Previously: Aleigha continues his search for the Fate Word. Deidre still lays in the car with Seamus. Thankful finds him.
Looking at the map, I rehearse the directions. The Soul Train starts in Georgia and stretches to Texas. Then Texas to Wisconsin. There's a road that the train takes that isn't on the map.
If I pass by a blood stand, I'm picking up something. I'm parched, standing on Ogleron Road, cars are speeding in a flash. Mama has come down here, I see her handprints on the side of edges and walls. "Did you come through here mama?"
That disgusts me. Snackh didn't mention that the Elbow was a freeway. To quote: "The elbow is fine to pass. Just go under it."
Under Ogleron road is Bastian River which flows red. It's connected to Funni Fella Ocean.
Named after Tevoris Johnson's last words, he was shot in Alabama. He went to the cops to snitch on a neighbor who was testing a new drug he made on his own son. The name of the water is out of irony too.
Tevoris wanted to help the son, who he often saw walking home from school. His name was Ricky Dane. One night he stuck out the house after hearing banging from the garage. Before Tevoris was killed by a Drunk induced white child, he said, 'He had a funny feeling.'
People thought it suspicious, Tevoris did suffer a bullet wound but the police found no bite marks caused by Ricky. Ricky was shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest. Trevoris took five bullets in back. "Whatever that means," told his mother when hearing about is supposed death.
The Ghytto can sense karma, it's like heaven and hell. Lefe kept him hidden. If your spirit is lingering, are you dead?
If I jump in traffic, can I die? Absolutely. I'm about to give up on this book and go home. But I need to know the Word or else mama can't come back.
I don't know any Triks to stop traffic. I'm not about to swim either. Ogleron Road is a curved freeway. I'm going below, but I'm not swimming, I think there's a ferry.
Snackh: Whatever you do, don't take the ferry.
Aleigha: Why?
Snackh: cuffing bodies on the market. People say, there's someone needling bitches. They get tried and pass out, leave with a man in black from head to toe.
That's common, but I'm a six feet seven bastard with nappy hair. And mama always said never fuck with a nigga that calmly walks through streets with nappy hair. He doesn't care about life or his appearance.
I make a U-turn and head below the road, Dorset Approach. It's a spiral path down, thirty steps give me the view of a long line. These people are waiting for the boat. I don't have any other choice but get in line.
I might eat someone to make it quicker, but I did get greedy with Deidre. I don't wanna overdose and I don't have any bone marrow to heal me. "Next!" yells a black skeleton with a boater's hat on in a dark-colored suit and yellow tie. "Ticket."
Fuck, I need a ticket? No problem. I grab the furthest person in line. A woman with dark red hair in shorts. Getting close behind her, my hand hovers over her left hip gliding up to her shoulder.
Hand seizes her mouth, my jaw parts to sink my teeth into her neck. Dragging her to the side where no one can look, I search her pocket and find me a ticket. "Alyssa Field, Age: 19."
Stupid little bitch. It's always the young ones coming down here, bet she's going to a party. Unfortunately, the taste of her blood lets me know she's human. I wouldn't overdose but I don't stomach it like I use to.
It's going to be a minute unless I start eating.
Deidre
"I'm Thankful" she's a rather heavy-set woman in a pair of blue tattered shorts, Adidas shoes, and a white off-shoulder long sleeve crop top. "You looking for me, nino?"
What is my luck? I get kidnapped by my wannabe gangsta ass brother and now my black ass is about to be in cahoots with the goddamn cartel.
"My brother was..." now add he went to get some cigarettes. "What you want with me?"
"I wanted to kill you. But I think I might add you to my collection."
"Collection."
She looks to the left and calls a name, "Tomas, come here and get him." I twist right and drag the rest of my body out of the car. "What's in the front seat?" BITCH DON'T HURT SEAMUS. "No one." Why did I lie?
She tilts her head up slightly, "Hmph."
To her side again, she beckons two large men. One in a Hawaiian shirt and the other in a solid black t with a gold chain on his neck. "Take him. What the fuck took so long to get out of the car?"
"I got shot earlier remember..."
"Big deal. Did you drink a vamp?"
"Bitch, that shit don't work!" Retorts the one in black. "It's late as hell and you pick the time to do this shit. Mommy is back home, right now. By herself!"
"Exactly and you wanna be fuckin' be Van Helsing." Fumes the one in the Hawaiian shirt.
So, it's Mexican triplets out here. Wonderful, send my ass home. "Look I don't know what you want but I ain't got it."
"You a vampire?"
No. In my family, the baby that comes out a vampire gets adopted. "You look like a vampire. Why you so pale?"
Allergies? "What kind of name is Thankful for a Mexican?" great way to change the subject.
She's big and beautiful and I wanna vomit. "You heard of the Dante Family?"
Dante? "Fuck no, we were out here looking for a couple of rednecks." I might as well snitch, I don't wanna die. "Good. We have something in common. The three gringos worked for me, caught them taking my supply. They're dead."
I can't wait to tell Aleigha. "What you want from vampires?"
"Quit talking. Pelayo, we're taking him back. What's in the car?" she asks. "Nothing, the nigga in front is a zombie."
"You did that to him?" she squints. "No, my brother." That's right, I'm snitching. I'll even give out this nigga birthday!
"You're coming with us and we're taking the truck."
I shrug, "It's stolen anyway."
I think I like thic ass Mexican women now. Thankful doesn't seem that bad. It's a breath of fresh air to be around someone other than Aleigha. Pelayo and Tomas are her brothers, she's the middle child from what she told me. Tomas is the oldest, he's in front driving the truck while Pelayo took the car they came in.
Sitting in the back with Thankful next to me with her legs crossed and phone in hand. "Thanks for not killing me."
"I believe in longevity." She says not tearing from her phone. My heart swoons, we have something in common. "don't get attached to me."
"What..."
"Papi doesn't like me messing with boys."
"Oh..." well fuck me. "My sister is dead. My brother is dead. I'm alive." States Tomas.
"Dead?"
Thankful looks up from her phone, a pretty round face with light brown makeup on. Back in the road she used magic just like Aleigha, "What was that spell you use on me?"
"Eligo sicut," she says, "It fixed your giant gashes. What happened to you?"
How does one say, my brother ate me? "My brother ate me." Her eyes go wide, "Your brother ate you?"
"Sounds like a cannibal." Chimes Tomas. "Who's your brother?"
"Aleigha... I don't know much about him."
Tomas scoffs, "He's your brother and you don't know a thing about him?"
Well, I know he's a complete fuck nigga for one. He broke into my apartment, scared the solid shit out of me, ate me. And apparently, he's done it before! Thankful snickers, "You're mind is loud, man."
"Are you a vampire?" she's too pretty, Aleigha is dark and desolate with pink eyes of death. If she had pink eyes that would make her a cannibal.
"I'm not a cannibal, I'm—"
"She's not alive." Mentions Tomas. "She isn't even supposed to be here."
"Stop telling me that!" she sneers. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm here helping you two retards get mom back!"
Tomas steps his foot on the break, my face headbutts the front seat. "If your ass wasn't a fucking soul sucking bitch. We wouldn't even have to do this!" Tomas reaches over and smacks Thankful across the face. "I'm not saving your ass, I'm saving mama's!"
"What the fuck is your problem!" My instincts tell me to grab him and just... break bone. "Shut up nigga!" he grabs a gun out the passenger seat and taps my nose. "We know one of y'all rituals"
"Ritual—look, I ain't about all that magic shit. I'm a dud."
"Lies! That's what the last nigga said when we revived his ass. You know a bitch named Froilo?"