Foolish

Prologue

August 1932

Odessa knew why she'd returned here. She always knew she would. It didn't make the reality of her situation any better, or the burden she held within her clutches any lighter. She sat up covered in sweat, a sticky wet that only Louisiana heat could produce. Sitting at the edge of her bed, she awaited her visitor. She allowed her body to slide down into the cold, wooden floorboards beneath her and assume a cross legged position. Lighting  seven white candles around her, she prepared a sacred place for her ancestor. With her eyes closed and without uttering an audible word, she welcomed her guest into the room. As many a time as she has done this, the hair on her neck stood still every time.

"You have to do this Dessa, your lineage gotta keep its power," Odessa reasoned with herself. Her mama warned her. Long ago. She warned her about all this "secular, occult mess" that she liked to fool around with. How did Odessa explain that she was called to it? How did she explain the pull she felt to it, like an alcoholic to the bottle? It wasn't something she could stop, because she didn't even know how or where it started.

She was soon to find out.

Odessa cleared her mind, only focusing on the task at hand. She had been gaining strength over the last couple of weeks, and it was taking her a lot less effort to summon and conjure these days. Odessa didn't think she could get any hotter, but the more power she drew to herself she could feel the heat radiating off of her honey complexed skin. Just as her energy reached what seemed like the boiling point, she heard footsteps approaching the door. Odessa opened her eyes as the goosebumps made a guest appearance on her skin with every sloth footed step that dragged.

The door creaked open and what stood before Odessa nearly incapacitated her. Odessa had the chance to experience many visitors, but none like the one who stood before her. Her visitor smiled, and extended a glowing hand, waiting for her to accept. Odessa couldn't move. She wanted to.

"Move Dessa, don't be rude." Odessa thought to herself. Almost as if her visitor read her mind, she began to chuckle. "It's ok chile, it's a lot. I know. Please, stay seated and I will join you," her visitor replied. As the door creaked closed behind her, she started to disrobe the glowing golden coat she wore. Underneath she was dressed in an 1800's era fashion, but not just any fashion. Her clothes were neither torn nor tattered and you could tell she came from affluence.

Sitting in front of her visitor, Odessa managed to find words to speak.

"Thank you, for coming. I know you don't do this often..or ever. I didn't think you would grace me with your presence quite honestly," Dessa managed to choke out. Her mouth was so dry, and as if she hadn't been sweating bullets before, she was now.

"That's exactly why I'm here. We had to speed up the process, you're stronger than any of us could have ever imagined. You have Dupree blood running through your veins sure, but you have far surpassed anything any of us could have ever imagined child," Odessa's great grandmother stared lovingly at her grandchild.

"So why are you here Granme'? Odessa questioned. She felt like she knew the answer, but under the current circumstances one could never be too sure.

"I'm here chile because there are things, future things you need to know. This life us chosen Dupree women live is far from an easy one. I sent the ancestors that you've had the pleasure of communicatin' with each for a particular reason, but that's up for you to decipher. What you need to know is through your loins will pass the strongest conjure woman this family will ever know, stronger than me even. You must protect her, and to do this you must be ready. Continue your practicing, immerse yourself in our history and our ways of life. I will be with you, all of us will," Marceline promised her great granddaughter.

She watched her great grandmother's smooth brown skin wrinkle with uncertainty and this concerned Odessa. Watching the matriarch of her family rise and put her jacket back on, so many questions ran through her mind. "Protect her, who is her? What from? Who am I to protect someone?" Odessa questioned herself.

Once again, almost like she was reading her mind, Marceline turned to her granddaughter.

"Keep your first-born granddaughter close. She will encounter much in her life, but it is she who will prepare us. Don't let her gifts escape her. This task will not be an easy one and you will be tested from every angle," she sternly affirmed.

Marceline was indeed concerned. She knew the obstacles that lie ahead for her family, but the Moreau's could never take them down. Marceline made sure of that, with her life. It was now up to her granddaughter to heed her warning.

Placing a kiss on her granddaughter's head, she turned to make her exit.

"Remember chile," Marceline said, joined by her granddaughter in unison, "I'm just a conjure away," as she disappeared.