I didn’t want to believe Madame Laveau. There’s no way. Suddenly, this vacation to New Orleans wasn’t so relaxing and fun anymore. I ran back to our air BNB to meet up with the rest of the gang and warn them.

“So, basically, if we don’t get the necklace Rico bought from that creepy guy on the street to this “voodoo priest” who lives in the bayou by midnight tomorrow, we all will die? All because it’s some magical bloodstone?” Rochelle was always dramatic, but unfortunately there was no easy way to drop the news. The hourglass the Madame gave me was on the center of the table. We didn’t have much time.

Rico was furious. “Bro, I did not pay this old weirdo $25 for this necklace just to give it away to someone else who is supposedly going to sell our souls to the underworld or whatever. Besides, I bought this for my girl back home, Trinity.”

“Rico, Trinity is using you. She knows your dads rich and famous. That’s the only reason she likes you. Why do you think she didn’t come?” Rochelle secretly was infatuated with Rico, but as a best friend trio she didn’t want to mess up the gang. We had all been friends since diapers. My dad was a DJ at a nightclub where him, Rochelle’s mom and Rico’s dad all used to go before they hit it big. I say they, but really only Rico’s dad made it “big”. He featured my dad and her mom on different tracks out of respect, but that was it.

“Guys, we don’t have time for this. Let’s take the cursed necklace and head to that airboat rental place. Maybe someone there knows where to find this Papa Legba.”

“That place closes at 8, Jaxson. It’s 7:45. We won’t make it.”

“Well, I guess we will have to go first thing in the morning. I’m starving.”

“Let’s go to that Jumbo Gumbo restaurant down the street.”

A giant swirl of magenta and gray smoke starting rising from the floor engulfing us and making us gasp for air. The fog was so thick, we couldn’t see each other.

“Rico? Jaxson?”

“Rochelle reach out your hands!”

Eerie laughter started booming from the walls. We were surrounded by a voice.

“The hourglass is halfway empty. Madame warned you. The underworld is expecting 3 new souls to devour.”

“Papa Legba? We..we’re going to bring you the necklace. We ppppppromise.”

“Yeah...wwwe jjjjust need to know whwhwhere to find you in the bbbayou.”

“HAHAHAHA.”

The laughter grew louder and louder. I thought my heart was going to explode in my chest. Just as quickly as it arose, the smoke descended back into the crevices of the creaking wood floor.

“Well, at least we know that they are serious.”

“This dude doesn’t play games, bro!”

“So gumbo time?”

“Yup. First we eat, then we research this papa guy and the bloodstone to figure out what we’re getting ourselves into.”