The Marid pact

Growing Shadows

The years passed swiftly, as they often do in the presence of young children. Aliyah and Sarah grew side by side, so alike in appearance that even their parents sometimes struggled to tell them apart. Yet, as the seasons changed and the girls moved from crawling to walking, from babbling to singing, subtle differences began to emerge.

Aliyah was the quieter of the two, often content to sit by the window and watch the world outside, her gaze lost in the shifting patterns of sunlight and shadow. Sarah, on the other hand, was bold and curious, always the first to explore a new corner of the garden or ask a question that made the adults laugh. The sisters were inseparable, their bond forged in the womb and strengthened by every shared secret and whispered dream.

Mariam and Sameer watched their daughters with a mixture of pride and anxiety. The memory of the bargain they had struck never truly left them. It lingered in the corners of their minds, resurfacing in the quiet moments after the girls had gone to bed. Sometimes, Mariam would wake in the night, her heart pounding, convinced she had heard a voice whispering from the shadows. Sameer would hold her close, murmuring reassurances he barely believed himself.

As the girls approached their teenage years, the family’s unease grew. Strange things began to happen in the house—doors creaking open in the dead of night, cold drafts that seemed to come from nowhere, and the persistent feeling that they were being watched. Mariam tried to dismiss these occurrences as tricks of the mind, the natural result of living in an old house. But deep down, she knew better.

Aliyah, too, seemed to sense that something was amiss. She began to have vivid dreams—of dark waters and distant voices calling her name. She would wake in the morning with a heaviness in her chest, unable to shake the feeling that she was being drawn towards something she could not see. Sarah noticed the change in her sister, but every time she asked what was wrong, Aliyah would simply smile and say she was tired.

The girls’ eighteenth birthday loomed ever closer, casting a shadow over every celebration and milestone. Mariam threw herself into preparations, determined to give her daughters a party they would never forget. She decorated the house with streamers and balloons, baked their favourite cakes, and invited all their friends and relatives. But beneath her cheerful exterior, she was haunted by dread.

Sameer grew more withdrawn, spending long hours in his study, poring over old books and searching for answers he could not find. He consulted religious scholars and spiritual healers, desperate for a way to break the bargain. But every door he knocked on led to the same conclusion: a pact made with a marid could not be undone.

As the fateful day approached, the atmosphere in the house grew tense. Aliyah and Sarah sensed their parents’ unease, but neither could guess the true reason for it. They clung to each other, seeking comfort in their shared bond, even as the shadows around them deepened.

On the eve of their birthday, Mariam stood by the window, watching the moon rise over the garden. She pressed her hand to the glass, her heart aching with fear and regret. Behind her, Sameer wrapped his arms around her, and together they watched the night deepen, knowing that their lives would soon be changed forever.