Knight Syndrome

Ameena

The rain had drenched their clothes while they stood in the corridor, squeezing out water from their shirts. "Your long hair is completely wet" Ren ran his hand through her hair. Ameena froze, not from the cold but from the sudden contact. As he realized what he had done, he paused.

By midnight they both were sneezing and coughing one after the other.

"I won't take this medicine, the syrup. Most definitely not."

Ren shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you for real?" He had never heard of anyone who refused to take medicine when they were sick, with their entire body aching for relief.

Ren stood up and grabbed her shoulders. Ameena's emotional curve parabolized.

A small tear rolled down her cheek. "You... you don't know," she said. She had temporarily forgotten the trauma. It all came back.

"She died. She died because of ..." pointing at the small bottle Ren was holding in his hand.

"Someone died? Ameena talk to me..." he was definitely panicking now.

The face, her sister's smile. One single name to blame. ALPACA.

"Stop crying. You will feel worse. No syrup for you. Okay? No syrup", he made a show of moving the bottle away from her.

By the next morning, the group decided to shorten the trip for Ameena and Ren. The two did not speak while packing the trunk of the car. A glance - brief, confused, and apprehensive - was all they exchanged.

For once, Ameena was glad to be back at the dorm with her loud roommates. She wanted to have happy memories of her trip with Ren instead it became a recollection of very recent suffering.

Fortunately, her very real alter-ego came to her rescue; Ameena, the espionage agent.

Parama Advertising Agency the LED Display screen read. She was now standing on the footpath outside one of Thyme's companies. He had done as promised. An intern position with possibilities for full-time opportunity based on performance. But Ameena was not here to grow her career. She was here to expose the rotten apple. The one rotten apple enough to spoil the basket.