The creaking was evident in the quiet of the warm afternoon. Booger sat in his rocking chair
and looked out over the river that he had called home for many years. An old flyswatter sitting
at his side he affectionately thought of as his alli-swatter; as the flies here could be as big and
as ornery as the native alligator. The warm breeze, and the bright sun with intermittent bits of
shadow casting upon the porch, lulled old Booger into a sort of peaceful trance. As he
continued to rock back and forth, he drifted into a light nap. His head began to nod toward his
chest.
When he awoke, the darkness enveloped the porch. The sounds of singing birds had been
replaced with crickets chirping. Booger decided to go inside and grab a bite to eat. One look
in the icebox was a reminder that he hadn’t gone to market in a week. He grabbed a can of
mandarin oranges, and a spoon, and sat down to eat. After his snack, Booger turned on his
old radio and tuned in to some Louis Armstrong. He couldn’t help to do a little jig before he sat
in his old torn Lazy boy. “Heh Heeeh Tain’t a thin’ can compayah!” He sat down with wide
grin.
Old Booger’s weakness was Stephen King novels. Long, short, novel, and novella; didn’t
mattah. The man loved Stephen king. That is where he stayed for the remainder of the
evening and fell asleep reading. His dreams were of loup garou and a dark black woman
with evil eyes as old as time itself.
Next Morning 7:30 am
“Arrgghh he grumbled as he stretched. He realized he had fallen asleep in his perfectly
broken in Lazyboy which was fine but a little hard on his back.
The banks of the Red River in Alexandria were alive with sounds of nature this morning.
Knowing he had put off the hot trip long enough, he had to get some groceries. A sticky heat
greeted him as he headed toward his dock.
Around the second bend of the river was his favorite market, he was partial to going by water.
He had a 14 ft motorized aluminum boat that suited his purposes fine. The trip was always an
enjoyable one. Mostly anyhow. Yes mostly. Except that first bend. That was where she lived.
There it sat on the bank of a more narrow part of the bend, stilted shack it was. Was a
disgrace t’was still standing, Old Booger shook off a chill and clutched the mojo sack that lay
beneath his shirt. She enjoyed taunting him. Yeah she put the fear of everything evil in him fer
sho’! He did his best not to let that fear shine through.
The locals called her Black Mamba Mama. Her bite was poison, and she was feared,
respected and if all possible avoided. “Dayah be dat old hag” Booger, in a quiet husky voice
mumbled under his breath as he motored slowly by. As many folks from the south, the old
woman sat on her stilted porch, in an old rocking chair that seemed to be constructed of
random sticks.
Their eyes met and locked into a jagged duel of glares. Both refusing to look away. She was
just a little bit of a thing, no bigger than a minute. Her size could be deceiving, as folks claimed
she had powers the size of a mountain. A really mean mountain! Booger, despised the old
hag. She had cursed his father to a life filled with misery and bad luck. Booger had followed in
kind as well. He too had to constantly be on guard. His brother, well sah, he wasn’t around
anymore to worry about it.
There are two choices a person can make when practicing the arts. They can choose to use
it for good, or they can choose to use it for bad. Miss Mamba chose the latter...
Summer 1939
The door of the shack slowly creaked open of its own accord. “Well whatcha waiting fo child,
get in heyah!” Hailey Ann had made no announcement of her arrival, nor had she made
arrangements to see the old woman. Hesitantly she stepped in the threshold and the door
slam shut behind her. Hailey swallowed and moved toward the woman. “You want him to
pay, don’t you child” Miss Mamba’s voice was quiet; raspy.
“I-I brought money and a gold bracelet; a family heirloom”
“Mmm ‘tis a start” “Leave the belongings on the table next to you.” “Don’t you want to count the
money?” “No child, no need for that”
Mamba told the girl of some items she would need and to return within three days. Hailey did
as told and before she left, was advised to never speak of the matter again. She had been
told that a curse would be placed on Walker and any offspring he would have in the future. A
strange uninvited thought went through Hailey’s mind as she exited the old shack. Tenfold.
One word. Almost a whisper inside here head. She paused and caught her breath. With a
shiver she did her best to avoid the dangling bones that hung from Miss Mamba’s porch. On
she went down the path that led into the darkening woods.
Booger’s Mama had told him the story of how His Papa had endured daily bad luck and was
constantly on the lookout.
There was nothing that would cure it; Walker had tried every concoction, good luck charm
and went through countless rituals, but the curse had been too powerful. He had taken his
bad luck to his grave, leaving a residue behind for his sons.
Booger had never gotten married. He didn’t want a family to endure what he went through on
a daily basis. Snakes under his bed- oh yeah dat evil woman she like da snakes! Last
Thursday evening had been the worst though...
Booger woke up in the wee hours of the morning, to find a small red yellow and black slimy
creature slithering at a steady pace directly toward his face. The Eastern Coral Snake was
focused. Booger acted quickly and snapped his blanket up and in return, flipped the snake off
the bed. He regrouped, got out of bed and tossed his pillow onto it quick like. He held down
that pillow for a good ten minutes, and then hesitantly lifted it only to find a small twig instead of
a deadly snake!
Lately the attacks had become more sinister; evil minded. Booger felt something bad stirring
in the atmosphere surrounding him. Not just the sticky heat, not just the women in front of the
market bickering.
He walked into the store unknowingly avoiding a Brown Recluse. The spider scattered
quickly off the doorknob just as Booger grabbed hold. He gathered his weekly supply of
groceries in a small basket and requested some incense from behind the counter.
On the ride home, he reflected back on events over the last couple of weeks. The attacks
were getting worse, almost as if there was urgency behind them…an urgency to complete a
task. Things like the night terrors. The inhuman voices of things unknown lurking about.
Scraping sounds on the wooden floors when nothing could be seen. Occasionally he heard
an insane laugh. Yeah the only thing that kept old Booger going was the pure animal instinct
of survival.
The old woman watched as Booger passed back by her porch. “He needs to be dealt wit but
fer good!” Time was running short; her age was finally taking hold of her. Her powers were
getting weaker and harder to control. As she got into her weekly glaring contest with Booger,
her mind was working the Voudoo. He would have a nice surprise at home tonight. He had
been a strong and stubborn soul to deal with. It had taken a lot out of Miss Mamba.
Booger had a natural energy of light surrounding him, and it had helped him so far. His father
and brother had been easier to break down. “Hehe” she cackled at the memory of his brother
going slowly insane before he passed on.
She arose from her old chair after Booger had passed by, and headed inside to gather
ingredients…
Groceries unpacked, Booger lit incense and said a prayer of protection.
He had always done this daily as a routine, but lately he had increased the routine to several
times a day. The rest of the early evening was uneventful and peaceful. His old buddy Blue
stopped by and they talked for awhile.
Booger if you look behind you again I swayah that your neck is gonna plum fall off yah
shouldahs! What is wrong my friend? Tell me.”
After much coaxing Booger told his friend of his fears. Blue vowed to stop by more often and
before he left, he performed a strong protection chant. With a pat on the back from his life long
buddy, he left.
11:58 pm
The bed was shaking violently! Booger awoke in a sweat. He rubbed his eyes and thought he
was dreaming. Laughing filled the small home. A black cloud of smoke dance about the
room. This was no natural made smoke! No sah! This smoke had an evil and directed
intelligence and it was done playing. Furniture shook all around as the smoke stopped and
hovered a moment before heading straight toward Booger! Old Booger knew that if that
smoke cloud hit him, it would be the end and she would win. The animal instinct to survive
again kicked in and Booger avoided the direct “hit” from the swirl of blackness. Knocking over
an old chair in his path, he made his way to his dresser and grabbed a beveled hanging
mirror off the wall. He turned around just as the evil was making a second attempt at him.
Booger held that mirror up as if was a spiritual sword that would save his very soul.
The smoke hit the mirror and exploded into a bed of blue sparks then vanished. Was it done?
Did the old hag have other plans for him as well? At the same time this was happening…
Miss Mamba was laughing. She sat in her chair watching it all in her minds eye. Her senses
had dulled over time and weren’t as sharp as they used to be. She didn’t notice as the small
Eastern Coral Snake made its way quietly up the back of her chair.
A strange thought entered her mind at that time… Tenfold
Tracey H
PROOF Paranormal