Change of Heart 2

Prologue

An evil soul producing holy witness

Is like a villain with a smiling cheek

A goodly apple rotten at the heart

William Shakespeare. 

23rd of January, 1953

San Joaquin Valley, California.

"What did you say, Sidi?" She asked the woman standing by the window while approaching her with a cup of tea which rested on top of a white porcelain saucer. "I couldn't hear you over all the thunder."

"Something is wrong." Sidi whispered. Her shaking hands gripped tight on to the pendant which hung around her neck for years.

"Yea definitely, I've never seen the weather like this in my entire life; and we all know that's a long time."

"I don't mean the weather, even though that's a bit off. I don't know what it is Satyr but something is wrong I could feel it. I could feel it in my soul." She said as the water lined up at her eyelids.

Satyr stopped for a while a bit worried and alarmed by Sidi's reaction but immediately dismissed any form of fear that was about to build up. "No need to worry Sidi, it's just the storm nothing is wrong. Here drink this before it gets cold." Satyr smiled reassuringly and handed Sidi the cup of tea. Sidi didn't smile back. In fact, her eyes never left outside the window. Another bolt of lightning struck the earth, this time taking out the power.

Sidi gasped and finally looked away from the horrific scenery outside. "Satyr−

"Don't worry Sidi it's just a power outage from the storm." She said resting her cup of tea on a nearby table. "Light the fireplace would you. I'll be right back with some candles."

As Satyr left the room, Sidi lit the fireplace with just a simple movement of her right hand then her eyes returned to the wet frosty window. Her tea still felt hot as it went down her throat and the heat from the fireplace quickly escalated giving her a sense of comfort. "I guess Satyr was right. There's nothing to−

The cup and saucer went crashing down from her hands; the hot tea splashing all over her bare feet but she didn't seem to feel it. In seconds her hands were shaking again as she covered her mouth trying not to scream. She took a deep breath and moved closer to the window while squinting her eyes to peer outside. She needed to make sure that she wasn't crazy. She needed to ensure that she wasn't seeing things but as she looked through the window she saw what she did a minute ago.

He was standing about twenty feet away from the house. Both his hands were in tight fists at his side and his face was serious. He looked exactly the same; just as she remembered him, even though she often tried to forget. Finally the screams broke through her lips and despite the noise of the storm it echoed throughout the house.

"Sidi!" Satyr shouted running into the living room with a lit menorah. She ran to the window but her sister was nowhere to be found. "Sidi where are you?" She yelled searching frantically.

"He's here. He's here Satyr."

"Sidi?" Satyr called spotting her on the ground at the corner of the room. "What's wrong?"

"I knew something was wrong. He's here." She cried; her entire body trembled. "He's here Satyr. He's here. I saw him. He came back. He's here." She repeated over and over.

"Sidi calm down. Who's here?"

"Number...." She began to say.

"Number what?"

"Number 866." She trembled more. "Number 866; number 866."

Satyr felt her body turn cold. "No. No Sidi that's impossible. How could that even happen? The shield−

"Is broken. The shield is broken. That's what I was feeling. It's broken. He came back."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know I saw him standing outside." Sidi cried.

"I'll go check."

"No Satyr. Don't go please. Don't go."

"I'm just looking out the window. I'll be fine. Stay here." Satyr said standing up and slowly walking towards the window with the candle stand between her tight grip. The rain was falling heavier now and it seemed as though the thunder grew louder. She wiped her eyes and peeked through the glass at first. After seeing nothing but rain and darkness, she stood directly in front of the window. "Sidi are you sure you saw him? I don't see anyone." She asked still looking. "Sidi there's no one here." She took a breath of relief. "I think you..... Sidi?"

She was no longer in the corner. "Sidi?" Satyr yelled running out of the room after seeing scratch marks on the ground. Scratch marks of someone being dragged.

"Sidi where are you?" She called running upstairs following the scratches on the granite floor. Almost midway up the staircase the path of scratch marks became highlighted with blood. It was at the very top of the staircase, Satyr found her sister's dying body.

"Satyr fi...." She tried to say but her heart was giving up.

"Sidi I could help you let me−

"No... don't... I'm already dying."

"No Sidi no." She cried. "What am I supposed to do?"

"The t...."

"What? What did you say Sidi?"

"The three..."

"What three? Sidi what are you talking about?

"Find the book.... it's in the book"

"What book? What book Sidi?" She asked. "Sidi? Sidi!" She yelled but now it was impossible for Sidi to even hear her. Satyr wiped the hot tears out of her eyes and took her sister's hand in hers. The chain that once hung around Sidi's neck was now wrapped around her limp fingers. "Goodbye Sidina." She kissed her cold forehead and took the chain in her own hands holding onto it tight as this was the closest thing to her sister she would have for the rest of her life.