Chapter XLII:

War can turn everyone into monsters. I’ve seen it happen many times over. It doesn’t change. The Civil War would be the first time I saw it. That Christmas I spent with Maddie and her siblings was the year before the War started. I tried to stay away from the family. They didn’t come looking for me either. Through the rest of winter, I could breathe easy. I didn’t see or hear Luna or Elizabeth either. I was just alone in the silence. Maybe it wouldn’t come to that.

But then the spring came.

April twelfth was a dark day. I did my best to stay away from the war. Like I said, it wasn’t my fight. I still had a problem. I thought that I could stay away from people. Fate decided it had other plans. It started three days after the war began.

For some reason, I wanted some apples. I can’t remember the reason. I don’t really like apples at all. But I had the urge to go and buy them. I didn’t think the war would reach Louisiana. We would be out in the clear. I made my way down to the market.

Everyone seemed so quiet around me. I felt invisible in this crowd. Worked for me. I could just get my apples and get back to my cabin. I made my way over to the booth. An old lady looked up at me from under the shade.

“Good morning, kind sir,” she said.

“Good morning. I would like to buy some Granny Smiths,” I said.

“How many would you like?” she asked.

“Four, please,” I said. The old lady started to look through her best ones. I narrowed my eyes when I got a better look at her face.

“Are you new around here?” I asked.

“Pardon?” the old lady asked.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” I said, shaking my head. She broke into a little smile to herself.

“You can say that,” she said. “I can here a few weeks ago.” The old lady picked up and an apple and looked at it.

“I see,” I said. She stuffed the apple in a small bag. I noticed her mumbling something under her breath.

“Excuse me?” I asked. She looked up at me.

“What?” she asked. I shook my head.

“I could’ve sworn that you said something,” I said.

“Did I?” that vendor asked.

“I think you did,” I said. The old lady shrugged.

“Hm,” she said. She picked up another apple and looked at it. The old lady said something again.

“How is Elizabeth doing?”

I froze when I heard that. “Excuse me?”

“I asked you how you were doing,” the old lady said. I blinked for a moment.

“Fine…” I said. “And you?” That wasn’t what she said, was it? I could have been imagining it.

“Fine,” the old lady said. She put the apple in the bag.

“How do you know her?” I asked. The old lady glanced up at me with another apple in her hand.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked.

“How do you know Elizabeth?” I asked. The vendor looked me in the eyes.

“Who is Elizabeth?” she asked. I shook my head.

“Nothing,” I lied. She tilted her head.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asked. I stared at her for a moment. What was going on? Was I losing my mind? Was this some sick joke at my expense?

“Uh… yeah, yeah,” I said. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” She didn’t say anything as she put down the apple and looked at another one. I glanced around the marketplace. No one seemed to notice us. The people walked around looking for food to buy. The vendor tried to lure them over to their booth. It was like this old lady and I were in another world. She muttered something else under her breath.

“What did you say?” I asked. The old woman looked me in the eye.

“What?” she asked. Was this woman messing with me? Who was she really?

“Who are you?” I asked. She picked up a third apple.

“I’m just an old lady who is here selling apples,” she said. She dropped the apple into the bag. I was tempted to turn around and walk away. The old woman looked me deep the eyes.

“Elizabeth has a message for you,” she said. She picked up one more apple and looked at it. I looked at her with unease.

“What?” he asked. The old lady broke into a warm smile.

“That will be eight shillings,” she said. I reached into my cloak and paid for the apples.

“What did Elizabeth say?” I asked again as I handed her the money. The old lady took my money. I noticed that her face looked so demonic for a moment.

“I will see you in hell, my love,” she growled in a low voice. My heart jumped in my throat. I took off running out of the market.

She wouldn’t be the last one to come after me.