, could
felt him
shaki
ng with anger.
“
Jack,
”
she said.
“
The time for catching whoever did this will come, but…for now we need to focus on Lilac, okay?
”

Jack nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath to clear his head.

As for Jillian, her eyes filled with bitter tears, the guilt overwhelming. She
’
d neglected her only child
.

Lilac ran into her mother
’
s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, repeating over and over,
“
I
’
m sorry.
”

“
No, baby girl, I
’
m
the one who should be
sorry. So very sorry, I haven
’
t been there for you. I hope
you can
…forgive me. I promise you
’
ll come first in my life from now on. Oh God, if something…worse had happened…
”
Jillian held her child close to her, gently, not wanted to hurt her.
Dear Lord, the girl looked so fragile
!

“
Me too honey. I should
’
ve been there to protect you, and I…wasn
’
t. Please forgive me; forgive
us
…
”
Jack knelt down, hugging them both
. A
nd together
,
both mother and father enclosed their daughter in a safe cocoon.  Lilac smiled up at them through her tears before losing consciousness.

A
s Gabriel looked up to the sky, he once again saw that impossibly full pale yellow moon. Sitting low on the horizon, as if painted with the skillful brush of an accomplished artist. Impossible that it was still visible
after all
these days since he
’
d first arrived here, and yet, there it was.

After accompanying Lily to visit Lilac at Salem Memorial Hospital, he
’
d left the two friends alone so they could talk
. He also needed time to think.
Standing outside, he barely noticed people coming in and out of the hospital doors. He had so much to think about. What Lucien had just done and what else he might do. He was not only lustful and defiant, but violent as well. Perhaps, next time he would hurt or even kill Lily
, or Lilac, perhaps even both.
He could not allow such a thing, even if it meant going back to
the
Salem of old.

He
’
d been both saddened and relieved when he
’
d visited the old family cemetery, where his parents were buried
. It was
still lovingly preserved by the
Blackstones
.
The old stones
, on which
their names
still appeared, although, they had faded considerably
with age
was
a small comfort
.
At the
top
of the stone, t
he families crest
was
engraved over the Blackstone name, an elaborately scripted letter B with two dogs, Mastiffs on either side of the letter. Ah, but it pained him still, because
she
was not buried with them, his beloved sister
. T
here was no grave for her and there was no grave for him, for he was in limbo, lost in time. He had to find where she was buried,
had
to. Seeing that she had a proper burial was the least, if not the only thing he could do. He could not change the events
that had occurred 300
years ago. His thoughts drifted off, going where they always went
,
to her, to his Lily.