By Tracy Watts
(Work in Progress)
Captain James Harland braced himself in the cockpit, his mind a whirl of calculations and concern. Thunder rumbled as his fingers gripped the controls tighter, guiding the plane dangerously low over the rugged landscape. The engines roared defiantly against the hush of the gathering dusk. Suddenly, the sky split open as if conjured by some unseen force—and an unnatural storm swirled into existence. Harland’s heart raced. The first plane clawed its way through the chaos, barely escaping the tightening grip of wind and lightning. But as the tempest gained strength, Harland realized too late that there would be no easy escape. The impossible storm had come from nowhere, and his fate, along with that of his crew, was closing in.
The pilot felt a surge of anxiety as he guided the plane into the heart of the storm. Never before had he encountered weather this severe, and he knew he had no real choice—while the following plane might be able to maneuver away, he was committed. The only path forward was through. In that moment, he understood that both his fate and that of the special cargo of ten souls rested on this perilous gamble. On this day, neither he nor his passengers would reach their destination.
As he arrived at the hangar, Keith was informed that the plane he was to pilot would fly a preset course and pick up one or two packages. He was then told he would fly a preset heading and stay off the deck to avoid radar in the area. He was never told what the plane was to carry and did not ask, either. Keith was a cautious man and never liked not knowing at least a little something about the packages. In this case, he was glad that he was not told. However, as he climbed into the cockpit, a lingering dread gnawed at him. The uncertainty of the cargo planted seeds of doubt, making him question the morality of what he might be facilitating. Every flight like this was a gamble, not just with his safety, but with his conscience. This internal strife was exacerbated by the lack of transparency, causing his usual composure to slip. What if the contents of this flight were more dangerous than he could imagine? Keith knew too well that once in the air, there was no turning back.
One of the hanger crew mentioned hearing something about nine, maybe ten bodies needed to be flown out of the country, and that some fool had screw up the operation to the point that clean was demanded and all they knew was that the bodies were to be flown to somewhere in France. Keith had also heard that he should stay locked in the flight deck and “keep busy” until he was given the clearance to take off, and whatever you do, don’t talk to anybody. He had told his friend he would, and he continued to check out the plane for the usual preflight takeoff and flight procedures.
What unsettled him wasn’t flying the plane itself, but flying it with a co-pilot. It felt like an omen. Entering the rear of the aircraft, he reflected that this wasn’t his first solo flight, but the previous plane had been smaller and far more maneuverable. Back then, the cargo was light and could easily be hidden. This time, he had no clue what the packages contained—or what might be concealed within.
After the checks were done, he then prepared to take off to the runway or the empty field, as he called it. The runway was nothing but an open field used by somebody to land and take off in a desperate situation. The planes went to their next destination or were hidden and dismantled, and the parts were trucked to other locations and used for other planes. Some parts he heard were even sold on the black market. As he was told to cover certain costs off the books. After the conversation ended, he grabbed some food from the cantina, basically 2-3 sandwiches, and a thumos of coffee and boarded the plane. His plane was then taken to the airfield, and he was given the all-clear to take off.
He took off and, following the other two planes, entered the US airspace just below the radar due to the mountainous areas. He had to be very careful flying this without instructions. He was happy for his many hours of visual flight time and the fact that he had grown used to piloting in these conditions. He entered the airspace, thankful for low visibility. This meant he could not be seen, maybe heard, but that was not his concern. He had to rely on the locals on the ground to do the rest.
He landed the plane on what looked like an old abandoned freeway from the looks of it. The runway was just long enough for the plane to make a safe landing and take off again in a short time. It even had a fuel truck, he thought, “ how nice”.
As he was landing, he could swear he thought he saw a car drive on the runway, but was not quite sure of it. Nevertheless, he was in the approach vector and could not abort now. The plane landed without incident, and after about an hour or so, he was cleared to take off. The plane felt different from how it had before, and the weight was off for some reason, and he did not know why it felt heavier. He was sure it was a bit sluggish in response, but nevertheless, there was nothing he could do now. He was curious to see what was in the cargo hold and if it was affecting the maneuverability of the plane. He knew he could not, however, do to the fact that they had locked off the section where the cargo was.
After he took off, he was instructed on what heading to take and advised of a possible weather advisory. He was told not to worry as there was little chance of the storm heading his way. Little did he know how wrong they were. Little did he know that he was flying in second place in formation with two other planes on the same heading as he was.
It was an hour after takeoff when the trouble began. Initially, the turbulence seemed light, but it swiftly intensified, lifting the plane from its current altitude before dropping it rapidly within minutes. The winds were so strong that maintaining the course proved to be a struggle. It was at this point that the pilot decided to break radio silence and contact the ground station, requesting an alternate course to avoid the storm. However, as he was about to send the message, a bolt of lightning struck the plane, causing a complete power loss. The aircraft systems failed, and as he tried to maneuver the plane, now an overweight glider, a shadow appeared at the window—the last thing he saw before crashing into the mountain.
Onboard plane 2, the pilots noticed a bright white flash of light, initially assuming it was just lightning. This puzzled them, as the storm was expected to head west, away from their path. Suddenly, intense turbulence took hold, jerking the plane left, then right. “This is the captain. Can I get one of those observers up here?” shouted the captain over the intercom. The young lady glanced up at the other observer, who was overwhelmed with tears due to an earlier accidental shooting. She responded in French, “Je m’en occupe” (“I’ll handle it”), and quickly headed to the cockpit.
As she enters the cockpit,she can hear the pilot and co-pilot exchanging conversation in hurried tones. Over the loudspeaker, she heard nothing but static. The captain then turns and says, “We need to break radio silence; this storm is getting worse by the minute,” in a worried tone. She then sits in the empty seat and asks to be connected to the comms channel after she keys the security code; the radio comes to life. The voice she hears is that of the control tower, somewhere she does not know. All she knows is there is panic in their voices and they are yelling for them to alter course and something about a plane kissing a mountain. What this meant, she did not know. Within moments, the captain was taking evasive maneuvers and flying left as the voice over the radio instructed. All this while she heard the second voice telling the other plane code name Juliet to go right. As this was being done, she felt the storm cause the plane to shudder violently. All she could do was try to get a hold of herself. She then took control of the situation and asked for plane damage, so as to determine where they could land to wait out the storm. The captain replied, “We won’t make it to the alternate landing site, but there is a chance of landing at Andersen Airfield. It’s just big enough to handle us,” he said, hoping she would agree.
She nodded and fastened her seatbelt. The plane suddenly dropped, what seemed to be 100 feet in a matter of minutes. She found herself yelling to the pilot, “We need to land at once”. The captain nodded and began the landing procedures. “Andersen, this is Romeo. We need to land immediately. Do you copy?” the captain said frantically. “ Rodger Romeo, you are clear to land on runway 4-9’er left. I say again runway 4-9’er left. Copy?” the tower said in a shaky voice. “Copy that tower, runway 4-9’er left.” With that, the co-pilot switched to the intercom and said, “Attention, this is the co-pilot, we’re about land and it may be a rough one. Take your seats and buckle in, this may be a rough one.” With that, he diconnected the intercom and said a quick prayer. With that, the observer performed the sign of the cross, closed her eyes, and prayed.
She hoped that plane three would make a safe landing as well. She had not heard anything about plane one since this nightmare had begun, and hoped that they, too, would make it down as well. Before she inquired about the condition, reality hit, and she was forced back into the here and now.
As the plane started its descent, she could hear the pilot and co-pilot talking back for about landing instructions and counting down the altitude in units of feet. “1000, 900,800,700 feet,” she heard them say in a panic. The plane shook once more as its wheels touched the ground. She finally felt herself breathing again. She prayed that the others made it too.
They landed and were quickly taxied to hangar 13. She took this as an omen. She was not one for superstition, but something about this felt wrong. Where did that storm come from? How come no one mentions the condition of Omega? This could not be good. She quickly unbuckled her seat belt and ran to check on her sister. It was bad enough what happened at MacCarty Ranch, but now this. She thought Will this nightmare ever end.
“Sissy, est-ce que tu vas bien ?”(“Sissy, are you alright?”) She asked in a worried voice, “ce qui s’est passé?”(“What happened?”). Her sister still looked mildly shaken from the events that happened on the ranch.”On aurait dit qu’on était face à une tempête. Je ne sais pas d’où elle venait.” (“We seemed to have run into a stormfront. I don’t know where it came from”. The observers stared at each other, sharing the pain of the night’s events with a single look. They worried how the night could have gone so wrong, that it ended in a massacre and so many dead. This included her sister’s husband, among the dead.
The sisters had met Trent, ironically, at a cemetery in Normandy, where their grandfather was buried. Their grandfather had fought in many battles during WWII as a soldier for the French Army. His name was Michele Aberjean, and he was a Lieutenant Colonel. He had fought to enter a liberated Paris during the D-Day invasion during the war. They are his granddaughters and the last ones to bear the family name of Aberjean. His grave was known as the grave that never received flowers. How this rumor got started, no one knows.
On that day, the sisters went through the usual routine of placing flowers on his grave. A routine that they quickly began to grow tired of, because it was preceded by a lecture on the battles that their grandfather had fought in to help free France. By now, the girls had heard the stories so many times that they could recite them in their sleep.
As they approached their grandfather’s grave, they noticed a young man standing there saluting his grave. At this, they became puzzled and stared at each other. Neither knew who he was nor had seen him before. They reached their grandfather’s grave, and that was when they heard him saying something in their language, French. Most of the visitors spoke English or a bad version of their native language, French.
They heard him saying something, but only managed to hear the end. “Bonjour, lieutenant-colonel Michèle Aberjean. De la part de ceux d’entre nous qui ont étudié l’histoire, nous vous saluons pour votre courage et votre engagement en faveur de la libération de votre patrie et de la liberté de Paris dans ses heures les plus sombres. Que Dieu vous bénisse et que vous reposiez en paix, maintenant et pour toujours. Amen. (Rough translation is as follows:
“Hello, Lieutenant-colonel Michele Aberjean. From those of us who have studied history. We salute you for your bravery and commitment to the liberation of your homeland and the freedom of Paris during her darkest hours. God bless you and may you rest in peace, now and forever. Amen.”)
It sounded like a prayer for their grandfather. For as long as they had been coming here, no one had ever visited their grandfather’s tomb (La tombe du grand-père). When they approached him, he stood and saluted the grave. They thought this to be strange and polite for him to show this level of respect to someone he did not know. As they watched him, he placed a wreath upon the grave and turned to leave. This is when they walk over to greet him and thank him for what he had just done.
Bonjour, je m’appelle Monet et voici ma sœur Joséphine. Comment t’appelles-tu ?(Hello, my name is Monet, and this is my sister Josephine. What is your name?) She said as her sister was looking at him and blushing. She could tell that Josephine had a crush on him and he on her, by the looks he gave her. As she waited for his reply, she noticed him blushing and looking at Josephine as well.
Bonjour, je m’appelle Trent. Enchanté de vous rencontrer. Allez-vous visiter la tombe du lieutenant-colonel ? J’ai entendu dire qu’il ne recevait ni visiteurs ni fleurs. J’ai donc décidé de lui rendre hommage en déposant une gerbe sur sa tombe.(Hello, my name is Trent, It is a pleasure to meet you. Are you visiting the tomb of Lieutenant-colonel?, to. I heard he does not get any visiters or flowers. So, I decided to pay my respects by laying a wreath upon his grave.)
Non, nous sommes ses petites-filles et nous sommes ici aussi pour lui rendre hommage. Nous avons entendu vos prières pour notre grand-père. Merci pour vos paroles et vos actes.(No, we are his granddaughters, and we are here to pay our respects as well. We heard your prayer for our grandfather. Thank you for what you said and did.) De rien, you’re welcome. He said, still blushing at Josephine.
She noticed that the two never lost eye contact for a moment. As they continued their conversation, she saw her mother watching them, especially her sister Josephine, and how the two were acting towards each other. She saw the smile her mother was giving the two. It was as if she were approving this. She did not know why. If it worked out, she would be happy for her sister, and the weight of continuing the family name would be off her back for once. Now, if (father)père would agree to it. Her sister will be married soon. And they could have children soon after. She was praying that if they did, it would be a boy.
Monet was deep in thought when the nurse tapped on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear, as she handed her a note. The note read, The young boy, we have on plane three, has a picture of the girl who is on your plane with you. Do you want to keep them together? It appears that they were lovers. Monet nodded and said, ‘Oui, they must be buried together. We must not separate the two lovers. It is only right.’ She replied as she looked at her sister and her husband, who was still shaking and emotional from that night’s ordeal. As she agreed to the request, a wave of emotions washed over her—grief for the young lives lost, guilt over the choices that led to this point, and a flicker of hope that in honoring their bond, some small healing could begin. Her heart ached as she imagined the fates of those onboard, the echoes of their hopeful futures now silenced, leaving her to grapple with the weight of responsibility and the fleeting nature of life.
It was expected to be a quick event, but she was still not sure of what the initial plan was supposed to be. All she knew was that she and her sister were to observe the operation and report anything out of bounds. She had a lot to report, starting with the person who took it upon himself to start shooting. She and her sister were being updated on the events of the night, including the party of 50+ young adults.
While giving the report, the first shots were heard. She glanced at her sister, and her sister glanced at her in bewilderment. They then took on running for the place where they heard the shots being fired. They arrived to see three bodies on the ground, lying there motionless. There, they were met by a female tech of some sort. She and the person with her were medics, but she could not tell for sure in the darkness of the woods. They soon approached the bodies, and one of them was frantically trying to perform CPR on the one in the middle. The medic stood close to Monet as her sister recognized the one in the middle. She soon broke down into tears and started wailing. All Monet could hear was her sister saying was « Je suis vraiment désolé, vraiment désolé. Tu n’étais pas censé être là..»(“I’m so sorry. You were not supposed to be here”), which was all she could hear Josephine saying over and over as she was kissing his head and face.
While she stood there, the young lady asked Monet who he was, and Monet responded, « C’était son mari, Trent Ashbury »(“He was her husband, Trent Ashbury”), she said, shedding a tear at what should have been. With this, the weight was placed back on her shoulders. She prayed that the medic could somehow save him, but truly believed that impossible.
She stood there listening to her sister’s anguish as the medic asked her about the other two. Without missing a beat, she said, “Celle de gauche était sa sœur, Claire, et celle de droite était leur amie, Evelyn St. John.” (“The one on the left was his sister, Claire, and the one on the right was their friend, Evelyn St. John”). She then faced the medic and asked about their condition. She replied « Les deux femelles sont confirmées comme tuées, mais le mâle est dans un état critique, avec peu d’espoir. »(“ The two females are confirmed kills, but the male is in critical condition, with litte hope”) she then paused and said nothing else.
“Demandez à quelqu’un d’emmener leurs corps à la vieille église et de les préparer pour qu’ils soient transportés jusqu’en France pour être enterrés correctement.”(“Have someone take their bodies to the old church, and prepare them to be tranported back to Frances to be properly buried.”) She said with tingle of anger as she stared at the man who started this mess.
Just as she said this, she heard the true veracity of what was happening. People were still shooting, at what she was not sure. In one instance, she ran towards the sound, yelling “arrêter de tirer, arrêter de tirer” (“Stop shooting”) over and over again until the last shots fell silent. Alas the when she reached the area where they were shooting, the nightmare was truly unleashed. There in front of her were the bodies of 23 young adults massacred before her very own eyes. Only later would they tell her about the two shot and killed at the top of the stairs leading to the path to the horse corral. They were identified as Raven and Tracy Lobe’re, the daughters of David Sealy and Moni Lobe’re. Their intended victims. Their bodies would be handled by the group that was with them would handle that mess.
Monet finally surveyed the damage and knew the people behind this would not be happy. At this, she started making plans for the transport of what appeared to be 23 bodies. She felt somewhat responsible for their death and did not want their bodies lying like they were. The animals would get to them first, she knew. She figured there was just enough room on the planes to carry all 26 bodies. She thought three on the Lear and 10 on the first plane, and 13 on the second plane. She began walking back to the area where she was to check the bodies
She walked up and looked at the body of the young lady on the right, and when she saw the rings on her left index finger. She thought for a moment and then glanced at the left hand of Trent. They matched, she said to herself “Travail stupide de père, il n’aurait jamais dû s’impliquer dans le plan des mères pour eux” (“” Stupid fathers’ work, he should never got involved in mothers plan for them”).
At this, she quickly removed Evie’s rings and palmed as she approached her sister. She pulled her aside and showed her the rings and said, “You and he were married, he would have wanted you to have these”. After she said this, she took her sister’s hand and placed it on her left index finger. In her mind, this indicated that they were truly married. If only they could keep him alive long enough to consummate their marriage, then they could do the procedure.
As she stood there watching them carefully take the 3 bodies to the old church, her thoughts again drifted to a moment in time where she and her sister were getting into a private car, and she remembered her sister’s words on the topic.
Monet and Josephine got into the backseat of a private car that was to take them home. As they did, she noticed the look on her sister’s face. Her eyes were glazed over, and she never took them off of Trent. She looked at Trent as he held the door for them. His eyes were fixated on hers. Soon enough, the door was shut, and they were pulling away from the curb. This is when she heard her sister say, “Je te promets qu’un jour, je te donnerai un enfant et ce sera un garçon”. (“ I promise you someday, I will bear you a child, and it shall be a boy”) Josephine said in almost a whisper. At that, she looked back to see Trent still staring at her, waving. It was then she knew her sister was truly in love for the first time in her life.
They stood there watching as the tech carted the three bodies to the old church. Monet knew that her sister could stomach no more of this night, nor could she, but she had to update her sister, and the quicker the better. So she started with what happened, starting with that idiot Richard Martens, to have to stop the shooters, only to find out she was too late to prevent massacres from occurring.
Luckily, the other people in the ground had been there things like this before and tended to take charge automatically. It was as if they had prepared for this. Monet had wondered why there were three aircraft being used. At 11:15 PM , was when she noticed the three trucks leaving the ranch. The one thing she thought strange was that it was a refrigerated truck. She also noticed that all were painted a dark green color. She stopped the tech who was hurrying past her and said, “Que se passe-t-il avec ces trois camions ? Où vont-ils ?” (“What is going on with those three trucks? Where are they going?”) The tech looked at her as if to say I do not know and don’t care. The tech then rushed away. As the trucks left the ranch, all she could do was stare in bewilderment.
She reached the old church a few minutes later, only to discover that the body count per plane had to be adjusted from the original count, based on the body count going up. It would now be ten on the first plane, three on her plane ,and 13 on the last plane. She was happy when this thing would be over. Monet then took her sister’s arm and guided her on the plane, and prepared to take off and prayfully never return. As they sat on the plane, they watched the medics secure Trent in place and alert the crew that they were ready, and soon as the other two were secure in the cargo hold.
The plane took off from Andersen Airfield, and Monet hoped the rest of the flight would go smoothly. She was thinking this when the co-pilot came and updated them on the status of Omega and what happened to it. The co-pilot stated that the plane was hit by lightning while flying the lead. The plane flew into an unexpected storm, and due to the lightning strike, they lost power and crashed into the mountain head-on. He told her the plane was totaled and the pilot was most likely killed on impact. They both nodded and said a quick prayer.
“Combien en avons-nous perdu ?” (“How many did we lose”) Moneet asked in a quiet but sad tone. The co-pilot checked the log and replied to Josephine’s inquiry about where they were from. “Il y en avait dix de Rocquem. Voici la liste.”(“There were ten from Rocquem. Here is the list”), the co-pilot said while looking through the rest of the paperwork. The co-pilot continued the briefing and asked if they were okay. They both nodded, and he left the compartment.
As they watched him leave, their thoughts quickly wandered about what would happen next. Monet indicated that, once the planes changed airspace, they were them to land at an airpark and then turn their transponders on in order to be perceived as commercial aircraft. So that there would not be a problem crossing the country’s airspace and remaining undetected by anyone.
Once they were in the travel corridor, they landed and made arrangements for the young boy and the friend of Claire Ashbury to be transferred to their plane. While this was being done, Josephine and Monet recited a prayer for them, and Monet quietly told them that they would be at peace soon.
The plan was to inter them in the Aberjean Family crypt, and there they would remain for eternity. They were not expecting to, but things do not always work out the way we want them to at times. Luckily, they had finished the new section before this happened. This gave them room, and the plan could be worked out.
Monet thought it could be designed as a wedding scene, and as members of the family died, they would be added to the chamber. The design would be done by the architectural firm of Père Lachaise. He was known for his work in Paris and was famous around the world. There were to be four tombs in a half circle with flowers placed between the tombs.
The first one on the left would be Lady Claire Ashbury,then Lord Trent Ashbury. The center would feature a mural of a wedding scene and would show the wedding of Lord Trent and Lady Josephine Aberjean-Ashbury, with his sister on the left next to him. Starting on the right, there was to be the tomb of their friend, Evelyn St. John. In paraphrase, on the grave marker would read buried with unborn child(UBC), being that they only found out she was pregnant while preparing her for burial. The next tomb would be filled with her sister, now called Lady Josephine Aberjean- Ashbury. This is what she was planning, the mural would be that paying tribute to them and would show a scene of their marriage and love for each other. If they had children, they would be painted in as churbs and their names hanging on ribbons below them. Little did she know how true this would become.
Still in shock, Josephine was staring at Trent, she was remembering the first time that they had made love. It was the afternoon of the party, and there were many guests there. During the break in the meet and greet, she excused herself and told Trent there was something she wanted to show him.
As they enter the garage, Trent was amazed by the fancy cars there. “Elles sont magnifiques, et vous dites que ce sont les voitures de votre père ? “(“These are magnificent, and you say that they are your father’s cars?”) He asked her smiling. She replied “Oui, c’est vrai. Il est passionné de voitures de sport. Aimeriez-vous en prendre une ? “ (“yes, they are. He is a lover of sports cars. Would you like to seat in one?”) she said blashing at her.
“Oui, j’adorerais aussi”(“Yes, I would love to”), He said,still blushing and looking her in the eyes. As he opened the door, she indicated that the door to the backseat should be open instead. He obliged her and opened that door instead. They got in and closed the door. They sat talking about many things. One of the things they discussed was an imaginary marriage and what would happen if they did get married. Before long, they were kissing and making out. The last words she said before they made love were, “Aujourd’hui, je ferai de toi un homme”(“Today, I will make a man out of you”). At this, Josephine started to weep. Her sister quietly consoled her as she did and said, “Ne vous inquiétez pas, il s’en sortira, et vous aurez un enfant, un garçon. Votre promesse sera tenue, je vous l’assure.” (“Do not worry, he will make it, and you two shall have a child, a boy. Your promise will be kept, I assure you.”).
Monet looked at her sister and again said a prayer that he would pull through, even though she knew he likely would not. The situation felt both desperate and delicate, and she couldn’t shake the complexity of what lay ahead. Just as these thoughts lingered, the medic appeared, and Monet asked to speak with her in a private setting. Inside the small room, Monet hesitated for a moment, gathering her words carefully. She turned to the medic and asked in a measured tone, “Y a-t-il un moyen pour qu’il puisse quand même mettre ma sœur enceinte ? Ils voulaient un enfant, de préférence un garçon.” (“Is there a way he can still help my sister conceive? They hoped for a child, ideally a boy.”) The words seemed to hang in the air, carrying the weight of their hopes alongside the gravity of the present circumstances.
Monet left the room to talk to her sister and convince her of what she needed to do. She knew it would not be easy, but it had to be done. She figured by doing this, it would take the weight off her sister and keep it off her. She saw her sister holding Trent’s hand and trying to be strong. “Sissy, nous devons parler en privé. “(“Sissy, we need to talk in private.”) She told her in a low voice. She did this as though someone was listening. Josephine looked up and nodded to her. The tech gave her a reassuring look to say, I got this,go. With this, Josephine left the dark room as her sister led the way.
They enter the small conference room on the plane and Monet started to talk. Joséphine, tu dois prévoir de consommer ton mariage et d’avoir l’enfant que vous aviez prévu. J’ai parlé au médecin et elle m’a dit qu’il y avait une solution si tu ne tombes pas enceinte du premier coup. Elle m’a dit que c’était une fécondation in vitro. On la pratique quand l’homme ne parvient pas à féconder une femme. Elle a aussi dit que c’était rapide, facile et qu’il ne ressentirait aucune douleur. S’il te plaît, ma puce, c’est le seul moyen de tenir ta promesse.(“ Josephine, You must make plans to consumate your marriage and have the baby that you two planned on having. I was talking to medic and she says that there is away if you did not get pregnant on your first attempt. She said it is called in vitro fertilization. It is done when a womens man is unable to inpregnate a woman. She also says it can be done quick, easy and he will not feel any pain. Please sissy, it is the only way to keep your promise”) Josephine looked at her sister, and thought, just a little sister to look out for me when I need her most. With that she smiled and say “Oui, faisons-le. Dès notre retour, j’essaierai. “ ( Yes, let’s do it. When we get home, I shall try.”) Monet then left to make plans for the procedure.
The rest of the trip was a peaceful one, and the body of the young man, Claire’s lover, as she began to call him, was transferred to their plane and placed in the compartment next to her. “Que vous ne soyez plus jamais séparés. Vous reposerez à jamais dans les bras l’un de l’autre. Je vous le promets. “(“ May you two never be parted, again. You two will rest forever in each others arms. I promise you that.”) she whispers to them in the empty cargo hold and left.
She entered the medical cabins and watched as the medics took Trent’s vitals and other medical information. Her sister was finally calming down enough to talk without panicking or busting out in tears, she thought. “Poule mouillée, nous devons parler “(“sissy, we need to talk.”) She said, as she pointed to the sofa on her left. They sat on the sofa, as Monet prepared for the conversation that was to come.
“ Sissy, as-tu pensé à ce dont nous avons parlé plus tôt ?“(“Sissy, have you considered what we talked about earlier?”) Monet asked Josephine quietly. “Oui, j’ai même interrogé les médecins sur ce qui était nécessaire et combien de temps cela prendrait. Elle m’a dit que cela ne me ferait pas de mal, ni à moi ni à Trent, puisque je suis capable de mener l’enfant à terme. Alors, je le ferai. Qu’en pensez-vous ?) Joséphine semble enfin heureuse. “(“Yes, I have and even questioned the medics on what is required and how long it will that. She me that it will not hurt me nor Trent , since I am able since I am able to carry the child to full term. So, I will do it. What do you think?”) Josephine sounds happy at last.” Sissy, je suis heureux pour toi et fier que tu aies pris une décision qui te convient. Quand est-ce que cela se produira ?“ (“Sissy, I am happy for you and proud that you have come to make a decision you feel comfortable with. When will it happen?”) She asked in an attempt to build up her hopes. “Une fois rentrés à la maison, nous effectuerons l’intervention peu de temps après. “(“Once we get home, we will have the procedure done shortly afterward”)She smiled.
She changed the subject with this being said. “alors, je vois que tu as décidé de garder les bagues, oui “(“ so, I see that you decided to keep the rings on,yes”) replied with glee.”Oui, même dans la mort, nous sommes toujours mariés. N’êtes-vous pas d’accord? “ (“ Yes, even in death, we are still married. Do you not agree?”) Josephine replied.”Oui, je le crois. Vous étiez faits l’un pour l’autre et maman le savait. Je pense qu’elle serait heureuse et fière de toi. Vous formeriez un
“Yes, I do. You two were meant to be together, and Mother knew it. I think that she would be happy and proud of you. You two would make a perfect couple. When you have the baby, you will be a great mother to him,” Monet said ecstatically.
Josephine looked at her and smiled. “Et tu seras une grande tante,” Josephine replied. (“And you shall be a great aunt.”) With this, the two hugged.
The planes made it to Canada undetected and landed at the planned airfield. As they touched down, Monet noted how abandoned the place seemed, isolated in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. After landing, they were quickly taxied into an empty hangar, where the crew immediately began changing the planes. The process would take five hours and involved changing the tail numbers, adding a new skin to the planes, and activating the new comm signal—all necessary steps for the planes to operate at a commercial level.
After the planes took off, the airfield went dark once again. It looked as if no one had ever been there. It was quiet and a ghost town. The flight would take roughly 11-12 hours. Monet expected that they would be able to get home in time for breakfast. They had not eaten in hours, and both felt they could eat a horse.
“Quelle est la première chose que tu vas faire quand nous rentrerons à la maison, Sissy?” (“What is the first thing you are going to do when we get home, Sissy?”) Monet asked Josephine, with a look of exhaustion on her face.
Josephine smiled and said, “Je vais dormir pour toujours. Je crois aussi que je peux manger une vache.” (“I’m going to sleep forever. I also think I can eat a cow.”)
“So can I,” Monet replied.
After they arrived at a small airfield in France, preparations were made to take the bodies to the morgue to be ready for burial. This would be hard as they did not deserve what had befallen them. Trent was taken to a room in the main house and set up for the procedure. The chances of him pulling through were getting slimmer by the minute. So it had to be done as soon as possible.
They exited the plane and rode in the ambulance with Trent. It took them 15 minutes to arrive at the house. Once they arrived, his body was taken to a makeshift medical ward in order to be prepared for the procedure. It took the medics 3 hours to do so. Luckily, they anticipated he was just strong enough to make it through, with the help of life support measures being applied to keep him at least stable.
Monet and Josephine entered the house and quickly cleaned up, and went to sleep for a couple of hours. Once awake, they ate and went to check on the condition of Trent. The status had not changed, and the medics told them that whatever they were planning needed to be done soon rather than later. All parties had agreed that it should be done now. Once Josephine agrees to it, that is. She nodded, and the work began. Once they were ready, he was taken to a private room, and the setup was ready. Josephine entered the room, and the procedure began.
After the first round, Josephine was more exhausted than when she started the procedure. As she left the room to get cleaned up and prepare for another attempt if need be, the techs collected semen and sent it to the lab. It took three attempts to get the required amount needed, should the first try fail. It was now up to Josephine, thought Monet. She was praying that it would happen and her sister would be happy. The only thing she could think of was becoming an aunt. This filled her heart with joy and glee at the idea of her sister giving birth to her first child. She hoped it would be a boy.
Josephine took a shower and was resting when her sister entered the room. “Sissy, comment te sens-tu ? “(”Sissy, how are you feeling?”) Monet asked, while she was grinning at her.”Je vais bien, je suis heureuse. Il me manque toujours.. “(” I am doing good, I am feeling happy. I still miss him”) Josephine replied.”Je prie pour être une bonne mère pour notre enfant et qu’il soit un petit garçon en bonne santé. “ (“ I pray that I will be a good mother to our child and that he will be a healthy little boy”) She added. “Je sais que tu le feras, Sissy “(“ I know you will ,Sissy”)Monet said.” “ (“I plan on learning English, so he will not forget his father. I can teach him to speak both languages”) Josephine added in return.
It took 2 weeks to confirm that she was pregnant. The test to determine the sex of the child would take 18 weeks, at best. Josephine was happy to be pregnant, and she showed it. Her skin glowed like a rose, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds. She was truly happy to be having this child. She continued to pray for a boy. Deep in her mind, she knew it would be one. All she had to do was wait for the doctor to confirm this fact. She even had a name for him, Tre’jean Aberjean. The first three letters are for his father, Trent. The last four letters are for the family. Now all she and Monet did was to shop for baby clothes for little Tre’jean.
The time flew past fast, and she could not wait for the due day. What was amazing about her pregnancy was the fact that Jospehine did not show it. Monet was surprised by how well her sister’s pregnancy went. As time went by, Josephine did everything she was supposed to do. She made an appointment to find the sex of the baby.
The gender reveal, Josephine and Monet were both excited and could hardly wait to find out, or, in their minds, confirm what they thought to be true. “Êtes-vous prêt à découvrir qu’il s’agit d’un petit garçon et à tenir votre promesse envers maman, Trent et surtout vous-même ? “(” Are you ready to find out that it is a baby boy and to fulfill your promise to Mother, Trent, and most importantly yourself?”) Monet asked Josephine gleefully. “Oui, merci de m’aider à acheter des vêtements pour bébé. Tu penses qu’ils lui iront très bien ? “(”Yes, thank you for helping me shop for baby clothes. He will look great in them,do you think?”) Josephine said, grinning from ear to ear.
They entered the doctor’s office a few minutes ahead of time. She was excited and thrilled to be here. Soon, she would have the baby’s sex confirmed, so that she and Monet could go back and finish the nursery. They were shown to the doctor’s office and were seated, where they were told the doctor would be in shortly. They waited and continued filling their time by looking at catalogs of baby items.
The doctor entered 15 minutes later, as they were discussing what shade of blue to paint the nursery.”Bonjour Joséphine. Comment te sens-tu aujourd’hui” ? (” Hello, Josephine. How are you feeling today?”). “ Je me sens bien, docteur. J’ai hâte de connaître le sexe du bébé.“(”I am feeling fine, doctor. I am just excited to find out the baby’s sex.”) She said, not wanting to say that she knew it would be a boy. (” That’s always good to hear. Now the results, the test all came normal or within range. Now, the moment you have been waiting for. It looks like you are the mother of a healthy baby girl.”) The doctor said with a cheerful tone. “Tu as dit, ma fille ? “(”Did you say, girl? ”) The two sisters chimed in unison with a look of shock on their faces.”Oui, je l’ai fait. Je pensais que ce serait un garçon, “ (” Yes, I did. I thought it would be a boy, ”) Josephine muttered, now looking totally baffled at the announcement. Now sadness crept into her voice, and Monet just stared at each other.
They left the doctor’s office in a state of shock and despair. They did not know what to do. She had promised her mother and Trent that she would bear him a son. This is what kept her going after his death. Monet hugged her and said,”Au moins, l’enfant est en bonne santé. De plus, nous avons suffisamment de sperme pour réessayer. La prochaine fois, ce sera peut-être un garçon. “( ”At least the child is healthy. Besides, we have enough sperm that we can try again. Next time it might be a boy.”) Monet said, trying to build her sister’s confidence back up. Josephine just sat there feeling like she had failed to keep her promises, and the weight of the world was again placed upon her.
The ride home seemed to take forever, and the longer it took, the more Josephine became depressed. Monet tried to comfort her so it wouldn’t affect her and the babies’ well-being. Once they arrived home, they got settled and began discussing what to do.
They arrived home and headed to the study to discuss how they would handle the situation and plan their next steps. Josephine was going to have the doctors double-check the results, but changed her mind after looking at the ultrasound again. “Joséphine, c’est la fin du monde, tu sais. Il nous reste du sperme de Trent, et tu peux réessayer.” “(” Josephine, it is the end of the world, you know. We still have semen from Trent, and you can try again.”) “Oui, je sais, mais que se passera-t-il si je n’arrive pas à avoir un garçon ?” (” Yes, I know, but what if I fail to produce a boy? “). “Alors on réessayera jusqu’à ce qu’on y arrive. Ne parle pas comme ça, le prochain sera un garçon, je le sens.” (”Then we will try again until we do. Do not talk that way, the next will be a boy, I feel it.”). Josephine thought to herself, My little sister is always confident in me. I wish I had that much confidence. I must not fail her. She tries to keep my hopes up, but sometimes I still lose faith. I love my sister and pray that I do not fail again.
As they had lunch, they discussed what the child would not be before coming up with a name for her. They decided to call her Tre’je in honor of her father. Tre for Trent and Je for the family surname. They believed that this was the best tribute to him. They then went on to pick a shade of pink for her and start shopping for baby clothes. “J’ai entendu dire que les garçons sont plus faciles à élever que les filles. Je me demande si c’est vrai.”(” I heard that boys are easier to raise than girls. I wonder if that is true? “). “Nous le saurons quand vous en aurez un.” (”We will find out when you have one.”) Monet said with a smile, and with that, they finished lunch and headed out shopping for clothes for Tre’Je.
Months went by with little sign of trouble for Josephine. It was not until her final month that the trouble began. While riding in the car in Paris, a drunk driver blew through a red light and hit them in the middle of the intersection. The car was impacted on the rear and sent hurdling into a light pole. Monet suffered bruises to her back and neck. Josephine was not so lucky; she suffered serious trauma to her back and some internal injuries. When the police arrived, the scene was horrific. The car that Josephine and Monet were in was split done the middle do to the impact with the pole. As the police rushed to check on the injured, that is when her water broke, and she was rushed to the hospital.
As they rushed her to the hospital, medics radioed ahead notifying them that they had a pregnant women who was 9 months pregnant and her water had broken. A pregnancy that started off easily has now turned deadly. Monet was in a semi-conscious state as she was taken to the Emergency room, but she kept asking about her sister.
The head trauma kept her in and out of consciousness. The trauma kept her from having to relive the accident over and over again. It seemed like time slowed, and the accident was like a broken record. It kept happening again and again in her mind, but in slow motion. The only thing she remembered was the flash of light before the darkness hit her.
She was wheeled into trauma room one, where the doctors examined her and decided to admit her due to safety precautions. They would put her under observation for the night. The doctors would run tests and continue to check her for signs of brain injury. She kept asking about her sister, but all they would say was that they would find out and get back to her.
In the next room, Josephine was in a coma as the doctors started to examine her. The resident got the news that the patient was 8 and a half months pregnant, with information that he changed his focus from saving the patient to saving the child. The outcome of the patient was certainly critical, and they knew that she would not make it due to all the trauma her body had associated with the impact of the accident. The machines, he knew, would eventually begin a long, slow beep, and she would be gone. In the meantime, they decided to save what they could, and that would be the little girl. The doctor and staff realized that the child would grow up in a world without her mother.
The chief resident had ordered the OR room to be ready to receive the patient, who was going to need a C-section. He also ordered a doctor in the NICU to be ready for when the child was born, so that they could have things set up for a smooth transition. “Y a-t-il un membre de la famille ici ?”(” Is there a family member here?”) The doctor said, trying to remain calm. The nurse responded, “Oui, elle était aussi dans la voiture et elle est également soignée.”(” Yes, she was in the car too and is also being treated.”) The doctor frowned and told the nurse to get him an update on her status, and if there was someone else they could reach out to handle the child in the meantime.
It was a little before 3 AM when a little girl weighing roughly 6 pounds and 3 ounces was born. The girl had black hair, unlike her mother’s, whose hair was strawberry blonde. The little girl would be given to her aunt once she was fully recovered from the tragedy.
The head trauma kept her in and out of consciousness. The trauma kept her from having to relive the accident over and over again. It seemed like time slowed, and the accident was like a broken record. It kept happening again and again in her mind, but in slow motion. The only thing she remembered was the flash of light before the darkness hit her.
She was wheeled into trauma room one, where the doctors examined her and decided to admit her due to safety precautions. They would put her under observation for the night. The doctors would run tests and continue to check her for signs of brain injury. She kept asking about her sister, but all they would say was that they would find out and get back to her.
In the next room, Josephine was in a coma as the doctors started to examine her. The resident got the news that the patient was 8 and a half months pregnant, with information that he changed his focus from saving the patient to saving the child. The outcome of the patient was certainly critical, and they knew that she would not make it due to all the trauma her body had associated with the impact of the accident. The machines, he knew, would eventually begin a long, slow beep, and she would be gone. In the meantime, they decided to save what they could, and that would be the little girl. The doctor and staff realized that the child would grow up in a world without her mother.
The chief resident had ordered the OR room to be ready to receive the patient, who was going to need a C-section. He also ordered a doctor in the NICU to be ready for when the child was born, so that they could have things set up for a smooth transition. “Y a-t-il un membre de la famille ici ?”(” Is there a family member here?”) The doctor said, trying to remain calm. The nurse responded, “Oui, elle était aussi dans la voiture et elle est également soignée.”(” Yes, she was in the car too and is also being treated.”) The doctor frowned and told the nurse to get him an update on her status, and if there was someone else they could reach out to handle the child in the meantime.
It was just before 3 AM when a little girl weighing approximately 6 pounds and 3 ounces was born. The girl had black hair, unlike her mother’s, whose hair was strawberry blonde. The little girl would be given to her aunt once she was fully recovered from the tragedy.
Monet was finally able to regain consciousness and let the doctors fully examine her. She noticed that while this was going on, none of them would look at her or even answer her questions about her sister. Some even acted like they did not hear her. “Excusez-moi, puis-je vous poser une question sur ma sœur ? Elle s’appelle Joséphine. J’aimerais connaître son état, s’il vous plaît” (”Excuse me, can I ask you about my sister? Her name is Josephine. I want to know her condition, please.”) But the nursing assistant and other medical staff just kept walking and did not stop to respond or even acknowledge her.
Those who did stop acted like they did not speak French. Most, they used a rudimentary form of sign language to communicate with her. She kept hearing herself saying “Pardon, vous parlez français ?(” Pardon me, do you speak French?”). At one point, she even tried German and replied in such “Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Ich spreche kein Englisch. Ich möchte mich nur über meine Schwester Josephine informieren. Ich möchte wissen, wie es ihr geht.”(” Do you speak German? I do not speak English. I just want to find out about my sister, Josephine. I want to know her condition.”). She said, trying to hold back tears, and fearing the worst. She looked left and right again, and when she stopped, the tears started. The thought of her sister dying alone scared her, and she began hoping the baby survived and did not perish as well.
After 30 minutes, a doctor entered her room, and she prayed she was wrong, but she knew she was not. “Madame Abejean, je suis le docteur Pierre Francios. Je suis le chef de service de garde. Pouvez-vous me dire où vous êtes ?”(” Ms. Abejean, I ‘m Doctor Pierre Francios. I am the chief resident on duty here. Can you tell me where you are?”) He said, examining her eyes with his ophthalmoscope. As he did, the nursing assistants recorded her vitals, but did not say a word. Nor did they look at her. “ Je crois que je suis dans un hôpital à Paris”(” I believe that I am at a hospital in Paris”), she said, wanting to ask him about her sister, but she knew that when he was ready, he would tell her. “Pouvez-vous me dire de quel hôpital il s’agit ?”(” Can you tell me what hospital that is?”) the doctor asked while making notes in her chart. “Je ne”(” I do not”), she said in a whisper. “Vous êtes aux Hôpitaux Universitaires de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, en réanimation. Pouvez-vous me raconter la dernière chose dont vous vous souvenez ?”(” You are at University Hospitals Pitié Salpêtrière, and you are in the intensive care unit.
Can you tell me the last thing you remember?” the doctor asked. A policeman entered. The detective, from the Paris major crimes division, followed up to ask follow-up questions and give an update on the case so far. He took a seat in the corner. Ironically, the driver was able to walk away unscathed. Quietly, the detective took notes while the doctor continued to question Monet. Struggling to recall, Monet remembered only the bright lights and then the darkness that followed. “That’s all I remember,” she told the doctor, then began to weep for her sister. “Elle est morte, n’est-ce pas ?” (“She’s dead, isn’t she?”) Monet asked the police, looking at them. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” the detective replied, as she began to sob again. “Et le bébé ?” (“And the baby?”) she asked, afraid of hearing the worst. “Le bébé va bien, mais nous l’avons emmené à l’unité de soins intensifs néonatals pour observation.” (“The baby is fine, but we took her to NICU for observation.”), The doctor answered with a grim look.
“Merci, docteur, je sais que vous avez fait de votre mieux pour essayer de sauver ma sœur.” (”Thank you, doctor, I know you did your best to try and save my sister.”) and with that, both began to weep. The doctor simply nodded and left the room. The detective got up and moved his chair closer to Monet, then introduced himself before questioning her.
“Bonjour, je suis l’inspecteur Joc Durand. Je travaille à la division des homicides. Je tiens tout d’abord à vous présenter mes condoléances pour le décès de votre sœur. Ensuite, je voulais simplement vous poser quelques questions sur vos souvenirs de ce qui s’est passé hier soir. Je voulais savoir si vous aviez vu quelque chose avant l’accident.”(” Hello, I am Detective Joc Durand. I am with the homicide division. First, I wish to give you my condolences on the death of your sister. Second, I just wanted to ask you some questions about what you remember of what happened last evening. I wanted to know if you saw anything before the accident.”)
Monet thought about it and started to tell the detective that she and her sister were discussing the birth of her first child and how they were going to shop for baby clothes and decorate the nursery, when a vehicle rear-ended them, and the last thing she saw was a flash of whit light. As she spoke, she noticed the detective taking notes on his notepad. As she finished her interview, Monet began to wonder what had happened to the driver of the other car.
“Puis-je vous demander ce qui se passe maintenant, détective ?””May I ask what happens now, detective?” Monet asked as the detective was finishing up the interview. “Une fois l’enquête terminée, un procès aura lieu et vous serez invité à témoigner. L’affaire étant clairement close, grâce aux nombreux témoins et aux preuves vidéo, vous n’aurez peut-être pas à témoigner. Votre avocat se chargera probablement de tout.”(” After the investigation is concluded, there will be a trial, and you will be asked to testify. Because this is clearly an open and shut case, do to the fact that there are plenty of witnesses and video evidence, you may not have to testify. Your attorney will most likely handle everything on your end.”) The detective spoke in a calm, reassuring tone. “Merci, détective.”(”Thank you, detective.”) Shortly after the detective left the room, a grief counselor entered
Lying in bed, Monet tried to recall the previous night, but her memory yielded little: a flash of light—then darkness.
Shortly after the detective left the room, a grief counselor entered
Lying in bed, Monet tried to recall the previous night, but her memory yielded little: a flash of light—then darkness. She took the death of her sister hard. It was like a part of herself, and she could not forgive those who did this to her. The man who cut her sister’s life short in the prime of her life.
The days blurred after the counselor left. Two weeks passed under observation before Monet was discharged from the hospital with Tre’je. At home, she confronted another ordeal: planning her sister’s funeral. It took three weeks from body release to burial.
The chosen place was a room specially designed for Josephine and her husband. It was meant to represent a snapshot of a wedding day filled with happiness and joy. The room was circular with white marble walls. Around the space, sets of marble columns stood, each with the bottom third wrapped in red stone. The floor was also marble with a red carpet forming a circle, and a runner ran down the middle. On the sides, the bodies of the 12 massacre victims rested, each side holding 6 bodies in rows of two. Names and other information would be engraved on the marble inlets of the headstones. Each would have a chair placed upon it with the guest’s name on it.
Surrounding the room were the tombs of the 4 plus one, the royals, as she called them. The order was as follows: Lady Claire Ashbury with her friend Levi Snow, followed by Lord Trent Ashbury. There would be a mural of the wedding they should have had, featuring a wedding theme with them exchanging vows as guests looked on. Two cherubs would be painted above it. Names would be added later to represent their children. After the mural, her sister, Lady Josephine Ashbury-Abe’Jean, would be next, followed by their friend, Evelyn St. John, with her unborn child. The child would be listed as UBC, as its identity was undetermined, and they had nothing else to call it.
Monet waited a year before having the same procedure done that her sister had. She hopes that this time it will be a boy. She did this in hopes of fulfilling her sister’s promise to those they loved. Even though she knew it would be hard because of the memories of her sister. She went through with it anyway.
A year passed quickly, and the pregnancy progressed without any problems. The delivery was easier than she thought, and at the end of the day, she had given birth to a healthy baby boy. She named him Tre’Jean and held up and said to the heavens, “On l’a fait, ma puce. On l’a fait.”(” We did it, sissy. We did it.”). She did this with mixed emotions. Those of pain, joy, and sorrow for her dead sister. Monet now had to raise both of her dead sisters’ children, and no help from anyone. Their mother had long since passed.
Luckily, she came from a wealthy family and could depend on the staff to help. She did not want to admit it, but she grew fond of the boy as her sister always wanted one, and he would be the one to carry the family name. The only problem was that sometimes she got lonely living in the big old house that their mother had left them.
As the years flew by, Tre’Je seemed more difficult to handle, so Monet decided to send them to a boarding school. The problem was which one. She eventually decided to send them to Rocquem. It was a family tradition, and she wanted to continue it. It was what her sister would have wanted. So, she made arrangements to send them there. She realized that Tre’Je was more of a daddy’s girl and would need a father figure.
James R Lilith Foundation 