Ch 3 - Don't Say the j Word

The following day Nada lounged on the sofa watching a re-run of Criminal Minds. Agent Morgan was just about to reveal the un-sub’s profile and hearing every word was crucial to an avid fan such as herself.

“Nada! Nada? Where are you?” Her mom called down the stairs.Nada ignored her concentrating on the TV.Furious footsteps thundered down the stairs and Farrah stood glaring at her daughter from the doorway, “how many times have I called you, why aren’t you listening?” “Ssh, Mum. Agent Morgan is speaking,” Nada waved the remote in the air signaling for silence.“I’ll give you agent Morgan,” Farrah marched over to the TV and switched it off.Yes please, Nada grinned at the mental image that had formed in her head. “What were you doing upstairs?” Farrah put both hands on her hips.“When?”“Just now,” Farrah’s voice rose in impatience.“I wasn’t upstairs, I’ve been sitting here for the last twenty minutes.”“Don’t lie to me, I heard you upstairs. Whatever game you’re playing isn’t funny.” “Mum, listen to me. I was downstairs. I swear.” Nada sat up and looked her mom in the eye.Farrah went quiet as if turning things over in her head.“What happened Mum?” A feeling of dread crept over her. “I’m not sure myself, but I,” her brow furrowed. “I was changing in the bathroom when I heard you walk across the landing. Then when I was washing my hands I felt a cold draft come from behind,” she nervously patted her hair down, “it was so cold and my hair lifted almost right off my head.”“You see Mum! I told you something was going on, you didn’t believe me.” Nada crossed her arms over her chest staring hard at her mother.“I don’t know Nada, it felt so real. Was I imagining it? The air was so cold, and the footsteps… the laughing. ” She trailed off crumpling into the sofa.“You heard someone laugh? What do you think’s happening, Mum?”“Yeah, it was a short deep laugh, almost a chuckle. I just wondered, I mean I’ve heard stories. You know, of Jinn’s, playing funny tricks on people.” She faltered wringing her hands together.“Jinn’s?” Nada raised an eyebrow.“Yeah, they…” Suddenly both women froze, someone was coming down the stairs, heavy footsteps descended at a terrifyingly slow pace. Thud, thud, thud. Each pace was perfectly synchronized with the next, Nada’s eyes widened her mouth fell open as she stared in terror at her mom.Farrah stood up and pivoted towards the door, the middle section of the stairs were visible, she watched for a shadow of the intruder, there was none. Venturing forward, Farrah stood in the doorway of the lounge, from here the stairs were clearly empty. The footsteps had stopped and the hallway was clear. “What was that?” Nada whispered coming up from behind.“I don’t know. Go get that Islamic CD upstairs, the one with all the prayers on it.” Farrah instructed heading for the kitchen to switch on the CD player.“I’m not going alone.”Too scared to go upstairs both of them returned to the lounge with a plan to switch on the Islamic channel on the TV, at least that way various prayers would ring out throughout the house. Except that the TV was already on, it was tuned to one of the Babe Station channels in the nine hundred numbers. A woman gyrated in front of the camera, and Farrah gasped in shock taking in the G-string that left nothing to the imagination. “Tauba Tauba!” Farrah used the Urdu word for forgiveness as she rushed to the TV pressing the power button. The TV remained on and Farrah tried again and again without success.  “What is going on?” She screeched at the TV.Nada stepped around her mother’s distressed frame and snatched the power cable out of the socket. The room went quiet, both ladies stood panting from fear. In an instant a deafening whoosh sounded through the air as something heavy sailed past Nada’s ear, a loud crack was heard and the TV wobbled on the stand.The remote landed at Farrah’s feet. Both of them knew a warning when they saw one, spinning on their heels they fled the house leaving the front door gaping open.