Masqué Chapter 24

Shlounkom shakhbarkom?:D I always have to write chapters this late. x_x I'll be busy tomorrow so next post will be either tomorrow at night or on Wednesday.  Story's ending soon, my next story will be a little different. xx

A HUGE thank you to @M_Qassimi for helping me with one of the ideas for this chapter!:D

I wanted to add Shamma as a character just as a reminder of the Syrian problems that are happening today, spread awareness, every little thing counts. Fortunately, Shamma blended well into the story. #Syria. Thank you @Noorzay, you are truly one inspirational woman.

Your feedback/comments make my day, don't be shy. :D

-

A7mad grabbed my arm, reeling me into the apartment living room by sheer force, his rough fingers were dug and woven into my skin, causing me to wince out in pain.

"La etjees'ha!" Saif barked loudly and protectively, letting go of his wooden crutches to push A7mad back with his strong hands. A7mad caught Saif's hands easily and pushed Saif back, making Saif stumble backwards, causing him to fall down to the ground.

"I'm so sorry Amal." Shamma hiccuped in between her sobs, her body laying onto the ground, only her lips able to move.

"Don't you two know how to mind your own business?" A7mad bared his teeth at me, his breath reeked of spicy Indian curry.

"A7mad let her go or.." Saif began, his face twisted with pain since his injured leg crashed down to the ceramic ground.

"Or shnu? You'll beat me up with your crutches?" A7mad growled with laughter, mocking Saif's weakness.

"We know you were the one who caused that accident Amal and I were in. Amal's fake parents bribed you with money, admit it." I glared at A7mad's sharp eyes, not daring to look away.

"Amal's parents are long gone now, out of the country. Plus you have no proof and you won't have any more of it if I kill you both." A7mad roared again with laughter, thinking that everything he said was simply funny.

"You'd be an idiot to kill two relatives and have no explanation for them going missing." I stated bluntly, not afraid of speaking up.

"Shnu giltay?" A7mad's laughter stopped abruptly once he heard me call him an idiot. A7mad's focus was on me and I didn't want his eyes to avert to where Saif was. Saif was holding his wooden crutches, slowly standing up from the ground while A7mad wasn't looking.

"Idiot. Ghaby, shfeek ma tifham engleizi?" I smirked in A7mad's face, ignoring my fast beating heart that was full of fear.

"T7achay 3adil!" Ahmad half swung his left free hand, ready to slap my cheek but before he could, Saif's crutches banged against A7mad's back, causing A7mad to let go of me and fall down to the ground in mere seconds.

A7mad's cheek was pressed up against the ground, his eyes shut but his arms were shaking, he was still moving, still alive and ready to strike again.


"Arggh." A7mad groaned as he tried to place his hands onto the ground to push himself up but Saif placed his foot over A7mad's back, keeping A7mad glued to the ground.


"La tet7arak. K*lb." Saif hissed angrily before turning around to face me with a caring expression drawn over his face."T3awertay?"

"La2." I rubbed the spot on my arm where A7mad's fingers were dug into seconds ago, and hurried over to Shamma who was bruised.


"Shamma are you okay?" I looked at Shamma's destroyed face. Her beautiful light eyes were full of tears that reddened her eyes, her usually innocent cheeks were smudged with her own blood and one of her legs seemed to have have a large gash.  

That animal ruined her.


"I'm s-so s-sorry, I h-had no choice. I didn't want to be left in Syria to get killed like my little brothers and sisters by Bashar Assad, I wanted to live." Shamma sobbed out loud, her words being stuttered.


"Khala9 it's okay, don't worry." I pulled Shamma in for a tight hug and looked at her badly bruised head, inspecting it. Freshly squeezed out blood was oozing out of her head but I mentally prayed that the cut wasn't deep, her light hair covered up the cut, not letting me observe it properly.


"Aaaa7!" I heard a loud cry. I suddenly turned my face to the left and found that now Saif was on the ground and A7mad was standing over him with a malicious grin on his  hideous face.


I quickly dialed the police's number while A7mad wasn't looking. I covered up my iPhone with Shamma's back, my fingers were shaking uncontrollably but I was able to call the right number.


Emergency dial: call connected.


"Shitsaween?!" A7mad's voice boomed out and startled me.


"W-wela shay." I let go of my iPhone, letting it rest on the ground, knowing that the police could hear our conversation.


"Aloo? Aloo?" I heard the faint noise come out of my iPhone, I assumed that it was the police station.


"A7mad khala9 let them go." Shamma tried to keep her voice from shaking but failed.


"Shamma don't tell me what to do!" A7mad roared again, his hand pressed against Saif's injured leg to keep Saif on the ground.


"Aaargh." Saif winced out in pain.


"Like the pain?" A7mad grinned, pressing his fingers harder against Saif's injured leg, causing Saif to scream.


"Saif!" I yelled out in a fearful voice. "A7mad stop it!"


"Encha3may yal 7m*ra wela al7een athbi7ich, entay w 7abeebich, sima3teeny?!" A7mad yelled back at me.


A7mad let go of Saif's leg, letting Saif lay on the ground with his face twisted with pain. A7mad banged the front door shut, locking it with a key before approaching Shamma and I.


"Al7een 3nde bentain, hmm I wonder what I should do with you girls." A7mad grinned, his fingers rubbing his injured cheek easily.


"Don't.. touch her!" Saif groaned, forcing the words out and ignoring the pain he was feeling

"Enta mnu 3shan etgouly shnu asawi eb Amal?" A7mad laughed mockingly at Saif.

"Kha6eebha." Saif challenged back. My mouth hung open in shock, this wasn't the time to propose.

"Shnu?" A7mad looked shocked as well since he turned back around to face Saif properly.

"You heard me." Saif's eyes never left A7mad's.

"Then it makes all of this even better." A7mad snickered. He extended his arm so his fingers would be able to wrap around my arm, forcing me to stand up and let go of an injured and frightened Shamma.

"Ta3alay!" A7mad ordered me, pulling me along where Saif was, making me stand in front of him. A7mad hooked his fingers into the belt I was wearing that was over my shirt, trying to force it off of my waist.

"La2!" I smacked A7mad's hands, trying to stop him but his left hand grabbed my wrists, hooking them behind me, leaving his right hand to pull off my belt successfully.

"Yal z*g, agoulk la etjees'ha!" Saif tried to stand up but A7mad's Louis Vuitton sandal-ed foot pressed against Saif's cheek, shutting him up.

"Watch me." A7mad smirked at Saif, his fingers roaming around over my waist to look for the zipper of my skirt. Saif's hands grabbed A7mad's foot, tugging on it, causing A7mad to trip down to the floor for the second time. I took this chance to sit on top of A7mad, pinning his arms back on the floor, using all of my strength to keep him down.

"Shut up." I grabbed a grey smelly sock that was on the floor next to me and stuffed it into A7mad's ill looking mouth. Saif crawled to where I was so he could help me pin back A7mad's arms since they were too strong for me to hold onto alone.

"Kha6eeby, seriously?" I smiled at Saif, ignoring A7mad's wiggling around and mumblings.

"I like it better when you say it." Saif chuckled weakly through his pain.

We had to keep A7mad pinned back till the police had finally arrived. They'd traced my call to the apartment building and were roaming the levels, looking for our apartment room. Soon enough, one of the police officers pushed down the locked door and inspected each of us. A7mad was taken to the ma5far. Saif, Shamma and I played as witnesses to A7mad beating Shamma and Saif. We weren't able to prove A7mad and my fake parents were behind the car accident but A7mad would still have to pay for the beatings he had caused for years.

As for my fake parents, they were out of my life and the lives of my other family members, non of them dared to show their face again after their failure of keeping me in their wretched world. And for me, that was more than enough.



-


"Amal!" I heard my parents call out in worried tones. They were both hurrying down the dull grey halls of the ma5far, their eyes inspecting every inch of me, looking for a bruise. We had just been questioned by several police officers about the event and my head was throbbing with pain. All I wanted was to go back home, snuggle under my covers with a cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows.

I was left alone in the waiting room. Saif was rushed to the hospital to get his injuries medically treated and Shamma was taken by one of the police officers who were looking for a family member they could contact.

"7beebty are you okay?" Mom asked, her eyeliner smudged and her lipstick brushed off. She was still in work attire which was her usual long colourful shirt and comfortable jeans. Dad stood next to her with a worried expression on his aging face, his salt and pepper hair ruffled up.

"Ee bas abe arid el bait, please." I begged through a tiny voice. I left the police men to explain the situation to my parents as I waited in my father's jet black Range Rover. After 30 minutes of waiting patiently, my parents drove me back home in silence, leaving me alone and not questioning me any further. I appreciated that they didn't argue or express their hate towards A7mad in front of me, I didn't need any more reminders of the events of today.

Bibi and Turki both were waiting for us in the living room. Both twins had their pajamas on but their faces were full of fear and worry.

"Amal, sh9ar?" Bibi hurried over to my side, her eyes searching for mine. Turki stood back, noticing my frozen and rigid posture.

"Bibi khala9, riday darich. Amal t3bana." Mom told Bibi, silencing her questions. It was a signal for the twins to leave me alone. 

Did I look that stricken and scary? I didn't know. When I faced my mirror, my face looked ghostly pale, my normally clear eyes had reddened and my mascara left dots on my eyelids. I looked horrible.

"It's my birthday tomorrow." Bibi's voice crept up behind me. I turned to face her.

"You're turning 15?" I rubbed my tired eyes, the images in front of me blurring slightly. I couldn't think straight.

"La2 shfeech, I'm 16, turning 17 tomorrow enshallah." Bibi looked at me strangely.

"16?" My forehead furrowed in confusion.

"Shfeech neseitay?" Bibi asked in a worried tone, probably assuming I was getting amnesia all over again.

If Bibi and Turki were 16, wouldn't that have meant that I would have seen them around when I was a child, before I got kidnapped? How did I miss this before?

"Oh sorry, happy early birthday." I smiled weakly at Bibi, she sensed my rigidness and left me alone in my bedroom. After a few minutes, Mom entered my bedroom. I was still in my clothes, my shirt was smudged with Shamma's blood and my body was sprawled over my comfortable bed.

"Yuma, shloun Bibi w Turki 16?" I asked out of the blue before Mom could ask her recently frequent question of "Are you okay? Tabeen ayeeblch shay?"

"Amal.." Mom seemed speechless, her expression gave it away. She was hiding something.

"Entay ri7tay 3shan tit3alajein for 2 years.. w you left me at Khalte Najla's when I was around 3 or 4 years old.. I would have seen Bibi and Turki when I was a child, the ages, the years, they don't add up.." I talked to myself, trying to work it out.

And then it hit me, hard.

"Yuma, were the twins adopted?"