And now for something different – a fiction foray in the Voodoo Universe. I was honored to perform this piece as part of Z.W.Mohr’s Midnight Society here in New Orleans. I haven’t written fiction in over 2 decades, I hope you like it. – Lilith Dorsey
Some stories you tell every chance you get : the time Grandma yelled at a policeman, or the time your little brother put red hots up his nose. This is not one of those stories, this is one of those stories you never tell, unless you have to.
Providence 1997
Jodie was so excited to finally start her senior year of school. It’s not that she liked school, she just loved the idea of almost being done. Done with calculus class, done with mean girls with a dodge ball, done having to wake up at 6am, and the list goes on. It’s wasn’t just the idea of being done with high school that she liked, she couldn’t wait to get out of this place either. There’s a reason they still called it Providence Plantations, the life here was oppressive, and the dirty looks her and her friends got were never-ending.
Her friends actually were the only part of this that made her existence bearable. She loved her friends, through “sick and sin” she would tell them, every chance she got. They didn’t really even feel like friends, they felt more like family. As much as she helped keep them on track, they did all that and more for her. They were the reason she got out of bed to go to that ridiculous school. She even got up early some days to meet them, knowing they’d be waiting for her around the corner each morning with coffee and a nice fatty blunt made getting up all worth it.
It certainly made getting up this morning worth it. The summer had been long. Her friends had been out of town vacationing with their parents, and for weeks she’d been living vicariously on postcards and promises to come. This morning she was ready, left early to get everyone’s Dunkin order, and walked quickly to their spot. They called their spot Yuggoth. One of the many things they shared was a love of Lovecraft. Their Yuggoth however was much less exciting, just a few milk crates in an alley, next to the used clothing store that didn’t open until noon. No one would mess with them there. People didn’t just mess with them because they loved Lovecraft. Jodie and her friends were witches, White Witches, and after they smoked this morning’s joint they would be High Priestesses, that’s the joke Cheri always made and it never got old.
Jodie got to their Yuggoth spot early. Set one Dunkin coffee on each crate and waited for the others to arrive. Maya was first wearing her Black trench coat and brand new black boots fresh from the Hot topic window. But Jodie heard her before she even saw her.
Maya yelled out “Cthulhu Krewe in the house”
Jodie jumped up and gave her a hug. “Girl I missed you something fierce”
Jodie and Maya had just sat down when they heard a motorcycle pull up at the end of the alley. They didn’t have to turn to see who was coming but they did. Cheri was stunning, Tall and graceful, everything she did had an air of rapture.. if such a thing could come from a dumpster fire. Cheri stumbled toward the pair and in her best drunken goblin voice said “fair is foul and foul is fair b*tches.” They took turns hugging her tightly.
“Three witches together again” said Jodie smiling from ear to ear. Cheri lit a joint and explained “ I got this weed from a guy in Barcelona, we smoked out of a tampon applicator because we didn’t have any papers. That tells you have my summer went…but I did bring you a present.”
The others were excited, she could have wrapped a turd and given it to them and they probably would have been happy. Cheri was charisma personified and they drank it in.
“Well, I’m not so sure how good a present it is, Cheri said. I got it from the guy in Spain with the weed. I let him feel me up and when I told him it was going to cost him, he said all he had was this.” She produced a small dirty thing from her pocket and held it out in her hand for them to see. “It’s supposed to be a sacred toe bone from a Saint. Saint John of the cross according to the story. He’s supposed to be the patron saint of poets and mystics. I thought maybe we could use it in our magicks.”
“That’s wicked cool” blurted out Maya. And Jodie just said “Wow.”
Cheri continued to explain “ This bone is supposed to grant wishes. I just know This is going to be our year. Nothing can stop The Cthulhu Krewe now. We should have a parteeey“
Jodie quickly piped up “Well my daily tarot card for today was the three of cups, if that’s not us dancing around at a party, I don’t know what is. Does anyone think I should draw another card to see where we should have this party?”
The others nodded.
Jodie takes out her tarot pouch as She begins to chant “Papa Lovecraft, show us our path, Papa Lovecraft show us our path…”
Cheri whispers “Oh my Goddess what’s next praying to Popeye’s Legba? “
Jodie shoots her a look “Shhhhhh, we all agreed this was the Cthulhu Krewe Coven… anyway Papa Lovecraft show us our path.” She hold the cards out for Cheri. She chooses the one closest and flips it over. “It’s the devil card,” she says.
Jodie gets excited, “I guess we go to the source.. Swan Point Cemetery it is guys. it’s about time we payed Papa Lovecraft a visit, get that bone nice and charged up.” The others nodded again. They lifted their coffee cups up to cheers the idea, when Maya quickly said “I think we’re going to be late for our first day of classes.” “Oh crap,” said Jodie as they all gathered their stuff and hurried in the direction of the school.
Darkness couldn’t get here fast enough for the young witches. Jodie stood in front of her mirror for a long time that night trying to decide if her Witch hat from Skeevy S’s Halloween display was too much or just the right vibe for their next cemetery visit. In the end she left it at home, they were real witches and they didn’t need no stinking hats.
When Jodie got to the cemetery gate Maya was already waiting for her. “Cherie’s late again I guess?” she said. “Of corpse,” Maya responded. “Did you bring something to drink? Those sacred cups aren’t going to fill themselves.” Jodie barely had a chance to say no when Cherie sauntered up holding a fifth of Gin in her hand. “Let’s get this party started quickly, right?” Cherie said in her best gangsta rap voice. “Where did that come from?” the others asked. “Well you know that kid in science class who looks like Riff Raff from Rocky Horror? I told him he could kiss me, no tongue, gross, if he could get us a bottle, and he showed up about an hour ago with this. “ said Cherie.
“Now let’s see if our forbidden entry is open… the one to the cemetery I mean, I crack myself up” and she started laughing. The three of them walked down the side of the fence and turned at the corner. “thirteen steps in is the break in the hedge right?” said Jodie. “Of corpse,” said the others just as they arrived at the spot. One by one they pushed their way through the narrow opening and quickly made their way towards lot 5.
When the finally got to the grave they each took their spots. Cheri opened the bottle and took a long swig. She passed it to the others and they did likewise. Next Jodie laid the bone down in the center of the grave site as all three began to chant “Papa Lovecraft, show us our path, Papa Lovecraft show us our path… with the power of the ages please grant us wishes three, one for Cheri, One for Maya, and one for me. So mote it be! ” Cheri took the bottle and began to pour some on the grave “pour one out for our Homie!” As soon as the liquor touched the ground, a flash of heat lightning tore across the sky, followed by it’s accompanying thunder roar.
“Sounds like a yes to me guys,” commented Jodie as she picked up the bone and placed it back in her pocket. She took another big swig off the Gin bottle and asked “Anyone else hungry? I really wish we had a pizza.” They walked slowly back towards the place where they came in and the thunder boomed again just as they walked by the trash bin. Out of the corner of her eye Jodie saw something, she could smell something too. “No fucking Way, B*tch way to manifest,” said Maya as she picked up the pizza box. “What, It can’t be ?” said Jodie. “Is it okay?” “It looks perfectly fine to me, I’m eating it.” replied Maya. Soon they all grabbed a slice, then another washing it down with more swigs from the bottle. After a few more rounds of that Cheri gets up and starts to move again towards their exit. “We’re almost finished this gin, let’s take this party somewhere slightly less damp and creepy. And apparently Jodie wasted her wish on this delicious pizza, so let’s try to make our other wishes count okay?” The others agreed and began to follow doing a slightly drunken two step towards the hedgerow when they heard a commotion. The sounds were decidedly masculine. Jodie wanted to run the other way, but unfortunately Cherie and Maya seemed drawn towards it, like pythons towards a flute in one of those old cartoons. Against her better judgment Jodie followed her friends. What they found was the remnants of a typical Frat party, guys crashing beer cans on their forehead and re-positioning their testicles. “ What do we have here boys? “ they mused as the three witches approached. “Looks like a party, or a coven meeting…” said the biggest one once he spied their pentacles. “Oh you brought refreshments, “ said the one with the hat as he took the gin bottle from Cherie and downed a big gulp. “Wow, that will put hair on your chest? Do you witches have hair on your chest or just some witches tits? Lemme see” said the one with the red sox cap as he looked towards them. “Run,” yelled Cherie as she grabbed the bottle and took off. The other two followed as fast as their feet could carry them. Once they were out of sight they ducked behind a mausoleum to catch their breath, so petrified they could barely move. Maya was shaking and her words came out small, but powerful just the same “I wish I could get out of here.” Another bolt of dry thunder roared, so loudly it scared Cherie so much that the the bottle slipped from her hands and shattered into pieces. Just then they saw the flashing blue lights. “Providence Police, put your hands above your head and come out slowly.” It probably wasn’t the best idea but the 3 witches all took off running in different directions. Maya didn’t get but a few steps before the remnants of the bottle went though her foot, her shoe, and even started poking out the other side. She screamed. As much as Jodie didn’t want to, she went to help her friend. Raising her hands up over her head she called out “Officer, we’re over here, we don’t have any weapons, we could use some medical assistance.” Better safe than shot she thought. The officers began to walk towards them. She looked around but Cherie was no where to be seen. Well at least one of them wouldn’t have to spend the night at the station. Jodie hoped she was okay.
After awhile Cherie didn’t see those Frat boys anymore, and the police were long gone. She felt bad about running, but there wasn’t anything she could do now. She walked back to the mausoleum where they had hid, on the way she looked down and saw the toe bone that had started it all. Cherie picked it up and put it in her pocket. She was starting to feel a little woozy from the night’s activities, but she wasn’t ready to go home. She climbed through the hedge and started to walk. Someone had told her about a new club called Hell that didn’t card, as long as it was late and you were cute. Well she could check both of those boxes at this point. When she got to the place the Drag Queen on the door looked her up and down and just said “Bitch, ya need a drink” and let her in. She sat down at the bar and ordered a cocktail. What had just happened? Somehow the 3 of cups and the Devil had meant a frat party in a cemetery that ended up in Hell. Some days the universe got jokes. She handed the bartender her mom’s emergency credit card to cash out and got up to leave when she heard the old lady at the end of the bar whisper in her direction “pssst.” Cheri thought she must be hallucinating at this point but then she heard it again “pssst,” and this time the old lady pointed directly at her. She walked over to her and the woman said “ You sure look like you’ve had a rough night sweetie.” The woman looked just like Ruth Gordon and she thought kindness has finally come to greet her that night. “It’s been an adventure, I just wish I could go home” Cheri replied. “Do you want a ride? My car is just outside.” It had been a rough night, and even though she had to think twice, she decided she really would like a ride and what were the chances Ruth Gordon was a serial killer. So Cheri said “yes.” They walked out of the bar with the old woman fumbling with her giant ring of keys. “I know the right one is here somewhere she said, and then yelled “Eureka,” and opened the car door. Cheri slid into the front seat as the woman started to drive. Cheri felt something by her feet, it was a bottle of whiskey. She held it up, and the woman took the bottle from her and drank deeply “Want some?” She said. Cheri shook her head no. “Well then see if Roman wants any?” Cherie turned to see a man slumped in the back seat. “Trade you,” he said as he handed her a bottle of valium after swallowing and handful and then washing it down with the whiskey. “Don’t mind if I do” said the old woman as she grabbed the valium. “We need to get on I95 to get you home right sweetie? “Ummm, I can just walk, “ said Cherie as she tried the door handle. The car accelerated. Roman leaned forward and started to rub Cheri’s shoulders. “Relax,” he said “we’re going home.” The car sped up, faster, then faster, none of them saw the truck starting to merge from the next lane until it was too late, the old lady swerved, crashed into the guard rail and over into a long drop. Cherie had wished her last wish, for that night, for forever, and she was going home.
As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment, and share !
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In