Whatsuppers! This is my short story which I like a lot. To be
honest I wouldn't put it out if I didn't like it so much, hope you
like it just as much. If you'd like to hear the entire story it's
five dollars.
This is the first chapter and a bit of the second one. Enjoy.
Track
1:
Blood
of the Canine
1998: Town of Nkosia
(Nuh-co-juh): Demon Lair
The night shivered as he woke, fresh from the daze of the sun.
This entity was angry and there was Al on the other end to receive
its fury. Alahuti (Al-luh-hue-tee)Azaigh (Uh-zigh) was his name. A
friendly, but foolishly brave elderly man, who decided to face him
alone. Al stood in the mouth of the frigid and damp cave. A harsh
blow of air pushed him deeper inside, forcing Al's body to freeze,
because he knew it to be the hand of the entity.
The small natural hollow reeked of death and men's despair.
“Come Alahuti Azaigh, come closer,” whispers echoing in the cave.
A small blaze of the dimming sunlight entered the cave, revealing
only the empty stone wall and the stalactite covered ceiling. A
shadow began to form, taking the body shape of a lanky well sculpted
man, but the head of a jackal. Al squinted his eyes, searching in the
darkness for a physical body to match the shadow, but found none.
“You were brave to respond to my message,” whispers echoing
once again throughout the cave, never giving away the position of the
entity.
He responds in a huff, “Did I have a choice?”
“No, not at all.”
There
was brief silence and a pause in time. Time enough for Al's beady
brown eyes to search the cave for anything he could use as a weapon,
but all he saw was bones and flesh, freshly killed bodies of
distraught men from the big city; Midwave. The putrid smell of weeks
old flesh was scattered all around in the cave and none of it skipped
Al's notice.
“Don't
be foolish Alahuti,” his voice slithered in Al's ear. “You cannot
possibly kill me. For I am your superior.”
Al's
voice bellowed, throwing caution in the wind, “What you want from
me then?!”
The
jackal faced entity smiled in the darkness. “I want the child,
she's mine.”
Al's
eyes glanced from side to side, making it clear he knew exactly what
child he was referring to. But Al's question feigned ignorance, “What
child?”
“Don't
play dumb with me,” he said in a flurry. “You know what child I
speak of. Her seventh birthday just passed. She's ready to come back
home with me,” the entity spoke his next statement word for word,
“and...you...will...bring...her...to me.”
“No,”
Al whispered, “I ain't sacrificin' my own. Not even to a god. This
ain't her curse and will never be, the cycle ends here. I'm ready to
die.” Alahuti stood tall, straightening his back and looked ahead
in the darkness of the cave.
After a moment
of quiet the entity spoke, “And you will—a slow and tortuous
death.” The entity growled low in his throat, Al braced himself for
the strike. His growl grew louder, until it eclipsed all sounds in
the night. And all had changed.
Fourteen Years Later:
She
lays on her belly at the bottom of her wide bed, kicking her legs
about in the air. Her sun kissed fingers fingered her freshly single
twisted, auburn kinky hair, enjoying the feel of the soft texture and
long length. She was Aanujah (Aah-new-juh).
“Gurl!”
She shouted through her cell phone. “You crazy!” Aanujah laughed
out loud at her silly friend, then posed a question, “You on yo
way?” Aanujah smacked her lips at her best friend's reply, then
told her, “Well, you betta hurrup, 'cause we 'bout to roll out.”
“Aanu,”
her mother Alanah called from the bottom of the steps, “come on.
Y'all go mess around and miss y'all flight.”
Aanujah
finishes up her conversation and hops off her bed, whirling around
her clean room.
Ever since she was a kid her room
always seemed happy—cute as a child—annoying as a teen. Her room
was dressed up in the colors of a newborn baby girl. Aanujah's
wardrobe choice of the day and the clothes in her closet did not
match her happy room. Aanujah swiped her last suitcase from the floor
and strolled out the door.
Aanujah,
her older brother Aaron, and her best friend S'hkmanyu
(Sahk-mahn-yuh) were on their way to the Dirty South. The kids were
leaving behind their gentle ghetto known as Nyjer, Nyjerhood, or
Aanu's favorite Red Ridah Hood for their summer break. Located in
some little old place in the Midwest. A flight waiting with their
names on it was taking them away. The two twenty year old ladies and
twenty-three year old fella was going to see grand-mama.
***
“Shoot!” Aniyla (Uh-ny-luh) angrily shouted as she watched
her favorite bowl of sugar break on the tile floor. She knelt in her
flowery patterned house dress to look closer at the broken glass.
None of the glass scattered, the pieces sat oddly in the sugar, that
feeling came back. A vibe she'd been feeling since she woke that
morning. Filthy bugs of slime felt as though they were climbing on
her skin, violating all of her.
Tears streaked down her ebony hued face and fear rose in her
chest. He was happy, the wolf. If any mood worried her the most, it
was his happiness. Because then he would celebrate, which meant he'd
be visiting town soon. A soft sob ran through the old woman as she
thought of her dead husband and his demise.
Aniyla
departed her roomy kitchen, leaving behind her broken bowl of sugar.
She needed space from this madness and the thoughts that surfaced in
her head, but was cut short once her doorbell rung. Her aged feet
slid across the floor, moving her to the door. Aniyla squinted her
round forest green eyes, and caught the sight of four figures on her
porch. “Nai-Nai (Nah-Nah)!” Greeted Aniyla as she pulled open her
front door.
Her
grand-kids Aaron, Aanujah and her best friend S'hkmanyu all in a
circle behind Ol' Shaimps.
“Aye Miss
Niyla!” He smiled a toothy grin, none of which was lost on the
kids. “I saw these wide eyed puppies wanderin' 'round the
town—thought dey was lost. Knew dey belong to ya, 'cause dey almost
as cute as my Niyla. Hey!” He burst out excitedly, laughing.
Granny Niyla laughed
from her belly, her first true laugh of the whole week. “Thank you
Shaimps, I do 'preciate it. Why don't you stop by for dinner tonight?
I'll make you a plate.”
“You know I
will,” his southern accent ringing through his words, he winked,
then left to go on his way.
Aniyla smiled
at the youngsters in her presence, relieved to see they made it
safely. “My babies!” She spread her arms wide and the three
rushed to embrace her. “Get y'all butts in this house and tell
Nai-Nai what's the word.”
The kids
grinned, grabbed their bags and came inside. “Your mama really
ain't comin'?” She looked at Aanujah.
“Naw
Nai-Nai. She had to work, but she should make it for my birthday
party.”
Aniyla
sighed, then shook off the feeling, not wanting it to spread like a
virus to her grandchildren. “Y'all go 'head get settled. Dinner
won't be ready for another few.” Aniyla left her kids in the
hallway, while she scurried over to the kitchen. She wanted to clean
her mess before one of the kids see it.
The doorbell rung out only a half hour later from the kid's
arrival, knocking Aniyla from her
cooking trance. She hesitated to
go to the door, in her mind there wasn't a need to open the door. All
who needed to be in her house, was in. One of her babies beat her to
the punch. All she heard was, “I'll get it Gran-Nai (Gran-Nuh)!”
Aaron
rushed down the hall, zooming pass the kitchen, reaching for the
door. “Tim!” He happily barked out. Timothy Barnis, a native of
the town and a friend to the kids ever since their first visit.
“When did my
main homie get in town? An' why I'm just knowin' about it?”
Aaron smiled, giving dap to Tim.
“You ain't too late nigga. We flew in about thirty minutes ago.”
“Boy! Who at
my door?”
Aaron
shouted back his reply, “Its just Timothy B Nai-Nai!” Timothy
warmly greeted Aniyla, and she to he, then the boys went to chill in
the living room. Before the boys could get comfortable the ladies
came down the staircase. Timothy jumped to his feet as he watched
Aanujah saunter down the steps in slow motion. Aaron looked over and
waved his hands in front of Tim's face, saying, “He's going, he's
going, he's gone.”
“Whatsup
Aaron,” Aanu asked, throwing her hands up, “we still rollin' in
town or what?”
Aaron
could only get a nod in, because Tim took over the conversation. He
strolled towards Aanujah, his mellow brown eyes peaking over his
glasses. “Mm, sexy, sexy Aanu. How you do what you do! Ooh. How are
you my wife to be?”
Aanujah
smirked, turning to her best friend who was shaking her head, holding
back giggles. “Uh Tim, honey,” Aanu said, leaning her head back
on his shoulder, since he decided to get so close.
“Yes,
yes wifey,” he murmured in her ear.
“I
really like your glasses Timothy.”
He
licked his lips and said, “Well thank you baby.”
“But,
uh...if your body frame don't find its way up off me you go be
pickin' them glasses back up in a hundred pieces. An' wit' yo
eyesight its go look like a thousand pieces. Back up off me Tim.”
Aanu elbowed him away, Tim went back to Aaron's side.
“It's
okay,” Tim said to Aaron who was cracking up at his friend's
embarrassment. “Oh, whatsup sock it to me, or sock it to you.”
Tim looked to Aanu's friend.
She rolled her onyx eyes. “S'hkmanyu or Saki for short
Timothy the corny nerd.”
“Yeah,
whatever Saki.” Timothy turned his attention to the two siblings.
“Where y'all goin'?”
Saki
turned up her nose and answered, “A place that doesn't concern
you.”
Timothy
put his big hand in Saki's face. “I don't believe I was talkin' to
you. Damn A, I see what you mean by annoying.” Saki slapped his
hand out her face and instead got in his face with a dare in her
gaze.
“Hey,
hey,” Aanu said, breaking the near fight apart, “we takin' the
bus to the mall Tim. You rollin' wit'?”
“Takin'
the bus?” Tim questioned, looking between Aaron and Aanujah.
“You
got a better way to get there?”
“As a
matter a fact Saki, I do. Maybe it'll shut ya mouth.” He pulled
keys from his back pocket, dangling them in his friend's faces. “I
got wheels baby! Let's be out.”
“Bet!”
Aanu said, giving a pound to Aaron and Saki. “Come on Saki, we'll
tell Gran-Nai we leavin'.”
“What
was that about?” Saki asked as she opened the car door.
“I
have no idea Manyu,” Aanu replied, sinking into the backseat.
Both Aaron and
Tim turned to the ladies in the backseat. “What granny say? She say
no and it
took y'all all that time to sneak
out.”
“Naw Aaron.
She said we can go,” Aanu replied, trying to say as little as
possible.
Tim probed, “What
took y'all so long then?”
“Uh,” Aanu
looked to S'hkmanyu, attempting to make up a lie, “uh I ran
upstairs to get my money.”
“Oh.” The
boys settled.
The girls only
settled into their seats once the car moved. The truth was Aanujah
and S'hkmanyu had to deal with Gran-Nai's fussing. Once Aanu
announced the kids were driving to the mall it took ten minutes to
calm Gran-Nai's hysteria down. Aniyla didn't want the kids out her
sight, had hoped they'd stay in or around the town for their visit.
But nothing changed, because ever since they were allowed to leave
without parental eyes, they were gone.
Aniyla
tried to inform the girls about the wolf, but to the girls it was
more like babbling about the wolf. Aniyla attempted to explain the
feeling of terror that washed over her. Something awful of the
grandest magnitude was about to go down and the last thing she wanted
was the kids gallivanting around the big city. Aanu stood still that
entire time, hearing about the wolf, fighting the urge to roll her
eyes. She didn't believe in all that superstitious bullshit.
To
her that so called information was just a hyped up elaborate tall
tale to scare children. And when they were children it scared the
living daylight out of them, keeping them up at all hours of the
night. Gran-Nai knew she was fighting a lost cause, so she simply
begged the girls to stay with the boys. Don't stray too far from the
group and get back in the house before night fell. The girls smiled
sweetly as if they actually heard all Gran-Nai said, sealed the talk
with a hug and kiss, then bolted for the door, before she changed her
mind.
By
the time Tim's raggedy maroon station wagon pulled into the big town,
it was filled with a few friends from the neighborhood. The maroon
station wagon was thumping with music, the kids repeating rap lyrics,
dancing in unison. The loud music and the louder voices of the kids
crooning horribly when a soft R&B song played seeped to the
streets of the big city. The town Nkosia (Nuh-cojuh) was thought of
as the pitiful town of crazies to many in Midwave. But Nkosians never
paid mind to it and made a stop in Midwave anyways.
The
rumors of a werewolf residing in Nkosia is what brought tourists to
Midwave in the first place, but still there was no appreciation. Tim
pulled into the northeast corner of the huge mall, every window
rolled down, eyes peaking, seeing all the youngsters stopping by the
mall on this fine Friday. It was eight at night, the sun was nearly
gone from the sky and the kids just pulled up. Ain't no way they're
gonna head back for Nkosia right now.
“Ooh
wee!” Saki exclaimed, looking around the packed food court. “Girl,
the mall is jumpin' jumpin' tonight.”
“Yes
lawd,” Aanu playfully said, “and I can't wait to get it jumpin'
jumpin' myself wit' one of these fine brothas.”
Both
Saki and Aanu laughed amongst themselves, gaining the attention of
the five guys they rolled with, but only one approached. Four of the
boys return to their own conversation, while the short, bean brown
colored young man who looked like a chipmunk sent a geeky smile to
Saki. He said, “What's so funny ladies?”
S'hkmanyu
took a deep breath and before she could respond Aanu did it for her.
“Just glad to be out the house Goop.” Goop grinned cutely still
giving his eyes to Saki, forcing it to make Saki look away and
Aanujah to laugh.
Saki
whispered to Aanu as Goop walked away, “Why are all yo brother's
friends awkward geeks? Why can't they be,” Saki shook her head as
she thought of the best way to say it, “can't they be—”
“Any day now
Sak.”
Saki smacked
her lips. “Why can't they be like him? Ow!”
Aanujah bit
her bottom lip and chuckled at her best friend's burst of excitement.
Her eyes followed Saki's line of vision and saw him stroll into the
food court. He was six four, skin so flawless it looked like polished
black marble, long thick locks, clothed in basic black jeans and
black hoody.
“Okay on
this one I'm feelin' you.” Aanu smiled as both girls watched him
grab a seat, while fighting the urge to chase after him.
Saki said,
breaking both ladies from their trance, “But instead Aaron ass hang
around these busters.”
“If you
ain't notice Aaron got a little nerd in him too. But foreal, shut up
Saki. The gang is a handsome bunch, just need a little work in
wardrobe.”
“Sheeit,
they need a lotta work in personality, get some a that quirk up out
they system.”
“Shut up
Sak. In case you forgot it was one of these nerds as you like to call
'em that got us here and will get us back.”
Aaron
walked over to the girls, cutting in their conversation. “Yeah Sak,
you keep talkin' like that you won't be ridin' in the nerd mobile.
And that ain't nothin' but the real Saki. You need to shut up.”
“That's
what I'm sayin'.”
“I
know Nu-Nu. Look doe, we 'bout to hit up the arcade spot. Timbo told
me they got some new game system up there. So we be out, I'll hit yo
cellie when it's time to bounce.”
“Hold
on,” she hailed him back over, “gimme some money.”
Her
brother frowned. “What? I thought you had some, that's what
supposedly took you so long.”
“Well,
I was lyin'. Come on hook ya lil sis up. I just wanna get some food
Aaron.”
He
sighed, but relented and dug in his pocket. “Thank you big bruh.
See, that's why me love you.” The gals stood on their toes to kiss
Aaron's cheek, then he watched them walk off.
“Aye,”
Tim called, getting Aaron's attention. “Let's go.”
“Hol' on,”
Aaron said, keeping his friends from heading to the game room, “you
said we need six players for the game, right?”
“Yeah,”
Tim says, nodding.
“Well,”
Aaron let the word linger.
“A'ight,
how about him? He from 'Kosia and e'rything.” Tim pointed at the
mysterious guy Aanujah and Saki had their eyes on. By now he was
comfortable at his table reading a small black book that held no
picture, words, or title on the front and back cover. He seemed in a
trance which crept the guys out.
“Hell
naw,” one of the boys said, “pick again.” The other fellas gave
murmurs of agreement.
“Aw
that's messed up y'all. What y'all got against homeboy?” Tim said.
“His
ass is creepy,” Aaron retorted.
Timothy looked
at his friend, “Not you too.”
“Look at him,”
Goop said, jabbing his chubby finger in his direction, “he could be
talking to the devil right now. I swear ya boy is mass murderer in
the makin'.” The guys laughed.
“Okay now,”
Aaron spoke, “I ain't goin' that far, but dude look kinda crazy.”
“What we go
do about the game?” The tall, skinny guy of the group questioned.
“Maybe we can find
somebody up there. Come on,” Aaron replied.
“Damn Sak,”
Aanu says, glossing her plump lips in the wide restroom mirror. “You
plop ploppin' in there or somethin'?”
“Shut up!”
Saki shouts from her stall. “For yo information I'm takin' a piss,
but you still ain't
gotta put my business out there
like that.”
Aanujah
smiled, tucking her laughs behind it. “My bad baby girl.”
“Whatever,” Saki
answers, “I know yo ass gettin' ready to laugh, so don't front.”
Then Aanujah let her
laughs rip. “I'm just sayin' sis, I'm just sayin'.”
Saki opened her
stall door, zipping up her skin tight jeans. Saki smiled as she went
for the foamy soap and said, “You ain't sayin' nothin'.”
The girls exited the
restroom, talking amongst themselves down the empty hall. Lockers on
one side, random pictures on the other, noise and commotion straight
ahead. The young ladies grinned and laughed as hard as they knew how,
because both felt the shiver. Neither girls could place it and
neither wanted to admit, Gran-Nai's beliefs of the wolf rubbed off on
them. So while they sauntered around the shopping mall, they indulged
their every sense to forget what could possibly lay in the near
future.
“Watch out
Nu-Nu!” Saki yelled, pointing behind her. But before Aanu knew it
she was tumbling into a lofty male form.
“Dang,”
Aanu wiped her hand over her face, getting to her feet with the help
of Saki and the gentleman she knocked over.
Saki
whispered, “Look.” Her eyes motioning to the man Aanujah knocked
over. “It's him. That fine dark chocolate specimen.”
“Oh my god,”
Aanu said under her breath. “I am so sorry.”
“It's okay,”
his gentle baritone voice purred. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine.
Are you alright is the question. I'm not the one who just got knocked
over.”
His
handsome face smiled, flashing perfect teeth. “I'm good...thanks
for your concern.”
Aanu
looked down. “Damn, I knocked all your stuff on the ground.” She
squatted to pick his items up, he rushed to grab a hold of his things
first. Her hands immediately went to a solid black book with the word
Necromancy written on the spine, not that she had a clue of what that
meant. She knew it was something up with it, because the brother
quickly snatched it from her hands, stuffing it back in his bag.
“Thank
you again,” he said, standing to his feet along with Aanu.
“So Mister
man,” Saki started, “would you like to join us at our table? We
ordered some pizza—it should be ready by now.”
He shakes his head.
“No.”
“I really feel bad
about bum rushin' you, the least we could do is feed you.”
“No,” he
slightly smirked, but let it fall away, “thank you for the offer,
but I really gotta get out a here.”
The
ladies turned to each other, giving one another quizzical glances,
then back to him.
“Alright,”
Aanu replied, “maybe another time. Peace.”
“Bye ladies, have
a good night.” Then he took off in a hurry towards the exit.
“Ohkay, that was a
bit weird.”
“Yeah,” Saki
said, “but he still fine. Mm.”
The girls faced each
other and giggled, then left for their food with megawatt smiles.
Track
2:
Courage:
The New Discovery
It was quick. The sky didn't even give onlookers below a chance
to blink, to capture the clear beauty of the night sky. The night was
going well, sky built with twinkles of star light, surrounded in a
canvas of flawless black. But instead the sky took a turn, uncovering
dull puffs of gray. Gray clouds that didn't move in, they simply
appeared, taking up space with no shame.
Winds picked up, swarming around house walls, mercilessly
kicking its ass. And the cold, not
the coldness of the air, but a
feeling so glum that a cool shiver overtook the body, forcing the
movement. Aniyla stood witness to the changes and probably one of the
few in Nkosia to notice. She clutched on the cordless phone in her
right hand, while clutching nothing but air and hurt in the left
hand, anger blazing in her eyes. She paced away from the window,
knowing there was no turning back once the doors were open.
The wolf blew in town and there ain't no telling what he was up
to this time around. So rightfully Aniyla was worried about her
family. She muttered to herself, “I'm a hurt these damn kids if the
wolf don't get to 'em first.” Once again she dialed Aanujah's cell
number, rocking herself, praying she pick up.
