Unforgettable Love (Book 1)

Chapter 7

All around me I saw nothing but black and I felt alone. Fatima! Where are you? I cried and cried yet I saw nothing. The sound of my own cries echoed for miles and I kept wondering how I'd get out of here. I took a step forward and found myself in a large square in the middle of a deserted town. The houses were old and white, each one connected to one another. It looked like Morocco but the question remained... why am I here? I called out again for Fatima and then there was the sound of a cry. The cry went on and on, showing no sign of stopping – it was the sound of a child. The cry got louder and louder as I followed it. Inside the house I found a little Muslim girl, possibly ten with brown hair and hazel eyes, curled up in a corner. Why are you crying? Please, stop crying. The little girl kept crying. I tried speaking in Arabic, begging her to stop. Nothing. She just kept crying, louder and louder, her cries screeching painfully at my ears, like my head was going to burst. This feeling of anger built up inside me as the crying continued, I couldn't stand the crying anymore. I grabbed the little girl by her shoulders and shook her violently, begging for her to stop. Stop crying! Stop it! She didn't stop until I covered her mouth with my hand, still hearing the muffled cries through my palm. She managed to wiggle her head enough to move my hand away from her mouth. Daddy, stop hurting me, please! I looked at her in horror and then up at a mirror in front of me hung up on the wall. In the mirror I didn't see my reflection however. Instead Fatima's father reflected on the mirror. I looked back down at the girl only to see a young, teenage Fatima with bruises all over her face. Why... why did you hurt me, daddy? I wanted this nightmare to end, I wanted to close my eyes but I looked up at the mirror one last time. Still seeing Karim's sinister smirk reflected back at me I drove my fist into the mirror. As it shattered so did everything around me as my body just fell endlessly into a black hole. I screamed as I woke up from the bed, sweating and panting.

I looked around and saw no trace of Fatima on my bed.

...it was just a dream.

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18.13 hrs

Leaving the bedroom after slipping into a clean pair of boxers and trousers I found the entire house to be desolate and quiet. None of the lights were on and there were no sounds filling the room to indicate that anyone was here, but I knew Fatima was still in fact here as her clothes had been left on my bedroom chair, save for her underwear which I safely assumed she had changed into.

I walked down the corridor and arrived at the doorway leading into front room where my assumptions were proven correct as I found her tucked away under a blanket, fast asleep on the sofa.

A smile took over my face as I leaned against the doorframe and stared at her, loosing myself in simply admiring how gentle she looked. Seeing such a beautiful creature I felt blessed to finally be able to call her mine after so long, knowing I am also hers now.

The moment was interrupted however as a muted vibration went off in my pocket and realized I'd left my mobile in my trousers. I fished out the device to see I'd received a text message.

It's from Jessica!

I was surprised to see a message from her after so long but nevertheless my curiosity drove me to opening the text and read what it says.

Jessica:

Hi Kyle, been a while. I'm in Gib for Easter break for a bit and I was wondering if you wanted to catch up some time, go for a jog. Get back to me when you can.

I was at such a loss for words I didn't know how to react or what to even feel about this.

I felt confused.