/Next to the living room, a dresser with a trophy on top. "Must have won a game." Aleigha paced to the body, he hovered his hand over him. He closed his palm as an idea entered his brain. "First Deidre, then Magna Carta." /
/"Oh, shit." He tilts his head. "Hanielle's with John. And John is just doing too much now, so he put Headcount in place until he's done."
"Done?"
"Breeding."/
"What are you?" I'm so tired. My head is pounding. Ti-Oruko rose his head to the ceiling. "This is so stupid..." he murmurs. He lowered his gaze on me, "Do you remember getting kidnapped?"
"I--"
"Ok, so, July aka Aleigha—but not the original king. Broke into your house." he explains. "Your name is fucking Dareion Price. But they keep changing it. You're a tortured soul. July needs to pay his fucking debt. The Selwyn are looking for him like the FBI."
"What...," I stammer. "He's my brother--"
"He's a trifling ass nigga... like the first sign should have been robbing a fucking sprint store. July is a slave master but headcount--" he clicks his tongue, "Is so fucking annoying. It's not a relative to you or other. That's July's fucking granduncle. The nigga used to have hematognia which is a blood fetish but like he he's human. He used to be on drugs. He took antidepressants and anxiety meds. Childhood—not Hanielle but she bears a striking resemble to her. So... to cut to the chase, this all the makings of a fucking crackhead—Melvin was his fucking doctor."
"Well," the fuck do I do? "What about me?"
"You're Dareion, July broke into the house." he snaps his fingers. "Do you remember the fucking amulet?"
"Amulet?"
"Fe Yon Bagay." he says. "The Amulet belonged to Aleigha himself. Like Vampiric Lords kept all sorts of medallions. A medallion is everything to a blood thirsty monster. It opens his casket. Then Delagati has his grandfather's necklace, he won't let anyone have it."
"What's that?"
"Hell's Grail. Grandpa Chere's gold did a lot. Wore by anybody outside the bloodline, it would break necks. The vampire was a maul. Like it was the sickest shit, he brought niggas to his court and put his medallion around they neck to decapitate them. Grandpa She and Chere hated each other and Chere took a nigga's soul and head." he retorts, he mutters, "And the goddamn apartment."
"I'm so confused."
"Gang shit! I used to be a part of the Coven. We kept the world right with murder and got the fucking magic."
"Oh..."
1993-08-28
"What the fuck are you doing?" yelled Seign. Seign bolted around the corner and snatched his brother's arm. Chauncey snatched away, baring his fangs. "Get the fuck off me."
"You not walking away from me!" Seign spat. "Where the fuck is my son?"
"The fuck if I know!" Chauncey threw his hand in the air. "You ain't got a fucking son. You'member? That wasn't even yo' kid, man. You followed a little boy from school with yo' high ass--"
Seign's fist met Chauncey's left cheek. "Stop talking to me like I don't know what the fuck going on!"
Blood stained his teeth. He licked the red off and locked eyes with his brother. "Sacré drogué! Tu essaies de convaincre tout le monde est putain de fou mais toi."
"All that fast talking ass French..." Chauncey turned around, looking down the street. "je peux faire ce que je veux..."
"Where fuck are going?"
"If I do it right. I get be in the coven. And if I'm in the coven, I get a throne."
"Why in the fucking hellfire do you wanna join the damn church!" Seign beat his fist into his palm. "Daddy left for a fucking reason. Oh, so you not happy with just mama being dead?"
"I didn't kill her--"
"Shut the fuck up!" Seign swung a hefty left hook, a tooth departed. Chauncey spit on the ground. He saw his brother, his eyes a vivid poisonous green. "Do that again..." he stepped towards him and rightfully Seign's fist broke his nose to the side. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Chauncey wiped his nose; he licked his fingers. Seign gagged and peered at his eyes. Chauncey own dilated grey-blue pupils. "You doing that shit again."
He propped himself up against a wall. "Nigga, let me live!"
"Let you live and don' put this fucking spell on the family. For fuck's sake Chance, you bit the fuck out yo son!"
He chuckled, "I did not!" he expanded his views. "See, what happened was... Berci came in came in the fucking room--"
"NIGGA SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU BIT YO SON!" Seign stomped. He grabbed both sides of his head and looked at the evening sky. "You on that shit..." he closed his eyes and released a breath. "You on that fucking shit." he bent over. "You was biting Dela like some fucking chew toy... and you blaming the fucking boogeyman for that?" He twisted round.
Chauncey scratched his temple. "I am not... high."
The confidence. Seign's breathing became rapid. He sucked in air and put his hands in pockets. Chauncey stood with his chest out, "And I stand by that."
Seign pulled his weapons out of his pockets and went to ganging up on Chauncey with force. Right to left, left to right, Chauncey's vision was blurry, he coughed up blood. Seign held his brother's neck and lifted him above the street. "Say that shit again with faith!"
Chauncey smiled, "I'm...." he licked his lips. "Delicious..."
"Say that shit in French..." he growled.
Chauncey smacked his lips, "je ne suis pas lapidé." he sniffed and stared at him, "Et toi une salope."
Again, Seign belted his face, forcing his royal cyan, gold band ring into his skull. "Fucking motha--"
He stopped for a minute; he lifted his hand against Chauncey's unconscious face. "You get on my fucking nerves..." The ring glowed; darkness slithered around his fingers. Chauncey's swollen eyes could see clenched golden fangs. He wheezed...
Seign flexed his fingers, his brain thinking he had enough.
"DEATH!"
His body tighten, his chest burning. His heart was rapid and his fingers numb. "RESONANCE!" Chauncey felt a calm, cool wave over him. And so much pain. He couldn't move... "DEATH!"
His body flattened against the concrete. 'He's going to kill me in these streets..." as if starting from his feet, and working towards his head, his soul left him. "GET BACK IN! RESONANCE!"
His soul dropped down into the body, 'This is torment...'
"You do this shit knowing full well what you do!" Seign evicted the soul and brought him back. "Where the fuck is O'Liga, huh? You're so busy at church, you forgot about your family! Daddy left for a fucking reason, pop said he didn't want this evil!"
Chauncey's soul gasped, "ENOUGH!"
The soul hollered and whimpered. Seign looked at the ball of light in front of him, "Bitch!"
"And?"
"That shit hurts! And you keep putting me back in pain!"
"Do you understand, you're a wannabe drug lord?" Seign grabbed his soul. "You understand that you left your older brother, to do all yo' shit."
"I'm sorry!"
"You don't fucking understand Bone died! Nobody else could bury him but me!" he fought against the tears and sore throat; he'd be damned to let him see him cry. He averted his gaze, "Nigga fuck you." he turned to leave.
"My body is fucked! Fix me!" yelled Chauncey.
Seign dug through his pockets, he put a stick of marijuana to his lips. "Do it yourself."
.
.
.
"Let's talk about you for a minute." A cigarette appeared in midair. Ti-Oruko grabbed it and put it to his lips. "I'm probably lying. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44." he took a drag from the cigarette. "Let's take it back."
"Back where?"
"When you made a deal and thought you could rob a house." he smirked, "You were selling your mother's jewelry. Meant one of La Dama's daughters. She only had them to revive. Stupid bitch doesn't like coffins. So, to add some truth to the mix. The reason you're here is because of her husband."
"Husband? Why can't I remember?"
"You remember what Trauma remembers before he died. I'm Ti-Oruko, motherfucker called me fucking Chupacabra. Devil Things are real. But like most of this shit, you gotta go way back. I'm the son, as well as fucking Saint, who's technically the elder brother." he waved his hand past his face, "But let's get on with it."
"What the fuck is going on?" Ti-Oruko paced, his steps calm and he has the whole day to himself. "Trauma, he was known for torture. So, FATHER, made him like lord of the cartel and shit but he married the worst thing alive. La Dama, she was old as fuck. Like eighty-six and living in Mexico. Meets a vampire king and everyone believes in immortality but to get it you have to serve a fucking creature of greed."
"She betrayed her husband?"
"And cheated on him. Louisiana is pretty close, a few Cajun-coons made it because the son of fucking headcount. Was put up for sacrifice!" Ti-Oruko drooled, "I don't know what this bitch wants. He isn't a brother. I can tell you that much."
"The Devil Things want headcount dead?"
"You know the hood. You made offerings. Why?" he squints. "La Dama didn't want to die. Hanielle wanted to love and she wanted to have her son be a king so he could rest easy. Make sense? He stood in front of him. "Childhood isn't your mother, she's dead."
What am I supposed to do or think? I don't remember. "Listen, mulatto." I grit my teeth. "You used to watch a kid for a girl you had a crush on. Little Vivo named Chickie."
"Vivo?" why am I so angry? "So," he continues, "La Dama wanted a body for her husband, you crossed the river which is technically real. Like sytx, when you cross you immediately step in it. The water is red because of fucking blood. Childhood makes beats, she keeps track of the Word. And Headcount is fucking with the word."
"What about me," I lay my hand on my chest. "Where is my body?"
"Ok," he stares at me. "I'm tired of this. Pretty much your being abused. Your soul is getting dragged every which way. Trauma wanted to add something, so the kings grabbed a prophet and decided to die."
"Explain that shit to me like I'm three."
He rolls his eyes, "Ok, the lord doesn't give a shit anymore."