Page 4 of Of Blood and Smoke

“Left, I have to go left,” I muttered, getting my bearings.

Keeping my phone lit, I angled it to the ground and walked along the well-worn, make-shift trail. It probably wasn’t the greatest idea to stay out of sight and I doubted myself for a moment. I was no stranger to the rough and tumble areas of the Bronx and the boroughs, but I was also no stranger to the consequences of being a young female and the risks that status posed.

More than one woman in my neighborhood had been assaulted or robbed in the past. My scary movies reassured me I was almost certainly the dumb white girl in a slasher flick right at this very moment.

Patting my pocket, I reassured myself with the presence of my folding knife. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing, and it’d be used if necessary. A tiny thrill ran through me thinking about how satisfying it’d be to get to defend my body and feel like a badass before I chided myself for wanting to stab someone. I knew it was more the sense of control over my circumstances that I’d enjoy, rather than actually gutting someone.

I’d almost giggled out loud imagining wondering what to do with a dead body before I heard a muffled yelp.

TWO

Della

There was a wide gap in the wooden fence up ahead with a narrow-paved road in between the posts. Just past that by a few hundred feet, lay my destination. I froze when I heard scuffling and a thud, and then silence. Had I been listening to a crime?

I let my breath out slowly, hoping no one would notice before a brief rush of adrenaline entered my bloodstream. Maybe I was about to have to use my knife for real? Maybe I’d be able to take charge of my fate for a change? Visions of being the master of my own life for once ran through my head before I came back to the moment.

Ashley would come looking for me if I took too long. Suddenly, I remembered to turn down the volume on my phone. While I was at it, I also shut off my flashlight, shaking my head at my stupidity.

The few streetlamps in the area illuminated the path enough my phone wasn’t needed and the tree branches above cast plenty of shadows to hide in if necessary. My device had been a beacon saying,hello, I’m right here.

I could’ve darted down between the attractions and trailers, but I didn’t want to risk making any noise that would give meaway. The crack of plastic, or the snap of a stick would be like setting off a fire alarm in a library—it’d be immediately noticed. If there was somebody up to no good nearby, they’d be listening for aberrations in the background noise.

Belatedly, I realized what a dumb choice it was, trying to take a shortcut to avoid passing through the theater group. As someone who watched more than their fair share of spooky movies, I should’ve known much, much better. If my dumb ass got killed tonight, it’d be entirely my own fault.

Uncertain what the best course of action was, and burdened by an impatient bladder, I chose moving forward. I just had to make it to the bathroom and then back to Ashley.

Everything went perfectly until I stepped over the curb and onto the pavement. The sound of a rotting acorn snapping into pieces under the heel of my sandals sounded like a gunshot.So much for stealth.

Startled by the noise, I grabbed onto the edge of the fence and whipped my head to the side.

There, in the parking lot, were more members of the circus group. Several individuals were dressed in cloaks, bent over a body lying on the ground. Some type of liquid was covering the asphalt, the exact color impossible to determine in the reflection of the dim light of an overhead lamp.

Their makeup was incredible. They looked like zombies with their yellow skin and waxy, bulbous eyes. I almost wanted to complement them but then a figure stepped out of the shadows. He didn’t match his friends, wearing what must’ve been a very expensive suit with a long coat entirely inappropriate for the hot weather. He didn’t seem uncomfortable wearing the garments, in fact, he appeared perfectly at home in them, not even breaking a sweat; as if it weren’t a rented costume and something he put on comfortably every day.

Sensing his eyes on me, a chill shot down my spine. He ceased all movement, to the point he seemed inhuman. All sounds ended as if he’d commanded the silence with merely a thought.

On some level I could sense he was attractive—so alluring I felt a pull toward him, sucking me into his orbit. Unable to tear my gaze away and trapped like a deer in headlights, my confidence wavered. What we were waiting for, I didn’t know, but we’d both simply stopped. The same as everything around us. My heart thudded in my chest.

Then, without warning, the spell broke, and I ran.

THREE

Della

I sprinted down the road and away from the bathroom, forgetting all about the call of nature. Shoving my way through the throngs of people, I was sworn at multiple times, and soon someone shoved me back. I couldn’t get mad—I deserved it the way I was plowing through everyone like a freight train.

Ashley was exactly where I left her and I grabbed her arm, sat down, and then jumped back up, taking her with me.

“What the hell is wrong with you, woman,” she said and laughed, leaning over to pick up her phone off the ground. “You’re lucky I just hit ‘send’.”

Tugging her, I said, “We gotta go.”

Carefully, she pulled my hand off her arm. “Bro, what is going on?” She furrowed her brows. “You, okay?”

Rapidly scanning our surroundings, I replied, “I don’t know. I think I saw something. I don’t know.”

“Calm down. What happened? You good?” She knew me well enough to know I wasn’t “good.”

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