Veronique’s VooDoo

Episode 14

It was a rundown building with skeleton heads supporting black candles lighting the path to the door. The sign outside read Veronique’s Voodoo. Sonja was getting really scared for, as the wind blew, she saw a shrunken head hanging from one of the trees. Maybe, she thought, she should skip this shop. Just then a voice whispered in her ear, “Sonja, leave no stone unturned!” Hearing this, she realized that her desire to get home was stronger than her fear, so she knocked on the door. The door was answered by a man in jeans who resembled an ape. He asked “Do you want to see Veronique or her Mama? The special for the day is a gris-gris bag.”

Not knowing really who to speak with, Sonja opted to meet with Mama so the ape-man led her to the upstairs room where Mama sat with a rooster in her lap. Behind her were many books on magic and mystic arts. Fabulous masks adorned the walls. Mama appeared as if in a trance. Sonja walked around looking at the artifacts on the tables and noticed a portrait of Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen of New Orleans. As she neared the portrait, Mama spoke her first words: “Someone is after you. They want that necklace you are wearing.” She added, “I don’t know why, where or when they will confront you, so I am going to make you a gris-gris bag for protection.” Sonja shivered and watched as Mama placed eleven items into a hand stitched felt bag. The first item was a small red candle for winning in battle and conquering enemies. Second was a piece of parchment on which she wrote words for protection and then sprinkled it with fiery protection oil. Next, she added a pinch of Tuesday powdered incense for conquering one’s enemies. The last few items, herbs chosen for protection, were anise, angelica root, bloodroot, a bit of mandrake and finally she included wahoo bark and yarrow because they brought success in all undertakings and imparted courage and protection. The last item placed in the bag was a talisman for protection from all evil spirits.

Mama presented the bag to Sonja and told her to wear the bag at all times and to believe in the mojo it carried. Then, as quickly as she awoke from her trance, Mama fell into it again. The ape-man appeared to guide her to the door. As they walked passed Veronique, also entranced, Veronique shuddered and opened her eyes and spoke “Trust in yourself and the magic will happen. You will get home.”

Outside the front door, Sonja sat on a bench to think about all that had happened inside Veronique’s Voodoo. She also attached the gris-gris bag that Mama had made for her to the belt loop of her jeans but placed the bag inside her pants next to her skin. Sonja truly believed that the powerful spell was going to protect her while she roamed the streets in Spirit Hill looking for the last 2 items on evil Igor’s list.