The Devil Resides in Louisiana

A week had passed since Father Zion visited the witch named Rosemary. Yet she never left his mind. It puzzled him, and he prayed long and hard about why she lingered in his head. Had she cursed him? Put a spell on him? After asking himself every question he could think of, he felt maybe that this was the Lord's way of telling him not to give up on her. That she needed him, and it was up to him to guide her to her salvation.

He walked back to her house a few hours after his Sunday sermon. It was warm, but more bearable this time around for him as he enjoyed his walk a bit more; listening to the cicada's cries in the trees he passed by. He didn't feel right though as he passed the tree's thick with Spanish moss. He kept his eyes ahead, yet when a dark shadow passed by one tree to the next; he couldn't help but stop in the dirt road and look.

There was a long pause of nothing, nothing to be heard or seen. So he carried on, scoffing at himself for even bothering to stop over the nothing.

When he came to the little white house, he heard movement coming from the backyard. He stopped in his tracks, leaning to the side and peering over the house. He could see an ivory, floppy hat moving behind the fence. He stepped over, the English-ivy covered fence coming up to his waist.

Rosemary had her back to him, kneeling barefoot in her herbal garden. He felt his chest tighten, his eyes lingering on the dress that hugged her hips. His eyebrows knitted together, clearing his throat loudly. Rosemary looked over her shoulder, her lips curling into a smile.

"Father Zion! What a pleasant surprise." She beamed as she stood up, brushing the dirt off her pink knees. Zion never expected to see her like this in a million years, doing such a... domestic activity. However, he had to admit; it does match how she behaved. So far, she had shown she was gentle and caring. Even her black cat was lying in the grass not too far from her, lounging under the tree's shade.

"Good afternoon." He finally responds, his voice low and cold.

"What brings you around here? Come to tell me more about how filthy my soul is?" She joked, brushed her red curls behind her shoulders and lifted a handful to air out her sweaty neck.

Zion doesn't laugh, he even narrows his eyes at her comment. "As a priest it is my duty to help lead the flock away from sin. I have come to bring you back to salvation, as well as make sure you are not leading anyone else astray."

"Oh. Alright then." She shrugged and smiled at him "Would you mind helping me in my garden? I could use a hand. I need to gather the catnip that's ready to be cut, but Boo gets in the way whenever I do." She nodded towards the cat, his head perking up hearing his name.

The priest is visibly surprised and even a bit wary. He sighs and shakes his head, but he's not one to reject a pretty girl's in need of help.

"Fine. Open the fence."

"What a gentleman." She grinned, crinkling her nose while she stepped over and opened the fence. He nods and walks in, his eyes taking in the rather large garden. It's quite impressive; well organized and properly labeled herbs. It's obvious this garden has been well taken care of. Zion seems almost impressed by the number of herbs and plants she has. There's all sorts of them, some that the priest had never heard of before.

"Here," Rosemary said, handing him a woven basket "Be a dear and make sure Boo doesn't get to it. If you hold it up though, he shouldn't bother trying to snatch some up.

Zion took the handle of the basket in his hands, still looking unsure of what he was doing. He stood perfectly still as she got back down on her knees, picking up a small pair of silver scissors off the ground and began to snip the long, catnip sprouts.

"How was your week, Father? Explore the town at all? Or do you stay cooped up in that little chapel of yours?" she asked, her voice sweet and tangy. Zion tries to remain stoic while he holds the basket, watching her place the green and purple plant into the basket. He doesn't want her to think he's enjoying this, that he's just taking up the help as a priest.

"Yes, I've explored the town a bit. But it's such a small place, There's not much else here besides the main strip with a few decent shops."

"Oh, you're telling me. It's why so many of the townsfolk are so...the way that they are. All they can do is go to church and make up silly rumors. They don't know how else to get a rise." She tisked her tongue and shook her head "There are a few nice places just on the outskirts of town, though. Some trails in the woods, swamps. There is a beach about an hour drive from here."

"Those the same woods you sacrificed men in this town?" He arched a brow, looking down darkly at her. Rosemary's grin only grew as she continued harvesting the catnip, placing a small bundle in the basket.

"Well now, of course not. It's definitely not secluded enough." She joked, glancing up at him. Her eyes locked onto him, for so long it made him uncomfortable. He'd never met a woman before that made such intense eye contact with him before. "Your eyes look much better, Father. I see you've tried that tea I gave you?"

In a moment of frustration when his insomnia was getting to the best of him, he had said a quicker prayer before brewing a cup of tea a few nights before. He's been sleeping like a baby since.

"It worked okay." He grunted, turning his head away from her. Rosemary tilted her head up at him, the bundle of catnip in her hands.

"See? I'm not so evil, am I?"

"One stone thrown in the ocean won't fill the sea."

"Well, let's see how many I can throw in." She stood up this time, placing the last bundle of the sweet-smelling herb into the basket "Would you do me a kindness, Father?"

Zion narrowed his eyes on her. He couldn't imagine what else she could ask of him. He was already helping her pick flowers in her garden. "What, witch?"

"Could you tell your flock I'm not hexing their men or having orgies with the devil, or whatever silly rumor they've stirred up this week." She asked sweetly "I think if I've shown a priest I'm not all that bad, maybe they'll believe you."

Zion could not help but let out a snort of frustration at her request. She knew what she was doing, batting her eyelashes up at him with that wicked smile. Manipulative little lamb; the blackest he had ever seen.

"I am willing to tell the town that you are a good woman. That I and the rest of this town have been wrong for accusing you of being a witch with nefarious intentions," he began, a grin curling over his mouth "If you agree to considering accepting Christ and attending my church next Sunday."

She thought for a moment, pursing her lips before shaking her head. "No can do, Father. I had a feeling you'd say that, but it was worth a shot."

He couldn't help but feel his irritation brimming over the edge now. This witch was being so stubborn now. She was willing to prove to the town that she was pure of heart, and apparently what she was doing was not evil, but she was unwilling to even go to his church.

"But don't you see?" He argued "If I go telling them otherwise now, without making sure you truly change, they will think that I have been bewitched myself. If you don't accept Christ, this whole thing would have been pointless!"

"Becoming my friend was pointless?" She pouted her bottom lip, looking genuinely upset by his statement. Zion froze. He wasn't sure what it was, perhaps some sort of spell she just inflicted on him just now, but her pout threw him off guard.

"That...you know what I meant!" He scoffed with a slight wave of his hand "I meant that if you refuse to accept Christ and continue this evil, all while I tell the people here you're not bad; my words about you will be dismissed as the ramblings of a man corrupted by a witch."

Rosemary said nothing, just placed the catnip in the basket. She was standing close to him, so close Zion could smell the earth and flowery perfume on her. He was about ready to shove the basket back to her and call it a day with her, hoping maybe his words would ring in her head as she performed more of her damned craft.

A small chirp was to be heard below. Zion looked down, finding the cat, Boo, pawing Zion's legs as he stretched his sleepy legs. His little pink nose sniffed the air thoroughly, eyeing the priest as he held the catnip.

"Get that animal away from me." He squinted at Boo.

"Now, Father!" Rosemary gasped, scolding him "Don't be so cruel. He's no hell cat."

In all truth, Zion loved cats. He even had an orange cat that came by to visit him at the church occasionally that brightened up his day. Even as Boo rubbed his head against Zion's leg, it was melting his heart. Yet he kept on that stoic and cold face, his lips pressed tight against his mouth.

"You're a walking stereotype, you know that? Growing herbs for potions with your little black cat."

"Oh, well, I don't care what color Boo is. He's a good little kitty." She cooed as she picked up the cat and cradled him in her arms. "He was just a sad, starving little baby on the side of the road I saved shortly after my mother's death. He helped me mourn her with his playful and loving self."

Zion was visibly disturbed by yet another confession coming from the red-haired witch. Making tea and saving cats on the side of the road? It made her sound so...pure. This witch isn't supposed to sound innocent, she was supposed to sound like the devil himself.

"Why are you trying to appeal to me like this?" He hissed, putting the basket on the ground roughly "I don't understand. Are you trying to make me forget all the sins you're committing?"

"I'm not trying to appeal to anyone, Father. I'm just...telling you about me." She shrugged. Boo was now eyeing the basket full of catnip on the ground, Rosemary keeping her hand on his chest to avoid him rolling around in the herbs and making a mess. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm famished from all that gardening. You hungry too? I could make us some lunch."

"No." he said sternly with a shake of his head. He wasn't letting this woman manipulate him into anymore pleasantries "I will not be doing that."

"Oh," she frowned, holding Boo closer to her chest as his pupils grew wider as he stared at the catnip "Well, maybe next week then?"

"I-no! I'm not here for..." Zion let out a heavy sigh of frustration, raking a hand through his inky, black hair. He then dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small, travel sized bible. "I came by, to give you this." He presented her the bible, holding it with his thumb and index finger.

"For me?" Her frown was instantly replaced with a smile, accepting the little holy book.

"For you." he confirmed with a nod "Read it, study it, ponder it; do whatever you want. And perhaps I will consider telling everyone you're not as evil as they say."

"Alright then." She kept her smile on, flipping through the pages with one hand. He wasn't convinced she would do it, but he could only hope and pray that she would.

"Good girl." he grunted, spinning around on his heels and heading for the fence gate. "I hope I'll see you next Sunday."

"Don't get your hopes up now, Father." She watched him leave, finally giving up and letting Boo indulge in the freshly cut catnip. "Bye, now!"

Father Zion waved his hand once at her as he walked away, not bothering to turn around and face her. In the back of his mind, he knew he'd want to stay for lunch if he looked at her once more.