Everything was clear now. The truth about the false God, the Villagers, the Mayor, the sacrificed girls. But the question remained… How did Jasabell die? Was she sacrificed too? Why her mother and father is trying to hide her from the rest of the world?. Why do they keep saying I will be in danger if I am lucid?.
So many unanswered questions. She decides to ask her parents directly knowing that they wouldn't give a proper answer.
Isabella Runs downstairs and calls everyone to the Main Hall. Isabella's mother and father came running to her.
Why are you shouting Isabella??This is not proper for a Lady, said her mother.
"Mother, Father" Isabella looks at her parents with a serious face.
"I know that both of you are hiding something from me. I want to know it all. I want to know everything from Jasabell's death to why you keep me hiding from the outside world. I have been home schooled by mother my whole life. I have never seen a single stranger coming to this house. You keep me locked in the house as if I am a prisoner. Why do you keep calling me crazy. I want to Know" Says Isabella with the stern and clear voice.
"There is nothing to talk about young lady. Go to your room this instant" said the mother angrily.
"You cant keep me in the dark forever mother. I know I will be sacrificed to the Tavernodus" said the girl.
Isabella then unbuttons her blouse exposing the markings on the chest area.
Isabella's mother falls to the ground, her father stood motionless and speechless.
The girl approaches her parents and tells them.."I need to know. I must be prepared. It is my destiny and you cannot change it"
The father moves closer to Isabella's mother and says… "Tell her the truth Dear. This has been going on for a long time. She has the right to know".
"Yes, she does...God Help us...I will explain everything to you" said the mother sobbingly.
She continues….
That day at the Tooders residence, me and your father tried everything to stop the hateful allegation against Jasabell. Then Mayor Michael appeared and called one of the elders. The Mayor whispered into his ear and the elder asked the others to leave the child alone as she is mentally unstable. As per the law if a mentally unstable girl is offered to the diety, then it wouldn't be considered as an offering or sacrifice but defiance against the God.
The Mayor spoke to the people and convinced them and said that she and him would be wed two days from now.
We were all too shocked to reply or to speak up. The Villagers went away and the Mayor took us to our house in his carriage.
When we reached home, Jasabell hurried to her room. The mayor asked permission to speak to Jasabell alone. And we said yes. After some time the Mayor came downstairs and informed us that Jasabell has agreed to marry him. He soon left the house.
Me and your father went to Jasabell. Your father asked Isabell whether what he heard was true. Jasabell said yes with a sad face.
Your father told her if she doesn't want to marry the Mayor, she can say so. But Jasabell said that she wants to marry the Mayor adamantly.
Until the day of her wedding Jasabell didn't come out of her room. She got married on the day and went to the Mundane Mansion. She didn't come to the house for 6 whole month. Your father used to go to the Mundane Mansion every morning but the guards didn't allow him to enter or see Jasabell. We went to the Village elders but no one helped us. After another 6 months we received a letter from the Mundane Mansion addressed by the Mayor informing about the death of Jasabell and that she has been buried at the Mundane Mansion's private cemetery. He wrote that Jasabell was pregnant with his child and died due to miscarriage a week ago.
Your father and I went to the Mundane Mansion demanding explanation and to see our little girl's dead body. The guards beat your father up and threw us over to the marshland and we returned home injured.
After a few hours Mr. Thomas, the Mundane Mansion's old butler came looking for us. He was carrying a basket and gave it to us. There was a little beautiful baby girl inside the basket, wrapped in cotton white clothes.
Mr. Thomas said that it is the daughter of Jasabell and that she didn't have a miscarriage. Jasabell gave birth to a still born. The Mayor tasked him with the baby's burial. When he was about to bury the child, it cried, so he hid her in his quarters. He also added that Jasabella didn't die a week ago. She died almost three months ago and the Mayor kept it a secret.
He also said that Jasabella didn't know about the pregnancy and giving birth to the child as she became mentally unstable a month after her marriage.
Mr. Thomas left in a hurry to the Mayor's mansion leaving us in a daze.
You are the baby Isabell. You are Jasabell's daughter and our grand daughter".
Isabell stood still motionless. She couldn't believe her ears. She always thought her parents are George and Veronica Ichabod. Never in a million years she thought her parents being Jasabell and the ruthless Mayor Michael Mundane.
"No this can't be. Tell me this isn't true. Jasabell can't be my mother. She told me she was my sister" said Isabell trembling with disbelief.
"Jasabell told you she was your sister? That's impossible, my dear Jasabell died 15 years ago. She couldn't have seen you yet alone talk to you. Even if she was still alive, she couldn't have recognized you or accept the fact you are her child. She was of unsound mind during her pregnancy and according to Mr. Thomas she never became normal until her death" said the father.
Isabell ran to her upstairs. She called out to Jasabell.." Jasabell!! Jasabell!!.. where are you???"
Isabell turned around, there she was "Jasabell". She was tearing black blood.
"Did you know..? Isabella stutters. Did you know that I am your daughter?? Tell me the truth" asked Isabell.
"No, Isabell. I never knew I had a daughter. I only remember the day until my marriage with the Mayor. I don't remember anything after that. I always thought I was sacrificed to the Mammon just like all the other girls" said Jasabell.
Unable to comprehend to what she has heard, Isabell sat on her bed. She said to herself…" Then how did Jasabell….My mother die?? Did the Mayor kill her or is it true that she was sacrificed to the demon king Mammon??"
Suddenly Isabella got up from the bed as if thought she found or remembered something.
"Jasabell …Mama told me that the Mayor came to our house and asked permission to talk with you alone. When he came back downstairs, he told Mama and Papa that you agreed to marry him. Do you remember what he said to you? It might a vital clue" asked Isabell.
Jasabell came closer to Isabella and touched her shoulder. Isabella suddenly felt like she had fell into some kind of trance. It was another peak into Jasabell's memory.
Jasabella is sitting on the floor beside the bed. She was crying and wiping her tears again and again with her skirt. The Mayor came into her room, he sat on Jasabell's bed and said…
" Jasabell, my dear..with a heavy heart I tell you this..you will never be safe in this village unless you marry me. I can protect you. You saw what I did there. What power I hold among the villagers. They would have killed you if I hadn't intervened".
"You are a monster Mayor Michael. You are even worse than the false God you have hidden on the abandoned Factory offroad" said Jasabell in a sobbing voice.
Surprised and shocked at the same time, Mayor Michael gets up and goes near the Window. He looks outside and closes the curtain. He goes to the door and locks the room. He gets closer to Jasabell and whispers….
"So you were there. Did you follow Sophia? And Maria?"... he chuckles. "Was poor Maria with you??" asked the Mayor.
"Yes I saw everything. You killed them didn't you. You killed both Maria and Sophia? "asked Jasabell pulling the Mayor's neck collar with both of her hands.
"I did not kill them Dear. Maria was sacrificed to the Diety, yes. But Sophia, she is alive. Her child died though. But she is alive. I have hidden her in some place safe" said the Mayor.
"What? Sophia is alive? That is not possible. The villagers said they found both Sophia's and Maria's dead body" said Jasabell.
"They did saw two corpses alright. One was Maria and the other one was the daughter of a beggar whose parents were killed by the elders for not accepting the Tavernodus as God. I hid Sophia as she was pregnant and it is not allowed for a woman carrying a child to be sacrificed to great demon. The child will be killed first and then the girl will be sacrificed. When I hid Sophia, she had a miscarriage and the child died. I told them both the mother and the child died during the miscarriage" said the Mayor.
"Where is she? tell me where did you hide Sophia? take me too her, please" begged Jasabell.
"I will, my love. I will take you to her soon. All in good times. But before that you should marry me. Promise me that you would marry me" said the Mayor.
"Never. I will never marry you. You are a monster. You are a devil worshipper" responded Jasabell.
"So what?….God never helps us. It's not even true if God's real but the Deity Tavernodus is. So what if he is a demon? He gifts his followers with riches and prosperity. What more a man would want? The elders knows the truth about the deity yet they accept him as God. Then why can't you??" asked the Mayor with a rather weird smile on his face.
"I will not loose hope. My God, the one and only God will save us. You and the elders will pay for your sins. I will not let anyone be sacrificed anymore" said Jasabell.
The Mayor laughs.." Ha Ha Ha…..Hope? The one God? hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like your past to have, my dear. Who would believe you? Your parents? the elders? or the blockhead villagers? They will believe anything I say. You will be helpless and will come crawling back to me for help. Take the offer, marry me and save Sophia. Or else I will hand Sophia to the Village elders. And you do not want to know what they will do to her" said the Mayor.
End of Chapter 7