EPILOGUE

CHRISTMAS EVE

 

A huge spectacular white Christmas tree sat in the corner of the Prophet mansion in the living room as Nine, Leaf, Bridget, Lisa, Wagner, Jeremy and Porter decorated it with bulbs and tinsel.

Everyone except Nine, who was pregnant, sipped Francesca wine, while Denarius and little Kerrick II kept Julius company by making funny faces at him, as he sat in the playpen.

The Bose speakers embedded in the wall played The Whispers’ version of “This Christmas” and for the first time in a long time, Nine felt as if she were a part of something real. Her home was filled with family members who at one point or another had been forgotten. And she felt proud that she was able to bring them together.

As Nine decorated the fireplace, Leaf walked up behind her while she was hanging a stocking. He placed his warm lips against her ear and said, “You sure you have to go? We could always go upstairs and do our thing.”

His voice vibrated through her body, causing her to tingle all over. Smiling, she said, “Unfortunately, I do, husband.” She sighed. “I have not seen her since she left some months back. I want her to know that she still has family. And I need to make sure she is okay.”

He didn’t like the idea of her leaving at night but he knew how she felt about Isabel and would not stand in the way. Just as long as she didn’t bring her into their home. That was one promise Nine made to him that he would never allow her to take back. “Who’s going with you?”

She turned around and placed her arms around his waist. Looking up into his eyes, she said, “I am going inside alone.”

He rubbed her shoulders. “Is that right? You’re not even taking your most prized possession? The great Antonius?”

“I need protection,” she said touching her belly. “Especially since I am pregnant with your child.” She paused. “I would have taken you but you hate her. Do not worry, though, he will remain in the car.”

“It’s not that I hate Isabel,” he said. “I just wonder about her, that’s all. Don’t forget she put a knife to my neck, Nine. I have a right not to be in her fan club.” He kissed her nose.

“But she is still your cousin.”

“And I don’t know her like that.” He paused. “Speaking of cousins, what about the one downstairs?” he whispered not wanting to alert the others.

“Why are you so concerned with what I do in my leisure time?”

He gripped her arms and pulled her to him. His warm breath fell upon her face. “What you are doing is wrong, Nine. What have you turned in to? You don’t hold people against their will just because you can.”

“Have you forgotten how she tried to steal my money? And ruin me? What if you had not found them? I would be broke!” She paused. “Besides, confinement is not that bad. It was done to me.”

Silence.

He released her and said, “Are you feeding her today? Since it is Christmas Eve?”

Angry he was so concerned with her, she clenched her jaw and pushed away from him. Moving toward a plate with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, she said, “I am already on it.”

Although she assumed nobody was interested in what went down in the basement, she underestimated Lisa, who was always looking, listening and watching. Despite the rules, she was going to enter that basement and learn its secrets, if it was the last thing she did.

Once downstairs, Nine walked to a private room, across from the prison. Opening the door, she looked ahead, at the painting on the wall that once belonged to Gates. She always coveted the painting that was done by a young artist named Antoinette Bateau. It resembled a bleeding vagina and Nine wondered what Antoinette’s mind frame was when she created it.

After looking at the painting, she opened the door to the prison and approached Alice’s cell. Her cousin’s once confident mien disappeared a long time ago and was replaced with something Nine could not recognize. Although confined, there was something right beneath the surface of her soul that refused to be shattered and Nine hated her for it.

Nine strolled casually up to the cell, slid the plate under the bars and sat down in a chair in front of it. Alice crawled over to the plate and snatched the food off of it as if she were a dog.

When she was done, she stood up and with a mouthful of food and said, “I don’t know why you’re looking at me like I’m a science project, Nine.”

“You are a disgrace,” Nine laughed. “It is funny how no one, not even your mother, bothered to ask about you. All they want to do is get me to change my mind about cutting them off. To show me how much they care. It is all about the money.”

Alice’s eyes began to water. “I don’t care about them. I don’t care about no one and I will never be who you want me to be.”

Nine smiled. “Yes you will. Everyone can be broken.”

“Why do you say that? Because you shattered so easily under my pressure?” she asked slyly.

Nine’s foot fidgeted. “You do not know what you are talking about, inmate. It would be wise if you learned your place instead of biting the hand that feeds you.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” she giggled. “At one time, you were virtuous and even though I hated you, I respected you for being the same. For knowing who you were. But now, well now you’re just like me. A person who was born to hate and who loves it.”

There was visible tension in Nine’s shoulders and arms. “I am nothing like you, Alice Prophet!” she yelled standing up.

“Oh?” she said sarcastically. “Is that why you get pleasure off of seeing me behind this wall?”

“I gave you a chance to do what was right!” She pointed at her. “I warned you of what would happen if you went against me and you did it anyway.”

Alice laughed heartedly. “You didn’t give me a chance to do anything but what you knew I would! You knew I wouldn’t accept your meaningless offer. You expected me to do exactly what I did, go against you with all my might. That way you would feel validated in keeping me here.”

“I brought you here to teach you a lesson!”

“You aren’t keeping me here to teach me a lesson. Or even to punish me. You’re keeping me here because you enjoy having a prisoner. Tell the truth and be free, Nine! You were angry when Leaf killed Banker, weren’t you? Because you would’ve had two playthings.” She laughed. “You enjoy having a toy so that you can go upstairs and fuck your own cousin. My presence gives you orgasms at night.” She laughed. “Doesn’t it, Nine Prophet?” Alice’s thin face spewed words of fire and Nine trembled upon hearing what she recognized as truth.

“You have made me angry beyond reset, Alice. On Christmas day, I am going to snatch out your eyes.” Alice’s smile dematerialized. “Let us find out if you see the world the same way then.”

She moved for the exit.

Alice placed her hands on the bars and stuffed her thin face between them. “You’re just like me, Nine Prophet!” she yelled as Nine moved through the door. “Do you hear me? Just like me!”

 

****

 

Nine followed a pretty white nurse down the hallway to visit her cousin in Stormy Woods Mental Facility. Although it was not her intent, Alice had placed her in a bad mood and she was hoping to release the negative energy.

Before she approached Isabel’s room, her phone rang. It was Leaf. “Bae, you gotta come home right away!”

“I just got to the center. I cannot leave right now.” She paused. “What is wrong?”

“There’s a religious protest out in front of our house! It’s on the news and everything!”

“A protest, for what?”

“For who we are,” he said in a deep voice. “But guess who’s leading the charge.”

“Who?”

“The woman who was in our house. The one I thought was with Gates. I recognized her face!”

“I am confused.” She rubbed her temples.

“Me too. But her name is Sister Anna Marie Cartwright. They’re calling us abominations and everything.”

Nine stumbled a little.

“Are you alright?” the nurse asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I am fine,” she lied.

The nurse removed her hand and stepped a few feet back to give her some privacy.

All this time, Nine had no idea that the woman, who had been in her home on the night Gates was killed, was Anna. Leaf had lost so much blood that some of his memory went with it. For a week, she questioned him endlessly about the woman’s description but he kept saying it was dark and that he could not see or remember much.

Anna was determined to extort money from Nine. When her original plan to use Joshua did not work, since he resigned his position at the shelter and went into hiding after speaking to his niece Isabel, she tried to get at Nine through Leaf. But Gates had his own plans that night. So Anna and her goons left the Prophet mansion with haste, leaving Leaf beaten and tied up in their wake.

With no other recourse, Anna decided to expose the Prophets, like she had done in the past with the senator and Pope, secretly hoping to be paid off by Nine finally.

“Leaf, I will be home when I can,” she said.

“Call me when you get on the property. I’m going to have some of the men try to clear the road up so you’ll be safe. Baby, you should see the people’s faces. They fucking hate us! I have a feeling shit is not going to be the same for our family after this.”

“Me too.”

After ending the call with Leaf, she was shaken up but had to go on with the visit so that she could get home quickly. “She’s in that room right over here.” The nurse pointed at a large metal door with a window.

Confused, she said, “I cannot walk in and talk to her?”

“Not now. It’s too early for Isabel to have contact. Besides, she must learn to follow the rules.” She walked away.

Slowly Nine approached the door and peered in. Everything was white but it still felt dark inside. Isabel was sitting in the classic Prophet position, on the floor, back against the wall and knees to her chest. Her eyes were closed and her soft hair had grown like weeds around her braids, causing them to dread up. “Isabel,” Nine whispered. “Can you hear me?”

Upon perceiving Nine’s voice, she rose up, and approached the door. With wide eyes and a huge smile, she said, “Cousin, are you coming to take me home?”

Nine’s chin dipped toward her chest. “Not right now,” she said regretfully. “They tell me you are not ready, so we have to follow the rules.”

“The rules?” Isabel frowned. “Since when does Nine Prophet follow rules?” She walked away and sat on the edge of her thin bed. “I made one mistake, Nine. I made one mistake and for that I deserve to be punished for life?” She paused. “You know that I’m not crazy. You’ve had long lucid conversations with me. Don’t you remember?”

“But you also tried to kill my husband and jump off of a banister. I just want you well, Isabel. That is all.”

She rolled her eyes. “You said I was like you. Is this how you would treat yourself?”

Silence.

Nine lowered her head. “Just follow the program, Izzy. Follow the program and I will get you out of here.”

“Do you know what they consider following the program to be in this place? To take a bunch of pills every hour,” she cried. “They want to steal my spirit, Nine,” she said touching her chest, “but they can’t have it! It’s not up for sale or negotiation! I won’t let them!”

“Isabel, just—”

“Go away, Nine Prophet! I’m hearing loud colors again. And even behind these doors, I can still attack.”

Needing to take care of matters at home, Nine backed away. Her walk was slow at first before turning brisk. She was almost out of the wing when she heard, “Nine, is that you?”

The sound of the woman’s voice sent chills down her body, stopping her at once. How could it be possible? She was told she was dead. Slowly she moved toward the sound of the voice and when she did, she was staring into her birth mother’s eyes.

She was looking at Kelly Prophet.