Titanic- The Curse

The Ball Is In Your Court.

Elisa finally returned after her afternoon with Mrs Simpson, she had a gaunt look on her face. It was as if she knew what I was about to say, but she was just feeling a little sick, it appeared that Mrs Simpson gave her some food that contained the herbs meant only for her. I gave Elisa a drink of an antidote and she began to feel fine almost instantaneously. I took her hand and told her to follow me to the lounge, I have something important to tell her, she began to go pale once again, she shook as she took her seat on the large couch, she begged me to tell her what it was straight away. I blurted out, "darling, Astaroth has been calling out to our daughter, she is convinced that he's his spawn. I don't detect anything negative in her, but darling we must do something, our darling daughter wants to meet him." Elisa began to look faint, the she said in response, "honey, I know. I've heard him too, it's like he's sending me messages as well. If he remains in his realm and doesn't want Josephine to live with him, then I suggest we allow this, but the Simpsons cannot know." I never expected that from Elisa, but at the same time, she was only my daughter through raising her, it's like she said, that she was a married woman and she can do as she pleases.

I decided along with Elisa to visit her the next day, to tell her that we'll support her, once we know how her father wants the relationship to go. Elisa and I had our own car by now, we drove to Elisa's knowing Kenneth would be at work, we arrived just as it was approaching noon, when we knew she would be at her piano, but we never heard a single stroke of a key. We had keys to the house, but we knocked first and there was no reply. We opened the front door and began shouting for Josephine, she never came. We became frantic with worry. I noticed a note on the mantle piece, it stated, "darling, I'm with father. I shall see you in time for dinner. All my love Josie." Elisa and I sat in Josephine's sitting room, we decided to wait to see if she would return. Elisa to take her mind off the situation, she began to make dinner for Kenneth and Josephine. I made a jug of iced tea, it was a scorching day, the sweat dripped off every inch of my body, but as I wasn't a real man, I couldn't take off my shirt as others do. I sipped on the iced tea, we waited and waited, it was almost time for Kenneth to return, there was a flash of light in the foyer of the house and it was our daughter, I fought immensely to keep my frustrations and anger at bay, but I couldn't help myself, I yelled, "you stupid, stupid girl. What have you done? Do you not understand what we have gone through to keep you away from that creature?" Josephine began crying she replied, in the same angry tone, "father, mother, I am sorry for not including you. You must understand, he is my father, he didn't nor does he want me to stay with him. He just wants to get to know me. Now both of you leave before Kenneth gets home, then he'll wonder why you're here and your secret will be revealed to him." Elisa and I looked at each other, we got up and walked out the front door.

After leaving our daughters home, we sat in the car, we cried with rage and disappointment. I started the car and was about to drive off, Elisa jumped out of the car, she banged on Josephine's door. Josephine answered, she said to her, "what mother? Did you forget something? Elisa replied, "I did." Elisa slapped her in the face, she then said, "go, go and live with an inhuman being. We have done all we can to keep you away from him. You'll never see your father and I again." As that was transpiring at the doorstep, Kenneth drove and parked along side me, he greeted me and walked towards his house. Elisa turned on her heels and walked away not even acknowledging Kenneth. It occurred to me Kenneth knew everything, including me being a woman. I opened the door for Elisa and she said, "drive darling, she's not our concern anymore." This staggered me, my wife turning her back on our daughter. I won't rest until we get her back to us, I won't rest until that being is out of our lives for good, I feel it was my fault this all began. I told Elisa my thoughts and she wasn't interested in that moment, but as the days passed she began to think as I did. We both sat down, I needed to keep our home from being listened in on, I did a privacy spell, I used all my knowledge to keep out listening ears. I studied like I never studied before, I sent an errand boy to Kenneth, he was working on a building site nearby, I placed a memory potion in his drink, he sent a message back thanking me. I made the errand boy watch as he ate and drank, to make sure Astaroth didn't tip him off. The boy told me he ate his entire meal, he drank the iced tea first. I was relieved, the potion was in the iced tea, Kenneth will forget that I'm a woman, as I couldn't have him knowing this secret, especially when we get Josephine away from her father. My studies took me to a place where I found out that our daughter would be half of her father, she has learned over the years to hide it well. I knew then this is where her musical talent came from, if she could use her gifts for good then her father wouldn't entertain her further, but if she began to use them for bad, then she would be his forever. It's truly a good versus evil fight to keep our daughter away from that world.

Elisa took solace in baking, she also began making dresses, it was the twenties and times were changing as were the clothing. Elisa had a tailor that knew of our secret and commissioned some new suits for me. I didn't need anymore, but I knew that to keep her mind at rest, while I did my thing. Elisa never disturbed me, she wanted our daughter out of that beings grip, a grip he now has an iron grip on. Then it also dawned on me, that Astaroth as a vindictive move against me, he would out me to the whole town, I felt he would do it through my daughter. I wondered how I would get inside her head, then we decided to invite our daughter and son in-law over for dinner. I sent my errand boy with a note, saying, "Dear Josephine, I'm extending an olive branch to you. Your mother and I are missing you and she hopes you will forgive her for laying hands on you, we would both like your company around 7:00pm this evening. The ball lies now firmly in your court. Mother and father." Josephine sent a note back saying, "Dear darling parents, I would love to come and join you. I have forgiven you for your slap. I'm sure I deserved it." I thought to myself, this sounds promising, but if all this could be a ruse to get us onside? I think tonight should be interesting.