“Still my thoughts and dim my fear,” she went on. “Guide me to what I must hear. Let questions sleep and faith ignite, bind my mind to your will tonight.”
I smiled after repeating the last phrase as she playfully clapped.
“You all are so open to receive, I absolutely love that. Please,” stepping aside, welcome in…”
The double wooden doors opened as a set of red stairs dropped below into a bunker of a theatre where Xavier stood on the stage with a cloth to wipe his sweat. He sat in a chair with amic to his hand as two people in the audience started debating one another on the state of the Underground.
“What the hell was that for?” Isis hissed as she looked at her arm. She was able to smear her finger over the cut with a thin layer of water as the wound slowly tightened back up to heal itself.
“She was having everyone say a spell out loud,” I said before scoffing with a roll of my eyes. “Who does she think she’s dealing with? Amateurs here at Drew Collins?”
“Look, I see Asha and Solomon in the back,” Isis pointed. Solomon sat in the back row with his feet kicked up while Asha waved. I even saw Quan in his human form sitting beside her with his usual grumpy face as we attempted to grab the seats in front of them.
“Aye,” Asha leaned in. “This shit is fucking crazy. This fool got these people really believing everything he says!”
“If you stand with Maggie Grey, you’re enabling vampire supremacy!” One shouted. “I don’t care if being anti-vampire means being anti-magic! They are not magic! They are not anything remotely close to what the true definition of magic is! They are intruders! Predators that feed on us in order to have magic! They made up the story about being related to Gaia so they could fit in!”
“If you think about it,” Xavier said into the mic. “Vampires forced their way into our community. Who is to say that they are the first documented mythical beings? Those who win are the ones who can tell their story, they can create history when they are the ones who benefit from it. Why is it true because they say so? Magic is older than them. They colonized their way into our community and took advantage. We’ve been stuck under their reign for so long, we don’t even realize it but we’re waking upnow. We’re waking the fuck up now!” He charged as everyone began clapping.
“We need to talk about segregating the Grounds,” a woman said as she stood up. “It’s not just the First Family. It’s…its all of those who are born of predatory ancestral blood…those who assault and attack women because they can’t help themselves…it’s in their nature…I’m a nymph and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been subjected to sexual harassment.”
“Or are you just a fucking victim your entire life?” Asha muttered. Isis looked back at her before turning to face forward, unsure of what to say. I’m sure she meant no harm towards Isis, but did Asha forget the very same thing happened to her?
“So we need a new governing power,” Xavier said as he began to pace the stage. “We need someone that is for the people…look at us tonight…how badly we’ve been suppressed. Witches, warlocks, priestesses, mediums, we are able to stand on a very thin line of life and death. We can speak with loved ones; we can create illusions…Hell our cousins above ground can even do the most basic of card tricks. When did magic go from helping our community, pushing our society forward to attacks, to draining our blood? To rape and violent animalistic behavior? I’m…” lowering his head as the room got quiet, “I’m going to tell you…that morning I was out running…When she came at me with her hand around my neck…I only thought for a moment, maybe I could take her…She’s a woman. I’m a man, twice her size…I could easily pin her down and protect myself. The problem with that is I am nothing but a mere man at the end of the day. I can’t stand up against something that powerful…something that can sink their teeth into you and drain you or your life source because it's the only way they can survive.”
A woman stood up and just from the back of her curly bobbed haircut, I knew it was Clementine. She adjusted the white sweater draped over her shoulders as she cleared her throat.
“Do you take any accountability in the fact that you might have triggered or pushed her earlier that day outside of the dining hall? When you attacked her for not knowing or speaking about her parents or questioning their origins? Do you not take blame for provoking her?” She asked. Xavier used the cloth to swipe across his forehead.
“I take the blame for letting my emotions get the best of me because I care about the state of the Underground. Seeing her walk around freely amongst the rest of us while our community has been turned upside down because of her family…Do you understand what she was attempting to do?”
“I understand what Wilhelmina Holmes was attempting to do,” she replied before turning around to face everyone. “I encourage you all to do your own research, including on the Southern Five and look into their history as well. Maggie Grey had nothing to do with these so-called injections that were supposedly spreading above ground, causing everyone to wake up and turn into whatever…” she said with a wiggle of her fingers. “There is no truth to it nor any proof. The Underground did almost get exposed, but Dr. Holmes handled it the best way he could. I can assure you,” she said as she turned to face Xavier. “Going against the very foundation this school was built on and its descendants will not end well for you.”
“Who are you again?” Xavier asked.
“Clementine Harold. Legacy third year student. Intellectual. Head of Beta Nu Pi Sorority Incorporated. I am the youngest member of the Alumni board as a consulting student, the youngest member of the Sacred Order of the White Faith, and I am captain of my debate team here at Drew Collins University.”
“Impressive,” Xavier nodded as everyone began to talk over one another. “No, no no…. It’s impressive. She is an example of what a Drew Collins student–––”
“Maggie Grey is a second year all honors, legacy and intellectual student here at Drew Collins. She is the president of Beta Nu volunteer Non-Profit Society as well as VP of Beta Nu Pi Incorporated and will soon be working towards her doctorate in order to become a professor. The woman you claimed attacked you barely ties her shoes without tripping over her own two feet. The woman you claimed attacked you that morning or night since you said both in the past when retelling this folktale…was only just figuring herself out. I have seen this girl mad, and excited, I’ve seen her breakdown more than her own friends here. I’ve seen the very core and essence of her, and I can assure you, not once did she raise a fang at me or any of the women on the line or organization. If anything, she’d be embarrassed so while this meeting was informative…I can’t sit here any longer and pretend to be a sheep. I thought you would be a threat to what I’ve built but I now see this is child’s play for me.”
She grabbed her things and walked out. Asha shot up.
“Yeah nah, I’m with the carpet muncher. I’m out this bitch,” she said as Isis, and I got up. Solomon stayed with Quan with an encouraging nod for the rest of us to leave.
“And so it begins,” Xavier said. “Everyone give them a round of applause. Those who enable the violent offenders…”
The clapping and applause followed us on our way out before the door closed shut. When we stood outside, Clementine was busy adjusting her makeup in a compact mirror when she snapped it shut to look at us.
“Is Maggie gone for good?” She asked with a blunt tone.
“We don’t think so,” I said. “We think she’ll be back but we’re just not sure.”
“Good. I need time to gather up resources,” she said as she pulled out her phone. “It’s going to be us against them, and I’m not one to lose. This could be a major page in our history books. I want to be in the forefront of this. Let’s all meet and talk logistics at the Beta house soon.”
“Anything to boost your little dumb club up huh?” Asha asked. Clementine glared at her before sticking her nose in the air.
“You will unfortunately never know the joys of true sisterhood, community, and loyalty. Maybe one day when you’re not crawling around in the New York sewer pipes after someone decided to flush you in a little sandwich baggy. Only then will you finally decide to catch up to where Maggie is and act like a grown up for once.”
