An Open Window

Chapter 12: Obeah Prince

Kayden had always known there was something special about Marcus—something deeper than what met the eye. From the beginning, Marcus had an aura of calmness and confidence that was difficult to describe. It was like he could sense things that others couldn't, like he was always one step ahead. But Kayden chalked it up to Marcus being intuitive, maybe even wise beyond his years. He never thought much more of it—until now.

It started one evening after their usual dinner date. They were sitting in Marcus's car outside Kayden's house, talking about their future, when Marcus casually mentioned something that made Kayden's heart skip a beat.

"You know," Marcus said, his voice unusually soft, "there's something about my family that I've never really shared with anyone outside of it."

Kayden turned to look at him, intrigued but not worried. "Yeah? What is it?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment, as though he wasn't sure how to phrase what he was about to say. "We're different. My family... we come from a long line of Jamaican Maroons, and we practice something you probably only know from movies or stories."

Kayden furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? Like... obeah? Voodoo?"

Marcus nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly. But it's not just stories or some folklore. It's real. I've grown up with these abilities, but I've never shared it with anyone because I know how hard it is to believe."

Kayden felt a shiver run down his spine. He wasn't sure if Marcus was joking or not, but the way he said it, so calm and certain, made it impossible to dismiss. "So... you're saying you can, what, cast spells? Like magic?"

Marcus smiled slightly. "It's not like how it is in the movies, Kayden. It's more like... having a connection to nature and the spirits around us. I can do things like see the future, walk through people's dreams, even stop the rain if I need to."

Kayden stared at him, waiting for him to laugh or tell him it was all a joke. But Marcus didn't. He just looked at Kayden with that same calm, knowing expression he always had.

"You've got to be kidding," Kayden finally said, letting out a nervous laugh. "This is... this is wild. You're not serious."

"I am," Marcus said softly. "And I'm going to show you."

---

It wasn't long before Marcus began demonstrating his abilities, bit by bit. At first, Kayden thought it was just coincidence or tricks his mind was playing on him. Marcus would casually tell him things before they happened—small things like knowing Kayden's phone was about to buzz or saying it would rain in exactly five minutes when the sky was clear.

Kayden brushed it off, convincing himself that Marcus was just really perceptive. But then Marcus started to prove it in ways that Kayden couldn't explain away.

One afternoon, they were sitting in Marcus's room, and the weather was perfect—bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. Marcus leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, a smirk on his face.

"Watch this," Marcus said, his eyes locking with Kayden's.

"What are you—" Kayden started to ask, but he never got to finish his sentence.

Out of nowhere, the clouds rolled in, dark and heavy. The wind picked up, rattling the window panes, and then the rain started. Hard and fast. It was so sudden that Kayden's jaw dropped.

"Did you... did you do that?" Kayden asked, his voice shaky.

Marcus shrugged, as though it was nothing. "I told you. I can stop it too, if you want."