Arthur stayed in College Park on the north-east side of Newfield. It wasn’t quite the hood, but not quite the suburbs either. Most of the rooms in his large basement level apartment were used for either growing or processing marijuana. He and Ikher sat in his living room, the only other room aside from his bedroom not used for growing.

  “I’m telling you, the entire universe is energy. And you can’t get rid of or create energy. It’s that shit Einstein was talking about. Or was it Newton? Fuck, I’m too high.” Arthur laughed, balancing on one foot while waving a small samurai sword through the smoke filled air.

  He was taller and a bit more muscular than Ikher, with a clean face and short buzzed black hair.

  Ikher, on the couch, shook his head after taking a pull from the blunt. “Yeah, don’t think that’s how it works. How do you account for stuff like a nuclear bomb? That’s making energy.”

  “Uh uh,” Arthur said, wagging the sword at Ikher, the ceiling lights reflecting off the sword. “That’s just changing energy that was already in the bomb.”

  Arthur’s big smile, wild eyes, and extravagant mannerisms put some people on edge. He and Ikher had known each other since high school. They’d hit it off quickly, Ikher’s mellow balancing Arthur’s exuberance.

  “Okay, but how does that relate to resurrection?” Ikher asked, kicking his leg up on the back of the couch.

  “Reincarnation,” Arthur said, spinning on one foot before he stopped and tapped his chin with the tip of the sword. “Though, I suppose it would apply to resurrection as well. But yeah, resurrection or reincarnation. Souls are just energy. And since you can’t get rid of or create energy, you can’t get rid of or create souls.”

  “Yeah but new people are born all the time.”

  Arthur pointed the sword at Ikher before he spun again, whirling the sword around him. “New bodies are born. The body is just a vessel for the soul. And the soul, my friend, is eternal.”

  Arthur ended his speech with a pirouette followed by folding his knees and sitting down cross legged. He laid the sword on the ground in front of him as Ikher handed over the blunt.

  Ikher shrugged. “I guess that makes sense. My mom says we’re all connected.”

  “Your mom’s right. You’ve never thought about what happens after we die?”

  “A little. When my dad died, I wondered if I’d ever get to see him again.”

  “You will. Though, he might not be your dad next time.” Arthur said as he punctuated his words by pointing the blunt at Ikher. “He might be your son, or your mother, or the teacher you hated the most in high school.”

  Ikher laughed as Arthur passed back to him. “I mean, sure. If you say so.”

  “I know so,” Arthur said, tapping the tattoo of a phoenix on his chest that barely stood out against his medium brown skin before pushing himself to stand. Ikher chucked, shaking his head as Arthur attempt to kick the sword up two or three times before he could grab it.

  “For real,” Arthur said, dropping and catching the sword with his foot before tossing it back up. “I used to smoke with a guy who could see people’s souls. He said the soul’s never looked like the body and had a bunch of different faces.”

  “Yeah. I’d say you smoked too much.” Ikher laughed, holding out the blunt. Arthur balanced on one foot and reached over the glass coffee table with the sword. Ikher pulled his hand back from the sharp sword tip. “Dude, come on.”

  “Boy! You better put that blunt on there. My shit is tight. I’d never drop that fire.” Arthur started poking at him with the sword.

  “Dude! Seriously! That thing’s sharp.”

  “Hell yeah it is, but again, my shit is tight. Gimme that fire. Give it.”

  “All right, all right!” Ikher reached out and placed the blunt on the end of the sword.

  Arthur brought it back over the coffee table. Still balanced on one foot, he craned his head almost upside down so he could take a hit without removing it from the sword. He took a long pull before straightening himself and twisting the sword, which flung the blunt in the air.

  Arthur reached for it with his free hand but missed, knocking it toward Ikher. Ikher played an unintentional game of hot potato before he caught it without burning himself.

  “Whooo! See, that fire gives you them reflexes.” Arthur put his hands together and bowed to Ikher before sheathing the sword. “You still need another kilo?”

  “Huh? If that’s a brick, then yeah.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m switching over to the metric system.”

  “I’ll take that then,” Ikher said, standing and pulling out a roll of cash.

----------------------------------------

  Janine heard the door close and looked to see Ikher skip down the steps and jump into her van. When the smell hit her, she waved her hand in front of her nose and rolled down her window.

  “Damn boy! You’re high as fuck.”

  Ikher looked to her, his eyes huge. “It’s that obvious?”

  “You reek and your eyes are red as hell. Did y’all not open a window?”

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  Ikher dropped the passenger visor down and jumped when he saw how right Janine was. Pulling eye drops out of his bag made Janine giggle as she pulled out onto the road.

  She laughed. “You’re such a boy scout.” As they joined traffic, Janine rolled through the channels on the radio. “Crap. Crap. Crap. What’s the point of different radio stations, if they’re all going to play the same shit?”

  “Wait, that last song was good.”

  Janine screwed her mouth to the side as she glanced at him. “That’s your youth talking.”

  “No, for real! Not everything’s bad. Give some new stuff a chance.”

  “Oh, I do. Most of its trash. Music’s become more about entertainment and less about sending a message. The songs I grew up with all had meaning.”

  Ikher laughed and poked her in the arm. “When did you grow up? Jim crow?”

  “Ha ha, smart ass. I’m not that old.”

  Ikher squinted at her. “Actually, that’s a good question. How old are you?”

  “How old do you think I am?” Janine asked, flashing him a huge grin.

  Ikher shook his head. “Uh uh, I’m not dumb enough to fall for that.”

  She laughed. “No, really, I’m curious. How old do you think I am?”

  Ikher paused for a second. “I don’t know. You don’t look old, but some things you say makes me wonder.”

  “Maybe I have an old soul.”

  Ikher pursed his lips, squinting at her as he scratched his goatee. “Thirty... one.”

  “Ooooh, shit. Flattery will get you everywhere young man,” she said and patted his knee.

  “Wait... you’re older?”

  “I’ll be forty next year.”

  “Get the out,” he said, wide eyed. “You don’t look forty.” Janine flashed him another big grin.

  “Forty doesn’t look the same on everyone. Though, I have a genetic advantage. My people don’t age like the rest of y’all do.”

  Ikher shook his head and looked out the front window. “Damn, I didn’t think you were that much older than me.”

  She shrugged. “Good living. Good genetics.”

  They drove south to where Newfield blended with the port area. Janine had just pulled off the main road when she saw something in her rear view.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she said as the squawk of a police siren made Ikher jump. He looked in the side mirror and back to her with terror in his eyes.

  Janine sighed. “The hell do they want?” She pulled over with her hazard lights on, threw her keys on the dashboard, and hung her hands on the steering wheel.

  “Just be cool and let me do the taking,” she said. When Ikher didn’t answer, she looked over to him, frozen in his seat with giant eyes. He held his backpack to his chest in a death grip with both arms. “Dude, you gotta relax.” Janine reached over and touched his arm. “Ikher, you gotta ease up,” she said, glancing back at the cop car. “Put the bag down between your feet.”

  “I’ve got a brick in here,” he whispered.

  “Okay,” she nodded. “It’s okay. But you need to breathe and put the bag down between your feet.” She grabbed the backpack strap and pulled. After a moment, he released it and she let it fall down to the floorboard. “Good job. Now breath for fuck’s sake.”

  In her mirror, the cop was approaching the van. “Ma’am, did you know your tail light is out?” the cop’s deep voice asked as he approached the driver’s side. When he reached her window, he whipped his gun out, pointing it in the car.

  “Hands where I can see them!”

  A high-pitched scream left Ikher as he threw his hands on the roof of the car. Janine put her arms out the window and covered her eyes as she looked out.

  “Deron? You asshole. I thought that was you. Put that shit away before you make my friend shit himself.”

  The cop laughed and holstered his pistol. Leaning on roof of the van, he looked in. He was a broad man, his uniform tight on his muscled arms. His light brown eyes matched his skin with dark freckles going across his nose. His shaved head reflected the sunlight.

  “What’s good J? You’re here early.”

  Janine glared at him and shifted her eyes to Ikher and back. “Deron, didn’t your car camera record you pulling your gun on us?”

  He laughed and jerked his thumb back to his cruiser. “Nah! We just unplug em.” He winked. “Technical difficulties.”

  Janine sighed and shook her head. “Jesus, I’m glad to see my tax dollars being put to good use.” She waved her hand to Ikher. “Deron, this is my buddy Ikher. Ikher, this is Officer Deron.”

  Ikher’s lips spread in a creepy grin and he waved, leaving his other hand on the roof. Deron blinked a couple times before looking at Janine.

  “Is he special?” he whispered, making Janine snort.

  “Yeah, yeah he is.” She turned to Ikher and shot him a nasty look before looking back to Deron. “So you just out here getting your harassment quota in or is my tail light actually out?”

  He flashed his best smile. “Nah, I just saw your car and figured I’d say hi.”

  Janine hung her head, took a deep breath, and grabbed her keys. “Boy, I have shit to do.”

  “Hold up,” he said, tapping the roof of her van. “You still messing with that tall ass Jamaican?”

  Janine’s eyebrows went up as she cocked her head to the side. “Why? You trying to be a side piece?”

  “I mean, if there’s an opening.”

  Janine chuckled and patted his chest. “Awww, you’re sweet, but you know I don’t eat pork.”

  Deron’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “Oh, that’s funny?” Janine laughed at his sad face and started her car. He tapped the roof again and leaned in. “Hey, for real. Don’t be out late if you can.”

  Janine’s brows drew together as she looked at him. “Why?”

  “You know that rich lady murder that’s all over the news. Word is, they found a bunch of other murders just like it in neighboring counties. Some all the way up past Costa Del Sol. They think it’s one person who’s been doing them.”

  “Oh damn. That’s some serial killer type shit.”

  “Right. I know you can handle yourself, but still.”

  Janine glanced at Ikher, then back to Deron with a sigh. “Do they think it’s a vampire that killed her?”

  Deron blinked. “What?”

  “You know, fangs, turns into a bat, drinks blood. A vampire.”

  Deron leaned back a bit and squinted at her. “Uhh, no.”

  Janine jerked a thumb at Ikher. “He had this friend who swore it was a vampire. Cause her neck was torn out and all.”

  Deron laughed. “I’ll tell the boys to be on the look out for Dracula.”

  “Right!” Janine said before she patted his chest again. “Good looking out, though. I might have to move you up on the waiting list.”

  Deron shook his head and pointed down the road. “Get out of here before I find something to ticket you for.”

  “Thaaank you, Deron,” Janine said in a sing song voice as she drove away. She shook her head as she turned back onto the main road.

  “Horny ass cops. Out here harassing law-abiding citizens, am I right?” When she didn’t get an answer, she looked over to find Ikher staring out the front window in a daze. She waved her hand in front of him. “Hey, earth to space man.”

  He looked down at his bag. “I have two pounds of weed. They would’ve locked me away forever,”

  Janine burst out laughing. “Stop being a drama queen. You don’t get life for two pounds. You get five years, twenty if you’re black. Besides,” she said as she gestured with her hands as she drove. “He would have had to prove that you had intent to distribute. Plus, he admitted he stopped me just to chat. So he had no reasonable suspicion to search the car.”

  When she glanced over, he was squinting at her, his mouth slightly agape.

  He shook his head like he was clearing it of cobwebs. “How do you know so much?”

  She shrugged. “If you’re going to play the game, you need to know the rules.”

  “Do you know all the cops around here?”

  “Most of em, yeah,” she nodded. “I, uh, used to make deliveries, so they all know me. Plus, I donate to their union. That’s like a get out of ticket free card.” She smiled and punching him in the shoulder. “So relax, Spaceman. I’ll get you home safe and sound. Then we can spark up some of that brick.”

  “Oh god. Please no. I’m way too high.”

  Janine snorted and shook her head. “Yall should have opened some windows.”