The Stone of Blood (39 page)

“Well …good morning there, Mr. Toby! How are you doing this fine morning?” A familiar voice rang out from within the kitchen. “My ole’ my, how quickly you’ve grown!”

“Ms. Lillie?” I replied.

Ms. Lillie stood there in her kitchen, in a pretty blue polka dotted dress and a white apron, smilin’ really big at me! And I watched as Cricket ran over to her and gave her a great big old hug! Then they both just stood there with their arms opened wide waitin’ for me to come over and get me a hug from em’ too! So I did!

“Ms. Lillie.” I said. “I didn’t know you lived over here! How long have you been here? And how did you know I was in the woods and…”

“He sure does talk alot for a boy doesn’t he?” Cricket interrupted as she smiled.

“Yes! Yes he sure does!” Answered Ms. Lillie. “But I expect it’s because there’s lots of things the boy needs to know about. Aint that right Mr. Toby?” She asked as I nodded.

Ms. Lillie walked into her livin’ room and sat down on her big comfortable lookin’ couch. Cricket jumped up there beside her on her left hand side and Ms. Lillie patted the seat on the other side of her for me to come and sit down with her too!

“How would you like for me to tell you a story Mr. Toby?” Ms. Lillie asked as I sat down beside her. And then she placed her arm around my shoulders like she was so very pleased to see me.

“There’s alot that I have to tell you, and there are alot of questions that I know you need answers to.” she said as she looked around the room to her large rockin’ chair and then made motion to us to get back up. She patted Cricket on her leg and asked her to help her up.

“Honey?” Ms. Lillie said to Cricket. “Why don’t you go on in there in the kitchen and fetch us some milk and cookies to snack on while I sit down over there in my chair and tell us a story?”

“Okay.” Cricket said as she got up and walked into the kitchen.

I watched her as she walked; her pretty tanned legs and cut off blue jean shorts. Ms. Lillie caught me lookin’ at her too and she smiled at me real sly like. “She sure is a pretty one now aint she, Mr. Toby?” she said to me.

I just looked away and blushed.

“That’s why I sent her to fetch you.” Ms. Lillie said. “I’d thought about how I could get you here, and I figured that I could catch more flies with honey!” Ms. Lillie winked and laughed out loud then, slappin’ her hands upon her legs and smilin’ at me. But then just as suddenly, her face grew stern.

“Now your gonna have to concentrate Mr. Toby, cause this here story I’m gonna tell you about is serious!” she said. “You understand me? This is something real and important! So I need you to pay attention!”

“I will Ms. Lillie.” I said. “I’ll pay attention.”

Cricket came back into the room carryin’ a tray with her filled with cold glasses of milk and a saucer filled with cookies! And then Ms. Lillie proceeded to sit down in her rockin chair. Me and Cricket found ourselves a place upon the hardwood floor there in front of her chair, and we dipped our cookies in the milk as she told us her story.

“All great stories have a beginning, children.” Ms. Lillie said as she began to rock back and forth. “And this here story ...it’s a great one! So …like all the great ones …this story begins with ‘
Once upon a time’.

‘Once upon a time …a long, long time ago …in the days of knights and castles and fairy tales, there lived a beautiful young maiden whose heart was as pure as the newly fallen snow. Her name was
Audrei
and she lived with her father in the town of
Valais
. Her father’s name was Obadiah, and he was
a good man with a gentle soul.

When
Audrei
came of age she fell in love with the most handsome young man in her village, his name was Nathanael. And they were so in love!

With her father’s blessing’s Andrei’s hand was promised to Nathanael in marriage. And soon their wedding day was planned!

But one day before they were married, while the young maiden was working alongside her father in the fields …she caught the eye of the future King of the land, whose wife was a very jealous woman. The future Queen became consumed with jealousy and hatred for the young maiden, calling upon the darkened powers of witchcraft to cast a spell upon the girl! For you see, the future Queen was also an evil witch!

The spell she cast caused the town to turn against the young maiden! She was arrested by her townsmen and cast into the fires! She was burned at the stake for crimes that she did not commit!
And as the fires raged around her, those who were witness to the flames, were transformed into ‘werewolves’; cursed to walk the earth as half men and half beasts!’

“Mr. Toby? Are you listening to me?” Ms. Lillie asked. “You look perplexed.”

“Yes Ma’am, I’m listenin’.” I replied. “But those names you just said …the ones in the story?”

“Yes?” Ms. Lillie answered as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Pocket Watch I’d found in the woods.

“Those are the same names written on this watch.” I said as I handed it to her.

Ms. Lillie opened up the lid of the Pocket Watch and both she and Cricket read the inscription.

“Well, what you know about that!” She exclaimed. “Look at that honey girl!” she said to Cricket. “Mr. Toby done went and found his watch!”

“Well then.” Ms. Lillie turned and leaned in close to me. “Then you know that what I’m telling you about is the truth then, now don’t you Mr. Toby?” And she nodded her head to me like she knew that I did.

“Okay, now where was I?” Ms. Lillie began again. “Oh yes, we were talking about the ‘
werewolves
’.”

‘Those who were a witness to the flames were transformed into ‘werewolves’! Cursed to walk the earth! Both Nathanael and Obadiah had also fell victim to the curse …for they had been changed into ‘werewolves’ as well! For you see, they had come to rescue the fair maiden Audrei, but alas they had arrived too late! Too late to reach her in time, having only to have arrived as the flames of the fires had taken her!’

“But Audrei did not die!” Ms. Lillie said as she leaned in towards us to comfort our fears.

‘Though her body had been consumed by the fires, her spirit had been bound to a Martyr’s stone, the
‘Sang
Pierre
’
, for by blood or by name until she be free!’

“What does that mean Ms. Lillie?” I interrupted. “By blood or by name until she be free?”

“Well now, that’s a good question Mr. Toby!” Ms. Lillie answered. “There’s been a great deal of discussion over that very same question for many a year. And I guess that the best answer we’ve come up with is that we don’t rightly know for sure.” she said as she smiled at me. “That’s why we have you Mr. Toby, because you are a gift and a blessing!”

“Do you have the stone Ms Lillie?” I asked. “Maybe if I can have a look at it, I can figure it out.”

“Now don’t you go jumping ahead of my story Mr. Toby!” Ms. Lillie said as she lightly slapped at my hands. “Let me finish up here first and then you can ask me as many questions as you want after that. Okay?”

“See I told you he talked alot for a boy!” Cricket said and then she nudged me with her shoulder.

Ms. Lillie looked at Cricket sternly then and she pointed her finger at her. “Now honey girl, you need to stop your flirting with this here boy so that he can concentrate! I know you like him and by the way he’s blushing, I’d say that he likes you too! But there’ll be time for that stuff later on!” she said. “Why don’t you go on outside for a minute girl and feed them horses and let me sit in here for a spell and talk with the boy alone?”

“But I wasn’t doin’ nothin’.” Cricket replied usin’ what looked to me like an ‘
innocent face
’. “I was only…”

“Now you done heard what I said honey girl!” Ms Lillie interrupted. “I seen them
googly eyes
you been makin’ at each other and how ya’ll have been holding hands. I may be old child, but I’m sure not blind!”

Cricket got up off of the floor then and walked over to the doorway kinda slowly and looked back at me kinda flirty like.

“Go on now!” Ms. Lillie said. “Scoot child! We’ll be done in here soon enough, now go on!”

Ms. Lillie turned back at me and caught me lookin’ again and I blushed.

“Now where were we?” she said.

“You were sayin’ that Audrei didn’t die and that she could be set free.” I answered.

“Yes.” she said. “Audrei could be set free!

‘
For as y
ou see: those who had been changed into ‘werewolves’ by the witch had no idea why the curse had come upon em’! And when it happened to em’; most of em’ ran away, out of sheer fear and confusion!’

“They were the one’s who spread the legends of the ‘
werewolf’s
’ that you’ve heard tell about; Little Red Riding Hood, The Big Bad Wolf and other stories like those that are found in fairy tales, myths and other tall tales!” Ms. Lillie said. “You see, them stories, most of em’ anyways, were based on real life!
You’ve heard those stories, right Mr. Toby?” Ms. Lillie asked.

I nodded my head.

‘Well, unknown to the future Queen, Obadiah had watched her from afar as she pulled the Blood Stone from his daughter’s ashes. And he followed her. He followed her back to the Royal palace where he saw her present the Stone of Blood to her husband; the soon to be King. It was then that Obadiah learned of her treachery and witchcraft! And it was also then that he learned of the spell! But what he did not learn …was how to break it!

Obadiah got down on his knees then before the God of Heaven, and he vowed that he would protect the ‘Sang
Pierre’, the
Blood Stone that held his daughter’s spirit until she be free.’

“You see, that’s where that saying came from Mr. Toby! It was Obadiah who said it!” she said.

‘So with as many families as would join him, Obadiah and Nathanael followed the Blood Stone from Valais to Lystra, and then on to Paris; where it was that he learned more of the curse of the
‘Sang Pierre’,
that whosoever witnessed the flame and remained close to its power, could live forever!’

“Forever?” I interrupted.

Ms. Lillie nodded.

“But though they could live forever, these were
dark times
, Mr. Toby.” Ms. Lillie explained. “Being able to live forever is one thing. But living forever as a slave under the curse of the ‘
werewolf
’, now that’s an entirely different thing!”

‘Years soon passed and a secret society was formed within the city of
Paris
; a society whose sole purpose was to protect and guard the
‘Sang
Pierre
’
; a society known as the Order. But likened unto all things, the heart of the Order changed; as did Nathanael’s love for Audrei. Nathanael no longer wished to free her from her stone prison. His heart became cold and his only wish was to possess the stone for himself, hold her near to his heart and live forever!’