you weren't a native to new orleans, but on beautiful nights such as these you desperately wished you were.
this street in particular was decorated with all kinds of colored fairy lights, different flags hanging all around the place as waiters and waitresses from all the local cafes invited you to come try their speciality. while the chargrilled oysters and the beignets were absolutely delicious, you weren't there just for the food. not tonight at least.
your destination was only a ten minute walk, but it felt like an eternity. it was definitely worth it though. the main streets were beautiful on its own, but you always found yourself enjoying the city the most in the dark alleys, the places where they told you not to go, but also the same place where you found the people with golden hearts who sang the songs you'd dance to until the day you died.
the atmosphere changed almost within a second and if only you believed in magic, you would think you stepped through a portal to another universe. a different reality than the one you were in just mere seconds ago, but somehow the only difference between the two places were two steps. it was an entirely different world; a world you enjoyed far more.
people warned you about drug dealers, strippers, even gang members, but no one warned you about the stories you'd never forget, the people who left behind an impact on you and the others who gave you the best time of your life, dancing until early in the morning or until you had to face reality again.
this night was no different as only a few seconds after you joined your friends, a bottle of alcohol was already pushed in your hands by a girl with a bright smile who invited you to come join her by the campfire. you rejected her, promising to sit with her the next day. she said she'd make sure of that. after all, it'd be rude to break a promise just like that.
you didn't mind that at all. you just kissed her cheek before pushing her in the direction of the campfire while shouting after her to say hello to the others for you. even if you didn't know them, it didn't mean you had no reason to be friendly to them.
you continued on with your journey through the dark alley, the only light sources being the small campfire and the fairy lights from the outside. the street lanterns were broken on purpose a long time ago to ensure the mood always stayed the same and no one minded because they wouldn't want to trade this night for anything else.
everyone had a friend, but when you reached the end of the street you realized that maybe it wasn't everyone. leaning against a wallv underneath an olive tree with a cigarette in his mouth and a half empty bottle of booze next to him on the floor, it looked like there was only one person who didn't have anyone. you didn't like sticking your nose in someone else's business, but you ended up approacing him anyways.
you noticed that when you introduced himself, he jumped a little as if he wasn't expecting it. shortly after he just laughed before he said he was marcelo, a name that rolled so easily off your mouth when you repeated it and sounded even better when you said it for a second time, which appeared to amuse him if you could judge by the little smile on his face.
he asked you if you had a lighter, a simple question, and you were glad enough to say yes as you handed him the lighter. after he lit his cigarette, you thought that all that'd happen was that you got your lighter back, but you were surprised when you found yourself suddenly facing the cigarette. he didn't say anything, but it was clear that he was offering you to take a drag from it.
if there was one thing you've learnt from nights such as these, it was to never say no to people. even the most shady looking people were never dangerous in this place and if there was any danger, it'd be taken care of instantly. so you trusted him and in return offered the bottle of alcohol you were given. he took it and placed it next to the other bottle as he let you hold the cigarette.
moments as these where when you wondered how people could possibly distrust others simply because they preferred the company of the dark rather than that of the light. when he took back the cigarette, you decided to be bold and ask what his deal was. he seemed unsure before answering he was just waiting for someone. you wanted to ask who, but you didn't think you were in the place to ask such questions. regardless of how friendly and trusting everyone was, there were still certain things you couldn't do. personal life questions were one of them.
instead you asked him if he minded your company and he said no, so you stuck around as you quietly passed the cigarette around and occasionally took swigs from the alcohol. it only made your throats burn more, but also made the mood better.
to keep a conversation going, you asked about the amulet hanging around his necklace. you found it a rather odd one, but it was also interesting at the same time. it somehow reminded you of medusa, but perhaps a male version of her or the same species. whatever it was, it perked your interest.
marcelo smiled as he held the amulet up to take a look at it himself before explaining it was a gorgeneion that he attached to the necklace he once crafted years ago, but never hung something onto. he said it was believed in greek mythology that it had godlike attributes and that it was his own personal protective pendant.
it looked a little unsettling for a supposedly protective pendant, but you could let it slide. you've heard far stranger things in the alleys of new orleans, this wasn't the first time, but most of the times people were drunk when they told you such things. still though, you couldn't judge him.
but since you didn't want to be rude, you continued the conversation and decided to ask what he'd do if someone took the amulet from him. he laughed and wondered out loud if you were expecting him to give an angry answer. despite shaking your head, he said he'd exaggerate the answer for you and claimed that he'd change whoever stole it from him into a spider.
if the amulet already unsetled you, the answer surely creeped you out completely. while marcelo appeared relatively harmless, he had a certain vibe that you were starting to like less the more questions you asked. you remembered the girl who had invited you to the campfire and thought of maybe joining them now.
but you weren't given the chance to say you were leaving as marcelo beat you to it already. a simple murmur that the person he was waiting for had finally arrived and a thank you for sticking around with him. he put out the cigarette before throwing it in the bin nearby before leaving the olive tree he was seated under to further venture down into the dark alley, leaving you lost for words.
the next time you came, the same girl who had invited you to the campfire gave you a little box that she was told to give to you. a sticker of an spider was what held the box together and once you opened the box, you found a familiar looking pendant and an owl plushie inside.
somehow you knew exactly who it was from as the longer you looked at the pendant, the more you could feel why it was seen as protective.
