Voodoo Masters

Chapter 8

"Okay mom I've got to go now," Taylor said, desperate to get off the phone. "I'm going out with my new friends." Her mother gasped and said,
"You made new friends? That's wonderful! Well then I won't keep you. Go out and have some fun!" Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose as she slipped a pair of flip flops onto her feet.

"Okay thanks mom. Bye," she mumbled before hanging up the phone. She let out a sigh when she finally shoved her green iphone into her pocket. Taylor loved her mom to pieces, but she could ramble on while talking on the phone for ages. She just kept asking stupid questions that Taylor had to lie about to cover up her horrible life so far.

Within the next few minutes Taylor pulled up a map of the city on her phone and closed up her apparent. She rushed down the stairs, hoping to avoid seeing Karin or any of her friends that may have stayed the night at her place. The building was mostly empty, so Taylor was able to slip out the front doors without encountering anyone. Instead of taking her car into the main part of town, she decided to walk. It only took about 5 minutes to reach the main city.

There were way more people there than there were around her building. Cars lined the sides of the roads and every single bike rack was filled. A few people were walking away from the city but most were going in, so Taylor picked a person who looked like they knew what they were doing and followed them.

The second Taylor reached the open center of the city, she remember why she loved this place so much. The black concrete was replaced with dark colored stones that lead into the city. Every single building was straight out of the past with elaborate arches and bright colors. Flowers in baskets were hanging from almost every porch and older people rocked gently in their rocking chairs.

People filled the streets and there were no cars in sight. Only bikes and even a few horse drawn carriages. Taylor smiled at the sight of this old city, bringing back memories. It really looked as if she had stepped back in time. She walked into the city and was immediately handed about 4 fliers by shop owners she passed by. All of them advertised upcoming sales in honor of Mardi Gras which was in a few weeks.

Taylor's move here could not have been at a better time. It gave her time to settle in, find a job, and make friends just in time for the celebrations of Mardi Gras. She had always dreamt of what it would be like to actually be in the city where this celebration started. Growing up she would picture herself attending the crazy parties, dressing up in a colorful mask and dancing the night way with mysterious strangers.

Over the next hour or so, Taylor did some shopping for the things she needed for her home. She picked up
a lot of decorations for her apartment, wanting to add a little more of her style to it. It was helpful that the apartment came fully furnished, so Taylor really didn't have to spend too much money on furniture.

After she had finished her necessary shopping, Taylor decided to do something a little fun and get some new clothes for herself. After exploring a few shops down the crowded walkway, she was able to find a store just for women's clothes. The inside was very modern, unlike the rest of this part of the city. Pop music was playing over the speakers, and there only seemed to be one other customer in there along with maybe two employes.

Taylor let out a sigh and started to skim over the circular racks of clothes. She was able to find a blouse that she liked and two maxi skirts. Just when she had decided to head to the check out counter, she hear a voice behind her.
"Hey there hun!"

Taylor tuned around to see a familiar face. It was the girl she had talked to at the party the other night. Her black hair was a bit less greasy, but it still reflected the bright lights of the store. Taylor noticed a black tattoo that was barely noticeable against her dark skin peaking out from under the sleeve of her uniform T-shirt.

"Oh, hi!" Taylor replied, still a little shy. The girl gave her a huge grin and basically yelled,
"Remember me? From the party? I was the one who ran into you and told you about Liam!" Taylor nodded and said,
"Yeah I remember." She paused for a moment before adding, "Well I found him and I hate him."

The girl tilted her head back and let out a laugh, making the one other customer shoot her a look from across the store.
"Aw come on! He's a little dark sure but you'll get used to him. Besides, he's just so freaking hot isn't he?" She rambled on, wiggling her eye brows. Taylor shook her head, still a little uncomfortable with this strange girl.

"I'm Layla," she said, finally introducing herself. Layla extended her hand and Taylor shook it, gaining her confidence.
"I'm Taylor. I just moved in about 5 minutes away from here," she said with a smile. Layla's long red nails brushed the back of Taylor's hand and she shivered at the feeling.

"So how do you like the city so far?" Layla asked her, simultaneously pulling a dress off a rack and then shoving it onto another.
"I love this part of the city! It's just how I imagined it. It feels like I went back in time," Taylor explains with a smile. "My only complaints are the location of my apartment, my neighbors, and the fact that I have no friends yet."

"Don't worry I'll be your friend Taylor," Layla laughed, giving her shoulder a quick pat. Taylor couldn't help but think that she liked this girl way better now than she had at that party. With a sigh of relief she laughed and offered a thanks. A huge weight was finally lifted off her shoulders at the thought of finally having a friend here.