A Deal Worth A Lifetime [ Alastor x Reader ]

Chapter 27: The Day We Met and the Day I Knew

Feet hitting the floor, the boy stood from his bed. Sliding on round glasses before starting to get ready for the day. His mother always left early on Wednesday's and he was determined to join her this time. Making it downstairs just in time. His mother getting ready to leave, a woven basket in hand containing who knows what.

"Mum," the woman turned, "can I go with you today?" His mother was hesitant, thinking it over.

"Why not," he didn't waste any more time, joining her side and waiting to go, "as long as you don't tell your father, where we're going today is a secret." Holding a finger to her lips, nose crinkled as she smiled. He agreed without a second thought.

"Where are we going?" Asking his mother as soon as they stepped outside. Eager to know where his mother went on these days. Days when his father had a much longer shift and when he would make supper in her place, using the recipes she taught him

"You'll see," locking the door behind her she started on her way, "I think it's about time you learned more than just reading the cards." So that's where she was going today. It was those lessons he loved the most. She would teach him about the Loa, what they each contributed to the world. Her favourites from what he could understand were Dumballah, Loko and Erzulie. The Loa of rain, vegetation and of hopes and aspirations.

Once reaching the town they caught a bus, standing together in the crowd of people. Getting off after arriving at their destination, the Bayou. A place he had been only on occasion, his father scarcely brought him hunting and his mother's lessons like this were far and in between. Out of his daze, he noticed his mother had already started making her way into the bush.

Rushing to her side as she started toward the cottage. Tall trees keeping the structure tucked away, the front of it facing out into the long grass. Luckily it was in a more dry area of the marshlands, a perfect distance from the murky waters filled with threats. The souls of his shoes filling with mud as they pressed on, his mother gathering up her skirt revealing her tall black boots.

He couldn't be more relieved upon their arrival, stepping up onto the wooden deck and ridding their shoes of grass and sticky mud. Letting her skirt drop and fall around her before entering the cottage, humming as she immediately went to the rug. Following her inside, looking all around. Just above the door was a loft, a bannister across it to prevent anyone from falling while a ladder had been built into the same wall as the door. A brick fireplace along the wall to his right and kitchen space to his left, a small table and chair sitting under a window. There was a couch against the back wall and a large rug in the centre of the room.

"Al, could you bring me my basket please?" His mother was rolling up the carpet, her basket not much farther away from the fireplace.

Scrambling into action and grabbing the woven basket, bringing it to her and watching as she dug through it. Pulling out a small key and opening up the entryway, climbing down the wooden ladder. Moving to the side once making it to the bottom to allow him into the room. Careful steps down until his foot found the bottom, letting go and examining the dim-lit room. His mother took a box of matches out and began lighting up the various candles around the small area.