The Caller of the Nile
by Grim
CHATPER 1: THE PACT
Shashaiti walked along the edge of the Nile, letting her toes squelch into the muddy bank. She was bored, since her older brother, Kafele, had gone to do some odd jobs; probably copying papers at the mosque. For a long time, Kafele had been her only friend because she had been born with one eye larger than the other, and so everyone said she had the evil eye. If she had tried to find a nice spot to relax wandering around the city, she just might get rocks thrown at her by the other children.... or even their parents.
It was hot enough that she had removed her outer clothes, going only in her underclothes. She uncorked the top of her most precious possession; a large, heart-shaped necklace that had once held perfume, and took a drink of fresh water she had refilled it with. Her father, who sailed the world, was often gone for months, and would send money for the family to live on, and sometimes presents. The perfume had been such a gift to her mother. She had to have it once she had seen it, and begged her mother for the bottle until she couldn't stand it anymore, and finally got it once it had been emptied. It was clear, cut glass, with faux gold filigree along the edges. With a sigh, she tore a reed from the bank and started heading back towards home; without Kafele, there wasn't much fun in being here.
When she got to where her clothes were, her brother was waiting for her. He knew her well. She ran up to him to give him a hug, but he pushed her away.
“Ugh! Don't! You're all muddy! Wash up, mama says it will be time for supper soon,”
“Will Shemei be there?” She asked, dropping the reed and went to the bank to try and get the mud off.
“Yes, but don't pester her so much,” he frowned while she smiled. Other than her family, Shemei was the only person she knew who was nice to her.
Shemei was Kafele's beloved. While she also thought her brother was smart and handsome, Shemei was probably known as the most beautiful and kind in all of Minya. While Shashaiti's family were not beggars, neither were they rich like Shemei's family, who lived in the new part of the city in a fabulous newly made white house. Probably the only reason her parents let their precious child consort with the likes of Shashaiti and her brother were that, like themselves, they did not practice Muslim, and her brother was known well enough as a good, smart boy who studied hard and was not rowdy. Also, they indulged their daughter more than even her own mother.
She loved her brother, but more and more as he grew older, he had less time to play with her... and even when he did have time, he did not want to. Shemei was a better playmate anyway. When her brother had first brought her home, she hid behind her mother’s dress, but Shemei was nice to her, and never said anything about her eye or made warding motions. She would sometimes come when Kafele was out working some odd job, and often brought sweets or her old toys so they could play games. Sometimes it would get late, and Kafele would sleep in her bed, and they would whisper secrets to each other. Sometimes, when Shemei thought Shashaiti was asleep, she would also get up, and when she followed, she would hear her making weird noises from her brother’s room.
Tonight was no exception as Shemei brought over a whole jar of honey for the family. After some playing and dinner, they snuggled up close in the small bed until Shashaiti let her breathing become rhythmic and her eyes relaxed and closed. Eventually she felt the odd pressures of Shemei disentangling herself and leaving the bed. Shashaiti made sure to stay limp like a fresh reed, and waited several minutes before getting up to follow.
She moved slowly over the worn, wooden floor, taking a full breath between steps as she crossed the section in front of her mother's room, avoiding the wood that creaked. For once, the door to her brother's room had been left cracked open. A mischievous smile played over her face; an opportunity to spy like this was rare. She tried to move with the same care she had shown in front of her mother’s room, though her heart beating her her breast, she slowly lay her head down on the floor by the sliver of open door. The moon shone brightly through the window, showing the teenage bodies as glimpses of white, brown, and slices of blackest night. Her brother was behind Shemei, pumping his hips into hers from behind, his hands reaching around, one steadying himself over her pale stomach, the other grasping her plump breast.
“Soon,” he moaned, “Can't hold it....much...longer,” he grunted. Shemei stood up now, revealing her glistening pubes, as Kafele leaned back, and then she put her mouth over his groin. Shashaiti wanted to gasp at how dirty this all was, but these were the two people she loved the most, and she couldn't stand to see hatred in their eyes. Still, seeing this made her feel funny down between her own legs, and she let her left hand stray down to brush her own newly downy area. It felt warm and good.
Eventually a shudder went through Kafele, and Shemei came back up with a puckered look of disgust and swallowed something.
“Ah, come here my love,” said Kafele quietly, and Shemei obliged, leaning back against him.
“You make such a face, but I alone know how wet you get when made to do such things,” He said as he absently stroked her from breast to groin. She cooed and wriggled slightly, arching herself into him.
“How much longer must we keep this secret, love?” she asked
“I think soon your father will soon give me a regular job at his business in Cairo; I do not think he will let us marry immediately, but I'm sure I can begin running the business myself in year, and then I can take you away from this place, away from my mother's eyes, and you no longer need to pretend to like my creepy sister except when they visit,”
Shashaiti stopped touching herself. Now she just felt horrible. Not only would she not have any playmates, they didn't even really like her! Her stomach suddenly hurt, and she felt a horrible chill. A tear rolled down her face as she moved to get up.... too quickly, and her glass heart fell out of her dress, smacking the floor.
“Oh, she's not that... what was that?” Shemei, pulling up the sheets at the noise. Shashaiti took off, tears in her eyes, she ran out the door. Kafele swore and wrapped himself quickly, running after her.
She could hear the pounding of his feet, slowly gaining as she ran. She didn't even think about where she was going until he caught her by the banks of the Nile.
“Shashaiti! Listen to me! I'm sorry about what you heard, I didn't mean it, but you can't tell anyone about this! You can't ruin this for me and Shemei!” he hissed at her, his hand clamped around her arm.
“Why should I,” she sobbed, not caring who heard “y-you're just a big m-meany! I hope you go away and -never- come back and Shemai stays with me so we can have fun together without YOU interfering, you...big, mean, sticky, crocodile poop boy!” and then she just burst into tears.
“Kafele,” said a woman's voice. It was quiet but clear, and Kafele's head snapped towards its direction, his eyes wide. Shashaiti was slower to react. “Yes boy, hear my voice,”
There, by the banks of the river was the most beautiful woman Shashaiti had ever seen. She was tall, slender and pale, with shiny black hair which went down her back and into the Nile waters. Shashaiti could see her moon-pale skin through her transparent dress. As she wiped away her tears, she realized that not only could she see through the dress, she could see through the woman.
“Kafele, come to me; join me in the waters,” said the woman in that same quiet but clear voice. His jaw slack, he let go of his sister and stumbled forward towards the spirit.
Shashaiti's thoughts suddenly snapped back to reality; this must be the El Naddaha... The Caller. She had heard her mother warning Kafele of the ginneyya, as it was called in the old tongue; a creature that would call out to men, hypnotizing them, and dragging them to the water, never to be seen again. She dove, catching Kafele's behind the knees, knocking him over. He made no move to protect himself. She moved quickly to sit on him and hold his arms behind his back so he couldn't push himself up, as many children had done to her in the past.
“Why do you not let him come to me, child?” the creature said in frustration, her stare never leaving Kafele's own moonstruck gaze as he squirmed under Shashaiti. Only his obliviousness allowed her to keep him down. “Did you not wish to never again look upon this boy again? Leave him to me and it will be so....”
Shashaiti thought about this. It was true that she hated him.... but....
“He... he's all I have! I'm not going to let him go for nothing! I don't want to be alone even more!”
For the first time, the ginneyya's eyes moved from Kafele to Shashaiti. For a moment, she felt like she could fall into those hole-like eyes, but she shook it off.
“A trade then.... you let me have the boy,” at this, her tongue snaked out of her mouth to lick her lips, as Shashaiti had licked honey from her lips at supper, “and I shall lend you the power to no longer be lonely,”
“What d-do you mean?”
“I shall give you the power to call others, as I do, and I shall not harm you this night; do we have a pact, girl?” Her face once again turned to her brother, still weakly struggling beneath Shashaiti, want plain on her face.
Shashaiti considered. Even if she somehow got her brother away from here, all the joy in her life would still be ruined. The ache of her stomach and chest still echoed there. Her mother would probably privately berate her for spoiling such a good match, her brother would probably still hate her, and either with her brother or without, Shemei would probably leave for good. However... if she had a way to make Shemei love her as much as she loved Kafele.... no, more than he had ever loved Kafele. That would show them.
“I'll do it. I agree,” said Shashaiti, getting off her brother. Without a sound he rose, and moved towards the woman again.
“Excellent,” she crowed, caressing the boy in her arms. He leaned into her touch as a cat leans into a scratch. She Kissed him deeply, and then turned to Shashaiti and said “Come over here, and hand me that vessel around your neck,”
Shashaiti hesitated; this could be a trap to get both of them... but she had already agreed; it was all or nothing now. She stepped forward, removing the perfume bottle from around her neck and passing it to the ginneyya. The spirit put her mouth over it, and it flowed into her mouth, like water being poured upside down. A moment later, it flowed right back like it was returning home, now filled to the brim and glowing blue briefly. The ginneyya then handed it back to Shashaiti.
“How does it work?” The girl said in wonder to the spirit its transparent hands moved over the boy as if in wonderment. Shashaiti wondered that the ghostly flesh did not pass through her brothers, but could be seen pressing and dimpling it. For a moment, Shashaiti looked into Kafele's eyes, and they seemed brimming with tears, but his face was relaxed and smiling. The contrast made a chill run down her spine.
“If you put a drop on your tongue, and speak a person’s Ren, their true name, they will act as whatever you say is a suggestion from the person they trust the most, and be happy to be near you; if you run out of water, don't know a person’s Ren, or the person leaves your presence, you will have no control over them.” The Caller sighed as it drew the boy deeper into the Nile waters.
“If you can capture their Sheut, then they will obey anything you whisper to them through the waters like they were a puppet, no matter how far they go. Although,” she said with a smile, “they will be awake inside their heads,”
“But how can I capture their shadow?”
“Take anything which is theirs; hair, nails, even favored raiment, and put it into the vessel,” Said the creature, now waist deep in the Nile. Shashaiti wondered if the water was really that deep this close to the banks.
“Lastly, if you can put a drop of their blood in the vessel, you can capture their Ib, and they will love you beyond all others, so long as you do not spill the waters of the vessel. Good luck, little witch, and know that we owe each other nothing after this night.” Only her brother’s head was now above the water.
“I'm not a witch!” She called back, hating the taunt that other children would call out along with wards against the evil eye.
“You are now,” the spirit said, and the El Naddaha disappeared.
*************************************************
As she walked back to her home, she gazed upon the bottle. It no longer looked special at all; would it work?
As she entered her house, her mother and Shemei were up, waiting for her. She gulped at the angry look on her mother's face and the worried look on Shemei's.
“You foolish girl, you had us all worried, running away because you had a bad dream! And where is your brother, still out looking for you? You've caused enough trouble tonight,”
Quickly, she took a sip of the vial
“Mother, it’s nothing; please go back to bed,”
“Nothing! You wicked girl, there are bad people out there, you could have been snatched up or murdered or anything! You think you can just come and go as you please as all times!”
Why wasn't the magic working, Shashaiti wondered... of course... her mother wasn't NAMED mother! It took her a moment to think of her mother's name, since she was being yelled at and she never used it. She hoped this worked.
“Kifi Bayoumi, calm down,” She said, and her mother took a deep breath, as if to cleanse herself, and visibly calmed down. Even hoping for it though, Shemei was shocked.
“Kifi Bayoumi, you don't need to worry about my brother or me. It’s all ok. You're very sleepy right now, and you need to go to sleep right now and not wake up till morning.” Her mother smiled, nodded and yawned, and lay down right there
“He's a grown boy, I'm sure he'll be back in the morn...” she murmured as she drifted to sleep. She had meant for her mother to go to her bedroom – she had better be careful what she said.
“What.... how did you do that,” said Shemei, confused and scared.
“Shemei Mubarak, calm down,” said Shashaiti, and was gratified when Shemai smiled and calmed down. She hadn't been sure how long a sip would last, or if she would need a new one for each person or even for each order she gave.
“Shemei Mubarak, come over here and... and... give me a hair.... from between your legs!” She said excitedly. Shemei calmly stepped around her sleeping mother and plucked a pubic hair, wincing as she did, but passed to Shashaiti with an air of interested inquiry. Shashaiti giggled, now she could MAKE Shemei be with her FOREVER!
She put the hair into the perfume bottle and it glowed as blue as it had earlier that night, and then faded back to clear water. The fear creeped back into Shemei's eyes.
“You really DO have the evil eye,” she gasped, and sucked in air to scream.
“Shemei Mubarak, do not yell,” Shashaiti said into the bottle
“Heeeeeeelllp” whispered Shemei instead, and then stood quietly, shocked her body's lack of response.
“Shemei Mubarak.... obey what I tell you to do, and do not try to escape. Nod if you must obey,”
Shemei nodded rapidly, unable to stop.
“Okay, stop nodding, and come upstairs with me,” said Shashaiti, putting the cap on the bottle. She hoped her mother would not wake up as soon as she left the room.
Upstairs, she listened, but did not hear her mother stir. Shashaiti sat on her bed and considered what to do next for a few minutes, Shemei waiting just inside the door.
“You will never try to take my necklace. In fact, you can't even see it or remember it. Now, I want you to show me the games you were playing when you alone with my brother,”
“You mean, in his bedroom?” whispered Shemei, hesitating
“Yes, and you can speak normally, as long as you don't yell,”
“Those... are games for boys and girls. We're both girls,”
“Well... then try and do for me what Kafele...” Shashaiti hesitated over the name.... she had sacrificed her brother, and this had to be worth it, “... do what he would do to you to me,”
Shemei hesitated, seeming trying to fight the command, then nodded.
She undressed Shashaiti and herself, then began to kiss down her face to her mouth. They shared several deep kisses, Shemai exploring the smaller girl’s mouth. Shashaiti was left feeling warm and out of breath. This was totally unlike her parents’ kisses goodnight.
Shemei caress the child's body, licking at her small breast, taking it in her mouth and caressing her nipple with her teeth and tongue while her left hand toyed with the other nipple. Shashaiti moaned as Shemei nails circled her groin, and then palmed and rubbed her entire pubes, her small hips bucked against it.
“More...please....more,” Shashaiti gasped, not even sure what she wanted. She had never felt anything this intense before.
Shemei complied, slowly putting a finger into the girl’s tight little cunny.
Shashaiti spasmed as waves of pleasure rippled from her groin, no longer able to control herself, and Shemei held her close as she did, laying her down, twitching and gasping, as they subsided.
This is amazing, Shashaiti thought, why doesn't everyone do this all the time? And then she realized it wasn't over as Shemei mouth closed over her groin. For a second, all she could think about was that this was so much dirtier then fingers... her mouth was where she peed from! Then her body reacted to the pleasure.
Her earlier orgasm had made her more sensitive, and the probing tongue was much more delicate then the fingers. Shemei lost her sense of time and place.
When she could think again, she could still feel dulled pulses of pleasure, and she realized Shashaiti was grinding her pubes up against her own. Shemai was flush and sweating, with small sounds escaping her with rotation she made. Her breasts hung full and large above Shashaiti, and though it seemed to take so much energy, she lifted her head up to put a nipple in her mouth and kneaded the flesh of the teenager's breasts with her small hands. Shemei's pace and noises increased. Shashaiti found she liked the feel of the woman's full breasts and the taste and texture of the skin in her mouth
“Please Shashaiti, stick something in me, I'm so close!” whispered Shemei with desperation.
“Close to what?” whispered Shashaiti in wonderment.
“To orgasm... please... stick something in my cunt, I'm so close it’s been driving me insane!”
“Your...where?” She asked, finding the energy to rise out beneath the teenager.
Shemei sat back and spread her pussy lips wide
“Here! Please hurry!”
Shashaiti hesitated, not sure what to do. She got up, and stuck her big toe at the entrance. Shemei whimpered and humped against it, almost toppling Shashaiti. Shashaiti held on to the woman's shoulders, and encouraged, worked her tiny foot in deeper against wet, spasming hole.
Shemei had worked herself into a frenzy when Shashaiti had a thought,
“Shemei Mubarak, orgasm now,” she said, and the woman thrust hard, enveloping half the foot, holding herself hard against the small girl, keening and shuddering for several minutes before collapsing, and seemingly immediately falling asleep.
*************************************************
Shashaiti too was tired after disentangling herself from the teen, but she wasn't sure what would happen when her mother awoke. She went and found her sewing needles in her room, and went downstairs. Her mother was awake, drinking tea, looking worried and confused.
“Shashaiti, I'm worried. I don't think your brother came home last night. I must have fallen asleep down here. I can't remember him leaving - do you have any idea where he might be?”
Sure of herself, she moved forward and poked her mother with the needle. Her mother stumbled back out of the chair in shock
“Shashaiti, ow! Why did you do that? I'll tan your hide good for this untimely joke, young lady!” She yelled as Shashaiti dropped the tiny bit of blood on the pin into the perfume bottle. Her mother stepped forward to slap her, even as the vial glowed blue briefly. Suddenly it was as if the anger was drawn out of her, and she instead embraced her daughter in a hug
“Oh my love, my beautiful daughter, what am I to do with you?” she chuckled softly.
“I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me, don't worry about Kafele coming home....and I want pastries when I awake,” Shashaiti said boldly.
“Of course, love, your wish is my command,” her mother said, smiling. Her heart skipped with joy as she headed back up stairs. Her world was turning around now, and she was going to be on top.
And she would show all those who had made fun of her... that they had been more right then they knew.