chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sanniya

12:44

I slam the door and immediately reach for my backpack. I find the spray paint easily. The can rattles as I shake it.

"Who are you" a guy asks

"Sanniya, Xavier's sister" I say without turning around.

Carefully aiming I start spraying. The paint sticks good enough without running too much. In less than a minute I have a larger purple dreamcatcher on the door. I clip a small piece from my ponytail and tape it on the door. I turn around and pause. Two girls and one guy. They can't be to only people here. I hope they are. Their eyes look tired in a physical sense. Like a person who's seen too much of reality. They've probably been through a lot tonight. Sadly it's likely going to get worse.

"I'm CB your brother's roommate" CB steps cautiously closer " can you tell us what's going on."

I sigh " how did Xavier pass out long enough for...where is his dreamcatcher"

One of the girls, the blonde holds it up "I have it right here"

I nod "good, hold on to it" I pull another out of my bag handing it to CB "here stick close to her I don't have another one."

"Thanks" CB says "but what the hell is going on"

I pause and look at the three. The girls specifically.

"What are your names" I ask

"Kristen"

"Alexis"

"Where you the only people in here tonight" I swallow "anybody just vanishes"

They don't say anything at first. Then Alexis spills out the details. I could have gone without knowing she slept with my little brother. After that the details get a bit vague. Until she describes the events in this room. It pretty much confirms my worst possibility.

"I'm sorry about Xavier" Alexis ends her story.

I'm shaking my head "don't worry about him. Did any weird people come in before the storm hit the building."

CB is shaking his head "our professor was at the door, Xavier was the last in. Carey is extremely thorough." he pauses "are you living in South Carolina, how did you get here so fast with a blizzard raging"

"That's the thing" shaking my head "there isn't any blizzard. Only the one over this campus"

"What!!!" is the unified response

"It's why I rushed here. When Xavier said something about a storm. Then the phones stopped working. I checked and didn't see anything on any news, or radar. So I left luckily finding a direct flight."

"So what is it" Kristen yells "you keep dodging the question. Our friends could be dead, gone. We deserve to know. If no for that then because we are going to be next"

"Your right" I glance around "sit down this will be a lot to take in"

We move to the table and sit on the stools. I lean on my elbows trying to clear my mind. Trying to choose where to begin. It's not a story I am used to explaining.

"This is a family thing so bare with me. Take it for what it's worth. Do any of you have native American in your blood"

Alexis nods "Yea from Georgia, Cherokee I think"

I smile "cool have you heard of the Ro'uke Tribe"

"Ro'uke no never" She replies

"Some tribes call them the Protectors others call them the Damned" I pause "I can only tell you that both names are accurate. When the Europeans first landed on the coast they were a marble to the Ro'uke. They were greeted in an amazing fashion. All was fine until the group's main party left. They left behind a small party of 100 men. They built a small fort off the present North Carolina coast. All was fine for a few months. Then women out gathering began to vanish for days. Only to be found beaten, raped and clinging to the last ropes of life. Figuring out who of the crimes was easy to figure out. Further they spread European sickness the tribe couldn't fight off.

The awe of the strangers was gone. A council of the affected natives came together. An easy solution was decided upon, war. The tribes attacked and it was a disaster. Crossing water while being barraged by rifles and cannons wasn't possible. The force was slaughtered, They abandoned the cause.

Attacking did curve the Europeans' appetite for a while. But after a month women began to come up dead more than alive. Even the younger girls now. Another council was called. But this time a stranger came upon them. I can't give a name because one was never given to them. All that is said is she was a beautiful black woman, skin like the night sky. With eyes the color of water. She claimed to have been brought across the water by the pale men, devils she called them. They killed her entire village and took the women with them on the journey across the sea. Dumping them one by one once they were too worn to be of use. She offered a way to get rid of the pale men. It would require a deal with her gods. Leaving a curse on the one who makes the deal.

You have to understand that by this time the tribe's numbers were halved by the sickness alone not even counting the countless women who were killed. So they agreed. Using her peoples magic and the native's ability to commune with the animal spirits of the forests and avenger was created.

A bear, A wolf, a crow, and two virgins. One a boy, the other a girl, were brought to her. The ritual was a sacrifice that merged the souls into the boy, and the power to control it into the girl. They unleashed the boy on the European settlement. It was a massacre. In one night they vanished. Not a single body remained, only the structures remained. In his rage he killed the girl made to control him.

But sadly the boy wasn't able to control all three spirits. He went mad, insane. Turning on those who put him in the condition. He became a living plague to the tribes. They sought out the black woman, but she was nowhere to be found. Finally, on the brink of a self-made genocide they managed a way to bind the spirits with a hair from the dead girl and a dream catcher.

Now so few the tribe of the Ro'uke had to split and join other tribes. All except the family of the boy and girl. The curse which the black women put on them is eternal. Passing through the blood of each member as the last holder dies. A male with the curse of the beast, and a female to control him.

Xavier is this generation's holder. Far stronger than anyone can remember because the last three generations male died before the curse could fully develop inside them. It's why he cannot lose consciousness for too long without a dreamcatcher. He will go insane unleashing three generations of built up power. Letting the spirits loose will have consequences that devastating can't describe.``

I stop feeling the pressure seeping away. None of them are reacting as expected. No jokes or smart remarks. All I see is fear in their eyes. I feel bad because they believe me. I gave them a truth, but not the truth. Not the worst of it.

A female of the Ro'uke tribe must activate the curse. Just being away from the dreamcatcher won't let it blossom how it has. He'd lash out, sleep , walk a little, but no killing. To reach this level is no accident. I didn't do it and neither did Jasmeen, our younger sister. We have three aunts and four girl cousins. None of them have learned to activate the curse so it's not them, what is going on? I sadly don't know.

Alexis is shaking her head "so were going to die"

"No, no, we just have to act fast" I try to sound confident

CB frowns " I'm not killing Xavier"

"Hmph" Kristen grunts "if it's him or me he has to go"

"No! No one else dies" Alexis yells "we wouldn't even be going through this if it wasn't for you and Brit spiking the punch!"

Kristen snakes "if you didn't spread your legs he'd still be awake"

The girls start an argument of false blame. I can't take it and have to walk away. I pull out my phone looking for an outlet. I feel too much pressure right now. I can't do this. My subconscious screams the opposite. I do know what to do. I've been trained for this since I was thirteen, but I never truly thought it would happen. I turn around with my mind made up.

"So what are we going to do" CB says " I mean is there a way to stop him"

"Yea this way" I pause " we have to find Xavier and I'll draw a dreamcatcher on his chest using my blood." It should work I want to say

"Okay how do we find him"

I touch my head " I can feel him, we are connected it's hard to explain"

"Then lets go the girls will be safe here right"

I turn to the two " yea, but we will need one more person"

Alexis looks over " I'll go"

"Are you sure, outside this room isn't safe. My dreamcatcher will hold him at bay."

She nods "if I can help I'll do it. Sitting in here... After what happened before I just don't trust this room."

"Alright. Kristen here" I toss her my keys "if none of us come back is 30 minutes get in the truck and drive."

"Okay 30 minutes" she tucks the keys in her pocket.

I grab my backpack and we leave. The first thing to greet us is a biting cold. That and walls covered in smoking ice.