PROJECT GOD: THE BEGINING

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE SUDDEN NUMBNESS

That night no one dared to come to me. Even I preferred to be left alone. I sat on dad's terrace. the sky was starry; it twinkled like a thousand fireflies; high up in the air. Growing up one of the favorite thing we did as a family was stargazing. These luminous giants tell you so much. Alvin and I grew up  making different stories pretending that this story belonged to that star and that story to some other. Each star tells you a different story; each unique and beautiful in its own terms.  

Few days back.....

"You know what's the best part of all this?" he looked at me, his eyes weren't exactly blue. It was a deeper hue of a mix of green-blue and his eyes had a depth that you could get lost into. 

"What?" I looked at his eyes, clearly getting lost in them.

"Each star tells you a story; infinite within it's own finite boundaries, beyond the earthly boundaries" he said and looked at the sky. It was a beautiful night; Skyler made it feel even more beautiful.

Present time,

I was zapped back to reality by Jake's voice and I blinked away my tears.

"Alix" he said, "May I?" He sat by my side.

"I am so sorry about Mr. McHill." He said, his voice barely a whisper.

I broke down. The oracle was right, I wasn't ready to pay this price. Jake held my shoulder, "It will be all right, Alix" he whispered.

"I don't know, Jake" I sobbed, "I am lost without him, I don't know what to do now. I am sorry, I dragged you all into this"

Tears glistened on my cheeks as Jake tried to calm me down.

"Ahem" Skyler cleared his throat, "Abdul's people are here." We went inside. They were collecting his body and his son came up to me.

"I am very sorry about your loss, Ms. McHill" Ahmed said, "Allah give you strength "

"I am sorry too" I said.

He acknowledged my words and got back to work clearing up the mess. Ahmed seemed composed. He mourned his father, but it didn't deter him from doing what he was supposed to. He temporally took up as the leader until the clan chose someone else.

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With dusk setting in, the area became eerily quiet. Ahmed suggested that it would be best for us that we move to their area.

"They came for the book" Aisha said, putting her important things in her bag, "Why do they even need that?"

"Allen Smith" Skyler was whispering to himself, "It's totally unbelievable"

"They needed the book for the spells; they need the holy grail to control the curse......" I whispered, "Allen Smith used dad and their good terms during Paris conference to target us"  I took a deep breath, " the curse to restore the cosmic balance, they believe is vital. Half of the world is going to die"

Skyler scoffed trying to hold back tears, "We had a good run....... I miss my grandparents; I wish I could see them once"

"We will" Walking to dad's table, opening a drawer; there was a secret compartment in dad's table that I found out earlier.

"How?" Skyler followed me.

"They have a book, not the book" I pulled out the ragged leather pack that we found that day.

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"That bitch" The man in the suit smashed his glass

"Allen" The grandmaster said, "Calm down"

He was seething with anger as droplets of blood dripped from his fingers, "She thinks she's so slick messing with us. I am going to ruin her; call my pilot"

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Cairo was deserted. It didn't take us long to reach Ahmed and his place. They gave us food, cloths and place to rest.

"What's next?" Skyler asked. We took turns using bathrooms. Jake and Aisha took up two bathrooms while we waited for our turns. Their things lay beside us.

"It won't be long they find out that I tricked them" I said, "They will come back for this" i looked at my bag, "We will have be prepared"

Skyler and I talked a little more. Jake's peculiar design of his wallet caught my eye. I picked it up and a picture fell out of it. It was labelled ''Graduation Day '90''. It was a picture of him and his father. His father seemed proud as he hugged him tight. I smiled remembering how proud my father was.

"Alix...." Skyler said pointing to the photograph, I saw it too. Suddenly the faint smile in my lips disappeared and my hands started to tremble. It was barely visible, but if you looked closely you could make it out that it was a silver necklace with a pendant shaped like the crescent moon and a star.

"Did you guys just see a ghost or what?" Aisha asked us, we showed her the picture. She was shocked too.

"Alain Andre Pierson in that homicidal society?" Aisha sighed, "That old man seemed harmless"

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The puzzle slowly fit together as things started to make sense.

"I am not going to be the one telling Jake" I said and went to the bathroom.

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"Alix" Jake said, I was sitting after a shower when Jake handed me the satellite phone, "It's your mom"

"Mom" I said, my voice barely a whisper, I tried hard not to cry, "Is it true?"

I was thinking of what to say when mom spoke up, "Don't you dare, touch me or my son! Get away from me."

I froze, the phone fell from my hand; they came back for the book. They attacked; in London.

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