Short Stories (Multifandom)

Nail Fetishes (the evil kind)

A picture of a nkondi is above.

Josh was knelt next to his older brother, leaning over to read along with the boy. "Nkondi are religious idols made by the Kongo people of the Congo region. Nkondi are a subclass of minkisi that are considered aggressive."

The two boys are in another room adjacent from their parents who were in the living area, talking with the chief of the Kongo tribe. "This is gonna be a long summer, Jordan," Josh felt himself scoot closer to his brother as the sun set outside.

"Shh, let me finish this paragraph, J." Jordan gripped the book in his hands as he leaned in closer to see the words in the dim lighting. "The name nkondi derives from the verb konda, meaning "to hunt" and thus nkondi means "hunter" because they can hunt down and attack wrongdoers, witches, or enemies."

"S-So what does that mean?" Josh not at the inside of his cheek as he looked at his brother for an answer.

"Well, mom said it was tradition to make a promise to the nkondi a-and dad said that in order for us to stay here we have to make a promise too."

"But - but what if I don't want to?!"

"Shh! Stay quiet, Joshua or they'll hear you. You gotta show respect to them!" Jordan whispers as loudly as a whisper can go, looking back at the closed door.

Josh whines as he hugs Jordan. "I don't like it here it's too dark and it's too hot and the bugs are nasty and the food and gross and-" Before Josh could continue that run-on, the bedroom door opens and their father is smiling at them.

Behind him, the two boys could see their mother and the chief of Kongo staring right at them.

"I gots'a bad feeling, Jordan." Josh leans in and whispers ever so softly to Jordan. Their father didn't hear what he had said but he saw the exchange.

"Come on boys, the chief would like to talk to you,"

Jordan is the first to get up, pulling Josh by the wrist gently. He knew his little brother was scared, that's why he plans to protect Josh. It's a scary world out there for a thirteen year-old.

"Hello there," the chief had a hard face but he wore a smile. He seemed nice. He probably was since their parents seemed to like him. "What are your names?" His heavy Nigerian accent made him sound funny, so Josh laughed behind his hand.

Josh's thumb was in his mouth, a nasty habit he never kicked from when he was younger. His father grabbed onto his hand, removing Josh's thumb from his mouth before he begins to pout. He could hear the words even if they weren't being spoken out loud. Grow up.

"I would like for you both to pick a friend tomorrow morning," the chief informs Josh and Jordan.

Jordan scrunches his nose. "But why?"

"To make a promise to the Nkondi. It could be any promise, you just have to keep it." The chief responds.

Josh looks over to his mother. "What kind of promise?"

His mother beckons him over, sitting him down next to her onto the couch. "It could be the promise of being a good friend? Staying loyal or trustworthy. You could promise to always be there for them, or maybe something simple like getting them a birthday present."

The chief hums at this, raising his pointer finger up. "Now your children must know the consequences of breaking a promise to the Nkondi, for if they make a minuscule promise such as that, it is very easy to break. You could always forget a promise so small."

"You didn't mention any consequences, chief." Their father furrows his brows, frowning as he crosses his arms.

"We needed your help and if you knew the negatives, you and your family wouldn't have come." The chief looks down at Josh and Jordan, just as both brothers move closer to one another. "If a promise is broken to the Nkondi, it will become aggressive and will not hesitate to hunt down its wrongdoers."

"'Hunt down,' what do you mean by 'hunt down'."

"One thing those books of yours don't tell you, Mr and Mrs. Dun; the Nkondi will kill anyone who breaks a promise."

The room goes silent and Josh stands up before walking over to stand in front of the chief. "The statue comes to life?" Josh points to outside, the Nkondi sitting in the center of the small village.

"It'll bring back luck to you for the rest of your life, little boy. It is easy to die," the chief looks up at everyone in the room. "But you are not forced to make a promise. If you do not make a promise, you must leave in the morning. Though if you do, there will be a line of children each of their age that they will pick from. Choose a child, make a promise, then you can stay here for as long as you like. Congo lands will welcome you."

OK SO this whole thing is based off of an actual thing called nkondi which is literally what it says it is, as stated above. BUT one thing i didn't mention is that in order to make that promise, you have to hammer a nail into the nkondi along with something from that person you are making the promise to. OR instead of a promise you can wish for a painful death for that person.

Example: if i were to do it, i'd take one of your fingernails or a lock of hair, and i'd hammer it underneath the nail. in this case, Josh and Jordan will be taking a lock of hair from the children they choose.