Trust In Me
Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with the Princess and the Frog…though I'd like to own Facilier. Anyway. I own Lakota. That's it.
Trust in me
Just in me
Close your eyes
And trust in me…
Lakota had been working at Tiana's Palace long enough now to know the usual customers. It wasn't hard to be friendly on good days, but Lakota had her days where it was indeed difficult to do her job. There was no way the owners hadn't noticed, but even if they had, Tiana and Naveen had never said anything to the girl. Having just moved to New Orleans from "Somewhere in New York", as Lakota's answer depicted, they didn't bug her about her odd ways. Even though Tiana and Naveen suspected she was not from New York.
The girl with the bright violet hues was a bit different from the other patrons of New Orleans, of this there was no doubt. She had long black hair that fell to her shoulder blades, her eyes had a distinct sparkle, and she had a habit of dressing for comfort over appearance (although appearance would suit her wonderfully). She'd always been different, for as long as Lakota could remember, and not just in her attitude and clothing choice. When conversations of childhood came up, Lakota fell silent. The woman nearing twenty-two had absolutely no recognition of her early years, and she opted to stay out of such conversations.
She blamed it on a bad memory…an abnormally bad memory.
After all, what could she do about it, anyway?
Her shift was coming to a quick end that evening. The customers filed out, Tiana and Naveen bid them goodnight, and Lakota looked to the clock on the wall. The restaurant would officially be closing in twenty minutes. With that knowledge, she began her nightly cleaning routine. However, the gasps from both Tiana and Naveen made her stop dead and turn around.
Standing in the doorway was a tall man in a purple suit. The owners seemed angry and upset by his presence, and as he spoke to them, Lakota grew increasingly concerned for her kind bosses. After a particularly rude comment from Naveen, though, the tall man tipped his hat and smoothly left. Tiana appeared far more upset than Naveen, and as he comforted her, Lakota was left to stare. She was dumbfounded when Naveen locked the door and cut off the 'OPEN' sign, ushering Tiana into the back.
Lakota frowned, hoping Tiana was alright, and after a few moments, she picked up the rag she'd been cleaning with and followed the two to the back.
"Who was that? Are you two alright?" She asked, highly concerned when she saw Tiana wiping away tears.
"It is…a very difficult story, Miss. Vaughn." Naveen said, never looking at her as he spoke, but focusing completely on Tiana. "Perhaps you should leave with us this evening, yes? I believe it would be best."
"Why?" Lakota set the rag down and took a step toward them, waiting on Naveen's answer. However, his answer did not come, Tiana's did.
"That's the Shadowman." She said shakily, quietly. "He can't be here. There ain't no way. It's like Naveen said…long story girlie. Long story."
Lakota frowned, nodding a bit. She'd heard of the Shadowman, but she'd also heard he died.
But…this was New Orleans, after all.
Tiana and Naveen had taken Lakota home that evening, assuring her that it would be safer that way. They'd also arranged for the other employees to go home together, just for safety precautions. All the precautions were worrying Lakota sick and she was pretty scared to just get out of the car and walk up to her townhouse. But, she did, waving goodbye to Tiana and Naveen as they drove away, and walking inside. She'd made it a point to thank them for their generosity, too.
However, Tiana and Naveen had grown quiet watching her walk inside. Tiana was quiet because of the events of the night, but Naveen had noticed something strange. He frowned a bit, leaning back against the seat as their driver drove them back to the stately mansion he'd purchased for them.
"Tiana, dear, did you notice something funny about Lakota this evening?" He asked, looking over to his wife. Tiana looked up and shook her head, furrowing her brows.
"No, what do you mean? I didn't notice nothin'..." Tiana said, wringing her hands, her thoughts obviously still hung up on the Shadowman.
"...uh...my love, Lakota does not have a shadow."
It was dark, as always. She'd sworn she'd remembered to cut a light on before she left…
"I ain't one to really be sayin' much about conserving energy, but don't you pull a nine hour shift, darlin'?"
Lakota jumped and whirled around to see the man who had been at the restaurant a few hours prior. The same exact man that Tiana and Naveen wouldn't let enter…they man they called the Shadowman.
"Why are you here?!" She demanded, reaching for the nearest large, dangerous object: a vase.
The man held up his hands in defense, standing from the chair he'd been seated in, stepping toward her. "Now, now…just calm down 'lil lady. I ain't here to hurt you, cross my heart." He made the X motion over where his heart should have been, and Lakota kept staring.
"That's not the answer I asked for." She said coldly. He snickered a bit, nodding.
"Well now, it wouldn't be, would it? Listen, sugar, I'm here to talk to you about somethin' important," He said. They both stood their ground.
"You should be dead."
"Should be, lovely."
"But…you're not."
"Obviously. That's beside the point I need to make."
"Make your point, then!"
He grinned, and a shudder ran down Lakota's spine.
"Darlin'…you ain't human."
Woo! Cliffhanger! I wrote this up before typing it up. Proud of myself. Anyway…can anyone guess what Lakota is? It's probably obvious.
Music I Listened To While Writing:
"Trust In Me" Selena Gomez
"Monster" Lady GaGa
"Sinner" Drowning Pool