How to lie
1) If your grandmother went to the store but I told you to shoot her. You say she went to the store.
2) You wear gloves at all times
3) What were you doing before grandma got shot? You were at the house away from the store.
4) You call a friend
5) If Shamika told you she was taking care of her kid, you go to her house and you stay five minutes.
6) Return home, open grandma's room, go downstairs and call in a missing person.
7) You were at Shamika's house
8) Also Hoodies. A vampire can't be caught in the light. That's stupid.
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Pearlie's fingers covered every key on the keyboard. The rhythmic sound made Philomon focus on what she was doing. "Pearl... what are you looking for now?"
"The Growden Family is so interesting. Especially the case of Valentina Growden."
"Ok. I did, look at that briefly, Valentina shot herself."
"Wrong!" she pointed at him. "Valentina shot her body... if that made any sense. Because I found some notes attached to an old diary site. She has a Mexican fetish." she jabs a key on the keyboard and the printer in the background sounds. "Valentina dated a boy, Marcial Navas. This is a fucked up story." she gets up and grabs the printed paper from the far side of the room.
Pearlie slaps the paper in front of him. "He was a mailman. He called himself peppermint. Isn't that a cool vampire name? He's half white tho."
Philomon stares at the paper. It's a picture of Marcial Navas. He has a triangle face with a piercing on his bottom lip. His eyes are deep brown and his left ear is cut off. "Zombie?"
"Vamp." she puts her hands on her hips. "That might be a lead."
"But to what?"
"Well, she's a Growden. That family is racist as hell but the princess of the clan—and I meant princess—loves some Spanish dick."
She could settle for a burrito; it didn't require all that. "Valentina was... curious about vamps. The history, the culture, mystery and a lot teens love the thought of a vampire boyfriend."
"But it's not like that. Vampires don't do relationships. They just build harems so they breed a body in case." he said. "That's the Obayifo for you. Africa had a totally different approach then just blood. It's about living longer."
"Says a lot about black people..."
"Are you racist?"
He grunted then hissed, "I once called an Asian a wetback and told him to go build a train."
"Why?" she lifted a brow. "I caught food poisoning from a Chinese restaurant." he rubbed his neck. "I'm a hypochondriac."
She snorted. "It's not funny Pearlie. I feel bad about it."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "The case is pretty similar to something Valentina used to do."
"Like?"
"She got a bunch of people to go to a party but according to past evidence she more or less lured them there." told Pearlie. "She knew a little magic. What she did was walk out her party and tell people they could come inside and she wasn't there. Somebody else got the party going then she returned with a whole new look. Long story short, 28 people died and nine stayed."
Philomon squinted. "I'm still confused."
"Valentina died at 11 years old."
"Fast ass white girl."
"You sound black."
"I'm not..." he completely ignored is quarter of German slapping him. "I just want to say, it's pretty easy to break inside a house."
"Why?"
"That's how vampires do it. A vampire cannot enter a home unless invited. I'm just speculating."
"Good spec, she buried with regret and confused but went missing from her cell..." she bugged her eyes out. "Spooky vampire magic, so hot."
"Imagine a vampire boyfriend breaking you out of jail." he said without looking at her. "Exactly." she handed him another paper. "This is Jose Dante..."
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I chew on a piece of toast. I keep thinking about all the memories I'm missing. I remember somebody killed my mother. I robbed that house; my fangs start protruding from my top jaw as I think.
I'm 22... maybe. I look 22. Back at the school, my skin turned. Maybe to say Aleigha had left because that nigga is DARK! My cousin is BLACK. He is without a doubt a BLACK PERSON. Combined with pink eyes, he looks like death. But being a king, of course. My skin color known, as far as I can through my soul, is a medium tan.
That's based on an idea, I can't call—mama. Most vampires are pale to a certain degree. But the obayifo is rather, darker persay.
I look at my hands, my nails are disgustedly short. Mama always said I had a beautiful complexion. I fan my hand out like a girl that just got her nails done. 'Vampire have claws but we take care of them.' She put her hands in mine. Her nails have a red streak from the top to the rim and are polished with clear paint.
And here I am with dirt and cracked nails. 'Don't look like you been fightin' inside your coffin.'
Bitch.
I smirk at the memory.
I'm an angel but the question is, do the obayifo come from angels. Is that what fallen looks like? If we don't move, find another we lose that heavenly beauty?
What am I? I feel like a fetish to a bunch of book lovers. A sexy creature that has the same mentality as a bad boy. But I can kill people and that's a great thing.
Because this shit is annoying.
I understand why... vampires don't commit. Mokiri...
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July appeared beside the guard and beckoned Mokiri to the door. She ran to the light and jogged in place. "Where?"
"Come on." he took her hand and took her to the bathroom. He turned on the bathroom lights and Mokiri rushed to the toilet. "Don't look at me!"
"Girl, don't nobody--"
His head shook and his knees met the floor. "Tag." Siana rounded the edge and Mokiri's jaw dropped. Siana looked down, "Pretty pink panties..." she looked at her. In her left hand a pot, she lifted her hand, "Hold still."
Siana stepped over July's body and came into the bathroom. Mokiri gripped the sides of the toilet. "You've been hiding these from me." she gripped her underwear around her ankles. "Mokiri, we are supposed to be the best off friends. That's what girls do..." she smiled.
July's fingers arched. "Get away from me!" she squeaked. "I haven't seen it before. At least not on a werewolf." Mokiri widened her legs so Siana couldn't take them off. "Stop playing with me." She tried taking them off on the left leg, Mokiri pulled them further from her reach almost falling off the toilet.
"Get..." July's legs quivered as he got off the tiles. His nails were longer and his eyes a bright pink. He dashed to Siana's side and his right hand dug into the fat of her upper thigh.
Siana screamed, she toppled backward and July bit her in the face. Veins stretched across his eyes, he swiped his tongue across her nose and gave Mokiri a wild look.
"Juls..." tears escaped the corners of her eyes. "Don't..."
His glare so bright and hot she could feel it in her soul. "July..."
"O..." his neck twitched. He gasped and tried to shake it off. He fluttered as he came to his senses. He covered his mouth and look at the blood in his palms. "I'm poisoned."
"Eat me!" she blurted. "No! I can't bleed a werewolf..." July helped Mokiri off the toilet and pulled her underwear up. The body rose behind July, Mokiri pulled July's shirt and fell on her back pulling July with her. Long claws swiped the air, "BITCHES!"
"It's a fairy!" Mokiri pushed July to the left, a hand swiped where they laid. The next set of nails took the skin off her back. She held July to close and bit his shoulder trying not to scream.
"Fuck off! PUSH!" the word floated and blocked Siana. Her body launched to the corner of the bathroom. July pushed Mokiri to the door who struggled to open it. "How did it close!" she yelled. "July!"
Siana crawled on the wall with her tongue snaking out her mouth. "What the fuck is she!?" July's open left palm held a set of words. His magic was weak but he knew a few strong ones from Iarius. "ecnad erif eht od ew ,meht roF dnal desimorp eht hcaer srehtorb ym yarP"
The sides of the walls started to spark. Siana crawled towards the light at the ceiling. "PRAISE!"
"BLOCK!"
She ran into the word and hit her head on the bathroom wall that started to burn. Mokiri twisted the knob both ways, it didn't seem to want to open. "July!" she hopped up and down crying hysterically.
He put his arm around her waist and moved her away. "PUSH!" he shouted. He pushed her out and ran down the hall but paused. July came out of the bathroom and caught Mokiri's arm. Her foot slipped as he held her back. The werewolf that was beside the room had no head. Three giant spiders were chewing on his corpse.
"Run," July pulled her arm as they ran past the bathroom. Siana's eight legs drew her out of the bathroom. "Mokiri!" she sang in a high voice. "We're best friends..."
A web marked the wall but didn't hit them. Down the hall past the bathroom was a window. July stopped and took off his shoe. He threw it against the window. "High hopes, I'm sorry."
He grabbed a trash can, hung it over his head, and charged at the window. "July!" Mokiri hollered. She went to the edge and heard 'String'. A white line grabbed her and dragged her down. Siana came bolting down the hall.
She perched her legs against the edges of the broken window. She watched the children run off into the night.
"Juls, where are we going!"
"Away from that!"
Mokiri looked back at the large 16-floor apartment. 'I got out...' she thought. Around the complex a set of storage units that once shipped werewolves and to the left she could see the lights from the arena.
"I got out..." she muttered as she continued to run behind July. "See anything..." he panted. "My leg!" July skid across the street. "What wrong with it?"
Her eyes shimmered under the streetlight. "Ain't that funny? A vampire saying a werewolf?"
"Girl!" he gawked. "This ain't the time for that romantic--" her lips met his in a quick motion. "Let's find a way out the realm! I bet we can!"
Behind her, a set of lights came down the street. July looked behind him and to the side, he yanked Mokiri to him. "Not now!" he viewed the white fence to his right. "Push!" the word broke the fence. "Go ahead of me!" he shoved her forward.
Mokiri went on wanting to take July with her desperately. She heard a yelp and halted her steps. July's wings covered his body, she screamed his name and her head started to hurt but before she could react, she fell over.
"Mine?" Siana marched behind the seller. "This shit nasty, ain't you one of what's-her-name kids?"
Siana shook her head drastically. "Nasty but I'm guilty too. But--" he trailed off. "Did you do the thing I asked? Chauncey already took care of one thing but did you do your part." he babied her.
"Yeah, yeah, I did it." she clapped with her thin long legs. "I got all the kids..."
"Where?" Jose asked.
"In the arena!" Siana slobbered all over herself. "Take?" she gestured to the kids. "What? You want them?"
His gun rested on his shoulder. "Look, that wasn't the deal. Pick up the bitches and put them in the back of the truck. Let's get this fucking ritual over with."