Shaman War

Chapter 3

Doros wasn't sure what his colleague was driving at, so the woman went on to explain that such actions could have put him under a curse. Some people used these ways to get close physical contact with their victims when they wanted to use a black magic charm. Her idea started a lively debate and more stories began to emerge.

"I know of such a case, when a guy got sick for no apparent reason at all, you know, just like you. When doctors could not do anything for him, he had to visit a shaman. She used a hard boil egg to rub on his body. The funny thing was that, after a while the white boiled egg turned black, and when she cut it open, there were bloody needles inside."

 Peter, another young man also had his share of stories of the supernatural kind. He told them about his neighbors, and how the young but poor woman had made a rich man fall in love with her. "She put a drop of her menstrual blood into his drink! It worked like a charm, because within the month they were married. Then he died, leaving all his money to her."

Everyone noded in understanding. They were not unfamiliar with such tales.

Mark put his arm around Doros and said, "Don't worry, I will take care of you. You know you always have someone to talk to and I promise never to stop loving you."

Several of the men whistled when they heard this, and it made Doros embarrassed. Why must Mark talk like this, in front of others? He wished Mark would be more discreet with what he said.

The group of young people were now enjoying themselves with their gore and sick stories. They had forgotten that they were there to try and help poor Doros figure out what the matter was. Such tales of black magic occurred quite frequently in this part of the world and everyone had their own story to tell.

Entertaining as these stories were, Doros was starting to feel more worried. Just last Sunday, during mass, he had come over queer, and the feeling was so strange. He could not describe the illness, because it was something he had never felt before. The best way he could put it was that someone was walking over his grave. Well, that was a phrase his grandmother used to say, but Doros felt sure that something or someone was trying to steal his soul from his healthy young body.

Even Father Goh had noticed the way he was slumped in the pew with his face pale and obviously not listening to his sermon, and that was why he had asked him to feel and examine himself whilst in the hot shower. Still, Doros could not shake off the uncertainty of the incident; did Father Goh really know just how he was feeling, or was the man of the cloth just putting a dirty though into his young head?

"What are you guys laughing about?" said Belinda, and squeezed into a chair next to Doros. She was a pretty girl, and everyone in the office knew that she was desperately looking for a boyfriend. Now, they were sure that she intended to get Doros.

Mark didn't look happy that Belinda had squeezed in between him and Doros. He pushed his elbow into her soft middle and said, "Doros, it's time we went back to our desks."

That night the two boys had a quiet time in the flat, just the two of them and no visitors came to disturb them.  Doros felt confused.  What did he want?  Or more to the point, what did Mark want?