Souxie Lafayette #2
“Big snack box!” Someone shouted. “Big snack box right here! No need to walk down to the concession stand!”
Loads of volunteers walked up and down the aisles holding bags of small square packages no bigger than an animal cracker box. They all wore black with the sigil of the Southern Five Families stitched in the corner and carefully held up their bags to sell.
“Big snack box! Everything you need from drinks! Hot and cold items! Candy! We got it all in the big snack box!”
When I looked back, I did a double take as I watched Quan come walking his big and tall self-down the aisle with shades on as he wore a crisp maroon t-shirt, khaki pants, nice brown shoes, and a gold watch, with a small thin chain around his neck that hung against his chest. He even had the nerve to walk like he just walked off the corner from selling dope.
He looked off into the distance, knowing most of the women and men were staring at him before he came down towards our row.
Smiling, I sucked my cheeks in to keep from laughing because Isis was stuck.
You could even see the scales lining his jawline and neck.
He probably couldn’t even relate to being First Family anymore. This guy was all fish and feline.
“Are y'all gonna get up or not?” He asked, breaking whatever cloak of delusion we had on our face when we stared at him.
“Why do we need to get up when there’s an empty seat right next to Isis?” I asked.
“Because a man always sits on the end fool,” he countered. “Get up.”
I got up, deciding not to argue and moved one seat down before suddenly grabbing Isis’s arm to switch places. When she glared at me, I simply winked. If Harvey was going to come, there was no room for him on this row and he didn’t dare to show his face near me.
The lights began to flicker as the crowd cheered.
It was time for the games to begin. Quan sat down, waving off the volunteers passing around the Big Snack Box.
The woman next to me managed to get one where the instructions read to say what she wanted out loud and tap it twice.
A full box of chicken tenders, fries, ketchup packet, and a small pack she had to shake to form her drink.
When she shook the drink, you could hear the ice forming as she slipped it into the cup holder and grabbed her straw.
I didn’t care to eat food that way, but it was quick and easy, ready made in your lap as they advertised it.
“Do you want anything to eat?” Quan suddenly asked while holding two box snacks in his lap.
Isis turned to look at me, waiting for an answer as Quan fixed her food first. I don’t know how she didn’t see he was obsessed with her in the way he naturally cared for her.
Isis’s round eyes widened when she took the drink he made to slurp through the straw just as innocent and as spoiled as can be. She probably secretly loved it.
“I’ll eat off of yours.” I finally said as she agreed with a nod of her head. Quan lowered his shades as he cut his vertical eyes down towards the field.
“I can tell Namir is irritated,” he noted.
I looked down at the screens wrapping around the stadium as the camera followed Namir pacing back and forth.
Like the rest of the coaches, he was dressed to impress with slacks, a black polo shirt tucked in with the crest of our school in the corner.
A black belt, fresh haircut, and nice shoes, his body seemed to be noticeably beefier than usual.
Namir almost looked taller too. I wondered if this had anything to do with him becoming alpha.
Did he manage to go through some sort of growth spurt or hormonal change?
He would occasionally look up, but his face easily said he was pissed, but focused.
“SHOW SOMEBODY ELSE ON THE DAMN SCREEN!” Quan shouted.
The lights began to dim as the simmering sound of the drums rolled throughout the stadium.
I saw four figures draped in black cloaks walking onto the field as they stepped up to the square stage in the center.
Every camera zoomed in to focus. Four women stood tall, regal, and stoic with black dresses and black hooded cloaks draped around their necks and trailed behind their legs.
There was only one that was missing but I knew who they were.
Everyone knew, especially if you came from a witching background like I did.
“Welcomeeeee to the Olympic Games. The Trial of the Elements,” she greeted with a raise of her hand as everyone began to clap, stomp their feet, howl, and cheer.
“My name is Amelia Lovelace; I am the President of Belmont University and the creator of this year’s games.
This is the very first time a woman with witch ancestry has been the lead council of the games, so I am honored. Thank you.”
Everyone cheered while Quan, Isis, and I didn’t budge.
“The Southern Five, myself, the Calhouns’,” motioning towards the light skinned woman standing beside her. She nodded as people cheered. “The Martins who are notoriously–––”
She couldn’t even get it out when the crowd went insane, cheering and shouting. People were beginning to worship them the way they did the First Family. Amelia smiled and waited until people began to settle down.
“We have the Chavis family and the only one missing is the Dubois. They unfortunately could not attend nor partake in such a rich tradition here in the Underground as their work is mostly above. We have had years of hiding…”
“Here we go,” Quan muttered as he leaned in close to Isis who quietly nudged him to keep silent.
“Years of keeping our magic, our culture, our traditions to ourselves only to come to a place like the Underground where we’re protected…or so we thought…”
People began booing as I looked around, seeing literal teenagers putting their thumbs down in the air.
“FUCK THE FIRST FAMILY!” Someone shouted. Quan looked back before shouting.
“YEAH! FUCK EM! BLOOD SUCKING BASTARDS!” He screamed. Isis tugged at his ear as he settled back against her and snatched a chicken tender up to eat with a grumpy expression, just like a damn cat.
“This is what you all were led to believe…and follow…and worship…”
The screens around the arena began to show Dr. Holmes feeding on students.
It showed Xavier Martin showing his wounds from supposedly being attacked by Maggie.
Wilhelmina Holmes attacking a woman in the halls of one of the Drew Collins buildings and scenes of sirens, actual sirens being held against their will.
“You’ve been led to believe all of this is for the benefit of the Underground.
For the protection and safety of everyone but you…
have…been…LIED TO!” She shouted as her voice echoed and carried.
“We of the Southern Five Covenants will stand for you as we are also the unmentioned and forgotten founders of the Underground. The First like to claim that history to themselves but there were others in that church that night. Faes, the high elves, orcs, our grandparents and great grandparents were present during these talks. We will stand for what’s right and preserve the legacy of our magic.
My brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons…
cousins, nephews, nieces, and aunts, and uncles…
. Our skin makes us all family and therefore, we must look out for one another, yes? ”
Everyone clapped and cheered like the sheep they are.
When I watched some of the volunteers, I recognized from the school passing out snack boxes, I could see some of them standing in awe at the women below.
They became emotional just from the speech and her phony words. This was everything to them.
“There is no Gaia…There is no moon God. There is only good and evil, light and dark. Magic moves within the frequency of above?” She raised her hand high before lowering it, “and below. Magic is what we can feel and see…It’s embedded in us from the time we’re born to the moment we transition.
They are nothing more than infected predators with white hair and sharp teeth hiding in sheep’s clothing.
They choose magic that only benefits themselves, not for the good of our people,” Amelia added.
Her tone became more determined. “No more. Let today be the first day of great change…No more!”
“NO MORE!” Everyone shouted.
“MAN, HURRY UP AND START THE FUCKING GAMES MAN!” Quan shouted before Isis quickly clamped his mouth shut with her hand. “We know what they’re trying to do. Just do it already.”
“Be quiet Quan before you get kicked out!” Isis hushed.
“She is literally everything we could ever ask for,” a woman said a few seats down.
I leaned forward to see a young girl who looked fresh out of high school with her hand on her chest, crying actual tears at the sight of Amelia Lovelace.
“We finally have representation in a position of power for once.”
That was it. That’s what it was for these people.
No one could relate to the First Family because it was a rare mythic, a rare trait to have and the symbol of white hair only made it worse.
It was something seen as untouchable but these women…
women of the craft made it to where everybody could be a witch.
“In light of this new world order that we are creating before you, we’ve decided to introduce our heritage to the Underground by doing something slightly different with the games.
Every time, it's the same sports…football, basketball…swimming. Some creative physical test that shows who is the strongest, the fastest, the best at what they do. The mind however,” Amelia said with a tap of her head, “is a terrible thing to waste. This year, the competition will be a Trial of the four elements! Due to a minor incident that recently happened with a student, we’ve decided to change the playing field a little. ”