Akata Witch

Chapter Three

[Saturday Morning - 9:15 A.M]

Kai was standing against her gate, a lit cigarette in her fingers, pressed against her lips. She looked up the street when she heard Chichi scream Sunny's name. She grinned and blew out, smoke falling from her mouth in a small cloud as she leaped over her fence. She dropped the cigarette and crushed the butt into the street and she strolled up to the other girls.

"Whatssup?" She slurred her words, a lazy smile on her face. Sunny wrinkled her nose at the smoke smell and Chichi laughed. "You using the cigs before 10, huh?" Kai grinned. "You know it. Want one?" Kai offered one to Chichi, who took it and pocketed it. Sunny shook her head and Kai shrugged. "Let's head to Orlu's. Then we can finally get going." Kai seemed excited for whatever they were doing.

The girls walked over to Orlu's house and he was waiting at his gate. "Good morning," Sunny said politely. "Nice shoes," Chichi said, looking at his red Chuck Taylors. He smiled. "My mom's brother is visiting and he brought me these," he said.

"Where are we going?" Sunny questioned. Orlu and Chichi shared a look and Kai rummaged around in her pockets for something, not really paying attention. "You told your parents you'd be back by 3?" Orlu asked Sunny.

"Four," Sunny grinned proudly. "Nice!" Kai complimented. She had taken out another cigarette and lit it, making a small puff of smoke as she turned her head away from the group. Orlu and Sunny both wrinkled their noses at this. "I asked my mom about this," Orlu said, facing Sunny and Chichi. Kai walked a few feet away to not disturb her friends while she took a smoke. "She was really mad at me for making the trust knot with Sunny." Sunny looked slightly disgruntled at this.

"She has to be involved with this. I told you what my mother said." Chichi said, her tone angry. Orlu sighed. "Well...I asked my parents. They said that she can't step foot in the Leopard Knocks without being....fully initiated." Chichi turned her face away, a smile on her lips. In the background Kai started coughing, holding her cig away from her mouth as she was bent on her knees.

"Chichi, you knew this was a rule!" Orlu cried exasperatedly. She laughed. "I did. What better way to get her initiated?" Orlu opened his mouth but closed it after a few seconds, thinking. "All right you guys, can you start explaining? Leopard Knocks? Initiation? What is going on?" Sunny placed a hand on her hip, the other holding a large black umbrella, shielding her pale skin from the sun. "Just come see it for yourself." Kai said, her voice slightly scratchy. Her eyes had a dazed look, with her lazy smile, it made her look like she was high. Sunny stepped slightly away. "As If She Has A Choice Now!" Orlu snapped at her. "As if any of us do, now.." he whispered.

"Oh, relax," Kai waved off his concern. "She's one of us. Me, Chichi, even Chichi's mom thinks that she's one of us. You're the only one who doesn't." Orlu scoffed at her. "Would you want to go through something like this without knowing anything?" Kai shrugged. "It's the only way, and you know that as much as I." Sunny groaned. "Please, stop talking like I'm not here.." Chichi then got closer to Sunny and she lowered her voice. "The worst that can happen is-" Sunny gritted her teeth. "Is What?!" She yelled. "We can never talk to you again and you can never speak of any of this." Chichi said plainly, turning on her heel and walking up the street, Orlu following after her. Sunny blinked for a few seconds and then her and Kai ran after the two, falling into place alongside them.

"So...where are we going?" She asked after they walked in silence. "Just tell me that, if nothing else." Chichi looked at her. "We're going to the hut of Anatov, Defender of Frogs and All Things Natural." Kai gave a soft chuckle. "Usin' his full title, eh?"

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The four got onto a cab on main street. "Take us to the Ariaria Market," Orlu told the driver and he gave him some naira. Sunny took some money out of her purse, but Orlu moved her hand away. "No, this is on me," he told her.