I Met a Drifter Who Walked out of the Darien Gap - [Part 5]

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4

I tried to grab Cassara and run, but she wouldn’t move, “Hey, Cassara, we gotta go!”

“She said she’d show me my mother!” Cassara protested.

Savannah’s hand was holding Cassara’s other hand tightly.  Despite me and Savannah pulling, Cassara didn’t budge, “Dat’s right love.  I’ll show yah yer mother and father,” the dust from the strange contraption rose up around her, “All ya need is to appease me Patron.” 

“Patron?” Cassara asked, her eyebrow raised as the strange contraption behind Savannah spewed out more white dust.

I coughed as what came out looked like flour, but I knew the scent from my mother’s cooking.  

Masa.

That device was some kind of grinder for corn to make masa.  “Uh, Savannah, I think we should get going, this doesn’t feel normal!”

As I objected, the dust wafted towards me. I could see faces within it.

Writhing faces, twisted in agony!  Each time one opened its mouth to scream, another face pushed its way out of the former’s jaw to rush towards me.

I stumbled backwards as Savannah stepped away, fading into the mist, “What?  And leave before dinner time?  That’s so rude David… You're both my Patron’s most important guests.” 

“What the hell is this?!” Cassara shouted, looking for me as she vanished into the growing fog as well.

I scrambled to my feet, running towards Cassara’s voice before I bumped into someone. “Cassara?!” I called out.

The figure I bumped into wasn’t Cassara, but a thin man wearing nothing but a pair of canvas pants and a loose hemp shirt.  

He shook as he turned to me, his form represented only in the masa dust as he reached out to me, fear in his pleading eyes.

I tried to reach out to take his hand, only to watch as the funnel shaped machine sucked his body up, and pulled the man inside.  He screamed, grabbing at the edge of the funnel, as he was dragged deep within it.  From the other side, I saw nothing but dust fly out.

I covered my nose and mouth, now unsure if this was just corn or something much more sinister floating in the air.  

“Cassara, don’t breathe it in!” I called out, coughing as I did so.

I heard Savannah’s voice behind me, “Shame der, David.  I only wanted da girl.  My Patron enjoys those who have powerful spirits.  Yer just the lil’ fish caught in me net ‘ere.  No ‘ard feelings, okay?” 

I spun around, the dust swirling around Savannah as she stepped back into the thick yellow tinged clouds, laughing as she did.

Her voice started to echo, the laughter coming from all around me.  “What the hell do you want Savannah?!” I shouted as I tried to get my bearings.

“It ain’t about what I want, David!” Savannah's voice laughed. “It’s me Loa!  He’s always in such a foul mood, so if I gotta get into his good graces, I gotta keep him fed!  Always da lot for a woman, yah?!” Savannah laughed madly.

“Fed?!” I shouted, “What do you mean fed?!”

“Like I said, it’s dinner time… Me Patron likes his food ground up fresh!” Savannah continued to play coy as I tried to find my way through the blinding yellow dust, “Yah, make a fine appetizer fer me Loa!” Savannah's cackled.

I spun on my heels to see through the thickening dust, the masa grinder sprung to life! It rose up off the ground.  Strange black runes glowed along the surface of the grinder as a pair of straps filled up with an invisible force.

Shortly after, a disembodied face appeared floating before it. A black face with stark yellow stripes painted on his cheeks.  A mouth full of razor sharp teeth grinned at me as black eyes burned a hole through my heart.  

A long black tongue slid along his dark lips as he moved towards me, thick dreadlocks cascading down from his head, so long they dragged on the ground.  A pair of hand-prints appeared on the ground before me, as if there were massive arms attached to the head somewhere.  If there were, I couldn’t see them. 

Dust swirled around me as I felt an invisible force grab me on either side, and start to lift me up towards the funnel.

As I rose up, I saw the massive creature’s mouth opening wide.  Past the teeth, I could see the grinding wheels of the old corn grinder spinning inside. I struggled to escape as I was lowered, slowly, towards my unpleasant demise.  

Cassara burst through the dust, knocking into the floating masa grinder.  

I tumbled to the ground, rolling away from the horrific creature as Cassara turned on her heel, taking a low fighting stance.

“Fuck,” I groaned, rubbing my shoulder, “The hell is that thing?!”

Savannah’s voice filled the air, “Congo-Savanne!  A man-eater to be clear.  He lives off the souls of those mortals he devours,” Savannah laughed as I felt the ground shaking, footsteps moving closer and closer.  “He’s been summoned, and now he cannot go until he’s had his fill!” 

Cassara turned to me, “So, this is my bad.  We can point fingers later.  Right now, we need to get away from whatever the hell that thing is chasing us!”

I faced Cassara, “I think I’ve got an idea.”

“Yeah, she told us,” Cassara narrowed her eyes, “It’s finding her that’s gonna be tricky in this dust!”

The dust parted above us, and as it did I could see a massive hand hurtling toward us.

Cassara grabbed me and rolled out of the way.  I watched the spot where we had just escaped from flatten out in the shape of a massive palm print.  Dust and sand shot into the air in a mighty plume as the hand seemingly pulled back.

“Hunger…” I heard the disembodied voice call out as more dust obscured our vision.  A bright blue glow from high above us was the only sign that something was coming, “Ya gonna be my feast o’ souls!” 

Cassara and I ran for it as the ground shook behind us, Savannah’s voice calling out from somewhere, seemingly nearby, “Ya can’t run from ol’ Congo-Savanne!  He smells yah!  Once ya in his dust, it just a matta o’ time!” 

I stumbled over a grave stone and before I knew it I fell headfirst into an open pit, with Cassara tumbling down behind me.

I groaned as I felt my fall at first broken by a hollow wooden box and then I was forced through it by Cassara’s weight.  

I groaned, coughing out as I realized there was no dust down here.  “Oh fu-” Cassara’s hand was on my mouth as I looked up just in time to see the floating blue glow passing over us.

Savannah was chanting something unintelligible, and guttural nearby.  As she passed by the grave, her voice grew further and further away. 

Cassara’s eyes were glued upwards, but while she continued to look up, I glanced down.

We didn’t fall into any hole.

It was an open grave.  The wooden box was a casket.

I tried to mumble but Cassara’s hand only tightened around my jaw as she glared daggers at me.

I pointed down to the casket we were laying on.  The one I was halfway inside.

Cassara grimaced as she helped pull me up as quietly as she could.

Savannah’s voice now called out, seemingly desperate, “Yah got all night tah feed!  Donchyah worry!  Dey didn’t get far!  Don’tchyah think about doing me in now, cause who else is gonna summon yah? Huh?!”  

Cassara raised an eyebrow, and I could see an idea forming in her head.

Maybe all we had to do was wait out this giant, unforeseen and terrible creation and it would eat Savannah!  

Though that didn’t seem like the best option.  What if she controls it?  Would it go wild and kill everyone on the island?

Cassara’s brow furrowed, likely with the same thought as she tried to clamber up the steep walls of the grave.  

Cassara turned to me, and made a motion with her hands, basically asking for a boost.

I nodded in understanding, moving to my feet and lacing my fingers together to give her proper footing.

She placed her hand on my shoulder and with a grunt I pushed her up.

As Cassara got her hands up over the edge, she only briefly peaked over the top, searching for where Savannah’s voice was emanating from.

We had a good hiding spot, yes, but if Savannah’s beast found us, we were sitting ducks. I didn’t feel like being ground up into cornmeal, so if Cassara had a plan I was all for it.  

It was then that the casket we were standing on creaked, and sunk in ever so slightly.  Not enough to collapse, but enough to cause me to lose my footing, and fall.

Once again, as I fell, Cassara fell down on top of me.

I slammed my face down onto the casket’s bottom half, cursing as silently as I could, all things considered.

Cassara put her finger to her lips to hush me, trying to look me over at the same time, likely to check if I was bleeding.

If I was, I sure as shit couldn’t tell.  

Savannah’s chanting grew louder and more agitated now, but it was still far away, as if she were arguing.  Maybe this issue would solve itself if we just waited her out until morning?

Did we have to wait until morning?  I didn’t even know if this beast, monster, or spirit feared the light.

Most of the time they do, but who knows?

At that moment, I silently wished that I had the answers to what was chasing us.

I said a silent prayer in my head for God to please provide some kind of guidance to Cassara and I to help us escape.

That’s when the casket beneath us began to rattle and jolt.

Cassara and I both turned to the head of the casket, as it appeared to have something inside of it jostling around.  “Okay, if someone pops out of there, I’m putting them back, express style,” Cassara said as she balled up her fist.

Cassara moved me back and checked the cracked portion of the casket, not seeing a clear opening.  

The nails along the edge of the casket began to slowly rise up and out of the dry wooden planks.

My eyes went wide.

Cassara raised her fists, narrowing her eyes as she did.

Once the nails finally pushed up and out of the wood, the casket opened.

A man’s body appeared as if lifted out of the casket by some unseen force.  

At first it looked as if he had only sat up, but soon his whole body floated out of the top of the casket. 

The man wore a tall tophat, white gloves, nose plugs and a fairly well appointed tuxedo.  His arms crossed over his chest.  The same strange man from my dream!

The Tuxedo had dust and strains across it, and as I looked at the figure carefully, I saw the gloves were stained here and there as well.  On his face was a white painting of a skull, contrasting with his dark black skin.  

The lanky and tall figure rose up until his feet rested firmly in the casket.  Then his eyes opened up with a jolt.  The whites of his eyes were yellowed, his eyes glowing a soft green as he grinned to us.  A mouth full of large, though yellowed and stained teeth.  

He gave a low chuckle, dusting himself off, “Boyo!  Ya bein’ too much o’ a hurry tah get down here, no?” 

I took a step back as Cassara took a step forward.

He gave a hearty chuckle, “Da pair o’ yah ain’t got nothin’ ta fear from me!  An’ I ain’t got nothin’ to fear o’ yee,” He said as he bowed before us, removing his top hat.

“K-Keep it down,” I whispered, “That thing is still up there!”

Another loud laugh echoed out of his lungs, “Ol’ Congo-Savanne ain’t gonna hear nor see whilst I’m near yee,” He said with a wide grin.  

I looked at him oddly, narrowing my eyes on him, “Have we met before?”

He chuckled again, standing up straight, “Last ye saw me yah we're sleepin’,” the man said as he brought a cigar to his thin lips and took a deep inhale, “Course, yah found the grave I dug yah while yee were creepin’” He said with a grin as I watched a large python slither out of the casket.  It coiled around his leg and moved up his body, coming to rest around his shoulders.

Cassara glared at the man, “Who the fuck are you?!”

“Oh, how rude o’ me!” He said with a laugh, placing his hat to his chest, “I didn’t introduce meself as yah seemed ta be in a hurry,” from between his teeth, cigar smoke hissed out, and his green eyes glowed brighter.

“I don’t think he’s evil, he’d have killed us already,” I pointed out.

“That’s what they all say, then a few seconds later we’re about to be ground up into masa by some crazy voodoo lady!” Cassara snapped.

The man chuckled, “Savannah’s got that voodoo, it’s very true.  But she made her bed with a spirit most foul, a loa that’s completely unlike the likes of thou!” 

“Why are you talking in rhyme?” I questioned.

The man laughed heartily, “I’m escortin’ the dead all the time, why not amuse me charges with a lil’ rhyme?!”

Cassara narrowed her eyes on him, “You still didn’t answer us, Mr.Dead-Poet’s-Society, who the fuck are you?” 

“I’m da solution to Savannah's terrible conspiracy!  So, allow me to introduce meself, I am the one, da only,” He flipped his tophat back onto his head, eyes pulsing green as he did so, “Baron Samedi!”

“So you are Baron Samedi,” I reasoned.

“You know this dude?!” Cassara accused.

“I mean, I know of him,” I cleared my throat.

“Then who the fuck is he?!” Cassara growled.

“Da reaper’ most dignified and least hasty, here to serve all the recently deceased in fair Haiti,” He sighed, “Ferryman for those who meet an untimely fate. Sadly, I have been a very busy loa, as of late.”

“How busy?” Cassara asked as she peeked up over the grave’s edge, “And if you’re the local reaper, mind reaping this psycho chick who wants to feed us to that ghost?”

“Congo-Savanne ain’t no ghost and normally he’s no threat without a host,” Samedi explained, “But when one’s on the mortal plain, he’s bound to suffer hunger pains.”  

“So why is he stuck on the mortal plain, exactly?” I asked, pulling Cassara back down into the grave for fear that this Savanne thing would come back and find us.

Samedi leaned back against the far wall of the grave, grinning wide at us, “Why mortals do anythin’ with the spirits both holy and sour? Dey do it because they have an unnatural thirst fer power!” 

“What power is Savannah getting?” Cassara asked.

Samedi rubbed his fingernails on his tuxedo, glancing up at the hazy cloud above us, “Savannah Savannah, she’s a mortal, sure. But tell me, how many years yah known Savannah for?” 

I tried to think, having only met her recently, “Not long…”

“Junior seemed to know her,” Cass pointed out.

“I’ll tell yah dis much, before you two get too tired. As far as the mortal realm is concerned, Savannah’s time has expired,” Samedi explained.

“Expired?” I asked.

“If he’s a reaper, David, he means she should have died, right?” Cassara asked.

“Your sapphic friend hit the coffin nail on the head! Savannah’s youth is wholly unnatural, she ought to be dead,” Samedi ended his rhyme in a dark tone.

“I’m not above punching a reaper in the face,” Cassara threatened, her fist clenched, “Loa or not…”

“I ain’t got no quarrel wit yah, but I do ask yah a favor. I need yah to end Savannah’s pact with Congo-Savanne, so I can take her,” Samedi grinned at us.

“Wait, how do we break her pact?!” I shouted.

“Contracts come and go, but no one gets something’ for free! Yah gotta ask the question, immortal life… But what’s the fee?” Samedi taunted, his form starting to vanish.

“Wait, why me?! I’m a missionary, I don’t deal with this kind of spiritual shit!” I shouted.

“That's right my fine friend, spirits yah don’t normally see. That’s because those of your faith, got a powerful proxy,” Samedi said before he vanished.

I sighed, “This is not how I saw this trip going.”

“I totally planned for us to meet a reaper and a spirit who wants to eat us like we’re empanadas,” Cassara hissed.

“Okay okay,” I relented, “So what do we do and how do we even know if this reaper is on the up and up?”

“Well, a reaper wanting a mortal person alive past their expiration date tracks,” Cassara reasoned, “And personally I’m of the opinion that we should work against the deity trying to eat us and deal with the one who isn’t first.”

“The riddles are bothering me,” I whispered, thinking of Baron Samedi’s last words, “Nothing for free, what’s the fee? So immortal life, but how?”

“Well… Savannah’s not trying to eat us and Samedi said the spirit of Congo-Savanne is hungry. Bet she has to keep him fed to keep herself alive,” Cassara whispered, “So, we last until morning or what?”

I shook my head, “I think she’ll just move on to another victim… But the other half of the riddle has me puzzled.”

“Which riddle?” Cassara asked.

“The one about me not seeing spirits,” I leaned against the far side of the grave, looking up as flakes of masa slowly started to drift down into our hiding spot, “Shit, I don’t think that’s good.”

“I mean, it’s a little odd that you don’t see them but claim to be religious. I know people back home who worship Goddesses and claim to have spoken to them as oracles or something,” Cassara shuddered, “This one priestess of Eris was creepy as fuck when she communed with her Goddess.” 

“Christians don’t really ‘commune’ with spirits, the Bible says…” That’s when I understood Baron Samedi’s last riddle, “Oh, damn. Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Cassara asked as she ducked lower, the masa floating deeper into the grave, “If you have a plan now’s the time.”

I pulled out the cross of my necklace and held it tight in my hand, “My faith. God’s the one who handles spirits.”

“It’s not a damn vampire, David,” Cassara growled, “I’m not going to get behind a plan that’s ‘Pray the Devil away!’”

“Got a better idea?” I asked.

Cassara slammed her fist into her hand, “Yeah. Punch Savannah out.” 

“Then you get Savannah,” I steeled myself, “and I’ll take on Congo-Savanne.” 

“Wait, really?” Cassara asked, shocked.

“Yes, really,” I slowly stood up, peeking my head out of the open grave, “Now give me a boost.”

Cassara slowly pushed me out of the pit, “You don’t even know if this will work.”

“I have faith, that’s the only way it can work,” I said as I offered Cassara a hand.

Cassara planted her hands on the edge of the soil and pushed herself out of the hole, ignoring me, “Where’s Savannah?”

“You two was almost late fer dinner!” I heard Savannah call out, “We were gettin’ nervous, not going to lie… Congo-Savanne’s been hungerin’ fer a while now.”

“Eat this!” Cassara shouted, rushing towards Savannah’s voice.

I followed closely behind, trying to cover my mouth and nose with my shirt as the masa irritated my throat. 

I held my free hand out, thinking of prayers in my head. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou art with me…” I prayed, pushing forward as I did.

I heard the horrific noise of grinding metal followed by a deafening roar.  

The handprints appeared on the ground first and looming out of the amber dust were the fierce glowing eyes of Congo-Savanne. The glowing runes pulsing with dark energy as they sized me up. It roared again, sparks shooting out of the grinding wheels behind its maw.

I stood firm, holding my hand out, “You don’t want to be on this earthly plain… And God almighty doesn’t want you here either!” I shouted, “In His name, I beseech you, go! Begone foul spirit!” 

I hadn’t ever performed an exorcism, but this wasn’t so much casting a spirit out of someone, as it was me trying to cast a spirit out of this dimension. 

A spirit who, according to Baron Samedi, didn’t want to be here.

Congo-Savanne’s head lowered to my level, sniffing me and sneezing in my face, a blast of masa nearly blinding me. “Am Bound, not by me own hand, Papist**.”**

I frowned, “What is your contract? Why do you persist in defiance of God Almighty?!” I demanded, “Speak spirit!”

The head shook back and forth, “She feed me, I empower her. Dat Pact is set. I keep her out of reach of Baron Samedi, as long as me palette is whet. ”

I took a step back, the masa swirling around me, “You want Cassara? The one I’m with? She’s the one Savannah’s offering you?”

The giant head nodded.

“You can’t have her. She’s under my protection,” I said, holding up my cross, “Under the protection of God.”

Congo-Savanne let loose another grinding roar of sparks and masa dust.  

As the grinding wheels loomed towards me, I closed my eyes tightly, praying silently what I thought might be my final prayer, “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give me this day our daily bread; and forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me; and deliver me from evil.”

I felt the heat of the grinding wheels on my outstretched hand, where the cross was, as a wind passed over me.

I opened my eyes, seeing my cross-bearing hand sitting within the grinding wheels. But the wheels were transparent, the ghostly things doing them no harm.

Congo-Savanne's eyes widened and it pulled back, “Can’t… Touch…?”

A massive ghostly hand whipped through the masa and passed over me without incident.

Congo-Savanne’s eyes burned bright red, “Yah didn’t bring me nothin’ tah eat, foul woman!” 

The horrific spirit screamed in a booming cry that I had to cover my ears for.

The wheels gnashed and sparked as it rushed off into the dust.  

I spotted Cassara now, the masa dust dissipating quickly as Congo-Savanne ran towards her.

That’s where I saw Savannah behind Cassara, turning to Congo-Savanne as he charged at her, “Yes I did, my Loa! Here she is! I brought the two for yah!”

Congo-Savanne grabbed Savannah now, growling in anger, “Ain’t no suppa fer me! Dey under protection of greater spirits! But you…” Congo-Savanne’s mouth opened wide, “Yah mine woman!”

Savannah’s eyes went wide, “Wait! No, no! Not me! Her! It’s her yah can eat! No!” Savannah screamed in terror as her body was pushed into the gaping maw of Congo-Savanne.

I watched as her body touched the grinding wheels and a fresh burst of masa filled the air around her as she let out a blood-curdling scream.

I turned away. But I still could hear the snapping, ripping and crushing noises as well as sickening slurps and swallows.

After a few moments, there was silence, and I turned, watching the yellow dust all around us slowly fall to the ground.

Cassara’s eyes were wide, focused on something within the dust.

I moved slowly towards what she was looking at, reaching an old rusted corn mill.

It wasn’t the corn mill itself that bothered me or its sudden appearance before us.

It was the desiccated corpse that was stuck in the wheels, up to the torso. Dark skin appeared to cover an emaciated woman’s body. One arm stuck within the grinding wheels, the other reaching out for some kind of salvation. Her skin appeared dried, almost mummified, and frozen on her eyeless, lip-less face, was a look of abject horror.

It was then I saw a gloved hand gently reach out to what had to be what was left of Savannah’s hand, taking it firmly.

A hearty laugh filled the air, “Ah, Savannah, der yah are, now yeah can finally rest,” there was a slight pause as Baron Samedi's voice took on a darker tone, “But dis aint the end, yah gonna discover me patience ain’t something yah should test.”

I heard a final scream echo from Savannah’s corpse before it crumbled into dust.

Baron Samedi’s skull-painted face turned to me, “I tank yah’, David, so heed what I say: Be wary of doors which lack a proper doorway. Der be places no mortal ought to tread, dem places are only where the divine make der homestead.”

Cassara looked shaken and I looked at her concerned.

**“**Th-thanks, but what does that mean?” Before I could get an answer, Cassara pushed past me.  “Hey, where are you-”

“Back to the boat,” Cassara hissed, “The more distance I put between this fucking island and me, the better.”

I turned to see the corn grinder had shrunk down in size, now looking like nothing more than a discarded appliance.  

I followed after Cassara, Samedi’s voice echoing in my ears as I left the cemetery, “I be grateful’ for yah David, so for that: I give yah one last boon!” a shiver went down my spine as I paid attention to the loa’s voice call to me, “I’ll keep a place here for yah, yer own personal tomb!”