Every time I talk, I lose a tooth. I go around flashing my mock. When they caught me, I still didn't squawk. They threaten to take me, give me insulin shock. So I crossed puddles, ended up in Bangkok. Did the same thing again, now bodies laying with chalk.
A riddle in the form of rap? Mama used to do that. I'm staring at this text message trying to decipher this puzzle.
He's lying through his teeth or the teeth of others. This is all simple, maybe I'm looking too deeply?
Every time I talk, I lose a tooth. I'm thinking of what could be a double meaning? The obvious is out. Is someone being annoying? Talking so much your teeth fall out?
Maybe it's talking about fairies. They take teeth, some would even take the teeth while a nigga was yappin'. But he's a vampire, right? Then there's during rituals—I stop walking and my jaw slacks. Does he want me to collect teeth?
Every time I talk, I lose a tooth. Is he jealous?
I clear my phone screen with my thumb, I'm hesitant to ask. Does he want to be a vampire? I go through my text messages, thinking I can find a connection mentioned in the conversation. My uncle Iarius is my mother's first husband.
I haven't texted him since I died. My brows lift in question, I was dead, why can't I remember how I died? Why am I asking that rhetorical ass question? And again, I'm throwing around bullshit that needs a question mark.
.
.
SCARSXALL: I have a father. I should be telling Warr this.
SCARSXALL: I haven't seen him since I was little.
SCARSXALL: I'm mixed.
.
.
Who is grandpa Miles? Damn my mother for marrying multiple ass men and having a dozen goddamn kids by each. I could ask Warr about the family line given he is the firstborn. I haven't spoken to him at all.
I scroll down to his name. His twin brother, Real, under him.
My phone buzzes, It's Headcount's annoying ass.
Counter999: I didn't say you could have Extra Help
?? Above the Rest ??: Switch the Question then
Counter999: Nigga no
Counter999: You can't even call a nigga.
.
.
Well, I'm in jeopardy. Completely different show but it's still relevant.
I don't feel as if I'm getting' money. If anything I feel broke as hell. Does he want me to collect teeth, find the person that put him in jail, or… is there an or.? What possibly could be the third option. Death, maybe. That makes sense.
Find him. Find me. Where do you go to look for people? A library, a computer—the front office of the school. I can use the computers!
At the edges of the walls is a map of the school. At the entrance its right in front of the office. A square box as soon as you walk in. Main Office – Parent Floor. That's the first floor. Where did I wander off to? I went upstairs. I need to go back…
I go back down a hall with open doors and lockers open. Inside one locker is a body with no head. There's an elevator at the end of the hall and adjacent to it is a set of steps going down. I'm about to head down when I pick up feet jogging down the halls. I get to the bottom and immediately go up again.
Alexis coursing through the halls with that fucking pug on a leash. WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT? Gargoyles can stand on two legs. What is she doing with that thing on a leash?
I need another way downstairs. To get out of her fucking sight. She's bitten me once; I'll be damn if I let her do it again. In fact, let me make sure my Shimmy is loaded. I feel in my pockets I don't have any bullets. Opening the revolver, I got three shots. How? Did they fall out? My head is throbbing, fucking Headcount. I got three shots, If I see her. I got to make each one count. No bullshit. All three go straight to the head.
I go where I came. Looking at the top frame of doors and corners, there is nothing that tells me where I am. This whole school feels like a fucking prison. No color, classroom numbers, I meet the end of the hall. I hit the barrier, blue ripples spread out from it. I can see through it like glass, there's another stairwell leading down. "How do I get pass?"
I back away from the barrier.
Every time I talk, I lose a tooth. I go around flashing my mock. When they caught me, I still didn't squawk. They threaten to take me, give me insulin shock. So I crossed puddles, ended up in Bangkok. Did the same thing again, now bodies laying with chalk.
The same riddle appears on the barrier. Ugh. "I don't know what I'm looking for?"
The words fade away and turn into one phrase. Every time I talk.
"Do you want me to find a snitch." For the love of God. "Ok, give me a hint."
The words scramble and disappear. What a fucking teacher's pet…
The smartest kid in school? Someone who does outstandingwork, turns their homework in on time. Doesn't fuss, probably a huge nerd and in dozens of clubs or head of the student council. I still need to get to the first office, that's my golden ticket. I get in through the records on students from there. If everyone isn't dead. I could find one still alive.
A fucking teacher's pet. Another riddle? Assistant—office assistant, library assistant, what other jobs could a student take? School store, maybe the lunchroom? Principal, teacher's aide, school council, clubs? There are so many options, but the major two would be library and office.
Which makes it more evident I NEED TO GET DOWNSTAIRS. Why am I so afraid of hood roaches?
I know why, I ain't finna voice that shit aloud. Killing would be easy, but I don't fuck with dogs. I'm on the second floor and he what's me to get to the third. I can't get past the barrier. I'm in a fucking bind.
Start from the bottom and work to the top. And the main obstacle is a fucking bald-headed mona lisa. I should kick her. And the damn dog. I got three fucking bullets—Imma take my damn chance and take these stairs.
Going down the staircase, there is a banner above that says 'DRACULA MARCH 2K' 2k what? The number isn't visible. Nothing to worry about, I swear I've been on this hall. The floor under glows, the corridor spins and elevates. Another floor lifts replacing what just left. The light dims, what the fuck just happened? Is he rearranging floors!
The hallway is messy, trash, toppled over trashcans, paint splashed on the walls, and ongoing footprints on the ceiling. Why? No! The room is upside down. Pipes on the ceiling down on the ground. There is a door to the left of the stairs exiting into a garden maze. Ogling outside, something tall is standing up over the hedges. Its wings spread out, is that a fucking gargoyle? "In the third room," the windows vibrate, and it flies away. Is that the same damn pug?
Passing the hall, I view an open door on the left side. The door is ripped from its hinges, I start thinking Alexis had the gargoyle do this. Walking in the room, things are mysteriously on top of other things. A set of desks built like a pyramid, the teacher's computer on the ceiling, and a giant hole in the roof looking at the top floor. I wonder can I get through that.
My phone buzzes.
Counter99: Just so you know. I have no idea what's going on. I'm still on the third floor, did you find the milk and cookies?
Counter999: I need to grab a chair or something. My feet killing me.
Fuck him. Fuck him high and holy.
I notice on the ground towards the windows. A vent laying on the floor, above it, a hole in the wall. Putting my hand up in the air, I feel a breeze. I grab my gun, reminding myself I got three bullets. I wish I knew a spell.
"Hey!" I stand under the vent. "Anybody in there? Probably with teeth, wings?"
I hear rattling, expecting it to come from the hole. There's a closet next to the door. "Fuck—shit" resonates a voice. "Who's in there?" I steady my gun. "Come out!"
"Not if you got a weapon, I'm staying my ass in here with the broom!"
That… is not a threat. I put my gun up, "I ain't got nothin'"
"That's what the last nigga said!"
"I really don't." This is almost cute. Reminds me of how Mokiri and I used to play. I go to the closet and pry it open to find a hefty, curved woman. Her hair is brown and curls close to her ears. "Hello"
"I have a cross!"
I sneeze. "Don't hurt me." I back away from the closet. "You could have closed it!"
She's wearing the Thrallmaster uniform, a white undershirt, knee-high socks, her school badge around her neck. And black gloves. A nice set of heavy-duty boots as well. "Who are you? Are you with that drunk?" she hisses. "if you're talking about Alexis. Hell no."
She seems to sparkle at that response. She sets up, gets to her feet but remains in the closet. "I didn't let that bitch take me out. I fucking hate her…"
"Same."
"What do you have against her?"
I'm not saying that. "Reasons. Got a name?"
"Experience Templeton." She says. That's cute, "Classic Virginian."
"What you know about it?"
"Royce—" Is it good to give out my full name? "Royce Rohlee Omrella"
"What the fuck. For real?" she gawks at me. She takes a step out of the closet. "Nigga that's the She clan. We haven't had a She at school since—"
"Childhood?" I assume, but it's likely the right answer. "Childhood, Lordy, fucking Ranaan… something. She has a lot of names. But her real name is fucking…. Hanielle."
Why don't I know these things? Warr probably does. "But that's not the point. What brings you to Thrallmaster?"
"um… I need to get into the office?"
"Looking for a student?"
"I need someone that assists?"
"Hey."
"Uh?"
"Me. I pretty much work then study. I handle the documents and the books. They call me Pet."
Damn. "Can I… get in the school office?"
"Depends. We had a bunch of drunks raid the school; I hid in the closet. some girl got dragged through and the beast jumped out the window with her leg in his mouth. Shit was all over the place."
"I'm sorry."
"Apologize to my panties. I've never pissed on myself before."
"What about at the age of one?"
"You got jokes…"
.
.
.
.
Experience leads the way to the front office. I'm so paranoid I'll run into Alexis. Experience hurries to the door of the office and unlocks it. I follow her in, bodies on the counter, behind the desk and halfway through the window. "Mrs. Potter, and Ms. Karra."
In my head, we don't have time to be pissing about dead bodies. She swishes around, "I WORK IN HERE!"
Bitch, talk to me nicely. "I can read minds!"
"I apologize. Can you take me to the records?"
She turns to me with her arms folded. "What do you want with school records? Sure, you not a student trying to get by? Did you have something to do—"
"I went to the Virginian location. I'm a student but not in the Ghytto. Girl, fucking give me the documents. Ok, it's a nigga in the school playing games with me and who knows." It might be God.
Her eyes widen, she settles down. "It's someone else in here? Oh—Wait." She rushes to lock the door. "Who else?"
"Some nigga named Headcount."
"Headcount? Never heard of a student with that name."
Obviously. "He gave me a riddle. Told me to find him."
Experience lifts a brow in question. "I have no idea how you finna find a nigga like that." She leaves the door and goes to the backroom. "We keep the records away from the front desk. It might be in the vault."
"Why do you keep records in a vault?" I follow her. It's a small office near the doorway, a little way down is a black door. She puts in a code, and I hear a beep. Experience opens the door, there are files stacked to the ceiling.
"You said Headcount… But that's clearly not a name. Know anything about him?"
I look through my phone. Scrolling through these messages is a fucking hassle. Why does he talk so much? Finally, I get to the Street name he gave me. "Epping Spur?"
Her eyes are so big, her breathing hitches. "Epping!?"
"Problem?"
"Chauncey Vansant?" she blurts out. "He died years ago. He got shot in the school."
"When exactly was that?"
"During the first uprising. Vamps were breaking into stores trying to get to humans. He strolled through here with a cult and shit. He was fucking with The White Parade."