“GET HER OUT OF HERE! BELLAMY?! GET HER SOMEWHERE SAFE! NOW! HE’S TRYING TO GET TO HER!”
I looked up to see something large moving across the backyard, foaming from the mouth with stark white eyes charging directly for us.
“Aye come on boy,” Clarence said, trying to quickly pull my arm up. “They haven’t been able to control him since he got here. Get in the house.”
Seth and four others attempted to pin him down again when I hurried to get my sister in the house, watching the werewolf claw and dig at the ground in an attempt to pull away. Not even on my worst day would I ever admit Namir struck a hint of fear in me, but for my sister, I was at my most vulnerable. When I managed to get her into the back room, the door slammed shut behind me just as the screaming and shouting for Namir broke through the walls. The banging, scratches and growls at the door caused it to shake from the hinges. I sat with my back against the frame, keeping Maggie close in my arms as he continued to bang and growl for her on the other side. It didn’t matter though. My body thumped repeatedly at the loose door being attacked as I brought Maggie’s face close to mine to feel her skin. She was cold. Her body was unnaturally cold like mine. “No no no no noooo…” I repeated, taking her arm to tap around her wrist with my fingers.
“NAMIR?! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!” Seth screamed. “I KNOW YOU CAN FUCKING HEAR ME! I’M YOUR BROTHER!”
“Stay as you are Maggie.” I pleaded as the door rocked hard against my back to where you could see the opening on both sides. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you in the beginning…please just…stay as you are…”
The banging and thumps against my back shook my body, and I knew Seth had decided to take his brother full on in orderto protect the door. I pressed my forehead against my sister’s head and held her even tighter.
“You are all I have left that is still living…please…” I begged, fighting back my own tears. I didn’t want my sister to turn into the very thing I am.
“NAMIR?!” Seth cried, hearing the fear in his voice as the door bolted so hard against my back, I could hear the wood split from each side. I gripped Maggie’s body tighter in my hold with my fangs already drawn, ready to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. “NAMIR!?” Seth shrieked again. Namir managed to almost rip it from the hinges when there was a sudden loud BANG! Something slid slowly down against the broken door with a large thump to the door. Everything suddenly became quiet.
“Tranquilizer gun,” Clarence said. “My wife kept a few of these when she saw wolves tryna hunt in her territory. Get him out of my house. It’s too many damn chirren in here. He needs to cool off before coming back.”
Everything became quiet as I looked at my sister with a cracked smile and blurry bloody gaze.
“Be who you are…not what they want you to be…” I brought her face to mine again. Smelling her breath, my eyes began to swell, and my chest tightened at the realization the moment I recognized the familiar scent. It was too late…
She already had her first taste of blood.
When I tapped the side of her face again, I could see the violent movement of her eyes behind her closed lids until they slowly fluttered open. They were piercing blood red, every vein streaking against her eyes like lightning strikes. The disease wasmaking its way through her and settling comfortably in her body when she opened her mouth.
The deep inhale of her breath suddenly caused everything in the room to react.
Himora Clarke
Despite being in the body of a child, Raven moved like the elderly, wanting to get her purse, and put a few things one may need. I stood patiently by the front door and glanced at the gold watch with bursts of sun in the center. Something Trevor gave me as a Mother’s Day present.
I didn’t care for the cold hardware on my wrist but once I learned of its properties and the way it can help manipulate doors without having to knock, I conceded. I’m only just now wearing it, but it would tell me when a door was nearby or how long would it take for a door to become working. It was more of a timed charm of a trinket, decoration for the wrist but the little bursts of sunrays beneath the glass on the face, matched my hair as my father stated.
“I’ve never been down there! I hope I don’t run into nothing crazy. I don’t like all that ghetto mess. I’ve seen the videos of how they live down there!” Raven let out as she hurriedly shut the lights off in the kitchen. “Felix! Come on! Bree, don’t let these chirren and pups run my yard ragged now!”
“I hear you, Mama! You know it ain’t no white people down there!”
“I don’t know what’s down there! I only know what’s up here and how I’m living and watch my stove! Don’t burn my damn house down!”
“Okaaaaaay Mama! Damn!”
“Call yo Daddy and tell him to get over here! Somebody took the baby back to Savannah, right? Where is the baby?!” Raven panicked.
“I got her!” Vanessa yelled out as she packed her things. “Y'all call me when it’s done. I got a few people I owe in the Underground and uh,” coughing hard, “warrant for my arrest. Me and Audrey will be by the phone if you need us!”
I watched Nessa carry my daughter in one arm, scooping her up against her chest while grabbing the duffle bag to drape over her other shoulder. With a wave of her hand, you could see the sprinkle of black dust fall as my daughter looked up in awe, gurgling at the site before both swirled into the air and disappeared. By her first birthday, she would be well traveled, and more versed in moving through doors than her own father. Trevor still didn’t like the thought of magic despite what he is.
Alright,” she sighed as she tugged at her black dress. With one hand on her sister, she nodded towards me. “I done made my calls to my people. Everyone knows what the drill is. I’m ready. We are going to get your daughter back, sister.” She patted Ms. Norwood’s arm. “Don’t you worry now.”
Cynthia Norwood was too distraught, and while the father was on the phone making calls to his connections in the Underground, I instructed two of the grandchildren to watch him closely. Unfortunately, they were still children so one stood in front of him, staring him in the eyes to the point of harassment while the other was upstairs playing the game.
I studied my watch, seeing the tiny hand spin once while the second hand ticked three times before stopping. Perfect.
“We’re ready,” I stated.
“Now hold on now!” Raven let out with her small voice. “This ain’t dropping us off in the middle of some…mess, now, is it? I don’t like all that gangster rap stuff–––”
