Where Evil Lurks

Where Evil Lurks

Choonka gave Maddie the benefit of the doubt when the mourning Dawta visited her on the day they buried her five-month-old infant. Dawta’s suspicious darting eyes and ridiculous claims that Maddie had caused her child’s death evoked pity from Choonka. The loss of her child had unhinged poor Dawta’s mind since the autopsy revealed that the child had died from sudden-infant-death syndrome by suffocation in her sleep. Choonka’s perception of Maddie as a kind person with a big heart prompted her to relate Dawta’s assertions to her to work out a solution to help their friend and neighbor get her sanity back.

During her visit to Maddie’s home, Choonka broached the subject after some small talk. Maddie stood up without a word at her self-appointed prayer time and slipped a long black gown over her dirty tee-shirt and stained blue jeans. Choonka stared at her in puzzlement. Maddie had interrupted her in mid-sentence. Curiosity gave way to amused admiration when Maddie faced the patio door and assumed the role of a focused worshiper. Choonka stared at her host’s back and waist-length jet-black thinning head of hair. The darkness outside turned the glass patio door into a mirror. Choonka spotted Maddie’s frontal reflection in the glass door from her angle on the sofa. The hint of a smile on Maddie’s face with prayer beads clasped at her chest convinced Choonka that her friend had entered a world of peace and contentment through adoration of her unseen benefactor. A pang of guilt crossed Choonka’s heart. She believed in God but did not pray. Out of respect for Maddie’s piousness, she sat in complete silence to avoid any sounds or movements that would break the devotee’s concentration. The prayer ended as abruptly as it had begun…

A paranormal tale from the book PHENOMENA by Kamil Ali.

Click on the links below to read this intriguing saga of an evil friend’s deadly betrayal…