by Dave Welch
“I’m having an after party at the house. You two… You and Quincy are not invited.” He emphasized with a smirk.
“Corey!” Huffed Okani as she jokingly pushed him away. “Don’t be rude.”
I almost punched him in the face, but Okani had me under a spell.
“Big Q!” Corey shouted, glancing over to the clergy, who only waved his hand with fatigue.
I finally came within arm's reach when Okani focused on my eyes.
“Sorry for cursing back then. I got a little frustrated trying to understand you. It’s not like I don’t want to understand you. I do. I just couldn’t figure out what you were saying.” I admitted.
“It’s ok,” she softly replied. “My father once said, only a fool will utter his entire heart. So, to keep from saying too much-”
“-You speak Japanese.” I concluded as she reddened with a smile, dropping her head.
Man, she was so gorgeous.
I could eat her up. She was just irresistible.
“What time yawl coming?” Yelled Corey from the rear.
He had to be talking to Quincy because Okani and I were in our own universe. Our own world.
“I can be there by nine.” Quincy answered.
“Will nine suffice for the both of you, or just you, Father?” Okani asked, glancing back at me.
“Good question,” voiced the clergy, glancing at me as well.
“Yeah, Derrick?” sassed the Speedster.
I was smiling from ear to ear, feeling as if I was affiliated with something greater than a gang. “Nine it is!” I shouted.
“Good. I can build an engine before yawl cats build a decision. Shit. I’m about to cut my grass my damn self.” dribbled the Speedster.
“Okay…” Quincy replied.
“We gotta move.” Corey motioned.
The Speedster’s a complete riddle, a puzzle for sure. And Okani was somewhat used to him. She looked at me in the eyes as Corey and Q carried on in conversation.
Okani put her index finger over her mouth-watering lips.
“SSsssshhhhhh…” She gestured while reaching into her fancy coat pocket. She pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. It looked old and possibly refurbished.
“Once you set a goal, you must obtain it,” she stated while handing me the paper.
I suppose it could’ve been an old love letter that she wrote. She probably thought about giving it to me; then she changed her mind, balled it up, and threw it in the trash. Then, she probably changed her mind again and took it out the trash, unbaled it and-
-I don’t know.
But I quickly unraveled the item.
It was the image of my daughter’s killer. Okani pieced it back together.
“You want justice, and so do I.” She mumbled.
I looked deep into the rendering. It fueled my rage.
“Thank you.” I admitted.
“Alright, Yawl. I gotta head out. Some cats talkin’ shit online. I gotta serve em’ up like a waiter. In Decatur!” Corey hollered as he approached Okani’s car.
He stood next to her side.
“Hey sis…?” He whispered.
Okani didn’t respond. She just kept looking at me.
“You are coming tonight?” She asked.
“Yes,” I quickly replied.
“Yes, Corey. He’s coming.” Okani exclaimed as she looked over to her shifty brother.
“Oh, he better.” Said the Speedster.
Okani grinned as Corey put his arm over her shoulder.
The two had an odd way of communicating. They could say things to each other without saying anything at all.
“Somebody’s gotta keep these lions at bay,” he said.
Here again, I was lost in translation. The Speedster was incapable of holding a sound form of disclosure.
“I’ll give you directions if you need them.” The clergy added as he approached my side.
“That’s cool,” I said.
“I’ll see you tonight, Derrick.” Okani noted as she reached into her purse.
She pulled out her keys as I nodded my head. Then, I turned towards my car smiling, trekking happily into the sunset.
“Drive safely!” Quincy ordered, standing by the Speedster.
I could hear her keys dangling and the sound of her car unlocking as I walked away.
“Hey sis!” yelled the Speedster. “You mind dropping me off at the ca-”
I was several feet away when the speed demon stammered in his speech. This was strange, especially for the Speedster. He had yet to finish his sentence and he talks in quandary, all the time. Okani hadn’t responded. And I didn’t hear her door opening or shutting either. Plus, the clergy walks heavy. I recognize his distinctive steps anywhere.
I was still strolling along when I noticed this, sudden death in conversation.
Were they all just looking at me, waiting for me to turn around and join in with their celebratory MO? Or could they all be wondering why I chose to leave so early? Maybe we were supposed to take a photo… Na, that couldn’t be it.
Something was wrong, and I could tell.
I turned around quickly.
And just like that, they were all gone…
I looked about the parking lot to see if I was focusing on the same area. And I was. Her car was still there, but it had an odd tint to it, shaded with a translucent, neon green color.
I immediately walked back towards her car.
Everyone else around this occurrence, functioned as if they didn’t see a thing.
I started thinking to myself.
Did they run off and hide?
I looked to the ground, hoping to spot a few clues, drops of blood or something. I sniffed the air to see if I could locate Okani’s delectable smell. Nope!
I ended up turning in circles.
I looked back at her car again in all bewilderment.
This happened so fast that it scared me shitless.
Okani’s keys were still hanging, dangling vibrantly with energy from the keyhole. It was as if she had just let them go. I stood in amazement and fear, rubbing my hand through the greenish hue about the side of Okani’s car. I wasn’t sure if I was observing another substance or just a color correction gone wrong.
Then I looked on the ground to discover that the same greenish hue had spread a few feet out from her car. The hue formed a perfectly shaped and almost transparent circle. I turned in more circles, as I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“What thaaa fuuuucckkkk…” I mumbled.
I ultimately decided to take Okani’s keys from her car.
I bolted off into the stadium.
I looked and I looked for nothing. They were absent in every way. What kind of night terror is this?
I rushed over to the ticket counter.
“Hey! I yelled.
The lady at the desk sat up, looking alert.
“Have you seen a priest and a girl? A really exotic girl? And a running back? Ughhh…” I shuddered and shook nervously.
The lady shook her head moronically, sitting back in a relaxed fashion. She smacked and popped away on her chewing gum, shuffling it about in her mouth. She crossed her legs and snickered, shaking her head again.
“Sir? Really…?” She boomed. “Do you know how many people I’ve seen today?”
“I mean, the running back. Ughhh… the Corey Dunlo guy. He plays for this team. The Giants!” I yelled.
“Sir! I don’t know anything about football. I don't know what a first down is. I ring up tickets, and I answer the phone. I just work here. Right here. At this booth. Now, if you want to file a missing persons case, then you at the wrong desk, honey!” She wretchedly announced.
“Aggghhh!!!” I grimly growled, reaching for my cell phone.
“Don't get mad at me!” She blurted as I whirled around from the counter, piercing through the crowd.
I had Quincy on speed dial. I searched over the stadium lobby as the phone dialed his number. The operator answered with her wel
l-studied reply.
“We’re sorry. But this number is no longer in service. Goodbye.”
I called again.
“We’re sorr-”
-Click!
I hung up the phone before she could finish.
I stood still for a moment as the many people passed me by. The stadium was getting empty.
I called again. Nothing.
I thought about texting him, but Quincy don’t know how to text.
I called again, again and again—still nothing.
Standing in front of the massive stadium’s entrance, hoping to spot them from afar, I thought to call Quincy again. By this time, my phone had nearly died. Why the hell would he turn his phone off at a time like this? The unexplainable shaped my day into a messy Rubik’s Cube.
Later on, that same evening, I went back to my car to grab my 9mm. Things were growing stranger by the minute.
I was standing against Okani’s car, staring at the neon green hue as the sun set neatly with the cool winds.
Almost everyone had left and gone about their day. I needed some answers, though… Bad.
I spotted a few football players leaving the stadium.
“Hey, fellas!” I shouted as they passed. “Yawl seen Dunlo?”
“Ugh…I think he still may be in the locker room,” said one of the larger linemen.
The other players just shrugged their shoulders. They had no clue what was going on, and neither did I. I felt wounded, for I had lost all three of my friends in one single moment.
“Man, why don’t you just kill me,” I bluntly stated out loud.
No one just evaporates into thin air.
“What the hell is that green shit?” Said one of the football players as he slowed to observe.
Now I knew I wasn’t just seeing things.
A few more players were following close behind when I thought to mention the incident to them. I wanted to tell them what really happened, but I feared they would ridicule me.
“I know what it is!” Hollered one player. “It’s aliens.”
“Aw Lord! Here we go,” said another team member. “You and dem’ damn aliens!”
The two players stopped in front of me as they observed the semi-transparent circle. I couldn’t hold my words any longer.
“What’s even worse is that I was just talking to them. I turned my back, took a few steps, and when I turned around, they were all gone.” I explained.
And of course, they all looked at me like I was crazy.
“Maybe they’re in the car.” Another player suggested with a smirk on his face. “Like, ducked down or something.”
“Shut the fuck up Jones. You always saying some stupid shit!” Retorted the other player.
Jones was looking in the car when the other teammate exploded on him. “I’m just saying. Nobody just disappears like that. Unless they doing some Houdini shit.” Jones countered.
“But for real though… Dunlo been left the locker room. As fast as he moves, he was the first person out of there.” The other team member addressed.
“Wait! This is Okani’s car.” Jones confirmed.
“Yeah, and when I turned around, her keys were still dangling from the door,” I informed.
“Man…that’s freaky,” said Jones.
He searched around for clues and then he finally saw the same thing.
The green hue…
He kneeled to the ground, wiping his hand over the discoloration. He smelled his fingers. Then, he licked them.
“It doesn’t taste like aliens,” he spat in explanation.
“All I know is, if Dunlo don’t come to practice, then somebody need to call the cops! File a missing person case.” Another player disclosed.
“Hey!” hollered another player, exiting the stadium from a distance.
Jones looked up in his direction.
“Whatchu’ doing next weekend, Jones?” The teammate asked.
“Cunningham? Come look at this!” Jones beckoned.
“Look at what?” He replied as he approached the edge of the circular distortion.
“Oh this?” Cunningham questioned as he pointed to the oddity. “Man, that’s spilled paint.”
“It doesn’t taste like spilled paint.”
“Ewe, Jones! You licked that shit?” Scowled Cunningham.
Jones looked displaced. “What? No…”
“You forever doing some crazy shit!” Cunningham bellowed. “Hey, ain’t this Okani’s car?”
“Yes. It is.” I answered.
“You know Jones got the hots for her,” said Cunningham.
“Yeah. So what? She’s fucking gorgeous!”
I was trying not to get all worked up. But these guys were pressing all the right buttons. My feelings for Okani were unrivaled.
She and I were special.
“She’s missing too.” I spoke in sorrow.
“Missing? That’s too bad. I was going to fuck her before you, Jones!” Cunningham chuckled in a gloating fashion.
Brak!
I superman punched Cunningham so hard, his jaw shattered.
“Holy shit!” yelled Jones.
“Egh man!” The other two players cried as Cunningham’s body fell like a sack of cement.
They rushed in for me, but I had already drawn my 9mm.
I pointed with accuracy.
They stopped in their tracks.
“Don’t shoot!”
“I’m sorry…” I calmly expressed as I backed away.
“Don’t shoot!” Jones cried as the other teammates sought to comfort Cunningham. He was out cold.
“I’m not about to shoot you!” I yelled. “But yawl ain’t about to rush me either.”
“Why would you do that? What the hell!” Hissed Jones.
“You act like you’re married to her or something… Geez man!” Said another teammate.
I kept my gun aimed at them as my nerves ran rampant. I hadn’t realized what I had done. But I couldn’t hang around much longer because I started to believe that I was supposed to kill these guys. The only thing that brought me from that darkened path was when more football players walked out of the dome.
I couldn’t be found like this.
“He’ll be ok,” I said, making my hasty leave of absence.
I took off, sprinting for my car.
“That was unnecessary! You broke his jaw! Ass! Hey!” Jones screamed as I expedited my process. “That guy’s a fuck up!”
I could care less about his statements. I had just witnessed the impossible.
I tucked my gun away as I reached my car. I recalled that I still had Okani’s keys in my pocket. And as puzzling as this could be, I still had to come up with some answers. Everything was becoming a riddle. I wanted to use my own reasoning for the matter, but that would take eons. And sitting here in my car, gazing off into space, wasn’t about to solve anything either.
I then caught a glimpse of an angry mob, a football team of hatred charging towards me. The images in my rearview mirror were closer than they appeared. I immediately cranked my car and spun out of the parking lot.
I could hear them screaming and shouting.
They started throwing random objects ̶ Crowbars, bikes, boxes, flowerpots, laptops, cows, and coffee machines crashed into the ground near and afar of my escape. I left them all squabbling in a cloudy flame or rubbery exhaust.
Dusty asses!
I eventually made it back to my neighborhood.
The lights burned bright with remembrance. I still had yet to understand what I had seen. Then there was the fact that I still had Okani’s keys.
As I approached my house, I noticed that Tom wasn’t there this time. I pulled up to my driveway as the reality set in. I failed to enter my own yard, while glancing over to Tom's house to see that he was home. I felt like I could tell him what happened, and he wouldn’t look at me crazy.
I went over, walking cautiously up to his front door, I stood for a minute to gather myself. Just as I started
to knock, the door swung open.
“Derrick! What can I do you for?” Tom shouted, holding the door open.
“Man, I was just watching the news. The offensive linemen for the Giants got his ass kicked. Some dude broke his jaw and sped out of the parking lot. What a jackass!” Said Tom.
“Tom? I need your help, man…” I scantily replied.
Tom looked around and back into his house before he stepped onto his porch.
He shut the door softly behind him.
“What’s up bro?” He whispered.
“I got to tell you something.” I disclosed.
“Okayyyy…”
“Promise me you won’t get all crazy on me?”
“Scout's honor,” he gestured. He then folded his arms and put his back up against the door.
“So, I went to the football game today. And Okani was there-”
“-Your girlfriend?” Tom interrupted.
“Yeah. I mean, no. Not yet,” I continued. “To make a long story short. We were all standing outside, right? Quincy, the Dunlos and myself.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was talking to Okani, and we decided to get together later tonight. Something about an after-party at Corey’s house.”
“And you need a condom.” Tom recounted as he stood relaxed.
I had become a bit tense because I was nearing the unbelievable part of the story.
“Hold up…” Tom pleaded as he held his hands up. “Derrick, were you the guy that broke Cunningham’s jaw?”
He looked at me with a straight face, and I couldn’t.
I just didn’t have time for that portion of the event’s ambit.
I stalled for a minute. I wanted to come back with an honest and logical response. But I didn’t want to sway the potential to gain Tom’s support. This made me avoid the question all together.
“They’re gone, Tom. All of them,” I piped.
“Oh. I see…” He muttered.
“No, Tom…” I reiterated. “I was walking away to my car. And within a few seconds, I turned back around. And, poof! All three of them were gone.”
“That’s odd,” he said.
I just knew Tom didn’t believe me. I expected him to start laughing. I thought that he was about to start back questioning me about Cunningham. I kept talking anyway.
“When I turned around, I noticed that Okani’s keys were still jingling from her car door.” I firmly stated.