Layla

Chapter 5

**WARNING!!- there is a trigger towards the end of the chapter. There will be another warning before so you know when to stop if you can't handle it.**

Layla

Amir and I, without my veil, left for the market. I couldn't help but feel extremely uncomfortable as if everyone's eyes were on me. Amir took my hand to place on his arm, "It's alright Layla. See?" He gestures to our surroundings, "No one is bothering you."

I gave him a nod and a tight smile, acting as if everything was alright for his sake, but on the inside I couldn't shake off this feeling that something very terrible was to happen.

We walked a bit further down the road, the hum of people talking in the market making it to our ears, it helped a little with my nerves. Still, the awful feeling hadn't gone away.

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Amir was shopping for some new clothes when we heard it. Bandits. They come hooting and howling on the streets grabbing random women as well as robbing the market stands.

My arm went straight to my waist where normally my sword is kept, but much to my disappointment, it wasn't there. I quickly started to panic and grabbed Amir's arm. "Don't let them take me akhii(brother)! I don't have anyway of protecting or shielding myself, not even my veil is here to mask my face." I cried out, tears welling up in my eyes. I'm normally not the one to be emotional but I knew this could be the last time I saw him. The men were quickly approaching the area we were trying to escape to. I stupidly held on to the hope that they wouldn't want me or that they wouldn't see me but I knew that false hope would do me no good.

I stick out like a sore thumb with my golden locks. I have said before that I am aware of my beauty and that's the truth which also keeps me aware of the fact that if they catch me, I will be treated the worst. Probably sold off to many disgusting thirsty men.

I took a deep breath while trying to maintain a calm demeanor. "Amir." I turned to him stopping us. "You and I both know I'll be taken. There's no point in running, please stop." I pulled us to a halt. "Let the others know how much I love them, okay? Promise me that you will try to save me!" He looked at me with conflicted eyes, pulling at my hands.

"Come we can sti-" He attempted.

"No brother we can't, just promise me that you will try and find me?"

He nodded, his eyes watering. "I promise."

"Good." I sighed. "Don't worry Amir, I won't go down without a fight." I pulled him into my embrace.

They had reached us and I was grabbed by my hair and yanked backwards. "Stay safe, I love you akhii." I called as they pulled me onto the horse.

I struggled with the bandit, trying to pry his arm off of me, but I stopped when I watched Amir pull out his small knife and try to fight off some of the men that were on foot. He was succeeding at first, but from a distance I watched as one of the men snuck up from behind and stabbed him in the side, just as I had screamed, everything went black.

●••

I awoke to darkness, I was confused and disoriented. My throat parched, my stomach growling, and my head pounding. Where am I? I thought to myself. As I became more aware of my surroundings, I felt the floor moving beneath me and everything came rushing back. I quickly stood up with shaky feet and hit my head on the top of this, whatever it is that I'm entrapped in. I hissed in pain as the ache in my head doubled. I stumbled around when the memory of Amir being stabbed came back to me, my knees weakened and I dropped to the floor in tears. I sobbed for the loss of my brother, my friend, my Amir.