Thank the Creator for allowing silence. Finally, I’m away from that beast! That awful devil! I thought I’d never be myself again. I was wrong. My parents came for me. I thought they left me for good… wrote me off as bad. I’m glad they haven’t. They will help me.
Mom knows many healing treatments; she’ll fix my condition. I guess she knows magic too… just as Dad does. I never knew native signs were enchantments. I always thought they held the ideals of our ancestors… nothing more. I’m glad the signs have more meaning. If not for that, I’d have no hope. I would have kept killing… kept submitting to the bad inside me.
It told me to drink from that poor family, and I did. It possessed me… crippled me… used me for its own merit. I disappeared. My heart did too. My morals were dismissed as if I weren’t human. I KILLED A FAMILY! HOW COULD I DO THAT???!!
The scorching vibration of the sun jerks him awake. Kota lies on the floor of his home. In a small living room. The curtains are closed; their backdrops lit orange. The dim room is quiet despite his family’s presence. Dyani is on the sofa; the bags under her eyes are intense. Matto and Odina kneel on the floor.
Herbal leaves surround him in a perfect oval. Inside the circle, the herbs form symbols for protection and evil spirits—a three-arrow design. Kota hoists himself onto his elbows. His sister flinches at the motion, scared that he’ll attack. His parents are calm.
Odina sadly stares at her son. “How do you feel?”
“I feel better…” he replies lowly.
“Good.” She sulks. “The castings are working.”
Matto stands, his expression stern. “Son…you need to tell us what happened.”
The image of the being in the woods blooms before him. The red eyes. The rapid speed. “Something attacked us. It killed my friends.” His voice cracks. “They’re dead… in the woods.” Tears drip from his eyes.
“Oh, no…!” Odina covers her mouth, her eyes now glossy.
“Their parents were out searching… same as we were for you,” Matto speaks sorrowfully. “Those poor folks will lose their hearts from this news.” He huffs dismally.
“May the Great Spirit guide the young souls to peace,” Odina prays mournfully.
Matto shares a heartbreaking glance with his wife. “Yes, the Creator will rest their souls.” He looks at Kota with weakened eyes. “I wish you hadn’t witnessed such violence.” He steps into the circle to rest a firm hand on his shoulder. “Your friends are in a place of no pain… and their parents will meet closure soon.”
His mother is distraught by her tear-ridden son. She enters the circle to give him a tight hug. Her hands rub the back of his head. “It’s alright, walela (hummingbird).”
“No… it’s not.” His father breathes. “I know what attacked him. As insane as it sounds, it’s the truth, dear…”
“I don’t think so… this has to be dark magic.”
“Dina, he feeds on blood!”
“No… he’s not that!” she argues, trembling hard. He’s never seen his mom act so unnerved. “He’s still my boy… I can fix this!” Odina’s hands tremble. “I will fix this!”
What can’t I be? What are they talking about? Dad knows about this creature inside me. He said, “It can’t be,” when he saw my eyes. He looks to his father. “What am I?”
Matto sighs roughly. “My father told me tales of blood demons. I always thought these were bedtime stories to scare me asleep. Until last night. I wish the creature stayed a story to spare you of this fate. If only I could take on the burden.”
“Blood demon??!” Dyani croaks from the couch, her hands grasping the armrests. “What is that?!”
“Your father believes Kota is a vampire.”
He blinks rapidly, baffled. “VAMPIRE??!!”
“Yes, son. The thirst, the eyes… your teeth. If this was dark magic, as your mother believes, our charms would have healed you. They haven’t… meaning your soul is damned, not corrupted.”
“NO! I DON’T WANT TO BE THAT! Please fix it! I can’t keep killing!” Kota pleads. “I’m not in control. SOMETHING IS MAKING ME KILL, MAKE IT GO AWAY!!!”
“Son, we’re going to help the best we can… but you cannot be saved. You’re cursed. The best your mother and I can do is conceal your hunger, so you don’t harm anyone. We can handle this creature. Tell us exactly how it looked and where it fled.”
Kota covers his eyes, sniffling. “It had blonde hair and ruby eyes… it moved like the wind. I’m not sure where it went. I blacked out.”
“In the woods? Where exactly?”
“Ummm.” He rakes his brain for a moment to remember. “The campsite at the third entrance.”
“Dina, can you conduct a location spell?”
“Yes…but it’ll take a few days. I need artifacts from the scene to draw energy.”
Matto grimaces. “Let’s go.”
Odina fidgets her fingers, her sight darting between Dyani, who’s pale, and her nervy son. “You two should rest.”
“Your mother’s right.”
Kota drops his hands from his eyes. “But… what if it kills you both?!”
“It won’t… now get some sleep.” Matto and Odina leave the circle.
“IT’S TOO FAST, IT’LL GET YOU!! Please don’t go!” Kota gets up to follow them. He face-plants into an invisible barrier that prohibits him from exiting. “What?” He bangs his hand against it.
“A blockade… for safety. You’ll be confined until your thirst is cleansed,” His mother explains.
“Cleansed?? Meaning it’ll be gone for good?” Dy is hopeful for this outcome.
“No… a temporary cleanse until there’s another solution. Now, no more questions. Rest, the both of you.”
“How can I do that?” Dyani shivers. “My brother is a blood demon!”
“Ease your mind, kamama (butterfly). Trust in me and your father.”
Matto shares a tight grin with her and Kota. “Listen and rest; you’ve been through enough for one day. We’ll handle this.” Their parents leave, stepping out hastily. The thud of the door and jiggling keys follow after.
Kota vigorously massages his temples; a hard pressure is there. Dyani gets up from the sofa in defense mode. “What’s wrong?!! Are you hungry?!”
“No… it’s not that.”
“Are you sure?!” Her voice goes up in octaves.
“I am.” He lowers his hands. She inches into a corner. “I won’t attack you; I promise.”
“I don’t believe you… you tried to hurt Mom and Dad.”
“That wasn’t me.”
“It was…” Her throat strains into wiry veins. “You heard Dad… he said you’re damned. Cursed. Nothing possesses you.”
“Dyani, I’m not a killer!”
His sister jumps, half scared yet stubborn enough to hold her ground. “But you killed, brother! That means you are!”
The bloody ice cream reemerge in his mind. The screams of his victims. His throbbing temples force him to squeeze his eyes shut. “I didn’t want to. Please believe me. I never hurt anyone in my life, you know this. I would’ve never done it if the demon wasn’t there. Please believe me, Dy!” He begs. Her brows furrow emotionally. She bites her bottom lip, torn between disgust and pity. “There has to be a spell. A cure,” Kota whispers shakily. “There has to be.”
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