Rock of Iwa

As the cab came to a stop Rhea grinned this was what she’d been waiting for, time to shop.  After 4 days of being dragged around by Paul and their boys she certainly deserved it and shop she would.  

She walked into the market area with a smile and looked around at the dozens of brightly colored stalls lining the streets. Bits of silver jewelry, brightly colored skirts, gorgeous silk scarves and of course the mandatory junky souvenirs as far as the eye could see.

Rhea set about the market picking up the odd little item here and there enjoying haggling with the owners of the stalls and delighting in each small purchase.

After a few short hours Rhea was loaded down with goods and ecstatic about the many unique finds she’d collected. She was about ready to head back towards the hotel when she noticed a narrow alleyway with a few small stalls she hadn’t yet seen.

She glanced up as she walked into the narrow alley as the sun high above slipped behind the clouds bringing the already shaded area into near darkness. She jumped as a man shuffled by her mumbling to himself. 

Perhaps she should head back to the main area Rhea thought as she came up to the first stall. It appeared this place sold a variety of dried herbs and spices, baskets ranging around the stall held an odd assortment of materials one of which she was fairly sure included bits of bone.  

The man who had shuffled by her when she entered the smaller alleyway said something to her sweeping an arm across the stall. It had sounded to her like he had said something about serving the spirits.  

She backed away from the stall shaking her head and decided this was maybe a little too far off the beaten path for her liking. She turned towards the mouth of the alley and began to head towards the brighter light when a flash of colour caught her eye.

She stepped closer to the stall on the other side of the alley and picked up a flat palm sized piece of rock.  It was incredibly heavy for its size and streaked with the most spectacular of colours. As she ran her fingers across the remarkably smooth surface a shiver raced down her back.

She looked up at the shopkeeper “how much?”

“It is not for sale.” He responded

“Then why display it if you won’t sell it?” Rhea asked

“I sell but not to you” he answered

“A thousand Goud” She asked he shook his head”two?” He shook his head again”how much to sell it to me?” buying this rock was suddenly the most important thing in her life, she absolutely had to have it.

The shopkeeper looked at her with a sigh and said”Must you? It is said to have belonged to a lwa.  It is very powerful magic indeed. Magic that I’m not sure is hot or cool” He looked at the rock tightly gripped in her hand and back up to her face. 

He realized she had no intention of walking away without it. He sighed once more “I will sell to you for 5 thousand, but only if you promise to bring it back if it is as hot as I expect it to be. I will return your money if so”

“Yes ok” Rhea placed the rock in her purse and removed her wallet paying the man.  Sure it was a little much but Rhea knew she had to own it. She rushed back toward the main street before he could change his mind.  

When she reached the main street she pulled the rock back out of her purse examining it more closely.  It was amazing, it felt warm in her hand and the colour seemed to shift and move in the brighter light. She felt a burning need to keep it held in her hand as she left the market.

She didn’t believe in voodoo it would prove to just be a pretty little thing to look at.  A very pretty thing, she thought as she hailed a cab.