The Last Wizard: Case Files (8 page)

   She hovered in front of me, her feet loose and nimble. The silver moon glistened off her silver broach on her waist, dancing to a steady melody playing only for her.
   "Hey, c'mere." I muttered to her.

   "Mm?" She said, not listening. She was in her own world at this point, nothing else seemed to matter out here. She seems use to blocking out everything, but one that dwells in its own mind for too long loses its grasp on the social norms, out casting them further from established circles. It didn't look like she was part of a particular circle, nor did she care to be, she was confident with herself. Something I couldn't say about myself.

   Sonia wandered close enough for me to grab her arm and pull her towards me. I could feel the warmness throb out her hands and into mind, she watched as if she felt the same. A smile crept onto her face like a child witnessing something new and beautiful for the first time. I ran my hands up her arms, guiding the blood from her hands into her chest. She stared at me with her big brown eyes, the look of innocence rang through me, it’s pierced through me grasping into my lungs, stifling me of air. With a single push, she leaned in and bit my cheek lightly. My heart was beating so fast it could power an electric lamp for days. I was lost to the thought that I was no longer in control of my body, like always she wielded all the power.

   I pull her into an embrace, like a tired boxer grappling onto his opponent just for a moments rest. Her eyes avoided mine at every turn, it was her turn to grow anxious. I could feel her hands running up and down my back trying to find the perfect spot to rest, before she could find it she clamped in and hugged tightly. Her small wicked smile returned, she had me exactly where she wanted me to be.

   She was the mark, how could I be played a fool. I can't let this happen. I must regain control of this night. Fuck the butterflies, fuck the guards, fuck her.

   My right hand dove in behind her head into her smooth hair, while my left hand went in for the jab brushing her rosy cheeks. Lights out, I pulled her in and kissed her, her soft lips mangled with mine like two magnets being drawn to one another after being ripped apart.

   She turned around right after as I grinned like a teenage school boy. "It's a bit chilly no?" She said curling her hands around her torso.

   "Not really, its pretty hot to me." I said, I mean we are in the desert. She must be use to a completely different climate back in London. "I'll be back in a minute, need to take a piss."

   "Here? Jinn!"

   "I'll be quick." I said excusing myself seeing my chance to duck out for a bit. She whimpered a simple nod as she sat down on the old Church, staring at the moon.

   Climbing down the face of the Church, I made my way to the opening that was recently uncovered. They either found it this way, or they broke the glass and went in already. Shit. I better get in there and see if there is anything else I could grab.

   Sticking my legs in first, I felt the side of the wall for something to brace and hold myself, almost instantly I wedged my foot into the wall against a log. The insides seemed to have been so deteriorated that the foundation began to seep through the cracks. Scaling down the side of the wall, I landed on a balcony, the room was circular. I could see the walls bend beside me wrapping around the room, below were debris littered everywhere and what looked like benches. Climbing down was easy, the balcony was designed with pillars for support.

   The moonlight did its best to light my path, but I depended on the torch I concocted from a piece of rag and stick. Standing against the wall, waiting, the darkness crept towards me slowly. The hair on my neck crawled as if a spider ran across your skin. You didn't see the fucker, but you knew its eight fucking legs violated you in ways that make you wish you’d seen it so you could stomp the life out of it. My every step echoed in the empty hall, each breath felt like a wind storm unsettling a resting tomb.

   Pillars ran parallel to each other down the hallway out of the dome room. It felt like this place was left mostly unchecked, the Church probably decided not to move forward down here. Each step left a footprint out of the heavy dust that lathered the floor. Coming up to the end of the hallway, a large wooden door barred my way. It was heavy, and made of now rotten wood, reinforced with iron. A small red ribbon tied the doors together. Was it the Church? I didn't notice any foot prints... It could've been covered by the heavy down pour of dust and sand. Piles of sand lay on the floor like an hourglass pouring its sands of time into the abyss where nothing returns.

   I bent down to my boot resting the torch on the floor nearby. The flame flickered methodically, it reminded me of a time where a flame spoke to me in a dream. With each stagger it spoke words that I could not understand, needless to say, I didn't sleep the rest of that night. Pulling the dull knife wedged between the leather soul, I sliced the red ribbon carefully and drew it free from the handles. Pushing on the door, a howl from what I hope was the wind escaped the sealed room.

   Walking into the room, I couldn't see any walls, even the door disappeared behind me. It was very clean, there was nothing. No debris, no chairs, tables or anything of the holy decor lying about. Even the ground was clean from dust, the room was untouched. It was after I stood still then I heard it. An almost inaudible creaking, like the old spokes of a rocking chair creaking to its masters weight. There was nothing in sight, going on a whim I decided to look up, and by fucking lord I wish I hadn't. Above me was a massive Crucifix swinging in a circle around me. It was black as night, a noose hung under the neck of the tied Jesus pinned to the Cross. It looked like tears ran from the eyes of his distraught face as he looked down at me for help. I had never seen an image of him like this before. This was different, it wasn't normal to say the least.

   A shiny object reflected the torch's light back at me, I hurried forth to check it. I want to get the fuck out of this place. On the table, which I would assume sat in the middle of the room, was a golden box just eight inches long and about three inches wide. The small box occupied a tenth of the length of the table, it was definitely impo-rtant.

   Jackpot.

   Resting the torch on the table, I rubbed the box to see if there was anything on it. Nothing. It was clean as a whistle. Pushing the top of the box off, a cloud of dust spewed from the box into my face, I leaped back far enough to almost fall over. The cloud almost instantly evaporated from sight, I could've sworn dust would have fell to the ground rather than float. But that wasn't as interesting as what was inside the box, it was the remains of something alien. I stepped a bit closer to take a better look, it was just about six inches tall, skeletal remains of something smaller yet more mature than a baby occupied the case. The skull was shaped longer than your typical head, it was almost the shape of an egg that has been squeezed. A total of seven golden ribs lined its chest wrapped in its tiny arms.

   Fuck this shit.

   I grabbed the box, emptied that old sack of bones onto the table and booked it to the door all steam ahead. Sprinting my way back through the door, I continued down the hallway back to the dome room with the vaulted ceilings I climbed down from.

   Halting me in my tracks, something stood in the middle of the room, waiting for me, a shadow. It was shaped like a human, but it was completely engrossed in smoke. I could see pieces of itself breaking off and floating around. Each breath resonated throughout its body, like a single entity.

   "Halt infidel." A ghastly voice whispered from it, raising its hand, it pointed squarely at me. "You are now the property of Al Shayir." This was the point where I lost it, every muscle in my body refused to listen. Every ounce of strength I begged for, to move my legs, was denied to me. I was petrified. The shade swam in mid air and darted towards me, within seconds it poured into my chest. It felt like the soul of my body was being ripped out, my insides burned as it kept on going. Before I could see it finish, I blacked out. All I saw was darkness.

   But, in the darkness, was a faint laughter echoing eternally.

Chapter Six

   My memories of what happened next were a haze, it came back like a wave drawing onto a shore for a brief moment before being ripped away from its arms and tossed back into the emptiness of a vast ocean. I do remember sitting in a chair, I don't know if I could call it a room, but there were no floors, walls or ceiling. It was pure blackness, as if I sat out in the outer limits of space, or maybe within the depths of my mind. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wasn't alone, in front of me sat a shadow. Not your typical six o'clock shadow, but a figure of its own will. It is what kept me there, we sat in silence yet I could still feel the heat against my skin, it was as if we were holding negotiations for a very tense takeover.

   What I do remember vividly though, was the metal ring that hit my jawline with a force strong enough to awaken a pharaoh from his eternal slumber. As my eyes peeled open, Galahan and Sonia were the ones I saw next, hovering over me, Galahan with his hand out and a extremely large ruby ring that he had turned around to hit me with. Fucker.

   "The fuck are you doing?" I said to him rubbing my cheek. The ground was soft, not like the one I hit a few days ago. I was able to dig my hand into the soft warm sand, I could also confirm that the bright light was also the sun looking at me.

   "The fuck am I doing?" Galahan hissed, his voice deep and pronounced. His British accent was very stark, yet it made him more intimidating than sounding like a complete twat.
   "Daddy! Language." Sonia said beside him. Galahan grunted like the tall ogre he is and pushed her aside. He reached down with his massive fists and clenched onto my collar raising me closer to him with ease.

   "Listen here Jinn, first I will leave the fact that you were with my daughter for another time, for now...What did you take? What was in the box?" He asked, his expression was clear he wasn't in the mood for games. The next words I said could be the very beginning of a world of hurt.

   "It looks like a cookie jar more than a box honestly." I said to him and as I expected, I was put to bed with a single blow to the head. It did hurt at first, I saw two Sonia's looking over at me disappointed as my neck gave out and my head hitting the sand.

***

   Again, I found myself stuck in this dream with myself and the shadowy figure talking on chairs levitating in nothingness. Its stare continued to burn my skin even though it had no eyes I could look at. The heaviness in my chest was more pronounced than last time. It felt as if I was playing tug of war, perhaps I was, I could feel the struggle in me lose itself for a brief moment like that wave and then return. Maybe, as I started believing more and more, I was fighting for my very body or even soul. It sure as hell felt like it.

  "Give up, this is now my vessel." It said with what sounded like the voice of a thousand dying souls. It's black smoke, turned red for a brief moment as I struggled to respond. I was able to get my words across, it was very simple;

   "fuck you."

   It laughed solemnly before speaking: "I like you kid."

***

   "Jinn." A whispered voice echoed in my ear, my eyes opened to see barrels hanging over me in nets. The ground was hard this time, and made of wood, I was surrounded by bars, as I felt very nauseous. The ground beneath my feet didn't feel stable, I could feel a rocking that went in opposite directions with the hanging barrels.

   A ship? Where the hell am I... 

   I grabbed onto the barred door to see if it would swing open, I didn't know what I expected, but it didn't budge. No one was in sight, I was locked up in the undertow, a table with chopped up veggies was the only thing of interest nearby.

   A dungeon with a kitchen, classy.

   "Hello!" I yelled out shaking the bar, I tried to make as much noise as I could to grab anyone's attention. I have questions.
   "Hi." Sonia said walking out from behind a pillar. Her eyes were tired yet her smile was fully intact.

   "Sonia?" I said, slightly confused, why am I seeing her here and why is she behind my bars. "What's going on?"
   "Well, my father, has arrested you in the name of the Church. You are to be transported to England where you shall be put to trial for looting a holy site." She said, her eyes becoming darker and her smile fading. "You lied to me, you used me."

   "Wait, no. I just wanted to see what it was. I didn't take anything."
   "Mhmm." She sighed to me, she didn't even bother to dignify me with an answer. She left me in my thoughts alone as she climbed up the stairs and slamming the door shut. Perhaps she waited all this time without sleep just to do that, it certainly feels like it.

   As I sat on the rocking ship, I could feel the walls close in on me. The sun light had been exchanged for cold metal wrapped around my ankles with an accompanying chain. If I had known… if I only listened to Fatima I would've still been in the open grass lands churning away under the warm sun with cool winds. Yet, I still would have been the slave to society, a tool for those to use then toss when no longer needed. The familiar heaviness in my chest returned, I couldn't tell if it was rage or what I fear wasn't a dream. Everywhere I look or go, I could feel a second presence looking and being. Not only does my future look bleak, so does my sanity.

   "Jinn." I heard a familiar voice call to me. This voice was very particular, it sounded like Fatima, but it was masked in a way that changed it slightly. I looked around the room for her, yet I couldn't place her.

   Great. I'm starting to hear shit too.

   "Jinn, over here by the window." It said again, part of me wanted to look, really, but the other part was far too scared to. On one hand, she could have seen me and followed me on this boat, or she could be what I feared most. A figment of my imagination, confirming I should turn from a life of solitary, to a life locked away at the mad experiments of the asylum. I preferred the latter, I ignored the sound and played it off, it’s the wind, my mind is just remembering.

  
No matter how much I ignored the sounds, I kept hearing a struggle of someone squeezing through the window and landing on the floor almost like a feather. The floor boards creaked under pressure with an almost muted sound, like a cat walked along the floor. Something inside me told me that I was being watched, that something was walking towards me and to turn my head and find out what it was. It was almost like a sixth sense, but the weird thing is, I have never felt or noticed this before. It could be the part of me that gave up in life and will just willow in the madness of my mind.

   "Jinn." She said, her voice much closer, like she stood right behind me close. I heard her fiddling with the lock on the cell door. I was finally able to turn around, this seemed to be too real to doubt anymore. As I turned, I could see a figure in black garments almost hidden in the shadows. I could only see her eyes in the black robes. I recognized Fatima's eyes almost instantly, and with the black mole under her right eye, it was pretty much guaranteed.

   "Fatima? What're you doin here? How'd you get here?" I said standing to see her clearly in the light. She pushed past the door and threw her arms around me. She smelt of herbs, there was too many to distinguish. It was sharp enough to burn my nostrils, it felt as if it was on fire.
   "Jinn, quickly, I need to know. Did you take anything?" Fatima said bringing me down to the floor to sit.

   "What do you mean?" I asked her.

   "In the Church, did you move anything." She said sort of demanding an answer from me immediately. Her whole demeanor was different, she wasn't here to rescue me, she was here on business.

   "Yeah I did, so what?" I told her, "I was almost rich till these church people intercepted me."

   "Why Jinn." She said with a strain her voice, it almost sounded hoarse, "I told you not to..." her look was filled of disappointment. Even though I don't regret what I did, I never do, this time I felt like I made the gravest mistake of all. She didn't give me an moment to release my breath held in out of fear.

   "Look, I'm sorry about this." She concluded.

   "Wait... What do you mean? What the hell is going on? Why are you dressed like that?" I said pulling away from her cold and rough grasp, nothing makes sense anymore. I am trapped in the middle of the sea, and this girl, dressed in a uniform unknown to me managed to find me in the midst of all the madness. "Who... are you?"

    I could feel Fatima become guarded, her left leg stepped backwards as she unconsciously entered a battle stance, but her face remained sorrowful. Fatima stretched out her wrapped arms to me, her open palms were shaking, she approached me and wrapped her arms around my torso in a simple embrace. Her tiny body felt fragile against mine, her back was small and my chin rested atop her head. Looking up at me, her green eyes glistened and clear like on a bright sunny day after a severe thunderstorm. Reac-hing up, she kissed me on my lips before pulling away from me. Upon opening my eyes, I licked my lips, wanting more.

   "I'm sorry, but you aren't Jinn anymore." Fatima said, looking at me with tears in her eyes.

   "What do you mean I'm not Jinn anymore?" I said wiping my lips.

   Fatima, too, wiped her lips with her sleeve. "You were gone ever since you entered that Church. I could feel it."

   "What are you talking about?" I said with a cough, every word I spoke it felt my throat was on fire.

   "You were possessed." She said pulling her mask back over her face, tucking her hands into her robes.

   I couldn't stand anymore, I dropped to my knees in pain, every breath felt like I was breathing in the fire of the sun charring my insides. "What did you do?" I said angrily. The world began to haze around me, everything began to leak a dark black smoke. Looking into my hands, I realized I began to cough blood into my palm. "You poisoned me?!" I said to her with more anger than I ever felt before. Honestly, I never knew I had this much rage before, or that I could be this angry at her. Fatima saw my transformation and started to back up slowly, out of the cell and even closing the door on me. That is when I lost it.

   "What the fuck Fatima?!"

   "Jinn, come back, please. Don't make me."

   "Make you what? You already poisoned him.” The words fell from my mouth, but I was not the one saying them.

   "Fuck you." Fatima said as she pulled out a small blade from her robe and threw it at me in a single motion. I could see the blade come straight to me clean through the bars of the cell into my chest, I tried moving my hands in the way to avoid it from hitting me but I didn't feel a thing. Looking down, the blade wasn't there. There was no blood and no tear in my clothing, I rubbed my chest to confirm my feeling.

   "Relax." A voice echoed in my head, "let me take over now."

    "Who are you?"

   "Al Shayir."

    "Who?"

   "I am now your protector." It said as my arms and feet began to move on its own. My body was no longer mine, I was simply the co-pilot looking through the windshield observing. My life was now out of my hands.

   "You shall pay for your crimes against this vessel. It is now mine, and for trying to bring harm to it, I require your life." A voice expelled from my own mouth that wasn't mine. It was the voice I heard in the dream, a voice of many and of one. Before Fatima could even react, I raised my hands into the air and a blinding light erupted from my core. It was then followed by a thunderous boom and enough vibrations to rattle my brain into a scramble.

   As the dust cleared, a hole left in the hull brought in some moonlight, Fatima was gone and everything around me was set ablaze. The food on the table was charred and above, the roof was opened to the starry skies. The base of the ship was fully intact, this power was controlled and purposeful, a power I could never had imagined was possible in the first place. My body floated from the base of the ship to the upper deck, I could see Sonia staring in disbelief under the moonlight. No one else was around to witness, luckily. A large clocktower highlighted by the silver moon hung in the distance. Leaving everything behind, I felt my body disintegrate into a foam as we further raised into the air and tunneled towards the tower.