Chapter Black

Episode 3: Lawghlin Revealed

Lawghlin laughs as Chef Hatchet takes his book of spells.

"Oh, Sergeant Hatchet, it warms my heart to see you haven't forgotten my lessons,"-says Lawghlin.

"Be quiet, you! I sent you to the other side. I don't care how the HELL you came back, I'm taking you back there!"-screamed out Chef. He takes out a large stick with a whitened tip at the end.

"By the King of Loa, Bondye, I send this blasphemer to the coldness of the Underground!!!"-said Chef, as he struck the circle he had drawn with the stick.

"Invoking Bondye? My, Chef. You certainly are rather daring. But don't forget… Bondye knows who belongs here… and who does not,"-Lawghlin smirks, his blood red eyes glow with sadistic glee.

The enchanted circle begins to glow. Suddenly, a bright light emits from the circle, engulfing Lawghlin. Chef wipes his brow, it was done…

"Thank the Loa, that damned Bokar is gone for good,"-said Chef, as he turns away.

"The Loa have ignored your pleas, chef. I'm still here,"-said that voice. Chef turns around in horror. There was Lawghlin, completely unscathed.

"My, my, Chef. You sure have gambled big. Summoning the very King of the Loa, asking him to get rid of me? That would have paid off under… different circumstances. But, mighty Bondye knows I can't leave this plane. See… I have a child.,"-says Lawghlin. Chef's eyes bulge out in horror.

"No… YOU BASTARD!!!! WHO!!! WHO THE FUCK DID YOU DISGRACE!!!???"-Chef yells out in a rage. He then puts two and two together- "You bastard… if you have impregnated ANY of these girls… have you no shame!? They are just sixteen!!! They have no business carrying kids!!!"

"Wow, Chef. Memory fails you, and quite severely. Remember, in Malpasse, 16 is just as good as 20 or as 12"-Lawghlin laughs at his old student's anger. Chef's eyes burned with rage at the shadowy figure that stood in front of him. In his mind, memories of Malpasse fueled his righteous anger…

It was a hot day in Haiti. As the single dirt road of Malpasse absorbed the unforgiving sunlight, Chef's bloody bandages provided a decent snack to the blood sucking flies that flew around him. He had been attacked yesterday by an insurgent carrying a Molotov cocktail. The insurgent was dead, that is for certain…

"Monsieur Hatchet, the bokar is here for you,"-said the old woman. She was an ugly creature, I dare not describe her. The bokar himself, however, was no better looking. He, however, was covered in ash and tattoos.

'So, dis bee da won to whom de Loa have blessed, eh? Vel den, I, de Bokar Lawghlin will give ya de erbs dat vil heal ya tired old body,"-the bokar smiled at him. His teeth were yellow and rotten. His breath smelled like an old corpse.

Chef spent an entire month in Malpasse, learning the ways of Voodoo.

"Ah, Papa Legwa has blessed da Bad Pass wit dis prodigy,"-said Lawghlin. Chef had gotten pretty damn good with his spells. He also had a wide knowledge of potions, herbs… and curses.

Then, one day…

"excuse, kind sir,"-said the young lady- "I seek da man known as Lawghlin. Have you seen him?"

"My master? He's in there,"-said Chef, pointing to the cabin behind him. As the young lady enters, he looks around him. Malpasse, A literal No Man's Land. A place between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. A true shit hole, truly hell on Earth. No law, no peace, no opportunity…

The young lady screams. Chef rushes into the old cabin. He sees his master, holding a bloody knife in one hand, and a cup in another. The cup is full of human blood, HER blood.

"What is this!!!!??? Master, what have you DONE!!!???"-roared Chef.

"I ave dun what needed to be done. I ave perfected da spell dat will bring me da inmortality. De Loa, ya see, told me all about dat. Dey said, dat da blud of a young girl, untouched by a man, will allow a Bokar to gain inmortality. All dat is needed now, is to chant da name of De Debil!"-said Lawghlin, as he drank the blood of the young girl.

But Chef, having remembered his spells, took his master's stick, aimed it at Lawghlin, and said- "Damballa, Loa of Creation, deny this blasphemer his immortal body!"

A large, black whirlwind surrounded Lawghlin. His entire body was destroyed. Damballa had answered Chef's invocation. A small booklet had appeared in Chef's feet. He picks it up.

"Blasphemer. Voodoo forbids greed. YOU TOLD ME THAT!!!!"-Chef roars at the booklet, Chapter Black…

"So, you continued practicing voodoo?"-asked Lawghlin.

"After what you did, I sought out someone who I could trust. I eventually found a houngan, a REAL practitioner of Voodoo. She told me all about how bokars like yourself are nothing but bad news. You… from the get go, were only teaching me black magic. But Poulette taught me GOOD magic!"-said Chef.

"I taught you POWER. But in any case… you lack the ability to destroy me. Goodbye,"-and with that, Lawghlin disappears into the night.

Lindsay staggers out of the bathroom. Chef puts two and two together, and deduces that Lindsay might be the one to carry the child…