I had a moment of peace which I was completely against. I thought for a second that I was ok. It's ok to be here.
We sleep on mattresses in this church, Lucant is in charge until Adonijah comes back. I walked around the church, it's shaped like a barn on a huge plot of land. In the back, where the beast was, used to be a lake. Adonijah drained it for the beast but now it's dead.
Again, there are children here. Raquel, Clayton, Uma, Wayo, Janna, and Jesse.
Raquel is somebody I try desperately to ignore. She's so stupid and talks on things she doesn't know, she told Uma that Islam created a church after Christianity in likeness but previously they worshiped Satan which led to 9/11.
So, the devil made them do it.
Wayo is your regular black kid that believes in that damaging gangsta attitude. But he's gay so he doesn't grow up a rapist. Also, he said, real gangstas don't rape they cultivate. Which to me means they collect women to work for money. It's stupid but so stupid it kind of makes sense.
Oh and then there's Jia. She used to be a hoe. No one really cares she died… twice.
She was annoying and talked to Uma a lot, telling her that hijab wouldn't protect her from dick. Beulah and Jia were always at each other's throats over the younger. So Adonijah cut off her tail which is a symbol for a bitch with no morals but they not as bad as the antichrist.
The antichrist is my grandma.
So, I learned my granny has a dick. And Davea is my great grandma.
This is where it got strange to me. My great grandma is 101 years old or more. She used to be on her death bed and had 17 heart attacks in her life. I remember Davea used to slump over a lot.
I didn't think she was dying.
Great granny Davea's body was so bad, Canada actually tried to be her to rest. A neighbor called and one day Grandma was eating out the trash and crawling out her house.
I question my life.
More about this church. Off to the far northwest, is another barn that was worked on by the people that ran away.
Adonijah hates runaways.
That's called losing shipment.
King Trauma is a vampire king. King Trauma runs a tv show and uses the barn in the back. Lucant is a werewolf; a guarddog in fact. He was a dog. That's what Ferness told me.
They gave the dog a baptism and shit started happening. Ferness doesn't understand how the spirit works.
And I'm confused about everything.
There isn't much to do here except stay in the house. I laid on the bad pointing at my fangs. I'm a vampire out here. Some of the older vamps like Adonijah have flat teeth plus Janna.
Ferness's teeth are gray and bloody from pulling out his fangs. This is a form of self mutilation.
Vamps aren't supposed to do that.
It's actually an honor to be a vampire. Because there are people that just don't come back. To take out your fangs that the big vamps, the gangstas, put gold on; is heinous.
You basically don't wanna live.
Blood and bone and the very soul.
"Yo stupid ass is in here biting yo self." I twist over on the mattress to see Clayton's square head. "What do you want?" I sit up. "It's a new day." he says. "Come eat."
I get up and go pass the kitchen to the picnic tables by the tree. I feel as though I have to look up. I have to look at them.
The bodies.
Once I see Karolina, I sit next to her. "What are we having?"
"Lucant's crazy and still in charge. He went out this morning to get food." she says. "I hope to shit and Mary we having actual food!" yells somebody. I still don't know every name.
"I'm not sure if it's a blessing or not. Today we might get somebody new. That's what the bitch said."
I giggle. "Lucant is not a bitch."
She puts down a cloth in her lap. Karolina looks at me, "Who you telling?"
I hear wheel turning behind me. When I turn, its ucant bringing a cart of food. "Bruh is them plates?" says a male vampire. "I can't smell it."
"It's too fair faggot…" I hear Ferness down another pinic table. "Just because I nigga jacks off to a picture of a man doesn't make him gay."
"But everyday though?" says Ferness.
"Y'all hush up, we got kids around."
"Zita bite me!" the male exclaims.
"I got bread, butter, and tomato sauce."
The tables hiss collectively. "That's not food. We not at church, church."
"We on a budget." states Lucant. "Everybody come get a plate."
"Lu, we ain't got no meat?" asks Karolina.
"If you want meat, you go to the store."
"So you lazy?" her eyes narrow. She sighs and gets up, "You don't have to go out." I say. "Baby, meat is important. When I come back, I gotta get ya lessons in. Especially Jesse, I'm tired of seeing that baby shake."
She marches down to the church. "Don't come back with food for the rest of them. Everybody can go to the store." states Lucant. "Nigga fuck you. It's kids in this bitch and you think I'm finna let something happen?"
"Karolina!" She continues to walk away. "Imma beat her." he growls. "Lucant go fuck yo self." says Corrie. "Remember you a dog?"
"SO!" his head turns in a dog's head. His teeth are large and bloody. "I'm so sick of vampire begging." he mocks. "Oooo, I need blood or imma have a seizure." he beats his wrist against his chest. "Fake." he barks.
"I hate dogs…" that voice sounds like Mundo.
Lucant growls and spit, "Well fuck nigga I hate you! I hate niggas, I children, I hate noise."
"You want a bone for that?" mutters Mundo. Lucant stretches his neck, he chomps on Mundo's shoulder. Lifting him up, he beats him against the tables. "Lu!"
Lucant throws Mundo across the dirt. He's hissing in pain then finally yells. "I'll kill you!" the dog belts. "I'll kill all of you. Whose the dog of the house?"
"You, man!"
"That's right! I get the food. I get everything, this my house. Not fucking Yawa."
"Yawa dead…" mutters Mackie. Lucant swishes round to grab Mackie by the neck with his teeth. "I WONDER WHO THE FUCK DID THAT!"
Mackie jitters in fear. I get up and lay on top of her. What is wrong with me. "Good dog," I put my hand up. His ears twitch. "Good boy, lay, calm down…"
"Cece!" Ferness is ready to grab me. Lucant's head tilts, "What?"
"That's the best dog I got. Such a good boy…" Mackie nudges me. "Good dog, Lucant you doing such a good job taking care of the church! Yes you are!"
"I am…" his ears wiggle.
"Are you fucking me? Ferness's jaw slacks. I look at him and smile. His eyes flutter, "We got such a big boy in church, so brave and smart. That's my nigga, you want a treat?"
The dog's head disappears. Lucant holds the sides of his face, "Oh my god…"
"Lu!" shouts Ferness. "It's that damn ritual!"
"My head, my heart…" he breathes. "I can't stand myself." he looks at me. His eyes are large. "Cece?"
"I'm ok…"
"Ah shit… did y'all eat?" he looks at the tables. "We got bread and sauce." says Corrie. "And fucking butter," adds Zanna.
"Y'all I'm sorry. I'll go shoppin--"
"Karolina went. She got permission."
"By herself?" he races to the church door. "Lu!"
"I'll be back!"
Mackie gets up and helps me up, "Thank you but don't do that no more."
"Why not?"
"Baby, I'm 45."
.
.
.
Lucant, the real Lucant came back and bought, ham, pickles, mustard, turkey, and a barrel of water. Karolina got the ham and turkey.
"If y'all wanna eat, come on get it." he said.
"Y'all spending money like that, Adoni finna beat us." claims Mundo. "I don't give a shit! The damn thing is calm which means I'm conscious. I'll back out later."
"Seriously calm down. We have enough." says Corrie leaned against Zanna. "I don't know how long that nigga gone. We gotta stock up."
"It's fine…" says Mackie coming from the bathtubs. "Is you ok?" questions Lucant. Mackie nods, "It's not yo fault."
"I can control it…"
"This shit gets fucked up by the minute." says Janna. "My daddy still dead. And Ciceon."
"I ain't check on him. Y'all never told me who."
"You wasn't you." states Karolina. "You gay?"
"Yeah…"
"Ok. It's you."
"I'm tired…" says Beulah. "I got work too."
"Work? You gotta go to the show?" says Lucant.
"I'm on episode 43." her shoulders lift. "Why are we here?" and I feel like a survivor in the zombie apocalypse that made too much noise. "Cece, this is a type of holding. It's the workshop. They make them and sell them." explains Beulah.
"Sell what?"
"The mangles. I should collect parts while I'm at it."
I'm asking too much. "What are mangles?"
"Fake angles." says Zita. "Somebody teach her."
"We are." stresses Karolina. She looks at me on the floor. "Angels are described as having no body. So, it's forbidden to give them one."
I'm not gonna ask why again. Just listen.
"In the bible he talks about Cherubims."
"An angel with the face of an ox or lion." adds Lucant. "Mangles are mocks of God's creation. Shikki is the only person I can think of with angels that hide their faces."
"so what's he point in making angels?" I ask.
"We need to kill the thing around Aleigha's house. Adonijah has been trying to make a big ass thing to break in." states Karolina. "what's the thing's name?"
"Usaimphus, The Blood Heart." says Corrie. "It's enormous being. I think the angel is about fifteen feet."
"Adonijah is obsessed with making them. That thing in is a type of mangle. I broke into a zoo and he sacrificed some vamps to make what he calls Manolo." he moves to the back door. "I ain't proud."