"Boogie man?" he must have thought she was stupid. "Get out!"
"Torielle…" he pouted. "I'm your father. Montgomery Greer." He flinched in need to hold back tears.
She couldn't deny it, she didn't even know who her father was. She was already coming up with conspiracy theories. "I don't know you…"
He clapped his hands, and an ugly growl came from his throat, "I AM YOUR FATHER." his teeth showed, broken and yellow. His hands covered his face as he dropped to his knees. "What did he do…"
Torielle fumbled with her overalls. Moments ago, Davea kicked her and Cedrica out the house. But now there was a green man crying in her room and her sister was still missing.
Where is Cedrica?
Montgomery got up and straighten his back. "I went through a lot." he cocked his head to the side. "You are my daughter. Your mother is Shiloh." He smiled.
"Ok…" she didn't know how he got in the house. Where was her sister? "Sadly, she is the reason you are here."
"Wow… so, you're dad? My dad?"
"Yep…" he smiled as he reached into his pockets. "I am…" Torielle gasped but the only movement was her body dropping. "If I can't keep my damn daughter at home. She will be with me in spirit."
Montgomery stood beside Tori's body. He picked her up and put her over his shoulder. "Don't worry baby girl… Daddy's got you." He sauntered out of the room with Tori's body. "I'll get you a whole new body. Just wait."
.
.
.
"Damn… it's cold."
Torielle floated aimlessly. She saw many souls hovering, some high some low. "Where am I?"
She pushed forward, floating over the chartreuse grass. She passed a sign, Island Tooto, it read. "I'm Canadian!" her soul bubbled. "Where am I!"
"This is the realm for the soul. You're on the bridge." said someone. Torielle turned around. "Who are you?"
"Darlene is my name…" she sighed. "what about you?"
"Torielle McCoy." she replied.
"Hmm…" Darlene came closer. "Davea's last name was McCoy."
"You know my mom?"
"Yeah… sorry we kidnapped y'all…"
"What!?"
"Aleigha told me to do. Then his father got involved and some ratchet niggas plus my niggas."
Torielle was silent. "You said this is the Bridge?"
"Yep. You died… again. I guess with in good reason." she spun around. "Age doesn't matter if it's just the soul but yeah, we're all dead here." said Darlene. "so, what's your slave name?"
"I'm not a slave--ARE YOU CALLING ME A NIGGER?"
"I should… y'all lynched me anyway. Then Aleigha came…" she inhaled and her soul turned pink. "Oh Aleigha…"
"Who the fuck?"
"You're young and prettier than me. I hate that."
"You're a soul… all I see is a ball of light."
"I gave myself to Aleigha…" she sighed again stuck in fantasy. "Oh what a liar… my Aleigha… see, kids wouldn't understand adult talk."
"I don't care too." she backed away from Darlene. "I was ugly… I'm white but I made it."
"Crazy white bitch…"
"I was pale, that's what Aleigha said I was. My hair reached my back and the color of sand. I used to take baths once a mouth. Everyone, including Aleigha said I was a wet dog. He was a German Shepherd."
"Why am I still here?"
"I like black guys but I don't look as good as Valentina Growden."
"Who?" And Tori had to talk with herself as to why she was invested in this conversation. "Valentina Growden, daughter of the Growden family. They own a plantation in Virginia." she surrounded Torielle. "I found out that Valentina is a disgrace."
"What did she do?"
"Her father disowned her. Not only that Valentina is half black. All the niggas at school loved her. And her father kept saying she was white but it shows. She's darker than me."
"Wowie…"
"She slept with Chauncey's brother Seign. I know he took it because he could, I bet she offered. She had a black child, a baby." explained Darlene.
"Why am I being told this?"
Darlene turned red and she grew bigger, "BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO LISTEN!"
Torielle yelped, her soul was firm against the rockside. Darlene continued, "I was captain of the chess team. I was head of the debate club. I told the tennis team at school, they could run a train on me."
Darlene's soul shaped into a vulture. "I got pregnant and sold my baby!"
"That's yo fault!"
"He was ugly!" shouted Darlene. "I told everyone he was Chauncey's kid and Chauncey bit the fuck out of me!"
"Again! That is yo fault!" screamed Torielle.
She calmed down, and Darlene spun around in circles. "He's name is Deidre. And I was like Dhydre. So, when I got pregnant I asked Aleigha for help. He said the child's name was Dehydrate. We laughed; I get it then I threw the baby on the ground and skull busted."
"What is wrong with you!"
"Everything! I hate living!"
"Ok…" Tori gasped. "What do you want me to do?"
"Die!" she closed in on Tori. "So I could live again! I want to be a queen! Just… like… Val."
Her vulture spirit picked up Tori in her beak. "I know how this world works. The worst thing a slave can do, is read."
"No! No!" Tori sparked and flew out of Darlene's mouth. "Nono!" her soul sped down the grass before eventually turning into a black cat. "What is happening?"
Darlene flew over Torielle, she attempted to sweep her up in her talons. Tori jumped, dodging the attack. "I had this ugly oblong face! But Val, she was cut!" Darlene swooped through the incoming trees and through a branch at Tori's spirit. "I weighed 114 fucking pounds!"
Tori slid across the grass and bolted down a thin valley. She jumped over rumble leaving Darlene to squeeze through. Her soul shaped again, a gruesome bird with six eyes and wings replaced with long fingers. Her extended claws reached for Tori, cutting off her tail.
Tori yelled and tripped, "Fuck!"
"I know your soul is aching!" she shrunk, able to fit through the valley. Her soul turned red again, "If I find your body, I promise. I'll make good use of it!"
"Get away from me!"