Captain Hook and Facilier: Piracy and Voodoo (English Version)

1. A particular encounter

San Francisco, California. A day like any other. Facilier, as he tidied up his emporium, smiled as he thought of his daughter. Celia had brought him back to life and gave him help in everything and there was no day when he wasn't grateful for this. She was a really smart girl, she worked a lot and, after her work, she too found time to help him with his emporium. He still hadn't been able to realize his dream, but this time he was more confident. With the help of his daughter, he would finally make it and soon they would have a rich and happy life together. It had been a few years since they had been there, but he still hadn't come up with a plan to control the city. He sighed, sitting down at his table and shuffling his tarot deck. "Father, anything all right?". Celia entered the emporium. She had just finished work and was tired. Facilier looked up. She wasn't longer a teen girl, his daughter was now twenty-six years old. He was a little worried about her. He was getting old and feared he might not be able to fulfill his dream in time to allow her a proper life too before it was too late. He could no longer bear to see her return home destroyed. "It's all right, don't worry", he replied, smiling at her. Celia, however, knew something was wrong. By now she knew her father well and understood almost immediately when he was upset. She sat down next to him and said: "If something is wrong, you can tell me. We have always talked". He gave her a caress and replied: "It's okay, really. I was just thinking of a plan to make my dream come true, that's all", "Nothing new, then", "Exactly". Celia hugged him, then continued: "We'll make it, father. You'll see", "I hope so, my dear". She, smiling, went to prepare dinner.

That night, Celia couldn't sleep. Her father was getting more and more depressed about this and she feared that something bad might happen to him again if he tried to take the easier way to go faster. Unable to sleep, she got up and went to leaf through some of Facilier's books, with snakes James and Aisha by her side. She read new things about Voodoo, including a spell she had never heard of, not even from her father. She was forbidden to read the book it was written in, even though Facilier hadn't told her why. All he said was that it was very dangerous stuff and that he was paying attention too. Celia, however, still wanted to take a look at it, having already read almost all the other books. She read carefully. That ritual was used to quickly transport oneself from one place to another, at one's pleasure. It could come in handy, maybe she could use it to get back to New Orleans one day, or even get close to the mayor of the city easily, right in his house. In order to do this, among other things, her father's staff was also needed to cast that spell. She had always believed it to be a simple walking stick, he had never used it to do magic. In any case, she decided to try this new ritual to help her father, unaware of the danger she was facing.

The next morning, while Facilier went around reading tarot cards to people, Celia stayed home to try the spell, with James and Aisha on her shoulders to keep her company. Her father had brought his stick with him, as usual, but luckily that object was only needed at the end. If Facilier had noticed what she was doing, he would certainly have been very angry, but if everything went well then he would have thanked her. She drew a circle on the ground, stepped in the middle and performed the ritual to the end. Among the things to do, it was also necessary to perfectly draw the same symbols that were on the spell page, all within the circle. Then, blood was needed in the center of it. Celia made a small cut on her hand and placed it on the ground where the book indicated. Soon after, the huge mask with sharp teeth appeared in front of her, but before Celia could say anything, the door of the emporium opened. "Celia, what are you doing?!", Facilier yelled. He was back early and seeing what she was doing her daughter, he began to get scared. "I just want to help you, father", she replied, "I can't longer see you feel bad", "No, stop now! You don't know what you are doing! It's dangerous!". Facilier ran towards her to stop her, but Celia, as soon as he was close, took his stick and, as a last gesture to complete the ritual, pointed it on the ground in the center of the circle, then turning it on the side of its stone towards the huge mask. That opened its mouth, showing the Other Side. "Celia, what have you done?!", Facilier cried in terror, "Haven't you read to the end? To move from one place to another, you have to sacrifice someone else's soul, otherwise it will be whoever casts the spell to die!". Celia's eyes widened. In fact, she had read the last part a bit quickly and the page was also a bit ruined. In wanting to help her father, she had made his own mistake. Terrified, she tried to get out of the circle, but some shadow spirits came out of the sharp-toothed demon's mouth and grabbed her shadow. Celia screamed, trying to escape. Facilier took her by the hands and tried to drag her away from there. "Wait, please!", he cried, pleading with the demons, "I will bring you the souls you want, but I beg you, let my daughter go!". Those, however, didn't listen to him and dragged both into the monster's mouth. Once inside, it shut its mouth and disappeared. Celia and her father had both ended up on the Other Side. She, having cast the spell, as Facilier had said, could decide which place to teleport to, since her father had ended up on the Other Side with her and so she could leave there, saying the name of the place to go, but she didn't say nothing. Although terrified, she had no intention of leaving her father in that horrible place. It was all dark and often you could hear something growling. Facilier still held her hand and she hugged him tightly. If they stayed together, they would be able to find a solution, even if at that moment they seemed lost.