"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtx37L6KoAz
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulJXsKf5C8
"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?"606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHfd5H11kk
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fdeYyv4EW
"How do you propose to go about doing that, Kwamé? Do you have any idea how powerful she is?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiv6kq4QOB
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsawgai6gB
"It's the River Mumma, isn't it?" I ask. "Lu'lu." I don't even know how I remember her name. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RwZdkVByg
"Yes," Kwamé answers me. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGakKvJTnz
I think of questions to ask, after realising that I don't really know much about her. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy6raXNj0z
"Where does she live?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kdf0nlcQr
"Under Flat Bridge." Akatua is the one to answer this time. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c65nj876t
Of course. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnWjgRzyoc
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizNv8S4YUM
"So what do we do? Sail down the *Rio Cobre with a magical fishing net?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfrTvAamVc
Kwamé actually laughs when I say this, starts cackling like an idiot. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGe0vuM0bMv
"A fishing net, Nya?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5s4ZJaObg
"I did say magical fishing net," I point out.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFlZA6VkFp
"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." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ33N1G33g
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOY1AIIV2C
"Love birds," Akatua calls, causing us both to scowl, "we have to be prepared for her." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCd1ERIWoa
"And how do we do that now?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxhIIASnTf
"Know how to resist temptation," Kwamé answers with resentment. "Mentally prepare yourself, because there isn't much else that we can do." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB40qzUt3G0
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyvz2VaGFJ
"She's a seductress, love. She can entice anyone into doing what she wants, even animals." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0B4z5Te4Kt
"So she'll probably just send an army of mental slaves after us?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeKIEs7Jcj
"If she's too lazy to come on her own, which I doubt." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGw08oivBX
I stand there and look between the two of them, trying to figure out what exactly they want me to do. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iUhly2H8J
"How—" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmf5Jizkin
"She's not the only one on the island, Nya," Kwamé says before I can ask the question. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYNBJjexK7
"So we find another one, and ask for her help. One that we know," Akatua finishes. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGn5tph5xe
"She isn't very popular among the other water nymphs, you see."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOue27OW2j
"We could see Afryea," Kwamé suggests. "Or Zuhrah." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIT1zI8wRuE
"Zuhrah would be more receptive to her. She's more friendly." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7pjjcKPtA
"When would we go to her?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfEy3ATL3e
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUhn9TxXXM
"And Kwamé comes. As a human," she clarifies, making Kwamé frown. "We need her to be receptive to you, too."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf9WWXM6Cm
"But she knows me," he whines. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhoX4aq6lu
"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."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3mXvp5e6i
"Stop. Talking." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYe3wgd2Th
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFcpGJoGXq
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNDYdc239f
"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?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAPPgSN1yd
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCP8euqaIH
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJXg7ifHir
"Shut. Up."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOExyaDMsl2
"Okay love birds, I'm going to try to get everything together. We're going tonight if possible. Don't kill each other, please."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBaBpPDHHm
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiUju3Vsz0
"You stupid girl, you don't even see that I'm trying to help you."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyjmTGYyj8
"Dont call me stupid, you ass," I grumble. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQxw8V7Aq7
"I'm not an ass," he growls at me. It only upsets me more. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdGsBisFz6
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhw1Wi94QB
"That's low," he says, "but at least you're beginning to get the idea."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8DFdURUVx
"No," I reply stubbornly.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY2rJWzzOC
"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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2rmGrmpSm
"No."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuoN231hbW
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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3U8VwSiMp
"It would take nothing to kill you, even in this state," he says, gently squeezing my neck, almost like a warm scarf, but better.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjaH3NcjUK
Better? What is wrong with me?606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuBz5T9E8V
"Nothing to snap your pretty little neck like a twig."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGixOnil4RF
"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."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsV1cRhBe6
"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—606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb23D0keg1Q
"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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3qHstA521
"Um," I hear from the entrance, just as Kwamé releases me.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfIJdydcuK
"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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb18msibOU
"I'm tired of warning you," Kwamé says as soon as she leaves.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3Y4twJtYh
I bite my lip, trying to figure out what to tell him.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1NSDs4y70
"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?"606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTxFkQpAys
"Since shortly after I died."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjULfsA1L6J
"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?"606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cIZ76Ds22
He simply looks at me, his mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish, before we hear Akatua blaring the horn outside.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJAKytssF9
"Come on," I tell him. "We can continue this in the car."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNWIokMRIo
***606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIc8srqAku
"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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRVudKYZxQ
"Kwamé, why were you choking my daughter?" Akatua asks is a rather mischievous voice. She's not worried, she just wants to cause trouble.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXmSXy2HFL
"I don't know," he replies.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC45nh915E5
"You don't know why you had your hands around someone else's neck?"606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfxzOAzd7G
"No." His reply is short and snappy, warning her to stop.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6pIRdE86R
"Look, whenever you two decide to go at it, just use a condom. I can't deal with my daughter having calves right now."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKuzPz98IJ
"What?" I ask, sounding more frightened than I should.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LPsKCykw0
"The very fact that you're so worried means you were probably planning something, Nya." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO32ZgpUDlf
"No, I—"606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5H8CFERJqe
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyV0KvVpANt
"Okay," Akatua responds in resignation, dropping the topic.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe7KQZQPjq
The lights disappear, and I lay my head back against the seat, closing my eyes.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDV21z5kGb
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWI4zVrkRI
I look outside, and for the first time since I've gotten into the car, I register where we are.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyQdcHPv0z
It's enough to make me almost shit myself. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVkFMvyTIF
"Um, if she lives under Flat Bridge, why are we visiting someone on the Rio Cobre?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfWTEfWYsd
"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."606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNzp6ktYay
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Czm5IpRf2
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... 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkdVSbZo9S
"Um, how exactly do you plan on reaching the river?" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiS3Hx9JhyD
"Climb," Kwamé says, as if it should be obvious. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatwwIZF6kK
"You expect me to—" 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLT35wvLFN
"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.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsangSg3nW
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v1sKPM0rs
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeRQYvQKO1
"Akatua, leave me alone." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljvL81605N
"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. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkyWlZORnx
"Hey," Kwamé says from the front seat. "Everything's going to be alright." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFzKYFV4EZ
This relaxes me, just a tad, but enough to stop me hyperventilating, something I didn't realise I was doing.606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfe19DNu9N1
"You sure she'll want to help me?" I ask him. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eFS6b1FuB
"One hundred percent positive. As a matter of fact," he pauses, turning to look at me," I'm sure she'll love you." 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxapcPHDY6C
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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