Page 33 of Mr. Calloway

Place: The bathroom in our home

Year: 2026

Time: 2:01 am

Queen Z,

I can’t believe our daughter is off to college. I thought I would be able to sleep, but knowing she’s gone is kind of fucking with me. Hell, to know that Dio is frolicking in her crib makes me want to drive back up there and drag his knuckleheaded ass out of the apartment I’m paying for. Z, man, I don’t like it. I smell something fishy. Dio is a sneaky nigga. For all I know, they could be living together. I do know that if something were to happen, he’d take care of her, as his life depends on it.

That nigga is going to push his limits to see to it that our baby is good. Dionysus is a different kind of breed. He isn’t just a part of Zeus; he’s all of us wrapped into one, and I often wonder if that’s a good or bad thing. I know you love him very much. You two have some sort of connection, and I’m still waiting for you to tell me why. What did you two share to create this bond?

I won’t ask again… maybe I will... Look, either way, he needs a mother figure because his... well, she’s not right in the head. Which makes me wonder about Samara’s family. She doesn’t talk too much about them, and that’s the part I dwell on. I know you’re saying, “She’s grown, June,” but is she? I’ve been where she is, and I know the look of someone who’s been searching for a love they know they will never get. It doesn’t matter how much you, me, and Dio give it to her; she will always be searching for the very thing that failed her.

Z, baby, I don’t know if this is part of growing as a man or if it’s because our kids are here now, but she is part of our family, she is a Calloway, and there is nothing that can change that. Our daughter is really in college, and as I sit here and writethis entry, all I can do is smile. No matter what, Z, protect our family.

I love you, from here to our Calloverse.

Signed,

Mr. Fucking Calloway

PS: By the time you read this, it’ll be a memory, but right now I’m about to devour some vegan pussy and take my ass to sleep.

The sun began to set,and there was still no Zoo. I was trying to hold onto hope that they were coming, but I needed to figure out how to get myself out of here in the meantime. I agreed to be on my best behavior so they would trust me enough to take me out of that dark room.

As they showed me the commune, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There were children who smiled as if their lives were everything they could imagine. Elders who seemed so content being under the thumb of a scammer, a con artist who had probably sucked them all dry of what they had left. Then there were the middle-aged people who seemed oblivious to it all. However, the one thing I noticed was that they seemed happy. It didn’t matter the consequences because their minds were made up that this place was for them. What was the difference between this place and the Zoo, other than being able to freely do some of the things you wanted to? The Zoo had a leader, andit was Chevy. The Zoo had followers, and everyone, including Dio and me, was one of them. The Zoo had rules. The Zoo had punishments. The Zoo was a family just as these people were.

I had become so caught up in what I was seeing that I hadn’t realized we had approached a white house. I became confused as Bronze and Russet stood there staring at me.

“Why does this house look different than the rest of them?” I asked.

Bronze smiled. “Because only God lives in a place so?—”

I held my hand up. “I get it.” I rolled my eyes.

Russet stared at me as if he wanted to say something. The stare made me feel so uncomfortable, I found myself clenching my shirt as if he were undressing me with his eyes. As I went to open the door, they both stepped back and bowed.

“Are you not coming in with me?” I asked.

They said nothing as they backed away. Bronze skipped away happily while Russet stared until he was far away, then turned around.

The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the person they called The Mighty One. He sat on the couch as if he were waiting for my arrival.

“Sit,” he said calmly.

“I would rather stand,” I replied.

He scoffed then smiled. “I understand you’re probably nervous, scared, confused, maybe? I can assure you that you are safe.”

“Safe!” I shouted. “You kidnapped me like we’re in some movie, and you think I feel fucking safe? You're more delusional than your followers.”

He slowly stood and approached me. “The kidnapping was your mother’s idea, and I must say,Goddick can change one’s life—well, with the help of Clark.” He smiled as he reached to touch my face, and I slapped it away.

“Don’t touch me. She may be delusional, but I’m not.”

“But you are,” he said as he gripped my shoulders and slammed me against the wall. “Just as you are under the impression that being with that boy is your end-all, be-all, my followers feel the same about me. Or how you see no other world outside of his people. What are they called, the Zoo? Is it not the same? I’m simply saying if you're going to follow them, then why not me when I can lead you to the light? I can use a wife.” He smiled.

“That boy you speak of has a name, and it’s Dionysus, you know,” I hissed. “He is nothing like you. The Zoo is not a fucking cult. They’re a family, something you clearly know nothing about. You have children out there who will grow up to know nothing but this. You think they won’t seek to find what’s outside of this place? Huh? You think every fucking girl who steps through these doors will not turn against you? What will happen once those people realize this light you speak of doesn’t exist and that when they die, everything you promise is non-existent?”