Witch {Book One} [UNEDITED]

IX: Insomnia

Meet at Common. Urgent. -F

I reread the text message sent from Flynn six or seven times before finally leaving the house and walking towards Common. Fifteen minutes later, I was the last to arrive. The rest of my cult was there. I slid on the table, crossing my legs and looking around.

"So. What did you want to talk about, Flynn?" Alice asked, picking at her black nails. Lucy and Sammy both nodded.

"I wanted to talk about the cult . . ." He said, running his hand through his dark, messy hair. "Not us five, but the others as well."

"You mean Jemma, Helena, and Simon? They're a part of our cult now?" Lucy piped up. "And why is it even called a cult? You weren't creative enough to name it?"

"We do have a name," I said simply. "Insomnia. That's our name."

"That's a shit name. I like it." Lucy smirked. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cherry lollipop. She stuck it in her mouth. I looked away.

"Yes, I mean Jemma, Helena, and Simon," Flynn said, bringing the conversation back to the cult. "I want them to join Insomnia."

"I think they should," I said a bit too quickly. The other four stared at me like I just announced that I had a third limb on my stomach. "I mean, I think it would be nice if they did. And I met a psychic yesterday. Two, actually. But I'm dating one of them. I think she should at least join, too. And Insomnia is my cult . . . I should decide who joins and who rots away in the Slum City." Slum City was our term for New Orleans. The outside layer of it, at least. The inner layer, the one with gangs and cults and supernatural beings, is what we called Eldorado.

I got another strange look from the others.

"You're dating someone?" Lucy asked.

"What's her name?" Flynn asked, grinning slightly.

"Bandit is actually dating someone?!" Alice exclaimed.

Samantha just blinked.

"Her name's October Mae. Her sister, Callie, is also a psychic," I said, braiding my thick hair to the side. "October Mae, Callie, Helena, Jemma, and Simon can join Insomnia. If they so please. And if they don't please, they can spend their lives in the Slum City." Unless they join one of our rival cults . . . I pursed my lips, waiting for a response from the others.

Sammy texted Helena who texted Jemma to meet at Common. I texted October Mae and she texted Callie while Flynn texted Simon to get his sick ass over there. Less than five minutes later, they all arrived.

"What's so important that I had to come here?" Helena demanded, looking at all of us. She wasn't wearing her intense outfit like she was last time. This time, she was in a pair of faded blue jeans, a black top and an oversized flannel over it. Her blonde hair was pinned back, making her look younger.

"Insomnia." Lucy grinned. "Bandit'll tell you all 'bout it."

All nine pairs of eyes shot towards my direction. I slid off of the table and brushed myself off.

"My cult," I said simply. "To avoid becoming a part of the Slum City--" or one of our rival cults "--we've recruited you to join Insomnia. My cult." Helena, Jemma, Simon, Callie, and October Mae all exchanged a look.

"Why not?" Jemma shrugged. "I need something to do when I'm not killing people at MJSE."

"Actually, joining a cult sounds fun." Helena grinned. "I'm in."

"If Flynn's here, I'm joining," Simon said, looking in Flynn's direction.

"Of course I'll join your cult, Bandit," October Mae said, smiling softly.

"And if O.M. joins, I'll join too. What the hell?" Callie said after a second. I grinned widely, looking at each and every one of my newest cult members.

"So, Bandit." Jemma twirled a strand of her pink hair around one of her fingers. "What do you do in your cult?" My grin widened as I turned and walked out of common. The older members of Insomnia didn't hesitate to follow. The newest members followed hesitantly after them.

CHURCH OPEN FOR BELIEVERS: 7 AM-5 PM. OPEN FOR SINNERS: 7 PM TO MIDNIGHT.

I checked my phone for the time. Eight thirty p.m. I smirked and kicked open the door. The group of people huddled in the center of the room looked up and in our direction.

"I'm assuming you're the Union?" I asked, my voice loud. It echoed in the near-empty church. "Hey. We're Insomnia. This is our church. Get. The hell. Out." I popped my knuckles, the cracking sound bouncing off of the walls.

A girl walked forward and away from the Union.

"Bandit, aren't ya?" She asked, walking close to me. "Not what I 'spected. Too . . . femme. Thought may'e . . ." She craned her neck before pointing to Lucy. "M'by somein' like that bitch there would be Insomnia's head. Hail Satan? Yes please." Lucy's pierced lips formed a straight line.

"Flattered," she muttered, stepping forward. "I'm assuming you're the Union's preppy little shit leader? Calpurnia, ain't you? You're too much bark, ain't enough bite. How many preps are in your little club? Six? We have ten. You ain't even a damn cult."

Lucy blinked only once before Calpurnia swung her fist, landing it along Lucy's jaw. She stumbled back from the impact but did nothing more.

"Bandit?" She asked. "Can we beat the living shit out of this pansy little club?" I smirked, nodding once before raising my fist in the air.

"Occide, et angelis; caelum et infernum!" I yelled before kneeing Calpurnia in the stomach and kicking her down. The phrase was the signal for the other nine to charge at the wimpy members of the Union. Kill the angels; heaven belongs to hell. It was what we wrote everywhere. Whenever we vandalized we wrote that. Whenever we attacked another cult and stole their members, we forced them to get that tattooed. We all had it engraved in our skin with ink. The new members would get their tattoos later.

I swung my leg around, knocking Calpurnia down once more before sliding the switchblade strapped to my thigh out. Before Calpurnia could even say anything, I stabbed her in the arm. I left the blade there, listening to her scream in agony, before joining the others as they fought the remaining five members of the Union.

I punched another member, causing them to fall over.

"So this is what you do for fun?" Jemma called over the action.

"Only when bitches like these ask for it." I smirk, kicking another in the gut.

Several minutes passed before only one person from the Union was left. He stood surrounded by the unconscious and possibly dead bodies of his once cult.

"Don't kill me," he said quickly, throwing his hands up. Surrendering.

"Why not?" I asked, pacing a circle around the members of the Union. "I mean, you were using my space. I don't like it when sissy lil' bitches like yourself use my shit. So, why shouldn't I kill your sorry ass?"

"Because she won't like it," he whispered, pointing to something behind me. I whipped around just in time to watch as Calpurnia stabbed my switchblade through my esophagus.

"Good work, Atticus," I heard Calpurina say as I slumped to the ground, ripping the knife free from my throat.

"Burn in Hell," Atticus said. Calpurnia made a screeching sound, a choking sound, a gurgling sound, and she went silent.

By that point, I was silent, too.

Then, I saw the translucent shadow colored hand reach out and touch my throat. My eyes rolled back into my head and I fell limp against the wooden floorboards of the Church for Sinners.