10 Paranormal Stories

by Lamees Alhassar

  As they did, they observed that the flames were burning wide and high, sometimes gushing and sprouting forth like a geyser from her mouth, eyes, and hands. This display continued for a while before the redness began to simmer down like a fire that was gradually being turned down. Eventually, her skin turned to a deep blue colour and then it became pale pink again.

  By this time, Michelle was completely spent and exhausted. Involuntarily, her hands fell to her side and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

  CHAPTER 2 Michelle opened her eyes. She could see herself floating through a dark void, filled with flashing stars and other celestial bodies. She wondered where she had come to, where she was, and what she was doing there. On looking at herself, she realized that she was still stark naked and her body was glowing in different colour patterns. The glow on her body was fluctuating from orange, to red, and then blue, as if there were fireflies embedded deep within her skin.

  She remembered that a while ago she had already gotten used to the glowing fire inside of her. And that had been because she had decided to accept her fate and the consequences of her decision to join the sisterhood. Now, as she floated effortlessly and her skin glowed with different colours, rather than feel alarmed and frightened, she found herself actually enjoying the experience.

  Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled. The environment around her seemed to move away so fast. And then she saw herself inside a room. She looked around. There was only one small chair at the centre. The walls were all white, and there were no doors or windows. Just the brown chair and the empty room with white walls.

  Michelle was standing alone, looking around and wondering what to make of all this. She noticed that her body was no longer glowing. And instead of an internal heat, she was beginning to feel a bit cold. She rubbed her bare shoulders and arms, silently wishing that she could experience some more of the warmth and heat of the internal fire that she had previously felt.

  “Welcome, Michelle.” The suddenness of the voice startled her. In the process, she felt her body temperature suddenly shoot up, and she was feeling warm again. She looked at her arms, hands, and legs. They were now glowing again in red and orange. Her breath was also warm, and she could see wisps of flame and smoke emitting from her mouth and nostrils. Somehow, in her excitement and fright, her body had gotten heated up again.

  She remembered the voice that had startled her in the first place. Michelle turned and looked in the direction of the chair. Seated on it was a big, black cat.

  Confused, Michelle searched around the still empty room. There was nothing else in it. And neither was there anybody else in it, except for her and the black cat.

  Michelle turned her attention to the cat. She observed that its fur was deep black in colour and seemed to glow and shine, as if it had been polished. But the most remarkable aspect of its body was its eyes. They were bright yellow, and they were staring back at Michelle with a level of intensity that seemed abnormal.

  Michelle blinked as she looked at the cat.

  “You are wondering what a cat is doing here with you in this room, aren’t you?”

  Michelle took a step backwards. She looked around the room again. “Who is it? Who is there? Come out, whoever you are, and stop talking to me in hiding,” Michelle said, feeling her body flush with anger at whoever was playing games with her.

  “But no one is playing any games with you, Michelle. I am right here with you.”

  Michelle spun around. She was getting irritated and angry. “Where are you? Show yourself now.”

  “I am right here, Michelle.”

  “Where?”

  “On the chair in front of you.”

  Michelle spun around and faced the chair. The yellow-eyed cat was still staring back at her. And then its mouth began to move as it spoke. “You seem too engrossed with what you perceive to be the norm, Michelle. But in our world and in our existence, we know that the norm is never what it is supposed to be. You should always bear that in mind, especially now that you have joined the sisterhood.”

  Michelle gasped and took a step backwards. As she did, she noticed that some tongues of flames escaped from her mouth. She looked at her hot breath and then glanced back at the cat on the chair.

  “You are confused, aren’t you, Michelle? You are wondering what to make of your transformation, the fire that now exists inside of you, that you now carry in your body. And then there is me, the cat that is seated on a chair talking to you.”

  Michelle knew there was no point trying to pretend that it was not real. The fire in her and the talking cat were now her reality. She had to accept it, just as she had accepted becoming a sister. Without reservation, she nodded.

  “I thought as much too. Most sisters experience this sort of confusion whenever they come into my presence for the first time. They are like you, filled with unimaginable powers, and then they see me and really do not know what to make of it,” the cat said.

  “Who are you?” Michelle asked.

  “I go by so many names. But I don’t think that is going to be of any benefit to you right now, Michelle. So, let’s just simply say that I am a guardian to you and the other sisters. But more importantly, I am a representative of the spirits whom you and the sisters serve.”

  “A guardian and a representative?”

  The cat appeared to nod its furry head. “Yes, Michelle. You could say that I serve as a sort of liaison between your sisters and the spirits. Such a demanding task it is, and yet it can also be quite fascinating.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Do you really want to be bothered about that right now, Michelle? Where we are right now is not important. What you should be asking is why we are here.”

  Michelle nodded. “Why are we here?”

  “Good. I need you to know that you are no longer the person you used to be. I am sure you can still remember the person you used to be, Michelle, can’t you?”

  Michelle looked away from the cat. She could feel her mind searching through a whole lot of thoughts, struggling to get the exact information she sought.

  “Sometimes the transformations have a way of wiping away any unpleasant memories of the past, Michelle. But if you dig deeper and try harder, you will be able to bring it up to the surface,” the cat said.

  Michelle closed her eyes and began to visualize her past. She saw herself climbing up the stairs that led into her high school. Someone bumped into her and in the process, her school bag fell off her shoulder. As it hit the floor, her books spilled out of her bag. She bent down to pick them up. But as she did, someone kicked away one of her books. Then another person kicked another. Then another. And another. Until all of her books were strewn all over.

  She stood up and screamed at her fellow schoolmates to stop it. But they only laughed at her. And the laughter began to increase in crescendo until it was almost like a roar. Michelle sat down on the staircase, covering her ears with both of her hands as she was being laughed at.

  She tried to close her eyes, hoping that it would help to further shut out the sound of the laughter that was all around her. But it couldn’t shut out the noise. She looked at all her books which were strewn across the floor. Deep inside, she felt helpless, and could feel hot tears gathering inside her eyes, ready to spew forth like an erupting volcano.

  “Come with me,” someone said. Michelle looked up and saw the outstretched hands of another schoolgirl. She looked different, and had a red scarf tied on her head. In her moment of temporary despair, Michelle had not noticed the strange girl walk up the staircase and begin to pick up all her books. Now she was standing with her hand stretched out towards Michelle. In the other hand was Michelle’s bag, with her books packed in it.

  Michelle held her hand and stood up. All the other girls were no longer in the corridor. It was as though they had vanished, like rats which had suddenly scampered to safety at the sight of a predator.

  Michelle’s enquiring looks betrayed what her thoughts were as she glance
d around, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of those naughty schoolgirls.

  “You’ll not find any of them around. At least not while I am around,” the girl with the red scarf said with an air of confidence. She felt so sure about what she was saying.

  “Are you sure?” Michelle asked.

  The girl with the red scarf nodded. “Absolutely. You are new in this school, aren’t you?”

  Michelle nodded. “This is my third week now.”

  “I see. It must have been three weeks of hell for you I am sure.”

  “Not really,” Michelle said.

  “Not really? Or very truly?”

  Michelle frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

  The girl smiled at Michelle. “It’s okay. You can be open with me. To tell you the truth, I have been watching you for quite a while now.”

  “You have?”

  The girl nodded. “Ever since you stepped on the grounds of this school. And I have been present through all your incidents with those naughty girls, the ones who have been bullying, harassing, and making fun of you.”

  Michelle felt her face redden. “You have?”

  “I just did not know how you were going to take it if I decided to intervene. That was why I did not want to do anything.”

  “But you changed your mind today. Why did you help me?” Michelle asked.

  “I felt that it was not going to stop. Soon enough, you were going to do what most newcomers always do when faced with such harassment.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Many simply go away and never come back. Others just take their own lives.”

  Michelle gasped. “Oh no!”

  “Oh yes. When they cannot stand it anymore they give in and give up. I did not want any of that happening to you. And that is why I decided to intervene. You know, if you come with me and join my own circle of friends, you will not have to take any of that from them.”

  “Really? Your friends?”

  “Yes. If you join us, those girls will always scamper for safety whenever you are in their presence. Wouldn’t you like that?”

  Michelle could feel her cheeks blush as she smiled. She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, yes. I would love that.”

  “I bet you would. You can consider that you would be invincible. Nothing and no one would be able to confront you anymore.”

  “Oh, please, I would really love that.”

  “I know you would. I can tell that you would make a good friend of ours.”

  “When can I join you?”

  The girl with the scarf looked at her closely, as if she was thinking of the most appropriate response. “You know that everything has a price, don’t you?”

  “A price?” Michelle repeated.

  “Yes, a price. You cannot expect to join such an exclusive circle without some form of costs on your part.”

  “You mean membership fees?”

  The girl with the scarf smiled. “You can consider it something like that.”

  “I don’t mind. I would gladly pay to join you and your friends.”

  The girl caressed Michelle’s face. “I know. I am sure you will.”

  Everything suddenly became blurry. When she was able to focus on her environment, Michelle found herself on a floor. She was in a circle and around her were other girls, all of them naked. The girl with the red scarf stepped forward, smiling. “Now you are going to become one of us, Michelle.”

  CHAPTER 3

  “You do remember the past, don’t you?” Michelle blinked and looked up. She was back in the strange white room and found herself kneeling in front of the black cat.

  The cat was nodding at her as she looked around her present environment. “That is quite good, Michelle. It is quite good that you can still remember how your past was, and what motivated you to become one of the sisters. Because this is going to be what will guide you in performing the tasks which will be assigned to you.”

  Michelle looked closely at the cat. “Tasks?” “Yes, Michelle. As with any other group, from time to time you should expect tasks to be assigned to you. They are nothing that you cannot handle, especially with your renewed awareness and capabilities. As long as you remain focused and remember the reasons why you are one of us, then completing the tasks should never pose any difficulty to you.”

  Michelle nodded.

  The cat laid its left paw on her forehead. “Now, I beseech you to go forth and manifest your powers, Michelle. Go and become the best you can be for us all. Go. Go, my dear. Go.”

  Michelle could feel herself begin to fall. She looked down and saw a deep, dark tunnel underneath her. When she looked up she could see the cat receding in the distance above her. She tried to hold onto it, or the chair that it was still seated on. But all of her efforts at trying to grab onto something were futile. All she could feel was herself falling deeper and deeper and deeper.

  And then she woke up.

  Michelle turned around and raised herself up from the floor. The other girls were all clapping around her. The girl with the red scarf helped her up with a smile on her face. “Congratulations, Michelle. You finally made it through. You are now one of us.”

  As Michelle stood up, she noticed that she was still weak and dizzy. Her knees wobbled a bit.

  The girl with the red scarf held her by the waist, supporting Michelle’s weight on her body. “Careful now, Michelle. We don’t want you falling down unconscious. Usually the final stage of the rites is always the most strenuous, especially the visions and trances that you must undergo where you meet the black cat.”

  Michelle smiled. “Is it?”

  The girl with the red scarf nodded. “Of course, yes, Michelle. A lot of inductees end up getting lost, stuck, or scared.”

  “And what happens to them?” Michelle asked as she joined the other girls to put on her clothes.

  “They never come out. They remain stuck there.”

  “But that is a spiritual exercise, and it’s their spirit that is stuck there,” Michelle pointed out.

  The girl with the red scarf nodded. “That is right. And their body is still here on earth with us. Are you wondering what happens to their bodies?”

  Michelle nodded.

  “Their body remains here as it was left by them.”

  “But don’t you do anything? I mean, surely you can be of help somehow,” Michelle protested.

  “How, Michelle? How do you think we can be of help? Remember that it is their rite of passage, and it is theirs and theirs alone to go through without any assistance whatsoever. We all went through the same thing and came out successful. All alone, without any assistance. That is what makes one strong, focused, and determined. Anyone who cannot complete that passage is not fit to belong with us.”

  “I see,” Michelle replied.

  “But let’s leave all that for now. Tonight, we all will go and have our rest. Tomorrow is going to be an ideal day for us to see how you are going to fare in your first task, Michelle,” the girl with the red scarf said.

  “My first task?” Michelle repeated.

  “Yes. I am sure you were informed about your tasks.”

  “Yes. But tomorrow? Isn’t that too soon?”

  The girl with the red scarf patted her arm. “In our circle, nothing is ever too soon, Michelle. Tomorrow is going to be the date for your task.”

  Michelle did not question her anymore. They soon filed out of the room and went back to their hostels to sleep.

  In the morning, Michelle joined other students in the cafeteria for breakfast. There were several of them standing in queues waiting to be served. While waiting, someone tapped her arm and she looked up to see the girl in the red scarf smiling broadly at her.

  “Hello,” Michelle said.

  The girl nodded. “Hi, Michelle. You look bright and beautiful this morning.”

  Michelle smiled back at her. “Thank you.”

  The girl came closer to Michelle and raised her lips to Michelle’s ear. “Your first task i
s going to take place here in the cafeteria. One of those bully girls is going to accost you. You can decide what you want to happen to her. I and the other sisters will be watching and assessing your performance.”

  Michelle frowned. But before she could say anything, the girl with the red scarf had left, leaving Michelle standing alone. She bit her lip and looked around the queue. She was hoping that she would see any of her sisters, the new friends she had become a part of.

  Not one of them appeared to be close by.

  Michelle now turned around, hoping to spot one of the bullies. She did not see any of them.

  For a moment, Michelle was tempted to want to heave a sigh of relief. But a thought occurred to her. The girl in the red scarf had mentioned that she was going to be accosted by one of the bullies. And it was billed to happen here in the cafeteria. How did she know this? Michelle wondered.

  It was now Michelle’s turn to be served. She picked up the metal tray and was served a hot meal of cereal, milk, bread, and sausages by the stewardess.

  As she turned to leave the queue, Michelle bumped into another girl who was standing in front of her.

  Michelle frowned. Why was this girl standing in front of her? she wondered. On closer examination, Michelle recognized her as one of those who were fond of bullying her.

  “Can’t you watch where you are going, idiot?” the girl asked.

  Michelle swallowed. She then realized that she had not run or bumped into her. Rather, the bully was the one who had gotten in Michelle’s way. The voice of the girl came to Michelle again: she and the other sisters were going to be watching and assessing her performance.

  “Maybe you should be the one who should move out of my path,” Michelle replied to the bully.

  The bully, a girl with a far larger frame than Michelle, raised her hand and poked at Michelle’s face. “Wow, what do we now have here? So you can finally talk back to me, ehn? When did this happen? Did you get drunk recently so that you forgot your place in this school?”

  “Get out of my path right now,” Michelle said as she felt her anger beginning to rise.