Subj: Love's Familiar Face ch 6
Date: 5/12/99 6:10:25 PM Central Daylight Time
From: miranda

Chapter Six

Josette continued to tell Barnabas of the events that had taken place after the Barnabas from her time band was staked through the heart in 1796:

Upon returning to Martinique Andre and Natalie had a suite of rooms closed off from the rest of the house and had one room in particular totally sealed off from the light of day so Josette could sleep there in safety. The servants and towns people were unaware of her presence. Andre and Natalie felt confident that their plan to return Josette to Martinique in secrecy had been accomplished. While back in Collinsport the family made it seem that Barnabas and Josette had married and sailed to England after the death of Jeremiah, here in Martinique a story was circulated that Barnabas and Josette married as planned, and were living in Collinsport.

Andre and Natalie made sure Josette had access to a large assortment of animals on which to feed. When stories began to surface in the town that a beautiful woman resembling Josette was seen roaming the town at odd hours of the night, Andre and Natalie chose to ignore that such stories could be true. They preferred to believe that Josette was being the obedient, dutiful girl she was before the transformation occurred. When bodies began to be discovered, murdered and totally drained of blood, they could no longer deny that their precious Josette had become a cold-blooded killer. Although they did try to at first. Andre and Natalie had long conversations of how wild animals may have possibly done such things. Before long however they progressed to accepting that Josette had committed the horrible acts besetting the town with fear, but long debated whether they could actually hold Josette responsible. It was not her fault this curse had befallen her. It was not her choice to become this creature that dwelled in darkness. As more deaths began to occur night after night Natalie half-heartedly agreed with Andre that the only thing that could truly be done to save the town from Josette, and Josette from herself, was to put a stake through her heart.

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In the late afternoon Andre went into Josette's suite of rooms. The warmth of the sun did little to rid him of the cold feeling that washed over him. As if being lead to his own death, Andre slowly entered the pitch black room that held Josette's coffin. He lit a lamp to illuminate the sparsely furnished room. After hesitating for a moment he raised the lid revealing his sleeping daughter. He sighed as he noticed drops of dried blood still clinging to her chin. "I am sorry Josette, but this is the only way." He pointed the stake over her heart.

Suddenly Natalie burst into the room. "Andre wait! Do not touch her!"