Chapter 2: The Revolt (Part 1)
A/N: “As night falls we will emerge, aimed at the ready to take back what is ours. The night, this life… it belongs to us.”
Thank you for all the support for Chapter 1 & your patience for the release of Chapter 2. This will be part one of the origin of Allix becoming a Dhampir as well as the origin story of The Dupreé, I hope you all enjoy it & please comment & reblog. Part two is underway & will be released sometime next week, guard your neck…
T/W: A lot of usage of the N-word, violence against women, threats of rape, death, occult themes, blood, slavery. (If there’s any more I’ve missed please message me)
Allix emerged from the woods back to the plantation in the dead of night. Clothes badly tattered, her long, tightly coiled hair riddled with leaves, mud, and sticks, short of breath, staggering as she walked, she was sniffling and could barely hold herself up together. The year was 1769, a completely different life New Orleans possessed. There was still conflict between three European nations and it is now that Spain was in control, it still meant nothing… Allix, her family and friends were all still enslaved. Ready to become sold off like cattle or inhumanly ravished or force to cause bodily harm to one another as a sick twisted form of entertainment. The Dupreé plantation was one of the only French-based plantations at the time and they were no less cruel. Allix was limping as she entered the rundown shack that she was living in with her mother Maudette, her father Desmond, her younger brother Cyrille and youngest sister Camille who just turned 16 that year. Once Allix entered the door her body completely gave out and everything went dark.
Her eyes fluttered open as she awoke in her bed, she rose up to see what had happened, everything was a blur. Then her mother rushed over the moment she saw her daughter wake up. “Allix, Allix, don’t move.” “Wh-What happened momma?” Allix was slightly disoriented, her mother passed her hand over her child’s face. I heard a loud noise last night and I ran out front to see you passed out at the front door. Your brother and father helped carry you to your room, me and Camille cleaned you up.” “I-I-I just was in the woods, I remember being chased by these white men and I was t-trying to hide, but I got caught and they started beating on me, bad momma. I was bleedin.” Tears started to fall from her mother’s eyes, staining her clothes. “Then I must’ve passed out, cause everything went black.” Allix’s brow furrowed. “When I woke up, they were dead. Torn up rather, like paper.”
“I don’t know what happened, but I know if they would’ve kept beating on me like they did I would’ve died.” Allix’s mother quickly embraced her then she quickly withdrew from her. “Baby, you’re bitter cold. I’m gonna make you some tea to warm you up.” Allix saw that all her wounds were healed as if nothing ever happened, she was still confused as to the events of last night. Her vision became vivid as if she could see beyond color. She could hear her mother pour the water in the next room as if she had her ear to the sink. Her sense of smell was heightened, she got up from her bed and went to the front door and opened it to see Rayan in front of her before he could even knock. “I knew that was you, I could smell you.” Allix grinned. Rayan raised an eyebrow. “Smell me? Do I smell that bad old friend?” he side sniffed his underarms. “No, no you actually smell quite good. I’m just saying that my smell sense is good, real good actually.”
“Is that so? Well, aren’t you gon let me in?” “Yeah, yeah come in.” Rayan walked in and sat down at the small table. Allix sat down next to him. “How is your sister?” Rayan licked his lips and looked down. “I hadn’t seen her much lately, she works in the house now. With all the other house slaves.” He fiddled his thumbs while tapping his foot. “She will be okay Rayan, no harm will come to h—” “How can you be so sure?!” his hand slammed on the table cause Allix and her mother to jump. “What they did to my mother…what my… father did to my mother and her husband.” The intensity in his eyes alone could murder a man in the worst of ways. “He had her sold off when she refused him and had her husband… the man I thought to be my father killed, right in front of us especially her.” “Rayan, I–” “If he or anyone does my sister any harm in that house, I will kill him with my bare hands.” “Think about what you are saying, young man!” Allix’s mother cut in. “Your birth father is a mean ol’ bastard, we all know that. But he has power, influence, and weapons. And if you gon say you are willing to die, do you think he will stop at your death? He will make an example out of us all and he will torture you publicly to show that blood means nothing because you are his bastard with inferior blood in his eyes. So be mindful of what you do and say, cause people around here will turn on you just because of who’s blood is in you.”
Rayan’s eyes swelled up, Allix tried to touch him in an effort to console her friend. Once they made contact Rayan withdrew his arm. “You’re freezing cold Allix, you got the chills?” “This girl tried to run away last night…again and nearly got killed.” Allix’s mother revealed. “You alright?” He gently brushed Allix’s ice cold cheek. “On a hot day like this, you shouldn’t be so cold.” “I don’t feel sick, really Rayan.” Allix could see his veins protruding from under his skin, connecting to his heart. She could hear every thump as if it was drilled into her head. She suddenly grew an appetite, an insatiable one. “Rayan, must your heart beat so loudly?” Allix grew uneasy. “What do you mean? I don’t hear anything do you, Mrs. Beaulieu?” Rayan’s face scrunched up with confusion. “No. I don’t hear anything either.” Allix lifted her head to see all of Rayan’s blood vessels as clear as day, all over his body all connected to his beating heart.
She began to break out in a cold sweat. “Oh goodness child, hurry and drink this tea.” Allix grabbed the tea trying to calm her nerves. As she drank, the liquid became putrid to her tastes buds. “AH FUCK!” she threw the wooden cup on the floor in shock. “Allix Shontelle Beaulieu! I will not tolerate that foul language in my house!” “Sorry mama, b-but this tea…” she tried to use her next words very carefully. “It don’t taste right to me.” “I haven’t changed anything in my recipe and you used to love my teas.” her mother placed her hands on her hips. “Rayan, try this for me?” “Yes ma’am.” he took the cup and began to drink. “It tastes mighty fine to me ma’am.” “I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” “Allix… YOUR SKIN!” Allix looked down and saw the skin of her arm peeling off. “Oh good lord!” she exclaimed. “Close the curtains, CLOSE THEM!” Allix demanded. Her mother and Rayan wasted no time to block out the sun rays entering the shack.
“I’m so hungry momma.” Allix clawed At her neck. “There’s some meat scraps from a couple days ago.” “I’m not hungry for that, please check to see if Micheline has something…please momma?” Allix’s mother nodded and left the shack. Allix looked at Rayan, her whole demeanor changed and he could see it in her eyes. “Rayan?” “Yeah?” “Go cut yourself for me please.” “Excuse the fuck outta me?!” Rayan arose from his seat. “I wanna see something Rayan please, just…cut your arm.” Rayan walked over to the kitchen counter, picked the sharp instrument and looked at his best friend and made a clean cut across his arm. Allix’s breathing became ragged as she saw the red liquid leak out of him. “You better know what you’re doing Allix.” Allix walked up to her bleeding friend.”I hope so too.” And quicker than those words leaving her lips Allix began feasting on his bloodstained flesh. “Shit!” Rayan’s eyes opened wide as Allix drank from him as if he gave her the water of life. “That’s enough Allix.” Allix continued drinking. “Allix?!” “ALLIX, I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” Rayan threw his best friend back into the table, Allix feverishly wiped her lips of the red fluid onto her sleeve. “You nearly took all my blood from me girl.” “I am truly sorry.” He took a dirty cloth and wiped his arm, he saw puncture marks on his skin that wasn’t from the knife. “You bit me.”
Rayan saw before his eyes Allix’s badly burnt skin on her arm regenerate back to normal as if it was never there. Rayan was taken aback by the sight. “What in the hell happen to you?” he whispered. “I don’t know Rayan, I don’t know.” She mirrored his tone. “I think I know someone who may help, but we’ll have to see her at sundown. After everyone retires for the evening.” “Okay.” “You should be good for now. Just don’t tell your family yet, especially your ma.” “Imma keep that in mind.” “I’ll see you tonight, at the big house.” “Okay.” Allix stayed asleep with some ratty blankets under her bed to avoid another skin peeling incident. Camille stopped down to look at her sister’s face, her sepia-toned skin almost cascaded by the darkness underneath her cot. “Are you okay sister?” Camille inquired.
“I’m fine.” Allix turned her head and all Camille could see was a pair of golden yellow eyes looking at her, indicating that Allix was awake. Camille wasn’t afraid of the change to her older sister’s eye color. Allix crawled from under the cot and arose from the floor slowly. “Rayan is waiting for you outside, everyone else is asleep.” “Thank you, Camille.” “You’re welcome sister and be careful.” Allix turned and smiled softly to her young sister. “I will.” Allix quickly changed clothes and quietly snuck out of the shack. Allix looked around to see if any of massa’s chain of command were strolling around. As Allix went to make her way around the corner, she was snatched up with an arm around her waist and another covering her mouth. Allix’s screams were severely muffled fearful that she was caught by one of the plantation hands. “Calm down Allix it’s me, it’s me girl!” The unannounced man released her and quickly turned her around to face him, it was Rayan.
A breathless Allix quickly greeted her best friend with anger. “Why in hell would you scare me like that?!” “You would’ve been caught if I didn’t grab you up, you don’t even know who I’m taking you to see.” Rayan whispered as he looked around. When he suspected that the coast was clear he grabbed Allix’s hand a ran across the field to the backdoor of the plantation. Allix pulled back as she realized where she was being taken. “This is the big house Rayan, I can’t go in there!” “It’s just a regular house, just stone, concrete, and wood. Everyone’s asleep, we have nothing to fear.” Rayan put his hand out to Allix. “Easy for you to say! My blood don’t live in there Rayan!” “Neither does mine, I don’t claim that piece of shit, neither does who I’m taking you to see. Now hurry up before be get seen out here!” Allix nodded, then looked around to see if anyone saw them then headed inside. “Who are we seeing Rayan?”
Allix whispered trying not to make any unnecessary noises. “My twin sister Delphine.” “Delphine?!” Rayan shushed Allix, locking the door after she entered. Allix was taken aback by the large open spaces. “We don’t have time to look around, we gotta hurry to see my sister then go.” Rayan gently grabbed Allix’s ice cold arm as they tiptoed to the slave’s quarters downstairs past the kitchen area. He walked over to what seemed to be a bookshelf encased in the wall. Rayan gave three light, but solid rhythmic taps against the oak wood shelf. “Password?” a woman’s voice responded. “Delphie Anne, it’s sun Ray here. With the light I bring and a song to sing.” Allix and Rayan felt the shelf shift as they cautiously backed away as the bookshelf turned into a door that pushed out.
Emerging from the shadows to be only illuminated from the moonlight was Rayan’s twin sister, Delphine. Her emotionless expression looked back and forth between the pair outside her door. She always had a somber temperament about her, even as a child growing up with Rayan. If Allix hadn’t known Delphine for most of their lives, she would’ve been the most frightening individual she would’ve ever seen. “You’re late.” she began. “Guards were patrolling the field, a lot more than usual.” Delphine allowed a smirk to creep along the side of her face. “No matter, get in here… quickly.” Rayan and Allix entered Delphine’s room and she shut the bookshelf door behind her. Allix was in awe of the appearance of Delphine’s bedroom chamber.
Velvet adorned her walls, her small furniture, a large vanity mirror was hung against the farthest part of her room which had a small desk. “Your room… it’s beautiful.” Allix complimented. “This shithole?!” Delphine raised an eyebrow. “It more beautiful than where I live. Hell, this room alone bigger than our home.” Allix scoffed. “This room… this room is a reminder of what I am and what I am not at the same time.” Allix’s body tensed up as Delphine’s face met hers. “This room reminds me that I am a slave with my master’s blood running through my veins, that my brother and I are the shameful, discarded apples of our father’s family tree, that the only reason for his existence & mine is because of a white man’s forced entry into our mother who was taken away by the wrath of his jealous wife. My dear, I am nothing to be envious of.” Delphine backed away from a shaken up Allix & sat across from her and her brother placing the candle on the nightstand. “So why are you both here?” “Something’s going on with Allix, she’s been…different.” “How so?” “First of all, she’s ice cold to the touch, she won’t eat any food—” “Nothing you eat tastes quite like it used to? You can hear how the blood flows through everyone’s veins like a roaring river in your ear?” Delphine interrupted.
“Y-yeah, how’d you k–” “Tell me something Allix, did you see my brother’s veins before you fed on him?” “Wait, how did you know I–” “And I supposed those indents around my brother’s arm cut were supposed to be what? Some kinda bug bite?” Delphine scoffed. “Allix, you’re dead… well, at least the human portion.” “Pardon me, but what you mean?” “I mean that you are a Dhampir, a female vampire.” Allix began to chuckle. “I am so sorry, but Miss Delphine I am not a Damper or Dhampir or whatever you say I am. All I am is a little ill and I thought you could help figure out how to make me better, but now I know this was a waste of time. Thank you and have a good night.” Delphine quickly grabbed Allix and slammed her against the wall, Rayan’s eyes widened with fear and he sat motionlessly. “That night you woke up in the woods, were the men that tried to attack you drained of blood? Did your skin burn up in the sun the longer you were in it?! Did drinking his blood heal it completely when you almost drained my brother?” Allix’s breathing was labored as Delphine basically retold her story of last night’s events. “How did you know all of that?” “Cause you told him.” she motioned to Rayan. “One of my abilities is that I can read human minds.” “Abilities?” “The reason I know what you are is from experience.” Delphine then revealed her sharp fangs, Rayan’s jaw became unhinged, eyes were bulging in terror as he saw that his twin had transformed before him causing him to fall out of his seat.
Delphine released Allix from her grip and she sat down. She looked at her twin brother paralyzed in fear, she began walking towards him and reached out her hand. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite. I already fed earlier today.” Rayan’s hands were shaking uncontrollably as he reached for her hand. “How? W-When?” He was stumbling over his words. “For about two years now.” “But you were never cold like Allix, is that another ability you have?” Delphine ran her tongue across her razor-sharp incisors as she smirked. “Nope, just a little glamoring here and there to keep my secret just that.” “Glamoring?” “I guess I have to teach you everything now.” she scoffed. “Well not everyone can read the books in the big house like you Delphine.” Allix narrowed her eyes. “Oh and they were just going to let me into the master’s study and pick out whichever novel I fancied?!” she fired back. “Okay, Okay, the bickering does nothing for anyone here. Delphine, just let her know what she can do & how to control it.” “It’s not some shit you learn in one go, it took me nearly six months to control my appetite and a bit longer for the glamoring.” “What is glamoring anyway?” “Glamoring is basically enchantment, I can make any human do nearly anything I say.” “Show me.” Delphine looked over at her brother and began to gaze into his eyes. “It’s rather quite simple once you get familiar.” Allix looked at how her best friend was quickly in a daze from looking at his sister. “Look deep into my eyes Rayan. You are under my control now, do you understand?” Rayan only nodded his head.
“Good, now slap yourself in the face.” Rayan slapped himself in the face instantly. “Oh my.” “It’s rather entertaining, the thing is you shouldn’t glamour someone for too long or too many times. It makes the subject go rather insane. Everyone’s tolerance levels are different, so try doing this as minimal as possible & your fangs must be out for best outcome.” She looked back at Rayan. “Now Rayan, slap yourself three more times then say that you are the peasant of the universe & then you are released from my control.” Rayan complied. “I am the peasant of the universe.” Both ladies snickered after he spoke those words and Rayan returned to normal. “Hey, why are you guys laughing? Did she teach you how to glamour?” “Sure did.” Rayan rubbed his reddened cheek. “Ow.” The ladies giggled again. “Another thing too, you have what’s called a maker. The person who’s a vampire like you, who turned you into one. They are like your parent, only have more control over you. And also the older the vampire, the more powerful they are.” “Do you know who your maker is Delphine?” “No I do not, like you I found myself waking up from being passed out in the woods in my new found circumstance. Any idea who yours is?” “I thought it was you based on the fact you knew what had happened.” “God no, I’m not a maker. I was hoping to turn Rayan someday.” “Oh no, I am not becoming a Dhampir, Vampire or whatever you wanna call it. I like regular food just fine thank you.” “Oh please, do you want to grow older, whither away, and die as an old decrepit man?! Or don’t you want to live forever as you are, free of the life of human man?”
“Free?! You call that free?! We are still slaves Delphine. We’re still controlled by whites, this isn’t freedom! It’s a new form of slavery only with more occult rules and I won’t have any part of it!” “But it won’t be that way for long if me and her turn enough slaves on the plantation into vampires we can overthrow those bastards and live as Kings and Queens as were before we were taken.” “And what if someone comes over and finds a massacre of bodies?! You think they’d roll over and leave well enough alone?! We’ll all get hanged or shot at or worse!” “We are immortal Rayan, they can’t hurt any of us if we all were turned. We just run things as normal till all the whites kill each other over land.” “You are out of your mind to think such things!” “There are more of them than us sister, they will find a way to murder us if they haven’t already.” “They think me and her are superstitions, a product of fiction. They won’t see us coming.” A light knock came from Delphine’s door, she motioned Allix & Rayan to be quiet before she responded. “Who is it?” “Delphine, it Felicity. It’s 4 am, we have to prepare the family breakfast.” “Okay, I’ll be there. Thank you, Felicity.” “We have to go, we can talk more tomorrow night. Same time.”
They both nodded in agreement as the quietly exited Delphine’s room and rushed out the back door, they webbed in between shacks to avoid detection. They ended up in Allix’s home where it was empty because everyone began their tasks for the day. “We have to be more careful, if sun beats us here we’ll be in serious trouble.” Allix nodded. “You have to get outta here too bef—” A hard knocking came from the front door, causing the pair to shuffle quickly to hide Rayan who should’ve been at the stables by now. He hid under her cot and let the ratty blanket on top droop over the side to further conceal Rayan. She walked up to the door took a breath and opened it to see it was the slave owner’s son Jack. “G’morning Jack, what a pleasant surprise. Please, come in.” “This isn’t a social call, I was sent to ask you a few questions.” “Most certainly sir.” The slender, pale man walked into the shack with his hands in both pockets surveying the home. “I have been getting reports that you had attempted to run away from this here plantation several times over the past couple of weeks.” “Oh no, I would never do such a thing. I appreciate all that you have done for us. I would never disrespect the Dupreé name by doing such a thing.” her eyes scanned his every move around the room. “We’ll see.” He carried his scowl like a badge of honor. “Have you seen Rayan? He was supposed to be at the stable’s to fix my horseshoes and I haven’t seen or heard from him in a while.” “No, I have not sir. I haven’t spoken to him in a while either.” Rayan remained silent as he listened to him speak.
Jack scoffed. “As close as you two are?! I highly doubt that.” “Well, I have been feeling ill for a few days so I may have missed him.” “Hmm, I think your mother told me that. You feeling better?” “Yes, much better thank you.” “See, you say that you never ventured off the plantation right?” “Yes, that’s correct.” “Interesting that you would say that, cause this morning… me and a few of the boys came across a rather gruesome sight not too far from here. A few men, good, decent men we found slaughtered in the woods over there during our routine patrols.” “Oh my goodness, that’s terrible! Did you all notify next of kin?” “We couldn’t, by the time we found the bodies the animals had already got to them. But we do find something quite interesting.” Jack reaches into his vest pocket and pulled out a long decorative scarf and let it unravel in front of Allix who was now sick to her stomach. “Is this not your scarf? The one Rayan gave you a few years back?” “That must be somebody else’s scarf, I have no idea about those m–” With a single backhand, Jack knocked Allix to the floor. Causing her to be exasperated from the blow as her cheek stung her like a thousand pine needles at once. “You niggers are something else, you know that?” Jack towered over her, grabbing her by her hair and slamming her head against the wall. “Enough of the lies, you fucking murdered those men once they find out you were going to flee. You thought you were gonna escape, but you niggers are too dumb for your own good to hide the body huh?” He spat in her face as if it made of acid.
“No, no I wasn’t. They were trying to kidnap me and broke free. I didn’t see what happened to them after that.” she whimpered. “DON’T YOU FUCKING LIE TO ME WHORE!” he slammed her head again. Rayan began to quietly crawl out from under the bed. “I will make sure my daddy makes ALL of you dirty niggers HANG from every single branch of our tree in front of our house and I will fuck your dead body as well as your little sister and your whore mother’s before they do it. And when I find Rayan, Imma do what my father should have done a long time ago and kill him with my bare hands and then fuck his pretty little sister before I kill her t–” Rayan began choking Jack from behind with the scarf. Allix watched in horror as the two men began to scuffle. Both men swayed from side to side till Jack grabbed a knife from the counter, swinging it wildly trying to fend off Rayan, Jack stabbed Rayan’s thigh causing him to yell as he loosened his grip. Jack quickly turned around trying to fight Rayan with the knife but Rayan grabbed his wrist just as quickly trying to make him drop it. Rayan lost his footing prompting Jack to break free and swiftly stabbed Rayan in the stomach.
Rayan gasped as the sharp object entered his abdomen. “RAYAN!” Allix cried out. Before Jack could see it coming, Allix rapidly grabbed ahold of his neck, exposed her fangs and began draining him of his blood. Rayan took out the knife that was plunged from his body and fell to the floor staring at what was happening before him as he bled out. Allix’s slurping was sloppy and erratic, drops of blood spilled onto the dark wooden floor staining it with Jack’s blood. Jack’s body was growing weaker and weaker with each passing moment, till he stopped resisting and ultimately took his last breath before he was fully drained. His limp, shriveled body fell to the floor as she thoughtlessly wiped the blood from her mouth. “Oh God Allix, what have you done?” Rayan whimpered while holding his side. “We have to get you some help, we gotta–we gotta do something!” Allix was in a panic trying to stop the flow of blood exiting Rayan’s body. Allix then felt a strong gust of wind blow into her room, she turned around to see Delphine; her face was in shock. “What in the hell happened?! And who the hell is this?!” she kicked the shriveled up corpse.
“It’s Jack, him and Rayan were fighting and he got stabbed.” Allix started crying, the blood from her eyes started to stain her hands then she looked at them. “As a Dhampir/Vampire you cry blood, cause you know…” “We’re dea–“ Allix looked at Rayan and saw through his skin that his heart rate was lethally slowing down. “He lost a lot of blood, there’s no way to heal him with our blood at this point so you’ll have to turn him.” “Why me?” “You got my fucking brother stabbed, he probably was fighting for you! AND I WILL NOT LOSE HIM! Now give me your arm.” Allix was hesitating. “He said he didn’t want to be turned.” “GIMME YOUR GODDAMN ARM ALLIX!” Delphine yanked Allix’s arm and bit into it releasing blood from it. “Give him the blood before the wound closes!” Allix put her open wound between his lips and Rayan drank Allix’s blood his throat weakly contracted to swallow the red fluid. “Drink Rayan please, don’t die on me. I can’t lose you too.” Delphine’s eyes began to flow tears of blood. It was the first time Allix had seen Delphine show any emotion, let alone crying. Rayan then passed out, Allix saw that his heart stopped beating. “Oh my God, is he… is he?”
“Take off his clothes.” Allix began to unbutton Rayan’s shirt. “Not him you simpleton, Jack.” Allix began undressing Jack, who remained deceased on the floor. Delphine and Allix hid the slavemaster son’s personal effects underneath Allix’s bed and in post haste had the bed sheet over the bed in attempts to further conceal his bloodstained clothes. Delphine and Allix held up a now unconscious Rayan out of the shack and headed towards the woods on the outskirts of the plantation. “Wait here, I will be back.” “I-I don’t hear a heartbeat Delphine, I-I-I don’t think he’s ali–” “You wait HERE!” Delphine bellowed before Allix could finish her sentence. Delphine sped off and returning with Jack’s corpse and two shovels. “Let’s get to digging before they come looking for us.” Allix nodded a grabbed a shovel and the ladies began digging. They made a shallow grave for Jack and covered the plot with sticks and dead leaves to normalize with the surrounding woods, then they dug a second plot. “What the second hole for?” Allix inquired. “For the Vampire transformation to be complete, you and Rayan must be buried together till nightfall. It begins once Rayan is in the dirt but you must be with him as he awakes or he could become… erratic for lack of better words.” “What will you do?” “What I must to protect you both.” “Look, Delphine, I apologi–” “Stop fucking talking and get inside with my brother!”
Allix nodded and entered the empty hole and laid next to Rayan. Delphine started burying the two with mounds of dirt, Allix covered her mouth by holding Rayan in a tight embrace and covering her face with his clothed, but broad chest. “When you both arise, the revolution will begin.” Allix nodded as both bodies disappeared under the dirt. Off to the corner about 20 feet away using the trees for cover was Allix’s youngest sister, Camille, watching what Delphine was doing out of curiosity. “What is she doing?” She thought to herself. She kept looking onward almost as if she was in a trance, then she heard her mother call out. “Camille? Camille child, where are you?!” Camille hiked up her work dress and discreetly ran off with such speed trying not to be detected by Delphine or anyone for that matter. “Child, where were you? And why are you breathing so heavy?” “I was just… I saw an animal in the woods and I wanted to take a closer look.” “You shouldn’t go anywhere near those woods, it’s too dangerous!” Her mother scolded. “Yes mama, I’m sorry. You can’t trail off like that, you know what happened to Allix. You gots to be more careful young lady.” Her mother gently palms her face. Now, your father and your brother will be home any minute. So why don’t you help me make supper for them.” “Okay mama, I will.” Camille smiled. “And where in the heavens is your sister?” Camille paused before she answered. “I don’t know, I haven’t s–” A knock was at the door. Camille’s mother walked over to the door & saw it was Delphine, Camille’s face became flushed and her body was paralyzed with fear as the fair-skinned woman she saw moments ago was now in her doorway. “Delphine, what a pleasant surprise. Please come in my dear.” “Thank you, Mrs. Beaulieu.”
“My pleasure, come here child.” Delphine and Camille’s mother embraced with Delphine’s eyes fixed on Camille the entire time till they separated. “Please, stay for dinner. I know it’s not much but we can definitely spare another plate for you.” “You are too kind, but I cannot stay. I actually wanted to speak with Camille for a moment, with your permission, of course, Mrs. Beaulieu.” “Of course, but may I ask if you’ve seen Allix? She was supposed to have been home by now from working and we haven’t seen her since this morning.” “No, no I have not. But I’m sure she’ll be home soon. My brother has been missing all day too, he hasn’t been at the stables and now I’m worried. He’s all I have left and I can’t lose him.” Camille silently scoffed at the performance of Delphine. “I’m sure he’ll be okay, maybe massa’s sent him to the store for supplies. You know it takes a while to go and come back.” “Thank you for your kind words ma’am, I just want him home before nightfall so he’s safe. Camille, we can speak outside your doorstep so we don’t disturb your mother while she’s cooking. Is that okay?” Camille nodded and walked out and closed the door. “What did you see?” “What are you talking about?” “See, you were quite quiet in the woods. Couldn’t hear a single thing, but I smelled your fear; you reeked of it, now I will ask one more time… what. did you. see?” “My sister getting in the hole with your brother and you burying them. Why would she do that for you?” “It’s not for me, it is for us. All of us, you are too young to understand now. But you are old enough to understand this, you better not say anything to anyone about what you saw. Not even your ma or pa. Cause if you do I will come back for you…” Delphine’s fangs came out with a hard scowl on her face. “And we won’t be talking at that point.” Camille’s eyes grew wider than her face looking at how Delphine transformed in front of her.
“Delphine, is that you?” A deep bass voice called out for her. Her face changed back quicker than she turned her head. “Greetings Mr. Beaulieu, hello Cyrille, how are you gentlemen doing this early evening?” She beamed a large smile. “We good, just finished getting a lil head start for tomorrow.” “That’s good.” “What are you doing here, this isn’t your home.” Cyrille interjected with a furrowed brow that looked permanent. “Cyrille!” his father exclaimed. “No, no, no, it’s quite alright. I was actually over here asking if Allix was home. Camille told me she hasn’t seen her so I was just about to leave.” “What does my sister have to do with you?” “Cyrille, be respectful!” “No need for the hostility Cyrille, you know Allix & Rayan are close. I was wondering if they went into town together for Massa. Now I know they weren’t and I am going to go.” “Let’s go inside papa, please?” “Okay Camille, let’s go.” “Have a good night Miss Delphine.” “Have a good night Miss Camille, Mr. Beaulieu.” Camille & her father entered the shack, as she was walking away Cyrille grabbed her arm & they both made intense eye contact. “You never bothered to step foot out of your castle and now you wanna show your face around here?! I don’t trust your brother and I damn sure don’t trust you!” “Is that any way to speak to a lady?” “Nah, you ain’t no lady, you’re a mutt. You and your brother are show dogs, too white for the fields and too niggerish for the dining room table. Nothing but deformed beasts.” Delphine softly chuckled at him while Cyrille venomously glared at her, their eyes met again. “Look, I could give a damn about what you trust, but if you ever so much as touch me again…I’ll rip your fucking arm off your body!” Delphine snatched her arm back and storms off to the main house. “I’ll know all your secrets soon enough Delphine Dupreé, soon enough.” Delphine looked back at Cyrille one last time as he chuckled entering his home and she continued onward to prepare for The Revolt.
