Every girl has a dream. A secret desire she hides in her heart. A wish waiting upon that perfect star. This girl is no different - here is her story.
New Orleans, people go about their business on an evening lit by the moon. Inside a fancy bar, a woman in a red dress with white gloves sips her drink. ‘Get lost on your way to grandma’s house, ma chere?’ A man in a long trench coat smiles at the woman. ‘My, what big eyes you have…’ he adds, taking away the young woman’s drink, she reaches out for it and exclaims ‘What a big mouth you have! Gimme that!’ The man asks to see proof that she is old enough to be drinking. ‘Ah’ll give you proof all right…’ the woman replies, narrowing her eyes. ‘Assaulting an officer of the law?’ the man asks. ‘Lemme go!’ the woman declares as he grabs her by her wrist. ‘You thieves’ all the same… wearing gloves, leaving no fingerprints…’ the officer smiles. ‘Don’t touch me!’ the girl exclaims, when suddenly, a voice calls out ‘Let her go, Detective LeBeau’.
‘Mais oui, Bishop, as you wish. But cette femme is far from innocent…’ Detective LeBeau claims, looking up at the mysterious Bishop, who peers out from under his wide-brimmed hat. ‘That girl has enough troubles without you hassling her, Remy’ Bishop tells Detective LeBeau. ‘and you’re her night in shining armor?’ Detective LeBeau asks, releasing the girl’s arm, before Bishop addresses the girl as Anna and tells her to get home now. Anna looks up at Detective LeBeau, then kisses her gloved hand, and puts her hand, still gloved, to his chest. ‘A love spell?’ Remy asks as he sits down at the bar. ‘Or a death curse’ Bishop tells him. They watch Anna leave, ‘you’re a real prince, you know that, Remy? But you’d best be careful, they say that girl’s a powerful mambo, able to contact the lao, the spirits of the dead’ Bishop reveals. Remy addresses his companion as Lucas and tells him not to start again with that voodoo mumbo-jumbo. ‘I understand and respect it, giving where we do our business… but that don’t mean I have to believe in it’ Remy adds. Lucas tells Remy that he best be believing him when he tells him that girl is one to watch out for. ‘Don’t you worry, Bishop…I’ll be watching that li’l rogue all night’ Remy replies.
Anna strides down the street, a black car scurries nearby. ‘Ha! So easily distracted with a kiss. Let’s see what LeBeau keeps in his pockets’ she declares, opening her hand, she finds several tarot cards - including the death card. ‘What’s a cop need with these?’ Anna wonders, deciding that perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye. She steps into a large brick building, ‘Mama? Irene?’ she calls out as some white birds flutter around her. ‘Better watch out…Mama’s pretty mad at you’ a woman with long gray hair, dressed in white, almost matching her pale complexion, calls out as she steps forward, round glasses over her eyes. ‘Why? She think Ah’m gonna turn into a pumpkin or something? What’d Ah do now?’ Anna asks. ‘Left a customer waiting…’ Irene begins. Anna declares that she didn’t have any appointments, to which Irene explains there was a walk-in, right after closing.
‘After closing? How was Ah supposed ta know some dumb -’ Anna begins, but Irene tells her not to speak so loud. ‘She’s still here’ she reveals. ‘Who? Mama?’ Anna asks. ‘The customer’ Irene replies. ‘There you are!’ a voice calls out. A blue-skinned woman with scarves wrapped around her hair enters, large white coat wrapped around her body, she carries a candle and looks unimpressed. ‘Just where have you been?’ she enquires. She goes over to Anna, ‘How dare you keep customers waiting like this?’ she snarls. ‘But Mama, Ah finished -’ Anna begins, only Mama interrupts her, ‘I told you to return quickly as we’ve been busy lately’ Mama reminds her. ‘But Mama, you never said -’ Anna begins, looking away. Mama grabs Anna by the gloved part of her left arm and drags her along, ‘It doesn’t matter what I say, you never listen. I should really -’ Mama starts to say, until a voice calls out ‘Please spare me your theatrics. She had no way of knowing I would pay you to stay open as long as need be…’
‘…just to meet the girl who can talk to the dead’ a woman with long blonde hair, dressed in white, smiles. She looks at Anna and tells her that she has heard so much about her. ‘Ah’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss…’ Anna replies, as the woman introduces herself as Frost - Emma Frost. Emma takes Anna by her gloved hand, then pauses, ‘Hmmmm….I do hope I’ve not wasted my time this evening’ she pouts. ‘You haven’t, but why don’t we sit down and get started to no more of either of our time gets wasted’ Anna replies, before informing Emma that she needs her to remove her gloves. ‘Ah can’t -’ Anna begins, but Emma points at Mama and tells her that she wishes to be along with her daughter. ‘Leave us’ she instructs her. Mama glares at Emma, before she and Irene depart. Anna and Emma sit opposite each other at a round table, a candle in the center of it, lighting the room. ‘Now then, where were we? Ah, yes, my gloves…’ Emma begins.
‘It ain’t wise to talk to my Mama like that, Miss Frost’ Anna declares. Emma assures Anna that she is a woman that it is not wise to cross paths with, either. Anna ignores that remark and as she removes her own gloves, asks Emma if she has ever spoken with the spirits of the dead before. ‘Yes, the dead and I have come into…occasional contact, I guess you could say’ Emma responds as she removes her gloves. ‘So you’ve done this before. Good. Then you know the drill’ Anna remarks, before asking Emma if there is anyone in particular that she is looking to communicate with this evening. ‘I just want to let them all know that I’m coming for them’ Emma smiles. Both women reach out across the table and hold hands. ‘Whatever, your highness. How put yer hands in mine and close yer eyes’ Anna announces, as she closes her own eyes. There is silence, the candle flickers, then the flame does out. ‘NO!’ Anna shrieks as she opens her eyes.
‘Oh, yes! You’re not going anywhere, dear!’ Emma exclaims. ‘What’re ya -?’ Anna begins, looking at her hand, which Emma has not let go of. ‘Oh, yes! After all these years…time to get out your gown, princess’ Emma smirks as green energy swirls around her, and from beneath the table, the energy rises, mist-like, with skulls on every surge. Emma stands up and throws her coat into the air, while still holding onto Anna’s had, ‘You’re going to the biggest ball this city’s ever seen!’ Emma shouts.
As Lucas Bishop sits at his desk, Remy LeBeau sits on a chair nearby and asks ‘So that girl…that’s her? The one they all keep talking about…the one who can see ghosts?’ Lucas looks up from his paperwork, and asks if he is getting worried all of a sudden. ‘Think she put a spell on you?’ he enquires. But Remy announces that he isn’t worried about that, he is talking about the ability of talking with those beyond the grave. ‘You think she really has the gift?’ he asks. ‘Why? There someone you’re looking to reconnect with? That why you keep those tarot carts in your pocket?’ Bishop enquires. Remy reaches into his coat pocket, ‘No, these…these are for protection. They keep - what?!’ he gasps, discovering that his tarot cards are missing. ‘I knew she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing! Little thief stole my cards right from my pocket!’ he declares.
‘Ha! Serves you right for huffing and puffing back there like that’ Bishop tells his companion. Remy gets to his feet and declares that it is time he goes blow down her door. ‘Where she live?’ he asks. ‘With her sister, above Darkholme’s. But be careful, Remy…their stepmother’s a real witch!’ Bishop calls out as Remy runs from their office. Bishop quotes “Do not run too quickly down the path or you may fall…”, and rubs his head, deciding that he thinks the boy has already fallen.
Smoke rises from Darkholme’s as locals gather around the building. ‘Mon dieu… hello? Anyone still alive in here?’ Remy calls out as he steps into the building. ‘Stay back! Do not interrupt us!’ a voice calls out. Remy continues on through the building, and looks into a room, where Mama stands with Irene. ‘Anything, Irene. Please…can you feel anything?’ Mama asks her. ‘Hatred. Anger. Fear. Desire’ Irene replies. Mama tells her to focus, to use her vision and reach out. ‘Who did this? Who took our Anna?’ she asks. Suddenly, Irene is levitated into the air, ‘NOOOOOOO!’ she screams. ‘Feu D’Enfer’ Irene utters, tears streaming down her face, she falls to the ground. ‘Hellfire? What’s that supposed to mean?’ Remy asks as he stands nearby. Mama tends to Irene and declares ‘That’s who destroyed my home! That’s who’s taken my daughter!’ She holds up one of Anna’s gloves, and angrily shouts ‘That’s who’s going to pay!’
Elsewhere, Anna wakes to find herself chained to a table in a large room, with Emma and several others standing over her. ‘What the…? Where am I?’ she asks. ‘Welcome to the Hellfire Club. We hope you survive the experience’ one of the people looming over her declares. A woman leans down at Anna and licks her lips, while Anna asks ‘Who the hell are you people? Let me go!’ Emma announces that everyone in this room has a connection to the supernatural, that they can all see spirits and ghosts, but have never been able to communicate with them. ‘We’ve searched high and low for a medium powerful enough to accomplish the goal we wish to achieve’ she explains. ‘Your goal?’ Anna enquires. ‘Yes, there’s nothing we want more…than to control the dead!’ Emma announces as she leans down and puts her hand to Anna’s face. The other members of the Hellfire Club reach out to touch Anna also, and the energies rise up over them.
At a cemetery: ‘Just who are these Hellfire people?’ Remy asks as he walks alongside Mama. ‘Haven’t been in New Orleans long, have you, officer?’ Mama asks, revealing that the Hellfire Club are old-money aristocrats with an unhealthy interest in the dark arts. ‘And they want yer daughter ‘cause she can talk to the dead?’ Remy asks. ‘So you’ve heard the rumors’ Mama replies. Remy announces that he has been in New Orleans long enough, and several yards away in the cemetery, blue energy rises into the air. ‘At least they’re leaving the lights on for us, eh?’ he points out. Mama scowls at Remy, who shrugs and points out that he is just trying to lighten the mood.
Suddenly, there is a crunching noise, and a hand bursts up from the ground beneath Mama and Remy. ‘Now this ain’t good’ Remy points out. ‘Where’s your sense of humor now?’ Mama asks, as the zombies crawl towards them and surround them. An owl in a tree hoots and takes flight, while Remy kicks one of the zombies as even more reach out to grab him. Mama defends herself with a pair of sickles, slicing through the zombies. She announces that fighting the zombies is futile, that they have to get to the house, to her daughter. ‘Won’t see me arguing that‘ Remy exclaims, to which Mama shouts ‘Go!’ and they both turn and run from the zombies, who scramble after them.
‘Knock-knock!’ Remy declares as he and Mama slam the doors open at the house. ‘Get your hands off my daughter, you witch’ Mama snarls as she sees Emma and the others, with Anna still chained to the table, and the energies of the dead flowing through the room. Emma declares that it is too late for them and for the pathetic pawns who have served their purpose, and who she now controls. The Hellfire Club members appear transformed somewhat, and they lunge for Remy and Mama. One of them smacks Remy in the face, while a woman smacks her fists into Mama. Both Remy and Mama retaliate, striking back. Remy’s opponent grabs him by his face, while Mama looks weirdly and holds her sickles. The Hellfire Club members lumber forward, and Remy and Mama are both thrown into the air.
Remy lands, and looks over to a pair of jean shorts - the ones that Anna was wearing - lying on the floor nearby. ‘What the…?’ he asks himself, noticing his tarot cards in one of the pockets, he tells himself that he gets lucky without even getting in her pants. He holds up the death card, ‘Your thieving may have just saved our lives, li’l rogue’ Remy remarks, as he quotes “Then Death appeared as he had promised…’ and tosses the card towards Emma Frost, who is laughing wickedly, arms outstretched. ‘What?’ she gasps as she sees the card - and then it strikes her in her neck. Wide-eyed, she falls backwards, and the energies of the dead burst out of her and the other Hellfire Club members’ bodies. Remy goes over to Anna, her still body on the table. ‘C’mon, ma chere. Death ain’t taking either of us today’ he tells her. He adds that he knows he is no Prince Charming, before putting his lips to hers. ‘What…?’ Anna asks as she opens her eyes. ‘I knew you’d come!’ she shouts, sitting up and throwing her arms around Remy. ‘Huh?’ Remy asks while Mama looks on.
They leave the Hellfire Club and walk back to the main street, deserted now as the sun rises. ‘That was like something right out of a story-book’ Anna remarks as she walks between Mama and Remy, holding his hand. She quotes “and then the brave knight stormed into the castle at dawn and saved the princess from the evil queen and her minions”. Remy tells Anna that life is not just some big fairy tale, to which Anna replies ‘But who’s to say it can’t be?’
