Masqué, Season 2, Chapter 2

The second chapter today! I don't know but I'm kind of on a roll today haha. I got the next idea for the chapter and I just couldn't wait to start writing, I got the idea when I was just correcting the last chapter, weird I know..

I love how everyone got shocked from the first one, hope this one shocks you guys even more:

-

Previously in Chapter 1:

She did the first thing that popped into her head.

She lodged the car keys into his face, the metal scraped his skin and made it's way into his left eye. He screamed in pain, his hands leaving Amal's body to cover his bleeding face.

"Arrgghhh!" Jack screamed. "You b*tch!"

He was about to attack her, his hand had already grabbed her hair, pulling it out, causing Amal to painfully scream, but she used the same car keys to stab him in the neck. She was aiming to scrape the skin but the metal was too sharp, it had sliced into his skin and into his veins, causing them to bleed out uncontrollably. His blood supply soon ended and his body laid lifeless, his head had landed on her lap and her clothes were drenched of blood.

The only thing Amal could hear were the crickets and the loudness of her heart thumping.

"Amal, yalla shfeech 6aweltay?" Saif's voice crushed Amal's horrific memories. Amal was now by the table, brushing foundation over her scars of that night.

"Kanee."

Amal took a deep breath before turning around with a perfectly drawn smile on her face.

-

Bibi, Amal's younger sister, Turki's twin, sat in her seat, staring at her food.

"Bibi, shfeech ma klaitay?" Nawaf asked his wife, looking down at her plate and back to her more mature face. Her veil was covering her hair and her long fingers were holding onto her cardigan, her mind elsewhere.

"Mu mishtehya, metrayga 3adl elyoum." Bibi shrugged, looking back to her husband's dark eyes. They resembled Saif's but his pupils were larger, she enjoyed staring into them, wondering what was on his mind. But this time, her husband was staring into his wife's, wondering what was on her mind.

Both spouses looked up from the table to see Amal and Saif walk into the living room. Bibi watched them intently, Amal's smile was forced and Bibi had read Saif's lips as he edged cloer to his wife to whisper a few words.

"You okay?" Saif's lips formed the words. Amal had gave him a reassuring smile before letting go of his arm to sit next to her sister on the table. Amal's fingers were shaking under the table, she used her right hand to eat as her husband sat in front of her, easily chatting to his family members. 

"Shfeech?" Bibi leaned in to ask Amal but Bibi's eyes hardened once they met with Amal's.

"Ma feene shay?" Amal gave her a confused expression. "Yalla eklay, ma jistay aklch! Am I bad cook?"

"No no, you're simply fantastic." Bibi said in a sarcastic tone but Amal was too engrossed into her thoughts to pick up on her tone of voice. Bibi watched Amal intently but Amal hadn't noticed a thing about anyone, her eyes were on Nawaf's and Nawaf's were on hers. It was as if they both were speaking without the use of their lips, it was a language being transferred between them through their eyes and it made Bibi's insides burn.

Amal was freaking out, her body was shaking, she was sobbing frantically, staring at the body that laid on her lap. Jack was lifeless, he was bleeding into her skirt and he was far too heavy to push off. Amal didn't even want to touch his body, she was terrified. She stared at her bloody hands, it was as if her daughter had painted her fingers red with her collection of art supplies, it didn't seem realistic that it was actually raw blood. Amal wouldn't think of it, she was denying the fact that she just committed murder.

Her first instinct was to call someone. No, not the police. Someone who could calm her down first. 

Bibi.

Her only choice was Bibi.

She used the telephone built into her Porsche to call her sister. Amal didn't have her phone and she couldn't move with a 200 pound dead man laying on her lap. She brushed her bloody hands over her shirt before gliding them over the touch screen, dialling Bibi's number. Amal waited impatiently, listening to the sound of the ringing and to the sound of her heart. 

Thump. Ring. Thump. Ring. Thump. 

"Aloo?" A male voice answered. It wasn't Bibi, it was her husband, Nawaf. His voice was deep and gentle.

"N-nawaf?" Amal hiccuped, sobbing under her breath.

"Amal, shfeech?" Nawaf sounded alert and worrisome.

"Wain Bibi?" Amal tried to contain herself from sobbing frantically over the phone.

"Bel 7amam, ena chithe I answered it, laish? Amal jawbeeny shfeech?" Nawaf kept asking, unable to ignore how fearful Amal's voice sounded.

"N-nawaf," Amal couldn't help herself anymore, she began to sob uncontrollably, her chest heaving. The tears were mixing up with the blood and the car reeked of death, Amal needed someone, now.

"Amal, wainch? Ana ayeelch," Nawaf knew he couldn't get anything out of Amal through the phone. 

"At the L.F Gallery, please hurry, p-please. Don't tell anyone, allah yekhaleek, don't tell anyone."

"I'll be there in a few."

Nawaf hung up and at the exact same time, Bibi had left the shower, her long hair drenched wet and her body sandwiched with a towel. 

"Who was it?" Bibi asked, looking to her husband. She was drying her hair with an extra towel and Nawaf's face looked worried.

"Ekhtch, giltleha entay bel 7amam," Nawaf grabbed his car keys, trying his best to act cool. He wanted to tell Bibi but Amal's words echoed into his head: 'don't tell anyone, allah yekhaleek, don't tell anyone.'

"Oh, khan adig 3leeha 3yal," Bibi walked over to the table to grab her phone but Nawaf stood in front of her to stop her.

"La2 la2, galet it's nothing important w bitgoulch salfet'ha on Saturday, at the yam3a," Nawaf gave her a forced smile.

"Uhm okay..."

"Yalla, ana barou7 ashouf 9a7be bel gahwa, bas bag3ad sa3a w barid," Nawaf turned to leave but he saw the suspicion on Bibi's face.

"Take care," Bibi called out but Nawaf was already out the door, in a hurry to leave.

-

It felt like hours to Amal as she waited for Nawaf. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, the tears were still running down her cheeks but she couldn't look at the body, she simply couldn't. Her body told her that it still remained on top of her, her senses wouldn't agree with her denying mind, she could smell the blood, feel it running over the callouses of her fingers and the heaviness of his body on her.

It was only the tapping on the window was when she realised it was time to open her eyes. And once she did, she found Nawaf's gaping face, staring at the body on her lap through the window. Amal finally started sobbing again, calling to Nawaf to help her. He was trying to open the door but it was locked, Amal was too frozen in her seat to realise anything.

"Amal! Ft7ay el bab, it's locked!"

"Nawaf, help." Amal cried out, unable to hear him. Nawaf pointed to the door and finally, Amal realised that she was stupidly waiting for him when clearly, the doors were locked because of Jack. Amal's shaking fingers unlocked the doors and Nawaf finally pulled it open.

"Amal, sh9ar?!" Nawaf yelled, his eyes widened in shock.

"NAWAF, ALLAH YEKHALEEK JUST GET HIM OFF OF ME!" Amal screamed, her throat aching from all of the sobbing. Nawaf hurried over to her side and pushed the body back so it would lay back on the passenger's seat. He became startled from the bloody face and took his hands off of the body as soon as it remained off of Amal. Nawaf's hands become drenched in blood.

Amal fell out of the car, staying on the floor as she continued to sob. She couldn't breathe, she felt aas if a bulldozer was lifted off of her but yet, the heaviness and disgust still remained, due to the all of the blood on her.

It took Nawaf two hours to calm Amal down, she wouldn't let him touch her or try to pull her up from the ground, and so, he stayed next to her after he made sure the car was locked and Jack's body was tucked under the seat, to avoid anyone from seeing the body.

"Amal?" Nawaf whispered, still startled from the whole situation. He still didn't know what happened but Amal wouldn't utter a word.

"He t-tried to touch me," Amal began to speak but she kept stuttering, "He k-kissed me. T-then he was in the car, t-touching me, h-his f-fingers under my skirt."

"Amal, calm down," Nawaf lay a hand over her back but she pushed him away.

"D-don't touch me!" Amal shrieked.

"Amal, it's me!" Nawaf took his hands off of her. "It's not him, it's me Amal."

"I k-killed him, I-" Amal hiccuped, a sob caught in her throat. "We n-need to call t-the police."

"Okay Amal, ana badig 3leeihum bas abeech teg3deen eb sayarty okay?" Nawaf reassured her.

"O-okay, la etjeesny, ana bagoum brou7y," Amal held up her hands once he tried to help her, he quickly backed off and allowed her to stand up solely alone. He ushered her to his Wrangler, tucking her under the safety of the seat belt just to make her feel safe.

"Amal, ana bakheth el sayara, okay? I'll take it to the police station." Nawaf promised Amal.

"O-okay, please tell t-them I didn't m-mean to kill him, h-he was j-just touching me and I-I didn't k-know what t-to do N-nawaf, I'm s-sorry, s-so s-sorry," Amal sobbed between her words.

"Amal la t7ateen, I'll fix everything, shhh," Nawaf calmly whispered.

"P-please be q-quick, I d-don't w-want to be alone."

"I promise I'll be quick."

-

"Where've you been?" Amal exclaimed once Nawaf was back with Amal's car but the body was nowhere to be seen. He climbed into the driver's seat next to her, his hands in his pockets.

"At the police station, shfeech?" Nawaf said as calmly as possible.

"Wainhom?" Amal's eyes were so wide, she kept fidgeting, unable to remain as calm as Nawaf.

"Khala9 I fixed it Amal, stop asking. Now we need to get you cleaned up."

"Khan adig 3la Saif w agoula-"

"Hey, la2! Ma ra7 etdigeen 3la a7ad, you will tell no one about this, fahma?" Nawaf stared into Amal's eyes in the dark.

"L-laish Nawaf?" Amal stuttered.

"Tabeen Saif yekhtere3? Tkheyelay banatch, wouldn't it scare them to hear about this?" Nawaf's words caused Amal's face to wince.

"No no!" Amal exclaimed in horror.

"You want to be okay again, 9a7?" Nawaf asked.

"Eee."

"Abeech etsaween ely agoulch yaah, okay? Promise me?"

"I promise."

"Al7een bawadeech baitna, you'll shower there and change. Bibi's at a wedding, maku a7ad eb baitna."

"O-okay."

"And you will never ever talk about this to anyone else. Goulay walla you won't," Nawaf's eyes hardened, they seemed serious and strong.

"Walla ma ra7 a-agoul 7ag a-a7ad," Amal sobbed.

-

"Amal, are you done?" Nawaf called out to the bathroom, waiting for her to finish cleaning up. He would hear her break down every few minutes and start crying. He couldn't let Saif see her like this.

"I'm d-done." Amal croaked out once she left the bathroom wearing Bibi's summer dress, her hair was wet and her eyes were red from the tears.

"Ma agder akhaleech etrideen el bait chithe, you need to stop crying." Nawaf's voice sounded heartless and his face bore no emotion. Amal stared at him in wonder, wishing she had his perfect posture and control.

"I will," Amal swallowed down the lump that was building up in her throat.

"Promise me?" Nawaf sighed, he was seated on the sofa in his bedroom, staring at Amal's weak posture.

"I just want to go back home, take me back," Amal hiccuped.

"Promise me Amal," he repeated.

"Nawaf, allah yekhaleek barid el bait!"

Nawaf didn't mutter another word, he texted Saif making up a lie about Amal's car breaking down and how Nawaf had coincidentally spotted it on the highway when he was on his way to the cafe by the sea to meet up with a friend. Saif bought the lie and so, Nawaf drove quiet Amal to her house.

"Amal, don't tell anyone." Nawaf stated when he parked his car outside Amal's house. Her eyes drifted away from the window to his hands, she noticed specks of dirt under his fingernails but didn't think twice about them. 

Amal remained silent, she left the car and didn't say anything other than a whispered "thank you".

"Yumaa! Akheeran radaitay el bait, yuma barou7 bait Najd bacher, okay? Batghada 3ndehum, okay?" Amal's second daughter ran up to her once she walked into the house. Dana's face seemed hopeful and excited but Amal couldn't answer her daughter, she was still in shock.

"Ee, okay okay." Amal muttered, hurrying upstairs to the bedroom. She heard Dana exclaim in happiness and Razan complain about how Amal had refused to allow her to go to her friend's house today but how it was unfair that Dana could get anything she wanted. Amal drowned out everything, she couldn't concentrate.

Thankfully, Saif was too busy on the phone with one of his business clients to notice how emotionless and abnormal his wife looked. Amal tucked herself into bed and stared at the wall in front of her for what seemed like hours, listening to the muffling sounds of her children downstairs and the deepness of Saif's voice as he spoke into his phone, in his office. The room was dark and her fingers were hurting her from the shards of glass that sliced into her skin yet she kept on staring off into the darkness, her mind muted, the thoughts were whirring around but she wouldn't allow herself to listen.

"7beebty? Nayma?" Saif's voice brushed over Amal's neck, his fingers on her arm. He scared her, the tiny hairs on her back stood up in fright and she bolted up, ready to push him off of her.

"Offh, shfeech?" Saif was shocked from how alert his wife became, she was edging away from him on the corner of the bed, trying to stay as far as possible.

"W-wela shay," Amal stuttered.

"Amal..." Saif's forehead furrowed in confusion, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek but she smacked his hand away.

"D-don't!"

"Amal ana shsa-"

"P-please, rou7 nam bel guest room, please." Amal pleaded, Saif was astounded from her request but he became infuriated from her strange behaviour.

"Fine." Saif left the bedroom with a loud bang by shutting the door too forcefully. 

-

"Amal, hello? Amal, Nawaf, pass me the salt!" Turki's voice bombarded both Amal's and Nawaf's thoughts.

"7ather, 7ather!" Nawaf easily laughed it off and passed his cousin the salt. But Amal couldn't laugh it off, her face was blank. Saif stared at her, still confused from what happened between them a few nights ago but he didn't question her about it when the next day, she acted so normal and chipper about everything. He dismissed it, thinking it was hormonal mood swings.

Amal took this chance to escape, she grabbed her plate to take it to the kitchen but she hadn't noticed that Nawaf had followed her.

"You're making it too obvious," Nawaf's deep voice scared Amal, she was by the sink, scrubbing the plate clean but ultimately regretting it when her foundation began to wear off her fingers. Her scars becoming more visible.

"I'm sorry for not being as heartless as you, I just killed a man a few days ago, how do you want me to act?!" Amal exclaimed in anger, Nawaf stood cooly in front of her, seeming effortlessly normal.

"Wa6ay 9outch!" Nawaf hissed, looking behind him in defence to check if anyone came in or had heard them. Amal looked down to his hands for a second but finally something clicked, this time his fingernails were clean, she recalled that they were filled with dirt that night.

"What happened to the police? No court? No questioning? And where's my car?" Amal began to become suspicious, the questions were flowing off of her tongue but they only caused Nawaf's face to wince slightly. An emotion finally filled his face for a few seconds but it was wiped off with his control in a few easy moments.

"Amal, gltlch khala9 I fixed it. I have good friends there." Nawaf looked away, avoiding her eyes.

"D-did you bury the body?" Amal croaked out.

"Entay men 9ijich?!" Nawaf exclaimed out in anger.

"Men 9ijha shnu?" Another voice entered the conversation, silencing both Nawaf and Amal, causing their faces to bare all of their guilt right away.

A female voice.

Bibi's voice.

-

Don't forget to give me feedback! Thank you. :D