Titanic- The Curse

Homeward Bound.

The summer was almost over, we had spent that majority of it in bed, our heads in books, over a steaming cauldron, back and forth to New York, we had to restock it with furniture should the worse happen. We hadn't seen or heard from our daughter in all that time, we had someone watching Josephine at all times, she was just going to her bars with her musical friends, Kenneth working as always, we discovered she hadn't used her gifts. We were delighted at this news but at the same time we were worried that she would be waiting on an excuse to use them. We finally had word from the coven, they decided unanimously that they would bind Josephine of her powers before the next full moon. We just had to figure out how to get to her without her knowing. We had discovered when we had been in New York, that Josephine seen that she was being watched. Josephine was going to the bars, but at night the witches or those watching her never knew where she would go at closing time, it definitely wasn't home as Kenneth was working away. The coven concluded she was out practicing her powers in the Bayou. It was a secluded area and if she came across anyone, she would probably kill them, although we never knew she would for sure, but she was honing her skills for a reason.

We decided not to let the fear inhibit us from doing what we were going to do. The coven were preparing as well, Josephine doesn't realise the power she will be up against, Elisa and I are not gifted witches, we weren't born with powers, like the witches of this city, but we were witches nonetheless. Our plan is to subdue her, we will bring her to our safe house on the outskirts of town, it's been empty for quite sometime and it'll be the perfect place to strip her of the powers she inherited from her father. The plan to subdue her won't be easy, she'll see us coming from a mile away, we have placed ordinary people in the Bayou, they can get close to her, we had no comprehension on how long this process would take but we had to do it before the moon reached its apex. We also knew this was risky, but they too knew the risk. We told them that she was mentally unstable and needed to be watched, we were glad they believed us. We learned what powers Astaroth had, he had the power to shapeshift, he can bestow good fortune, he could've gathered souls, he was a soldier for his master. We were almost sure she hasn't mastered the shapeshifting, the locals told us that our daughter was wandering the Bayou mostly in tears, we asked why? We knew Josephine would confide in any stranger, she told them that she misses her parents as she had a massive argument with us. To Elisa and i this proved her guard was down a little. Elisa and i learned that she wasn't coming home until Kenneth came home. This was our one and only chance to subdue her. We had to act fast.

Elisa and I gathered with the witches, we discussed all the information we had gathered, they decided they would strike at sundown on Friday, two days before Kenneth came home. We managed to get one of our people in place to get near her, she made Josephine some iced tea and food, she sat and talked with her as she ate it. The potion in the iced tea was the strongest we had, so we eagerly awaited the news she was fast asleep on the forest floor. We waited and waited, then a messenger came from the Bayou, she was fast asleep. We had to make sure she wasn't feigning it. Elisa had an idea, she went to the Bayou alone, something we argued about, but her argument was, if she was feigning it, she would wake up at the scent of the woman that brought her into this world. We knew this since she was a little one, as soon as Elisa entered her bedroom, she woke up, even if she was in a very deep sleep. Elisa explained that, the reason she woke up, is due to the gifts she was born with. I had the distinct feeling she was right. To confirm it before she left, I contacted the coven and they agreed that Elisa was right. Elisa made her way to the Bayou alone, i was at home with a coven member pacing up and down the rug by the fireplace, the lady who shall remain nameless, said, "sit down Joe, you'll wear out the fibres of that beautiful rug." I couldn't sit down, my wife was potentially in grave danger. I waited and waited, Elisa finally came home, she told us the potion worked. It was now time to drag her to our safe house, which was quite near the Bayou.

The coven gathered, we all headed to the Bayou to fetch her. We arrived as the potion was about to wear off, but we gave her more and placed her in a sealed casket, we brought her into the magically prepared house, as soon as we passed the threshold to the land she woke up, she must've felt it. The good grace we had, was that she couldn't get out of the casket.  The moon was now high in the sky, it was time to get her inside the house, we fought as hard as we could saying a spell, finally she was inside. It was time to bind this negative power. The protection circle was ready, we rolled the casket into the centre of it, within mere seconds Josephine exploded from inside the casket, she stood up and threatened to kill us all. We all gathered outside the protective circle, she was unable to cross, she was furious, we sensed then her powers were definitely negative, although if it taught me anything, that they could be used in a good way. We had previously decided that no one should have them. Our high priestess threw a paralysis potion at her, it made her fall into a deep slumber once more, at the same time paralysing her. We now had the time to bind the powers within her. We chanted and laid hands on her, the binding was almost complete, once she started to wake up, we gave her the binding potion, she tried to spit it out, but she was paralysed, she couldn't. The spell took its toll on all of us, Josephine even more so. Josephine remembered everything, she began regaling the group of how she was planning on killing us all. The evening was triumphant, but we were all exhausted, the coven left us alone with her. Josephine was still unable to wake up after a long sleep, then Elisa went to her and she woke up, but only with touch as she was bringing her water. Josephine couldn't eat, but she felt hungry. We decided to stay here another night, she was dying to see her husband, but she was too weak to move. We both took turns in bringing her water, then she asked for food, once she ate some soup and bread, the colour began flowing to her cheeks once again. Josephine's energy was coming back slowly, but she was eager to get home. We got in our car and dropped her off at her house, she was looking forward to bathe in her own bath, eat at her own table and await Kenneth's return.  We didn't want to leave her, but she told us she would be fine. We had to learn to trust her again, we would do so in time.