Kathryn's Story
#82 of The Moonrise Chronicles
Anna
had her cane out when she heard the doorbell rang, but Maggie beat her to
opening the door. "Billy!"
"Hi
runt!" he said around the stack of pizza boxes he was carrying. "I hope you
don't mind, but I ordered a few more. I don't think you've seen me eat when I'm
totally hungry!"
"That's
alright, I can afford it. Hey! Did you remember to pick up some booze?"
"Shit
kid! Like you need to be drinking!"
"Don't
lecture me big fella or I'll have to have a talking-to with you too."
He put
on a mock scared face. "Not that! Anything but that!" Then he got serious.
"It's in the Rover. I got a bottle of whiskey for me, three bottles of vodka
for you guys, and a bottle of rakia for my Maria."
"You're
really into her, aren't you?"
Billy
grinned mischievously "Cock deep."
"La la
la la la la la... I don't need to hear about it."
"What's
the matter kid, do you think I'm too old for that kind of fun?"
"No, I
kind of thought she was though."
"Oh
hell no! She knows just what she wants and isn't afraid to demand it. That's my
kind of woman!"
Anna
was looking on disapprovingly. "Is it necessary to discuss such personal
matters out in the open?"
Billy
guffawed. "No, but a fact's a fact ma'am. Your sister is a regular virago in
bed. I'm no lightweight myself, so it's a match made in heaven. "
"What
is this world coming to?"
Maggie
giggled. "You said coming."
Her
grandmother rolled her eyes, grabbed a few of the pizza boxes and headed to the
kitchen. Billy made a funny face as she walked away. "I bet she had a few pokes
under her tail in her prime."
Maggie
punched him. "Hey! That's my grandmother you're talking about!"
"Then I
guess that proves I'm right, doesn't it?"
Maggie
sucked in a deep breath. "It's a good thing I like you."
"Hey,
what's there not to like? I'm big and hairy and I've got a great sense of
humor."
Maria
was just walking through the room. "I agree. Especially with the big part."
Billy
did something uncharacteristic. He actually blushed.
The
boxes emptied over the next hour, including three to Billy alone. By the time
they were all full, there wasn't much more than scraps and adhered cheese left
on the cardboard. The trash was set out on the back porch, and everyone crammed
into the living room, even Kathryn, who was able to walk without assistance
now. Maggie was sitting on her lap, still rather naked except for a robe
borrowed from her grandmother's closet. Edward was wrapped in a blanket.
Nothing in this woman's closet was ever going to fit him.
"So
Kathryn, you mentioned Maggie's father. I have a feeling that there is
something we need to know about him."
She
settled back into the chair. Maggie leaned against her, her head on her breast.
"Yes, I
suppose so. As I'm sure all of you know, I'm older than I look, though I do not
have Uncle Alexei's good fortune." There had been a brief discussion over their
meal about him and Maria. She was referring of course to his present appearance
while being a century old.
"I told
you his name, though I doubt it means anything to you. Would it help you to understand
a little better if I told you he's from New Jersey?"
Her
words were met with several blank stares. "I didn't think so. But you Billy,
you've never investigated anything strange on the East Coast?" His habit of
looking for weres had been made known over the meal as well.
"Sure,
all the time. Last incident was in New York City, when some damn bloody fool
had a battle with another in the middle of Central Park."
Anna
started to ask something, but Edward held up his hand. "Save it for another
time."
Kathryn
looked lost. "I'm afraid I know nothing about that. Have you never investigated
anything peculiar south of there?"
Billy
cudgeled his memory. "There's been weird stuff happening all over this country
from time to time. But New Jersey in particular? Only a few incidents. Most of
them were just based on a local superstition."
Her
eyes lit up. "Any particular superstition?"
"Oh,
just some old legend about some freak that was born there a long time ago."
"Really?
And you found nothing to provide you with any basis for this legend?"
"What
are you getting at ma'am? Are we talking about the same thing?"
"Come on
Billy, you seem smarter than you look."
"Hey,
that's a cultured look I'll have you know!"
"Then tell
me if the name Leeds has anything to do with your legend."
"Holy
shit! Are you telling me that this here fella you married is from that line?"
She
nodded. Maggie leaned forward. "What line?"
Billy
was shaking his head. "If that line still exists, they've done a damn good job
of lying low."
"What
line?" she repeated with a little more volume.
Billy
looked her in the eye. "If I'm understanding your mama rightly, she's referring
to the Leed family of New Jersey."
"And?"
"And if
the legends, that is to say the real legends are anything close to being the
truth, this fella is likely to be one tough customer."
"And he
is?"
"Your
mama already told you. William Jesphet Leeds."
Maggie
slipped off the chair and onto the floor. "Look Billy, don't go getting smart
with me. I've never heard of him. Who is he?"
"He's
the devil incarnate girl."
Exasperated
with Billy, she turned to Edward. "Do you have any idea what he's talking
about. I thought Albert Fish was pretty bad, and the cardinal on the same level
as that. How could there be anyone worse?"
He was
looking at Billy, and then to the future. The first thing he saw made him shut
down the link. "I think it would help immensely if you both stopped playing
this little "guess who" game. Just tell us what we need to know."
Kathryn
sighed. "Mr. Leeds, my husband, is the hereditary heir to the title given to
his great great grandmother back in 1735."
"Great great
grandmother? How old is this guy?"
"Very
old. He would never say exactly."
Maggie
turned to confront her mother. "So who is my father?"
"Dear,
I don't know quite how to tell you this, but he presently holds the title of
being known as the Jersey Devil." There was momentary silence. "Surely you all
know that legend don't you?"
Billy
looked around the room."Well, not to put too fine a point on it ma'am, but two
of your kin just got over here from Russia. Now me, I know a lot of lore, but
Edward and Maggie here, maybe not so much."
"I see.
I guess I'm so familiar with the grisly details that I forget others aren't so
burdened with the knowledge that I carry."
She
adjusted herself in the chair. "I first met him a very long time ago. I had run
away from home because I was sick of being confined inside." She glanced at
Anna before continuing.
"I was
hiking along the Atlantic seaboard with a few other free spirits who were
making their way south when I first met him."
"Good
God mother, how long ago was that?"
"It was
the sixties."
"You're
really that old?"
"Yes
dear. Now don't be impudent!"
"My mom
was a hippy! Who knew?"
"Shush!"
"Sorry
mom. Go on."
The
woman smiled. "I was sort of a hippy.
I still like having my hair long. But at this time, I was unaware of my
heritage, for mother here decided that it was best to withhold that information
to protect me. A lot of good that did."
Anna
frowned. "I was only doing what I thought was best."
"Sometimes
you're nothing more than a busybody, trying to make up for your mistakes by
running everyone else's life the way you want them to go."
The
woman's mouth clamped down in a severe frown.
Kathryn
continued. "I was in my twenties, but I looked like I was younger. Mother never
explained that to me either. I was always feeling like I was some sort of
freak."
Maggie
poked her. "We are freaks mom. I
wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Hush
dear. This story is serious."
"Ok.
Sorry."
"William
ended up in our group one night from out of nowhere. He had long hair, raggedy
clothing and a beard. He looked just like one of us."
"Then
what happened?" Maggie was feeling very much impatient to hear the story.
"At
first nothing. He talked with us, found out where we were all from, where we
were going; that sort of stuff. He seemed to linger his attentions over me,
asking me about whom my parents were and things like that. I didn't really know
my father, and mother kept her secret from me, so there was little to tell him.
But he looked at me with his deep dark eyes and said "You're something special, aren't you?"
"I thought he was just
complimenting me, but I was wrong. Without warning he bit me, drawing blood. I
yelped and screamed, and my companions came to my aid. It cost them their
lives. I watched the whole thing transpire as though I was seeing it through a
fog. It was horrible."
"But
the worst was yet to come. He bit me again and again, causing me to hurt right
down to my bones. I went insane for a while and when I came too, I was no
better off than when I had started, I had claws and hair and teeth and; well I
think you understand."
"I do.
But that was a long time ago. I can't possibly be that old, can I?"
"No my
darling, you're not that old. If you give me half a chance, I'll finish my
story."
"Sorry."
"I had
been turned into a werewolf. I thought it was just because he had the power to
do it. I had no idea it was inherent to my makeup. But he had sensed it. I
guess some of us have more abilities than others. "
She
sighed. "My body was hungry and he had just killed for me. In my new awareness,
the fact that they had been friends of mine meant nothing. They were now food
to feed the ache in my belly. Looking back on it now, it was a terribly low
point in my life."
Edward
spoke up. "I understand your need to feel regret, but I think that under the
circumstances you can be excused for your actions."
"Thank
you. I can tell by your kind attitude that my daughter has made a good, if
premature choice as a mate."
"Premature?"
"It can
wait. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I found myself to be a creature I had only ever
heard about from comic books and movies. Despite the murders, I found the
experience to be exhilarating. Here I was on an adventure that surpassed all
others in comparison. My friends had taken drugs to get high, but I was on a
level far above them. And the sex. Let me tell you that my experience thus far
had been limited, but this guy knew how to blow a girl's mind!"
"Mother!"
"What?
Are you telling me you have had no experience whatsoever?"
"How
can you think that?" Her face was trying to maintain a rigid calm, but it wasn't
working.
"Because
you come by it honestly. I'm glad that in your case, you found someone who is
reliable and fairly decent."
"Fairly
decent?" Maggie sounded outraged.
"I
don't know him very well as of yet, so my assumption as to his character is
based on what I have gleaned from our very short friendship. I'm sure I can
give him higher marks as I learn more."
"Hmph!'
Edward
only smiled. He was seeing where some of her mannerisms had come from. She was
definitely a product of her genetics.
"Now
where was I again? Oh yes. We traveled the coast, killing here and there, often
going undetected before we headed west.
We went to Yellowstone in a stolen car and stayed out there for years.
But over time, I grew disenchanted with him. It was great fun to ravage the
wilderness, including the occasional hiker, because out there, you could blame
the animals for what you did. But in the end, I grew homesick."
"And?"
Maggie had been hanging on her every word.
"And so
I left him and loped home. Mom was pretty upset by everything, and she could
tell right away that I had changed. That's when I first found out I had the
family trait. Before that she had told me nothing. It was only then, when the
damage had been done, that she let me in on the secret. I didn't believe her
until she did the change. I was so angry with her I just about left again."
"Ok, so
you left father, my real father, back in Yellowstone?"
"Yes dear,
I did. I got up one night and walked away, following a trail by the light of a
full moon. I walked and walked until I was out of the park, and then I kept
right on walking."
"So how
did I come about?"
"I'm
getting to that. It was a long while later, and after wasting my time going
from one useless relationship to another, that he came back into my life. He
had hardly changed, and despite the passing years, his face still seemed as
fixed in my mind as it was on his skull. I was walking down the street when I
heard someone call my nickname, Kat."
"I
turned and saw him leaning against a wall. This time, however, his clothing was
clean and neat. I nearly fainted."
"What are doing here?"
"Looking for you. I didn't take kindly to you
deserting me."
"How did you find me?"
"By looking for you of course. Shall we
resume where we left off?"
"Look William, I'm done with all that. We
left a string of dead people across the nation. I'm not proud of that."
"You're worried about some losers
who got dealt a bad hand? It happens all the time. People die all the time."
"You may be right, but some of
them died because of me. I'll not do that again."
He stood there for a few
moments. Then he sniffed the air. "Have
it your way. But I'm taying in town for a few days, so if you reconsider, look
me up down at the hotel. Oh, and don't worry, I'll keep my bloodlust to
myself."
What I didn't realize was
that I had been coming into heat for a while. I had been scratching that
particular itch with a few toys, as well as with some of the local boys. He
smelled it on me and waited, hoping that a pregnancy would bind our
relationship. And so Maggie was conceived, and we were married, though not in
any traditional sense. But it didn't; couldn't last."
Maggie
was thinking on this. "Why not?"
"Because
dear, he wanted us to live with his extended family, and once I met them, I was
gone. I don't know what you've seen or experienced while I've been out, but
there is nothing nice about these people. And because you have their blood
running through your veins, they consider you to be part of the clan. They want
you as their very own."
Edward
was looking to the future again. He wished once more that he didn't have this
talent. It showed him some terrible, terrible things. He worked things over in
his head for a while before he gave up. "So you left him again and did your
best to disappear?"
"Yes,
but it didn't work so well. I think he has a link with my mind, for there are
times when I see visions of things that I know aren't one's that I have
experienced."
"And so
now that you are back and conscious, it won't be long before he tracks you down
again?"
"I
believe so."
"I see."
There
was silence for a moment. Edward mulled this over in his head. "He's willing to
kill you to get to her?"
"He's
willing to kill anyone to get to her."
"So how
did you manage to stay so far ahead of him? And what difference did Maggie being
in the hospital have to do with him finding you?'
"I told
you, I think he can see what I see. I have always tried to block it out, but I'm
not always vigilant. The stress of having her out of our home threw off my
concentration. When the transformation struck, somehow, William was there too. I
saw him outside the window when I moved to comfort Maggie. I remember
transforming to protect her, but that's about all I can recall until I woke up
here."
"I see."
Maggie
punched his arm. "Quit saying that dammit! What do you see?"
"Sorry
Mags, I was just going over all of this in my head. It's a lot to absorb."
"Gee,
do you really think so? No wonder I'm half crazy! I've got Looney Toons in my
family tree!"
Edward couldn't
help allow a stupid grin to cross his face. "Yes, it does go far to explain a
lot."
"Not
funny father."
"I'm father
again? Really?"
"Yeah, it'll
do for now. I'd rather have you to call my father than anyone else I've heard
about today. Then again, I only have sketchy memories of all of this, so I may
change my mind. But never for a second do I want you to think you're off the
hook in this business of our emotions. I said I love you and I mean I love you."
"I know
that. I have never felt such an honor before, and you can be sure I'll stick by
it to the end."
"I
should think so. But we're back to being in the middle of problem, aren't we?"
"We
are, and the problem is, we know more about it this time."
Billy
spoke his mind. "How is that more of a problem?"
"Because
when you have some idea of what you're up against, you're forced to understand
that you may not come away from an encounter completely intact."
"That doesn't
sound right to me. I like being able to size up my opponent before a battle."
"Yeah,
it sounds good in theory, but maybe not so much in practice."
"Whatever
you say dude. Are we going to go looking for him?"
"No, if
Kathryn is correct, then he will already be on his way here."
"Good!
It sounds like this guy hasn't had the pleasure of making my acquaintance."
Edward
suddenly turned sullen and refused to discuss it anymore, even when Maggie pestered
him for information. She knew he had powers the others could only guess at. If
he saw something in their future that wasn't something he could easily handle,
it was something very bad indeed.
He sat
down next to her mother. "I want you to know that I will do everything within
my power to protect this family from harm." He laid his hand on her arm. Her eyes
dimmed a moment before returning to their normal clarity.
"Thank
you so much. I feel in my heart that I can trust you with my life."