Deadly Stalker

Chapter XXIII: Revelations I

The cold weather seeped into the layers of clothes that I had been wearing, making a chill run down my spine. I rubbed my hands together and looked up at Zaid only to find him staring back at me. The icy stare replaced by a blazing fire could burn someone down with it's high intensity. I was lucky not to become a puddle by now.

"Eman is not my real sister," If I think the weather made chills run down my spine, I was totally wrong. Because the moment Zaid said those words I felt my breath knocked out of me. In and out. In and out. In and out. I forced myself to breath.
All this while, whatever I thought about his family was a complete lie. A show for those people who didn't know. I wonder if my family knew this, before they got me married to him. And even if they knew, why did no one bother to tell me?

"All passengers of Flight G589 please proceed to Gate no. 7 for boarding. The boarding gate closes within 15 minutes."

Some things will always get in your way not matter how much you try. In my case it was the weather. Just two minutes before the officials announced that the weather had still not returned back to normal and now this. It looks like everything is against me today.

Passengers of the flight scurried to the gate in a haste to reach there on time, but we didn't budge although we had the same flight. Minutes later Zaid got up and shouldered his backpack, offering me his hand.

"Come on, let's go before we are left stranded here."

I didn't miss the strain in his voice but never mentioned anything about it. I had known him to be always guarded about his emotions. Maybe because his job needed that but now seeing him so close to crashing was not a sight I had ever expected.

Entwining my hands with his outstretched ones, we made our way quietly to the mentioned gate.  As expecteded the gate was crowded with passengers lining up for entry. Standing behind a girl, I dared to look up at him and regretted almost instantly.

I pondered over his statement as the line moved slowly forward. What did he actually mean by Eman not being his real sister? Is Ali his real brother then? Are their father's different or mother's? Amidst all this I didn't notice Zaid slightly holding my hand a little tighter. I returned his gesture as I peeked up at him. Holding his phone with one hand, Zaid was staring at it, with such an intense stare that I think it would crack under pressure. 

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

If he wasn't going to tell me then why should I bother forcing? Leaving everything is the only option now that I don't think I know everything about the lives of people close to me.

I took my seat quietly as people around me searched for their own. To my left was Zaid's seat and to my right was an empty seat. I hoped the passenger was friendly and quiet  because the last I want now is some chatty person who doesn't want to keep their mouth shut. A while later a man sat beside me. Ugh! Why?! I couldn't even switch seats with Zaid as the person beside him was also male. Leaving no other option but to travel while sandwiched between these men!
***

I had a vague sense that I was dreaming. Trees covered my range of sight terrifyingly. Twigs and dried leaves covered the path way. I looked around the trees but found no route of escape. Dread filled my body as I started panicking.

I walked along the X marked trees and soon reached a muddy pathway that looked similar to the one I was on before. This new pathway led to a huge stairway. Above it was a moss covered, abandoned mansion that seemed to come out straight from a scary movie. I followed up the stairs, inside the mansion. The interior was as bad as the exterior. Cracked up floorboards, over turned sofas, torn and broken chairs covered the entire floor.

A soft drip drip drip sound reached my ears. I searched for the source of it, wandering around the second floor which was as bad as the first floor except for a few broken chairs in the hallway. Checking all the rooms for a leaking tap, I reached the last room. It wasn't locked but I had push myself against the door for it to open. I went used the bathroom and found a very deep bath tub filled with water.

The girl inside it made no sound or movement tricking me into believing that she is dead. I slowly made my way towards it, panicking as the seconds ticked by. I pulled up her hand to check the pulse but inside the hand gripped me. I screamed out loud but then she opened her eyes. I screamed louder this time, trying my best to get away from her.
Her grip loosened and I took this as a chance to run away. Coming out of the bathroom, I shut the door behind me. I looked around and found a calender on the bedside table. It read: 20th December, 1966.

What?!

"This is a dream! I am dreaming." I repeatedly whispered to no one but myself.

"I need to wake up. This is a dream. I was in an airplane and not inside an abandoned mansion. Wake up Zara!"

Reading a book or a sign help the brain in waking up. I searched a book inside the drawers and found an old and tattered diary. On the first page of the diary there was something written which I could easily read it. Auch der kleinste Feind ist nicht zu verachten.

I have never known a language except English and Arabic my entire life. How is it possible for me to read a foreign language?!

Even after reading I was still in the mansion of my dreams, which meant I was still dreaming.

In real life whenever we wanted to check if we are dreaming or something is happening in real life, what do you do? You pinch yourself! I tried pinching but the surrounding didn't change.

I closed my eyes. Waiting was the only option now.

***
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The picture(s) are all about her dream. ;)

This part is divided into three parts. While the first was little shorter, the next two will be long! I have already written it out. So hurry and complete the goal and you'll find yourself reading the next chapter. ;)

Until next time!