Street Vegans

Chapter 8

Chad continued to drag West down the dirt path towards where Ignatius said the shaman lives, hoping that they would be able to help his bro. He grew exceedingly hopeful when he saw a small wooden hut come into sight.

"Okay West, you're okay, we're almost there."

"Let me die."

Chad gave West a nudge in his probably bruised ribs. "Come on bro you know I couldn't be a functioning member of society without your help. If you died now I'd probably kill everyone on this island and then myself."

West was slightly concerned for his friend's wellbeing, but decided to not press any further about his possible homicidal tendencies. Getting closer, the boys could start to see more detail on the hut, noticing a large, poorly painted sign above the door reading "Witch Doctor" in bold red letters. 

"Damn, guess we’re gonna have to go a bit further to find that shaman." Chad said to himself, worried about whether or not West would make it much further.

"What are you talking about?” West asked, "that's his hut right there."

"West no, that's a witch doctor not a shaman." Chad said matter of factly.

"Bro you know that those are basically just synonyms right?"

Chad stared off into the distance for a moment before realizing that he had no idea what the word synonym means, just as he was about to ask West continued speaking. 

"If you want to get me help, that’s the place you want to go." West stated, leaning his weight in the direction of the hut.

Chad decided that whoever this witch doctor person was they couldn’t really make West worse and started heading in that direction. Right as Chad was about to open the beaded curtain that served as a door, West collapsed to the ground.

"Oh shit!" Chad exclaimed, looking between the arm holding the bead curtain which used to be holding West and the aforementioned boy now lying face down on the ground.

West groaned before going completely still.

"Who's there?" called a voice from the void, sending Chad hurtling towards the ground.

"Is it the vegan gods again?!" He wailed, throwing his arms over his head to protect his possibly endangered face.

"Have they come for me, please say yes." West muttered into the floor, speaking more to himself than to Chad.

"No I'm not a god you moron," came the voice again and out from the shadows of the hut stepped a man draped in long grass from the head down with a stone mask attached to the front.

"Holyshitwhatareyou!?" Chad shrieked at the top of his lungs, jolting up from the ground and running to the other end of the hut.

The man let out a very audible sigh. "I'm the shaman, I don't know how you couldn't figure that out."

After Chad was able to calm his breathing enough to not have to worry about passing out, he stepped a bit closer to the shaman. He took a second to recompose his thoughts before scrunching his brows.

"Wait, but doesn't the sign say witch doctor?" Chad asked.

The shaman's hand came out from under the grass cloak to rest on the forehead of the mask. "They mean the same thing kid."

Chad stared dumbly at the tired witch doctor in front of him before speaking up again. "Oh, okay. Wait, hold on, but isn't a witch a girl? You're a dude aren't you?" He questioned, tilting his body to try and see under the grass.

The shaman growled. "Will you just shut the fuck up already!"

Chad snapped straight up, much like he would if his parents got mad at him (which happened often.) "Sorry! Just one more question though," he gave a sheepish smile.