The Mystic Muse

Stella rubbed her forehead. "I keep thinking about water. Water rising and flowing everywhere. Ever since I woke up this morning I've been thinking about it." Karan was intrigued. "Did you have some kind of strange dream last night?" he asked. "I don't know," said Stella. "I never remember my dreams. But this kind of feeling is not new for me. I get this every now and then. " "Get what?" asked Karan, rubbing his own forehead and wondering if he should have just let her go. He didn't know it but it was too late for that now. Far too late. Stella leaned forward and spoke softly, as if she were imparting a tremendous secret. "I hear this tune in my head and I have a strange sense of foreboding." she said, her voice soft and intense "and you know what? Whatever I’ve been thinking of comes true!" She leaned back and regarded Karan, a curious expression on her face, a mixture of triumph and excitement and fear. This is a nutcase, thought Karan. "What comes true?” Stella leaned forward again and whispered, “I can see the future !!” Karan stared at her, wondering again how quickly he could leave. She held his gaze. “Not always, but often. I get a premonition and it comes true. You must believe me. You must!” She spoke urgently, insistent, almost pleading. The waiter brought two iced lattes to their table. Karan wondered how long it would take her to finish her drink. He was regretting having asked her for a coffee. He should have just let her go and told the agency to send someone else. "I haven't told anyone else about my special ability," said Stella, stirring her drink with the straw. Karan wished she hadn't told him. Stella sipped her latte and rubbed her temple. "I keep hearing this maddening tune in my head," she said. "It happens every time I get a premonition" Karan looked out through the door of the cafe. On the street, traffic was whizzing by. "So you think there are going to be floods soon?" he asked, looking up at the cloudless blue sky through the glass doors of the restaurant. "Water everywhere," said Stella, sipping her latte again and leaning back with a look of great satisfaction, as if she had imparted a valuable secret to him. The waiter approached their table bearing two glasses of water. As he came closer, he stumbled and the glasses toppled over on his tray splashing water onto their table and on to Stella's skirt. She shrieked and jumped up. The waiter apologized profusely and ran to get a cloth. Stella stood, surveying her skirt which was soaked. Karan laughed. "There's your flood," he said. Stella gave him a furious look and stalked off to the washroom to tidy herself up. Karan watched her go, thinking that she was cute. It was a real pity that she happened to be a little crazy as well. The waiter came with a cloth and proceeded to mop up the spilt water. Karan stood up and ambled to the door way of the cafe. He thought he could hear a commotion out on the streets. He glanced out and spotted a few people running across the road, away from the beach. Just then he felt a tremor. He put his hand out to grasp a nearby table and steady himself. What was that, he thought? He saw more people running across the street. On the far side there was a row of buildings and beyond that was the beach. More and more people were running, shouting something he could not make out. A terrorist attack, thought Karan. There was another tremor and he steadied himself again. A bomb blast? Now the waiters and the few other people in the cafe were flocking to the entrance, watching the crowd surging away from the beach. Karan glanced to the washroom He wished Stella would come out so that they could leave. He was beginning to feel nervous. Just then he heard someone yell, “Tsunami!”. Karan glanced towards the road again and saw a huge wave of water rushing past the buildings on the other side of the street and surging across the road, towards the cafe. In a tumult, thrashing and screaming the staff and the few other people in the cafe thronged to the door. Karan watched them go, knowing he should leave the building quickly but he was frozen to the spot. He could only think of what Stella had told him. He turned back towards the interior of the restaurant and began to move slowly towards the washroom. Just then there was an ominous rumble and the building began to shake. As if in a dream, he saw the walls of the restaurant fall inwards and parts of the ceiling begin to collapse. At the same instant almost, the door to the washroom opened and Stella stood there. She seemed frozen, a part of the furniture Then a piece of the ceiling fell between them and she screamed. He could not see her anymore. Karan turned to the exit which was a few meters away from him and still clear when he heard Stella scream again. He hesitated. Cursing her and himself he started in Stella's direction again and then more of the ceiling came down and something hit him in the shoulder and he fell on to the floor. The terrible shaking continued for a while longer and then stopped. It was silent, except for the sound of the girl whimpering and sobbing. Karan dragged himself up, rubbing his shoulder and moved towards the sound. By the faint light which was still there, he could see her lying on the ground, arms flaying helplessly. There was a piece of masonry over her lower body. Karan was horrified. He looked into her eyes and saw the mute fear in them. He tried to drag the stone away but it was too large and heavy for him to budge. Stella screamed again, a long helpless wail, more a lament then a plea for help. Her voice echoed in the abandoned building.