20 Years Ago

"WELL WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU PICK UP SOME MORE SHIFTS AND THEN COME HOME FULL OF ENERGY!??"

"ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT YOU AT LEAST COME HOME AND ACT LIKE WE'RE YOUR FAMILY!!"

"WELL MAYBE YOU #*##&$&#…!!!"

My "mom" and "dad" were once again arguing.

This happens.

I was in no way entertained with what they were doing, but my eyes glanced over; always flickering from them to the TV.

A dish went flying and shattered against the wall.

This happens too.

They grew louder and louder as if they were shouting in my ears. I wanted to get away from them, I couldn't even begin to try and enjoy a thing with them around.

I ran up stairs to my room which was the first out of 4.

*Ka-chink*

"Huuuuuu…"

I brrathed out with my eyes closed as I sat on the floor just in fromt of my door. In many places they're bearable nor do I see them for long, but in this house alone…there are more monsters than I could ever imagine.

Fear

It heald I vicegrip on my heart. Opening my eyes to confront this feeling, I felt my heart skip a beat as one big eye stared back at me and my entire being.

Hanging off the fans, climbing my walls, looking into my window…they were everywhere.

*Bu-dump* *Bu-dump* *Bu-dump*

I could hear my heart in my ears, my breathing became rushed and finally when I was overwhelmed…I closed my eyes.

After a few seconds, I felt a dizzying sensation and heard some shuffling before opening them.

Just like always…they were gone.

Of course, this happens as well.

****

20 Years Later

A youngman could be seen casually walking the streets of Washington, DC. The sound of the bustling streets was drowned out by the music from his earbuds. He wore casual clothing consisting of black sweatpants and a muscule shirt.

Fixing the necklaces around his neck, anyone could see that the boy seemed to have deep interests in African spirituality.

He wore bracelets that had authentic aztech inscribings that were supposed to ward off evil spirits. Around his neck, he wore a symbol of his Orisha, Obatala.

It's said that every human ever made in existence came into the world with a head deity protecting and watching over them. Those deities were called, Orisha.

Out of the 12 main deities, Desmond was blessed with Obatala, the father of Orishas and humanity.

It was specially made for him after he visited a village in Western Africa that practiced Ifá. It had purifying properties of dispelling evil energies along with cleansing ones aura.

Taking out his phone, he paused his music and lifted a few of his locs from his face to look at his phone. Looking back up he, he saw his destination right just ahead of him.

A cafe that he was recommended by his neighbors. Apparently they had the best egg wraps and coffee so he wanted to try it before it got too packed.

This was the peaceful life of Desmond Horton.

***

*plip* *plip* *plip*

'So dark.'

I pulled the string on my lamp and raised up from my bed, stretching from a nice bit of rest.

*click*

"It's only 3 in the morning." My mouth was dry, making my voice a bit rough. I got up, hearing that ome floorboard squeaking as I stepped on it.

I always told myself it needed to be fixed, but by the time the sun rose and set, the problem was still there. It was useless thinking about it now as I grabbed a cup from the cabinet and got some tap water.

Chugging the cup down, I dropped it in the sink and went to the bathroom. Flipping the switch and looking at myself in the mirror.

My necklaces were still on and so where my bracelets. I grabbed the necklace and motioned my hands over the white beads.

"The white veil. Peace, Purity, and Wisdom. Tell me King of the White Cloth, am I the one you really want to choose?"

Although my feelings were genuine as I looked at myself in the mirror, I just felt like a dork when nothing happened.

"Right…" I turned around sighed either in exasperation or annoyance. I didn't know which one, but I didn't both to think about it.

*Clik*

The lights went dark. I froze in my steps and not a single thought entered my head. Something was wrong here. I felt goosebumps slowly crawling up my spine and my hairs started to stand on edge.

This was…fear.

Immediately I dropped to the ground, just in time to dodge an attack that would've took my head off.

Seeing me on the ground it opened its mouth to let out some weird battle cry. It stood on one leg and had no arms, but its head looked like a blade with its eye bulging out on both sides.

"Kiiiiiiiii!!"

"Damn it!!"

With a quick reaction I kicked the demon in the chest sending it further into the bathroom and shattering the mirror.

'I have to kill it!!'

My fist slammed into its eye, splattering blood around but I continued. I struck its chest, feeling my fist sink in through its tough muscles and followed with a side kick and a flurry of my rage.

'These things!!'

I punched and punched and punched.

I could feel bones breaking with every one of my fists impact. The vibrations and trembling could be felt from the counter to the floor where I stood as blood flew across the bathroom.

'I HAVE TO KILL IT!!'

*THOOM!!*

They came back to me with each attack. That faithful day I walked home to share some good news from school.

*THOOM!!*

"I've had enough!!"

Her happiness was gone and all that filled her heart was a crying ocean of sorrow.

*THOOM!!*

"I'LL KILL IT!!"

Raising my fist, I felt a strength that left me for a long time. My necklace broke and simultaneously, I felt power rushing over my entire body. An electrifying black and red aura covered my fist as I plunged it into the demon's chest.

The energy flowed across the demons body destroying it and my fist completely destroyed the bathroom sink with the energy causing damage to the walls and surroundings.

Black flakes of ash dissolved into the air along with the blood left behind. I stood there amidst the damage looking at the scattered white beads on the floor.

"Is this your answer…Obatala?!"

***

That night I packed some clothes and booked a hotel on the go. It was a cheap motel that was within my budget and left me with some left over money.

I looked at my wrists for the 10th time as I walked along the road before pulling my sleeves back down with a sigh.

"I'll have to go back to the village I guess." Those bracelets and necklaces protected my eyes from many things. They created the peaceful world I lived in for a long time, but ehat can I do?

I turned my head and was face to face with a sloppy looking demon looking right back at me with slobber droipping from its tongue. I turned my head and the metro I was riding on was filled with these unpure beings.

This is the world I live in. I wasn't born to have a peaceful life, huh? Is that what you're telling me father?

I took one more look around and closed my eyes.

'How do you expect me to turn back when I've been running for so long?'

***

"Ah, there's another one troubled with his destiny." Charles said as he took off the headwear that allowed him to find those troubled by their power. A.K.A; Mutants.

"So how is it?" A woman spoke. Her voice held an accent to it that matched her soft tone.

"I think you'll be very interested in this case, I'll prepare the details you should gather everyone." Charles spoke with an amusing tone as he waved his hand.

The woman hummed suspiciously, but carried on as Xavior had never told her anything wrong.

"How should this be handled, I wonder?"

***

The day passed as normal which would be good if I actually had some normality in my life. For years I've known about the properties of this energy I have. The fact that it's born from negativity, how it plays a huge role in the formation of these endless demons, and how to control it.

For years I've known this, I was taught by the elders of the Yoruba tribe when I went to Wedt Africa. They told me that they had no knowledge of the dark aura I contained but the tribe elder…my elder enlightened me.

'To balance what is, you must look for what isn't. Look within and take hold!'

Opening my eyes, I could feel that I was beginning to understand. The power within me was born from an imbalance of overwhelming negativity and it takes a balance of positivity and intent to control it.

As easy as it sounded, I was currently sitting at a bus stop sweating from just having the energy evenly spread over my body for 5 minutes.

Of course, this isn't my first time trying to control this power. However, when I did it was too difficult for me and not only that, I saw no appeal in having it so I just opted to ask to ask the elder for something to seal it.

Of course, that was the white veil necklace I wore. It was a symbol for protection from my head deity and it purified the cursed energy I had that was continuously being produced.

It was a good max for the reality I lived in. I wish I could go back to that reality, but maybe last nights events was Obatala himself telling me stop being a fool.

I wish I could just hear his voice as I did before.

Sighing to myself, I got on the bus and made my back to my motel room.

"I'll think about what to do on the way."

****

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