Subj: Love's Familiar Face ch 13
Date: 6/12/99 7:36:18 PM Central Daylight Time
From: miranda

Chapter Thirteen

Real Time

Angelique threw open the door to the cottage she was renting in Collinsport in a rage. "How absurd I have been." She considered that since Barnabas had summoned her and requested her help, if she simply stayed available he would rediscover his love for her. She decided to stay in a house close to the Collins' estate acting out the part of a normal human woman so she could be near him. Now she cursed herself for even taking part in such a ruse.

"No more," Angelique spat. "I'm weary of trying to change myself just so that man will return my love." She ran upstairs entered a special room. Angelique began to rummage through a cabinet filled with vials of oils, baskets of herbs, and assorted candles of different sizes and colors, looking for just the right items to make her spell work.

"He will rue the day!" she yelled at no one in particular. "I will do what I should have done a long time ago. I will make him love me." Angelique stopped and smiled. "Then I will make him destroy that twin of Josette in parallel time. And I will gloat over her when I finally see the look of terror in her eyes."

Angelique continued to put together all the materials she needed for a simple love spell. Of course she still had several different belongings possessed by Barnabas at one time or another which she acquired over her many years "just in case". And now the time had come for her to use them for her own purposes.

Somewhere in the distance Angelique began to hear a faint weeping. It sounded as if it came from a woman. She continued with her work, determined not to let anything distract her. The quiet sobbing began to steadily get louder. Angelique wondered if she was tuning into a spirit from another realm. "I do not have time for you," she said and turned to locate the ghostly intruder. Angelique froze at the sight that met her eyes. She gazed in awe and confusion as she tried to comprehend what was happening. She slowly approached the figure sitting in a corner chair and knelt down in front of her. Angelique let out a sob, "Momma?"

Cymbaline* sat in the chair with her hands covering her face still weeping. "Momma is that you?" Angelique asked sounding like a child again.

Cymbaline uncovered her eyes and spoke, "Yes child, I am here."

"Oh Momma," Angelique cried. "How is this possible? How have you returned?"

"Anything is possible my darling."

"Momma…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry for… for the way you…died."

"My Angel, that is not why I am here. That no longer gives me pain. What pains me so is my fear that I have lost you forever." Angelique was silent. "I have watched you Angelique. I have watched you and have constantly despaired over the things you have done."

Angelique was at a loss for words. What could she say? "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Are you really, Angelique? How can you even tell me that you are sorry for the way I died when you haunted that poor lady, Elizabeth Stoddard, with the terror of being buried alive?"

Now it was Angelique's turn to bury her face in her hands.

Cymbaline touched Angelique's blond curls. "My darling. I do not want to be separated from you for the rest of eternity. Please, if you have any love left in your heart, for me or for anyone else, stop doing these evil things."

Angelique looked up at her mother. "But Momma I do love you. Please believe me, I do."

"If that is true then you must stop doing these wicked things. And if you stop then I will see you again and we will be happy." Cymbaline began to become transparent and fade from view.

"Momma, please don't leave me!" Angelique cried.

"Remember what I have said my Angel."

"But I can't do it alone. Please…"

Angelique's cries went unanswered and once again the chair stood empty. She wrapped herself in her own arms and wept bitterly.

*The character of Cymbaline is the property of Lara Parker and is used here for entertainment purposes only.