Previously: Deidre worries about his life and future. A man finds his way into Deidre's apartment claiming to be his brother.
"Get off me!" I roar, the more I struggle the more his digs into me. I keep blinking fighting the intense urge to close my eyes. In my head, I keep repeating, wiggling your toes. That's what dad taught me.
He forced me down, the knife in my shoulder finds its way to the other side. He's so heavy. His teeth puncture the veins, I hear them snapping apart. I'm dying, I can't breathe, and my legs go numb.
I have a questionable thought. There's a dull sensation in my left upper thigh, is that a boner. Really? A monster's lunch and bed in breakfast. What a way to go.
I'm surprised I'm alive.
Am I alive?
In the context of being in danger of being kicked out of school. Having no money to provide nor family to go to. I'd rather die.
My left side is wrapped in a sling. I go to slip a finger under the bandage and jerk my hand away upon feeling flesh and bone.
I am not a chicken leg! This nigga stripped me like a piece of turkey on Thanksgiving! Why am I alive?
Looking around my homely room, I should thank Jesus I'm in it. A knock at my door, then a reveal. "You up?" this nigga is eating a sandwich! Clasped in his right hand is a sandwich from my refrigerator. He's standing in my doorway nonchalant. "What... what did you..." Exactly what the fuck am I supposed to do? I just got bit by a vampire, werewolf, Pokémon bitch like Elmer J. fucking Fudd. "Hey, little brother."
His skin and appearance is changed. An umber brown man with vivid pink coral eyes. He's handsome...ish. Eddie from school is hot, I bet he could take him. Am I really fraternizing with that thought? At a time like this?
What black person gets into situations like this? Sometimes I forget I'm technically a negro, but my skin is like... no, you albino. And according to ignorant ass people, I don't exist.
"My brother?"
"Yeah. I'm like three years older and shit. We have a sister, we come from a vampire queen and shit—that's not important. I need you to help me carry out mom's will."
"Excuse me?" I'm fixed up like a stuffed toy for a toddler practicing for their doctoral degree or some shit. "I don't have a brother?"
He rolls his eyes, pacing towards me. "Aleigha Ḍanaiya Omehia. Son of Ashkii Hoffweiss and Ranaan Aabhaas. Ring a bell?"
No. "My mother is Abby Robson!"
"Because you were adopted by a white woman who had no idea, she married a man that stalked and killed her ass! Deidre!"
He leans down and sneers. I will have a heart attack; I can't keep this forever. His face softens. Aleigha sighs, "Sorry I bit you for nutrients."
"Please... fucking explain."
"Ok." He flops down on the bed, slightly sitting on my right knee and then pushing my leg towards the wall. "I need your help to find all our siblings. Ma's casket—coffin, whatever. And carry out her will."
"Her will?"
"Before they assassinated our beautiful mama of darkness incarnate... she wrote a will."
"Go on..."
"We have to destroy humanity. If that makes sense."
"Our mom?" I cock my brow as if I just had Lex Luthor explain his most diabolical plan to kill superman. "Ok, I hear you. But, did you just say, our supposed—"
"WE'RE BROTHERS, NIGGA."
"—ok, our mom wants us to take over the world?"
"Yeah."
Well, I ain't got shit to do. "Ok, I'll help." I'm on the verge of losing everything. I mean that wholeheartedly. One could say, fucking try again, don't give up. But I'm logical and I say, I've always wanted to quit.
Why am I bullshitting myself? I know why I quit. IQ doesn't mean shit, I stopped giving a fuck. School wasn't going to put me anywhere. Reading books with false information versus reading the same fucking material online. It wasn't about what I learned but what I could do.
I built things with my father. Made this funky roller coaster and sent a toy car through it. Spent time in the gardens with my mother before she died.
The one thing I wished I remember. "What you want to do?" I saw at Aleigha, for a moment he had to understand that I was agreeing. "Help me."
"Help you do what?"
"Kill" Now in a movie, the protagonist would disagree because of mortals. Again, I'm different. People day every day, so who cares for one lame duck? The news would have you in a position, thinking, that could have been me or my child. But... that's stupid?
It never made sense to me. To put yourself in someone's shoes. Quoting my father, why would you walk the same as another? If they have crutches, why would you walk on crutches to feel their pain? You can already tell it's difficult. By fucking sight. If you ignore it, your brain basically says, you don't care.
So, to explain my situation even further.
I'm curious about what could be brought to the table. I'm looking for a scapegoat, I'm such a princess.
"I need you to help me kill. Is your head right?"
He's a thug, that's all the evidence I need. "Yeah..."
"Get up." He waves his hand over my body and I hear a snap. "Rei"
My body doesn't feel like an elephant sat his ass on me. An easy breath escapes me, "What is that? Magic?"
"I don't except you to remember. Luckily, one of the first memories I found was Deidre H. Omehia." Aleigha rolls his eyes, huffing at me. "I'm waiting for a question."
I could ask why we have different names but logic states that we could be half-siblings. "Full." He speaks. "We have half-brothers, Cassis and Akika are the oldest but I ain't looking for them yet."
I rise from my bed; a surge of pain squeezes my shoulder. "Imma fix that later."
"So, you gon' give me some family history?"
"I'm the third oldest. Cassis Eeligion Téger and Akika Shudderi Téger are the first born." She sucks in air. "I hate this family and order."
Typical vampire logic. If he is a vampire. "I am. I can read your mind—correction, nigga I can hear your thoughts." He flashes his outgrown tusks. "Why are teeth so fucking big?"
"That stands for big dick energy. Anyway, I want to finish mom's will." He digs in his pant's pocket and gives me a pink letter.
"What happened to mom?"
"They lynched her"