Voodoo

Chapter 11

"I don't want anything from you." Miles stuttered out.

She could sense that this man, this being, was not a good person. She thought back to Valva Dubois and her warning about Rosemary and her deal with Papa Legba.

"Ah, don't worry, Child. You are not here to take from me. I am here to help you." He said.

His eyes danced with movement as he placed his lean fingers into his petticoat. He pulled out a glass sphere and thrust it towards Miles. "See for yourself."

Miles, although startled by the impossibility of him fitting the sphere in such a slim jacket, like a magician, he had her hooked. She leaned forward to inspect the sphere and gasped at what she saw.

First, she saw her own reflection, except it was a more beautiful and happier version of herself. She saw her holding hands with Sydney as they walked. She blinked and looked at Papa Legba. He smiled widely at her secret.

"You want him, yes?" He whispered softly.

Miles stared into the sphere again and felt a flutter of desire for the girl in the sphere to be her. She wanted that life. Wanted her own love and secretly wanted to touch Sydney without him freaking out. But she shook the thought away. It wasn't real.

"No. I don't."

"Look again, dear Child. There is more." His eyes danced as she returned her gaze to the sphere.

This time, she saw Jelly. His petite frame walked towards her with a football in his hands. She covered her mouth in shock. He had both arms and hands, juggling the football in between. Perfect in every way. His smile was wide and proud. Then he threw the ball which landed in her mother's arms. She smiled back to Jelly. Miles closed her eyes again. This time confusion and shock leading way to anger.

"Why would you show me this?" She stared up at the man who seemed less human than she first realized.

"Because it's what you want. And I can give it to you. I can make your deepest desires come true if you let me."

He brought his face close to hers. She stared into his eyes and finally saw what swam around his irises. It was tiny circles. She stared deeper now and thought she saw faces within the circles. She sat back from his gaze.

"How are you doing this? How are you here right now? You're not real." Miles stammered to herself. This was a bad side effect of the liquid she'd had. It was clearly a drug that induced hallucinations, she thought to herself.

"You're not dreaming. I am real and this is your chance to make life better for everyone around you. Do you not believe what you see? Do you think I am not capable of doing these things?" He stood tall, his voice edging on disgust.

Miles was sure this was a dream and she was imagining this man. He's a figment of my imagination, she thought.

"I'm done with this. I will go to Valva Dubois tomorrow. She will explain what these drugs are. I just need to sleep this off." Miles said to herself. Ignoring the tall, slender man stewing in annoyance only two feet away, she pulled back her covers and lay down.

She could hear Papa Legba's breath quickening, but she kept her eyes closed and pulled the covers over her head. Silence ensued for long enough that Miles started to drift away. As she was on the fringe of a deep sleep, she heard his voice hiss one last time, "Tomorrow, you will know my power and you will come to me."