Something about the little shack feels like home; familiar even. It smells like earth and cedar. I can tell that no one has lived here for a long time, and it looks like they left in a bit of a hurry. The place is a bit of a mess and there is a thick layer of dust and soil on the most surfaces and the dining table is turned over. I set it back on its feet. The more I look around though it almost seems as though someone has been here more recently, even if they didn't stay. Every so often I swear that I catch a whiff of orchids, I just can't remember why that smell is so familiar.
I spend the next several minutes tidying up. If this is going to be my home I want it to look nice. I dust and wipe down the kitchen. I get things in order and notice that there is no food. My stomach rumbles thinking about Kyle's jambalaya. My mouth waters a bit. I look over and see the chickens running around. I shake my head. No, they are my friends now. They are all I need. I walk towards a particularly fat one and extend my hand.
"You're all I need." I say softly. The chicken cocks its head at me. My throat tightens with emotion.
"Do you hear me!? I don't need you! I don't need anyone!" I scream towards to sky running out of the shack and towards the water's edge, overcome with emotion.
"Then why does your heart sound so lonely?" A man's voice comes from behind me followed by a laugh so deep that it rumbles through the air like thunder. Leaning in the doorway is the most frightening man that I have ever seen.
"Who are you? What do you want!?" I exclaim backing away from him.
"Don't you fret little girl. I mean no harm. Don't tell me that those silly witches forgot to tell you of Papa Legba?" His voice is unlike anything I have ever heard. It is so deep that it reverberates in my chest though he is far away from me.
"They didn't tell us about you, they warned us about you." I say coldly, scanning my surroundings for some sort of defense.
"Then you have been misinformed my darling. I'm here to help you." He says taking a step out if the doorway to face me. I look up to the sky realizing that clouds have rolled in making it dark as night. I start to think. He can only come when summoned, how did he get here?
"No one summoned you, how are you here" I ask running a hand into my hair. I didn't know I was shaking so much.
"Your heart summoned me Ms. Oxendine. You would give anything to have your sister back. Papa Legba can give that to you." He says and I can no longer move. His knowing smile and red eyes wait for my response.
"No, no you're lying. Miss Cordelia said you always lie." I mutter. That deep echoing laugh rumbles the air again.
"And what has listening to Miss Cordelia gotten you?" He asks scrutinizing me.
"If she were as powerful as she says that she is, then how is it that she hasn't taught you anything to bring your sister back to you?" He says taking another step towards me. I don't answer him and I don't move away.
"How is it that you ended up here all alone in some swamp shack if Miss Cordelia knows so much?" He asks, almost to me at this point.
"Well, if I can't trust her then how do I know if I can trust you?" I ask, sounding more broken and less confident than I intended.
"Papa Legba always delivers, you can count on that. All you need to think about is..." He begins to slowly circle me, "what is it worth to you?" He asks back to facing me.
"Your heart called out in desperation, ready to do and give anything to see your sister again. Now the question is, will that silly human brain of yours let you make the sacrifice?" He says dipping his long discolored nail into a little leather pouch and inhaling the white powder off of it.
"What kind of sacrifice?" I ask quietly. The wind is getting louder and louder, lightening flashes in the clouds.
"It's nothing much. Just your soul." He says before laughing so hard that he tips his head back towards the sky.
My body runs cold and I feel sick. I miss Iris more than I can even fathom. I miss who I was when she was around. I feel like a part of me died the day that she left the earth, the good part. I guess my heart knew it more than I wanted to acknowledge. I just want to hear her voice, I just want her guidance. I just want to see her.
"I offer you my soul and you bring my sister back. But what kind of strings are attached? Is she going to be some freaky looking zombie? Not remember who I am? End up dying a day later?" I ask, there are always repercussions, nothing comes this easily.
"I take your soul and your sister comes back. You face eternal damnation at the end of your earthly life, those are the only strings. They may be bigger and more frightening than you realize." He warns.
"But I can't lose her again. I can't have her come back and then get sick or hit by a bus or some shit." I insist.
"Smart girl, bargaining with the devil himself." He laughs.
"Her mortality will be connected to yours. If you're alive she's alive. When you go, so does she." He offers.
"But her soul doesn't belong to you. She won't be damned?" I ask.
"Of course not. Papa Legba cannot take what don't belong to him." He assures me.
I'm silent. I swore that I would always stay away from this dark shit when I got to New Orleans. I never dreamt that I would actually be standing here talking to Papa Legba actually considering offering my soul. What do I really have to lose at this point anyway? I mean look at my life. I'm sure that I'll fuck up enough in life to end up damned anyway. I might as well get something out of it right? Maybe this would be the better way. The world was better with the real Iris in it, so it would be my greatest act of kindness to bring her back here, even at the cost of my own black soul. Maybe that is why the spell brought me here, maybe this is my destiny.
"I wouldn't have to do anything else? It is really just my soul? I don't have to sacrifice anyone else or collect other people for you? Just a one time deal?" I ask. Living on the street has made me skeptical.
"You clearly don't know the value of your own soul." He smiles a dirty smile at me.
Maybe I should take the deal before he realizes that my soul couldn't possibly be worth anything.