24 The Mark on her Skin.

Two hours later, at 11:00 am.

Joseline recovered.

Grandma Evangeline was brewing a coffee tea for Joseline. Joseline wanted to tell her she was feeling hot already to drink a warm coffee but, her tongue was still tied.

"Thank goodness you recovered. Take this it will calm you down." Grandma took the cup to Joseline who stared at her blankly. She so much wanted to reject the warm coffee, but she knew her Grandma would break down if she did. She had caused them more pain already and it was evident by the looks on their faces. She didn't want to add more to it.

"Doctor, what do you think happened to her? Why can't she speak?" Lilian spoke to Doctor Levi.

Doctor Levi, Joseline's doctor had come as quickly as he was called. After examining her, his gaze fell on anxious Lilian and he answered, "Joseline is traumatized with so much shock that she became..."

"Dumb?!" Lilian couldn't help her shock that she screamed the remaining doctor's words.

"She can't speak. S—she can't speak." The doctor spoke again as if saying it in that manner would make it less painful to accept.

"She can't speak, she's dumb. Are they not the same thing?" Lilian flung her hands in frustration. In her clouded mind, everything meant the same thing to her. She allowed a small tear to drop off her eyes, for a long moment she couldn't get her pitiful sister off her eyes.

"How long is this going to last?"

"As long as the people around her shower her with enough care and love, she will be able to recover soon."

"Soon?!" Lilian broke out in a sweat. Hearing soon was like an eternity to her.

"Doctor, Joseline here," Lilian's quavering fingers pointed helplessly at Joseline on the bed. "S—she needs to get better right now, t—this instant. Today is her wedding day. There's no way she would stay and wait for your so-called 'soon'!" Lilian saw herself yelling at the doctor.

"But Mrs Lilian, there is nothing more I can do. I have examined her and couldn't find any other thing wrong with her. Her body is stable now, just that she's still lost in her shock that she can't speak. So we have to be patient until she speaks in her own time."

"For how long Doctor? For how damn long? She will be getting married today. Should I kill to make you understand my point?!"

"No ma'am please don't, don't kill anyone." The maid standing in a corner of the room panicked.

"I will kill you first if you don't get out of here!" Lilian yelled back at the maid, glaring at her like she would strangle her in a blink.

"I—am sorry for interrupting ma'am. D—Don't get mad. I'm out already." The maid shivered. Just when she was about to run out of the door, Jefferson badged into the room.

Lilian's emotions had gone wild and she didn't know when Jefferson had run in.

"Joseline!" Jefferson's voice boomed.

Jefferson was preparing himself for the occasion when he received the call from Lilian that Joseline fainted. He couldn't help his anxious heart that he ended up wearing pyjamas in his haste to get here.

"Joseline, how are you?" Jefferson inquired.

Joseline only stared at him and nodded.

Before Jefferson could ask his confused question, Grandma who was wiping gently Joseline's face said, "She can't speak due to the trauma according to the doctor.

I even thought what happened to the walls of Jericho would happen to us."

"What do you mean by that?" Jefferson's confused eyes stared at Evangeline.

"I thought t—this building would have fallen due to the amount of her first and second screams. Joseline dared to scream down the walls of Pedro's house." Evangeline made a small laugh.

Jefferson frowned, he didn't realize his hand dropped. How could this old woman joke about what happened to her Grandchild like it was something suitable for fun? But only when he heard that laugh turn into a sob did he understand how hurt Grandma Evangeline felt.

"Grandma, that's enough. Joseline would be alright." Jefferson parted Evangeline gently on her back.

A tear dropped from Joseline's eyes. When will this 'Joseline will be alright' stop?

"I will go ahead now. If anything comes up, do not hesitate to contact me." Doctor Levi said to Lilian after she was done releasing her anger.

"Alright, thank you for your help," Lilian said and watched the doctor leave.

"Josie, how are you feeling now?" Lilian asked, sitting at the end of the bed.

Joseline nodded for an answer which meant that she was okay if not for the heat and the fact that she couldn't speak.

"What really happened to you in there?" Evangeline asked. She didn't want to conclude in her mind that Joseline shifted since she was not sure of it.

'I don't know, I can't remember.' Joseline answered internally and shook her head in response.

"You broke the tap didn't you?" Evangeline asked again.

Joseline nodded for an answer again.

Yes, she could at least remember that one. She was splashing water on her face to ease her pain earlier, then turned off the sink only for the handle to break in her hand in the process.

Jefferson looked puzzled. How could Joseline break the tap?

"Are you sure nothing else happened?" Grandma kept asking.

'I can't remember anything else' Joseline stared vacantly at them again.

"Grandma it's best we let her rest for a while. It's a good thing the wedding time is in the evening, hopefully by then she will recover. I'm afraid of what Dad would do if he asks of Josie and finds her condition this way." Jefferson suggested.

Mark the driver, came out of Joseline's bathroom, holding a bucket half filled with water, and a towel in his left hand. "Ma'am, I've fixed the tap." He handed the bucket and towel to Evangeline.

"Good, thank you, Mark."

"I'm always at everyone's service." he bowed.

Lilian took the towel from Grandma. Dipping it into the bucket of water, she returned it to Evangeline.

You two should go ahead now. Go find something to eat, I will take care of her from now." Evangeline beckoned on Jefferson and Lilian.

"No Grandma it should be you who have to get some rest and eat something. I'm sure you're still stressed. You travelled a long way down to this place yesterday."

"No young lady, don't be stubborn. I said I'm totally okay. Now you two should go ahead. Our Joseline is getting married today, there are still a lot of preparations to be done. You don't expect me to run around for those things while you sit here? My bones are already weak for that."

"Of course not Grandma, we will go ahead now. Come on aunt, let's go." Urged by Jefferson, Lilian reluctantly stood.

"Are you sure she would be okay without us beside her?"

"Yes, Aunt let's go." Jefferson persuaded.

"Alright Grandma please take good care of her, I will ask the maid to bring Joseline's food."

Evangeline nodded and watched them leave. A few minutes later, the door opened. Ella, Joseline's maid came in with a tray in her hand.

She gently placed the tray on the small table and left afterwards.

"Let me be the one to feed you." Grandma carried the food in her hands.

Joseline shook her head and gave her a reassuring nod that she could do it.

"I know you can eat alone but allow me to do this, I just miss those days when you're a child and I will be the one to feed you." Grandma smiled deeply.

'But I'm 22 now and not a child anymore.' Joseline wanted to protest again but saw the look on Evangeline's face.

'Alright, if that would make you happy' Joseline finally nodded.

Evangeline scooped the mushroom soup and brought it gently to Joseline's mouth. Just when the soup touched her mouth, she spat everything out and began to cough.

"Oh goodness, sorry I didn't know that was too hot." Evangeline panicked. Taking the towel she wiped her mouth but Joseline was very much heat running over her body.

"I will blow it until it's cool before I give it to you."

Joseline shook her head. She didn't want the taste of it. The mushroom soup which was one of the best soups she enjoyed during her sick days now tasted sour in her mouth.

"What is wrong?" Evangeline took her hands.

Joseline fanned her body with her hands to tell her Grandma she feeling hot.

"Are you feeling hot?"

Joseline nodded. Her hands began to shake again and before she knew what she was doing, she stripped down the hands of her dress and pointed to Grandma to put the towel into the water again and wipe her body with it.

But after Evangeline was done cooling her bare fair skin, something else began to disturb her. She felt the need to scratch a spot on her back.

'Grandma, I feel an itch on my bitch' Joseline pointed at her back.

"What? I should scratch your back?"

'Yes,' Joseline nodded and pointed to the spot that itched her.

Patiently Evangeline turned to see the spot but what her eyes saw almost made her scream at the sight of the bold mark on Joseline's body. It was a silver-coloured mark written in the form of a name with a wolf sign.

"I know this was bound to happen.' Evangeline's eyes widened, but she was still confused about this.

Did Joseline complete her shift?

Why didn't it come with an eclipse?

'Oh, Moon goddess. What is wrong? Please have mercy on us.' Evangeline panicked internally.