"Hey! July!"
My eyes part. Chickie is slapping my chest to wake. What happened? "July? Are you ok?"
"If he dies, can we eat him?" a werewolf brings up. That's all I need to find myself again. "My wife is a Gains!" the dogs stand straight with their ears perked up. "Well, that's all we need to know."
The cut tail looks at his homies like they are about to sniff ass in agreement. "Yawa ain't dead."
"He is..." speaks the soft-spoken Ciacco. "I'm a wolf."
"And?" retorts the mangy dog. "Yawa just can't fall apart he's the Bow of the pack."
Ciacco lifts his left eyebrow, "So? Most of the Hood is sanctified. Yawa is one of the members."
"Are saying the man missed payments?"
"Why not?"
"Hey, I swear to God I heard this before." nosed a wolf. "I think."
Chickie helped me off the floor. "You passed out."
"Yeah..." I dust myself off. "You care about me?"
"No?" her face says otherwise. "Good. I'm married."
Her top lift lifts from the corner. "You know what, you can sit this one out. I got it."
"Ok." I laze over. Why am like this? Vampires don't actually have relationships. Well, except for my mother so there is the other two percent.
Chickie gets Ciaccco to put the wolves in the puppets. I go outside the storage unit and brace myself beside the wall. I just... I love her. So much... maybe it's trauma.
Even though I basically tormented her ass just to put some fake shit in her head and tell her nonsense. But I saw her get hurt.
I start recalling the house again. Who the fuck is Dareion—Magna!
Oh, that's right the nigga's a servant. Who the fuck was supposed to know he was a vampire. I didn't sense anything. And right after raping Alexis—I mean Cederica.
He beat the shit out of her.
But I found the body he left... so that's a win for me.
My Mokiri... at least it was Cederica that got raped first and I saved Mokiri from... that woman.
What is my life?
.
.
.
Mokiri pelted Cederica with punches. She aimed directly for her cheeks and eyes. Cederica put her hands out with the strange ambition to defend herself or stop her. Mokiri took her forehead and pushed her arms to the side. Her four fingers struck her right cheek. Cederica tumbled backward, tripping over the rug to the living room.
Mokiri set her body over Cederica, she hoisted her head up by her hair and her four flat fingers swept upward across her nose. "Stupid, fucking bitch!" She stopped using her knuckles and started stomping on her ribs, shoulder, and head.
Torielle ran from the kitchen and put her body over her sister. "Stop!" she put her hand up in protest. "Move yo' big body ass out the way!" Mokiri kicked Cederica's back. She punched Torielle in the face. She covered up but Mokiri struck her in the head, "Move!" July came downstairs to witness the beat down and chose to ignore the event. "I'm so fucking sick of your stupid asses in the house." she pushed Torielle's head down. Mokiri kicked her, she cried. "July! Get her!" she guarded her scalp.
July turned around from the direction of the second den. "Mokiri."
Mokiri spread her jaws and her eyes shined a vicious red. She bit Torielle in the shoulder, earning a scream. "Mokiri!" July rushed over and punted her in the belly. She flipped to her side, Mokiri shook the shock away and stood up to July. She roared at him. "Calm the fuck down!" he thursted a finger at the ground. He couldn't believe the words he used, "Sit down." he scolded.
Mokiri unleash a gust of air from her throat, it sent July back a few steps. His eyes lit up. He stretched out two fingers and put them down. "I said LAY!"
She was forced to the floor. She snapped her jaws and howled. Her tail whipped in frustration. On the couch, newly named Magna Carta sat with a hamburger in his grip.
He looked at July, "Nigga, get cho' dog.." he wiped away sauce from the corner of lips. "Goddamn!" exhausted July.
"Ow..." Torielle whined. Cederica scrambled under her, "Get your fat ass off me!" She shoved Torielle away.
"Ungrateful!"
"Bitch fuck you!" Cederica spat. Cederica got up and punch Mokiri in the head while she was on the floor. Mokiri's eyes blinked as she tried to lift herself up. Her voice switched to this gravelly tone, "Bitch! I'll snap your neck!"
"Do it!" Cederica got to her knees and balled her fist. She kept smacking Mokiri in the back of head and in her forehead and nose. "I'll fuck you up!" she swung her limb wildly.
Magna Carta chewed his sandwich, "Beat her ass little girl!" he cheered. "Do you ever shut the fuck up!" July insisted. He went and snatched the back of Cederica's hair and dragged her to the front door. "Now you can sit outside!"
"I'm not a fucking dog--"
"You acting like it!" he thrust open the door and flung her ass outside in the cold. July quickly slammed it preventing Cederica to enter. She attempted to run back in but knocked herself out with the slamming of the door.
He forced his heart and mind on his beautiful Mokiri who was still pinned to the floor. 'She's making her paranoid.' he thought. He moved to her and dismissed the spell. Mokiri flailed on the carpet before getting herself together, she swiped her claws across the air. July caught her wrist and her hand grabbed the air in front of her.
Her eyes went dim. "What--Juls?"
"Baby, what's wrong with you?"
She stood straight. She lifted her shoulders, "Did I do something?"
"Oh fuck... you did it again." Torielle complained. "I just got head damage and I can't collect insurance!"
"Oh well, go eat fat ass."
"I hope you get fucked!" she yelled with passion. "What's her problem?" Mokiri gestured towards Torielle going for the kitchen.
July swiped the air in front of her face, "You don't know her."
"Bitch ass nigga!" she protested from the kitchen. "Really?"
"Y'all niggas need to be grateful. She's a werewolf with upseti disorder."
"What the fuck is that!"
"It's when baby wolves throw tantrums." he said matter a factly."
"What the fuck!" she emptied her throat. "I have a fucking concussion and fucking rabies!"
His eyes glowed pink, "I'll fucking eat you."
"Fuck y'all!" she shouted. "And him!" Magna Carta turned around.
July sighed, he took Mokiri by the hand and kissed her cheek. "Bitch nigga!" called out Torielle. "Go upstairs and wait for me." he stroked her hair. "Ok..." she said unsurely.
Mokiri left the area, Magna Carta stared disapprovingly. "You still a baby vamp." he pointed out. "And now my long lost fucking uncle speaks to me."
Magna twiddled his fingers. "Brother..."
July breathed the word 'block'. "Bullshit!"
Magna Carta shrugged. "Sorry what happened to your mom. But I can tell you Childhood ain't dead. This story is going to get real confusing." he rolled his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?" he looked over the couch at Torielle. "I mean, we have a crackhead in the family that thinks he's being smart. Did you say Hanielle or Childhood when your mother was on the news?" he eyed the zombie in the corner. "She needs to go."
"Why is my ancestor talking to me at a time like this?"
"Call it African bond." he put one leg over the other. "It sounds... stupid but your grand uncle wants his dad's old seat with the cult—I mean church. Which is fine and dandy."
"How so..." July squinted. "Ok... so we are going back about... four hundred years back are so. It took me a minute to get this shit together. And I keep trying to fight the magic. Chauncey has went through a lot of prayers to get this far. What you don't understand is that this nigga has asked God for some shit."
"Ok..."
"What is this?" exhaled Torielle. "A king is a prophet and they are entilted with promises of whatever they desire. You get that?"
July nodded. "So... your great-grand uncle was King Chere who asked to live longer. Vampires aren't immortal just because of magic rites. You have to pay for it."
"Are you saying I have a basic level of magic?"
"To be honest," Magna Carta twirled his neck. "Pretty much. You would have more but you're from a different church and house all together."
"what's going on?"
He pointed, "You already falling for it."
"What do I need to do?"
"Build a house. Vamps do it all the time, you got most of your shit together." he eyed Torielle. "She can your witch"
"No!" she rushed at Magna and hit his arm. "I don't want no part of this."
"IT'S FUCKING COLD! LET ME IN" screamed Cederica outside. "She's up..." noted July. "You need a witch. That's the head bitch that makes all the charms you don't get from God."
"Ok."
"You need hounds. Mokiri will do."
"No," his forehead crinkled. "Not my Mo."
"What..." he could gag. "That's the defender of the house. I know Saint John shot most of Aleigha's when he had a coven."
"My cousin?"
"That's right. He switched house."
"Why?"
"New religion, he was good at hiding it until somebody snitched." he chuckled. "His fault for grooming bitches, especially a broken one. I think she was like half latina. You gon' hear that a lot."
"Latina?"
"The cartel in Mexico works on shipping the dead. Human trafficking and corpse haul." he counted on his fingers. "You need bodies for rituals, bone marrow, and souls. That's the main distribution."
July looked at the floor. Magna Carta snapped his finger, "Hey!" he looked up annoyed, "Look alive."
"What if I don't wanna commit to a church?"
"You need ammo... no following means you a dead nigga walking, literally."
.
.
.
I'm not a king.
I never wanted to be.
I had Mokiri. Loved it. I didn't think about it. It was just like money and power to me. I did rob some store but charms and a little bit of magic is fine.
I don't want to get drunk.
"July!" Chickie's voice couldn't be any more fucking louder.
I guess it counts as being lazy.
.
The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.
.
"You're just standing here!" she yells at me. I sigh, "Yes, Chickie."
"Or you on your period? You cramps?"
"What in the great seven hells do you want?"
She fluttery her eyes, "Get in the truck! We have to go now." Ciacco peeks his head out. "We did everything, even alled Jose. I'm his new dog." he smiled.
Retard.
"Shut up," she tells me off. "Stay out my head!"
.
.
.
I hate her. We had a whole argument about driving. Ciacco didn't complain about laying in the backseat. Nor did the dogs protest about being in the bed of the truck. Mostly because they're fucking dolls now.
"So, what was the purpose of putting them in rags?"
"I don't know. Daddy doesn't TALK to me anymore..." then what good are you? "Nigga fuck you."
I flip her off. She carries on talking, "Do you know Saint Anthony?"
"No. Is it a vampire?"
"Yes and no." she makes a turn. "Saint Antony is a picture we have in mexico. You turn it upside down so he helps find lost things. Daddy sold like a dozen paintings of him. It's supposed to be good luck."
"A relic?" I assumed. "Daddy also wants his pictures back. So, all in all." she takes a deep breath. "Jose, my father, wants to rebuild."
"Why is it that nobody leaves the church?"
Ciacco chimes in, "Because you get all kinds of knick-knack."
"It's more than just knick-knacks, you get a house. People that follow your biding, immortality, you never get sick--" Ironic. "Following God is privilege. To be privilege you look down on the poor and they may do whatever you say."
"But the consequences."
"Nobody cares!" he says. "Ok," she stops at a light. "You have a mother. She's having a heart attack."
"Ok."
"Mom is dead. You love her. What do you do?"
"Plan her funeral?"
"No, because nigga love they mama. You really finna let yo' mama go?" I'm not putting her on life support! "July you have to understand. The Means, is having it all, you don't have to worry if God got yo' back!"
"That's what I'm saying. Jesus can be a prophet but the nigga died on the cross in a hot ass fucking desert! That's what you ignoring. Why go through a bunch of fuck shit when God doesn't come through?" the light turns green but her attention refuses to switch. Cars start honking. Is this going to be a thing?
"Will you fucking drive!"