The group in the back was chatting, each saying with certainty that they could contact Jonathan Medford or his brother or perhaps his wife.

Her name had been Gazelle.

“Where did he meet her?” one of the young men asked. “I admit I don’t know this story that well!”

“Ah, well, because it’s not in the mainstream!” Brenda told him.

“They met at a ball at Oak Alley,” Katie said. “They both had the same social stature at the time, and they were considered lucky since the marriage wasn’t arranged. It was love at first sight, or so the story goes.” Katie turned to look at her group. “We’re just about there. And please remember, you can’t visit the house or even the cemetery since they’re in ruins.”

Katie drew the carriage up in front of the mansion. As she had told Brenda, a fence surrounded it, but it had been constructed of cheap wire and plastic, and in areas, it looked as if it had been trampled halfway down by small herds of animals.

Local kids, probably, daring one another to sneak onto the property.

As Katie stopped the carriage, Dan could see the walls of the house that remained. Empty windows looked out like dead eyes.

The cemetery, to the rear and side of the remnants of the house, had a few aboveground tombs and a few vaults.

“To the best of my knowledge, the remains of the family were moved out to one of the cemeteries in Metairie. But... I don’t know that much about remains after a hundred years, or if the remains were even moved,” Katie told Dan quietly as her group moved along the fence, excitedly looking in and talking to one another.

Brenda gained attention, standing by the property, looking in at the graveyard. “Let’s close our eyes, join hands...breathe.” she said.

Her group gathered around. She began a low chanting sound and then threw her head back and cried out loud, “Gazelle, Gazelle, dearest lost beauty. We’re here! We’re here to listen to your side of the story! Let us know you’re here, with us.”

A moment passed, and she spoke again. “Yes! She’s here. I feel her. The air around us is charged with her presence. Gazelle, use me, please use me as your mouthpiece. Let us know the truth of what happened! You were left...so alone, so afraid! All was caving in around you, the war was lost, everything you had known... Yes, and the man you loved was fighting, and when it all came about, you had no choice, no choice...”

“That is the biggest crock,” Katie murmured to Dan, smiling up at him.

“I, uh... I don’t even know what to say,” he muttered.

Then he realized his answer didn’t matter. Katie was staring into the property.

“What is it?” he asked.

She pointed.