James Hackett

He entered the room and saw the girl on the ground. Blood was everywhere. He bit into his lip. He was hurt, very hurt. He felt like breaking something. Someone had killed Candace. He looked around trying to find some kind of evidence as to who or what could have done such a thing. He thought that one of Madame’s jumbies might be responsible. His anger made him glow very blue; Maljo was feeding off his rage. His powers heightened as he sensed another person in the room. Mr. Gahoor stepped out from the shadow.

Adrian wondered no more. He knew it was Gahoor who had done the deed.

It made avenging Candace’s death that much better. Gahoor assumed his true form.

The beast jumped back and threw a massive claw at the boy.

Blue power lashed Gahoor in his chest. A scream emanated from the man-turned-beast as he flung himself on the ceiling and dived away from and behind Adrian.

“Come,is me yuh want, eh?” he taunted. His voice was different.

“Stop this! Stop this now.” Madame had entered the room. She held Gahoor back and watched Adrian. Then she noticed Candace’s lifeless body on the floor.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“There is no problem here nuh, ’cause I going to deal with it.” Adrian advanced toward Gahoor. Gahoor growled low as he reverted to human form.

“This is who you want to take charge of this place?” said Gahoor to Madame as he turned his back on them both and looked through the tinted glass panel. The room that they occupied overlooked the dance floor and Gahoor smirked slightly as he watched the children partying below. Disgust was displayed clearly on his face. “Look at them,” he continued, “these people stupid. They just waste themselves away willingly. They don’t even deserve to live.”

He turned slowly and watched the body on the ground, with the same smirk on his face.

Madame had a hard time holding Adrian back. She was concerned about the new power he had with him, but the present situation was more pressing.

“Such contempt for life, Gahoor, is foolish. I prefer to rule a place of life than one of death.”

Ignoring her, Gahoor looked at Adrian and whispered three words: “Rush me nah.”

That was the only encouragement Adrian needed to break away from a surprised Madame and crash with Gahoor through the glass.

It was absolute chaos on the dance floor. Some who were too high to realise what was going on, thought the incident was some crazy dance routine and started to cheer for the pair. Red flame burned the ground and the searing heat stopped the two protagonists.

“Not here, not in my house,” Madame’s voice commanded.

“Gahoor, Adrian is my choice and I will do what I will. You have no right interfering with things this way.”

Adrian was breathing heavily, Maljo burned in him and he was beginning to get weak.

Most of all, he was hurt by what had happened to Candace, his only friend amongst these crazy jumbies. He thought of the mask and what Moko told him. Madame was quarrelling with Gahoor. It was almost J’ouvert morn.

“Look, yuh see all this, I gone.”

“Adrian!” Madame called after him.

“You can call all you want, I know what I have to do. That boy has the power Maljo and I dunno where he get that from. I going to protect myself.” With that Gahoor left.

Madame stood in thought for a while and beckoned to DJ Midnite.

“You go ahead and deal with the carnival business; I have something I must see to.”

“What all this about?” he asked her.

“Just be careful. Things are about to get hot.”

J’ouvert was about to begin and Rhonda cursed herself—she was in a cemetery poking around. She was at the foot of a massive silk cotton tree when something dived out of a hole in the ground. Rhonda braced for the attack, but a blue beam of light pushed the creature back. She looked up, and knew who it was before his face formed in the blue haze.

“What you doing here?”

Adrian quickly got behind her. He looked a bit tired. “You were safe. It was me they were after. I have no mark on me so the jumbies will attack me. I need your help to enter.”

“Why do you need to get inside there?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“There is a mask that belongs to me,” he said, cautiously eyeing another creature that was trying to find a way around Rhonda. Reaching the tree, with their backs to all the jumbies, a passage opened and they fell inside. It quickly closed behind them.

They heard the rapid thuds of jumbie thugs against the sealed entrance.

Looking around anxiously, they noticed that the place glowed eerily from within. The atmosphere of the tree assumed a life of it’s own.

They had been walking for a couple of minutes when Adrian spotted something.

“Look over there,” he said pointing at a small opening. Lights came from it, as did a strange humming sound. “Watch it there,” he said, taking the lead.

“Fine,” Rhonda said rolling her eyes. He stopped and looked back.

“What?”

“What you mean, what? Like I am some kind ah invalid,” she said,

following him.

He stood still simply staring at her. That cold Adrian stare. He sucked his teeth and walked on. “Girls yes,” he mused.

Rhonda looked at him in amazement as they both entered the room in silence.  An old man was on the ground humming a tune that was unfamiliar to both. He was Arawak.  At the far end of the room, three masks were stuck onto the wall. The old Arawak got up and spoke. He spoke first in his native tongue, and then he said, “The girl must take two masks and the boy one. I have been waiting a long time and now you have come to affect change. This will ripple—throughout all realms and ‘scapes. Take the masks and do what you must.”

He touched both youths. At his touch, gnarled and ancient hands sent a slight energy through them. “This is my last duty, now I must go. Enter….ARRGHHHHH!”

He was struck to the ground and as the hem of long red dress brushed over him Madame became visible, her eyes blazing.

“Enter J’ouvert.” She said.