Secret Of The Big Easy

Chapter 2

TWO

Marie loved how the streets in the French Quarter were aligned in an orderly grid, which encompassed brick and cobblestone sidewalks with historical buildings sandwiched together. Each business sat neatly tucked beneath a wrought iron balcony displaying their wares or menu items. Christmas certainly came alive everywhere with the lights, red velvet bows, ornaments, and wreaths.

The restaurant they chose boasted of Cajun cuisine and French ambiance with aged rustic brown brick walls and wide planked wooden doors that welcomed everyone inside, as well as outside at the alfresco café. The red-ribbon lined garland was strung around the wrought iron gas light fixtures, which harmonized with the table and chairs along the sidewalk. The distant sound of zydeco music echoed throughout the street. It gave one a sense of class in a relaxed atmosphere.

They finished their meals of chicken gumbo, crawfish cakes, shrimp, and turtle soup. A traditional dinner wouldn’t be complete without New Orleans cocktail of choice, Sazerac, which is the famed mix of rye whiskey, bitters, and absinthe that originated in the bayou. The finale to the meal was bananas foster with vanilla ice cream, and fresh ground coffee.

Gale sat back in her chair and held her hand to her stomach. “That had to be one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I would need to work out after every meal if I lived here.”

Marie smiled and sipped her coffee. “I know, right? I refuse to use the scale when I get home.”

“I’m only going to say this one last time, but that was the best chicken gumbo ever.” Tim awkwardly looked at Gale and Cory. “I promise never to mention it again.”

Cory laughed and placed his napkin on the table. “After that meal, you can say chicken gumbo anytime you want. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like the crawfish cakes, but they were delicious.”

“Marie, tell me more about this psycho chemistry stuff Myra was telling you about. When did you start having the ability to see things when you touched them?” Gale leaned toward Tim and wiped a smudge of ice cream off his chin with her napkin.

“Its psychometry and that was the first time it ever happened. It was so surreal. I could feel the fear from the woman who was stabbed and the eeriness throughout the whole vision. The incense made me feel drugged. My shirt was soaked clear through when I came back around.”

Gale gave Marie a concerned look. “I think I have to agree with Cory, I’m glad you’re getting a handle on all of this, but it almost feels as though you’re getting deeper into new abilities. Was Myra concerned?”

Marie smiled, thinking of Myra and her tiny, frail frame wearing her brightly colored wardrobe and flashy jewelry. Even though Myra was only in her sixties, she looked antiquated.

“A little at first, but she helped me through it. I asked her if the vision could have taken place in my hotel room. She said it was possible, or that whoever stayed in that room took part in the ritual someplace else. She also said it could have happened at any time and that the energy residues remained on the phone. Or something like that, it was all a bit confusing to me.”

“Yeah, I bet. We may need to stay in touch with her this week if it happens again.” Gale tucked her hair behind her ear.

Tim sat up in his chair. “What do you all say we get the real feel of New Orleans and walk the streets of the French Quarter? Maybe we can check out some voodoo shops.”

“Ooh, yeah, and I’d love to see if there are any antique shops around with the off chance of taking something back to my shop.” Gale rubbed her hands together.

Gale owned the local antique shop on Sullivan’s Island and only lived three beach houses up from Marie, which was a nice bonus when Marie was itching to buy antiques for her home or clinic.

Marie stood up and stretched her back. “I think that’s a great idea. I need to walk off this meal. Let’s head down Dauphine Street, and maybe we can catch a trolley.”

They made their way and caught a trolley that was painted bright red with yellow folding doors adorned with Christmas lights. There was fake snow on the roof and the tall windows wrapped around the entire trolley giving them the ability to see the spectacular views and decorations along the streets. You could hear the metal trolley pole slide across the overhead wire, while the steel wheels ground along on the rails and the sound of the trolley bell echoed throughout the car and streets.

After frequenting many points of interest, Marie waited for everyone outside one of the voodoo shops. “These shops are touristy but fun.”

Gale pouted and stepped down onto the brick sidewalk. “Why wouldn’t you let me buy one of those voodoo dolls?”

Marie rolled her eyes. “Because you wanted it to look like Harry.”

Harry Connor was a school counselor and demonologist, and one of the SIPS team members.

“Those aren’t to be taken lightly. Just like Ouija boards. They’re sold as casual games, but I don’t like tempting fate.” Marie elbowed Gale to make her laugh.

Cory pulled out his New Orleans street map. “Hey, we’re only a block away from the St. Louis Cemetery, anyone in the mood to take a tour?”

Gale quickly stopped pouting. “Yeah, let’s see if they’re giving any ghost tours.”

“Really? You want to take a ghost tour when you’re a member of a ghost investigation team?” Tim chuckled and shook his head.

“Well yeah, why not? You said we should get the full experience of New Orleans.”

Marie smiled at Gale and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m game if any of you are?”

Tim glanced down at his watch. “Do you think any tours are going on now? I mean it’s almost eleven o’clock.”

“There’s only one way to find out. Let’s head over there.” Cory folded the map and slipped it into his back pants pocket.

Marie arrived first at the signboard posted on the concrete pillars and read the times for cemetery tours. “It looks as though we will have to come back in the morning. Their tours are at ten, and it closed at three.”

“Hey, the gates are open. So is the lock.” Gale cautiously walked through the tall iron gate.

The cemetery at night was imposing and eerie. Every tomb sat above ground and gave the appearance the bodies would leap out at you. The statues of saints cast their shadowy figures against the mausoleums making you feel as though you were being watched. Some tombs were quite dull and decrepit, while others were covered with flowers and mementos.

“Wow, it’s claustrophobic in here. How can anyone pack all of these bodies in such a small space?” Gale edged up against a mausoleum. “Isn’t the grave of that voodoo queen in here?”

“Marie Laveau, and yes I think it is. Or it’s her daughter’s grave. I can’t remember offhand.” Tim followed Gale and grabbed her hand.

“Okay, I’m not even going to ask how you know that. What do you do, sit up at two in the morning and watch all the freak shows on TV?” Gale chuckled and laced her arm in his.

Cory laughed. “What else has he got to do when he’s pulling the night shift at the fire station?”

Marie smiled and gazed around the cemetery. “I have to say, this would be a great place for an investigation.”

“Speaking of which, this André Danél you met, did he happen to say what they were going to be investigating? And when are we going to meet him?” Gale stopped short at a majestic monument of an angel towering over them.

“He’s going to give me a call tomorrow. I think he mentioned about us attending their meeting in the evening. That’ll give us the chance to meet the rest of the team.” Marie felt a cold chill and shivered. “As far as what the investigation is, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Cory rubbed Marie’s shoulders. “Are you okay? Do you want my jacket?”

“No, I’m fine, I just felt a chill.” Marie continued walking and suddenly felt dizzy. “Whoa, my head is spinning. And I feel a little clammy.”

Cory grabbed Marie’s arm and guided her to a grave with crumbling bricks. “I think you’d better sit down over here.”

Gale handed Marie her bottle of water. “Are you having one of those visions?”

“I think I am. I can see a woman in a sheer nightgown. Or at least I think she’s in a nightgown.” Marie rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. “Wait a minute, she’s saying something. She’s holding her chest, and there’s blood. Oh wow, there’s blood all over her chest.”

Marie’s voice trailed off, and she felt herself slipping into a dreamlike state. The woman in the nightgown was screaming and holding her hands out to Marie. Images of people flashed by in a haze, and there were voices of chanting and loud drumming. They appeared to be dancing a strange dance around a fire. Suddenly there was a woman in the middle holding a snake that coiled its slithering body around her neck. The woman’s eyes were glowing, and she stared at Marie with such intensity that she could feel a sharp pain in her chest. Marie’s throat began to feel dry, and she started to gag. She couldn’t catch her breath. She felt as if she would choke to death when her guardian angels appeared in a glowing halo. They were calling out to Marie and pulling her away from the fire. There were bright colors of yellow and gold, and Marie felt as if she was in the middle of a typhoon. She kept slipping and spinning and falling until everything was still and dark.

Marie opened her eyes and found herself staring up at a woman with copper-colored skin and deep bronze eyes. “Where am I? What happened?”

“Ya were havin’ a vision chile. But ya were slippin’ too far into it. I brought ya back to da present.” The woman slowly lifted Marie’s head and leaned her against Cory. “My name is Delia Boisseau. I am a psychic reader at the voodoo museum. Ya spirit guides brought me to ya.”

Marie slowly sat up and saw everyone staring at her with pale faces. “Spirit guides? What spirit guides?”

Delia asked, “Baby, don’t ya know what a spirit guide is?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t. I’m a little new to this.”

“A spirit guide is like ya guardian angels. Do ya know what dose are?” Delia smiled and stood up wearing a traditional koto dress with bright orange and yellow flowers and an angisa head wrap to match.

“Yes, yes I do. I did see them.” She turned to Cory and the others. “I saw the little boy and woman without a face again. In fact, just as I saw them everything went bright and gold. Then it went pitch-dark, and I woke up.”

“Dat’s right. They summoned me to bring ya back from da vision. Ya was too far gone, and they was protecting ya.” Delia leaned forward and placed her hand on Marie’s head and closed her eyes. “Chile you have a whole lotta things rollin’ around in dat head of yas.”

Gale stepped forward and smiled at Delia. “Thank you for helping my friend. She just recently got a handle on having her ability to talk with spirits about six months ago. And now there seems to be more she’s able to do.”

“Don’t y’all fret. The spirit guides will protect her. And I’ll be around too.” Her smile faded as she looked back at Marie. “But I is here to tell ya dat ya need to be careful with dat vision. Y’all be messin’ with voodoo and da occult. Close ya mind chile. When they be tryin’ to get into ya head, tell dem to back away. They is powerful.”

“I will. I’ll do the best I can. And thank you for your help.” Marie extended her hand to Delia.

Delia shook her hand and smiled. “Dat’s all ya can do. Now y’all best head on outta here before da police see ya in here and I best be gettin’ back to da museum. If y’all have any more questions, stop on by.”

They all smiled and waved good bye as she sashayed out through the iron gates and disappeared around the corner.

Cory helped Marie to her feet. “I think that was enough for one evening, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I have to say, I’m not so sure I want to have a tour of this place now.” Tim grabbed Gale’s hand.

“Marie, why don’t we head back to the hotel and maybe call Myra in the morning. I think we need to keep her in the loop of what just happened. She may have some insight on it.” Gale linked her arm with Marie’s.

“Yeah, I agree. I also think I’m going to need to work on my meditation. I need to be able to control my mind when the spirits are trying to communicate with me. It was just so overpowering.” Marie leaned her head on Cory’s shoulder.

“I’m not prepared to go through that again. My heart dropped out of my chest when you weren’t responding.” Cory kissed Marie’s forehead.

“I know, right? Then all of a sudden out of nowhere, Madam Delia shows up snapping her fingers in front of your face and chanting some voodoo language all over you. That was freaky.” Gale shook her head and shivered.

Tim draped his arm around Gale. “I hear ya, but I think it was Creole she was speaking.”

“Okay, I need to monitor your television programs. You’re starting to scare me.” Gale giggled and poked Tim’s side.

Marie sighed. “I’m exhausted. It completely drained me.”

Gale stopped walking and turned to Marie. “What exactly was the vision anyway?”

“From what I could make of it, some voodoo ceremony around a fire with a voodoo priestess dancing with a snake around her shoulders. She stared right at me with glowing green eyes. Oh, and that same woman I saw in my hotel room was there screaming and holding out her hands to me. What’s that all about?” Marie took another sip of Gale’s bottled water.

Cory guided Marie to continue walking. “I definitely think you need to talk to Myra and get a good night’s rest. I’m exhausted just by listening to all of this.”

They all walked arm in arm back to their hotel. Marie felt woozy and weary from the whole experience. There was no doubt this latest vision scared her. But she was glad to see her spirit guides or guardian angels again. It was nice to know she had good friends here and on the other side protecting her.