"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."
Let me understand the shit I'm going through. Starting from the beginning. I'm not that sure of how I died but I remember my mama hanging by the neck. It was a forest. Magna, my brother, was running behind me. I can't recall much about it. He yells something, as I ran into the forest, I saw a red light.
Getting closer to the red light, my mama is hanging by a noose. It was cutting into her throat. Individuals with demon mask on in white suits. One was taller than the rest. White dreadlocks hanging down to his heels. His eyes a bright ghostly blue-gray.
Fire poles in the ground, I stepped on a salt line in the grass. It shocked the shit out of me. I screamed, calling their attention.
That's my last memory and I can't summon the whole damn thing. 'Ain't no good in this world as long as the White Devil is around, remember that'.
That's something mama used to say. I didn't know what the fuck she meant, I thought she was being racist. 'No baby, hate is a learned thing. Not a teaching. White is invisible.'
I grew up on wisdom and ass whippings.
I think back to headcount. I haven't seen the nigga up close and through a text message doesn't count. I have no idea what the fuck this hoe looks like. He could be using a body to hide his true self.
And now Experience tells me his name is Chauncey Vansant? "Do you have a file on Chauncey?" I'm not about to die or run crazy because of a nigga named Chauncey. "I mean…" she looks around. "I could try to find something. It might be deep in the computer, but there's a password lock on it."
"So." Why the fuck did she tell me as if she can't get to it? "You work in the office."
"I'm an assistant!" she exclaims. "I don't have excess to computer files."
"So you mean to tell me, you circulate shit!"
"What!"
"You just in here—moving shit around!" I want to kick her so damn bad. I'm getting answers to this rodeo I'm in. My mother is probably in it! And she tells me she can't do shit! "I handle the door and the files." She points to the cabinets marked with dates. "I need a ladder to get up to the cabinets."
"You ain't no vampire?" Great. Now I'm fucking with humans.
"I'm a witch." She loiters. "By birth."
"I know practitioners but not by birth."
She scratches her neck. "Well, I am… and handle the files."
But you can't provide me shit, can you? Looking around the room, there ain't no damn ladder just in sight. "Where can I get a ladder?"
"Janitor closet maybe." She folds her arms over her well-done breast. "Mr. Jurgens would probably know."
"He works here?"
"Definitely dead."
I wouldn't doubt it. "Where can I get a map of the school?"
"Janitors closets aren't marked on the map. You get the bathroom, the classes, lunch, gym, and exits." She says. "But the closets are near three major bathrooms on the first floor, four on the second, and three more on the third floor." That's informative.
What else could I ask? I could ask later. "Alright—oh, by the way. You got bullets?"
"Nope. I have a knife."
"Anything that can shoot?"
"I know spells. I can give you a charm."
"Name?"
"Prae-bali." She digs in her shirt pocket; I'm surprised she even had that and pulls out a coin sized charm. "This is small as shit!"
"It's level 1. I just made it in charm class."
"Harry Potter ass bitch…"
"Hey man, fuck you!" she furrows. "I like charms! I've been studying how to build bases"
"Bases?"
She grins widely. "Nion!"
"Home?"
"I'm making a charm that sends you back to the last place you been within five minutes." She starts swinging her arms left to right. It's super bad!"
"Really?"
"I used it to get out of detention."
"What did the office assistant get detention for?"
"I stabbed a bitch." I understand everything now. I narrow my gaze and sneer, she sighs. "I don't work in the office, but I stole the key!"
At least she ain't dumb. "I'll be back." I start moving to the door when she yanks my arm back. I turn around and she's holding a coin size brown amulet. "You forgot something."
.
.
.
.
I'm so happy I haven't gotten a text from FUCKING CHAUNCEY. What the fuck does Chauncey even mean? Experience gave me a map of the school so I can have it on me.
Let's see. I'm in front of the office, I can go up to the left or go right and down a hallway. She said there are three major bathrooms on the first foor. Mr. Jurgens keeps supplies in the closets near the bathrooms. Makes sense, the closet bathroom is to the left. Go up, make a left and the bathroom is right at the corner. Ok, if it's not there. The second bathroom is down that hallway, make a right and it's between two classrooms. Room 109 and Room 111.
Examining the map, there isn't a room 110. Must be the bathroom then. I make my way there, keeping an eye out for Alexis. I got a way and a gun—with three damn bullets. I should have asked about those charms.
I didn't pick up a study when I went to school. Mama told us we were there and that's it. I didn't take shit seriously. But she did teach us herself.
At the bathroom, the janitor's closet has blood splattered on it. To quote my mother: All things basic should be spotless. If it is stained, move pass it. That's telling me to leave the door alone, but I need a ladder and maybe a broom.
My hand switches between touching the knob and pulling back. I can hear my mother warning me and it becomes so justified when I hear a growl behind the door. "Excuse me…"
It deepens, I hear chattering. "I smell blood, it's going to be a good flood." The warning chuckles.
Nope.
I move away from the door. I could use a broom… if I had that. I pass a class with a half body poking out of it, inside is a drunk laying on top of a female student with blood oozing out of a hole in her torso. I understand Drunks raided the damn school, that is well comprehended. Who let them in?
Passing another room, the door to it is shut but red flows out staining the walkway. Only God knows what happened in there.
My nerves jolt at the sound of exploding nails. I lurch back to view the closet next to the bathroom, hitting the lockers across it. That voice came from a Drunk? It's so engorged with blood it can't pull out of the closet. He bellows as he struggles trapped in the door frame.
I grab my gun, I have three… bullets. I set my aim. "em htiw od ot tahw wonk t'nod uoY"
If I miss, I'm fucked. Steady, I hold my breath. My finger pulls back the trigger, sending the bullet flying. It hits the wall, dodging the creature. "What the fuck!"
"wollof tuB!"
The hallway is full of vibrations. In one classroom, I hear, "ksa uoy sa od is/in/all/they"
Do as you ask? Is he some kind of father to the Drunks? To all my horror, he escapes the closet and stands straight. Moving to the middle of the hallway. He gestures at me, "dedoolb kcalB. You're my bitch now."
Nigga.
.
.
.
.
Text message from WarNQuestion
WarNQuestion: Hey!
WarNQuestion: July
WarNQuestion: I need to tell you something.
WarNQuestion: I found dad. Well, At least mine.
WarNQuestion: We went to the old house. The Deadman Manor.
WarNQuestion: It's gone. They took shit out the crib, I can't find mama. I can't even find Real.
WarNQuestion: I don't even know if you saw me but
WarNQuestion: No, it was Magna I heard. You probably don't even look like yourself.
WarNQuestion: Nigga we found this random note or something.
WarNQuestion: Who the fuck is Steven? But anyway… here's the letter.
WarNQuestion: IT'S bEEN TOo DAmN loNG Since I GOt to HAvE FUn. yOu TaUGht mE alL kinds of tHIngs. sAveD Me frOM DRoWNInG AnD I gOt tO JoIN the Club. BUt tHEn YOU knEw whAt i Was ABoUt. YOU kilLed ME pRiNcEsS :(. ANd Tore UP my fUcKiNG BODY.
imMA kilL YoU :) ANd cOnfUsE thE ShIt oUtTA yOU LiKe yOu DID Me.
wHAt's thaT AmUlet? THe fE YoN BAGaY? IMMa TakE THAt. AND USe IT!
WarNQuestion: And I found this burnt letter by mama
WarNQuestion: She's being fucking protective again.
WarNQuestion: To my wonderful little baby bats. I'm going through some things. I don't want you involved. If I do it right, he won't find you.
You know you come from a strong clan. I taught you everything. Although none of that fucking matters. You all love your names so much. My Warr, Real, July. There's so many babies, I can't call you all.
When I was little, I was beat in the head by The White Parade. I don't think I told you everything about the Unseen. Those who worship a seeless God. A vampire. It's an insult really. I can see my reflection, but they can't.
I'm somewhere. Don't come find me. That's what he wants.
Who? I can hear you asking. Some souls just don't want to rest.
WarNQuestion: I won't lie
WarNQuestion: I'm scared.
WarNQuestion: Call me back.