Her Flux

The short explanation Erica gave Cecile was not was she was hoping to hear. That day, she only sighed and said nothing as she watched Erica run back to her bedchamber. Days passed. It happened as Erica said it would. Young William returned to the Providence estate and sought permission from Thomas to court his daughter. He was reluctant to do so, seeing as his wife and daughter rarely spoke these days, but said yes. The glint in William’s eyes told him that this young fellow just might be the perfect match for his daughter. He also concluded that by midnight, all of Ludlow will know of this courtship. That would probably spice up the gossips that were already circling. It would also raise the level of their inquisitiveness. They would be dying of curiosity and counting the days to the Winter Ball. While Thomas gave in, Cecile did not. She wished to help. She wished to see her little child happy again. So she decided to break the promise she had given to Thomas and Addison. She wrote a letter and addressed it to the only person she thought could break this wrongness.

It was the second week of November. Small puffy clouds travelled across the sky and there was no sign of storm anytime soon. A certain young man was waiting in the sitting room alone. He had hoped to speak with Thomas but the older maid told him that they had left for Ludlow early this morning. They were taking care of the last preparations. The young man chewed on his lip for a moment, but decided to leave. He was about to bid adieu to the older maid, but the sound of silk rustling and footsteps stopped him. He saw the girl he found closest to his heart.

“My Lord,” Erica said. “I did not know you were here,” she said handing William a glowed hand to kiss.

He smiled widely. “I was in search for your father, but seeing you is more than enough for me.”

“Would you like to come in?”

“Actually, I was on my way out, but if the lady has nothing against…” he looked at Cecile. Her age lines deepened a little as she frowned.

“Not at all,” Cecile answered and curtsied.

“Shall we?”

“On second thought, would you like to join me for a brief walk to Clun? I have a matter to attend to. It would be a great chance for us to get to know each other. Of course, Cecile will be with. We mustn’t forget propriety and all,” he said looking almost apologetically towards the old maid. Erica too looked at Cecile, an expectant look on her face.

“I am sorry, but I’m afraid I cannot concede to that. Your parents are away and they would not-”

“Please Cecile,” Erica begged her. Cecile wanted to argue, but she couldn’t find the strength to. Erica rarely asked for anything.

“Very well, I only have one condition,” Cecile warned.

“Please tell us,” William said.

“We return early before Mr. and Mrs. Providence arrive.”

“Consider it done,” William said taking Erica’s hand in his. “Now get ready. I shall be waiting for you here.”

Clun was not far away from the Providence estate. It was a fifteen minute ride within a carriage. Erica felt excitement overflowing her as the few buildings that were part of Clun came in sight. It has been months since the last time she stood in the stunningly beautiful valley in Clun. The population was minimum compared to Ludlow or any town she had not seen yet. But to her, seeing new faces was everything she needed. Excitement was probably the reason why she almost stumbled forwards while the footman helped her out of the carriage. A blissful smile adorned her lips. She felt a soft tug at her hand and saw William smiling back at her. They walked down the dirt road. Although young Everingham was officially courting her, Cecile knew this was wrong. She could feel it in her bones.

“Are you happy?” William asked Erica as they walked hand in hand. Erica kept smiling.

“Very.”

“If we are to be together in the future, I promise to make all of your days as today. I wish only your happiness.”

Erica’s smile faded a little. She never thought about the future. She just wished company. She could not imagine herself living with William as hard as she tried. Here he was, by her side at all times, pledging his love and commitment for her and she couldn’t stop thinking about Nathanial. Was this the feeling of loving one man while promising yourself to another one? Was she betraying this sincere fellow by thinking about another one? She froze for a minute replaying a thought in her mind: Did she love Nathanial? Was love the reason behind her sudden anger and jealousy? It could not be. She cursed her attachment.

“Erica?” She faced a concerned William. “Are you all right? Do you wish to return?”

She grinned and shook her head. “No. I am fine,” she replied as they continued walking.

They came to a stop in front of a small building. William excused himself and entered the place. Meanwhile Erica enjoyed the sight around her. She probably smiled to every single person that passed her by.

“Isn’t this marvelous Cecile? I wish I could go to London some day. Imagine all the people there,” Erica gushed hugging Cecile’s shoulders briefly. But Cecile was not sharing her excitement. “Oh, come on Cecile. Do not worry about me. I am happy,” she told her.

“I just have a bad feeling my child. I-” she was cut off by screams of some sort. Erica turned around, frightened. From behind the small building a mob appeared. People, both men and women, were shouting insults. They were cursing while holding tools and torches in their hands. Immediately Cecile caught Erica’s forearm and pulled her behind. The screams they first heard belonged to a girl in the front, who was being dragged down the road. Her clothes were tattered and her black hair was a mess as it stuck to her face from all the tears she had cried. She tried to release herself from the firm manly grips on her arms, but to no avail. She kept screaming trying to out win the accusations that were thrown at her.

“Do not let her cries fool you men! She is a witch and for that she shall be punished!” Their leader, an older man with white beard and a wig yelled while raising the flaming torch in his hand. Cecile pulled Erica to the opposite direction, but they ended up tangled in the mob and separated from each other. Tears stung Erica’s eyes as fear blinded her. In one second she was standing next to Cecile and in the other she was forced to walk in a mob filled with angry people. She kept screaming Cecile’s name desperately.

“Kill the witch!” a person next to her shouted. She covered her ears and came to a stop, but so did everyone. All the cheering and the shouting got her in a twitter. She turned and turned around trying to find a way out, but she couldn’t. The girl was put atop a pyre and tied up against a stake. She was young and looked terrified as she cried both tears and prays. But her suffering meant nothing to all those people that kept insulting her and throwing red vegetables at her. It was like a nightmare. Suddenly all the noise stopped as the old man with the wig raised his hands.

“Today we will banish this evil abomination! This girl,” he said taking her chin in his hand while swaying the torch dangerously in front of her face. “Has led us through quite a chase. She thought she could hide in this small town, but alas we found her! This will teach everyone of her filthy kind to leave our lands!” he said and the crowd cheered. “Her evil spells will no longer harm us, for she shall be put to death! Today! With the same color that burns the sky now,” he pointed to the sunset. “She will burn too!”

“Yes! Burn the witch!” The people threw themselves into another fit of cheering. The man jumped off the pyre and swayed the torch in front of her.

“No! Please No!” The girl’s piercing screams echoed. But no one was there to help her. With one hand motion the man lit the wood and hay under her feet. It did not take much for the flames to take over. The girl kept screaming only this time in pain as the fire reached and burned the flesh on her legs. Erica covered her mouth with her hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. She fought to pass and pushed many people out of her way. Her heart clenched with every scream that emerged from the girl’s throat. She pushed and turned in hope she could find Cecile and leave this place, but she was no where in sight. William had also disappeared.

Just then, a thunder roared in the sky. Everyone looked up to see the sky dark and ominous. It startled them. It had been sunny and clear moments ago. Before any of them could think the heavens opened and heavy rain fell on them all. They started shouting and running all into different directions, leaving the tied up girl behind. Erica pulled on the hood of her cloak and took one last look at the girl. The rain was too strong and the flames slowly died, leaving only smoke behind. The skin on her legs and arms looked severally damaged and she was still alive as she drifted in and out of conscience.

Erica stood her ground as people slowly scattered around, trying to find shelter. A man appeared behind the girl and cut the ropes that were tying her against the stake. Thunder sounds and the loud patter of rain drops drowned all the noise. The man struggled with the weight of the girl and his own wet clothing. Erica was getting soaked herself. He jumped off the pyre and passed Erica by in a flash. Confused, Erica followed him. A hand on her forearm stopped her though.

“Erica! Run child! Back to the mansion!” Cecile ordered her as she pulled her the other way.

“Cecile I must help her!” Erica cried against the rain. Cecile’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Oh no! There is nothing you can do for her! Come at once!”

But Erica was determined. She yanked her arm away from her grasp and grabbed the skirt of her dress which seemed ten times heavier now that it was wet.

“I am sorry Cecile, but not this time! I have to help her! She is not evil! I can feel it!”

“Erica I beg of you-”

“No Cecile, mother can say that this I can do is unladylike, but I do not care!”

Cecile turned around nervously. There was no reasoning with her. That much she knew. “All right! But I am coming along with you!” she told her. “I refuse to leave you alone!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Erica smiled. Then they both ran after the man that held the girl within his arms. His figure was getting smaller and blurrier from the rain with each step he took. Eventually he crossed the bridge over river Clun and cluttered into the forest. Erica and Cecile ran after them, Cecile panting as she tried to keep up with the young girl.

They too entered the dark, now moist forest of Clun. The air was humid and their feet were muddy as they stepped onto rotten leaves. The forest was thick and hard to go through, but Erica kept running. Cecile begged her to stop. She told her that they could get lost. That thought made Erica stop a little and reconsider. Her lips were parted and her chest rose and settled fast as she tried to recover her normal breathing tempo. She was about to give up. The man had long disappeared. But then she saw a small shack of some sort. It was covered with fallen leaves and it was well hidden between the trees. Without thinking, Erica ran towards the shack, Cecile shouting her name again and again.

When she reached the small shack, she pushed the door open and stumbled in. It was a small place and it looked as deserted from the inside as it was from the outside. Inside the man that had grabbed the unconscious girl was hovering over her. His head jerked up and he glared furiously at Erica and Cecile behind her. His black hair was loose and plastered against his head. His eyes were dark and confused. Panic ran through his veins and he grabbed the knife from the floor and stood up. His body swayed dangerously and he put a leg back to prevent himself from falling.

“You shall not take her again!” he shouted as he stood in front of the unconscious body of the girl. Erica panted and raised her hands in defense.

“Please! We came to help her. We know she is no witch,” Cecile said. The man shook his head.

“You are lying!” He snarled.

“Please sir, let us help her,” Erica said he voice sounding calm and more sober now. The man saw that there were only two of them and dropped the knife to the ground. He fell on his knees and took the burnt body of the girl in his shaking hands.

“She is almost dead,” he said, his voice cracking. “There is no hope for her.”

Erica knelt next to them, taking off her cloak. She looked at the body of the girl and restrained herself from vomiting. Bloody pieces of her dress were glued to her skin. She smelled as the fireplace in her room after Cecile puts it out. She smelled like ashes. Erica sighed and looked at Cecile, who closed the door and nodded.

“What is her name? What is your name?” Erica asked.

“Arthur Beckwith and this is my sister Deirdre,” he answered looking as death slowly bereaved him from a loved one.

“Stand aside,” she whispered to the man. He looked at her, black eyes wide and confused. He laid the girl back on the floor and looked at Erica.

“What do you intend of doing?”

“You must swear not to tell!” Cecile warned him with dark eyes. He looked between the two of them and nodded.

“I swear in the name of all that is pure and dear to me. But what are you planning on doing?”

Erica smiled. “Something my mother calls unladylike conduct.”

As the rain slowly stopped, the girl that was accused of being a witch slowly woke up. She could hear a familiar voice talking in the background. She blinked her eyes open and gazed into the same eye color as her own. She recognized the face of her brother. He was smiling down at her, but he was worried also.

“Is she all right?” He asked someone. The girl fully opened her eyes and tried to get up.

“Arthur?” She whispered huskily as he helped her to a sitting position. “What happened?”

“You are going to be all right Deirdre, just relax,” he told her. She nodded, but noticed that they were not alone. By her side, an unknown girl in a wet and dirty silk dress was laying. An older lady was kneeling beside her, holding her head in her lap. The girl did not seemed dead. “Is she alive?” he asked again.

“Who is this Arthur?” Deirdre asked, but no one acknowledged her question for the old woman and her brother were looking at the young girl.

“She will be fine,” the old woman spoke. “But, I will need your help in getting her back home. And remember… What happened today should stay between these walls.”

“Anything. You have my eternal gratitude.”

“Now help me carry her back. Do you know a secret route that does not involve passing through Clun? If anyone is to see her like this…”

“Of course. There is a path north from here,” he said as he took the young girl in his arms. “Deirdre, stay here. You are safe here. Wait for my return. I shall explain it all.”

The girl was confused, but said nothing. She just watched as her brother carried out the body of the girl, the old lady following behind. Before she closed the door, the lady smiled at Deirdre. But she was not the only one confused today.

That night, Nathanial reached the Providence Mansion in the same carriage he had left. The sky was dark and the sudden rain had ended as quickly as it started. Rain drops were now replaced by snow flakes. The footman opened the door for him and he expected to be greeted. But no one emerged from the Providence Mansion. The windows were dark and all the curtains were closed. He showed the footman the stables where he should lead the two Thoroughbreds. The man bowed and got back on the carriage. With a flick of the reins he was off. Nathanial walked towards the doors and was surprised to find them unlocked. He entered the grand hallway. It was dark. Darker than it has ever been. Where was everybody? He remembers that Cecile and Vilemina always lit these candelabras after dark. He took off his coat and hat as he headed for the sitting room. The same aphotic atmosphere prevailed the room. The curtains were pulled so not even the weak moonlight could illuminate the room.

Fear and panic clenched his heart. He called out the names of everyone, but no one replied. Instead, he was greeted by the echo of his own voice. He took a candle and he lit it. He decided to look around. Hesitantly, he stepped on the first ladder of the curved set of marble stairs. He raised the candle and headed upstairs. He glanced from the east to the west wing. He did not know where to start looking. And what was he looking for? Something pulled him towards the west wing though. The shadows seemed to be less menacing on that side. With small steps he walked down the hallway, trying each door. He found them all empty and that frightened him.

‘Where are they?’ he thought to himself. ’The door was unlocked. There has to be someone here. What if something happened to them? No Nathanial, get a hold of yourself.’

He was about to turn around and head the other way, when he noticed that the door that was second to last was ajar. And there was light. He could hear his own heartbeat and his breaths got shorter with every step he took. Sweat formed on his brow as the light grew. It was so familiar. He could feel it calling him. He could feel it dragging him towards the door. It overpowered him. He stood at the threshold, his eyes wide and agape. He could not believe his eyes.

Thomas was sitting on a chair, his hand holding Erica’s. She was lying on her bed and she was glowing. An aura of some sort was wrapped around her skin. That aura gave out a light so bright, it could match the moons. Erica’s eyes were closed and she looked as if she was sleeping. He took another step towards the bed. That was when Thomas noticed him. He stood up abruptly and released Erica’s hand.

“Nathanial…” he breathed. Nathanial stood from the other side of the bed, his eyes wide as he stared at Erica.

“What in the name of heavens is going on here?” He asked as he put down the candle on the small bedside table. He grabbed Erica’s hand, calling her name and begging her to open her eyes. But no response came from her. “What have you done to her?!”

“Nothing…”

“Thomas I think I deserve an explanation!” Nathanial demanded. Thomas sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I shall be the one to tell you everything,” a voice echoed inside the room. Nathanial turned around and saw Addison standing at the door, a candelabrum in her hand. She stepped aside and waited for him. “But not here. Follow me.”

The light that she carried with her disappeared down the hallway. Nathanial looked at Thomas for a brief moment and let go of Erica’s hand, before following Addison. She led him all the way to Thomas’s office. Once they entered, she closed the door behind him and took a seat inviting him to mimic her actions.

“What is happening here?” Nathanial asked. “Why is she glowing? Why is she unconscious?”

“Calm down Nathanial,” Addison told him. She put the candelabrum down on the wooden desk and sighed. Her blue eyes looked into his worriedly.

“What is that light around her?” He asked again.

“That is just her flux. It will wear off in a couple of days.”

“Her what?” Nathanial’s eyes squinted as he shook his head. He could not understand one word that was coming out of her mouth.

Addison sighed again and rolled her eyes. She was tired from everything. Tired from hiding constantly. Tired from being scared all the time. She just wanted peace. “You will never understand my words like this Nathanial. Let me start from the beginning.”

“The beginning?”

“The night when this whole nightmare begun. The night of Erica’s birth.”

“I am listening,” he told her, his eyes boring a hole in hers. She took a deep breath.

“The night of Erica’s birth, was also the night of her death…”