Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Little Cabin in the Wood
Ta Da! Here's a new feature: A song to go with the chapter. Chapter Twenty-Nine's song is the accoustic version of "Skin" by Beth Hart, hosted by you Tube.
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Maria followed Miss Emmy through the empty streets of Strangetown. Despite the full moon, there were no people out and about...no one strolling in the park, or catching a breath of air before sleep. No one to see the women make a mad dash away from the Goth compound, through the shop district, past the darkened homes, to the very outskirts of town. Maria could not beging to wonder why, on such a beautiful moonlit night, there would be no one, not one single soul, out and about. No, Maria was far too weak to wonder about anything at all. It was all she could do to keep up with the old woman.
Once the pair had run past the large circle of boulders that marked the entrance into StrangeTown, an unusual thing happened. Maria began to see trees. Trees?, she thought. There were no trees in StrangeTown. It was in the midst of one lush thicket of wilderness, Miss Emmy stopped running.
"Miss Emmy?" said Maria.
Emmy looked at the young woman. While Miss Emmy glistened with a layer of sweat from the run, Maria was clearly exhausted, dehydrated and on the verge of passing out.
"Don't worry Maria," Emmy said, "We're here now."
"Emmy? What is this green stuff coming off my skin?
Indeed, a green mist surrounded Maria, emanating from her skin like a fog rising out of the lowlands. Miss Emmy looked at Maria with compassion. "That's Bella's poison leaving you, dear. Don't worry, I will heal you...make you strong again. Soon you will be yourself, the sweet Maria we all know and love."
"No, Emmy, I don't think I can go back to being that innocent girl. Too much has happened...too much has been taken from me."
"We shall see, Maria, we shall see. Follow me this way," said Miss Emmy as she wandered down a narrow path.
Maria followed Miss Emmy through the trees until a small cabin came into view. The cabin wasn't much to look at. It had clearly stood the test of time, becoming covered with weathered shingles and overgrown with ivy.
"What is this place?" asked Maria.
"This is my home," said Emmy.
Maria's eyes widened as Miss Emmy led her through the cracked front door. If the outside of the cabin had stood the test of time, then the inside had weathered a hurricane. The wooden floors were rotting away, and the walls were water stained and peeling. As a child, Maria thought Miss Emmy must surely live in a palace full of potions and books, not this...
"Pardon the mess, dear, I'm not here much these days," said Miss Emmy. "I stop by every few days to check on my cats...your cats, really. I think you know this naughty kitty up on the counter here."
Maria looked closely at the puffy grey cat munching on some leftover sandwiches. Recognition and memory struck her with enough force to make her legs feel weak. She looked at Miss Emmy, not trusting her own eyes. "Jupiter?"
"Yes," said Emmy with a smile. "That's Jupiter. Of course her kittens are all grown up now, but both Draco and Erindana are here too, and Bailey."
At the sound of her name, Jupiter jumped off the counter and began rubbing against Maria's legs. Maria was overcome with emotion. Jupiter was here, her mother's cat...and Draco...and... "Bailey?" Maria asked, looking up at Miss Emmy. "Mira's cat is here? My sister's cat is alive?"
"Yes, dear. When Mirabella was killed, and you were away at university, I was in Italy doing important research. I had a friend pick up the cats and bring them here. She takes care of them while I am away. But now you are back, Maria, our dear sweet Maria. And the cats are yours if you'll have them."
Tears welled in Maria's eyes as she stroked the soft grey fur on Jupiter's back. She could hardly believe all she was hearing. Bella had killed her sister. It wasn't her fault after all. If she had stayed, she would probably be dead too...
Emmy noticed this shift in Maria's thoughts as the smile on her sweet face turned dark. Bella's poison still wafted off Maria's delicate skin. Emmy took her charge gently by the arm. "Let's run you a bath, shall we?"
Emmy drew a bath for Maria, filling the water with various herbs and fragrant liquids. Maria was too tired to ask questions. For the moment, Emmy was just her gentle caretaker once again, and Maria allowed Emmy to sponge away the grime and filth from her skin. Tears crept to her eyes.
"No, Maria, you musn't cry..not yet. The time will come for your tears, but first you need your strength. Stay with me dear. Breathe in the fragrance of the herbs. They are powerful, and will help to heal you." Miss Emmy's voice soothed Maria's aching head, and she did as instructed, breathing deeply and allowing the intoxicating scents to fill her being. Slowly, surely, Maria began to feel better.
After the bath, Miss Emmy prepared a large bowl of macaroni and cheese for Maria. "Comfort food," she said, placing the bowl before the young woman. Maria ate with a fever only the starved truly know. Emmy watched as Maria slurped and slopped noodles and cheese all around. One even landed on Emmy's nose and Maria gasped.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Miss Emmy!"
Emmy merely laughed and plucked the noodle from her face. "Maria, I'm so happy to see you eating, to have you here...you could dump that whole bowl on my head and I wouldn't care." At this thought, Maria laughed and picked up her bowl as if to throw it at Emmy. Emmy smiled. It was good to see Maria laugh again.
After the meal, Emmy helped Maria into bed. The girl was asleep in an instant. Emmy stood over Maria and said a prayer of protection, for Maria was healing, but the hardest part was yet to come. Sometime soon, Maria would need to deal with the pain and sorrow of losing her mother and sister...and that would be her greatest battle yet.
For now, it was enough that she was here, under Miss Emmy's care once again. Emmy picked up a book and settled in for the evening. There was no way she was sleeping tonight, but she did not care. Emmy smiled as she looked over at the sleeping girl. Her Maria was back.
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