A few hours later we arrive at our air bnb and settle in before heading out. I pick out my room that has the balcony that looks out onto bourbon street where everything is already in full swing as the sun starts to set. I just look out and take in everything, I never would've thought I would be somewhere like this when I was younger. Soon we head out and hit bourbon street, everything is just crazy with everyone partying and drinking, the guys are already buzzed and fit right in with everything going on. Soon we're all starting to vibe with all the people around us and partying, we started collecting beads also, so far it's been a good time but there's always that little itch to start asking people if they've ever encountered anything or heard anything but that's when I catch DJ, Brandon or Tyler giving me a look and I just hold it in. After a few hours of drinking and seeing girls show their tits for beads, the guys are all fucked up and done for the night while I'm the only sober one, we all head back to the air bnb and soon they all pass out in their rooms, this is the perfect time to head out and start asking questions. I head out and walk down bourbon street trying to get some type of conversation going but nobody is really giving me nothing or they're too fucked up to give a coherent answer. As I'm walking down I find a small little bar, The Cauldron, and head inside, maybe someone inside can give me something. I walk in and look around, for it being a bar on bourbon street during Mardi Gras it's pretty dead aside from a few people. I walk towards the bar and take a seat, a man behind the bar walks up to me, a shorter heavy set bald guy with a beard who talks with a heavy Cajun accent.
"How you doin tonight?"
I'm surprised I can even understand him
"I'm good how about you?"
"Pretty good, what can I get you?"
"Can I get a glass of Hennessy?"
He nods and pours me up a glass and hands it to me
"There ya go"
"Thank you, kinda slow for it being Mardi Gras"
"They go to the more well known hipster bars, I'm happy with the regulars"
"I hear that"
He reaches out his hand and i shake it
"Names Lou"
"Jay"
"You ain't from around here ain't ya boy"
"What gave it away?"
"Not hard to notice"
"Yeah I'm here for Mardi Gras with my three friends, we came from California"
"Ohhhh, where are your friends?"
"Passed out at our air bnb"
"Couldn't hang huh?"
"Well they started once we left from Texas"
"You guys drove from Texas?"
"Yeah one of my friends moved there so we all flew in and left from his place"
"Sounds like a great friend group"
"Yeah they're the best… anyways can I ask you some questions?"
"Go ahead kid"
"You ever experience any weird shit, I mean I've read about New Orleans"
Lou just looks at me and lowers his voice
"You don't want to get involved with that stuff son"
"Oh I won't but I just want to know peoples experiences for my podcast"
"I've seen some things, mostly spirits"
"Pretty basic, anything crazier?"
"Trust me kid, around here that's the only thing you'd want to see"
"So you've seen something?"
"I might have, it's best you don't know"
"Come on Lou, just one thing, I'm only here for a few days it's not like I'm staying here"
"Sorry kid no can do"
"Awww man, well where have you seen these spirits?"
"Everywhere, even in this bar I've seen a couple, no bad spirits here though"
"Sheeesh…. What can you tell me about that St Louis cemetery?"
Lou just stares at me
"Home of the voodoo queen, word of advice Don't go there after dark"
"Why?"
"Just don't, you'll see or encounter things you don't want to"
"I need to go there and get something"
"Don't do it, I'm warning you"
Before I can say anything a pretty woman walks up to us. She's short with blonde hair tied up, green eyes and small frame. She looks at me and opens her mouth
"Hey"
"Hey"
"I heard you want to head to that cemetery"
"Yeah… why?"
"I can take you there"
"Really?!?"
"Yeah meet me outside and I'll take you there"
"Alright I'll meet you outside"
She walks away and Lou looks at me
"Don't do it"
"This is a once in a lifetime thing"
"Trust me kid this doesn't smell right"
I pay Lou for the drink
"Thanks Lou, I'll definitely come back tomorrow night"
I head out before he say anything to me and meet the the girl outside
"Hey"
"You ready?"
"Definitely"
As we're walking it's an awkward silence so I break it and start some small talk
"So what's your name?"
"Aurelia, you?"
"Jay"
"Where you from?"
"California"
"Ahhh I see"
"And I assume you're from here"
"Yup born and raised"
"That's cool"
"Yeah…"
"Sooooo you've been to this place before"
"Countless times"
This is so fucking awkward
"Great…. Anything else you can tell me about New Orleans?"
"Hmmm not really, everything you read online is pretty much all bullshit"
"Are you serious?"
"Yup"
"Wow…"
After ten awkward minutes we finally arrive at the cemetery and sneak in. Aurelia looks at me
"Alright we have to be quiet, we could get in trouble for sneaking in"
I just nod and follow her in, she leads the way as we pass by tombs, it's creepy but so far nothing crazy. Soon she stops in front of a tomb and turns to me
"Here's the tomb everyone wants to see"
I look and see it's the tomb of Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen.
"Wow, this is something, I have to take a picture of this"
I snap a quick picture on my phone and turn towards Aurelia and she's turned around and looking up at the moon
"Uhhhh you good?"
I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around and her eyes have changed into a bright red color
"WHAT THE FUCK!!!"
She starts shaking and falls to her knees, slowly transforming but I ain't gonna stick around to watch the whole thing, I take off but I don't know where I'm at. I'm lost inside the labyrinth like cemetery and I hear a howl come back the way i came from and pick up the pace, frantically looking for the exit. As I'm sprinting around I hear the creature getting closer, all I could think is
"I should've listened to Lou"
My chest is on fire as I'm running for my life but then I trip over something and hit my head on something hard on the way down. I feel blood running down the side of my face and turn around, my vision is blurry but I can see the creature moving towards me. I'm really about to die here in a cemetery but before the creature can reach me a gunshot goes off and it runs off whimpering, as my vision is going in and out I see a figure jump down in front of me, I can't make out who or what it is but as soon as the figure starts walking towards me everything goes black.