Djinn
There, Done That
Ancient plastered
covered buildings towered over the dust covered cobblestone streets. Vendors
and beggars called out in a strange and exotic tongue. Even the air smelled
foreign, filled with a mixture of spice and earth. It had a heady quality that
warmed the soul and suffocated spirit at the same time. Colorful tapestries
hung from lines stretched taunt across the roadway, a bold dash of color to a
bland beige backdrop. At five-foot-four, even Jenn had to duck and weave to
make it through the maze of rugs and throws. Monkeys jumped from rooftop to
rooftop, chattering to one another as they searched for open windows.
Never had Jenn seen so
many people in such a small area…okay maybe on Black Friday, but that’s totally
different. Kids ran in-between the maze of merchants, laughter ringing out as
the grabbed for the candy she held out for them. She could sense the stares,
being fair-skinned and auburn hair she’d expected as much, but there was
something unsettling creeping about just below her ribs, making her shiver. She
scanned the crowd in attempt to see what had set off the ominous sensation.
Lost in a sea of faces, she desperately tried to spot anyone staring at her.
Startled, Jenn screamed when someone or something had grasped her arm.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but you
startled me,” Jenn rambled. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. The old woman
didn’t mean her any harm. She just wanted her to buy a necklace. The crone
cooed to her, apparently talking up the jewelry. The only word that Jenn could
make out was ta’wiz. It wasn’t anything remarkable, just a black pouch on a
string. It smelled of musty herbs and paper, it reminded her of the library
after a hurricane had flooded the town. The woman fastened it around Jenn’s
neck before she knew it. The woman gave her a toothless grin, very pleased with
herself. Not wanting to offend her, Jenn found some coins and held them out. The
old woman grabbed a few and with her other hand stroked Jenn’s cheek.
“Safe now,” she rasped
as she went back to her stand. The old woman kept watching as Jenn stood there
debating whether to keep wearing it. She grabbed her camera, raised it and
snapped a picture of the woman. One day, she will show this snapshot when
telling this story the next time one of her friends complains about mall kiosk
workers.
Hands grabbed at her
pants leg as she passed by, nearly skeletal men begging for change or a bit of
food. This was completely different than the streets of Atlanta. It broke her
heart to see so many hungry. Knowing it really wouldn’t solve much, but unable
to walk away Jenn purchased some strange meats, fruits and a couple jugs of
water and handed it out to all that she could see.
In her mind, she could
hear her grandfather say something about the nothing good comes from feeding
strays, but how could she call herself a Christian if she turned a blind eye
and just walked away? She felt a bit better when rationalizing it as payment
for her using them in her photos not as a hand out. A crowd began to form
around Jenn as she handed out the bits of food.
She spotted a man at the entrance of
an alley, partially hidden by debris apparently too weak to make it to her.
Several times he tried to stand only to collapse, shivering at the attempt. Jenn
pushed people aside to get to him. She tried to pat him arm to reassure him
everything was going to be okay, but he flinched away from her. Obviously he
was use to being struck and had come to expect it. She gave him water and fed
him some of the remaining meat. He coughed and tried hard to keep it down.
A
gentle smile began to spread across is leathered face. His eyes were the only
thing youthful about him. They had a mesmerizing quality to them, almost a glow
within those deep obsidian pools lined with just a touch of mischief; you could
lose yourself in the depth of those warm dark eyes. When he pointed to her
neck, she knew he wanted her necklace. Without realizing what she was doing,
Jenn had unfastened it and held it out for him. He cautiously reached out for
it and she let go, letting it fall. He turned his hand at the last moment
letting it hit the ground and kicked it away. Amused and confused, Jenn started
to ask why he had done such a thing, but those eyes…They made her so dizzy.
He broke the spell when
he bowed and kissed her palms in thanks. His lips were soft as silk and cold as ice, sending chills from her tips of her fingers
straight to her heart. He must have been
a real ladies man in his youth for even now she was flustered by him. Jenn
looked around and found that they were all alone in the darkened alleyway. Apprehension tugged at her and she pulled her
hands back. It took her a moment to
realize she was holding onto something. Slowly opening her hand, she found he
had placed a small coin in them as payment. She tried to give it back, but he
was adamant she keep it.
The coin was oddly heavy
for such a small thing. Jenn flipped it several times, admiring the artwork of
this unusual find. A slight tingle seemed to emanate from hit when she grasped
it tightly. She looked back to try once again to return the coin, but when she
did she discovered he had vanished. The only evidence he had ever been there
lay in the middle of her palm.
"Heads left, tails right," speaking only
to feel less alone in the dark, dank alleyway.
She flipped the coin
high in the air, caught it, and slapped it on the back of her hand. Jenn hesitated, unsure if it was due to the
sudden disappearance of a clearly frail man, the isolation within the dimly
light alley or the sudden knowledge that a new journey was about to begin.
"Left it is."
Jenn started off at a
fairly good clip. She managed to get a block away before she was thrown to the
ground. A deafening roar shook the ground and the sky lit up brighter than the
fourth of July. Screams seemed to come from everywhere at once, even inside her
head. It wasn’t until she felt the tension in her own throat did she realize
she was screaming too.
Another explosion
rocked the market sending Jenn back to the cold cobblestones, only the layer of
dirt and sand cushioning her fall. Rolling onto her back she could see the
fireball shoot up to the sky, like a demon hungry to grasp the stars.
The air began to
shimmer from the heat. A strange buzzing sound kicked up and grew in intensity
to an almost maddening level. Jenn covered her ears trying to buffer it out,
only to discover it came from within. Everything shimmered and wavered like
glitter filled water. Jenn reached out to see if it held mass. At first she
thought she was imagining it, her hand was transparent. Holding it up and
covering her eyes, she could still see the marketplace and the fire that
ensued.
A crack appeared in the
cobblestone just before her. Jenn tried to move away, but she felt encased in
gelatin. The buzzing spread throughout her, echoed and amplified, shaking her
to her core. She saw a thin thread of bluish silver smoke wrap round her and
snake up her body. It worked its way to her head and wove back round to her
feet. Jenn tried to break free, but it just moved with her, like it was part of
her. Cocoon, was the only thought her mind could grasp and the mist-like smoke
encased her. Her world had become a
shimmer of silverish blue.
People ran past her,
like she was invisible, her screams muffled to an inaudible whisper. Jenn
punched and kicked to break free, but the mist began to squeeze her. A dull
electrical like current pulsated in time with her heart. A floating sensation
began in the pit of her stomach and she swore she would soon pass out. A young
woman carrying her child ran toward her. Jenn thought she had made eye contact
when the pair ran straight through her. Not around her, but through her. Jenn
clawed at the mist. She saw the tail end of it begin to be sucked down the
crack in the road. Her mind screamed as she felt herself be pulled toward that
small yet deep abyss.
“This wasn’t what I meant when I prayed for an
adventure,” she sobbed. Prayers and promises flowed from her like water until
the darkness finally took hold.
