PROLOGUE
Tragic events had been known to the city’s lands; the stains were washed by the tides of nature. Dark worlds were drawn into the water. Death and misery grew; new beginnings thrived. As the damned entered the quarters of New Orleans, they did bind strength of proper distaste. Unnatural entitlement loomed and fantasy grew as a result of the unwarranted freedom. On the outskirts of the city, music did ring, fainter than the bosom, drawing in lost souls. As the city expanded with ease, so did the spirits of the souls beyond it. French, Spanish, Congolese, Haitian, Native American, Creole, Latino, Sicilian, Anglo-Americans. Half a dozen more nations gathered, to form a new world identity that stood alone from the rest.
This was its charm.
In the face of extinction, the Cajun Flamingo continued to roar. Outlandish, feathered hats were all the rage during the Victorian Era of the late 1800s. Hunters profited from the market, drawing birds to near extinction. Compared to gold, an ounce of feathers was worth more. Gentlemen would take the whole wing and make it into a mistress’s fan. They had to hunt at the height of the breeding season in order to capture the mystical creature. As the young birds of the aerie were left unattended, a man would shoot them all. With an affirmation of sacrifice, a tradition was set forth. Crimson feathers became the unnatural desire of the people.
Contents
BELT ONE: BABYLON 7
Remnants 4000 BC (Before Cassius) to 33 AC (After Cassius) 7
The sensibly sized book 12
Rita: 13
Cassandra: Girl on fire 25
Jadis: In your eyes 27
Run and Never Look Back 31
Sidja: 1920’s Onwards 39
Jadis: The Department of Witch Affairs 41
Erica: Life on Earth 43
BELT TWO: BILLENNIUM 46
Hereditary 50
Sally: 52
Rifle 1988 53
Sally: 54
CHAPTET ELEVEN: 1996 Retribution 82
CHAPER TWELVE: Early 1997 Remand 90
Sandra: 107
Karl: 108
Jay: 108
Karl: 110
Hayden: 110
Hayden: My upbringing 111
Jeremy: 113
Heath: Provocation 115
Posey: 115
Jeremy: The Accident 116
Posey: 116
Heath: 117
Cassie: 117
Ingrid: 122
Cassie: The Road to Recovery 124
Edith: A short, unhappy life. 125
John: 126
Rachel: 128
Jeremy: 133
Cassie: 133
Enrage Probabilistic Nest En: The Library Oak 135
Cassie: Path Dependence Theory 137
A.M.W: The Showdown 140
BELT THREE: BYGONE 155
