Born of Darkness

by Rita Vetere

  At first, every street looked the same. Pedestrians crowded the passageways, kicking up dust as they walked. People on bicycles moved along no quicker than those on foot. Every so often, a donkey pulling a cart loaded with goods would arrive, holding up traffic. The less fortunate residents, the old or disabled, sat on the dusty streets, quietly begging.

  The souks were canopied, blocking the sun, and Lilli and Charlie found it difficult to get their bearings. “I hope we don't get lost in here,” Lilli said after a few moments, but she was smiling as she said it. She noticed Charlie looked just as entranced by the place as she was.

  After a half hour of walking around in circles, they figured out the main streets seemed to run roughly north and south, with side streets and alleys leading off them. If they reached a dead-end, they had only to head in the direction of one of the north-south streets to get back on track. When they felt sure they would be able to find their way out, they began to explore some of the smaller passageways, and Lilli was excited to discover a whole area of stalls devoted to the antique jewelry she had seen samples of earlier on one of the main arteries.

  She slowed her pace and took her time browsing through the interesting pieces offered for sale, and Charlie joined her in admiring the pendants, earrings and bracelets crafted by artisans of generations past. Most of the jewelry was fashioned from silver or copper; some of the pieces were further decorated with deep blue enamel or coral.

  As Lilli entered one of the stalls, she stopped in her tracks when she spotted a pendant displayed off to one side. It struck her as singular, unique from all the others, and captured her attention immediately. After walking over to the display, she picked up the necklace to study it.

  The antique pendant looked very old, and the weight of it surprised her. The rounded bottom, from which two ancient coins dangled on tiny chains, opened and closed on hinges. It appeared to be a container of some sort, for perfume maybe, for the top was crafted in a scroll-like pattern with openings. She imagined herself wearing it, the heat from her body warming the pendant, releasing the scent of the perfume within. Yes, she decided, this would be the perfect keepsake by which to remember the trip.

  She looked up, intending to ask the shopkeeper how much, and was startled to see the little man's weather-beaten face directly in front of hers. His dark eyes were narrowed down to slits and he stared at her with an intensity that took her by surprise.

  "I, uh, was just wondering how much. For the pendant,” she stammered. Even though the man was tiny in stature, she felt intimidated by him.

  Charlie quickly moved next to her and put a protective arm around her shoulder.

  When the shopkeeper continued to scrutinize Lilli for an uncomfortable length of time, Charlie tapped the man's arm to divert his attention. “How much for the necklace?” Charlie asked.

  "I am sure you are not without knowing the rarity of such a piece, but I am obligated to point out it is extremely old, and valuable,” he replied, not taking his eyes off Lilli. Then, turning to Charlie and motioning toward his other wares, he said, “May I propose you examine something else."

  Lilli regarded the shopkeeper as he spoke to Charlie. Something about the intense little man made her want to leave. Suddenly, the pendant didn't seem so important.

  "What's your asking price?” Charlie asked levelly.

  The man considered for a moment. “The craftsmanship is unique, and therefore much sought after. There are those who believe the value of such an item cannot be measured in currency. I have not been able to determine the age of the piece, although it has assuredly passed through the hands of many generations.” A tiny smile curled his lip, which did not reach his eyes. “It has even been rumored by some to be cursed."

  Lilli blinked in surprise at the man's words.

  "A superstitious notion, nothing more,” the small man added quickly, in an apologetic tone. His smile disappeared as he continued, “I propose that seven thousand Dirhams would be the conventional payment for such a piece. However,” he said, bowing slightly in Lilli's direction, “in the presence of such exceptional beauty, I might be persuaded to accept five thousand Dirhams."

  That settled it. Five hundred dollars! The pieces she'd priced at other stalls were nowhere near as expensive. Lilli tugged on Charlie's sleeve when he did not immediately decline. “It's way too much,” she said. “I'll look for something else."

  "Regrettably, the price is not negotiable,” the shopkeeper said dismissively. He gave a little bow and turned his back on them.

  Lilli turned to leave, but Charlie persisted. He pulled her back, smiling. “What the heck, it'll look great on you,” he said, removing the cash from his money belt.

  The feeling that she no longer wanted the pendant became stronger. “Charlie, it's all right, really, I—"

  "No, I want you to have it,” he insisted.

  Before she could stop him, Charlie tapped the shopkeeper on the back. “Excuse me."

  When the man turned back to them, Charlie held out the money. The shopkeeper hesitated, looking back and forth at the two of them. Then, in one quick movement, he took the money from Charlie's hand and pocketed the cash through the opening of his djellaba, the loose-fitting white outer robe he wore over his garments.

  He placed the pendant in a midnight blue velvet pouch and handed it to Lilli. “Your husband has made a wise purchase,” he said. “I respect that it appears to be your fate to own it.” Without another word, he turned away from them to tend to his other customers.

  Now that she had the pendant out of its pouch to look at it again, Lilli's earlier misgivings disappeared. She hugged Charlie tightly as they walked away. “It really is special,” she said, slipping the chain around her neck. She liked the heaviness of it and admired the way the old silver twinkled against her navy blue top.

  They decided the occasion called for another photo and Charlie handed his camera to one of the tourists walking nearby, who gladly snapped a shot of them against the backdrop of the marketplace.

  They walked on in silence for a moment. Lilli said, “You don't think there's anything to what he said about the necklace, do you? I mean about it being, you know..."

  Charlie chuckled, “Cursed? No, sweetie, I don't. He said himself it was nothing but superstitious nonsense."

  She slung her arm around his waist as they walked. “I love you, baby,” she said as they moved to the next row of stalls.

  "Yeah?” A mischievous glint lit up his eyes. “Good. You can show me how much later tonight."

  "Don't worry,” she laughed, “I intend to."

  * * * *

  After leaving the souks, they explored some of the medina on foot until just after sunset, when they made their way back to the square. It was dark by the time they returned to the Djemma El Fna, and the place was completely transformed now the sun had gone down. Row after row of food stalls had been set up, covering half the square and turning it into a gigantic outdoor restaurant. Smoke from the open-air cooking drifted around on the warm evening breeze, carrying the succulent scent of grilled meats with it.

  They decided to have dinner here, where they could watch the action up close. The snake charmers were still there, but now they were joined by acrobats, fire-eaters, storytellers and musicians. Crowds of tourists jostled around the entertainers, moving from one attraction to the next.

  After watching the entertainment for a while, they walked around the stalls to see what was available to eat. At every stall, the owner shouted out for people to come and sit down. Workers carrying menus called out the dishes and prices. Some places served only soup, others had grilled meats, salad, couscous and bread.

  Suddenly, Lilli shrieked. In one of the stalls, she caught sight of a large pot of boiling animal heads. She allowed Charlie to lead her away quickly, before her appetite evaporated completely. Eventually, they settled on grilled sausage, salad and bread to satisfy their hunger.

  Later, back in their suite at the riad, Lilli stripped down to her
panties and flopped down onto the cushiony bed.

  "That was quite a day, wasn't it?"

  "The best,” Charlie said, taking his time in kissing her.

  "Mmmm. I'm going to try out that bathtub...” she said.

  "And then?” He ran his hand up along the silky skin of her thigh. A slow round of lovemaking would be the perfect end to this day.

  "Be right back,” she promised, kissing him lightly.

  In the bathroom, Lilli drew water for her bath and finished undressing. While waiting for the large tub to fill, she looked in the mirror to admire the pendant once more. It really is special. She removed the necklace and glanced at it again before placing it on the shelf near the sink. Her heart skipped a beat and she let go of the pendant as if it was on fire. It went clattering to the stone floor. She thought she had seen something moving inside it, through the scrollwork. Maybe a bug or something had crawled into it. She hated bugs. She picked it up cautiously by the chain, but when she opened the bottom to look inside, she saw it was empty. Laughing at herself for being so silly, she placed the necklace on the shelf before stepping into the silky bathwater.

  Steam swirled and drifted around the room as she relaxed in the tub. She rolled up a towel and used it as a head rest, then wrung out a white cotton washcloth and placed it across her eyes. After six hours of walking, the water felt good, and she allowed it to soothe her tired muscles.

  A couple of moments later, she heard a little rippling sound and felt Charlie's hand lightly stroking the inside of her thigh. As she was about to sit up, he gently held the washcloth in place over her eyes. He's in a playful mood. She let her head sink back down, leaving the washcloth where it was. He ran his hands up along her arms and then across her soapy breasts, gently stroking her nipples. Seconds later, his soft tongue began to travel where his hands had been, turning her nipples into hard little pebbles. Lilli stayed perfectly still, enjoying the tiny arcs of electricity coursing through her. His hand moved back to the sensitive area between her thighs and stroked her there in slow upward circles. When he reached her already swollen labia and began to gently massage her, she was too far gone to wait. She climaxed quickly and hard. As she reached out for him, the washcloth fell away from her eyes. Still in the throes of her orgasm, she was startled to find herself alone in the bathroom.

  "What the..."

  She looked toward the door. It was standing slightly ajar, and she tried to remember whether she had closed it or not.

  Charlie. He's playing games. She stepped out of the tub, the throbbing between her legs not entirely subsided.

  * * * *

  Outside on the terrace, Charlie waited for Lilli to finish her bath, watching the goings-on in the square below. He lit a couple of the oil lanterns so their soft glow would carry into the bedroom. As he turned to re-enter the suite, there was Lilli, standing just inside the balcony doors and wearing nothing but the pendant.

  Seeing her naked in the glow of the lamplight, standing with her legs slightly apart and her hands on her hips, the pendant sparkling between her breasts, caused him to have an immediate and rock-hard erection.

  "That wasn't playing fair,” she said, her voice husky.

  He moved to her, encircling her with his arms, and ran his hands over the soft skin of her back, still moist from the bathwater.

  "What wasn't fair?” he asked, slipping his tongue between her lips and pulling her closer.

  "In the bathroom. You ran out before I could return the favor,” she said, between his kisses.

  "In the bathroom?” he asked, absentmindedly. God, she was beautiful. And she was making him so hot.

  "Yes, the bathroom ... while I was blindfolded? You liked doing that, huh?” she teased.

  He pulled away to look into her hazel eyes, and removed his clothes. He had no idea what she was talking about, but whatever it was would have to wait. Once naked, he lifted her up, and she wrapped her long legs around his waist. He carried Lilli to the bed, and began to gently massage her stomach while brushing his lips against hers, then moved down to lightly lap at her nipples. He mounted her, unable to wait, nuzzling at her neck, and found her wet and ready for him. A tiny moan of pleasure rode on her feathery breath as he entered her.

  In the dimly lit room, a thin, silvery mist began to pour out of the pendant Lilli wore, drifting lazily in the air around them. Wispy tendrils of haze gathered together and settled around Charlie like a shroud, but Lilli's eyes remained closed and Charlie was too caught up in emotion to worry about it. As he entered her again, Charlie felt a sudden jolt from behind, as if he was being pushed. Something passed straight through him with rapid force, sending him crashing forward on top of Lilli.

  "Charlie! Ow, what—"

  In the next instant, Charlie felt himself yanked up and was sent flying backward across the room. He cried out in surprise before he went slamming into the wall next to the balcony doors. When his head connected with the stone wall, he experienced a split second of blinding pain, then everything went black.

  * * * *

  Lilli screamed. Immediately, she tried to get off the bed to go to him, but she was stunned to find herself helpless to move, pinned down by a heavy weight. Now, she did see the mist, swirling and eddying in front of her. She watched, mesmerized, as the white haze coagulated into the form of a man, towering over her.

  Unreality washed over her as the face of a dark angel suddenly loomed in front of her own. Disoriented, and stunned by the sheer beauty of the man, Lilli did not immediately react. Hair like black silk floated around the man's ethereal face. His broad shoulders and massive chest blocked her vision. As he straddled her, his strange ebony eyes, ringed in gold, were intently focused on her own. His stare seemed to exude a heat that spread quickly through her, eliciting an arousal such as she'd never experienced. Her concern for Charlie disappeared as she became helplessly swept up in the strange fever that all but consumed her. By the time the apparition mounted her, her need for him was so intense she pulled him hungrily toward her. As she was drawn into the vortex of the apparition's charisma, she heard a deep whisper that seemed to come from everywhere, and nowhere but her own mind.

  I have awakened. Love me, for I am as one starved.

  She heard herself moan deeply as his hands roamed over her body, his touch igniting instant fire in its tracks. She could not stop herself from raking her fingers through the man's flowing hair, wrapping herself around him tightly, as lust awakened every part of her body. When he finally rammed into her, she exploded in a succession of orgasms that rocked her to the core.

  From a dim recess of her mind, she heard the echo of a woman's voice. Resist him, break from his spell. A vague question formed as to who had just spoken, but it slipped away as the incredibly erotic pull of the dark-haired angel continued to envelop her.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she felt him shudder deeply. A sigh escaped him, and he stilled inside her.

  He looked directly into her eyes, as if marking her. Almost immediately, he began to disintegrate, gradually dissipating into strands of white mist, until finally nothing remained of him but his darkly-shining eyes. Eyes that suddenly appeared black as hell and ringed in fire. Then, they too disappeared.

  The instant he vanished, whatever spell she'd been under broke. The mist in the room dissipated, and she spotted Charlie, propped up against the wall, blood running from the corner of his mouth and nose. His eyes were open, but vacant, and a cold rush of dread ran through her at the sight of him. She tried to scream, but the mewling sound that came out was no more than the cry of a weak kitten. “Oh, God. Charlie."

  She jumped up, almost falling off the bed in her hurry to get to him. His head was tilted back, his open eyes staring at the ceiling.

  "Help! Somebody help us,” she cried, finding her voice. Charlie did not appear to be breathing. She searched frantically for a pulse, and found none.

  The hot, sticky fluid running down the inside of her leg went unheeded. Lilli screamed again, lo
uder this time. She shook Charlie, calling his name. All the while, a terrible instinct rose up, assuring her she needn't bother, Charlie was quite dead. Lilli grabbed his shirt from the floor where he had dropped it earlier and yanked it on as she ran out into the hallway, screaming for help.

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  Chapter 2

  An hysterical Lilli had been trying for over an hour to convince the stern-looking police official, who had arrived shortly after Khalid had summoned him, that her recounting of the strange events leading up to Charlie's death was the truth.

  He thinks I'm crazy, I can tell by the way he's looking at me. Christ, and who wouldn't? She could hardly believe her own words as they tumbled incoherently out of her mouth. A man, she told him, had appeared to her after Charlie had gone flying across the room. A man who had sexually assaulted her and then disappeared into thin air afterward.

  "I know how this must sound, but it's the truth, I swear,” she insisted stubbornly between bursts of tears.

  "With respect, I must ask you,” said the official, “did you or your husband obtain hashish during your stay? Tourists are often approached by the local dealers. If you were under the influence—"

  "No” she said, feeling her anger rise. “We don't use drugs, and we didn't buy any."

  "I see.” He seemed to be studying her intently. “And did you make any effort to resist this man who ‘appeared’ in your room?"

  She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the question as she remembered how consumed by lust she'd been in the man's presence. “I, I think he may have done something to me, hypnotized me somehow,” she stammered. “I didn't feel like I was in control of myself.” Her head, which had begun to throb dully a half hour ago, exploded into a migraine. She felt hot, feverish, and sick to her stomach.

  "Please,” she asked, “I need to speak with the embassy. I want to go home. I want to take my husband home.” She burst into tears again, which only caused the pounding at her temples to increase.