Josef - Rating PG
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:43 pm
Here is one story I saved from the Moonlightfan website. Some of you may recognize it.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
JOSEF
Bored Stiff
Josef had seen a lot in his 400 years, but had to admit that the past year had been extraordinarily bizarre. His attempted assassination, Coraline finding a cure for vampirism, vampire killing cults, and lastly the turning of his best friend. That one was hard. Josef knew how much Mick wanted to be human again. Not just for Beth, but because at heart, Mick was still very much human. Josef sighed. At least now everything seemed to be peaceful and quiet, which he loved. Business was good. No one was trying to rip him off. And he hadn’t killed anyone in almost 5 days. Everything was going quite well. The phone rang. “Josef Kostan” he replied hastily
“Mr. Kostan” his assistant said “I have a call from a Miss Simone Dubois holding for you” Josef smiled warmly. This could be just the distraction he needed.
“Yes, put her through” Josef said A very thick French Cajun accent poured through the line
“Josef! How are you?”
“Simone. Better now that I’ve heard your lovely voice. Please tell me you’re in Los Angeles and you’ve come to seduce me out of my boredom?” Josef teased
“Ah, you naughty boy! Now you have ruined my surprise. I have just arrived and I am in dire need of intellectual stimulation. Are you available?”
“For you Simone, I am always available. Shall we say 11pm at Oliver’s? Should I send a car for you?”
“No. I will see you then”
Josef grinned as he hung up the phone. Things were beginning to look up he thought.
Josef showed up at Mick’s place to find Beth up on a ladder painting, and desperately trying to reach an unreachable corner. Josef caught side of both her and the ladder before they both toppled 12ft and said with exasperation “Why hasn’t Mick turned you yet? I’m not always going to be around to save your pretty little neck!” Beth smiled. She was now used to Josef’s quips and took them all in stride.
“Thanks Josef. Much appreciated” she said slowly climbing down. “So, what do you think?” she asked
“Of what?”
“The color”
“What color was it before?” he asked puzzled looking up at the wall
“Champagne”
“Okay” Josef said slowly “What color is it now?”
“Pale champagne”
“Oh. That makes perfect sense. You need to get to work on a story” Josef said chuckling
“Well, now that Buzzwire is under new management, I’m taking my time to find work that doesn’t require me to report on the color of Brittney Spear’s underwear on a daily basis”
“She’s partial to pink” Josef said quickly. Beth stared at him in amazement.
“You mean you actually know?” she asked incredulously
“Sure. Who doesn’t” he said walking towards the fridge “Where’s Mick?”
“I think he’s still sleeping. Feel free to wake him up” Beth said still staring at her paint work. Josef grabbed some blood from the fridge and headed toward Mick‘s sleeping chamber. He opened the top and leaned over.
“Wake up Mick!”
Mick slowly opened his eyes and glanced over at Josef.
“I hope you know that you just interrupted the most amazing dream” Mick sighed
“Yeah, right. Are you and Beth free for a late dinner tonight?” Josef said getting right to the point for his visit.
“Why?” Mick asked. Josef sat down and sipped and his drink.
“Simone is in town and she wants to meet”
Mick sat up straight. “Simone? Simone.” Mick asked surprised
“The very same” Josef said amused. “Now, there’s a part of me that wants to believe she truly just wants to have a quick visit and shoot the breeze. But the more intelligent part of me knows that’s a lie, so why not be prepared for the worst”
“You know, you really have a bad habit of pissing women off” Mick said reaching for his towel
“You say habit, I say gift. I’ll send a car for you both around 10:30pm” he said getting up.
Oliver’s was the kind of place where Frank Sinatra hung out. Older gentlemen quietly smoked Cuban cigars while their gold cufflinks shimmered in the soft light.
“This takes me back” Mick said appreciatively looking around the room.
“Ah, could this be Mick St. John actually waxing poetic about the olden days?” Josef said with a smile.
“Well, things were certainly simpler then” Mick said. Beth smiled at both of them, forever amazed by all they had seen in their many years.
“If you two tell me that you knew Frank Sinatra, then I’ve heard it all” Beth said.
Mick laughed. “Josef knew him pretty well. I just played back up in his band a few times”. He said.
At that moment every male head in the room turned to stare at the drop dead gorgeous woman who had just walked in. She stood at a very regal 5’9” tall. The emerald green dress she wore showed off a body that would have made Sophia Loren look like a boy. Both Josef and Mick stood as she approached the table.
“Simone” Josef said looking at her in awe “I’m speechless. You look amazing” he said.
“Thank you Josef” she said softly. “And Mick St. John! What a pleasant surprise. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Josef doesn’t quite trust me” she laughed.
“Hello Simone. You look well. May I introduce Beth Turner” he said politely. Beth noticed the controlled tension in Mick’s voice. She knew immediately that Mick was not fond of this woman.
“Very nice to meet you Miss Turner” she said as she accepted the chair that Josef held out for her.
“So, Simone what brings you to Los Angeles?” Mick asked
“Oh, just a change of pace. New Orleans isn’t as grand as it used to be. Katrina really changed all of that. So, I thought I’d take a little sojourn to the coast and see what California had to offer” she said taking a small sip of the champagne that was placed in front of her.
“Well, whatever the reason, LA is glad to have you” Josef said. “Will you be staying long? I insist that you stay with me. I think you will find my abode more luxurious than a hotel” Mick turned to give Josef a quick look of reproach. But Simone accepted his offer with pleasure. After a couple of hours hedonistic drinking, Mick cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry but I think we should get going”. Mick said noticing that Beth was very close to falling asleep at the table. “Nice to see you again Simone. Enjoy your visit.” Mick said.
“Thank you Mick. Perhaps we could meet again?” Simone hinted and then turned the full beam of her beauty directly at Josef.
A Woman Socrned
Mick was definitely worried and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why he was so worried. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Perhaps worrying was what he did best. Beth noticed as she noticed everything.
“Ok, spill it” she demanded. “What is it about Josef’s friend that has you so worried?”
“It’s nothing really” he started, trying to find the right words. “Simone is just not the kind of woman to spring a surprise visit on someone. Nor is she the kind of woman to leave New Orleans behind. Her family tree goes back quite a few generations in Louisiana. I just find it strange that she shows up now.”
“Don’t tell me this is another woman who has it out for Josef?”
“Not quite. In my opinion I think Josef treats all women poorly, present company excluded, but he actually did nothing truly awful to Simone, but you never know” he said.
“A woman scorned and all” she finished for him.
Josef sat in his office in good spirits. He had no idea why Simone was in town or what she was after, but he was more than happy to play along. Simone Renee’ Dubois came from a Parisian aristocratic family who settled in New Orleans in the late 1700’s. Her widowed father Andre’ took quickly to plantation life, growing cotton and tobacco in large numbers. He also took his amorous intentions out on young slave girls. One young slave girl especially caught his eye. She had no given English name that he knew of but heard other slaves call her “Hidijibah”. She was no more than 14 years old, but one could see the oldness in her eyes, as if she had already seen far more than she should have. She also carried herself differently than the other slaves. Hedy (as he would soon call her) never hung her head low when whites were speaking to her. She always looked you directly in the eye. And when she spoke in her broken English, she did so with no shame. Andre was infatuated with her. Hedy was made into a house maid so that Andre could always keep his eye on her. Whenever he called her to his bed, she simply walked proudly into his bedchamber, removed her clothing and awaited him. Within a year she bore him a child. A beautiful mulatto girl who he named Simone. By the time Simone was 12, she was drawing the attention of many men both black and white. Fearing what would happen to her, Andre’ sent her to Paris to live with relatives.
Simone hated her relatives and she hated Paris. She hated the food which she thought had no flavor compared to the spicy creations her mother whipped up back home. She missed the sad songs the slaves sang while they worked. She missed the hot steamy weather that clung to you like a lover. Simone was miserable. Her aunt and uncle tried to engage her in correct female endeavors, but Simone was very much like her mother. Proud. She refused the odd hats they wanted her to don, opting to wear her raven black curls wild and loose. She also refused to speak French, opting to speak a weird dialect of French which was called Cajun. Her relatives finally gave up and left her alone to do as she liked. When Simone turned 18 her stunning beauty made her a favorite at many parties where drinking, smoking and sex were the highlights. It was there that she met a striking young man by the name of Josef Kostan. The ladies would gather in corners to talk about the mysterious stranger who appeared to be quite rich and very unattached. Simone knew that there was something else about him that made him different. Her mother who was well versed in such things would have called him “the dark man.” Meaning from the other world. While enjoying an extended stay at the chateau’ of Charles Martin de Permond, Simone happened upon Josef and boldly engaged him in conversation.
“So, either you are following me; or you are very bored” she said simply. He smiled down at her.
“I’m never bored” he said still smiling at her.
“Well. Then you follow me?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe we just end up at the same gatherings. There is such a thing as chance”
“Chance is for fools” she said “And something tells me you are no fool” Josef was delighted with this girl. It had been many years since he had met anyone with her spark and daring. She looked no more than 17 but the eyes that stared directly at him were the eyes of a woman who had seen the world. He smelled the air before she walked over and she was definitely human. He thought of what he might do. Of what he wanted to do. And after talking to her another fortnight, he knew what he had to do. Simone was a dream. Not only was she an unparalleled beauty, she was smart, witty and merciless. It took her but two days to figure out what Josef was. She showed neither fear nor surprise. She simply looked at him as if she saw his kind everyday. Simone offered herself willingly to Josef. How could he not turn such an exquisite creature? The world was laid out before them. They first stopped in Paris to say goodbye to her relatives. Simone was vicious in her handling of them. Taking all that they had and in the end taking their lives with much glee. Josef was looking forward to New Orleans. He had heard much about this little city that held a population of Spaniards, Germans, Irish, Africans, and Haitians. To Simone, New Orleans was life.
When they arrived at her father’s plantation Simone immediately searched for her mother, entering room after room calling her name. She went into the kitchen to find Ester the cook.
“Ester. It is I Simone.” She said slowly. “Where is mama?” Ester looked at Simone and held her arms out to her.
“Lordy dear. Hedy done passed on. Happened not long ago. Your papa done buried her” she said sadly. Simone stood as still as a statue.
“What happened to her?” she asked. Ester looked around her as if she feared what she would say would get her beat or worse sold.
“Don’t worry” Simone told her. “I will make sure nothing happens to you” Ester looked at the beautiful young girl in front of her with the very same eyes of her mother.
“She couldn’t bear no more children. Your papa got mad. Said he needed a boy. Hidijibah come from a cursed family. Them women is barren. She just couldn’t have no more. Your papa’s temper got the best of him and he beat her with his cane. She passed on a few days later” Ester wiped away a tear as she finished telling the story. “He done got him another girl. You got 2 brothers and a sister”
Simone remained still. She held Josef’s hand tightly.
“Where is my father now?” she asked
“He out back in the stables selling some horses” she said
“Esther. I want you to gather all the slaves and tell them to go back to their sleeping quarters. I will let you know when it’s safe to come out. Do you understand me?”
“Yes’am.” She said and quickly left the kitchen.
“Come darling” Simone said sweetly to Josef. “Let’s me introduce you to Papa”
Simone and Josef walked quietly to the back of the house and into the stables. Andre’ stood tall and refined speaking to another man.
“Hello papa” Simone sweetly. Her father turned and stared. He took in the beauty of his daughter and smiled happily.
“Simone! I had no idea you were coming back. Louis did not let me know. I would have come for you”
“I am sorry papa. Your brother has died. So has his wife. They were killed by thieves” she lied. “Where is Hedy?” she asked innocently. Simone only called Hedy mamma when they were amongst other slaves.
“On my sweet girl” he said. “Hedy died trying to escape. She was shot by one of my guards. But you are such an angel to worry about the maid. I guess she was a part of your childhood was she not?” he looked over at Josef and immediately became angry “Who is this?” he asked in an angry voice
“Papa, this is my husband Josef Kostan”
“Your husband?! Why wasn’t I told of this? Who allowed this to happen?” he raved. As he yelled at Simone Josef very quickly and quietly went to the stable door and closed every entrance.
“Papa, do you really think that you can tell me what to do? I am the daughter of Hidijibah!” she said proudly.
“Shut your lying mouth!” he yelled glancing over at his buyer who was becoming very uncomfortable.
“Yes papa dear. You bed slaves and raise their children. I am such a child. How long do you think it would have taken before you called me to your bedchamber? Your own flesh and blood! But a lot has changed in the four years I have been away” Simone yelled barring her fangs.
Josef smiled remembering the sheer carnage of her vengeance on her mother’s behalf. Never again she swore, would she leave New Orleans. And there she stayed. Though how she managed to live in the same place for so long was a mystery to him. So why was she here?
Simone hated to be away from Louisiana. It physically pained her to be gone for more than a night. But she had a job to do and she had to see it through. She had always loved Josef. More than any other man she had met, but this was a situation that trumped love. Surely if Josef were in the same position he would do the same thing.
Mick sat in his office doing some research. He knew very little about Simone really. He remembered her as a woman with very strong passions and an undying loyalty to her family name. He met her in 1971 during Mardi Gras when Josef insisted that he go. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Mick had ever seen, but there was another quality about her that he couldn’t explain. It was her eyes. He couldn’t explain it. He knew that her father died mysteriously when it was discovered that he fathered children by slaves. The land and the business was left to Simone who made even more wealth when everything was sold to Phillips Morris in 1901 (although she was then known as the great great-great-grandchild Margarite) And by 1999, she was again Simone Dubois. He could find nothing about her mother (though that wasn’t surprising as no records were kept on slaves and they often had the surnames of their owners). Beth came up behind him and kissed his ear.
“Still worried about Josef?” she asked
“Yeah, but it’s probably nothing. I’m being paranoid” he decided.
“Well, I’ve got the perfect cure for that” she said seductively.
Mick made his way to Josef’s office later in the afternoon. Maybe Josef knew more than he was letting on.
“Come on Josef. What’s going on with Simone? Why is she here?” Mick asked.
“I have no idea, but I’m very interested to find out.” He replied smugly.
“Josef, I don’t think this is anything to take lightly. I have a really bad feeling about Simone. She’s up to something and you need to be on your guard”
“When have you known me not to be on my guard? Look, we both know that this little visit of hers has a purpose and the only thing we can do is wait and see. It’s not like she’s going to tell us.” Mick sighed. Josef was right. There was nothing they could do. If they acted too quickly it might prove disastrous. All they could do was wait.
Beautiful She Was
Simone sat up and looked around her. Josef indeed lived very well. She wondered what their life would have been like if he had stayed in New Orleans with her. Somehow she just couldn’t see Josef as the dutiful land owner. She fell in love with a playboy. He would always be this way. Was it not better to accept this fact than to waste precious time trying to change someone? There were no hard feelings when he left. No tears. Life went on as it had before. Simone had too much pride to throw a tantrum or toss ultimatums around.
But she still felt guilt over what must now be done. She had to prepare.
Josef made his way home and waited to see what Simone would have waiting for him. Worry never crossed his mind. While Simone was indeed quite old, he was the elder vampire and knew that if anything should occur, he would be able to handle it. He looked up to see Simone walking down the staircase dressed in a silky black evening gown. She really was exquisite, Josef thought to himself.
“Hello Josef” she said in her husky Cajun accent. “I hope you don’t mind but I invited a guest” Josef turned to see a beautiful young black woman, possibly of Cuban or Haitian decent.
Josef smiled appreciatively.
“Of course” he said as he walked towards the woman “And just who might you be?” he asked. The woman stared directly at him with her head held high.
“I am called Hidijibah” she said in an accent that Josef deduced to be indeed Haitian.
“That’s a very unique name. Do you know that it means “of the dead”?”
She smiled slightly and looked towards Simone.
“Of course I know. You look thirsty sir.” She said and held her arm to his lips. Josef rubbed her soft skin and inhaled the very musky slightly Asian fragrance of her perfume. He started to feed. At first the taste was sweet. Sweeter than any blood he had ever tasted. Then the taste turned bitter and started to burn like acid in his mouth and throat. Josef gagged but the vial taste was still in his mouth. What the hell was going on he thought! He tried to talk but nothing would come out. He was starting to feel dizzy and his eyes could not focus. He felt himself falling and the last thing he saw before everything faded to black was Simone smiling over him.
Josef awoke feeling very weak. Something was holding him down but he did not have the strength to lift his head to see what was binding him. He heard footsteps approaching and willed himself to be still.
“Josef, darling” he heard Simone say to him. “Don’t worry. This will only hurt a little. And let’s be honest, haven’t you lived long enough? Why not let someone else have fun.” She teased. Josef sighed and decided that fighting would only give her the power she so craved.
“Aren’t you going to try and hit me?” she asked. “Try to escape? Try to trick me?”
“No” Josef finally managed. “I’m not your father”
“Screw you!” she yelled. And Josef knew he had found his mark.
“You think you are so smart! Well I am the smart one Josef! Just like my mother! And you are what I need to bring her back to life. My mother was a descendent from the most powerful voodoo clan in all of Haiti. She taught me her ways as a child. She knew I would need them. After I learned of her death Ester and I dug up her grave and released her soul. All I needed were women to put it into which I found quite easily especially in New Orleans after the hurricane. But to truly bring my mother back I needed the blood of the “dark man” that unnatural being from the other side. That is you Josef. I will drain all your blood and transfer it into Hidijibah. I will bring my mother back! Her soul calls out to me!” She screamed to the heavens.
Josef managed to turn his head and saw the young Haitian woman strapped down next to him on a table. Her blood oozing out through tubes, a look of pain on her face.
“I thought you loved me” Josef said weakly. “I thought you came back so we could be together in New Orleans”
“You speak lies Josef Kostan! Don’t think that I will fall for your game again! I have learned a lot over the years” she said
“I….really thought you came here for me” Josef croaked out. “I sold all my shares in my company, even this house. I was ready to leave with you. Look in my briefcase!” he said feeling as if he were dying of thirst. Simone looked at him with doubt but snatched up his briefcase which was lying where he left it when walked in. She slowly opened up the case and saw. Papers detailing how Josef was selling off his shares; selling his house; selling his company. He was willing to give up everything for her. She glanced back at him and saw that he was looking intently at her. He had tears in his eyes. She looked over at Hidijibah decidedly torn between the love of her mother and the only man she had ever loved. Simone threw the papers down and ran to Josef and placed her arms around him.
“Forgive me darling” she sobbed. “I have been a fool. I listened to the vengeful soul of my mother instead of the love coming from my own soul” She then walked over to the table where Hidijibah was, pulled out a knife and sliced her throat. Hidijibah let out a piercing wail then laid still. He could feel Simone loosening his straps. She made him sip a very syrupy tea which she said would help to ease the poison out of his veins. He started to feel better though still very weak.
“You need to tell me what you were doing” Josef finally asked when he was feeling better.
“Josef, vampires are not the only creatures who can resurrect the dead. By capturing my mother’s soul, all I needed was a body to place it in, but her soul would be trapped inside a useless shell. Her mind of course could live but without a life force she would be what you know as a zombie. She would only be able to do as she was told. To bring her back, I needed the blood of one of your kind. But that One must be very old. It is the way of Legba, the guardian of the crossroads.” She explained.
“But what was in her blood?” he asked motioning to the table.
“Your kind…..our kind, can not feed on the blood of the resurrected. It is the bad blood. You only had a little taste. A lot of the bad blood can keep you a vessel for ever. It traps you inside a body.
Josef ran his fingers alongside her face and looked into her eyes. Those amazingly defiant dead eyes. She was so very beautiful.
Josef sat in Mick’s apartment waiting for Beth to come down.
“Does she always take this long’?” Josef asked glancing at his watch.
“No, she doesn’t always take this long, but this is a special occasion. Women don’t get engaged everyday” Mick said smiling
“Mick, we live in LA. Every minute of the day some woman is getting engaged” Josef said smugly.
“Well, it’s her night and I intend to let her have it”
“So, you’re really going through with this? The whole marriage thing?”
“I love her Josef” Mick said simply, throwing up his hands.
“I know you do”
Beth came down stairs looking as glowing as Grecian goddess. Both Mick and Josef smiled and looked fondly upon her youth and beauty.
Within minutes the apartment was filled with friends and colleagues all giving their congratulations.
Mick and Josef walked out to the balcony for air.
“So are you going to tell me what happened to Simone?” Mick asked finally.
“Of course. I killed her” Josef said
“Why?”
“Well, she tried to kill me first so it was kind of a given that I kill her when I had the chance” he said smiling “Look, Simone had issues. Serious issues and the fact that she came from some hoodoo voodoo family made her all the more dangerous. I mean who knew about that whole drinking the blood of the resurrected thing? That woman had knowledge. Dangerous knowledge. I had no choice but to chop off her pretty little head. You know, I still can’t believe she actually thought I was going to sell everything I have to be with her”
“You weren’t?” Mick asked
“Mick, sometimes I think you don’t know me at all” he said laughing to himself
“So that’s it? No regrets? No remorse?”
“None”
“She was very beautiful” Mick said
“Yes she was. But if being around for 400 years has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is as dangerous as the beauty of a woman”. Mick studied Josef and somehow knew that he wasn’t getting the whole story, but that was the way things were with Josef. Sometimes it was best not to know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Simone stared at the cement walls that would now be her home. Chained and unable to move. How could Josef have done this to her? After all she shared with him. All of her secrets. How could he have fed her the bad blood? So this would be her fate. Her mind active and alive but trapped in a useless vessel. She slowly turned her head when she heard the door open. Hidijibah walked in, dressed apparently for the evening; although she was no longer her mother but now a servant of Josef’s.
“I am leaving to meet Josef” she said quietly. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
Simone struggled to speak but was unable to get the words out. Her mind was screaming out the words she desperately wanted to speak. Hidijibah smiled.
“I guess not”. She said and quietly shut the door behind her.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
JOSEF
Bored Stiff
Josef had seen a lot in his 400 years, but had to admit that the past year had been extraordinarily bizarre. His attempted assassination, Coraline finding a cure for vampirism, vampire killing cults, and lastly the turning of his best friend. That one was hard. Josef knew how much Mick wanted to be human again. Not just for Beth, but because at heart, Mick was still very much human. Josef sighed. At least now everything seemed to be peaceful and quiet, which he loved. Business was good. No one was trying to rip him off. And he hadn’t killed anyone in almost 5 days. Everything was going quite well. The phone rang. “Josef Kostan” he replied hastily
“Mr. Kostan” his assistant said “I have a call from a Miss Simone Dubois holding for you” Josef smiled warmly. This could be just the distraction he needed.
“Yes, put her through” Josef said A very thick French Cajun accent poured through the line
“Josef! How are you?”
“Simone. Better now that I’ve heard your lovely voice. Please tell me you’re in Los Angeles and you’ve come to seduce me out of my boredom?” Josef teased
“Ah, you naughty boy! Now you have ruined my surprise. I have just arrived and I am in dire need of intellectual stimulation. Are you available?”
“For you Simone, I am always available. Shall we say 11pm at Oliver’s? Should I send a car for you?”
“No. I will see you then”
Josef grinned as he hung up the phone. Things were beginning to look up he thought.
Josef showed up at Mick’s place to find Beth up on a ladder painting, and desperately trying to reach an unreachable corner. Josef caught side of both her and the ladder before they both toppled 12ft and said with exasperation “Why hasn’t Mick turned you yet? I’m not always going to be around to save your pretty little neck!” Beth smiled. She was now used to Josef’s quips and took them all in stride.
“Thanks Josef. Much appreciated” she said slowly climbing down. “So, what do you think?” she asked
“Of what?”
“The color”
“What color was it before?” he asked puzzled looking up at the wall
“Champagne”
“Okay” Josef said slowly “What color is it now?”
“Pale champagne”
“Oh. That makes perfect sense. You need to get to work on a story” Josef said chuckling
“Well, now that Buzzwire is under new management, I’m taking my time to find work that doesn’t require me to report on the color of Brittney Spear’s underwear on a daily basis”
“She’s partial to pink” Josef said quickly. Beth stared at him in amazement.
“You mean you actually know?” she asked incredulously
“Sure. Who doesn’t” he said walking towards the fridge “Where’s Mick?”
“I think he’s still sleeping. Feel free to wake him up” Beth said still staring at her paint work. Josef grabbed some blood from the fridge and headed toward Mick‘s sleeping chamber. He opened the top and leaned over.
“Wake up Mick!”
Mick slowly opened his eyes and glanced over at Josef.
“I hope you know that you just interrupted the most amazing dream” Mick sighed
“Yeah, right. Are you and Beth free for a late dinner tonight?” Josef said getting right to the point for his visit.
“Why?” Mick asked. Josef sat down and sipped and his drink.
“Simone is in town and she wants to meet”
Mick sat up straight. “Simone? Simone.” Mick asked surprised
“The very same” Josef said amused. “Now, there’s a part of me that wants to believe she truly just wants to have a quick visit and shoot the breeze. But the more intelligent part of me knows that’s a lie, so why not be prepared for the worst”
“You know, you really have a bad habit of pissing women off” Mick said reaching for his towel
“You say habit, I say gift. I’ll send a car for you both around 10:30pm” he said getting up.
Oliver’s was the kind of place where Frank Sinatra hung out. Older gentlemen quietly smoked Cuban cigars while their gold cufflinks shimmered in the soft light.
“This takes me back” Mick said appreciatively looking around the room.
“Ah, could this be Mick St. John actually waxing poetic about the olden days?” Josef said with a smile.
“Well, things were certainly simpler then” Mick said. Beth smiled at both of them, forever amazed by all they had seen in their many years.
“If you two tell me that you knew Frank Sinatra, then I’ve heard it all” Beth said.
Mick laughed. “Josef knew him pretty well. I just played back up in his band a few times”. He said.
At that moment every male head in the room turned to stare at the drop dead gorgeous woman who had just walked in. She stood at a very regal 5’9” tall. The emerald green dress she wore showed off a body that would have made Sophia Loren look like a boy. Both Josef and Mick stood as she approached the table.
“Simone” Josef said looking at her in awe “I’m speechless. You look amazing” he said.
“Thank you Josef” she said softly. “And Mick St. John! What a pleasant surprise. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Josef doesn’t quite trust me” she laughed.
“Hello Simone. You look well. May I introduce Beth Turner” he said politely. Beth noticed the controlled tension in Mick’s voice. She knew immediately that Mick was not fond of this woman.
“Very nice to meet you Miss Turner” she said as she accepted the chair that Josef held out for her.
“So, Simone what brings you to Los Angeles?” Mick asked
“Oh, just a change of pace. New Orleans isn’t as grand as it used to be. Katrina really changed all of that. So, I thought I’d take a little sojourn to the coast and see what California had to offer” she said taking a small sip of the champagne that was placed in front of her.
“Well, whatever the reason, LA is glad to have you” Josef said. “Will you be staying long? I insist that you stay with me. I think you will find my abode more luxurious than a hotel” Mick turned to give Josef a quick look of reproach. But Simone accepted his offer with pleasure. After a couple of hours hedonistic drinking, Mick cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry but I think we should get going”. Mick said noticing that Beth was very close to falling asleep at the table. “Nice to see you again Simone. Enjoy your visit.” Mick said.
“Thank you Mick. Perhaps we could meet again?” Simone hinted and then turned the full beam of her beauty directly at Josef.
A Woman Socrned
Mick was definitely worried and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why he was so worried. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Perhaps worrying was what he did best. Beth noticed as she noticed everything.
“Ok, spill it” she demanded. “What is it about Josef’s friend that has you so worried?”
“It’s nothing really” he started, trying to find the right words. “Simone is just not the kind of woman to spring a surprise visit on someone. Nor is she the kind of woman to leave New Orleans behind. Her family tree goes back quite a few generations in Louisiana. I just find it strange that she shows up now.”
“Don’t tell me this is another woman who has it out for Josef?”
“Not quite. In my opinion I think Josef treats all women poorly, present company excluded, but he actually did nothing truly awful to Simone, but you never know” he said.
“A woman scorned and all” she finished for him.
Josef sat in his office in good spirits. He had no idea why Simone was in town or what she was after, but he was more than happy to play along. Simone Renee’ Dubois came from a Parisian aristocratic family who settled in New Orleans in the late 1700’s. Her widowed father Andre’ took quickly to plantation life, growing cotton and tobacco in large numbers. He also took his amorous intentions out on young slave girls. One young slave girl especially caught his eye. She had no given English name that he knew of but heard other slaves call her “Hidijibah”. She was no more than 14 years old, but one could see the oldness in her eyes, as if she had already seen far more than she should have. She also carried herself differently than the other slaves. Hedy (as he would soon call her) never hung her head low when whites were speaking to her. She always looked you directly in the eye. And when she spoke in her broken English, she did so with no shame. Andre was infatuated with her. Hedy was made into a house maid so that Andre could always keep his eye on her. Whenever he called her to his bed, she simply walked proudly into his bedchamber, removed her clothing and awaited him. Within a year she bore him a child. A beautiful mulatto girl who he named Simone. By the time Simone was 12, she was drawing the attention of many men both black and white. Fearing what would happen to her, Andre’ sent her to Paris to live with relatives.
Simone hated her relatives and she hated Paris. She hated the food which she thought had no flavor compared to the spicy creations her mother whipped up back home. She missed the sad songs the slaves sang while they worked. She missed the hot steamy weather that clung to you like a lover. Simone was miserable. Her aunt and uncle tried to engage her in correct female endeavors, but Simone was very much like her mother. Proud. She refused the odd hats they wanted her to don, opting to wear her raven black curls wild and loose. She also refused to speak French, opting to speak a weird dialect of French which was called Cajun. Her relatives finally gave up and left her alone to do as she liked. When Simone turned 18 her stunning beauty made her a favorite at many parties where drinking, smoking and sex were the highlights. It was there that she met a striking young man by the name of Josef Kostan. The ladies would gather in corners to talk about the mysterious stranger who appeared to be quite rich and very unattached. Simone knew that there was something else about him that made him different. Her mother who was well versed in such things would have called him “the dark man.” Meaning from the other world. While enjoying an extended stay at the chateau’ of Charles Martin de Permond, Simone happened upon Josef and boldly engaged him in conversation.
“So, either you are following me; or you are very bored” she said simply. He smiled down at her.
“I’m never bored” he said still smiling at her.
“Well. Then you follow me?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe we just end up at the same gatherings. There is such a thing as chance”
“Chance is for fools” she said “And something tells me you are no fool” Josef was delighted with this girl. It had been many years since he had met anyone with her spark and daring. She looked no more than 17 but the eyes that stared directly at him were the eyes of a woman who had seen the world. He smelled the air before she walked over and she was definitely human. He thought of what he might do. Of what he wanted to do. And after talking to her another fortnight, he knew what he had to do. Simone was a dream. Not only was she an unparalleled beauty, she was smart, witty and merciless. It took her but two days to figure out what Josef was. She showed neither fear nor surprise. She simply looked at him as if she saw his kind everyday. Simone offered herself willingly to Josef. How could he not turn such an exquisite creature? The world was laid out before them. They first stopped in Paris to say goodbye to her relatives. Simone was vicious in her handling of them. Taking all that they had and in the end taking their lives with much glee. Josef was looking forward to New Orleans. He had heard much about this little city that held a population of Spaniards, Germans, Irish, Africans, and Haitians. To Simone, New Orleans was life.
When they arrived at her father’s plantation Simone immediately searched for her mother, entering room after room calling her name. She went into the kitchen to find Ester the cook.
“Ester. It is I Simone.” She said slowly. “Where is mama?” Ester looked at Simone and held her arms out to her.
“Lordy dear. Hedy done passed on. Happened not long ago. Your papa done buried her” she said sadly. Simone stood as still as a statue.
“What happened to her?” she asked. Ester looked around her as if she feared what she would say would get her beat or worse sold.
“Don’t worry” Simone told her. “I will make sure nothing happens to you” Ester looked at the beautiful young girl in front of her with the very same eyes of her mother.
“She couldn’t bear no more children. Your papa got mad. Said he needed a boy. Hidijibah come from a cursed family. Them women is barren. She just couldn’t have no more. Your papa’s temper got the best of him and he beat her with his cane. She passed on a few days later” Ester wiped away a tear as she finished telling the story. “He done got him another girl. You got 2 brothers and a sister”
Simone remained still. She held Josef’s hand tightly.
“Where is my father now?” she asked
“He out back in the stables selling some horses” she said
“Esther. I want you to gather all the slaves and tell them to go back to their sleeping quarters. I will let you know when it’s safe to come out. Do you understand me?”
“Yes’am.” She said and quickly left the kitchen.
“Come darling” Simone said sweetly to Josef. “Let’s me introduce you to Papa”
Simone and Josef walked quietly to the back of the house and into the stables. Andre’ stood tall and refined speaking to another man.
“Hello papa” Simone sweetly. Her father turned and stared. He took in the beauty of his daughter and smiled happily.
“Simone! I had no idea you were coming back. Louis did not let me know. I would have come for you”
“I am sorry papa. Your brother has died. So has his wife. They were killed by thieves” she lied. “Where is Hedy?” she asked innocently. Simone only called Hedy mamma when they were amongst other slaves.
“On my sweet girl” he said. “Hedy died trying to escape. She was shot by one of my guards. But you are such an angel to worry about the maid. I guess she was a part of your childhood was she not?” he looked over at Josef and immediately became angry “Who is this?” he asked in an angry voice
“Papa, this is my husband Josef Kostan”
“Your husband?! Why wasn’t I told of this? Who allowed this to happen?” he raved. As he yelled at Simone Josef very quickly and quietly went to the stable door and closed every entrance.
“Papa, do you really think that you can tell me what to do? I am the daughter of Hidijibah!” she said proudly.
“Shut your lying mouth!” he yelled glancing over at his buyer who was becoming very uncomfortable.
“Yes papa dear. You bed slaves and raise their children. I am such a child. How long do you think it would have taken before you called me to your bedchamber? Your own flesh and blood! But a lot has changed in the four years I have been away” Simone yelled barring her fangs.
Josef smiled remembering the sheer carnage of her vengeance on her mother’s behalf. Never again she swore, would she leave New Orleans. And there she stayed. Though how she managed to live in the same place for so long was a mystery to him. So why was she here?
Simone hated to be away from Louisiana. It physically pained her to be gone for more than a night. But she had a job to do and she had to see it through. She had always loved Josef. More than any other man she had met, but this was a situation that trumped love. Surely if Josef were in the same position he would do the same thing.
Mick sat in his office doing some research. He knew very little about Simone really. He remembered her as a woman with very strong passions and an undying loyalty to her family name. He met her in 1971 during Mardi Gras when Josef insisted that he go. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Mick had ever seen, but there was another quality about her that he couldn’t explain. It was her eyes. He couldn’t explain it. He knew that her father died mysteriously when it was discovered that he fathered children by slaves. The land and the business was left to Simone who made even more wealth when everything was sold to Phillips Morris in 1901 (although she was then known as the great great-great-grandchild Margarite) And by 1999, she was again Simone Dubois. He could find nothing about her mother (though that wasn’t surprising as no records were kept on slaves and they often had the surnames of their owners). Beth came up behind him and kissed his ear.
“Still worried about Josef?” she asked
“Yeah, but it’s probably nothing. I’m being paranoid” he decided.
“Well, I’ve got the perfect cure for that” she said seductively.
Mick made his way to Josef’s office later in the afternoon. Maybe Josef knew more than he was letting on.
“Come on Josef. What’s going on with Simone? Why is she here?” Mick asked.
“I have no idea, but I’m very interested to find out.” He replied smugly.
“Josef, I don’t think this is anything to take lightly. I have a really bad feeling about Simone. She’s up to something and you need to be on your guard”
“When have you known me not to be on my guard? Look, we both know that this little visit of hers has a purpose and the only thing we can do is wait and see. It’s not like she’s going to tell us.” Mick sighed. Josef was right. There was nothing they could do. If they acted too quickly it might prove disastrous. All they could do was wait.
Beautiful She Was
Simone sat up and looked around her. Josef indeed lived very well. She wondered what their life would have been like if he had stayed in New Orleans with her. Somehow she just couldn’t see Josef as the dutiful land owner. She fell in love with a playboy. He would always be this way. Was it not better to accept this fact than to waste precious time trying to change someone? There were no hard feelings when he left. No tears. Life went on as it had before. Simone had too much pride to throw a tantrum or toss ultimatums around.
But she still felt guilt over what must now be done. She had to prepare.
Josef made his way home and waited to see what Simone would have waiting for him. Worry never crossed his mind. While Simone was indeed quite old, he was the elder vampire and knew that if anything should occur, he would be able to handle it. He looked up to see Simone walking down the staircase dressed in a silky black evening gown. She really was exquisite, Josef thought to himself.
“Hello Josef” she said in her husky Cajun accent. “I hope you don’t mind but I invited a guest” Josef turned to see a beautiful young black woman, possibly of Cuban or Haitian decent.
Josef smiled appreciatively.
“Of course” he said as he walked towards the woman “And just who might you be?” he asked. The woman stared directly at him with her head held high.
“I am called Hidijibah” she said in an accent that Josef deduced to be indeed Haitian.
“That’s a very unique name. Do you know that it means “of the dead”?”
She smiled slightly and looked towards Simone.
“Of course I know. You look thirsty sir.” She said and held her arm to his lips. Josef rubbed her soft skin and inhaled the very musky slightly Asian fragrance of her perfume. He started to feed. At first the taste was sweet. Sweeter than any blood he had ever tasted. Then the taste turned bitter and started to burn like acid in his mouth and throat. Josef gagged but the vial taste was still in his mouth. What the hell was going on he thought! He tried to talk but nothing would come out. He was starting to feel dizzy and his eyes could not focus. He felt himself falling and the last thing he saw before everything faded to black was Simone smiling over him.
Josef awoke feeling very weak. Something was holding him down but he did not have the strength to lift his head to see what was binding him. He heard footsteps approaching and willed himself to be still.
“Josef, darling” he heard Simone say to him. “Don’t worry. This will only hurt a little. And let’s be honest, haven’t you lived long enough? Why not let someone else have fun.” She teased. Josef sighed and decided that fighting would only give her the power she so craved.
“Aren’t you going to try and hit me?” she asked. “Try to escape? Try to trick me?”
“No” Josef finally managed. “I’m not your father”
“Screw you!” she yelled. And Josef knew he had found his mark.
“You think you are so smart! Well I am the smart one Josef! Just like my mother! And you are what I need to bring her back to life. My mother was a descendent from the most powerful voodoo clan in all of Haiti. She taught me her ways as a child. She knew I would need them. After I learned of her death Ester and I dug up her grave and released her soul. All I needed were women to put it into which I found quite easily especially in New Orleans after the hurricane. But to truly bring my mother back I needed the blood of the “dark man” that unnatural being from the other side. That is you Josef. I will drain all your blood and transfer it into Hidijibah. I will bring my mother back! Her soul calls out to me!” She screamed to the heavens.
Josef managed to turn his head and saw the young Haitian woman strapped down next to him on a table. Her blood oozing out through tubes, a look of pain on her face.
“I thought you loved me” Josef said weakly. “I thought you came back so we could be together in New Orleans”
“You speak lies Josef Kostan! Don’t think that I will fall for your game again! I have learned a lot over the years” she said
“I….really thought you came here for me” Josef croaked out. “I sold all my shares in my company, even this house. I was ready to leave with you. Look in my briefcase!” he said feeling as if he were dying of thirst. Simone looked at him with doubt but snatched up his briefcase which was lying where he left it when walked in. She slowly opened up the case and saw. Papers detailing how Josef was selling off his shares; selling his house; selling his company. He was willing to give up everything for her. She glanced back at him and saw that he was looking intently at her. He had tears in his eyes. She looked over at Hidijibah decidedly torn between the love of her mother and the only man she had ever loved. Simone threw the papers down and ran to Josef and placed her arms around him.
“Forgive me darling” she sobbed. “I have been a fool. I listened to the vengeful soul of my mother instead of the love coming from my own soul” She then walked over to the table where Hidijibah was, pulled out a knife and sliced her throat. Hidijibah let out a piercing wail then laid still. He could feel Simone loosening his straps. She made him sip a very syrupy tea which she said would help to ease the poison out of his veins. He started to feel better though still very weak.
“You need to tell me what you were doing” Josef finally asked when he was feeling better.
“Josef, vampires are not the only creatures who can resurrect the dead. By capturing my mother’s soul, all I needed was a body to place it in, but her soul would be trapped inside a useless shell. Her mind of course could live but without a life force she would be what you know as a zombie. She would only be able to do as she was told. To bring her back, I needed the blood of one of your kind. But that One must be very old. It is the way of Legba, the guardian of the crossroads.” She explained.
“But what was in her blood?” he asked motioning to the table.
“Your kind…..our kind, can not feed on the blood of the resurrected. It is the bad blood. You only had a little taste. A lot of the bad blood can keep you a vessel for ever. It traps you inside a body.
Josef ran his fingers alongside her face and looked into her eyes. Those amazingly defiant dead eyes. She was so very beautiful.
Josef sat in Mick’s apartment waiting for Beth to come down.
“Does she always take this long’?” Josef asked glancing at his watch.
“No, she doesn’t always take this long, but this is a special occasion. Women don’t get engaged everyday” Mick said smiling
“Mick, we live in LA. Every minute of the day some woman is getting engaged” Josef said smugly.
“Well, it’s her night and I intend to let her have it”
“So, you’re really going through with this? The whole marriage thing?”
“I love her Josef” Mick said simply, throwing up his hands.
“I know you do”
Beth came down stairs looking as glowing as Grecian goddess. Both Mick and Josef smiled and looked fondly upon her youth and beauty.
Within minutes the apartment was filled with friends and colleagues all giving their congratulations.
Mick and Josef walked out to the balcony for air.
“So are you going to tell me what happened to Simone?” Mick asked finally.
“Of course. I killed her” Josef said
“Why?”
“Well, she tried to kill me first so it was kind of a given that I kill her when I had the chance” he said smiling “Look, Simone had issues. Serious issues and the fact that she came from some hoodoo voodoo family made her all the more dangerous. I mean who knew about that whole drinking the blood of the resurrected thing? That woman had knowledge. Dangerous knowledge. I had no choice but to chop off her pretty little head. You know, I still can’t believe she actually thought I was going to sell everything I have to be with her”
“You weren’t?” Mick asked
“Mick, sometimes I think you don’t know me at all” he said laughing to himself
“So that’s it? No regrets? No remorse?”
“None”
“She was very beautiful” Mick said
“Yes she was. But if being around for 400 years has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is as dangerous as the beauty of a woman”. Mick studied Josef and somehow knew that he wasn’t getting the whole story, but that was the way things were with Josef. Sometimes it was best not to know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Simone stared at the cement walls that would now be her home. Chained and unable to move. How could Josef have done this to her? After all she shared with him. All of her secrets. How could he have fed her the bad blood? So this would be her fate. Her mind active and alive but trapped in a useless vessel. She slowly turned her head when she heard the door open. Hidijibah walked in, dressed apparently for the evening; although she was no longer her mother but now a servant of Josef’s.
“I am leaving to meet Josef” she said quietly. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
Simone struggled to speak but was unable to get the words out. Her mind was screaming out the words she desperately wanted to speak. Hidijibah smiled.
“I guess not”. She said and quietly shut the door behind her.