Hoodwinked

by Desiree Granger

  “Has nobody told you this? Delilah hasn’t told you? Homer hasn’t said anything?”

  I could hear an engine cut on outside as I stretched my neck to see Homer’s car slowly pulling out of the driveway with my brothers nowhere in sight. Tallulah looked back through the screen door before smiling.

  “They rode off with him so we’ll probably see them later on tonight.”

  “Piru? My husband is in the car with Homer?” Francesca pointed, shocked before looking at me with a raised brow.

  Percy Hugo Milton

  “We just need help setting up,” Homer Skye said as I watched him put my niece in her car seat. “Nothing big, we could just use an extra pair of hands.”

  I looked back at Piru who stood on the porch with his hands shoved in his pants pockets, attempting to look too cool with all his tattoos showing on his rolled up sleeves. Moment he took the first step off the porch, I inwardly groaned before following. Last place I needed to be was in the car with this fool.

  Yet here we are with me in the back seat next to Violet playing on my phone while Homer drove. Nobody spoke at first. I struggled to stretch my knees out while adjusting my shirt. Occasionally pushing up my glasses while Piru had his window rolled down to toss something out with a flick before rolling it back up. Homer kept silent until he started to give us a tour none of us asked for.

  “That store right there?” He pointed at this small hole in the wall store that sat on the corner. Just in the middle of nowhere. “We used to steal out of that store so bad when we were younger. I’m still banned from the place, me and my cousins,” he laughed. “It would be about 15 of us that would just run up, grab, and go. You know they can’t catch all of you at once. Shit bringing back so many memories just riding through here,” shaking his head as I looked around at the low laying fields. There was nothing out here but a few red lights here and there, small stores, and more land.

  I really wasn’t with the small talk, and the more I sat in silence, the more I thought about his ex-girlfriend. Jasmine already pissed me off with her going back to her usual stuck up persona. Refusing to acknowledge that we indeed did have sex, and we both enjoyed it, but no matter. I was already moving on to another woman I met earlier in the week.

  “What year did you cross?” Homer asked suddenly, looking at me through the rearview mirror. “Yeah you, what year did you cross? I saw the black bag in the car.”

  “About six years ago,” I said. “My line name was Mike & Ice.”

  “Hmmmp,” he laughed. “Mine was Bobby Drake.”

  I laughed, thinking about Iceman’s real name from X-Men.

  “I crossed a long time ago, well over ten years ago but I still remember and meet up with my bruhs from time to time. They’ll be out here too for the Moon Run,” he said, making a slow turn down another street with nothing but the same fields we’ve passed before. It was quiet aside from Violet looking at the phone with me reaching over to make sure it was still on the game she likes to play.

  “I know we didn’t get off to a good start,” Homer started as I sat back. “I was in shock. Still in shock about that lil one in the back seat, and every day I always think about what I missed.”

  “So in shock that you kidnap my niece without her family knowing?” Piru asked as Homer looked at him.

  “I’m her family too----.”

  “Then act like it. Act like you give a damn about her safety, her mental state, her physical health. I’m not trying to argue. Nigga I’m not even gonna check you about it because you already know. You know better, and Pia proved she can handle you herself. I’m not really tryna believe all this magic, witches, fairy tales shit. My wife showed me a few things I can’t explain, but outside of that? I don’t believe in none of what yall keep talking about, and don’t care to. Keep my niece happy at all times by keeping peace with her mother. All I ask. Otherwise, I don’t bother nobody, and I don’t fuck with nobody outside of my wife and daughter. You got five sisters so you should know.”

  “Understood,” Homer nodded.

  Neither of the two backing down, but there was a silent bond that formed just out of being a protective older brother. That was until Homer rolled down his window and stuck his head out to holler at someone.

  “AYE?! Where Malone at?!”

  I looked out the window seeing the row of cars lined up against the large open field where grass was knee high with pine trees spread throughout. The field went as far as it could go until it was backed by a forest full of mixed pine trees from height, and size. People were out walking along the side of the road with a small white sign in black letters saying Moon Run, and an arrow underneath pointing in the direction. We all got out with Homer grabbing Violet with a swing to his chest. I could see the cones stacked on one another like they were preparing to block the roads as Homer walked around, showing off his daughter to all the men that were in the area. Introducing her to cousin this, cousin that while Piru, and I hung back near his car in the muggy weather.

  “You see that?” Piru pointed, showing me the row of large old and new grills lined up on the other side with people already setting up their pickup trucks to be seats. Coolers were brought out, weed was in the air, and one kid wearing a torn up tank, jeans two sizes too big that covered his feet, ran over to Piru. Large brown eyes, and bucked teeth, he scratched at his head before pointing at Piru’s arms.

  “Who did dem?” He asked, pointing at his tattoos as Piru flexed his arms.

  “Some of them I did, others I got someone out of my shop to do.”

  “You do it? You can do mine?” He asked as two more boys ran over to him, all wanting to look at his tattoos. “You see, he got em on his face too.”

  “How many you got?” Another asked. “Lemme see. My daddy said if I could find someone to do my tattoo, I could get one.”

  “How old are you?” Piru asked with a smile as the boy shoved his chin high in the air, flexing the bones and thin muscles on his arm.

  “Nigga I’m selm’. Ain’t from around here though. We came all the way up from Augusta. The real A as my daddy and em say. That’s right there outside of Atlanta. I could walk if I wanted to.”

  I wanted to laugh but Piru nodded, taking in the conversation as more boys came running towards us to see the man with the painted skin.

  “Nah, I live in Atlanta lil man. Augusta is nowhere near----.”

  “Ohh! See I told you! He be lying! Jer’co be lying!”

  “It is!”

  “Lemme see yo tattoos. I want one too, but I wanna see if you good enough to do mine.”

  “I want a black wolf right here,” slapping his arm. “With yellow eyes, and the teeth showing,” Augusta boy said as he attempted to lift Piru’s sleeve up. “When I dream, that’s what I see in the mirror. I be seeing myself as Big Draco. I got next. Already the alpha in my pack. Nigga wassup?” He bucked as I cringed. Wonder did he go to school or read a book in the last month?

  “That’s what the wolf’s name is?”

  “Mmm hmmm,” the boy nodded. Piru looked at me before reaching to take off his shirt with a pull, and wrapped it around his head as the kids swarmed his body to see. For a second, a split second? They all did start to look like anxious puppies gathering around with wet noses, and baby teeth trying to grow.

  “What chu do?” A kid asked me. I pushed my glasses up.

  “I have a real job. I’m an attorney. One of the youngest ones in Atlanta. Graduated highschool with a college degree at the same time, and---.”

  “You be putting my uncles in jail huh?” Another let out as Piru laughed. “Nigga you a snitch. I know one when I see one. Yall brothers? Yall look alike.”

  “Yeah,” Piru said as he turned around to show the back side. “I drew this but had my best friend do it.”

  “Yall here for the Moon Run?” Another boy asked. “I’ma be running in it. I’m finna get my face painted soon.”

  “What is this Moon Run?” Piru asked as the kids looked at him like he gre
w two heads.

  “They’on do nothing like that in Georgia bruh,” Augusta said coolly. “I told you we’on do nothing like that, but lemme tell it. Chief,” pointing towards Homer who was still showing off Violet to everyone. “Chief goes out there and puts the white flags out at the end of the field.”

  “All the waaaaaaaaay,” one of the kids sang. “At the end. Maybe even in the woods, and at night, we gotta race to find it and bring it back. Once we bring it back, we get our pack name. Everybody gotta do it. This is our first time running,” he stated proudly.

  “Doesn’t sound hard,” I said, looking across the grass. “It’s a straight shot.”

  “Oh nah, the grass gon be bout this high!” Augusta jumped, hand in the air trying to reach. “Gon be ova yo head boi! You crazy if you thank’ it's not hard. My daddy and em said we can’t be scared. He ain’t did it because it ain’t neva called for him, but I get to do it. So now, we get to paint out faces like warriors.”

  “Who painting yall face?” Piru asked. They pointed to one of the older ladies by the cars sitting in her chair with hair braided halfway down her chest. My brother tilted his head to the side with a smile.

  “Yall wanna see some real warrior face paint? I can do it for you,” he said in an enticing tone as they all lit up with excitement before taking off. Screaming towards the woman to hand them the face paint. I looked at my brother with a scrunched up expression as he shrugged.

  “You’re the one they called a snitch, not me.”

  “Aye!?” Homer yelled, waving for us to come over as a woman carried his daughter off.

  “Where is she going?” I pointed.

  “That’s my mama. She’s finna take her home, and feed her before her nap. Here,” handing us each a torn white cloth, and metal stake as we started for the fields. Didn’t plan on getting my shoes messed up, and apparently neither did Piru as we stared at the ground with a pause.

  “You can go barefoot if you want,” Homer said, amused as he stared at the two of us. “It’s just dirt, and grass. Ain’t finna fuck up nothing but ya shoes.”

  He went on with a pile of white cloth, and stakes in his arms with us following behind. I was tiptoeing around mud spots, and mounds of dirt that could have been whatever until we were all walking side by side in a row towards the end.

  “Are these kids really being forced to run through this in the middle of the night?” I asked, disgusted as I stepped over what I hope to God wasn’t shit.

  “I’on know if it's being forced, but they’ve been waiting to do this. The real Moon Run was a lot crazier than this. Now it's just a big get together where everybody comes with their cars, and watches until the last boy runs out the fields. Back in the day? I was told it would be something to show off our skills, and strength to the women who ultimately had to end up choosing who they would mate with for life. They would come in looking their finest with the alpha female leading the way, and we would be on the lines ready to prove our worth. Get our tribe name and be inducted into our pack or fraternity so to speak. The next group of young men to be introduced into society,” he said, looking at me. “If a woman didn’t choose you then, you would have to wait the next Moon Run. Didn’t matter though because the after parties, the girls were ran through by the men regardless. Everybody took a turn. That’s the real celebration, or so I heard,” he cleaned up with a cough as we meshed and marched through the thick grass. One hand swiping away mosquitoes as I looked up at the sky seeing no sun, just heat.

  “I thought the women were apart of your family,” Piru said as my mind immediately went to Jasmine.

  “Some are. They can bring in whoever, like Tallulah bringing Jasmine in, and whoever else. Almost like a present to us.”

  Piru looked at me with a grin.

  “Nigga, they’re about to moon run through your fiance---.”

  “I don’t care. She’s already out there anyway, apparently,” I stated as Homer looked at the two of us. “And besides, he said they don’t do that anymore. That it was just a rumor.”

  “It doesn’t matter. She’s getting fucked,” he laughed. “I bet you’ll care then---.”

  “You don’t like Jasmine?” Homer asked in mid walk. I sighed.

  “It’s complicated. It’s a complicated situation with her that I rather not explain in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Shit, you better uncomplicate it. I said they don’t do that anymore on record, but she’s a pretty girl. My cousins are ruthless, and aggressive so watch yourself. She’s going to have their attention.”

  Piru laughed as I readily held the stake up to hit him with it but he took off like the childish idiot he was.

  “You can keep laughing! I don’t care! It doesn’t bother me at all about her!” I yelled before faking like I was coming for him. “You think everything is funny when it comes to me!”

  “You’re just as sensitive as your sister Percy. I just like fucking with your nerdy ass sometimes---.”

  “Well stop!” I demanded. “We’re not children anymore! We didn’t even do this as kids!”

  “It’s funny because you actually like her, and you’re afraid to admit you like your fiance,” he continued. “All that therapy and you still haven’t learned to express yourself with your words.”

  “I express plenty,” picking up my stake as I kept on walking through the field. I looked back seeing we were just in the middle of the grass, still able to hear the little boys running, and laughing, and see smoke from the grills begin to start up.

  “What were you in therapy for?” Homer asked, looking back at us. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I do mind,” I retorted before glaring at Piru. “My parents thought I had anger issues, when I don’t. My father thought I was a monster after the fire incident with Pia.”

  “What happened with Pia?” Homer questioned again as my eyes screwed.

  “You ask a lot of questions----.”

  “Percy wanted to see how long it would take firefighters to get to the house so while Pia was asleep? We poured alcohol or… What was it? Oil? What did we do?”

  “I don’t remember, we poured something on her body, and set a lighter to her skin, just around the stomach thinking she wouldn’t feel it as much if it was away from her face.”

  Homer stopped walking causing us to stop as I rolled my eyes.

  “I know, it’s fucked up. Yeah, yeah. Tell me how awful of a brother I am to her. She recovered nicely, and you can’t even see the scars now. It was basically just on her stomach, and waist on one side. I’m sure if you slept with Pia, you would have seen one half of her body was charred. Honestly, you can’t miss it.”

  Homer just stood there, staring at the ground with his eyes concentrating deep into the dirt before he backed up with a large intake of breath.

  “Shit!” He let out, looking around the fields before looking at us. “You were the two boys…”

  “The what?” Piru, and I let out at the same time.

  Homer stood completely still with his eyes fixed on me to the point where he wasn’t blinking. I glanced at Piru who was distracted by something flying in his face before hesitantly looking at Homer, feeling myself grow uncomfortable. I attempted to clear my throat, trying to break his darkened stare, but he just looked at me before slowly looking me over as I backed up.

  “I don’t know… What I said or did but if this is about me putting a fire to Pia? You really have no grounds to be upset since you didn’t know her at the time,” I let out slowly. Homer suddenly blinked. Snapping himself out of whatever psychosis he just went through.

  “Jasmine ever talk to Nasia? My ex-girlfriend? I know they’re close.” He suddenly asked, hearing the sharp words hit me like cold water to the face.

  “I… I wouldn’t…” Looking at Piru before looking back at him. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Mmmmmph,” he nodded with a frown. “I don’t know who her friends are---.”

  “But you know about Nasia right?”


  Piru cut his eyes at me in confusion before I shook my head with my own hopeless frown.

  “Outside of the girl who attacked my sister while she was holding her daughter, I have no idea.”

  He stared at me for a second before he kept on with his walk. Piru’s brows furrowed at me as I innocently shrugged.

  “You were the two boys I met when I did my first Moon Run,” he spoke in a low voice, aggressively stomping down on the knee high grass as we kept moving. “During the run, we come across visions or things happen to us that feel real, but it's usually a trick of the mind. We aren’t allowed to tell anybody what happened or what we saw, and if we do? It comes true,” he noted. “First person I told was my mama because I was scared.”

  “And you saw us? We were the two boys?” I asked, looking at Piru who looked at me. He should know what I was thinking already. This place is full of weirdos who believed in ghosts, and animal packs alike. If I heard anything about a damn fairy, I was leaving.

  “I did,” Homer said without turning around. His entire demeanor was cold, even with his back towards us, he was no longer faking like he wanted to be polite, and it was obvious. “When I ran in, two little boys. One big, the other little like they were brothers ran past me, and told me I needed to hurry up,” swatting a flying bug out the way as I looked around in the air for that same bug. “I ran after them, trying to explain that I was in the middle of trying to find a white flag, and one of you held it out for me to take. So I followed until we came up to this…” He paused, looking at the ground. “To this opening where someone was laying down like they were asleep. A little girl. Yall started pouring stuff on this girl’s body who was sleep, and said you wanted to see how it took for the firemen to get there. So yall lit a match, and tossed it to her,” he said with a look back at me. Eyes cold as ice. “Told me to run, so I did.”