See No Evil

Chapter 4

Ilah saw women come into the cell and then get allowed out once their time was up. None of them talked to each other. They just sat down in the darkness of the cell and waited. And waited. Seeing people coming in and going out.

Among the people, she noticed that girl that had been taken to the third floor too, but she was too angry to even think much of her. She just sat in a corner, hugging her legs and fuming in anger.

After a while, Ilah's anger burning at the pit of her stomach subsided, and she let herself relax a little.

Before she realized, her eyelids fell shut and she fell asleep without realizing it.

She dreamt of the city. Of the streets empty and silent around her as she walked through them, her steps echoing as the only noise that could be heard. She walked to the small back entrance of the city, where the tree of protection stood, flames burning all over it's branches.

And Minah stood in front of it, looking at the flames dancing.

Beyond the tree and down the cliff, the black sea could be seen. Cold and still and quiet.

"Minah," she called out to her, wanting to reach her, but her legs would not move. "Minah, I'm sorry! I...I promise to-"

The girl ahead shook her head, but didn't turn around, and kept looking ahead at the burning tree.

"Don't promise me anything," she said, her voice echoing all around Ilah. "Promises are for life. And I am already gone."

Ilah jolted awake, and noticed someone was shaking her. She looked up and found the same girl that had been taken up to the third floor after her. The cell door was open, and suddenly she could hear her name being called.

"Ilah, code number 55689," repeated a guard. "Hurry, or I'll turn away your guardian."

Ilah shook her head and jumped up to her feet with the help of the girl. She nodded in appreciation at her before walking out with the guard and following him out.

How could two days have already passed? How long had she fallen asleep? She rubbed at the side of her head, scratching at her dry black hair. And what did he mean about a guardian? She didn't have any guardian.

At the entrance she noticed Sushal's mother standing near the door and waved at her, realizing that she had come to get her.

Then it was only a matter of waiting for the guard to stamp the seal of release on her documents and detract the civic points from her code card and she was taken towards Sushal's mother and told she was free to go and to keep the social sanitation rules in mind.

She noticed Sushal's mother slipping a few ration codes at the guard as they left and realized what had happened.

"Thank you," she whispered as they walked away from the detention center. "I'll pay you back tomorrow, I promise."

"Don't mind it dear," she told her, patting her back. " Sushal told me what happened, but she's at the factory now and couldn't come to help. It took a while to convince the guards. You know how they are when there's a visiting officer. Sushal should be getting out in a little bit. Why don't you go get something to eat? I'll send her a message for her to pass by and you two can eat together and chat."

"Oh, she never likes to eat outside," said Ilah, with a soft laugh at the memory of how much her friend hated that other people saw her eating.

Sushal's mother sighed.

"Outside or inside. She's eating less and less every day," she mused, looking out into the expanses of the crowded streets up ahead.

Ilah lowered her eyes. Thinking back on it, Minah had started eating much less than she usually did. Now, thinking back on what had happened, everything felt like an alarm, no matter how simple, no matter how common or usual. For a moment as she thought back to what they'd done during the past few days, she felt like if she had been more careful, if she had only paid her more attention-

Sushal's mother stopped and grabbed her shoulder to stop her too. Then she took out an old handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at the tears falling down Ilah's cheeks.

She hadn't even realized she was crying.

"I'm sorry for Minah," whispered Sushal's mother. "She was one of the nicest girls I've met."

Ilah tried to speak, but her throat felt like it had closed, as if she was about to asphyxiate on her own grief. She clenched her hands closed in to fists and took a deep breath until she could speak again.

"She was," she said, and nodded. "Please, tell Sushal to catch up with me at the soup kitchen. She might want to eat something then."

And after another nod, she ran away from her and towards the soup kitchen, taking the smaller back alleys, where no one would see the tears that kept falling from her eyes.