Chapter 21 Drapetomania

Cruor

(n)

Murder, Bloodshed

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"GILBERT!!" Merliah screamed at the top of her lungs, his name in her voice ringing through the empty hollow home.

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"Happy Birthday darling." Gilbert said with a smile as he set the pie that he made down on the table of their new home. It was the same pie he had Merliah try back when they lived in Quebec.

Merliah kissed him on the cheek, Hiraeth running up to her; she was two now. They did not know her exact age yet they were able to make an estimate when they took her to the doctors when she fell ill from the flu, which she soon recovered.

It was Merliah's sixteenth birthday, Gilbert was five months and three weeks older than her, yet sixteen was still a big milestone to her, making it important to him as well.

Over the past couple months leading into the winter season, Merliah was working almost everyday with one or two days off sometimes, but not likely. Gilbert had gotten a job at the printing press, printing and re-typing peoples stories onto paper and giving them out to the paper routers to sell. Within the next couple months of savings they were able to afford a little house, however in their time you had to save however much a house would cost as there was no mortgage at the time, Merliah was fine with this as it gave her comfort that the house would be theirs and it would not be taken away.

It was a creamy brown colored house, two stories with a small balcony that wrapped around the second floor of the front of the house. There was a small attic that they used for extra space or for things they didn't need but wanted to keep. The home had many windows surrounding the walls of the house, bushes and small flower gardens surrounding the yard along with many trees giving some shade for a day to sit out by the tree and read. A chimney and a fireplace inside the house to keep warm in the cold days. The house was four hundred and twenty three dollars, in Merliah's century it would have been at least one hundred thousand. Thank God I was pulled into this time, she laughed to herself as Gilbert signed the papers for the house.

The two still were waiting for the time where Gilbert could come calling however they already acted like a couple, like a family. Hiraeth was officially apart of the family and they now had their own home in England. It was a week since they moved in, not having any furniture they went into town to the local carpenter and purchased some beds and decor for Hiraeth's room with the extra money left over from their savings from the house.

Hiraeth ran, or tried to run without stumbling to Merliah as she was about to cut into the pie. She picked up the child and put her to her hip as she took a knife in her other hand, Gilbert watching her as she starts to cut into the juicy, extravagant pie. Once Merliah cut pieces out for Gilbert and her Gilbert took a tiny piece of the pie and put it up to Hiraeth so she could take a bite, she got excited and started bouncing up and down and her arms swaying around as she babbled soothing sounds as she bit into the delicious food he had made.

The two newly parents laughed and started eating the cake as they talked about the good day it had been, plans for the new home, and work.

The brunette had the day off tomorrow and had planned to go into town to visit the new paint store, she wanted to get some canvases and maybe some paint brushes and paint to start making art, something she used to do so much when she was in her own time. Although now the thought of her old life rarely passed her thoughts, as if it did not exist.

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Merliah was off buying some flowers to brighten the rooms of her home she shared with Gilbert, when she ran into "Chise, Chise Mort." The mid brown haired girl said, with her petite nose and crooked yet beautiful smile, freckles placing over her cheeks and nose. "Merliah.. Merliah Brown.." She said in return, as she shook the hand of the girl in the silky furnished red dress. "Ah-um." Chise turned to a boy standing next to her with a broom under hands as he sat his chin on top. The waves of his curly brown hair moving slightly in the light breeze, his English accent matching Chise's; thick.

"And this-" As Chise ruffled his hair and lightly pushed his head back in a jokingly manner. "Is James, James the third." She said as she tried to sound like an old Dutch in the royal kingdom.

Merliah laughed at the silliness the two held within each other. What did I come for? Oh right. "So about that paint," Merliah went on, but she was cutoff as the bell of the door rattled as a man dressed in all black opened the door and locked it behind him. "Excuse me sir if you could unlock th-" The man turned around and aimed his what looked like a Western Frontier Pistol at James and fired. The only thing in Merliah's mind was the waiting loaded gun as James dropped to the floor, everything began to slow down.

Her heart was trying to escape the cages of her ribs, she turned to the man who was running out of the store, than turning back to her two new friends as Chise held James in her arms while applying a cloth to his stomach as it bled out, turning into paint that would stain the wood floors.

Why was no one coming? Did not a single soul hear the shot? Why did no one care? Where was everyone?! Thoughts racing in ever direction and taking u-turns. "..Gilbert- Gilbert!" Merliah said.

Chise looked up to her in confusion as her tears spewed down. "Get him into the carriage and I'll- I'll get him to my house, my boyfriend Gilbert, he he can- he's studying to be a doctor, he's very good. He can help." She finished. Chise nodded her head and the two helped James get up, him throwing his head back as he held onto his wound as they put both of his arms under each of their shoulders to carry him.

Once they got him in the carriage, Merliah jumped into the riders seat and snapped the lead to start moving, snapping it harder to make the horse go faster to get to her home quicker. Please be home.

"Lay him on the table!" She said as she tried to find the aid kit Gilbert made. Rushing through everything in the Kitchen to find it. "I thought you said a doctor would be here!" Chise cried as Merliah handed her another towel to replace the rose colored one. "He is not back yet, he's with our our daughter. He wanted to take her out for the day." "So I'm going to die, great I am going to die. Why didn't I put that on my calendar." James spoke out sarcastically as he lifted his head up to see Merliah found the aid kit as she dumped everything out and picked up some wipes and a needle and thread.

Chise took his hand and told him to look at her. "Look at me, no ones dying. Do you even know how to stop the bleeding?!" She yelled at Merliah.

"As best as I can is better than nothing. Now stop screaming and let me focus." She replied as she took a chair and sat down next to the table in which he lied on, she lifted up his shirt as Chise took off the towel. She took the wipes which were just napkins that had soaked in medical cleaning liquid. She took it and dabbed around the wound before getting tweezers and eyeing where the bullet was, and if it went in too deep for her to reach. "Found it, okay James I need you to stay still okay?" James nodded.

"Some lunatic is trying to kill me, why didn't I see that coming. Why is everyone trying to kill me." He whined as Merliah inserted the tweezers in his wound to grasp the bullet, he squeezes Chise's hand as he moans in pain. "Is this normal for you?!" Merliah asks in concern as she pulls out the bullet that was covered in blood.

Than taking the wipes she dabs away all the access blood and punches his soft skin the the needle as she tries her best to sow up the tear in his skin. "Of course it's not!" He shouts as he pulls up his head to look at his wound, dropping his head back down from seeing all the blood, feeling light headed.

All three of them perked up as they heard the front door opening as shuffling footsteps came closer. Chise got James up to his feet as he winced at the movement. Merliah quickly grabbed a knife from the silverware container and held it in her hand as she stood in front of the two. "Merliah? What are you doing? Who are they. Why do you have a Knife!" Gilbert said as he examined the room. The towels of blood thrown on the floor and the red liquid across the table, blood on Merliah's hands and a knife the shinned from the glimpse of sunlight. The two strangers behind her, one of the wounded.

The brunette relaxed a bit, releasing some of the tension. "Thank God." Merliah said as she dropped the knife and ran up to Gilbert and hugged his left side as he had Hiraeth on his hip. Gilbert pulled Merliah into the hallway room of the front door, Hiraeth leaning her head against his chest as she sucked on his thumb.

"What the hell is going on?!" "I made some friends after meeting them at the floral store and this guy came in and fucking shot him!! Someone has his head for a price and my first thought was to get him to you because he was bleeding out but you weren't here so I got the bullet out and tried to sow him up." Merliah said as she cried, Gilbert pulled her in for a hug. "I'm here now." She held onto him not wanting to let go. What was a good day was turning into the scariest. Unlike her old life, she had a purpose here, people she cared about.

James came out of the kitchen with Chise holding him up as they walked up to the two that left the room. Merliah turned to James, "James! Are you feeling a little better now that you're not bleeding out." James nodded as he lifted up his shirt as to prove she did well. The bleeding had stopped and the stitches were staying in place. "Your Merliah here did a fine job mate, she's got nice hands." James smirked at Gilbert, whose cheeks turned a scarlet red as Chise slapped James arm. "I am so sorry about him, he's just an idiot." Chise spoke as she rolled her eyes to James as he was laughing, thinking he was the comedian of the year.

Merliah coughed to break the weird tension. Than turning her attention to what was important. "So where will you go? I assume since you are on someone's wish to be dead one could only assume you aren't even safe in your own home if they know where you are everyday." And with those words Chise and James stiffened, the humor leaving and going down the drain. This was serious, no time for inappropriate jokes.

Gilbert took a step closer to Merliah as he gave Hiraeth to Merliah, as the child started making grabby hands to her new mother. "If you would like you can stay here with us, whoever is out for you doesn't know us.. I hope." Chise thanked Gilbert a great many for letting them stay here until they can find a safer place to stay. With that, Gilbert showed the two to their room they would stay in and let them rest as Merliah and Gilbert cleaned up in the kitchen and Hiraeth playing with her toys in the parlor.

As Gilbert was on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor with a sponge, Merliah was taking a wet cloth and soaking. "So..James huh? Seems like a decent guy."

He really thinks- boys. Merliah laughed to herself as she cleaned. "No need to worry my love, my eyes are only set for you." She said looking down to Gilbert. "Besides, he has a thing for Chise, not that i'm interested. They will be an affectionate couple one day." "Did you not say that about Ida and I?" Gilbert did with a hazy laugh, causing Merliah to groan.

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Gilbert and Merliah were sitting up in Hiraeth's tiny bed as the child was in between both of them. "You are my sunshine," Merliah began. "My only sunshine" Gilbert continued. "You make me happy," She sung as she gently ran her fingers through Hirathes curls.

"When skies are grey." Gilbert went along as he made animal shapes out of his hands, making animal noises with each shape. "You never know dear.." "How much I love you." Merliah looked up to Gilbert as he made eye contact with her. "So please don't take," "My sunshine away.." He finished with a smile. They both got up as Hiraeth was now asleep, Gilbert leaned down to kiss her on the forehead as Merliah did the same, before blowing out the candle, the only source of light, shutting the door on their way out.

In their room upstairs, Merliah changed into her nightgown, as Gilbert was in the tub, washing himself off from the sweat that proliferated through the day.

The two were finally getting into bed, ready to sleep after a long stressful day. However, God had other plans.

As they were settling into bed just about to blow out the light from the candle, they heart the door downstairs squeak open slowly. Gilbert knew that James and Chise were fast asleep in the room over and had been most of the afternoon. They both have had a very long journey.

The thought of that man, that killer in her home, where her lover and her child lived.. being in the same room as him scared her.

Gilbert slowly stood up, him only being in his nightgown pants and long sleeve shirt. He slowly and quietly walked to the closet where he took out his Denix British Dueling Pistol that he had bought from the store to make him feel more comfortable, more safe in this new town.

Merliah blew out the candle and got out of bed although Gilbert tried to tell her without using words to get back into bed and stay put, although Merliah acted like she did not understand what he was meaning, and she carefully opened the door, with no weapon, nor protection. The only thought being in her mind was to get to Hiraeth and get the others awake.

As the two walked down the spiral stair case of their home that lead to the middle hallway of the house where diagonally straight ahead was the door.

"The door is open.." Merliah whispered to Gilbert, who nodded in reply as his eyes were squinted in attempt to see better in the dark. "Where is he.." As if God himself were there to answer her question, a rattling scream echoed through the Brown's home as the two ran to where it was coming from.

Once they entered the guest room where James and Chise were sleeping, the moonlight that was shining in from the window allowed them to see the pool of blood as James was in bed. His body looked mortified, there were no gunshots, with the wounds looking the way they did they could guess he was stabbed multiple times, and with Chise confirming as she trembled at her untold lovers body. It was a nauseating sight to take in. "Where did he go?" Gilbert asked in a hush tone, knowing that there was a chance the man who hid with the shadows might still be in the walls of their home.

Chise looked at the two blankly as tears continues to frighten her, she was in shock. "Chise I need you to go, take Hiraeth and Merliah and get out of her, call for help. Just get out of here." He said as he shook Chise getting her out of her haze of grief, she nodded her head and slowly stood up, walking out of the room quickly to go into Hiraeth's room. "My love you need to go. It's not safe." He said to Merliah as he lifted up her chin so their eyes would meet. "I am not leaving you." Merliah spoke sternly, yet the fear was seeping through like a tissue to a clotted bloody wound, no use.

Gun shots echoed through the house, startling the two as they heard what sounded like a vanity being knocked over, the glass breaking across the wooden floor boards. "Merliah you need to go." He said, urging her to go. "Hiraeth cannot loose another mother." "And I can't loose you." She replied, a little too loud.

Gilbert sensed a figure at the door of the room and pointed his gun ready to fire. "Woah! It's just me!" Chise said as she held the crying baby in her arms. The gunshots must have startled, her ears are very sensitive Merliah thought. "As much as I would like to be with James right now.. whenever he is. It is not our time to die so let's go before we all turn into the red paint that they will use to decorate our graves!!"

The four of them rushed through the house as the moonlight shunned through every window, creating a overwhelming fear feeling into each and every one of them. As the Chise and Gilbert - who was carrying Hiraeth got out the front door, Merliah tripped over a vase that had been thrown and broken. Of course I tripped, it wouldn't be the perfect love - murder story if I didn't.

She was pulled up by her hair to stand on her feet by the man that wore a mask and hid in the shadows of the night.

"Where is she? Where is Merliah?!" Gilbert hollered, making Hiraeth cry even more into Chise's chest. They both looked back at the house, the door wide open, the marks of pain and grief and sorrow that seeped into the wood and cracks of the house. It's our home, our new beginning.. it's not supposed to be like this. Why cant we just be happy?! He screamed to himself, however he wanted to scream outhouse. Scream to God, to anyone, to curse the bad things that had happened.

Those thoughts running through his head as he sprinted inside the home as Chise called after him.

As if the man in the night was waiting for the directors cue, he was standing in the middle of the hallway of the front door, in front of the staircase. The man was holding Merliah by the throat with his gun to her head, "We can't have any witnesses now can we?" He rhetorically asked, his voice old and worn out.

He threw Merliah to the ground of the house as Gilbert was about to run to her side to make sure she was okay. However he never got to her side before he was shot.

"GILBERT!!" Merliah screamed at the top of her lungs, his name in her voice ringing through the empty hollow home. His gun dropped from his hand as he felt the area of his chest where his heart was. The feeling of warm drizzling blood that looked like the forbidden fruit squeezed into juice. Merliah scrambled over to him before he fell to the floor, his skin turning cold over the seconds and his eyes slowly tuning in and out of consciousness.

She laid him in her lap as she grabbed his hands but than his face than back to his hands, not knowing what to do, tears that are now friends coming down her cheek to say their hello and goodbye.

The man started walking away from the two, about to step out of the house. "Shoot me." Merliah said as he lover was dying in her arms. He stopped walking, facing the door in complete silence. He turned around to face her, lifting his gun up to her.

She was on the floor next to Gilbert, their tears and blood intertwining together. The man was gone, Chise and Hiraeth fled to safety, James was dead. She breathed heavily as she took Gilbert's hand next to her. His hands were cold, lifeless, she turned his head to face her with all her strength; his eyes were bloodshot, cold, dead.

"I'm sorry.. you didn't get to live yet." Merliah said as she coughed, the air tightening in her throat. She didn't face to see the light, there was no light it was just her and Gilbert. For a moment she thought she saw his chest move, she watched his chest for a couple minutes as life seeped through her grasp, it never moved, he never moved. "Don't worry Gilly, Hiraeth is safe, I'll be with you, it's all going to be okay, we'll be in the stars.. "

"I love you Gilbert.." She cried.

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When morning came around, the newspaper boy tossed a letter through the mail slot of the closed door. It was a small peach paper envelope, ones that belonged to Eliza, ones that Ida always used without permission.

Merliah picked up the letter, opening it carefully and reading it out loud. "Darling, the mail came! It's from Ida, how sweet she replied to my letter. 'Dear Gilbert and Merliah, How are you? I do ever hope you are doing alright, De L'heure and all of Quebec has been so lonely without you. Do not fret, we miss you too Gilbert. We cannot wait until you come home, I hope you got my last letter, I know that the paper routers can mislaid letters. Oh how I am so excited to read your letter when you reply. Keep me up to date on everything!! With love, Ida Nevada Smith.'"

Merliah smiled as she walked over to the two chairs, one where Gilbert was sitting. She stopped her movement as she lifted up her dress to show her shoe, "Oh my, I got blood on my shoes.." She said sadly. "I told you to watch out for it my love." Gilbert replied as he looked out through the window, the children running around playing games with each other as their mother's and fathers tried to get them in the buggy for.. What day was it? Oh yes it must be Sunday.. He told himself.

She sat down and placed the letter on the coffee table in between the two chairs.

The sunlight from the beautiful day that was beginning was shinning through the windows of the home, leaving some shadows here and there among the walls of the Brown's home. The blood scattered across the floor along with broken glass and crushed flowers. The two body's hand in hand, lying silently on the floor, blood that drizzled together shimming in the light.

"The end." Merliah says as she turns off her phone in which she was reading off. Her mother leans back in her chair at the dinner table as she took in all the information just read to her.

"That was a very detailed book, and how you wrote yourself in was very clever. I really enjoyed that. Good job Merliah, I am sure people will love it." Her mother said as she stood up and started moving the empty plates from the dinning room to the kitchen, placing them in the sink.

Merliah stood up and took her plate as well as she walked up to her mother, "You really think so? I hope people like it, I have worked so hard on it."

Her mother placed both her hands in Merliah's shoulders as she looked down into her eyes. "They will love it." Those words causing the brunette to give in a small smile.