Shroud: Jinn

31 - Beacon

After the sixth week, they showed themselves and they made sure that their presence was known.

The first incident happened when I was reading the newspaper on the dining table alone while Melati was asleep with Safiyyah. My cup of piping hot tea fell from the table which rattled on its own. I jumped out of my seat and let out a frustrated cry as the liquid splatter scalded my feet.

Three small child-like creatures but with saggy, wrinkly faces akin to a centenarian along with three eyes each on their bald heads, were stomping away on the dining table with their tiny hooves that served as feet. Their bodies were slathered in what I thought was blood, but the slimy, reddish hue was simply the texture of their skin. Three sharp horns protruded out from the top of their heads, which glinted as they frolicked about and chortled away. They ran around the room - not just the floors, but up the walls and ceilings too, as if the law of gravity did not exist for them. As soon as one of them caught me staring, all three demons merged to form into one single beast and attacked.

My narrow escape with death was petrifying; the deep gash on my left calf had yet to heal.

Rule number one - Do not show them any signs that you can see them.

The second occurrence took place when I had awakened from slumber in the middle of the night with a shooting pain across my back. I had been sleeping comfortably on my stomach, faced down. Just before turning over, I noticed that Melati was gone. So was Safiyyah. Her bassinet was empty. It was not the first time that they went missing for the night. As I closed my eyes and switched positions to sleep on my left side, something sharp scratched me along my right arm. I turned on my back as a reflex action, but it only intensified the pain that was already there.

Before I could ignore the collective pain from two different parts of my body, my groggy eyes shot open to see a hideous figure with scaly, burnt skin and long hair hunched over my body. Its hollow eyes were devoid of pupils and what laid beneath were scorching orange flames that burnt with a bright intensity. It flashed me an open-mouth smile, and the same fiery blaze glowered maniacally from underneath the creature's throat. The creature's form appeared feminine and curvy as its messy long hair shook about. Before I could react, the figure raised its bird-like talons above its head and slashed me across my chest with its devastating claws.

The visits came on nights where I found myself alone in bed without Melati by my side. However, I noticed that it left me alone and only watched me with a murderous look if I slept on my right side.

Rule number two - Only sleep on the right side.

The third experience happened when I ended up sleeping into the night on the living room floor after an exhausting shift at work. I was roused from deep sleep to the sounds of cracking eggshells.

It was not the image of Melati in her pontianak form smashing eggshells against her cheeks and sucking the oozing liquid between the cracks or her licking the residue off the floor that I found disturbing. It was the sight of Safiyyah who was swaddled tight in a blanket floating to and fro behind Melati, as misshapen black shadows passed her across the living room like a ball that completely alarmed me.

Despite my snaking fear, I bellowed at the misty figures and bolted towards Safiyyah, but my heroic attempts proved futile for I was pushed against the wall and choked ruthlessly by one of them.

I recalled fainting. But I also remembered Melati rescuing Safiyyah moments before I blacked out.

Rule number three - Never engage them in a fight.

The fourth moment occurred when I caught a whiff of something terribly rotten as I watched television one night.

"What's that horrid smell?" I muttered to myself.