Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
We walk slowly to the back of the store. She raises her cane and points at a white cable knit sweater, some fur-lined leggings, another sweater, this one red, then a black beanie and some gloves. Then she stops, resting her cane against the wall. I grab everything in my size while she slowly reaches for a display. It has necklaces and bracelets of every shape, size, and color.
Her eyes close. She holds out her hand again. I take it, enjoying the warmth and her joy.
Her other hand hovers over two necklaces, she goes back and forth until finally grabbing a simple silver chain with a charm. She dangles it in front of me, and then raises her hand to point to the roof—or the sky? Then she gives it to me.
The chain is frigid, but the charm’s hot. Strange. I look at it closer. It’s the ankh, one of the most powerful symbols in Egyptian mythology. It’s a gold cross with a bow on top of it. It’s the concept of life, the morning sun. It burns through my palm like it’s trying to etch itself on my person.
I look up, but she’s already slowly walking to the front of the store with her cane. I follow her and set my things on the counter. She says nothing, just rings me up, and puts everything in a bag. Then she grabs her cane and walks around to me.
I incline my head. “Thank you.”
She mimics my movement, then closes her eyes and inhales deeply. On her exhale, every single nerve in my body comes alive. She pushes her hands together then reaches her left hand toward me.
I don’t move as she presses a thumb between my eyes and draws a cross on my forehead with her fingertip ending it with the bow of the ankh on top.
Frowning, I jerk back, but she smiles and walks away with her cane, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened. I grab my bag and walk out of the store. By the time I’m back on the trail it’s only been a few minutes. I look over my shoulder and almost trip.
The small cabin is gone.
As if it never existed.
I tear through my bag, all my purchases are there, including the necklace, and when I check the receipt it looks completely normal—except she didn’t charge me for the necklace at all. And there’s no way I can go back and ask.
Am I going crazy?
Maybe it’s just hidden behind the trees, but even as I try to convince myself of that while I quickly jog down the trail, I realize I know what I saw. I’m a logical person and that made no sense.
I’m still reeling when I make it into town. That’s not just weird. It’s impossible, right? Am I dreaming? Did Enki feed me something? I’m not paying attention when I walk through the square. When I finally do look up, it’s to see every single person in the square holding up their hands in a praying motion as I walk by them just like the lady in the disappearing store.
I’m more than freaked out when I notice that even small children are doing it as I pass. I go from walking, to jogging, to full on running with my bag away from town and toward the house.
Something isn’t right.
And the only person who can probably give me insight is Cyrus. I make it to the road, and ten minutes later, I see Cyrus walk out of the house. I’m ready to yell his name and wave, when he slams his hand against the tree and keeps walking. He’s clearly pissed—again.
He goes to the cliff and starts walking down the trail. By the time I get to the edge of the cliff and hunch down, he’s already at the beach in front of the house. He gets in a state-of-the-art boat and heads toward the island.
Frowning, I watch as, minutes later, he ties the boat up on the single dock and disappears into the forest.
The sea rages.
And then it rests.
It rages again.
Another tree gets thrown from the island.
And then nothing but silence.
A few minutes later, Cyrus appears again by the boat, and I assume he’s going to get in it.
Instead, he sits on a rock and watches the water. He closes his eyes and then looks up at the sky and reaches his hand up, slowly flames appear on his fingertips before he drives a large flame across the top of the water back to the house, only for it to disappear again.
I stumble back.
Clearly, I’m seeing things.
That’s what I tell myself, so I don’t freak out and lose my mind.
He does it again…and again.
Each wave carries the flame like it was born to. Does he know I’m watching him?
I’m suddenly terrified—no, that’s not the right word—I’m hallucinating and thinking I need to get treatment. Hands shaking, body trembling, I grab onto the tree for comfort while Rat runs around my feet squealing as if to say he’s panicked too.