The color of my clothes started changing, as if someone had kept a flat iron on the garment and forgotten about it, due to the rise in my body temperature. The ground below me changed color too—the sand was roasted into a light reddish color— but nothing affected the leather of my slip-ons. I looked up at the calmness of the sky to relax myself and then noticed an eagle as huge as a beast, flying over our heads in circles.

I shook my head to break my thoughts and looked at the boys who were staring at me out of concern. I smiled right back at them and replied, while initiating the walk toward our cab, "Nothing guys, and do you think what he said really mattered?"

"But when he said genie, you literally cringed." Ricky replied.

"I sure did."

"What is a genie?" asked Tim.

"Creatures made of smokeless fire. I still don't know if it's mythical or real." Dr Aiman replied.

"Now why was he calling you that?" questioned Pete.

"How do I know?" I replied and sighed loudly. Luckily, Dr.Aiman changed the topic and started talking about the history of the museum as we drove away.

Cairo traffic helped me relive my darkest moments of self-doubt and borderline insanity as I looked outside the window. Pete asked Rasheed, the driver, to turn up the volume of his radio, as he wanted a car-dance party. Friends were important to cheer you up. Who needs legs when your arms and torso can express everything you've ever wanted to say? We had fun all the way until we reached the museum. The driver dropped us right outside the gate and went to park the car in the new parking area at Tahrir square. Dr. Aiman had bought and printed our tickets beforehand.

The sight of the museum was amazing. It was a very strong feeling to know that we were seeing secrets that were excavated after centuries, rich secrets. And of course, the famous treasure of Pharaoh Tutankhamen was exceptional.

There are two main floors in the museum—the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor there was an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in the ancient world. The papyruses were generally small fragments due to their decay over the past two millennia. Several languages were found on these pieces including Greek, Latin, Arabic, and ancient Egyptian. The coins on this floor were made of many different metals including gold, silver, and bronze. The coins were not only Egyptian but also Greek and Roman.

Also, on the ground floor were artifacts from the New Kingdom, from the period between 1605 and1550 BC. These artifacts were generally larger than items created in the earlier centuries. Those items included statues, tables, and coffins—sarcophagi. It also contained forty-two rooms. Upon entering through the security check-in of the building, one look toward the atrium and the rear of the building revealed many items—from sarcophagi and boats to enormous statues.

On the first floor, there were artifacts from the final two dynasties of Egypt, including items from the tombs of the Pharaohs Thutmosis III, Thutmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut, and the courtier Maiherpri, as well as many artifacts from the Valley of the Kings, and material from the intact tombs of Tutankhamun and Psusennes I. Two special rooms contained several mummies of kings and other royal family members of the New Kingdom. We paid extra to see the mummies, and again cameras were not allowed. We wouldn't really enjoy if it wouldn't be for Dr. Aiman with us. We learned a lot apart from our regular course.

It took us roughly three hours to explore the museum. We were already so tired. Now, it was time to head back to the hotel and relax at the nightclub down there. I was excited to enjoy the belly dancing and try some vanilla flavored hookah.

When it was time for sunset, Dr. Aiman took us to the nearest hotel for the view. While my friends were smoking and relaxing on the ninth floor of rooftop restaurant, I had to answer nature's call.

I asked one of the waiters to show me if they had a restroom in the restaurant but they asked me to go to the eighth floor. They had a common washroom there. The hotel was smaller than ours but no less luxurious. A strong aroma of musk was all around the hotel. The wooden floor was spotless and the white paint fresh. Everything looked up-to-the-minute because of the maintenance. The hotel was mainly decorated with artificial plants—again the same huge artificial date trees around every corner.

When I lay my foot inside the washroom, I got a strong whiff of lemon-flavored detergent. The ceramic tiles of the washroom were sparkling clean. Being a common washroom, I didn't expect a high level of hygiene, but I was wrong.

But instantaneously I got another smell—the stink of a sweaty human being, like a rotten guava. I wasn't alone. I got to know it was the fortune teller because of the familiar stench. I heard a click of the door locking behind me when no one else was there. He came out from his hiding place—one of the toilet stalls.

"What do you want from me?" I spoke, while I turned fast toward him and grabbed the fortune teller by his throat. I x-rayed right through him with my eyes. His heart was as black as a coal because of his dirty deeds.

"Who are your parents?" he spoke taking deep breaths, almost choking.

"Don't you know better?" I replied, bashing him hard to the wall and looked straight into his eyes. I felt drowsy, as if his eyes were pulling me in. I couldn't look away either. I could see his irises changing colors like a chameleon, as he mumbled something under his breath.

"Grab him!" he shouted. A strong unseen force held me tight from behind. I couldn't move a muscle. I couldn't escape my body either, for I couldn't concentrate on my heart anymore.

I gained consciousness when the cold beads of my own sweat fell on my arms. I was firmly tied and was in an empty room with a closed window that explained it was even darker outside. I could see everything in the dark. They had tied my hands behind my back and legs in a cross with a thick green plastic rope. A rat was hovering around to keep me company. A bottle of water stood next to me to show sympathy.

I concentrated on my heartbeat in order to drift out of my body. I shut my eyes tight, kept my mind blank, and tried to push my inner-self out of my skin. It was difficult for me since I wasn't habitual of using my powers. I tried hard to focus until I felt myself being torn out of my skin, with a suction sound ringing in my ears. It took me a few minutes to come out in my invisible form. I observed how mercilessly they had tied me up with their jagged rope. My body was now lying cold and unconscious with my eyes closed. My heart was clearly thudding in the silence. I told myself, "We'll soon be out of here." I was wearing a white dress and brown leather slippers in my invisible form.

I heard someone unlocking the door. I hurried to the corner close to the door, so when the door opened, I could hide behind it. The fortune teller came in while talking in Arabic to someone I could not see. He shook my body by grabbing my arms, touched my forehead and wrists to check if I was alright. "No one believed me when I spoke about him years ago! He's grown up!"

I saw the water bottle go up in the air as water was splashed on my face, followed by a reply in a slow, sluggish voice, "We also tried to find him where you said, but we couldn't."

"Pay for it now, foolish ones!" The fortune teller replied.

"Anyway, he is still not powerful. It was so easy to hypnotize him with our black magic. I think he is Khalil's child. Let's kill him." said the other voice.

"No, let's immediately go and give this news to our king, Rasmas!" The fortune teller exclaimed.

After finishing their talk, they walked out of the room, locking me again from the outside. I had feared that the other thing might see me—we both were equally unseen—but I was fortunate he didn't find me.

I ambled to my body to untie it first. Fortunately, I only had to pull open the rope with my arm. And then, I passed through the wooden door like a specter and broke the silver heavy bodied metallic padlock outside, pulling the shackle in one go. Once the door was open, I hurriedly went over to take my body to escape. I entered back into my skin. First, I felt the warm rush of blood flowing through my veins and a cold spark in my brain to the spine. Then, I focused on the sound of my pulse until I could hear my heart beating. Soon, I was back to being a normal person.

I tiptoed carefully to escape; I knew they could come back anytime. When I set my right foot outside, a cold wind passed underneath me which made me realize I was up high on a tree house, deep inside a forest, surrounded by thin and old trees with twisted roots. There was a broken wooden ladder tied to the base of the tree. The tree house was only one room, with a tree trunk and a large limb poking through the floor, dissecting the space. It was strange since this was the only oak tree in the forest. Was it even real?

The rest of the trees were mahogany, eucalyptus, and sisal. I easily guessed where they had kept me because fertile land is scarce in Egypt—the rest of the country is desert. This was the Serapeum forest, a project area by the German scientists where they watered the area with processed sewage rich in nutrients that fuels the growth of some type of plants. It was two hours away from my hotel. I also wondered if the tree house was a part of the project.

I didn't waste more time in thinking. After checking if anyone was around, I climbed down the tree using the stairs and jumped off midway. I ran off in my super speed, crushing the twigs and leaves underneath my feet. I didn't look back again. All I knew was that they couldn't catch me now. I didn't stop running until I reached a place where I found a sole highway hotel; it had their outdoor lighting on, but the shutters were down, and a dusty broken chair was left outside with a hanging on the doorknob 'closed.' Even the cellphone network was not reachable in the area.

"Shoot!" I spoke in distress, while trying to catch my breath and sat on the pavement with my hands on my face. In a few seconds, I could hear a big vehicle coming in my direction. I ran and stood in between the roads, waving my hands. The headlights of the truck shone like two bright stars in the empty, gloomy roads. The truck stopped after noticing me. The driver shouted in Arabic, "What are you doing here?"

I jogged toward the truck and told him that I had lost my way. He asked me for money so that he could take me back. I showed him all the money I had in my pocket, but he wasn't happy. And then I gave him the gold chain around my neck and asked him to drop me at the hotel. He finally agreed. After a while, I took out my phone to check for the signal. The driver asked me for my phone too but I told him how much trouble I was in, and only this could lead me home. He gave me a nod and turned on Arabic songs in a loud volume as we drove.

My heart was gladdened by the sight of lights and the rush of the people when we arrived at the city. I was even happier when my hotel came in sight. It looked so exclusive with all its decorative outdoor lights in the night. The guard greeted me and glared at me from top to bottom as I was covered in soil.

All my friends were in the lobby. Pete was sitting there with his hands over his face in concern. Ricky and Tim jogged toward me as they saw me entering. When Pete realized I was already there he jogged to me and grabbed my arm, pushing my other friends aside, "Where were you, Soli? We even contacted the police as you were missing for all these hours! That hotel manager watched you walk out with someone! Where did you go?"

"Would you believe if I said I was hypnotized and kidnapped by that fortune teller?" I whispered in his ear. He looked at me blankly and shook his head.

Intentionally, I lied, raising my voice while shifting my glare to the others, "I went out looking for a night club. I had a drink and got lost."After hearing that, Dr. Aiman called to inform the police and the hotel manager that I was back safe. He then came forward and asked with a grave look on his face, "Do you know if something happens to you I'm responsible? What night club? You are here for a study tour!"

"We can have some fun! Who are you to stop me?" Then I cursed under my breath so that it was audible to him. He replied, "Okay, go ahead. I don't take responsibility for you anymore. Either I will expel you from this project or ask your university to find you another leader."

"No, I will leave. Why should my friends suffer?" Ricky, Tim, and Pete were shocked by my behavior, but I had done this on purpose. Otherwise, how could I leave for home in between this study trip? I had many questions to ask my parents. However, it worked. Dr. Aiman walked out of the hotel in exasperation, clenching his fists, and we all went back to our rooms in silence.

We played an Egyptian movie in our room to pass time, although all of us were equally disturbed. They kept asking me why I behaved that way and that I should apologize. I felt so bad for spoiling their evening. What worried me more was the unseen strength of the thing that had grabbed me; I couldn't fight back because it wasn't in front of my eyes. What is the fortune teller's name? And who was Khalil? And king Rasmas? Although my eyes were on the television, I couldn't focus at all. Their words kept repeating in my head. I strongly believed that something important had been kept from me.

Pete shook me from my thoughts and offered me some popcorn he was munching on. I shook my head in refusal. Tim and Ricky tried to cheer me up too, though utter disappointment was evident on their faces. They asked me to apologize once again, but I had to go.

I called the travel agent to reschedule my return ticket, saying there was an emergency back home. She helped me get a ticket early morning the next day, with extra charges that I had to pay. This time I had two layovers at different airports, a total of eight boring hours, but I wouldn't get any other flight back this easily. Also, I was expecting a call from my university.

We were all equally exhausted and tensed, so we decided to hit the sack as we had to wake up early tomorrow. Pete pushed my head down to the pillow, forcing me to sleep. He asked me, "Did the fortune teller really kidnap you?" I gave him a nod.

نحن بحاجة للسلام ، نحن بحاجة إليك

I woke up and sat upright on the bed with fright, my forehead covered with sweat. A handsome man in a white kaftan came in my dreams every time and repeated the same thing. I was feeling thirsty, feverish, and chilly at the same time. I eyed my friends who were fast asleep—Pete was sleeping with his mouth open and head on the headboard and the other two lay shirtless, snoring loud, one letting the air out as the other breathed it in.

The bright yellow morning star was up and its warm slanting rays came in through our windows. The prayer call in Arabic was booming in from the nearest mosque. I got up to drink some water and then began to pack my bags for going home. I looked at the turban on the lamp table, took it gently and kept it above all the other things in my bag. The gracious river Nile was waving me goodbye from the window. I realized I was taking a lot of good memories with me as well—the misty smell of this city, the heat, the sights, the noisy traffic, the vendors, and the friendly Egyptians.

Tim woke up with the sound of the zipping of my bag. I had to catch my flight at 8am and it was already 6:30 am. However, I didn't expect much traffic in the morning. He woke up Pete and Ricky. All of them decided to drop me to the airport together. They were upset as they bid me adieu.

The lengthy layovers at the different airports seemed to last forever with all the loneliness and negative thoughts rushing at the back of my mind. I slept in the waiting lounge whenever I could, and then tried coffee at the almost all the cafés to keep me sane. To avoid boredom, I did some window shopping and ended up buying some German chocolates for mom and dad.

I was feeling a little calm on my final flight back home from Frankfurt since I was almost there. I had a seat next to a bearded man who got the window seat. His face was glowing bright due to his very fair complexion. He gave me a slight smirk when he saw me approaching. I remembered seeing him at the Cairo Airport too. He wore a cotton russet Arabian dress that reached his ankle, with a black coat on top.

The leather seat was small and not so comfortable; I could feel his arm rubbing mine. He brought out some pretzels and started munching on them noisily, while looking out of the window. After finishing his pretzels, he wiped his hands with the wet towel given to us by the airlines and then he started searching for something in his handbag.

I put my headphones on and started listening to my favorite rock music. He removed his leather slippers, put his feet up on the seat, and brought out a book in Arabic that had The Quran written on the cover. I lowered the volume of my audio so he wouldn't get disturbed. I was always eager to learn the Quran and its mystical language.

His voice was soft as he mumbled the verses in a soothing rhythm. I switched off my songs, rested my head at the back of the seat with my eyes closed and listened to him. It gladdened my heart, making me feel heavy-eyed.

I took a quick nap and was woken up when the air hostess brought us some drinks. I asked for a glass of red wine but then changed it to a simple diet coke as I realized the man near me wouldn't feel comfortable. He took some apple juice. I passed him his glass and that's when we exchanged words.

He asked, "What's your name?"

"Solomon."

"Ah. Suleiman! Myself, Sheikh Ibrahim." He outstretched his hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you." I mumbled, grabbing his hand.

He gave me a nod and then brought out his prayer beads. He closed his eyes and his lips moved as he prayed. I was getting bored so I played a movie on the television on the back of the seat. I was already missing my friends. Pete, to be precise.

The movie Kingdom of Heaven that played on my screen was about a great warrior. Even Sheikh Ibrahim joined me to watch it on my seat screen, since his was not working. I enjoyed his aura. There was a light of compassion coming from him. I deeply observed him from the corner of my eyes and x-rayed into his body. Everything inside was just perfect and his heart was glowing just like his face.

"Aren't you just like him?" He spoke slowly.

"A compliment, so quick?" I teased. I was getting friendly with him when we were about to arrive. We shared a lot about our passions and interests. He even told me that he was here only for a week since he had his resident's permit in Toronto. He had a younger brother who worked for the same hospital, but both were in different cities. I invited him home. And at last he gave me a serious piece of advice, "Be fair to your decisions and listen to the voice of your heart."

We heard the announcement that the plane was about to land so we should fasten our seatbelts. He didn't say anything else to me and got back to his colorful beads as we prepared for landing. I wanted him to talk to me. I felt like he had some answers I needed. While boarding off, I helped him bring out his luggage and he pulled me into a tight hug in appreciation, "We'll meet soon."

"How? I don't have your contact." I asked inquisitively.

"You will find your way to me if God is willing," he replied, and turned to join the queue of the passengers getting down the plane. I was expecting him to be with me until we claim our luggage and to the exit, but then our ways were different and we separated completely. He didn't look back and then I couldn't spot him at all.