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The Progeny - Part 2

The medic team arrived after a few minutes. They lifted her using the stretcher as she couldn't stand, let alone to sit. Khatijah felt relieved but also guilty because of her curse. She's now sitting back at her desk, watching Dahlia being lifted out from the class with an expressionless face. Dahlia was murmuring. Everyone didn't know what she's trying to say. As everyone sits back at their desk, She turns her head to the left, looking at the blue sky out of their window. "What a view." She smiled and looked back in front.
A teacher came inside the class for the last period of the day. She knew about the curse when she's 10 years old. She was being bullied by a fat boy in her class. During that moment, she lost her patience. "Die." She thought. The boy suddenly threw up and faint at the same time. She was stunned. Two days later, a teacher informed Khatijah and her entire class that the boy died in a hospital he's being warded at. That moment, she knew. She felt guilty for years. Since then, no one was too brave to bully her. She was healing until she got into high school and was bullied again. She prayed that Allah would grant her more patience every single day. She once thought about finding the answers about her curse when she's older. Well, this might be it. She will be turning 17 in a few days after all. It's not that old, but you know.

She went inside her house. "Assalamualaikum.." closing back the door. The maid replied back while wiping out the dust on the shelf. They smiled at each other, and then she kissed her brother's forehead before she headed upstairs to her room. She did her routine and was now lying on her bed. She stares into the ceiling, remembering what happened at school. She sighed. She got up and walked downstairs to eat and then watch some movies. She just wanted to relax before she studied. Mak Esah cooked her mom's favourite dish today. Minutes later, she and her brother ate their dinner. Aisyah came home from work.
"Assalamualaikum.." Aisyah said. She closed back the door.
"Waalaikumussalam, hi mom. Oh, come and join us. Watch these movies.." Khatijah replied.
"Yeah. I will, honey. I'm gonna take a shower first." She says as she kisses her childrens' forehead.
"Okay, mom." She smiled.
Minutes later, they are watching the movies, sipping their coffee. Then Aisyah tells her about the about the plan on her school holidays.
"Oh, yes. Honey, I wanted to tell you something. " Aisyah said. Khatijah raised her eyebrows.
"We're going to visit grandma during your school holidays." She says, making Khatijah confused.
"Wait, what? We didn't visit Grandma like.. for a long time!" She's excited to see her grandmother.
"You're okay with it, right?" Aisyah asked for confirmation.
"Of course,  I missed her." Khatijah responded. Her mom smiled. She felt excited that she got to celebrate her birthday with her grandma this year.

A few minutes later

She went upstairs and got into her room. She sat at her study desk and was going to study before she did her night routine. As she was studying, there was a knock on her door. She looked back. "Mom?" There was no response. She turned her head back and continued to study. She heard the knock again. She looked back and goes to open the door. She frowned as there's no one in front of her room. She starts to have a bad feeling. She wanted to close back the door, but then she heard her brother's laughing. She went out to check on Wafiq. She walked slowly to his room and saw Wafiq was talking to someone while he's sitting on the bed. Nobody was in the room other than him. Khatijah raised her eyebrows.
She knocked. "Wafiq darling, what are you doing.. don't you wanna sleep?" She came inside and sat beside him. She embraced him.
"Yes.. I was just talking." He replied, hugging her back while holding his lego toy.
"Oh, who were you talking to?" She's curious. Wafiq was a very quiet kid after all, so of course she'd give her attention to her one and only brother.
"The lady, she was sitting in front of me on the bed." He said. Khatijah smiled, feeling like her brother was just messing around.
"Well, where is she now?" She asked, looking at his face.
"Oh, she's standing behind you." Wafiq replied as he's playing with his legos, making her stunned. Her heart starts pounding. She felt like a figure was right behind her. She turned her head slowly and looked back. There's no one. She sighed out of relief.
She kissed Wafiq's forehead as he's asleep and went back to her room.

..

The river was full of blood. She's panicked as she saw her brother was drowning. She got into the river to save him. But then, she saw a woman standing in the middle of the river holding her dead brother. Khatijah was stunned. She tried to shout but couldn't. The woman stares at her. Khatijah let out a scream.

She woke up and gasped. She saw a woman standing in front of her. The woman was just staring at her. Khatijah was wide-eyed. But it's not the same woman she saw at the alley. It was someone else. The woman wears red kebaya. Her skin looks pale.
"Who are you? And why are you here?" Khatijah asked while she was still in bed. The woman didn't respond. She turned slowly and walked out of the room. Khatijah was confused. She got up from bed and followed the woman downstairs. It was dark downstairs since everyone was asleep. Her eyes wandered around, looking for the woman. She looked to the kitchen because she saw a figure walking towards it. She went to the kitchen and saw the woman holding a knife. Her hands were bleeding. There is blood all over the floor. The woman's bloody tears start falling. Khatijah felt her regretful emotion as she was crying. Khatijah was stunned.

..

She opened her eyes wide. She fell asleep while studying again. Her heart was pounding hard as she woke up from the nightmare. "Astaghfirullahal'azim.." She said three times while she placed her hands on her chest. She looked at the time, it was 1:00 a.m. She immediately organized all her study materials and did her night routine before getting to bed.

The next day

It was recess. All of them head out to the school cafe. Khatijah walked into the school hallway while holding her books. She was going to the library, but something got in her way.
"Hey, loser." Sofia, one of Dahlia's friends, and the others walked towards her. Khatijah closed her eyes for a second as she knew what was going to happen. She decided to be more patient this time. She doesn't wanna hurt anyone. Sofia, Yasmin, and Wina were standing in front of her, giving her a glare. Khatijah didn't say anything and just looked at them.
"It was you, right?" Sofia was accusing her.
"Was I what now?" She asked it back, not understanding anything.
"You're the one who did that to Dahlia. You're the one who hurt her." Sofia raised her voice.
Khatijah raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you tell the teacher?"
Sofia and the others were speechless by Khatijah's response. "Wha - what?"
"You think it was me who hurt her, right? Go on, tell the teacher. But make sure you have the proof. If you don't have any proof, don't accuse me of something I didn't do." Khatijah replied, and she continued to walk past them. Sofia gasped as she turned around. She grabbed and pulled Khatijah by the hand hard, making the books she was holding fell to the floor. The other students at the school hallway looked at them. They frowned.
Khatijah was wide-eyed as her books were on the floor. "Not again."  She thought. She tried to be more patient now. She picked up the books.
"Enough." Khatijah says as she was walking away from them. The girls laughed.
"Or what? You're gonna tell your dead father?" She immediately stopped when Sofia said that. She placed her books on the rack beside her. She turned around slowly and walked towards them. As the girls were still laughing, Khatijah kicked Sofia hard on the tummy, making her fall.
"You bitch what did you -" Khatijah twisted Yasmin's hand as she tried to push her by the shoulder. Yasmin screamed in pain. Wina was wide-eyed and tried to slap her. Khatijah avoided then grabbed her by the hair. She slammed Wina to the wall. Then she let go of Yasmin's hand and pushed her to the floor. The others were shocked. Some of them were laughing because they thought the girls deserved it. The girls quickly stand up and ran away from her. Khatijah just look at them as they're running away. She turned to get her books and went to the library as if nothing happened. Some students who witness it finally reported to the teacher about the bullies. They were suspended from school due to that. Though, it was not enough compared to how awful Khatijah was bullied.