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What a wicked game you play
To make me feel this
way
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
You never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do
To make me dream of you
~ From “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak
The smell of rare herbs and plants hit Daniel’s nose as soon as he entered the friendly brown cottage. The young man removed his hat and waved hello to the two women seated and were holding up a private conversation.
Jane Spencer finished stirring the herbs in a small bowl then emptied them into a jar and waved at Daniel. Anelise smiled at her boyfriend as he entered the room. As soon as he approached them, Daniel wrapped his arms around Anelise and kissed her. “Not in front of the spider!” Anelise called while trying not to laugh. She pointed at the spider that had made its web from the turrets of Jane’s roof.
“It’s nothing he probably hasn’t seen before,” Daniel said and then kissed her this time on the lips.
“Afternoon Daniel, what can I get you?” Jane asked. “Is everything all right at your house?”
Daniel nodded. “For me, things couldn’t be better. But, Ichabod well, he didn’t have any hysterics like the other day but the other night, he had some nightmares. Woke up screaming from some of them.”
Before he could even finish, Jane took out a big black book and opened it. She ran her gnarled finger along the index, until she came upon her destination. “Here it is, dearie,” she said. “Mandrake should help him sleep well.” She then walked to a cupboard and took out a jar. She opened the jar and pulled out some strands of green stringy plants. She then gently cut the strands into smaller pieces and scooped them in a jar. “Just put this in his drink for the next few nights and he should sleep well and pleasantly.” She tied the jar with a string and handed it to the young man. Daniel was about to put a few coins in her hand when she refused. “No, this is for a friend.”
Daniel grinned. “Careful, Jane, if word gets around that you are giving herbs as medicine the pastor and the judge might mistake you for a witch.”
“Not to mention your uncle,” Anelise reminded Daniel.
Jane grinned. “Let them try, the only trouble I have ever had is with the town doctor who doesn’t believe that my herbs cure anything.”
Daniel waved his hand. “Oh, he’s just upset because people go to you rather than him.”
He then changed the subject. “Hey, if it’s all right, I would like to walk the most beautiful woman in Kingsport home and talk to her father.” Impishly, he turned to Jane. “How about it Jane, what time do you get off?” Annelise playfully punched Daniel on the arm as Jane laughed.
“I think I might have some competition,” the older woman said with a smile. “Now, go on you two and remember Daniel in his drink.”
Daniel and Annelise left Jane’s house hand in hand. “So, you’re really going to ask him?” the mulatto woman asked.
“I told you, I would,” Daniel reminded her.
“So you are really serious, that if we go-,”she began.
“I will go with you,” Daniel repeated. “I am just as much a part of it as you and your father.”
Annelise bowed her head low. She was sometimes more practical and reserved than her fiery idealistic lover. “Daniel, this is your home, your family is here. You may never see them again.”
Daniel held her by the shoulders. “I admit, that thought occurred to me, but if I stay in Kingsport, I will always be behind everyone else, living a lie. I can’t do that forever.”
“You’re not going to tell anyone are you?” Annelise asked.
Daniel and Annelise stopped at a bridge as the two looked over the river. Their reflections bobbed up and down on the ripples as they talked. “I want to, there are days when I want to shout at my family and say “Look, I am not the person you think I am!’
I squirm every time the subject of bearing false witness comes up and I’m the one who is always known for speaking out and defending others.”
Annelise threw a small stone over the bridge that skipped along the ripples. “You really gonna put that many people at risk?”
Daniel shook his head. “Of course not, Annie, I am not stupid! I know what it would mean to you, and your father, and Jane and the others! Plus, the way my uncle is, he is almost better off not knowing.”
“And when the time comes what will you say then?” Annelise asked.
Daniel shrugged and shuddered. “I guess I will worry about that when it comes. Now, the question is do you want to go back on our promise? Do you not want me to go?”
Annelise shook her head, “No, of course not. If I go without you, I know every day of my life will be spent missing you! I don’t wanna lose anyone else in my life.” She fingered the locket she wore around her neck and Daniel knew why. Annelise was actually born a twin. Their white mother died giving birth to Annelise and her sister, Collette. When they turned fourteen, the girls were going to be sold as slaves, but their father escaped. Unfortunately, Collette died before they left New Orleans, so the only members of the Delcroix family to finally arrive to freedom where Annelise and Ephram.
Daniel held his beloved tightly his chin resting on top of her hair. “You won’t have to,” he vowed.
They stopped at the Grey Fox Inn. Ephram wiped the bar table as the two walked in. “Hi Daddy,” Annelise said.
“Hello, ‘Lise,” Ephram said.
Daniel took a deep breath and mustered up his courage. “Mr. Del-Ephram, I would like to speak to you in private.”
Ephram gave his daughter a look. She shrugged and walked upstairs leaving the two men alone.
“Sit, Daniel,” Ephram said in his deep voice. He said it so low and threatening that Daniel fell back into a barstool. The young man cleared his throat as Ephram took out a large sharp knife and began cutting at onions.
“Now, what do you have to ask me?” Ephram asked.
“Well sir, its I love your daughter and I know,” Daniel said. “That the talk of leaving Connecticut is getting louder and I-“
“Daniel, you have been working at the inn for a year now right?” Ephram began.
“A year and a half sir,” Daniel corrected.
“Hmm ,hmm,” Ephram nodded. “And in that time you have become my apprentice, I have trained you, and you have even ‘come involved with my daughter.”
Daniel nodded. “So by now, you should know that if you got somethin’ to say to me. Don’t be fussin’ around, just say it!”
Daniel laughed nervously. “Well, Mr. Delcroix, I was wondering if you would consent for me to court, oh no we are doing that, but for me to wed your daughter.”
There was a deathly silence as Daniel looked at the tall man. Ephram once again raised his knife, this time putting it at eye level with Daniel. “You know that you two have been seeing each other for a year and a half now.” He then put the knife down on the counter as a warm smile spread across his face. “What took you so long?”
Daniel grinned as Ephram wrapped the boy around his arms like a long lost son. “I guess this means you will be coming with us?” Daniel nodded and Ephram called up the stairs. “Come on down, ‘Lise!”
Annelise practically bounced down the stairs. “Well you’re alive, so the news can’t be all bad!”
“Annie, your father said yes!” Daniel said jubilantly. Annelise screamed with delight as Daniel picked her up and swung her around. Daniel put her down as Ephram poured three glasses of wine in celebration. Just as he was pouring, Annelise’s face fell.
“What is it Annie?” Daniel asked.
“Something terrible is going to happen,” she said. “We may have to move on sooner than we thought.”
Ichabod wrote the problem on the board as the scratch of the children’s chalk on the slates filled the air. He turned to face the children. “Okay, can anyone write the solution to this problem?” The children squinted at the problem 9 divided by 189. The children squirmed in their seats, uncertain as a couple timidly raised their hands. Ichabod turned to a small towheaded boy sitting towards the front. “Okay, Jacob, why don’t you give it a try?” The boy walked slowly up to the front and took the chalk from the teacher’s hand.
As Jacob wrote the problem on the board, Ichabod turned from student to student occasionally swishing his cane in a warning snap against giggling students.
Jacob finished writing the problem on the board and turned to the teacher: 31.
Ichabod made a disappointed gesture, “So close anyone know the real answer?” A couple of students raised their hands. Ichabod called a little girl from the back.
“21, Mr. Crane?” she asked shyly.
“Very good, Emily,” Ichabod said. The little girl blushed as Ichabod walked up to the board. “You see 9 goes into 18 two times not three-“ he began, but as he was about to continue he felt a chill like the wind blew instantly into the schoolhouse. Ichabod felt an eerie feeling on the back of his neck and turned around. A little girl with dark braids stood in the doorway of the schoolhouse. “Can I help you?”, Ichabod asked as he approached her.
The girl looked straight at him and said nothing. Ichabod gulped and his mouth felt dry. She looked strangely like a girl who had drowned in Kingsport when he was a little boy, Hortensia McGill.
The girl continued to look at him with dead brown eyes. Ichabod knelt down as his knees shook. She seemed to keep her hypnotic gaze on him. He felt powerless. “Mr. Crane, are you all right?” a voice seemed to say from outdoors.
Ichabod looked up, the voice belonged to one of the children! He turned to the children who stared at their teacher, confused, worried, and a little frightened. Ichabod then turned to where he saw Hortensia, but she disappeared. Ichabod looked around confused and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. What was going on here? It used to be he would see ghosts every once in awhile, but now all the time, were they real? What were they saying? Or was Thomas right, was he really going mad?
Ichabod cleared his throat not wanting to worry about the vision. He stood up and tried to return to normal. He walked to the blackboard with the chalk in hand. He couldn’t help, but gaze at the children. Some of them were relieved that things were back to normal, and a few actually looked disappointed that whatever was happening to their teacher didn’t result in school being closed. Ichabod scratched the chalk on top of the division problem. “-And nine goes into nine exactly one time,” he continued as if nothing had happened.
Ichabod walked into his home amid Daniel and Tristan’s laughter. Tristan had obviously been telling the tale of his latest dalliance as Daniel listened laughing hysterically while Cornwallis lapped up the water in his bowl clearly not interested in his owners conversation.
“Well, this girl was the most beautiful gal you ever seen,” Tristan answered. “She had large green eyes, loverly hourglass figure, big-“ holding out his hands to demonstrate.
Ichabod cleared his throat, at the upcoming improper comment, so Tristan amended, “-hair! So I go up to her room and who should be up there, but her father with a musket!”
Daniel and Ichabod laughed. “And then what happened?” Daniel asked.
Tristan took on a brave pose. “Well, like any other brave man would do in that situation,” his voice squeaked. “I ran! What did you think I did, chat the time of day with a man who probably wants to mount my head on a wall as a warning to other suitors?”
Daniel patted his friend on the shoulder his voice dripping with sincerity. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you find someone who will love you, and put up with you, until her parents throw you out and on that day you’ll always find a place here,” He then turned to his uncle. “Gunpowder does have extra room in his stable doesn’t he?” Ichabod lightly nodded.
Tristan laughed sarcastically. “I am going to miss that wit after you are gone. So when is the happy joyous occasion? Not the wedding, I mean when you’re gone.”
“What wedding?” Ichabod asked. Daniel glared at his friend with a look ready to spit ink. Tristan put his hands over his mouth embarrassed.
“I guess we don’t need the news with Tristan around, and I was going to make it public anyway,” Daniel said. “So, I’ll figure you’ll be the first to know. I asked Ephram for Anelise’s hand this morning, it’s official. We’re getting married!”
Ichabod smiled and hugged his nephew joyously. “That’s wonderful news! I am so happy for you!” Then his face fell. “Of course Thomas won’t take it nearly as well.”
“I will be happy to discuss the matter with him,” Daniel said firmly.
“And don’t worry,” Ichabod added. “You have my support. I’ll say a few words in your defense if it’s needed.”
Tristan nodded, but then jumped off his seat after glancing at the clock. “Oh I must be going! I promised Mis Spencer I’d help pull the weeds from her garden. You wouldn’t know to look at her, but she can be a miserable tyrant.” Tristan lived with Jane Spencer, rent free, but he talked her into doing some farming and gardening chores for her. He was quite familiar with her employment skills.
“Bye, Tristan,” Daniel called.
“Good bye Tristan,” Ichabod said. The door slammed shut at the red haired man’s departure.
Ichabod sat down on his chair lost in thought. He was silent for so long that he wasn’t even aware of Daniel until the boy put his hand over Ichabod’s face. “Are you still with us, Mr. Crane?” he asked.
“What? Oh, I’m fine, I’m just not feeling well today,” Ichabod said.
Daniel nodded and then ran into the kitchen. “Speaking of not well, I saw Jane Spencer today and told her about your nightmares, she recommended this for you.” He mixed the mandrake in with his drink and handed it to his uncle.
Ichabod shrugged. “I’ll try anything. I’m starting to have them in the day too.” He took the drink and gulped it down. He hadn’t realized until then how thirsty he was. He made a face, the drink tasted bitter had a peculiar after taste. Suddenly, he felt very exhausted and drained. He stretched and yawned. “I’m going up, tell her that this seems to work so far.” He walked up the stairs and into his room.
The smell of perfume was what woke Ichabod first. Ichabod dreamt of Katrina Van Tassell and their time at the dance when he pulled her closer and smelt the perfume, it was strange and smelt like a combination of roses and honey. Katrina didn’t wear perfume, but often put flowers in her hair. Maybe that was it, but then he heard a soft silvery woman’s voice. It was low and medium range, Katrina’s voice was more girly and high pitched. Ichabod then knew he had been broken out of his dream.
His eyes opened as he could make out a figure. The figure appeared to be singing and her arms moved as she made sprinkling gestures to the bed. Ichabod watched as her fingers sprinkled little crushed leaves on the bed. The voice continued to sing as she approached. When she was in Ichabod’s close site, he could begin to make out her features. Long hair that trailed down to her ankles and a long flowing dress. She appeared even closer to his face and trailed her fingers up and down his chin. “Am I dreaming?”
“No, don’t interrupt me,” she whispered softly as she continued chanting. Ichabod could make out that she spoke in Latin, but she spoke so quickly that he couldn’t make out every word, just “protect,” “vision,” and a few others. Her face was now so close to his that Ichabod could make out her green eyes and small baby-like features and now he could make out the British accent in her voice, Clarissa Darling! First Stephen and now Clarissa what do they want with him? Ichabod wanted to get up and leave but his legs felt frozen and solid. His whole body lay straight in one position.
“This isn’t a dream,” he gasped. “What do you want from me?”
But the Englishwoman didn’t answer instead she stood in front of the bed and picked up a new chant. Standing in his room with hardly any lighting, she appeared beautiful and terrifying. She placed one hand over his mouth and began chanting again. Ichabod felt
Like something was trying to come out of his mouth. Ichabod struggled to make it come out, but Clarissa held it back and continued to chant. Ichabod felt more and more ill as she removed her hand from his mouth, His body felt heated as he pushed himself off the bed. He coughed so much that he fell gasping for breath. Clarissa had vanished, Ichabod looked over to the window realizing it was closed and locked. His door had been locked to. How did she get in? Ichabod shivered as the events of the past few days entered his mind, seeing Stephen Darling’s ritual, his family’s spirits in the parlor, Hortensia’s apparition, and now Clarissa’s visitation. He gulped as he remembered Judge Kent’s offer Someone as intuitive as you could prove greatly enlightening. Ichabod gulped a few more times, maybe it was time to take the judge up on his offer.