Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

colorful tapestriescovered every available space, and were pinned onto the walls.Every flat surface or shelf was crammed with dirty glass jars andbottles cloudy with age. I leaned over to stare into the murky graywater of an open topped jug and recoiled when I realized the whitebulbous things floating were eyeballs. On closer inspection, allthe pots held some kind of body part or other and I began to feelfaint.

Tomas looked repulsed and stood stiffas a pillar in the centre of the room, hands tight by hissides.

There were aged wooden faces, masks,tacked onto the ceiling with gaping mouths and narrowed eyes, facescondemning us from above. Their eyebrows and beards were painted ingarish colors. Clumps of straw lashed together with twine sproutedout the rounded heads in an imitation of hair. Shuddering, I toremy eyes away from them, freaked out. Threadbare blankets andpillows were piled in a corner. A low table placed beside them withabandoned dirty cups and plates had me assuming that was where heslept and ate.

My eyes settled on the far wall. Istepped forward, my mouth parting in wonder at the beauty of it.With another step, I caught an odd vibration and stopped dead in mytracks even before Tomas reached for me. He clasped my tail andyanked it once forcing me to stumble back. He wrapped his armaround my shoulders, and there was nothing romantic about thegesture, it was born of fear.

A wide drum was by my side, its rim indecorated in interesting runes. Unable to help myself I slapped mypalm onto the taut surface. The sound boomed and echoed in the tinyshack. My hand stilled before it beat the dried skin again. Iretracted it slowly feeling rather than hearing Tomas’ snarl, andrubbed my now sweaty palm on my thigh.

“The Tamboulas won’t hurtyou,” Ro said after a pause and leaned round me to thump it again.The sound seemed different. It still echoed, but was less powerful.Crestfallen, he shrugged his big shoulders and knelt in front ofthe colorful wall.

“Ro will be a fine Hounganone day.” Papa Obe wagged his stick of bleached bone at him, voiceaccusatory in tone. “He would be already if he came home moreoften.”

The shrine that covered the entireback wall captured my attention again though I made no move towardit this time. My nature did not like the feel of it. No matter howpleasing it was to my eye.

“What is that?” I askedquietly feeling that shouting would somehow desecrate the sanctityof it.

“The Hounfour, my place ofworship. I miss the old days, when we had whole temples dedicatedto veneration of Bondaye, the Creator. We honored the gods instyle.” Papa Obe sighed and paused whatever he was drawing on thefloor. “But in times like these we do what we can to commune withthe spirits. I pray they understand and forgive us.” He bowed hishead then went back to his task of scratching a pattern on thefloor with his rough piece of chalk.

Lex and Ro seemed to take comfort frombending down by the Hounfour to help him. Well, it gave me thecreeps so I steered clear of it, as did Tomas.

Papa Obe chucked the chalk into thecorner and dusted his hands off. He plucked one of the bulging bagshanging from his neck and handed it to me with aflourish.

I bounced it in my palm. It wasweighty for something so small. “What’s this?” I askedcuriously.

“My blood, chicken bone,cat spit, a shifter claw, and twice burnt wood.”

Horror-struck, I tried to hand it backto him. “Ta, but I don’t think I need this.”

He smiled showing pink gums andmissing teeth. “I want it back. You need to hold it for theblessing, Priestess.”

I attempted a grateful smile, butconsidering the sly chuckle from Ro I don’t think I pulled itoff.

Lex stood to one side of the shrineher head flung back, and Papa Obe motioned Ro to stand behindme.

Tomas needed no prompting to let me goand slide out the way. He plastered himself to the wall andglowered at Papa Obe. I did not like seeing him so uncomfortablebut letting him roam outside so moody was not the bestidea.

The Vodoun surrounded me and I felt adart of apprehension. “Uh, what are you going to do?”

Papa Obe grinned and my skin crawled.“We’re going to ask the Loa to watch over you.”

The magic in the air thickened and thesmell of the herbs became sharp, pungent. The hanging basketexploded into flames, and dark blue smoke gathered then snakedthrough the air, moving like it was alive. It twisted around PapaObe and caressed his skin. I waved away tendrils of sapphire smokelicking my neck and shoulders.

“Y’know, I’m good,” Isqueaked, and flapped my hands with an air of panic. “Don’t, ah,bother them.”

Ro thumped the drum behind me. Ijumped and spun round. Lex beat another drum, and I spun again, myheart pounding erratically.

Papa Obe’s eyes rolled into the backof his head and he muttered into his cupped hands, breathing in thesmoke then blowing it toward me. A vine of smoke darted into mymouth. Back bowing, my head filled with empty space even as all mylimbs became weighty. The smoke curled out my mouth and circled me,sliding over every inch of my skin.

The drums steadily increased in tempo.Obe opened his hands wide and wailed something in a language I didnot understand, but his words hammered against my ears painfully,and the increasing drumbeats had me shaking my head.

“Stop,” I mumbled and fellto my knees, but the pounding continued.

A gust of wind stirred my hair; bluesmoke swirled against my legs, and brushed my face.

The wooden slats of the shack rattledand the roof squeaked and clattered against the foundations. Iglanced up and I swear the masks on the ceiling expressions hadchanged, lips curving into evil smiles, and eyes becoming swirlingvortexes.

I freaked out big time, and staggeredacross the shack with every intention of leaving. I was confidentthe floorboards should not look like brown snakes. Swells of sandslid in-between the writing serpents and a few grains flicked intomy eyes. It stung and I pressed my fingers into the corners by mynose, covering my mouth. I kept moving toward the door.

Ro jumped in my path.