to tell me what happened. If you hadn’t done it I would have.”
Rissy went to bed and kept seeing her and Johann together, and a voice whispering to her. She opened her eyes and there was a chestnut haired woman sitting on the side of her bed. Rissy looked at her automatically knew her name. Rissy was a witch and thought nothing of it and it was definitely not the first time she had seen a ghost. “Alma, why are you here?”
The woman smiled at her. “To give you and Johann my blessing. I am the other woman he spoke of. We love one another deeply but I am too independent for him and I’m not a faithful woman and see no reason to be so. He has always tolerated that, but you have always been faithful to him and it is a trait that he admires and respects. He did push you away once, but my dear it almost killed him to do so. He could not stand the bickering between the two of us, and felt you would be better off with someone who would love you and be faithful to you and you alone, but you two could never part for long. You both shared a bed numerous times, actually too many to count. You were married and he was with me. You never would allow intercourse, but my dear, your skills at other pleasures put me to shame. Once you and I were friends or I should say your uninhibited side and I were. You and I became bitter enemies, but I will wait for Johann to tell you that story. I hope that you will find it within your heart to forgive him, and if you do, your greatest wish will come true. One other thing, he gave you pleasure as he fed from you, he only did that a few times with me.” Alma disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
It was late the next morning when she awoke. Rissy fixed her coffee and sat down to read. As much as she tried she couldn’t concentrate and had to put the book down. She decided to go for a drive. Her mind was jumbled with thoughts and she did not even realize parking the car and walking along the beach until she came upon a place where there were still two set of footprints. She placed her foot in the smaller of the two and it fit perfectly. She sat down in the sand and looked out over the ocean and cried for hours. When finished she rose, took a piece of driftwood that she had found and made a circle around the place where she and Johann had been when it was a happy place. She turned to the east and made a blessing for the circle to only allow someone who had true love and felt that it had slipped away to enter. She did the same with the south, west and finally the north. She stood there for a little longer and slowly wandered back to her car but felt compelled to look back at the spot where she had felt that she had finally met the love of her life only to have that shattered. She saw a few people walk past the place who went around the circle and then she saw a single person walk right into the circle and sit. She felt sorry for whoever it was that sat there and could relate. She almost went back but decided that she would not be good company so she continued her journey. Once she got to her car she just sat there looking at the ocean and thinking. Things had become so strange since she had met Johann. She had felt so comfortable with him and even now she did, but her brain was reeling. She had noticed her speech changing and then to be so intimate with this man. Her heart ached for him and yet she loathed him at the same time. She thought about the ghost visitation and that damned portrait, she knew it was her in that portrait. She could feel it, she could even see it. She took her time going home and instead of going the short way home, she caught herself driving by his house hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but she didn’t see him. The tears began again. The pain in her chest made her nauseous. Even her brain had begun to wonder if it had jumped to conclusions too quickly.
It then dawned on her. What if Charlotte had been right and there had been things about that whole incident that she couldn’t understand and that Johann still didn’t?
Rissy did the only thing that she could think of and that was to call Lisa to come over. Lisa was her favorite cousin and could help her. Lisa came quickly after Rissy made her promise not to tell any of the rest of the family. When Lisa arrived, Rissy brought out a pot of coffee and they went out on the veranda to talk. “Lisa, what do you know about Johann and don’t tell me ‘nothing’ because I’m sure you know something.”
“I know he is from Germany or somewhere like that but really nothing more.”
“Dammit Lisa, I know you know more than that!” Rissy screamed. “Tell me now!”
“Rissy my dear, it is not for me to tell you. This is your journey and all I can say is to follow your heart.” Lisa took a breath and looked at Rissy. She wanted to tell her much more but it was forbidden. She did think and made one last statement about Johann. “I can tell you this and really I’m going beyond what I’m allowed to say. Johann is more than you know. Whatever you feel follow it and do not be afraid to ask questions but not to me or his employees but Johann directly.”
Rissy shook her head and said she understood and then she and Lisa took a walk in towards River Street for a lunch.
Examination
Johann was falling apart. When he woke he went for a walk and ended up on Tybee Island walking the beach. He wandered without realizing that he was at the spot where he and Rissy had been happy. There were still a man’s and woman’s footprints there and he stepped into the man’s and realized that they were his. He was a little surprised that they would still be there. He had been certain that somehow with the rain they would have been washed away. He did not see the circle because he was so focused on how at first last night was one of the most satisfying and happiest of his life until he ruined it. He had to go too far in telling her about his true love. It could have waited for another time. His thoughts went back to that time and his tears flowed more covering his face and flooding his eyes where he could barely see. He could still detect Rissy’s scent and he saw a faint circle around him and looked around but did not see her but then out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw her but when he turned his head in that direction he did not see anyone and his heart sank deeper.
Johann sat there for hours and soon it was night and the beach deserted. He screamed at the sky cursing his mother and Odin. Suddenly lightning lit up the sky. Then the thunder came. Bolts of lightning hit all around Johann and the thunder shattered his eardrums causing him to fall on the ground. Johann screamed. “Your aim is off Odin and Thor you can beat me to the ground and make me an easier target for his bolts! Just go ahead and kill me! I don’t care! It will be a better existence than what I have now. Let Hel finally take me, I deserve to be her slave.” More lightning shot down upon him but none could touch him. Freya appeared suddenly. “Stop! Odin and Thor stop now! He is mine and perhaps one of yours.” She smiled into the sky and it became clear. The stars shone bright. She turned to her son. “Are you just going to lay here and feel sorry for yourself? You have never been one to give up so easily. Look at what you have been through since the beginning of time.” Johann could see his life unfold in front of him. All of the times he had been with Rissy, Alma, and Risanne, the good times and the bad all flashed at once. “Now my son, are you going to let a little thing like this destroy you?” Johann looked at Freya for a moment and then hung his head. “This time is more difficult than all of the rest. I want Rissy’s and my destiny to come true. This is our last and final chance and I don’t want to ruin this like I have so many times in my life.” Freya cupped his face in her hands and smiled again. “Then don’t let it my son. Is her life over? She was alive a little while ago, but it’s up to you. This is your life.” Johann slowly stood before his mother. “I am tired and need to sleep, Freya.” “Then go and rest my love.” She kissed his lips softly and held him in her arms. “Be strong my son. Sometimes I wish I had never given you a human heart, but then most of the time I am amazed at the love that comes from inside it. Go my son and find your destiny.” As quickly as she had appeared, she disappeared. Johann looked around once more and this time he was able to smile when he looked into the sky. Two shooting stars went by so close to one another it looked as though they were touching.
He spread his wings and flew back to town. Landing in an alley he saw something but was not sure what at first and then he heard a pained “no” and then heard a female crying. He turned the corner and saw a young woman with her clothes ripped off and a man trying to grind himself into her. Anger swelled within Johann and before he knew it he had the man pinned against the wall. He threw his shirt to the young lady and she hurried away slipping and sliding with her bare feet. Once she was out of sight Johann turned his attention to the poor pitiful