Ghost Stories (manxman)

Chapter 10 - Living Life

Chapter 10 – Living Life

Twenty Years Earlier – Beirut, Lebanon.

Soraya Nasir, much younger than we know her, ran through the small house. It was a hot day but the cool Beirut breeze blew into the house rustling the curtains. Her grandmother pulled her grandchild onto her lap and the smell of her jasmine and lavender perfume calmed the girl to no end.

            “Let us read your leaves. Come Soraya,” Her grandmother led her to the kitchen and prepared an ice cream Sunday with chunks of waffle in it. Placing it in front of the salivating little girl she watched Soraya scoop spoonfuls of the sweet rosewater ice cream into her mouth. The two made silly faces at each other until the teakettle started boiling.

            Waddling over to the stove, Soraya’s grandmother poured two cups of the Turkish tea and brought it with sugar over to the table. Dropping three cubes in and watching it dissolve she pushed it over to Soraya who had just about finished her sundae. Gulping down the hot tea Soraya pushed it back and her grandmother looked at the leaves.

            “Well well, what do I see here?” The grandmother teased holding the cup and looking into it.

            “Oh Grandma, tell me? Will I marry a princess?” Soraya pulled herself onto the table and crossed her legs.

            “Maybe…” The grandmother smiled back at her. As her grandmother looked closer into the teacups some clouds covered the sun and a colder breeze blew into the window. Looking outside Soraya noticed the clouds swirling darker and darker.

            “Grandma, I think it is going to rain,” Soraya commented.

            “Oh dear,” Her grandmother looked closely into the leaves. “You will go far away from this land but your role in life is an important one. You will find the savior. The one who will bring an end to the growing madness.” Almost in a trance she continued to read the tea leaves. “You are a very special girl Soraya, you must help him and save him first before he can save us.”

            A loud clap of lightning happened outside and startled the grandmother. Dropping the teacup it rolled around on the table. “There is more to the prophecy…but I will have to tell you when you are much older.”

            “But grandma.” Soraya began and another snap of lightning, this one closer, sounded outside the window.

Her grandmother stood up and looked outside then pulled the windows shut as rain began to splash against the panes. “Quickly, Soraya to my room.”

 Soraya ran to her grandmother’s bed and jumped onto the sheets. Her grandmother entered the room and shut the door behind her. The storm was much louder outside. But her grandmother had an eerie calm about her. She hugged her granddaughter tightly.

“Now Soraya, I am going to cast a spell on you. To protect you until your role in the prophecy is complete. Now that it is foretold. You will be safe….but please my daughter don’t be scared.

The door to the bedroom creaked open and something inhuman entered. Her grandmother’s funeral was the following week and although they said that someone had broken in and stabbed her, Soraya knew the claw marks were from something much more sinister.

***

Two Days Earlier  (During Chapter 8 of this book, Ghost Stories) – Downtown Los Angeles.

Marcus flew into the brick wall, his shirt torn and his chiseled abs exposed. James stood across from him, looking angrily at the wolf. James swept a hand through his styled strawberry blond hair; his hair seemed to glow in the dingy downtown warehouse. Marcus stood up bloody but not defeated. He smirked, swiftly transforming into a wolf he pounced onto James. The two wrestled for a moment then Marcus swung his neck around and James flew into an iron support beam.