The Black Journal

Mia waited for the wheels of the slot machine to stop turning before pulling the lever again and felt giddy when she won two dollars. She pulled again and witnessed the three diamonds settle into their places horizontally across the screen followed by the cacophony of music mixed with a loud ding, ding, ding, ding. She just won $20,000.

She collected her winnings at the cash office and eagerly went to find her boyfriend Cole. They had been together for four years and she thought that he would propose during their weekend trip in New Orleans, but it was their last night there and nothing had happened. She found him at the poker table and whispered her great news into his ear. He looked at her with wide eyes. “No way!” he said shocked. “Are you serious?” She nodded happily with a big smile across her face. “Okay. I’m getting up now,” he said as he gathered his tokens and joined her. They left the casino and went to celebrate on their last night in the Big Easy.

The next day, they took the scenic route to East Texas. As they traveled on a narrow country road, they drove past a sign that read, “Antiquities ahead.” “Can we stop at the antique store?” Mia asked. “Sure, as long as we don’t stay too long. I’m trying to get to Carthage before night.” Cole said.

They pulled up to the antique store and went inside. There was an old woman with wild white hair seated behind the counter. She watched as they perused through the shop. Mia came across a very old black journal that was sealed in plastic. “I’m gonna buy this,” she said to Cole as they headed to the front counter. “Don’t take the plastic off if you ain’t experienced with witchcraft or voodoo.” the old woman said with a serious look. “This journal belonged to Elizabeth Paris, Marie Laveau’s granddaughter. She was into black magic and voodoo,” she said as she handed Mia the journal and a receipt. “There’s no tellin' what spells that thing holds,” she added. “Thank you ma’am,” Mia said nervously as she followed Cole to the door and exited the building.

The two continued on towards Cole’s hometown, discussing what the strange woman said about the journal. They crossed the Louisiana border into Texas and made it to a narrow, oil road that led to where his family lived when suddenly, Cole slowed down and pulled into an overgrown field. “What are we doing here?” Mia asked in a surprised voice. “I want to see if the old baseball field I used to play on when I was young is still there,” Cole answered as he unsnapped his seatbelt and opened the door. “I’m not getting out of the car here,” Mia added. “Stay here. I just wanna go see if it’s still visible. Be right back.” He closed the door to the SUV and disappeared into the wild brush.

Mia was irritated by Cole. She questioned why she continued to stay with him year after year without an engagement. She let out a sigh of annoyance and picked up the old black journal and started removing the covering.

She opened the book to the first page to find a beautifully drawn steampunk style clock with several gears. She gently turned the page and found what she thought was a poem, and whispered the words as she read:

The past will haunt you nevermore

When you unlock Pandora’s door.

The clock will stop,

the gears will wind,

And wheels turn back the hands of time.

She flipped through the fragile pages of the journal when she heard a loud crack. She looked up and saw that the landscape had changed. The SUV was now completely engulfed in thick brush. She tried to open the door, pushing hard against the tree limbs until she was free from the car. She went in the direction that Cole had gone and made it to a clearing to find old cars parked side-by-side. She could hear the sound of people cheering and saw a baseball roll down the hill and settle next to the tire of a 1971 Ford Pinto followed by a little boy wearing a white baseball jersey. He picked up the ball and looked at Mia before running back up the hill.

“What in the hell is going on?” she said as she followed the little boy until she saw people sitting on small wooden bleachers watching a little-league baseball game. Something was terribly wrong. Everyone was dressed in 1970’s style clothing and sported afros. She moved closer to see if she could find Cole. She heard a man standing next to the field yelling, “Go Cole! Run boy run!”

“Cole?” Mia said to herself as tried to get a look at the boy. He resembled pictures she had seen of Cole when he was young. He even had the same scar on his forehead, except it appeared fresher. “It can’t be,” she mumbled to herself. She asked a lady who was standing nearby for the date. “September 3rd,” the lady said in a friendly tone. “And the year?” “What?” the woman asked perplexed by the question. “What year is it ma’am?” Mia asked nervously. “1974,” the lady said, giving her a strange look. “Are you okay honey?” she asked, but Mia did not respond. She could hear the old woman’s voice in her head, warning her to not open the book. “What have I done?” she said, trying to catch her breath.

She gained her composure and went to where the man who was cheering for Cole was seated on the bleachers. “How you doing?” he said in a friendly voice. “Hello,” Mia responded shyly. “Who you rooting for?” he asked her. “I don’t know anyone here,” she said, squinting her eyes as she watched the game. “I was just passing through and thought I would stop by,” Mia said, trying to conceal her consternation.

She engaged him in conversation in an attempt to confirm her situation. “So, where is Cole’s mother?” she asked. “She passed away,” he said solemnly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” “It’s okay. She died giving birth to our youngest child,” he said staring out at the field. A chill of trepidation radiated through Mia as she processed what he had said. Cole had told her that his mother died during childbirth when he was only three-years-old. “If all of this is correct, I am talking to Cole’s father Calvin who died of cancer when Cole was thirteen,” Mia thought silently to herself.

“We’ve been sitting here talking and I didn’t even ask you your name,” he said. “Mia. What’s yours,” she asked shyly. “Calvin,” he answered. His name hit her like a freight train as her reality settled in. Calvin stood up to greet Cole as he approached breathing hard from running. “We lost dad,” he said disappointedly. “It’s okay champ. Y’all will win next week. You’ll see,” Calvin reassured. “Cole, this is Ms. Mia. Ms. Mia, please meet my son Cole.” “Nice to meet you Cole,” Mia said awkwardly. It was strange seeing her boyfriend as a little boy.

“Nice to meet you ma’am.” he said. “We will walk you to your car,” Calvin said smiling at Mia. “Oh, I didn’t drive. I was dropped off,” Mia responded. “Well, is your ride here to pick you up?” “No. Not yet. She won’t be here until later,” she said. “Well, why don’t you come home with us for dinner and then I’ll bring you back to catch your ride home,” Calvin said, waiting for Mia to respond. “I’d love to come with you two if it’s no trouble.” “One more mouth to feed will be no problem at all ma’am. Our car is parked right over there.”

They arrived at a small, wood-framed bungalow where they dined engaged in conversation and laughter. Mia almost forgot about the predicament she was in. Calvin was so charming. She wondered why Cole was not more like his father. “Dad, can I go to David’s house?” Cole asked. “Take your plate to the kitchen and be back before it gets dark,” Calvin responded caringly. Cole did as he was told and left Calvin and Mia at the table alone. Mia helped wash the dishes while deeply engaged in conversation with Calvin.

She was caught up in his charm. “Would you like to join me on the porch?” he asked her. “I’d love to,” Mia responded. They sat on the porch and talked until the sun started to set. There was something about him that she could not resist. “Why aren’t you married yet?” he asked. “My boyfriend of four years hasn’t proposed,” she responded. “Well, he’s crazy, and you shouldn’t wait too long. It might be time for you to make room for someone else.” Mia felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

He leaned towards her and whispered, “Mia, you are a special woman,” and then he gently kissed her. “Could this be a dream?” she thought to herself. “I feel like I’ve known you for years,” he said looking into her eyes. “Don’t go. Stay longer with me,” he said between kisses. She knew that getting involved with Calvin would be a mistake. She did not belong here. She had to get back.

“I had a great time, but I need to get back,” Mia said. “My friend will be looking for me soon,” she added. “It’s only been a few hours, but I feel so connected to you Mia.” “I feel the same, but we will never meet again.” Mia responded sadly. Calvin held her hand to his lips and kissed tenderly. “I’ll get the keys to the car.” he said in a low tone.

He drove her back to the field and parked the car. “I enjoyed myself,” Mia said as she reached to open the door. Calvin grabbed her by her arm and kissed her deeply. “Don’t go Mia,” he whispered heavily. “Wrong timing Calvin,” she said as she kissed him one last time. “I can’t just leave you here alone,” he said. “It’s okay. I don’t want my friend to know that I was with someone. You better leave or I will get in trouble,” she responded.

“Please go so that she doesn’t see you when she picks me up,” she added. He got out and opened her car door and hugged her tightly. “Okay. I hope to see you again Mia,” he said sadly. He got in the car and drove away. Mia’s heart sank as she watched him leave.

She found the car parked deep in the thick brush. The black journal rested on the center console. She got in and flipped through the pages until she found another poem and read it aloud. She was ecstatic when she looked up and saw Cole heading towards the car. “Hey Mia, I can still see it,” he said with excitement. “You should have seen me back in the day. I was a cold-blooded baby.” he added. “I bet you were,” she said slyly.

He could tell she was still upset. “Mia...we will be engaged the next time we come back to visit my family. I promise,” Cole said sincerely. “The next time you return, you will be visiting alone,” Mia responded. “What do you mean?” he said. “I was gone for a short time and it’s like I came back to a different person,” he said upset. “A lot can change in a short time. You were gone long enough for me to see the light.” Mia said. “My life will no longer include you.” “Let’s talk this through before you make a mistake.” “I’m not making a mistake Cole,” Mia said with confidence. “There’s something more out there for me, and I’m gonna take all the time I need to find it.”