Chapter Text
CHAPTER I
Wardening through the passageways of the university he was in was a quiet trill, first, for as it is the first time he ever experienced transferring, of course it is not because of his odd behavior as he believed himself as a model student but simply as a change of pace as what he called it as. And the other was for his precognition of the praises he will have once he entered through the club room he aspires to be in. He is not a seer and he’s quite aware of that for as he never believed in one and also for as he claimed himself to be a rather esteemed photographer. And similar to what he called himself to be, he is looking for the room which he believed that could utilize his works and make a name for himself, a starting point for his soon to be journey that has the door to his success…on which a door he cannot find no matter how many times he goes round and round again the this university.
“May I help you?” said a voice that suddenly pulled him back onto earth, “Mr…Desaulniers?” he added
“A…seer?” He guesses about the anomaly that this young person has done because he’s sure he ever met this man in his entire life.
“Ahahaha, no no no no…though most of my friends called me one, I'm afraid I'm not. I'm just merely guessing or gambling that you are Joseph…Desaulniers…” he paused as he seemed to struggle on speaking my name and shyly added” I hope I got your name right…”
“Well maybe your friends wouldn't call you as one if you stop calling people of their name when they swore they never met you in their entire life since you have a very recognizable features that I'll never forget if I ever met you…which I didn't” Joseph classily replied “Though if you meant that I need help, if you pronounce my name right or called the right person I can say that you got it all right indeed…Seer?”
“Eli…Eli Clark” Eli introduces then extends his hand which Joseph gladly shakes “I'm sorry for suddenly spooking you but I cannot help but notice that you've been pacing around here for like…eleven times and thinks that you seemed lost and might be the new person that Jack told us about. “Joseph Desaulniers my dear friend from France” he said”
He saw me many times and only decided to help not at third, fifth or even the tenth but at my eleventh time…I'm starting to doubt if he found entertainment while watching me…that was embarrassing!!
“My friends also think I'm a little lunatic but atleast one of them thinks I'm not!” he exclaimed like he was reading his thoughts…again, which of course made Joseph somewhat weary of him but he never failed to see the sudden sadness in Eli’s features and voice as he told him so.
“I'm not gonna lie since it seems like you can read it already. This kind of feels weird yet I need your help so my friend, would you mind telling me where the Photography Club is?”
“Photography Club? You're too late Mr. Desaulniers-”
“Joseph, You can call me Joseph.”
“Then you can simply call me Eli…”he nods “But as I say, you're already late Joseph as the Photography Club has already been disbanded because of the lack of activities-”
"Que veux-tu dire?! Dissous?! Ça ne peut pas être…Mais, mais-”
What do you mean it's disbanded?! But-but Jack said that this club exists! I shouldn't have transferred then as both him and Mary-”
“Wait wait Joseph, you mixed it up. You spoke up your thoughts and I don't understand what you're saying…”
After hearing what he said, I slowly saw how immature I was. Gather my thoughts and maintain my composure, breath in, breathe out and smile.
“Thank you for the concern Eli and sorry for my sudden outburst, that was very embarrassing for me…would you mind showing me where the responsible professors are so I could file for a club proposal?” he flashes his signature smile to Eli fully aware that it won't work for the man.
“No problem…I do think that what happened to you is quite unfortunate…come, follow me before my class starts” Eli assured me as he led me out of the open garden.
***
“You what?!”
“Unfortunately Mr. Desaulnier, the Photography Club cannot be redeemed at all. They’ve been using the school funds while not being productive with their work so…would you please go out? Because I will not repeat myself for the fourth time.”
Clearly done with his shit, the professor shoos him away like a fly which is a treatment Joseph never experienced before. Clearly losing on the battle, Joseph was about to move out from the office to start deducing on how to bring back the photography club until he felt Eli tap his shoulder as if asking him to move over for a bit or what he believed that sign meant to be but still do so.
“Ohhh, Ma’am have you already found someone capable of helping Helena on their Newspaper Club?” Eli scooted over the front of Professor Violetta’s window and started to point out the little slip of paper in the table.
“That almost slipped my mind! Now that I think of it, they were looking for someone good with cameras…maybe if you prove yourself reliable to them then we might reconsider bringing back your ideal club…Or you might even like it there! Helena and the other kids there are good, you know.” Violetta gleefully exclaimed while handling Joseph of some paperworks and suddenly closing the glass window.
“Nice Joseph, now you have a club!” Eli congratulates while acting like holding an invisible party popper.
“But that’s not even the club I'm interested in?!”
“Well you can at least try it for like a week maybe then try pursuing the dean next time if you don't like it” he suggest as he slowly losing his pace as he they walk “This might be the time where we part ways as I said earlier, I have a class soon and I have a feeling that Sir. Burke would give us a surprise quiz-”
“Wait, I still don't know the way, who will show me to this Newspaper Club thing?”
“You will probably meet another friend of mine on the way or something! Take care of yourself here and may we meet again!” Eli shouted running away from him while waving his hand in his direction while Joseph just quietly waved back, mouthing a simple and grateful “Thank you” to his new friend.
“A seer they said…” he mumbled walking backwards while still looking to where Eli had left, “I guess I have no other choice than to-ouch!”
“Oh sorry man! We didn't notice you because no one really walks here around this time.” a man in a ponytail apologizes as he was picking up the elbow pads that have fallen on the floor.
“No, I'm sorry as it is my fault for not looking at the way so…may I help you sir…?”
“Naib! Naib where are you?!” a shout was heard nearby and Joseph saw how this young gentleman flinched at the voice.
“Well I am that Naib, Naib Subedar and yes, yes thanks I need to fix this fast before Norton finds me!” Naib shouted/whispered to him, “You're new? Never seen your face here before.” he added.
“Yes! A normal conversation” gleefully, Joseph shouted on his head
“Um, ahem! I'm Joseph Desaulniers and yes, I'm new here, and I…I am looking for this…Newspaper Club?” Joseph then shows the recruitment paper Professor Violetta has given him, “A friend of mine told me I’m gonna meet someone who will help me to find that room.”
“That kinda sounds like what Eli does…”
“Yes Eli, Eli Clark it is!” he confirms, “a humble man but everything he says always happens”
“By the way, since you're new here, do you need some assistance on your way? I was hiding from my friend and it seems like this is the perfect segway to that.”
“Well I wouldn't decline your kind offer since I am indeed in need of great help on finding this Newspaper Club…now that I think of it, he mentions that I’ll meet a good friend of him will help me find my way” Joseph ponders…well he might start believing into seers this day.
“Well I am the good friend and help that he was talking about!” Naib proudly claimed while pointing to himself with his thumb, “Newspaper Club? I heard from Kurt that they need a photographer, are you applying for that?” he added as they started walking towards their headed destination.
“I wouldn't say that I am applying for this on my own accord but Eli just convinced me to try since there’s no photography one”
“Do not worry too much, Eli suggested it so I think it will do you good on you in there as he always meant good even though he’s quite mad, well all of us are…only Sop’ thinks otherwise…” he happily said even though the context seems a bit weird, ”And after all, the kids there are all good, there's Helena, a very sweet girl. Victor often helps there, good kid, good kid and I already mentioned Kurt and Ms. Keigan, their adviser.”
Naib talks and talks seemingly to make Joseph feel belonged to the Club but Joseph never particularly listens as he doesnt have any interest in continuing nor a passion for participating in it.
Joseph was already thinking over if it is worth it to pursue the club, everything was so smooth before at his previous university. People follow him and always agree on his suggestion, they would please him as they wanted to get close to him.
“Mary was right about me not lasting a week in this place” he thinks but he cannot give up easily because he doesn't want to see Jack’s face as he made fun of him especially because they made a bet. He doesn't mind giving Jack his money but he cannot bear to have his ego inflated after winning to him even if it was just one time.
“-Professor Keogh is pretty strict and would not just accept anyone in the Club, that's why they only have a very few members in there- ohh, we’re already here” Naib suddenly cuts and opens the door after he knocks three times. “Excuse me?” they both said as they entered the room
“Naib? Is that you?” a quiet voice was heard inside
“Yes its me Helena, I bought someone here…or Eli bought someone here”
Inside the room it reveals something that Joseph did not expect in a Newspaper Club, let alone a club.Seems like it was done by a professional architect not to just be a simple meeting room but as a home yet have the ambiance of a library. It has multiple floors with every nook and corner having a cabinet full of books while also having its own little kitchen and living room rather than a simple meeting room. If this will be the room Joseph will stay in, he won't mind staying for this club for a month or so.
“Flashy right?” Naib proudly interjects on Joseph’s amazements.
“Professor Keogh turned this room into her own library…or so I heard it is…” a petite girl explained as she slowly sipped her tea, “Helena Addams by the way, you?”
“I'm Joseph Desaulniers, it's my pleasure to meet you Ms. Addams” he extends his hands to Helena but was ignored by and to his confusion he felt Naib nudge his side making a weird gesture through his eyes before Joseph notice the book on Helena’s table then shyly tucking his hands back “Ahem, Ms. Violetta recommends that I join your club who seems to be looking for a photographer sin-”
“We don't accept anybody in this club” a booming voice was suddenly heard following that was a cluck of heels descending above the stairs
“Good afternoon Ms. Keogh” “Good afternoon ma’am” a synchronous greeting was heard on Josephs side “Good afternoon Madam…” he follows
“Good afternoon” Keigan replied to them before looking dauntingly to Joseph, “Your new” she said, not a hint of doubt but intimidation on her voice.
“I am but I can assure you that I'm not here just to dilly dally but it is because I found that my talent was needed. I also think that I can grow more and learn many things from the activities that I can experience here.” he felt the dubious look that Naib was throwing on his back as he spoke, “Also, I'm not inexperienced into this field and photography is not just a simple hobby for me but my passion. I do not work just for some simple results and on my-”
“I am able to speak six different language and can understand cats” Keigan boredly cuts him
“Um…That's nice…I wish I could do that…too…?” not knowing what to reply, Joseph said so with a painful expression
“That’s a lie, I can speak eight different languages and I'm not the professor who can understand cats, it’s Alva and his nun friend Ann.” she explains “What I mean is, I could be anyone, I could be a queen or even a photographer myself if we just converse like this. I need proof, you're here at the Newspaper Club, what we write is the truth with basis. Prove yourself dependable, give me a story of this town with a reliable source and come back so I could judge.”
“But that is not what I signed up for…I really hate seers...”
***
“Wow, quite the nerve you have in there to apply under Ms. Keigan” Jack teases Joseph as they eat their snack.
He already left the Newspaper Club full of smiles promising Ms. Keogh that he’ll be back with a story that she’ll like and was now complaining to Jack, his friend whom he never met for five years.
“Just give me my money and go back to France Joseph, she's hard to please. With that attitude of yours, you’ll never find a story that’ll fancy her plate, let alone a story at all!” Jack added, fueling Joseph’s demise
“Stop speaking, I hate your voice especially when the things that went out of your mouth doesn’t help me at all!” with his face down on the table and gripping his hair making his earlier properly arranged hair a mess, “That's why I'm here at your side, help me find an interesting story on this town, I just got here like…22 hours ago, you can't expect me to know everything about this place at all with that little amount of time!”
“Stop teasing him Jack, look at our poor friend, at this point he’ll transfer again without even being able to attend on my birthday nor lasting a day here” Mary persuades that somehow doesn't help lessen the bitterness Joseph has.
“I wouldn't suffer like this if they have the Photography club” he just grumbles as he slowly chews the éclair while pouting, clearly sulking like a child.
“Well I can't really blame the president then, that club wasn't doing nor contributing much so they have to cut them out.” Mary explains with her focus clearly on the strawberry topping of her charlotte.
“To hell with that president then!”
“Ey, stop that, Naib will get angry at you if he hears that!” Jack shushes him while looking at their side as if making sure that Naib is not on site.
“If you need someone's help on looking for stories then why not ask Fiona or Eli, they’re from the Literature Club” she suggests but Joseph himself doesn't want to see the seer again since he believes that he was the one to drag him into this mess.
***
“Let me think of some good mysteries here…” Eli ponders while petting an owl on his lap
“Why not the Dream Witch of-’”
“No Fiona, that is not for students to place their nose in and I know you just suggest it for your own entertainment rather than helping this kind gentleman here.” out of nowhere, a phone ringing was heard into the dark room, “Oh, that’s my phone.” Eli went toward the dark corner of the room and not long after, he could not be seen again.
Rather than a Literature Club, the room looks closer to an Occult Club with how the ambiance and decorations were placed. Joseph cannot discern whether they lack budget or if they are full of it with how they do not use electrical lights but just candles placed over a gold artisan made candelabra.
“I know one!” A shout was suddenly heard where Eli went, “The old church in the woods, I remember that there were stories of ghosts in there, a witch they said, was executed there and since then, it has been hunted. That's why the church where I work was built!”
“How could we forget that! Let’s try it and have a test of courage there…I want to see what a witch looks like!”
“They probably look just like you because you’re ugly as fuck, Jack.” Even though Naib is currently focused on his food, he spares a look of disgust on Jack’s location, “And don't just decide on yourself that we're going in there, you rotten radish, we're busy with our own life here!”
***
“Where the hell is that radish?! He made us come here then suddenly chickening out?!”
“Calm down Naib, even if he comes here or not, you’ll still get the free chicken wing from Demi’s brother.” Norton persuades trying to calm down his friend. He is the new addition into Joseph’s little group of survivors…or adventurers into the haunted church. Masculine and rough looking person with his little messy hair and especially with his very noticeable scar markings of his face…might be from a fire but Joseph doesn’t want to ask about it thinking that it might be rude to do so.
“I-it's not about the food! I want to go home or go to hospital or something…my schedule keeps getting delayed because of him!”
“Sorry we’re late, I have to stop by Ms. Emily earlier but I met Jack on the way.” Eli’s voice was suddenly heard amongst the bushes which first made them nervous before relief.
“What? Miss me already Naib? Don't worry Hun, I’ll try not to be late next time so you won't be sad and worried to me anymore~” Jack tries to move closer into Naib’s direction with a comical expression as if he was about to kiss the other but only to become face to face with his boots.
“Get away from me, you creep!”
“Tone it down guys, haunted places are always restricted to people, you know? We don't want to get kicked out here while our friend here doesn't even get a chance to see what it looks like!”
Hearing Norton's warning slightly builds up the fear in Joseph's mind. He doesn't really believe that there is actually a ghost in the church…he doesn't even believe in ghosts at all but hearing the precaution of Norton makes him see that the people in this town actually believed in this myth.
“And where did you hear that?”
“It's always in the movie of course!-”
Oh, right, it's just movies of course because ghosts are not real, there's no witches and monsters or sort of anywhere.
“Just kidding, of course that's because the Oldman Burke always told me so, it's always “Don't go to the old church Norton” or “Do not disturb the witch of the red church Norton” from my childhood. The Oldman used to watch over that place and seeing how he fears this part of our town makes me believe that there might actually be a ghost in here.”
Ok, the relief that Joseph felt is now gone and is replaced with the feeling of fear, a horror compared to earlier a few seconds ago.
"Sorry…it was Jack's fault…"
"What?! Why me? It's you who keeps on shouting here like a madman…or a jealous wife perhaps~"
"Holy cow, someone make him shut up!”
"That's a funny word on showing your expression but I don't believe that there is a holy cow-"
"Oh my god, Eli that's just a phra-"
"I also don't know how God suddenly became involved in your-
"Dear Lord, help me survive my days as I wonder how I became friends with these two idiots…"
"What Norton speaks of makes sense but I do not believe that I'm an idiot. "
“Look, with how our conversation was going to, I'm sure that Aes-”
“This is taking too long, let’s get going so we can finish our little Frenchman's assignment.”
The three friends seemed to be starting to get engaged in their argument and Joseph’s patience was running thin with how such banter is already taking too much time for their scheduled assessment. Jack's intervention helped him but also added stress into his mind.
The church walls have always been cold, it was left unattended for so long that you won't be able to see its known and prized beauty that have so long passed its prime. Other than the cold walls and nights, they cannot fathom the sudden chills they feel as they made up their mind on entering the gate of the church.
***
“Look at you, you’ve been making a sad face since…437 years ago, cheer up my child. Today might be a little different compared to other ones.”
Looking up from his line of sight there he sees Yidhra, a true witch, a goddess even and a troublesome one at that. He might be an old phantom lingering on the church but Yidrha is more than that, she exists as an old myth the elders used to scare the children when he was alive and now is having a friendly conversation with him. With an appearance of a beautiful woman and part snake, she rules over the town as the strongest apparition and looks after them, or she claimed to be doing so.
“Dream Witch…today might really be different to others as it is rare for anyone to be visited by you. I would like to serve some tea for a guess but sadly I cannot do so with my current abilities.” while doing so, they stands up and tried to lift the old kettle resting on the ground, probably abandoned for years, but his hands just passed into it's handle “I'm sorry for my inconveniences, I cannot even pay my respects to my guests”
“No worries my child, it is I who came without notice but I won't be long, I just came to check on you who knows this might be my last. Does this church still protect you?” she ask as if their topic was a minimal happening
“It did, it drove out any human that decided to enter the church so much that it became abandoned…look at their beauty, it becomes old and destroyed over time…and…”
“They do it because they see your suffering and also your care for them back then…and they don't want you to get hurt again. That's probably why it never lets you touch that.”
As Yidrha told him so, he silently returns his eyes to the cabinet he’s been looking for centuries. On its inside lies his past that he wants to remember, a memory he wants to cherish and the things that are holding him down to earth and not being able to find his peace. A souvenir of his forbidden love.
The Dream Witch didn't linger on, as soon as she finished her purpose, she disappeared as soundless and swiftly as she came, leaving the little lost soul and her wake.
Alone he proceeded on his schedule, quiet walks around the church, looking at the bushes of the yellow roses on the other side of the church that he longed to touch. Those were once taken after by him as he sneakingly planted them without the priest ever knowing. Sometimes he sees “himself” amongst those roses in there but as he was imprisoned by the church for so long, he cannot ponder to himself if it was just an imagination because he cannot remember what he looked like anymore, even the face of the person he was waiting for.
“Look, those roses look exactly like those you used in your church Eli!” a shout was heard nearby accompanied by repeated thumping of foot, out of fear, he immediately ran into hiding even though most likely that these people cannot even see him.
“Right, well our friend likes to get flowers here, he’s quite fond of them and even takes care of them when he’s free.”
From hiding, he suddenly grew curious about who's probably taking care of his old roses but as he tries to look up he suddenly finds himself blinded by the sudden flash of light coming from another person’s hand.
“What was that for? Warn us before taking a picture next time…”
“Pardon me, I just suddenly feel that…I need to do it. The roses…they seemed to be calling me…”
“I must say, I'm afraid that Eli is probably slowly influencing you Joseph without even your knowing”
The group of teens was so focused on their banter while Joseph himself had his interest on the flowers even as they stepped their feets within the vicinity of the church completely unaware of the entity peeking over them.
“Monsieur…” they whispered with their eyes following every Joseph's move. “It's you…you came…”