Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center (19 page)

The woman made no comment
but started to hum,
and continued to stroke
her snake.
The sound of her humming was like nothing Alex had ever heard.  It unnerved her.

Alex
spoke
again, feeling a little braver, "What can I do to stop it
?
  Many good people have been hurt. It must stop."

"It is
not in my power to alter things
.
It is not my curse
."

"Then where can I go? 
Who can take the curse
away?
Who can I talk to?  You must know
something else," Alex continued breathlessly,
her body beginning to tremble in fear and frustration.

The woman continued to stroke both the cat and the snake for a few moments and said,
"Go to the feast tomorrow, at midnight near the old
Spanish fort by Bayou St. John."

The woman turned her back to them,
and placed
her
cat and
snake behind the counter
.  The cat meowed in protest.

Alex and Elizabeth continued to stand at the counter until the woman turned around and said, “Leave this place. Be
gone, now.  Don't return here, ever
!
"  The woman left the counter
and disappeared into the back
room of the store.

Alex was about to foll
ow the woman
into the back room to get more information
when Elizabeth
suddenly seemed to wake up.  She pulled her by the arm and
said, "Let's get
the hell
out of here.
Move
!
  This place gives me the creeps." 

Alex didn't arg
ue.  Outside the museum
,
her heart sank when she
didn’t
see
Martin
’s cab
, and it was pitch black.
She felt as though a dozen pairs of eyes were following her
and
staring
through
her
,
and she was scared to death.

As they stood
helplessly
on the curb, the partying people around them had taken on
an
ominous, evil look, and even the jazz music
seemed to have
an evil beat.
The Mardi Gras masques of many partiers were grotesque, ominous and she was terribly frightened.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a
mean-looking
man with a long pony tail coming to
ward her.  He was about to touch her
when Martin's big white cab pulled up to the curb
.  Alex and Elizabeth jumped in, just narrowly evading the grasp of the ponytailed stranger.
  Martin’s cab felt like a
safe oasis, a place where her heart beat and breathing could return to normal.

Alex
felt mentally and physically exhausted.  She was also numb all over.  Her heart was racing and felt irregular.
  Very little conversati
on passed back and forth, as each
was
caught up in their personal thoughts.  Even Martin was quiet for a change.

"Where can
I take you ladies"?  Martin ventured
.

Alex checked her watch.  It was seven but she felt like it was midnight.  "Can you drop us at Copeland's on the Avenue?  I think that we both need a good stiff drink.  That place was really something, Martin.  It was eerie, really spooky.  I hope that woman who works
there
makes a good salary.
She
’s pretty good,
plays her part well.
"

Elizabeth stared at Alex.  "I think she's a witch, no question.  I also think she's involved with voodoo.  I understand why everyone's so afraid of this stuff.  Scared the hell out of me.  I can hardly believe what I just saw
!
" 

Alex's voice was sharp
and she replied hotly
.  "Get over it
!
  She's dressed up
like
Halloween.  She's not a witch just because she had on white face powder and black lipstick.  She's playing a part.  Her job is to sell all that stuff in the store."  Alex's tone was condescending. 

Elizabeth responded hotly, "
Get real, Alex
!
Face it
!
  You were just as scared
as I was.  Now
I better understand what we are dealing with and you should too.
  How do you account for the fact that she knew who you were and what you wanted?"  Elizabeth's
pupils were wide and dilated,
and her
eyes were as defiant as her voice.

Alex squeezed Elizabeth's knee.  "Shut up," she hissed under her breath.  More loudly she said, "Let's talk about this over a drink. Martin, the traffic is lighter now.  Can you hurry?"

"I still say she's a witch," Elizabeth retorted, not to be so abruptly silenced.
  “And, stop telling me what to do, Alex.
You’re pissing me off.
I’ve had enough of your attitude.”

"She's a witch.  That she is,
that she is.  Don’t mess with her,
" Martin replied as he pulled his cab in front of Copeland's restaurant.  "See you gals later.  Have a pleasant evening."  Martin's voice was
tense, his words were short.
  He'd made his point.

Alex tr
ied to apologize.  "Martin, S
orry I
am in such a bad mood.  I guess I am just tired.
I have been so stressed over the stuff at CCMC.
Forgive me?" she asked
as she prepared to close the cab door.

"Sure, just be careful," he admonished before he pulled off.

An uneasy silence followed as Alex and Elizabeth entered the restaurant.  After being seated and quickly consuming their first drink, white wine for Alex, and a bloody
Mary
for Elizabeth, both women had visibly relaxed. The atmosphere of Copeland's was a welcome relief after the museum.  Alex glanced
around
at the happy
couples and
families enjoying dinner, once again assured that life was good and normal.  

She began the conversation.  "
Liz, sorry I am such a bi
tch and s
orry I was cross with you.  I didn't know exactly what had happened i
n there.  I wanted us to talk about this alone
before we got too emotionally involv
ed."  Alex hesitated, as she surveyed her friend's body language
.  "Let's talk about it.
  Can we?
"

"
What the hell. 
I need another drink.
I don't know what to think," Elizabeth began.  "I didn't believe any of this before tonight. 
I thought all of these people were superstitious crackpots
and ignorant assholes,
but now…
I don't know.  There was a lot of power in that place and it was evil.
  Somet
hing very ugly and th
reatening
is connected with this.  That witch knows, and somehow she's involved.  Who told her we were coming?  Nobody knew but Martin, did they?  You tell anybody we were going the
re 'cause I sure as hell didn't?
  We
didn't even know about it 'til this morning."  Elizabeth
nervously tapped her fingers on the table as she sipped her drink.
 

Alex looked at Liz
and watched
as many emotions flickered over her face.
  Liz
continued “
I went there on a lark
, thought it may be fun
.  Didn't expect to learn anything.  I'd just planned to buy a book or something to help me understand voodoo better.  Believe me, now I don't even want a book.  I don't want to know anything else about it, or even to talk about it.
I also believe that there
is a curse
against CCMC
and
I also
belie
ve
that part about being vulnerable if you accept the curse.
" 

Alex carefully considered Elizabeth's remarks before she answered.  Her voice was uncertain.  "I don't know.  I don't know the answer to any of this.  I think the woman, witch, whatever she is, is only peripherally involved.  I don't think she really knows anything."

Elizabeth's voic
e was impati
ent.  "Get real Alex
!
  Lose the
denial
!
She sure as hell knows something.  Somebody's been talking to
her.  What about going to that feast, or whatever it is on the Lake?  Surely you aren't going to go?
  Are you?
"  Elizabeth raised
her eyebrows at Alex studying her responses
. 

Elizabeth watched her friend's face and became alarmed.  "Don't even consider it.  It's crazy, absolutely crazy to expose yourself to anymore of this nastiness.  We're dealing with a lot of stuff we know nothing about.
These people are probably mentally ill.
Black magic, curses, magic powders. 
People who are native to New Orleans know about this stuff and stay away from it.
Don’t forget the behavior of our board members.  Several of them were scared shitless.
We, the hospital, and most specifically you, should do the same."

Alex pondered Elizabeth's comments for several moments.  "Don't you see, Elizabeth?  Fear's the voodoos greatest weapon.  It's just like I said to the governor this morning.  If we give up, it's like letting the evil
, the Voodoo
s, the witches and warlocks and
black
magic win.
That’s bullshit.
We've got to take the next
step
and confront this stuff head on
."  Alex's voice was firm with resolve.

"Promise you won't go to the feast.  It's dangerous, I know it.  I can feel it.
Someone may grab you or you could be hurt or killed and never be found.
"  

"I promise I'll take a large, strong man for prote
ct
ion," Alex smiled at her friend.  Alex was
relieved
that she and Liz had
returned to their old banter, and that
their friendship was back to normal
.

Alex checked her watch.  I have a date with Mitch. I have to go in a couple of minutes.

"Mitch Landry?
He’s so hot!
I might even go to a black magic feast with him.  Are you sleeping with him yet?"  Elizabeth looked coyly at Alex.

Alex shook her head.  "
Nope, it hasn’t gotten that far.
Hasn't asked me to."

"
What!
He need
s to ask you?
”
Liz’s raised eyebrows conveyed her disbelief.
“
I'd have jumped his bones a dozen tim
es by now."  Both women laughed
and paused
to order a third round of drinks.
 

Elizabeth continued, "Ready for the
Extravaganza?  It's only a few
days away.  Did you get your dress from Yvonne? I can't wait to see it."  Elizabeth
rambled,
obviously happy to be talking about more pleasant things.

Alex shook her head negatively.
"I haven't even thought about the ball for days.  Last week it was the most important thing
in my
life
.  I would go to sleep at night
dreaming about
t
he ball and a weekend with Mitch.  Do you realize our entire lives have been turned upside down in less than four days?  And to answer your questions, no, I'll get my gown tomorrow from Yvonne.  I'm so excited about it.  Speaking of Mitch, I've got to go call him
.  We have a
dinner date later and
I need to find out where to meet him.  He won't want to come here.  Thinks these plac
es are too commercial and consi
ders Copeland’s and Shoney’s equal in their cuisine.
He likes the off
the
beat
en tracks restaurants more. 
By the way, you're welcome to join us, but only if you promis
e not to
horn in," Alex offered and smiled
at her friend.

"Can't promise I wouldn't, so I'd better not."  Elizabeth smiled mischievously.  "You need a break from me and CCMC, and I need a break from you.  Do you realize that the voodoo museum trip actually made me mad at
you?
  But, I will have another
drink
and then take a cab home
."