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Suddenly, the shadows in the alley started to move and contort into monstrous shapes, like they were alive. Jamal froze in fear. Shadowy jaws snapped at him. The necklace flared brighter in response. The flare of light lit up the alley—and made the shadows vanish.
It was actually protecting him.
“What in the—” Jamal said, but then a dark silhouette suddenly stepped into the alley, blocking the entrance.
In the light cast by the necklace, the shadowy man slowly came into focus. He had dark skin, a thin black mustache, and a gap in the middle of his toothy smile. His arms and legs seemed impossibly long, giving him a skeletal appearance. He wore a black top hat with a skull and crossbones on it, as well as a purple feather sticking out of a sash tied above the brim. His purple coat with tails hugged his thin arms, his long black pants ended in a pair of shiny white shoes, and he held a cane with a purple crystal sphere on top.
Jamal stared at the strange man, terrified. His heart thudded, matching the pulsing light emanating from the necklace. The man’s eyes fixed hungrily on the necklace. Quickly, Jamal fastened it around his neck again and tucked it under his shirt. He could feel heat emanating off it, singeing his skin and making him sweat more. It had never glowed so brightly before.
Jamal swallowed hard. “Who…who are you?”
“Greetings. Enchanté,” the strange man said, tipping his hat toward Jamal. “A tip of the hat from Dr. Facilier.”
He grinned, exposing all his teeth, but it looked predatory. Jamal stared at the necklace around the man’s neck. It had two white fangs hanging from it. Everything about him sent chills down Jamal’s spine.
“Little man, what’s wrong?” Dr. Facilier said. “Cat got your tongue?”
Jamal knew it wasn’t polite to ignore him. However, not talking to strangers—especially in scary back alleys—was the number one rule his parents had instilled in him. Also, the strange man gave him the creeps. There was really no other way to explain it. He felt like things were literally creeping all over his skin and making all the hairs stand up.
Not to mention the skull necklace around his neck continued to flare with light, even under his shirt, like a warning. It also felt hotter, like it was searing his skin.
Jamal started to back away. Suddenly, he wanted to be anywhere but standing in that deserted alley. The man’s eyes narrowed, still fixed on him.
“Going so fast, little man?” Dr. Facilier said with a frown. “Don’t be afraid. I just wanna talk. Were I a bettin’ man—and I’m not; I stay away from games of chance—I’d wager I’m in the company of a very important person.”
“Important? Who…me?” Jamal said in surprise. He had never been called important before. The necklace continued to flare with light, but he ignored it.
“That’s VIP for short,” the man added with a chuckle. He stuck out his hand. “You’re Jamal, aren’t you?”
“Wait, how do you know my name?” Jamal asked, wide-eyed.
“I know many things,” Dr. Facilier said, resting his hands on his crystal-topped cane. “Including that you have something that belongs to me. A necklace. And I want it back.”
Jamal stammered. “N-n-necklace? What necklace?”
“Don’t waste my time, little man,” he said coolly. He held out his hand. His long fingers looked skeletal. They reached toward Jamal’s neck. “Your grandmother’s necklace, please.”
“Wait, how do you know it’s my grandmother’s?” Jamal said. He closed his fingers around the skull necklace under his shirt. It flared brighter and hotter.
“Didn’t you hear me? I already told you, I know many things,” Dr. Facilier said with a sigh.
“But she gave it to me,” Jamal said.
“Right, and now I’d like you to give it to me. It’s quite simple, really,” the man said. “Besides, what does a kid like you want with a necklace like that?”
“It’s not that I want it,” Jamal said. “My mom would kill me if I gave it away. She said this was my grandmother’s special necklace. She never took it off, until she died….”
“A real pity,” Dr. Facilier said, but something about his expression said he didn’t really feel that way. “But she’s passed on to the other side now. She won’t care if you give it to me.”
Jamal released his grip on the necklace. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”
“Fine, have it your way.” Dr. Facilier shrugged. “I mean, she gives your twin brother a trumpet, but all you get is that necklace? How did that make you feel?” He smiled broadly, exposing all his teeth again. “You can tell me about it. Your grandmother gave your brother a better gift, didn’t she?”
“But that’s impossible,” Jamal said in shock. “You can’t possibly know that.”
“I told you,” the man said. “I know many, many things. It’s not very fair, now is it?”
“Yeah, it stinks,” Jamal said, unable to help himself. He tasted envy like bitter medicine on his tongue. “Malik always gets all the attention. And I get…well…it’s almost like…”
