Resolve of the Wretched

It started at a barely decent hour, the jangle of the phone echoed through the early morning quiet of the house and I pulled up my blankets fretfully not bothering to answer it as I knew what was forthcoming. The town was digesting my new familial connection and their lust for scandal was concealed in their concerned enquiries into my wellbeing. What they forget is now that my mother is no longer alive the buffer of courtesy which would have my reluctant answers pried out of me no longer existed. I felt no obligation to politely endure their inquisitive queries and turning off my phone was the first step in sending this town a message that I was not going to be a victim of the Dubois family.

While I was not surprised to find Simon cruising up in time for breakfast I could not resist asking if he ever turned up for work. He gave me his usual unconcerned grin looking gorgeous enough to melt any heart but mine and for a second a pang of regret filled me. This was the moment in life when I could change my path, this was the time I could let it all go, let Simon have his way, and start a new life together, but then my cell phone rang and the fleeting fear of Gervais seeped into the cracks of my psyche. As long as that fear was the dark ghost tainting my soul I would never be free of him or the rest of the Dubois family and so kept the fires of my fury burning.

To my relief it was not Gervais but Zizi so to let her know I could not talk I told her that Simon was enjoying breakfast with me and her voice was creased with concern as she remarked that Simon just might get in the way. I told her the matter would be resolved soon as I knew that I could not allow myself to be shackled by his attentions at this moment. Zizi told me when she was out at Zebub last night she saw Elyce stalk Jojo with an intensity that gave new meaning to psychotic. I told her that Jojo deserved the joy of a little Elyce Dubois in his life which had her fizz into an evil laugh and she hung up still chuckling at the thought.

Simon eavesdropped shamelessly and asked me if I was dealing with the Jojo issue. I stared at him as if his words were alien gibberish if only he knew how far removed I was from caring about Jojo Sedero. Instead I shrugged and told him that I had grown up and left childish infatuations behind me. Simon looked down and for a second I could see his resolve waver I knew he was worried that he was part of this but I did not reassure him and realised that I had to ensure Simon left and did not come back for I could not do what I had to do with his affections shadowing my life.

I not only had to rid myself of Simon but I had to be careful what we discussed in front of Maritka for although I knew she had my back I did not want her implicated in anything we did in case it all went sour. The main problem I had, the issue consuming my every waking moment was how to actually implement any sort of plan. It was one thing to gather those around who had been devastated by Gervais but it was another to do something about it and even though Simon had been hurt by Gervais he did not do anything to Simon that Simon had not instigated himself. What he did to me, Zizi, Coco and Tiah was only for the amusement of Gervais Dubois and I looked back on the past months realising that if I had just given in to Gervais this would all be over. He would have bored of me and tossed me aside like he does all his toys and. I would be a family ghost like Liselle and soon no doubt Elyce.

My friends would be leading happy lives, be of no interest to him and thoughts of panic flooded me as I realised I should not have enlisted their aid for I had got them into this and I should get them out but I could not take on Gervais alone-- he was too powerful, cruel and far too dangerous. I might have put on a good show for the others but in reality I was terrified of what we were about to implement—the absence of Gervais Dubois.

With his uncanny knack of reading my mind Simon told me to stop obsessing over Gervais and that he only had power because I allowed him. I shook my head and said that when he actively destroyed the lives of my friends then he had all the power. Simon’s face went a light pink and I knew he thought I was referring to his past. He said he meant my new relationship with the Dubois family and I told him there was no relationship, there never was going to be one, I had an unfortunate DNA alliance and that was the only thing the Dubois family and I had in common. I realised as I was saying this-- what a glib liar I was becoming and this was yet another trait I had in common with Gervais. Sometimes I could feel him running through my veins, the betrayal of my genetic heritage the poison of Dubois blood twisting my soul into contortions of despair.

Simon sat across from me, a bastion of determination, while I felt besieged with battles on all sides consuming my every waking moment. I wondered what other misery life could heave into the insanity that now filled my daily routine. I had to detach Simon from my life, keep a low profile in the town, implement a plan with friends I had drafted and deal with my repugnant new family. The truth in a kaleidoscope of bleak moments ruptured in my mind with a glaring clarity and I realised that this entire process was sheer madness, what on earth I had been thinking. I planned to remove Gervais Dubois while using my frequently dim friends what utter madness had consumed me as I reflected that shock had me hurling down this avenue of lunacy and I came to my sense with a harsh jolt.

I realised Simon was right, I was allowing Gervais all my power, as I believed as the town did, that he was this omnipotent being who was not to be thwarted—the Dubois mythology. I cringed as the doorbell rang angry that the town not content with my silence would in their audacity approach me in my own home. I motioned Maritka away for if I was to show a sense of strength and dignity this was the moment to reveal that I was no only a Dubois I was also my mother’s daughter.

I flung open the door a scowl of contempt ready for whomever had the disregard to bother me at home. I was greeted by an artic smile that chilled my heart like fractured glass for there stood Elyce Dubois, her glacial beauty no longer a pale reminiscence of Liselle but a full compliment. “Hello Cousin”, she said, her voice an oily tribute to Gervais. “Are you not going to invite me in?” I stood wretched with despair and Elyce took my trance to be acquiescence floating past me into the foyer. Spying Simon in the drawing room she continued her journey of destruction and gave him a cool smile. Watching her sit down, secure in the knowledge that her power was that in being a Dubois, a torrent of dark emotions flooded my heart and I was back on my slippery slope. Gervais had sent Elyce to unnerve me but instead he had enabled my resolve—this reign of the Dubois was coming to an end and it was fitting that one of their own would instigate their demise.

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