The night of the Ghytto was never sought, for many knew what came out of it. You could get snatched, said many mothers. You could get bit, warned the fathers. Your elders told you about the black market. 'Mama, look, a trail!'
It was done out of mockery almost. Was it in spit? And people heard the air in their ears. 'Struggle' 'death' and 'greed'. This world alive noted. An unforeseen God. And then you had Chauncey who should have never crossed the river.
Water dripped from his mouth, his eyes wild and nose running. 'Why do I keep having seizures?' he asked himself. The answer was clear as day. And the wind itself answered, 'Guideless'
Chauncey turned his head, where di that come from? He hopped to his feet and strained to stand. "Who's there"
'Where did you come from?' 'He is new.' 'Who brought him?' 'Did you?'
Chauncey looked around. "Whoever you are, I got a gun. Swear to God." he stumbled backward.
'He's lying.'
'He's high.'
'Practioner'
Chauncey looked at the dark sky. Clouds moved slowly, a lack of stars. The streets were bare, a dog or two searching for a meal. He jumped at the sound of a falling trashcan. He searched his pockets to find nothing but lint. Chauncey twisted around and held his hands out as if he had a gun.
'Crazy.'
'Loose mind.'
'Make up a story.'
'I want this one...'
'NO! HE'S MINE!'
The soul slapped the ground. Sparks flew into the air like fireworks. A being small and black, shaped like a bucket? No, it had arms around it.
"What the fuck is that?"
"You don't know fact from fiction." his body started to shape. A lean muscular, almond brown colored man. "You do drugs don't you?" He's eyes pink and darting at him. "I need a body..."
"What the fuck is you?" Chauncey taunted. His hair in thick dreads, he stepped closer to him. "Give me your arm." he stuck his hand out. "Nigga put yo hand down." he waved him off, moving backward. "You some kind of freak?"
"Obayifo." when he smiled Chauncey saw razor-sharp teeth. "Or Chedipe but we pretty much do the same thing..." he rolled his eyes. "You're fat..."
He had this thick Indian accent. "Fucking foreign bitch... nigga get on somewhere."
"I'm hungry..." the man tilted his head. "Don't be fucking..." he dashed towards him, claiming his neck. "I'm Changany... Dracula... fucking whatever. Half Indian, half African... pick one."
"You look like shit." Chauncey grunted. "Thank you... I need you to do me a favor... have you seen my body?"
Chauncey attempted to pull the monster's hands off him. He was tall and powerful but the Indian squeezed harder. "You like it here?"
"Nigga..." Chauncey choked. "The underground is a dangerous place. We just got rid of the company. And now..." Changany snapped his neck, his breath left him, a word came out his mouth, 'Break'.
His voice deepened, "Don't be fucking brave."
.
.
.
Chauncey woke up in a sweat. He gripped the covers. To his right, his wife O'Liga. "Li..." he gasped and tapped her shoulder. She buried herself in the covers.
Chauncey swung his legs over the bed and went to the closet. I could take a shower, or go on a cruise, he thought. He opened his closet door and fell on his ass at a harrowing sight. "Not a dream..." Changany smiled. "I need a body. You big enough."
"What the fuck are you!" he scurried to the dresser beside O'Liga. Changany pointed at O'Liga sleeping body. "That's mine..."
He gestured to Chauncey, "You're mine."
"This house... is mine," he said. "Everything. I'm the King of the Hood, The Master of Lies, I'm a vampire... I get what I want. You shot me in my home,"
"Nigga I don't know you!" bawled Chauncey. "Get the fuck out!"
Changany wagged his fingers. "I know you didn't invite me... but" he disappeared and showed himself on top of O'Liga's body. "I let myself in." His jaws spread, Chauncey sped to his toes and grabbed the lamp from the counter. He busted it against the vampire's head. O'Liga awoke screaming and Chauncey pulled her off the bed.
"Chance!"
"Get up!"
Changany shook his head, blood dripping from his nose. "You fuck nigga!" his pink views flashed in the dark. The couple rushed to the door with Chauncey hurrying O'Liga in front of him. "Iarius!" she called her son. "Dela!"
The boys were outside in the backyard. Iarius put up the hand of the dead body. "Cool." His brother Delagati slapped him in the back of the head, "What the fuck—get away." He pulled him by his collar.
The body twitched. "It's a zombie."
"Ok, you wanna be a zombie?"
/Circle/
The grass glowed; a ritual scratched into the earth. Delagati pulled his brother to his hip. The brothers stood by each other, "What the fuck is happening?" as one opened his mouth, a soul escaped the body and into the brother. His body convulsed, Delagati picked up his little brother and bolted towards the house. His heel dug into the dirt as he skidded across the grass to halt.
Balls of light blocked the way. "Dela!" Another brother claimed. He fell to his knees. Iarius yelled and wriggled in his brother's arms. He slipped out his old and a spirit entered his body.
/Black Parade/
Delagti's body stiffed, he gasped and bent backward. "Dela!" Iarius raced passed the souls and grabbed the back door handle. "Mine!" the souls screamed. He pulled on the knob but the door refused to open.
Nobody could hear it. That scream, the pleads. Then there was Seign. Seign rose from his heels. A being behind him wearing an African mask. His breath escaped him, "O-by-ifo" he spoke in a guttural tone. "This one... is mine."
The door jiggled. As it parted, Vuyon entered the house. The Obayifo looked back and dropped Seign. He disappeared as the lights came on. "Hey! If y'all wake I got Chinese food!" he yelled in the home. "Iarius!"
He went into the kitchen and laid down the groceries on the table close to the door. "That boy probably sleep." he pulled off his jacket. "Hey! I said I was going out later," his eyes met the floor. "Seign!" he hurried to assist his brother. "Seign!" he slapped him. "Wake up!" he shook him. "Stop." Seign's eyes rolled to the back of his head. "What the--"
"Daddy!" Iarius's body floated above him. He looked up, "Iarius!"
"O-" his finger landed on his father. "Iarius..."
"Mine?" The Obayifo's long fingers caught the back of his throat. Delagti pulled himself inside the house. "Fantastic, so, I need you... to do me a favor..." Changany held Chauncey by the back of his shirt. "As you can see, I got yo sons, yo wife, everybody. Listen, I can make you a rich nigga... just listen."
Sweat collected near Chauncey's nuts. His brother toppled over, "What is happening?"
Changany shook him as he bellowed, "Listen!"
He swallowed. "Your name is headcount and all you gotta do is follow my word." he put his finger to his lips. "Deal?"