Mae reached out and gently gripped my arm. I backed away, flinching at her touch, freeing myself from her hand. “No, Mae! I must atone for my sins. I am going to the river to pray! I feel unclean… I am unclean… This place… How can you live this way, Mae?” I watched Mae’s eyes glisten as I confronted her fall from grace. “I shall pray for your soul too, sister. I shall pray you will once again find your way back to the Lord.”
I stumbled to the door without looking back and out of the rear exit into the cool night breeze. I did not wish to see Mae’s hurt expression. I loved her. I wanted her to be rid of Satan too. We were the Cursed. We were all destined for hell unless we were saved. I still had faith that our people and our prophet would return, just like Jesus. It was in the scripture, and I could recite every single word.
I ran straight down the green embankment beside the compound to the small river and dropped to my knees, my hand flush to my panting chest. Feeling something in my upper pocket, I looked down and saw the ties of my headdress. I closed my eyes in relief; Mae must have given it back to me.
Staring at the dark choppy water, I focused on calming my too-fast heart. The river flowed strong, and I just had to wash away that man’s filthy touch. The tainted touch of his hands and tongue… I had to wash away all his wrong.
Retrieving my headdress and clutching it in my hands, I fixed my hair in a tight bun and tied the white material back in place. As soon as the garment was secured, it immediately soothed me. I was proper and modest again.
Closing my eyes, I tipped my head high to the heavens, found that flow of peace within my soul, and gave my heart over to the Lord.
Jesus, please rescue me from this damned and wicked place. Take me into your loving arms and save me from the evil living within me. Save all the Cursed, those of us spawned by Satan himself…
Chapter Three
Ky
“Get the fuck off me, Styx!”
Dragging my drunk ass by my long hair, Styx threw me into the office and punched me square across the mouth again, this time busting my motherfucking lip.
Stumbling into the table, my right palm slapped on the wood and I righted myself, spinning ‘round to point at Styx with my left index finger. I felt blood from my lip drip down my chin into my beard. Styx stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest, pecs bulging under his shirt. The fucker was bigger than me in weight, but not height. We were on pretty even turf when it came to fighting. But I didn’t wanna fight my best friend. I was so drunk there was no way I’d be coming out on top.
“That’s one, asshole. That’s all you’re fuckin’ getting. Hit me again and see what happens,” I slurred, wiping the blood off my face with the back of my hand.
Styx’s lip hooked into a cocky grin and he huffed out a disbelieving laugh. He took a step forward and I braced for an ass kicking. Instead, he picked up a wooden chair and launched it across the room, growling as he did so. I ignored the crash and closed my eyes, trying to stop the spinning. Giving up on finding my balance, I stepped back to sit on the edge of the table.
Hearing Styx’s heavy boots pound toward me on the hardwood floor, I slowly opened my eyes, squinting as the bright florescent light from the ceiling fixture made my burgeoning bourbon headache worsen. Styx met me face to face, boot to boot. I could see he was trying to say something, but when Styx got worked up like this, his stutter steals his fuckin’ voice, hence his nickname: the Hangmen Mute. The big bastard could only talk to me, and now his bitch Mae, but right at this second, he couldn’t verbalize shit. It made me feel guilty as all hell.
Exhaling a slow breath and working on not blowing chunks on the floor, I held up my hand in surrender. “Calm the fuck down. Focus on your speech. I get it. I fucked up and you’re pissed at me… again. But right now I’m seeing two of you, so cut me a fuckin’ break!”
Styx’s lips hardened into a line, he rubbed across his forehead, and he began pacing the room, coughing and rubbing at his throat. I knew he was working up to talk, so I stood and slipped into a chair, working on blinking my eyes back into focus.
Nope. Wasn’t working for shit!