Chapter 15
Nick settled into bed, put his hands under his head and stared at the dark ceiling. Sleep seemed to have run away, but in its place, a vision of brightly colored wagons circling Saumur before settling in a vacant field and closing ranks. Jean Claude—yes, that boy again—crept a bit closer, seemingly looking for a lost object. Nick watched the scene unfold as he looked into the dark. As I watched, I was transformed into Jean Claude. Even my skin felt different.
I continued searching the ground, inching closer. I smelled the fire and cooking meat, sizzling over the flames, succulent and juicy. My mouth watered.
“Do you want some?” a voice asked from behind me.
Startled, I dropped my pretense of searching and whirled around.
The girl, about my age, was dark-haired with topaz eyes rimmed with more smokiness. She wore a white blouse with embroidery and a skirt with many colors and patterns.
“I was looking…” I stammered. “For my dog.” We had no such beast. But how could I explain what I was doing in the forest surrounding their camp at this hour? “It does smell wonderful. Rabbit?”
She nodded.
“I’m Chaton.” She gestured to herself.
“I’m Jean Claude.”
“Come.” Chaton led me to the fire in the middle of the camp.
None of the local girls would be so forward. Gretchen was prim and proper and didn’t make my hands sweat—maybe a little. My heart hammered with anticipation as I followed Chaton eagerly toward the delicious smells and the large fire dominating the center of their encampment.
An old Gypsy woman handed me a bowl.
“Come,” Chaton said with a laugh revealing her small white teeth, beckoning me. Her forefinger hooked around a jug of wine.
I followed her willingly back into the forest. Before we left, my eyes darted around the camp. It was a fairly large group of ten or twelve wagons, circled together with people moving around, stacking wood, shaking out blankets, and some were strumming instruments.
Chaton led me back toward where I had been searching for my pretend dog. She found a fallen log where we could sit. We sat, ate our stew, and shared the jug of wine.
“How long will you be here?” I asked, burning my tongue from the stew and taking a swallow of wine.
She shrugged. “I never know. We keep moving from place to place.”
I hoped she would stay awhile so I could get to know her.
“Tell me about Jean Claude?”
“I’m a cadet at the Cadre Noir. We are training to be military leaders.”
She shrugged. “Is that what you want to do? Lead an army?”
I settled my feet in a more comfortable position and took another sip from the jug and handed it to her.
“We just declared war on Germany.” I hoped she’d be impressed, but Chaton remained quiet.
She sighed and said, “I think war is pointless.”
“Hitler has invaded Poland, and who knows how long until he reaches our door?”
“Hmm.”
“My father is fighting with the French Third Republic.” I hadn’t heard from him in many months. “Do you want the Germans in France?”
“We travel all over Europe.” She shrugged and took a swig from the jug. “Germany? France? Poland? They are all about the same to us.”
Now it was my turn to pause. “I guess you wouldn’t understand the importance of defending country and home.”
“I don’t understand war or staying in a fixed location. Don’t you long to wander?”
Yes, I guessed I wanted to see other parts of France and Europe—experience life. If I was called to fight, I’d see plenty. I sat up taller thinking of joining my father fighting to keep France unoccupied.
She nudged closer to me, resting her shoulder against my arm. “Do you mind?” She rubbed her arms. “The night air is chilly.”
“No.” I slipped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. The wine had warmed my veins, and when she turned toward me, her face lifted and her eyes opened slightly. I leaned closer, and her lips touched mine. I hadn’t kissed many girls, but this passionate exchange was different than kissing Gretchen. Chaton kissed me softly at first and then with more purpose, finally biting my bottom lip before resuming her exploration of my mouth. I could think of nothing but her lips and the beating of my heart.
****
“Nick?” his mother called, and he fought his way through the darkness of sleep to her voice.
“You’re going to be late for school.” The school or the barn? His mind was in a tangle of images, thinking first of the large, sturdy barn that had housed the many horses of the Cadre.
“Do I have to clean the barn?”
Her brows came together in a V. “What did you say?”
Nick yawned and struggled to a sitting position. “I must have overslept.”
“Are you still thinking about the exorcism?” His mother touched the tape recorder.
He inclined his head.
“Did you get any sleep?” she asked, opening the curtains to let in the light. She was dressed for work in slacks and a sweater.
He yawned. “A bit.”
“We didn’t have much time to discuss the tape.” She adjusted the blinds. “We should have more time tonight.”
He nodded and looked at his phone, noting the missed calls and messages from Emily and Gary.
—WHERE ARE YOU?— Emily asked. She must’ve called about five times too.
—ARE YOU SICK?— Gary had texted.
****
How Nick reached school was a mystery to him. It was as if he had lost the ten-minute drive to a black hole in his head. The clock on his dash read 9:35. He had missed two classes. He went in to face the consequences.
The Laketon principal nodded and said, “Nick.”
“Sorry I’m late.” Nick shifted feet and moved his backpack to a more comfortable position on his shoulders. “I overslept.”
“That can happen,” the principal said, looking down at his computer before typing in Nick’s name. “Since these are your first unexcused absences, and your grades are fairly good…” The principal frowned at the computer. “Your grades have suffered a bit these last few weeks.”
“How?” Nick’s breath caught in his throat. “How so?”
“You were at an A- in calculus, but now it looks like you’re at a C-.” The principal paused as if considering what to say. “I should give you detention, but I’ll let these absences slide this time, but next time there will be consequences.”
“I understand.” Nick swallowed slowly.
A bell sounded. Nick looked around, confused.
The principal said, “Nutrition break.” A twenty-minute break after second period so students could recharge and have a snack.
“Oh, right.” His stomach did a little flip. He was hungry, but he wanted to find Cat. Nick left the office and plowed through the throng of students packed into the hallway by the junior lockers.
“Nick! Nick!” He heard Emily’s frantic calls and slowed. She caught up with him. “Did you get my messages?” She positioned her body blocking him from continuing. “Where have you been?”
“I overslept.”
“Is everything all right?” She placed her hand on his arm and frowned at Minnie’s scratches.
He let out a sigh. “I guess.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I can’t discuss it right now. Later, maybe.”
Emily frowned. “Problems at home?”
“You could say that.”
“Oh, Nick! I’m so sorry.” Her eyes teared up.
He reached down and kissed her. “You’re the best thing in my life.” He grabbed her hand.
She lost her concerned grimace.
Nick looked around. “I have to talk to Cat about something. Seen her around?”
Emily pouted. “Her again? We can’t have nutrition break together?”
“How about lunch?”
“I’ve got a lunch meeting,” Emily said, chewing her lip.
“After school?”
Emily froze, not answering him, her eyes a concentrated stare. Nick turned to see what she was focused on. Cat, dressed in a leotard and magenta-colored tights, was walking toward them, swinging her glossy black hair over her shoulder.
He gave Em one final kiss and the promise of meeting after school before going to Cat. “I’d like to talk to you,” he said in a low voice just barely heard over the students herding into the cafeteria for snacks.
The halls quickly emptied of students.
She looked around. “Pretty deserted right now.”
Nick swiveled his head to see if anyone was listening. Satisfied no one was eavesdropping, he said, “I want to tell you about last night,” Nick said, rubbing at the scratches Minnie left.
Cat took his hand and kissed his scratches. “All better?”
He gave her a weak, anemic smile. “I listened to the exorcism tape. And I remembered some things.”
Cat moved her head back as if considering his statement. “For real? A real-life exorcism?”
“A priest prayed for me, to drive the evil spirits away.”
“Interesting,” Cat said, squeezing his arm as she talked. “What did you remember?”
Nick swallowed slowly. He was aware she was touching him, but he didn’t mind. “Being a soldier.” He looked up. “During the war.”
“Our war?” she asked.
He gave a quick nod.
“So you believe me now?”
“I don’t know what I believe,” he said. “In a matter of weeks, my life has been turned inside out.”
“I understand,” Cat said, trying to grip his arm tighter.
“No you don’t.” Nick yanked his arm away. “There’s a lot of pressure for me to do well in school and help with my father’s ministry. Be a good citizen and live a Christian life.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “This goes against all that,” he gasped in a strangled croak.
“Maybe I can help.” She put her hand back on his arm and squeezed reassuringly.
“Anything,” he said as the bell sounded and the hallway began to fill with students once again. “We can finish our conversation at lunch.” They walked to World History together and sat in their assigned seats.
Bryan walked by and ran his fingers through Cat’s hair, and in a flash, she dug her nails into his hand, leaving red welts.
“Ouch! The cat has claws.”
“Keep your hands to yourself!” Cat said, flexing her hands and studying her long red nails.
Bryan gave a short bark of laughter. “Or I’ll end up like the Reverend?” Bryan nodded toward the scratches on Nick’s hand before sitting down.
Nick frowned. He looked over at Cat. “He’s not…Is he from…” Nick lowered his voice even more. “…before?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
Now he was questioning everything he thought to be true. And who was he exactly if he wasn’t Nick Dupont from Laketon, Michigan? Did the soul from Jean Claude move into his body at some point? How did that happen exactly? He needed answers, and he needed them now.