Chapter 19

One month later.

I have been living in the French countryside for a month. I am really love it. It is so peaceful and quiet. The house is twenty minutes outside of Mont Saint Michele. It’s a small providential village off of the French Coast. I have been working as a historical tour guide for the Abbey of Mont Saint Michele. I love my job. No New York City, no more of that monster Owen Carver. I have quiet and peace to myself. Sometimes I get a weird feeling like there’s someone or something watching my cottage at night. However, I assume it must be a animal. What human being would be out this far in the country to randomly come upon my cabin.

That would make no sense. I love that there is a vintage wood burning fireplace, The cottage was built in the 1600’s and over time has been restored and various owns have helped it evolve to keep it updated. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and the kitchen is combined with the dining room. Quaint and cozy. The living room has the fireplace. There’s a loft upstairs that can act as a third bedroom.

It is six in the morning, and I have two hours before I need to be at the Abbey. I am heating up coffee in the Keurig, and cooking over easy eggs with toast. I add a slice of cheddar cheese onto the eggs. Using a cooking torch, I melt the cheese onto the eggs.

I am enjoying my solitude when I receive a call from a number is Paris. Curious as to who’s calling me, I put my food aside and walking into the living room to sit on the sofa and answer the call.

“Hello” I answer in a friendly tone.

“Hello, this is Fredrick Dubois, I am calling to address Ms. Katherine De Cheney.”

“This is she; I have been expecting your call. My grandmother had informed me last week when I saw her that you would be calling. She was making arrangement’s for my parents ashes to be buried on the family plot on the La Fleur estate.”

“I have grave news to share; your grandmother will be buried along side your parents milady.” He says in a sorrowful voice.

He sounds as if he’s been mourning her death as well. They must have been close. I hear the brokeness in his voice; I refuse to believe something could have happened.

“Your grandmother has passed away.” I fell over in shock

“No, I had just seen her last week?” I say incredulously.

“I am sorry, she was found yesterday morning on her kitchen floor. There was damage to her head, and what looks like puncture wounds on her neck. Not as grotesque as your parents or brother. Police think that she fell on something. I am sorry for your loss.” I drop the phone; I can’t believe it. I am all alone.

“I moved here to be closer to her; how can this keep happening to me!” I said in shock. How can I be so alone all over again?

“She had a premonition something might happen, after the death of your parents. So, she quickly made sure that you would inherit everything from the family here. She wanted to restore it. She was arranging to work with Lord Hofer on any restoration expenses. Any money from your parents have also been directed towards the preservation. I am told that the French Historical Society is in search of someone who will oversee that.” I stare at my phone in shock. I do not want this.

“ I don’t know want this; I wanted to live near her. I never wanted to ever inherit ownership of the estate.”

“You have no choice it is in the family will that the house, and chateau will always stay in the La Fleur family line. It cannot be forfeited or sold.” I am shaking my head in denial.

“No, I will never go back there again, not after what happened to me when I was a child.”

“What happened to you? Why did your father move to America, and never come back with you?”

“My brother as you know was found gruesomely murdered after being abducted on the property. Police never found who did it.

Some years later, I was nearly attacked by a pack of wolves. I had seen someone very creepy in the windows of the manor. I was running from the property after seeing him. Suddenly, a pack of wolves came flying out of the woods by the house and charged me like they were ordered to. I managed to get to my grandmother’s house, and something stopped them when I reached the property. They came to a halt as if on command. They stared at me savagely until I ran inside. They left after that. My father immediately took us back to America, never to return.”

“Are you sure they were wolves?” he asked alarmed.

“Very positive.”  I told him.

“I have been out to the house occasionally through the years. I have never seen wolves in the area. That is fascinating. I will mention it to the Hofer Group. They are also in charge of the estates affairs.”

“When do I need to be there?”

“Your Grandmother didn’t want anything extravagant; we’re having just a small ceremony for her and cremating her. Her ashes will arrive soon with your parents. Plant them on the family plot.”

“Yes, sir” I answer him respectfully.

“You will need to be there next week. Don’t worry about your cottage. You can rent it out. You don’t really need money but, money helps.” He tells me as he hangs up.

I lay my head on my pillow. I grab another pillow and scream my lungs out. How can these things continue happening to me.