"How did she get Nya's number?" Akatua asks as we stand in her kitchen, all looking at each other in confusion. It's about 6 o'clock now, and even after I've bathed and eaten over at hers, I still haven't come up with a solid answer to this question. None of us have. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLG8okzNyM
"Do we know how she ever gets anything done?" Kwamé asks in exasperation. "Probably seduced it out of someone. That's how she is." I hear the disgust in Kwamé's voice, and figure that it is probably more personal than he wants too admit. This woman probably seduced him once, not that I'd ever voice that suspicion. I clear my voice and speak up. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrCswvrOLO
"It doesn't matter how she got it," I say to them. "What matters is that she got it. So what are we going to do about her now?"563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHGVf5cxmh
No f*ckin clue, hun," Kwamé says in exasperation. He then looks to Akatua with hope." We could kill her," he suggests, which only causes Akatua to laugh. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBidGutIoO
"How do you propose to go about doing that, Kwamé? Do you have any idea how powerful she is?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6e56grjFLD
I don't know why, but I think I have a pretty strong of who she is, despite the fact that they haven't told me. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA6jSwS95I
"It's the River Mumma, isn't it?" I ask. "Lu'lu." I don't even know how I remember her name. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqLa82oWcd
"Yes," Kwamé answers me. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScndBjy1jF
I think of questions to ask, after realising that I don't really know much about her. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEKTKnDZGF
"Where does she live?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKhnxtw0bs
"Under Flat Bridge." Akatua is the one to answer this time. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExQovemiWm
Of course. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWNeU8tquX
Flat bridge, a bridge built in Jamaica by slaves in the eighteenth century, is known for its many stories about paranormal activities. It is, to my knowledge, one of the most frequently used bridges in Jamaica. Some believe that the *duppies of the slaves that died building the bridge reside there, causing the multiple accidents on the bridge when it overflows. Some believe that River Mummas live in a bottomless hole beneath the bridge, and are the reason why the attempts to add railings to the bridge have always been futile. Then, there is the rumor of the golden table which appears on the hottest days, luring the greedy to their death. Rumor has it that some slaves died trying to retrieve the table for their master. With all these stories, it is no surprise that she lives there. Of course, I took all of this as mythology, never taking it seriously. Funny how something you pass so often could have of your worst nightmare right underneath. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcn75lsiFpQ
"So what do we do? Sail down the *Rio Cobre with a magical fishing net?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLr7bzqUbJ
Kwamé actually laughs when I say this, starts cackling like an idiot. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGs9TT5BAZ
"A fishing net, Nya?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr7NJs32YA
"I did say magical fishing net," I point out.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuw1Y6XDIaa
"No," Akatua responds. "She'll come to us eventually. It's not safe to go for her while she's in the water. It's where she's strongest." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGbkrLSG1c
"Well, we know that she's been on land recently. She called Nya." Kwamé scrunches up his eyebrows and bites his lip as he thinks about what to do with the situation, and I stare at him like a fool. He really has pretty lips. And eyes. He stops long enough to make eye contact with me, and smirks. He covers his mouth as he tries to hide it, but I see it. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrx4cAvM8P
"Love birds," Akatua calls, causing us both to scowl, "we have to be prepared for her." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv73COMqP4x
"And how do we do that now?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AnDLVh3uT
"Know how to resist temptation," Kwamé answers with resentment. "Mentally prepare yourself, because there isn't much else that we can do." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mqPpiFoDs
"But that's simple," I say, only to realise that I'm probably very wrong when they both look at me as if I'm nuts. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFZX7F3Ka8
"She's a seductress, love. She can entice anyone into doing what she wants, even animals." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU06Z9jD30
"So she'll probably just send an army of mental slaves after us?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPCktxg5hT
"If she's too lazy to come on her own, which I doubt." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyzDs38HuK
I stand there and look between the two of them, trying to figure out what exactly they want me to do. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDPTGEYbYe
"How—" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4mXrl7cm5
"She's not the only one on the island, Nya," Kwamé says before I can ask the question. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywMQVudR7F
"So we find another one, and ask for her help. One that we know," Akatua finishes. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifr1tzjKP9
"She isn't very popular among the other water nymphs, you see."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiP4jbJKMUG
"We could see Afryea," Kwamé suggests. "Or Zuhrah." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqa7NNDEBcL
"Zuhrah would be more receptive to her. She's more friendly." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxAmRii8X2
"When would we go to her?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq54hXI6WKe
"Tomorrow. In the night. That when she's usually awake." I look at Akatua in surprise. I thought it would be more complex than that, like jumping through dimensions or something. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXNUP5fHlY
"And Kwamé comes. As a human," she clarifies, making Kwamé frown. "We need her to be receptive to you, too."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rMdkfYmmd
"But she knows me," he whines. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNn73tlwPw
"And she likes you better human, so you'll go as a human. I don't know why you're trying to delay the inevitable with Nya."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUOEndW9F9
"Stop. Talking." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GKfUzNqYF
The low warning growl from Kwamé's voice is actually frightening. I've never seen or herd him so angry before. When I look, I almost jump in fright. His eyes... they're glowing red. To see this on a bull's face was frightening at first, but I could get used to it. But to see it on a human's face is something different entirely... especially when those glowing red eyes burst into flames. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz7weVC9oN
"Kwamé, please stop," I ask him in a shaky voice. Instead of doing what I ask him to do, he simply turns to look at me. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTrWoCIbeU
"You scared, Nya?" he asks, his attention now focused on me. Even though I'm aware that he won't do anything to me, I'd be lying if I say it isn't frightening. "Finally seeing me for what I really am?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxp6EcVgA3
"Shut up," I command rather loudly, growing tired of his "self-hatred" bullshit. My fear is turning into anger and from what I can see, he's pretty angry too. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1xhZTICtl
"What did you just say, Nya?" he asks in a low, sweet voice. A gentle voice. A voice which is the complete opposite to the flames in his eyes, the opposite of what I know he is feeling. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83Eo5s1RAw
"Shut. Up."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEW9zIMbVx
"Okay love birds, I'm going to try to get everything together. We're going tonight if possible. Don't kill each other, please."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQ1QWu5w5t
Akatua walks out of the kitchen, leaving us glaring at each other. Kwamé just glares at me, as the fires in his eyes die down but the red glow never leaving. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wKC3IWrMM
"You stupid girl, you don't even see that I'm trying to help you."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOVk7Jhgmw
"Dont call me stupid, you ass," I grumble. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRUrzFcy6c
"I'm not an ass," he growls at me. It only upsets me more. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETVFV9ZCX1
"Close enough," I retort, making a cheap reference to the fact that he's a demon bull. I'll admit, it's a low blow. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPSECfhi8J
"That's low," he says, "but at least you're beginning to get the idea."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1AgbfHBBs
"No," I reply stubbornly.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFIwmqFz5G
"No?" he asks as he steps forward, until he's right in front of me. "No?" he asks as he puts his hands on my shoulders.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIODQpQv1dZ
"No."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdWNrA7WnM
That's when he takes me by surprise. One second this hands are on my shoulders, the next, they're around my neck. It's almost as if there's no movement to connect the two actions, it's so quick. There is no roughness to his hands, though; he isn't constricting me. He simply rubs my neck, the thumbs brushing over my throat. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPMSVg6tgc
"It would take nothing to kill you, even in this state," he says, gently squeezing my neck, almost like a warm scarf, but better.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmeHsLm2tL
Better? What is wrong with me?563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP8csymW77
"Nothing to snap your pretty little neck like a twig."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5SzmDPatN
"I know," I reply. I can tell he's strong, stronger than the average person. I've seen him move my furniture with an unnatural ease, when he was sweeping my house, back when he took care of me when I was sick. "But you won't."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWYkxiOntt
"Really?" he asks, tightening his grip. When I don't reply, he takes it as an invitation to tighten his hold. "You sure?" he asks, squeezing now, but not nearly as tightly as I know he can. Still, I can feel my vision going blurry, when I hear him say—563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaYgHweR0f
"You're enjoying this," whispered into my ear. In my field of vision, I can see that his eyes are no longer red, but back to their characteristic grey.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJVsdc0DdM
"Um," I hear from the entrance, just as Kwamé releases me.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ML7G1I1VB
"If you're going to f*ck, please don't do it in my kitchen," Akatua says, wrinkling her nose in mock disgust. "Now come along," she says, walking off, leaving Kwamé and I in the kitchen alone once more.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqLQ3WdcNr
"I'm tired of warning you," Kwamé says as soon as she leaves.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2zyJNn2oO
I bite my lip, trying to figure out what to tell him.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eunJOo9Ch
"Have you ever thought that your perception of yourself might be inaccurate?" I ask him. He looks curiously at me, as if I've said something he's never thought about. "How long have you been friends with Akatua?"563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2peU1caOw
"Since shortly after I died."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonbbVGZKzw
"Centuries, then. Don't you think she would have dropped you is she saw you the way you see yourself? And why is it that we both see you as better than that?"563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimH8Ct11En
He simply looks at me, his mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish, before we hear Akatua blaring the horn outside.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWiVTRV3Px
"Come on," I tell him. "We can continue this in the car."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU3uBfiS6r
***563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODdkdJmRNf
"I actually thought that you two were doing something in the kitchen," Akatua states, looking in the rear view mirror at me. After about 25 minutes of awkward silence, she decides to speak. Kwamé makes no comment as he sits in the passenger seat beside her, staring out the window. He probably chose the front seat to avoid the matter at hand, but the truth is that it will come up again, no mater what he does.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrBa58BXMz
"Kwamé, why were you choking my daughter?" Akatua asks is a rather mischievous voice. She's not worried, she just wants to cause trouble.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1p8X1LVfNj
"I don't know," he replies.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8BSk6It5t
"You don't know why you had your hands around someone else's neck?"563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQGmWKg5jJ
"No." His reply is short and snappy, warning her to stop.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0emB2AOjt
"Look, whenever you two decide to go at it, just use a condom. I can't deal with my daughter having calves right now."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAuNFdOzlq
"What?" I ask, sounding more frightened than I should.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclPFIzBZ2V
"The very fact that you're so worried means you were probably planning something, Nya." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkOB1g6WRC
"No, I—"563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnstWxTjFC7
"It doesn't matter what she's planning, Akatua," he says. "Nothing is going to happen." His voice rings with finality, and if I'm not mistaken, I can see the red lights glowing from his eyes reflecting from the window, and lighting up the front of the car. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyxxWbD40H
"Okay," Akatua responds in resignation, dropping the topic.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO1cFBuDj3
The lights disappear, and I lay my head back against the seat, closing my eyes.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00ENAyHkSx
"Don't fall asleep, Nya," I hear Kwamé's voice command. " We're almost there." Kwamé takes me by surprise as it is the first time he has spoken to me directly since the beginning of the ride, and frankly, I wasn't expecting it. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj4tcXeQpK
I look outside, and for the first time since I've gotten into the car, I register where we are.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtx5f4JSjzp
It's enough to make me almost shit myself. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMpVJaRjwB
"Um, if she lives under Flat Bridge, why are we visiting someone on the Rio Cobre?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bTlg0LLab
"Because," Kwamé begins, looking behind him and making eye contact with me for the first time since we entered the car, "she doesn't like Lu'lu. And she's just as powerful, if not more powerful than Lu'lu."563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseaWFBbVEO
"It's a shame we found her after I made the deal," Akatua says, shaking her head. Kwamé goes back to looking out the window. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ565z83ZIxe
I look down through the window, down at the river that is flowing at least 20 feet lower than the road. The river only comes up to meet flat bridge, before flowing lower than the road once more. Since we're not going to flat bridge... 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1SgSP0Iry
"Um, how exactly do you plan on reaching the river?" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEAOEvSxZq
"Climb," Kwamé says, as if it should be obvious. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDjVectENC
"You expect me to—" 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqqx46TmAb
"Kwamé will carry you," Akatua says, causing Kwamé's eyes to glow once more. "Behave yourself," she chides, at which point he closes his eyes and exhales deeply.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66b4ZmANVz
"You're really stressing me out, you know that?" he remarks, which only causes her to snort. I can imagine her rolling her eyes at this moment. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BYcPNveIg
"Calm down, Kwamé," she commands in a light voice, as if she isn't the least bit worried about a supernatural entity losing his shit beside her. "We're three minutes away, and I don't want your glare to scare her away." Of course, I know she's joking. The idea of his glare scaring away a powerful, immortal river spirit is almost laughable. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxE5kgtkin
"Akatua, leave me alone." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiUJWpPX6z
"Fine, be a grumpy ass," she says, shaking her head. I can't concentrate on their childish banter because I'm busy prepping myself for this encounter. I'm scared. But I also trust them. Strange, I know. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseybhD5vqL
"Hey," Kwamé says from the front seat. "Everything's going to be alright." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCc0ZRG4wno
This relaxes me, just a tad, but enough to stop me hyperventilating, something I didn't realise I was doing.563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3unsoy1uI
"You sure she'll want to help me?" I ask him. 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRTmBW3RRt
"One hundred percent positive. As a matter of fact," he pauses, turning to look at me," I'm sure she'll love you." 563Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GetDDHV6l
After that, I sit in the back seat, gradually calming down, my breathing and heart beat slowing. So much so, that when Akatua announces "We're here," I'm not completely calm, but I feel ready for whatever is waiting on me in the the river below.
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