Grenadine Dreams

3. The Djinni and the Dropout

3. The Djinni and the Dropout

{Naya}

I don't remember how long I pounded against the glass, screaming Uriel's name along with an assortment of threats that I had no means of fulfilling. Exhausted and confused, I sank into a heap at the bottom of the bowl and let my fatigue take me.

When I regained consciousness, I opened my eyes to a completely new set of surroundings. At first glance, I thought that I was being held in the isolated tower of a desert palace. Pale light poured in from round, glassless windows. I could see oases and clouds beyond them. These surroundings looked nothing like the tiny glass cell that I remembered.

Am I in a different pipe?

I propped myself onto my elbows and fixed my gaze on my immediate surroundings. Once again, I was sporting a risque garment, overwrought with gems, tassels, and tiny bells. The pile of pillows where I nested flaunted the same Persian flair as the rest of the interior.

Cautiously, I rose to my feet and began to explore this strange chamber in the clouds. Amidst the rugs and tapestry, I found a secluded nook that overlooked a small balcony. A low table accompanied a lounge sofa. Stacked on and around the table were books.

As soon as I spotted the literature, I went straight for it, picking up the books and flipping them over in my hands to view their titles.

"Crap," I hissed. "They're all in Arabic." Or maybe they weren't. I honestly had no idea.

I returned the books with care and glided away from the outdoor patio. I drifted along, admiring the blends of turquoise in all of the furniture and art on the ceiling, when I stumbled upon something else that piqued my interest. Mounted on a stand was an acoustic guitar.

Before I knew it, I was crouching before the instrument, checking out its features. I recognized the brand and wondered why such a valuable guitar was here in this room. I felt the urge to pick it up and tune it, but as soon as I reached for it, a pang of sadness touched me.

I withdrew my hand.

I was almost done exploring the chamber room. When I circled back around to the heap of pillows where I began, I caught a strong whiff of something nutty. I followed the scent to a pedestal placed among other antique tables and small dressers.

Atop the pedestal was a wide, shallow bowl filled to the brim with de-shelled pistachios – my favorite snack in all existence. It was then I realized that I hadn't awakened in some palace from Persian antiquity. This room was made especially for me.

"Uriel!" I hollered while shoving a handful of the salty green seeds into my mouth. I started to cough – partially from the mouthful of pistachios and partially from trying to scream on a sore throat.

"Uriel, what the hell is this place?"

I stood in silence for a few moments and waited. A shiver crawled down my spine when I heard his accented voice echo around me.

"Good morning, Naya. Did you sleep well?"

"Get me out of here. You have a lot of explaining to do."

"But you haven't even had time to fully check out your new room," he teased.

"Uriel!" I growled.

"You have to admit that it's a lot better than where you were before."

I finally decided to ignore him and try to find my own way out. So I took another look at the ceiling to see if I could spot the dark opening. Chances were that I was inside the same pipe as before.