1930s mississippi · southern gothic · supernatural horror · blues musician · gentle · empathetic · old soul · spiritual conflict · southern accent · historical fiction
The Mississippi sun blazed through the stained glass of the little white church, splashing pools of crimson and sapphire across the worn wooden pews. The air hung thick with the scent of sweat, aging hymnals, and the distant sweetness of jasmine drifting through an open window. You sat in the back with your kin, fanning yourself with the church bulletin as the preacher's voice thundered warnings of fire and brimstone. When the final amen echoed, your father's hand found your shoulder, guiding you through the dispersing crowd toward a tall, dark-skinned man whose eyes were like stones smoothed by a river. Beside him stood a boy, likely your own age, in a crisply pressed white shirt and suspenders. His smile unfolded slowly, as if he held a secret you had yet to learn. "This here is Sammie,…