Souxie Lafayette #7
“EVERYBODY GET OUT! GET OUT! YOU’RE IN DANGER! THE WITCHES ARE CASTING A SPELL TO EXPOSE YOU ALL!” I screamed out. “GET OUT!”
It was a poor attempt but whatever trance some were in were suddenly aware as they looked around. The sudden explosion from the games could be felt as a ball of fire burst against each screen.
“No student is able to pass the dragon as it guards the red door and the very last red ball that sits in front of it. This ancient creature known as the flying serpent was born and bred for the desert-like landscape where natives were said to fly and bring these to war, wreaking havoc on neighboring tribes! We wanted to make sure our players were challenged in…hold on…WAIT A MINUTE! It’s AYIRA! She’s taking it! SHE’S TAKING IT!”
The stadium roared as every screen showed Ayira running barefoot with her hair flowing behind her.
She was screaming out in her language. She looked like a warrior, picking up speed and kicking sand back.
Stretching her arms out like she was shooting an invisible arrow, she began darting small bursts of blue flames in the dragon’s direction from her fingertips to get its attention.
“KASA LIRA KA NAHA!” She shrieked. “KASA LIRA KA NAHA!” The dragon whipped its wings and released another shot of flames, blazing the airy sky.
She suddenly juked to the other side, taking off in the opposite direction as she continued to shoot flames, distracting him from the door.
In one swoop, she reached down to grab a lingering ball before taking off.
The rest of the students stepped back and tried to figure out how to either tame or kill the beast, but an actual dragon was far beyond anything we’ve ever seen in the Underground.
“Isis come on!” I shouted, seeing the opening entrance where no one was guarding it.
I hadn’t realized one of the security men grabbed her arm until I saw Quan pummeling through the seats without a care of who was sitting where and tried to defend her honor.
She screamed out at me to go, knowing she could use Quan to her advantage, so I made my way into the round hall of this floor.
Down the stairs with each step moving faster than the last, the stadium screamed and cheered.
The dragon screeched out so loud that I almost had to cover my ears until I made it to the next floor where I could see Ayira standing directly in front of its open mouth.
She became so emotional as her hand gently caressed the snout only to show a recap clip of her mounting the dragon and screaming out.
The cheering became so loud as they continued to replay clips of her fighting in the lake and falling in the sky before ultimately mounting a dragon.
Colorful confetti and flashing lights of Drew Collins school colors were blinking everywhere.
Quickly, I ran out to the next level to see what happened and not to my surprise, Ayira became the first to come through the door with the red ball, diving straight in on the Dragon’s back before her body and only her, was forced back into the center of the arena with a shove.
Then it happened. The dome above burst open as dark water rushed down into the center of the arena where everyone began screaming and panicking to get out at once.
The large cracking sound was the groundbreaking as roots from thick trees were suddenly shooting up in the middle of the arena before bursting through seats.
The screams and shouts of people trampling on top of one another to get over the seats was met with resistance as men and women cloaked in black guarded each entrance.
“Covens! Let’s come together and protect our Underground!” Someone shouted, her voice carrying through the speakers. Of course that voice was nowhere to be found. “Protect what our ancestors have worked so hard for!”
I ran as fast as I could, crossing over seats and rows as I wrapped around the stadium with my hands up, avoiding chairs hitting flying objects as I waved them off with a swish in the air.
That’s when the crackling noise went off again as the sides of the entire dome arena began to burst with water.
I almost slipped when I saw Asha fighting with a woman who was trying to take her down.
Solomon was screaming her name, but she was calling out for Ayira.
Ayira was laid out with the water gathering around her and I realized there was no way to stop this.
Even with the warning Harvey gave, and Maggie shouted, this was much more than any of us realized.
It was already happening. The barrier was already broken.
This was just the aftermath of two worlds colliding in real time.
It was total chaos with people screaming, desperate to get out of the stadium.
The witches who laid the spell were nowhere in sight, the multiple fights that broke out.
I finally managed to lay eyes on Namir. He’d fully transformed into his most violent state where it took almost eight men to pin him down.
I placed my hand on my heart and eyes closed, I stood completely still.
There was a counter spell I muttered underneath my breath in order to protect those I care about.
It was one of the few I learned from my aunts when I was younger.
It wasn’t nearly as powerful as this sorcery, but I had to do something.
From my lips to their ears, from my heart to their souls.
I always kept a needle on me when I reached into my purse to pull the thin piece out.
I began daggering and carving into the palm of my hand as the spell begun.
Gritting my teeth, I spelled out Maggie’s name first, then Ayira, and Asha, feeling the blood coat my hand as tears began to fall.
Everything was crashing around me, but I stood like a woman who couldn’t be fucked with.
A woman who was protected amongst the chaos and continued to paint the letters in my hand with blood.
“By root and bone, by blood I bind,” I said through tears as I began to spell out Harvey’s name. I didn’t have the slightest idea or clue where he is and I’ve been ignoring most of his calls, but my heart skipped at the thought of him being in the middle of this and not making it.
“Cover each name I carve in kind. Turn back evil and hush its breath. Call my name before you call their death.”
I squeezed my hand, balling up my fist as blood seeped through before starting again as my haze went dark.
I could see what I thought was death darting like a black shadow in different directions when black smoke began to spread throughout the stadium.
He was coming to collect. None of us here were going to make it.
“By root and bone, by blood I bind!” I whimpered with water coming down my body. “Cover each name I carve in––––”
“You’re so fucking dramatic, what are you doing crazy woman?”
The calm yet cocky voice from behind me came a second before a hand wrapped around my mouth to keep me quiet.
That’s when I saw UBI agents swarming the place with flashlights, ropes, screams and shouts of different instructions.
Those who had the ability to bend and move metal while healers tried to cast a protective spell for those who were still stuck inside.
I started to scream, wiggling free from the hold when the familiar finger gently tapped my nose with a peculiar scent until everything went black.