Music to Murder Boys to - Chapter 4

Ash and Jordan come tumbling out of the woods with their arms wrapped around each other’s back. The closer they get the more I realize Jordan’s leaning on her for support. He seems hypnotized and there’s drool dripping from his bottom lip as his legs rake a trail in the grass. She sets his body on the log and walks over to me, smiling. 

“I take it T’s told you everything,” she says, touching my shoulder. 

It’s her touch. I feel it now. The surge of warmth that travels from her palms and into my skin, caressing every nerve, hugging every doubt, kissing away every fear. It’s the reason why I’m cosmically drawn to her. It’s literal magic and she’s been pouring it into me the entire time. 

I peel her fingers off. “You’ve been controlling me,” I say, wanting to be mad, wanting to feel betrayed but a wave of happiness washes those emotions away.“That’s why I can’t get mad. That’s why when I’m with you I’m so drawn to you. You have me under a spell!” I say as crazy as it sounds out loud. “It makes sense now.”

She half nods. “I haven’t been controlling you,” she explains, “you’re always so tense. I feel it. It’s part of my magic. You have this unbearable sadness that swallows you. I’ve been trying to heal you.”

I touch my chest, so many questions scramble around in my brain, the most important one leaves my mouth first. “If any of this is real . . . How did you know I was a witch?”

“You summoned me,” she says, “that night in Jordan’s car. I saw you, felt your pain, but you were so far away,” she sounds hurt.

She starts to put a hand on my shoulder, but it falls to her side. “It was always inside of you. For most of us, our witch gene lies dormant, until activated. Sometimes people go their whole lives without ever knowing. Your moment of distress sent a signal to me. And that’s how we found you. You are a member of our coven. ”

Tina waltzes between us. “Look, we don’t have time for god damned history lessons right now. You have exactly 30 minutes to kill him or you die.” 

Ash glares at her. 

Tina sighs dramatically, whispers something, and snaps her fingers. “Clarity.”

Every ounce of happiness and euphoria pours out of me. A spark flickers at the bottom of my feet and flushes throughout my bloodstream and I ignite as if my blood is gasoline. 

“You bitch!” I yell, slapping Ash across the face, sending her body flying across the clearing.  

“Holy shit, you’re strong,” Tina says. “You need to calm down. If you kill another member of your coven, the council will come for you. It’s the number one rule!”

Ashley flies back in my direction. Hovering over the two of us. I blink twice, hoping that somehow I’m dreaming. That this is just some sick nightmare or a hallucination. People don’t fly! People can’t teleport! People also can’t slap someone halfway across a field! I open my eyes again and there she is, still in the air. Flying. 

“Jaz, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner. We can talk about this later, you have to kill him. Or you die.”

Tina whispers something else and snaps her fingers. Instantly, in the middle of the clearing, a pentagram made of fire appears. We all glow under the amber light.

“What do I do?”

“I am going to place you guys into the pentagram,” Ash says, flying to the ground. “You are going to take this dagger and stab him in the heart,” she explains.

The dagger is iron, embroidered with vines. A ruby is ingrained at the hilt. It vibrates in my hand. “Once it’s in his heart, Tina and I will sing the spell. And then once the fire goes out the ceremony will be complete. And then I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

I take another look at his limp body, the way his dreads dangle over his head, covering his face. I’ve always wanted this moment. But now that the opportunity is at my fingertips, I pause. Heart beating. Am I really going to kill someone? 

“He doesn’t have to be awake. If it’s easier for you,” Ash says, with concern in her eyes. “We have to do this now.”

I think about it long and hard while staring at his body. I think about the long list of girls in my shoes. The girls who said no, and the girls who didn’t say anything at all. I think about the little girls getting ready for bed, only to be awoken by a monster that they trust in the middle of the night. I think about the girls who say something, only to be silenced by injustice. I think about every girl he meets after me, thinking that someone like him wants something more than just pussy. I think about the girl with hope in her eyes when he sends that first message with a heart emoji. When he finally asks her on her first date ever and she rolls over in bed with a smile as bright as the fire burning right in front of us. 

“Can you wake him up?” I ask.

Tina nods. “Snap your fingers. Say clarity. Any magical influence she’s put on him will vanish.”

I close my eyes. “Clarity,” I say with a snap.

He releases humongous gasp as if water had been in his lungs. “What the fuck?” He leaps up, body covered in sweat. “Why is the grass on fire? What are you-” He notices Ash hovering in the sky. “What the hell did you give me?”

She gracefully drops to the ground, ignoring him. “Are you ready for this.”

I nod. 

She mumbles something, snaps her fingers, and both Jordan and I are in the middle of the pentagram, fire licking our backs. 

“What the hell is this shit?” he asks, trying to find a way out of the fire, but it’s too strong. “How are you bitches doing this?

Fear blankets the both of us. I’m terrified, shaking at what I’m about to do. I swallow any hesitance, it has to be done. It’s either me or him. And I’m not dying today. 

“Did you guys give me drugs?” he asks, angrily. He lunges for me.

I move just in time and he stumbles to the ground, searing his arm in the flames. A childlike scream ruptures from his throat. I hover over him, reveling at his fear. He’s terrified, I can taste the sweet fear in the air. 

` You have two minutes, Jaz. Ash’s voice echoes in my head, I turn my head expecting to see her in here with us, but she’s right outside the fire. Please do it now. I can’t lose you. 

“What are you doing?” he asks.

I grip the hilt of the dagger tight. “You need to admit what you did to me.”

Confusion clouds his face. “What are you talking about?”

“That night in your car.” 

He sucks his teeth. “What about it? We both had fun?” There’s a smugness to his voice that sends a sliver of disgust down my back. I kick him in the face. “Yo what the hell?”

He wipes the blood from his lips and tries to stand, but I counter that with another kick to his side. 

Jazmine! You have one minute left! Please! Ash begs.

I need him to admit it. I need to hear the words fall from his fat lips. He can’t die without admitting the truth.

“Admit it!” I demand, fighting back tears. 

I kick his side again.  

“You got one more time to kick me and I’m going to beat yo ass!”

I let him stand. He towers over me, jutting his chest out in a lame attempt at intimidation. I’m not scared anymore. There's a layer of gloss on his eyes; one blink and a tear will fall. Guilt tugs at the corners of his lips. He’s crumbling right before me.

“Admit what you did!” I yell.

His hand goes to his rib. “What do you want me to say? That I took advantage of you? Fine! I took advantage of you, bitch. You happy?”

30 seconds! KILL HIM! Tina’s voice rings in my skull this time. This is not a joke. You will die!

I sigh. “Just say it Jordan. You know what you did.”

His lips fumble. A tear finally falls. And when I think he’s about to say it, his mouth closes. His eyes drift to the dagger in my hand. 

“I need you to say it.”

He swallows. 

Ten seconds. 

“I. . . I . . . Raped you.”

I dive on top of him, the dagger pierces his chest, splattering my face with his blood. The warm metallic taste seeps onto my tongue. He releases an agonizing scream that makes my ears ring. Instantly am yanked off of his body. He starts to ascend skyward as if he’s being tethered by an invisible string.

His screams continue as the dagger sinks deeper into his chest by an unknown force. Watching him wither like a dying roach brings a sadistic sense of joy to my heart. His life force drains, funneling into me, and I feel stronger than a titan. I close my eyes as his life continues to pour inside of me, smiling at the surprisingly agonizing sound of justice. 

His screaming makes me think of Ash and Tina’s ringtones. Those dreadful recordings of men begging for their lives.

This is what it is. This is the music they murder boys to.

I look at the two sisters, their eyes are pools of black, as they sing in unison. 

We call upon the great witches before us, they sing, their voices harmonizing together. 

We ask that you protect her, Marie Laveu. 

We ask that you gift her with your voodoo magic. 

We ask that you guide her, La Voisin.

We ask that you gift her with your black magic,

Goddess Circe and Goddess Hecate, 

She gives you this man in exchange for power.

They snap their fingers. The fire disappears and Jordan's body falls. Before it crashes to the ground it vanishes into a big black cloud of wispy smoke. 

And we promise that at the end of her first year, they continue singing. 

She will bring you another witch. 

And if she fails, she will be burned at the stake. 

And once again. I’m fucked over. 

THE END. MUSIC TO MURDER BOYS TO.