The Two of Us

Chapter 10 - Ready

Chapter Ten - Ready

It was dark.

The only thing that ran through Khalid's mind was that it was dark and he couldn't see. It was pitch black, and he stumbled around in the darkness, reaching out for something - anything - to grab onto. He finally reached a wall and as he felt along it, a sob erupted around him, making him jump. He listened, eyes wide, his back leaning against the wall, as he stared out into the nothingness while the sobbing continued.

It sounded like a girl and she cried in grief. She paused taking a deep, ragged breath and broke out once again, into a giant sob. He blinked, and as the darkness faded, he could make out a small figure huddled before him. Arms wrapped around her legs, the girl looked up and he started. He took a shaky step closer.

"Don't leave me, Khalid. Save me!" Sabrina cried, tears escaping her wide, frightened eyes.

Khalid stared at her. His heart beating so loudly in his throat that he thought it might burst. Sabrina reached out a hand as if to touch him and he felt his own jerk towards her. He extended his hand out but as their fingertips brushed, she was snatched away by some invisible force. Khalid cried out, and tried to grab her but the last thing he saw before she vanished into the darkness was her horror stricken face.

"Don't let me die!" She screamed and Khalid felt as if his heart would break.

-

Khalid sprang up out of bed, his heart roaring in his ears. A shiver ran down his spine, as he recalled Sabrina's last cry. It screamed repeatedly in his mind and he stared at the wall, willing his hands to not shake. He sighed and rubbed his face. I would never leave her, he thought thinking about the first words she'd uttered. I'd never let her...die.

He untangled himself from his covers, and nearly tripped as he tiredly dragged himself out of bed when his mother knocked on his door.

"Yallah, Khalid, get up and go to school. We're not paying your tuition so you can sleep for half the day!"

"I paid half of it." Khalid mumbled.

His mom walked in, rolling her eyes. "Yes, and then you lost your job and now you're broke so I wouldn't talk if I were you."

Khalid grumbled, halfheartedly. True, he'd lost his job. He used to be a waiter but he may have gotten irritated by some jerk and chucked a pie at his face. May have. His mother looked around, distastefully.

"Disgusting, Khalid. How can you stand this place? And why is everything on the floor?"

"Gravity, mom." He said, sarcastically.

"Yallah, get ready." She said, shaking her head. "And clean this place!"

* * *

Khalid had only stepped out if his car when he hear the clicking of heels and then the scent of God- knows-what wafted straight up his nose and threatened to murder his olfactory cells. He bit back a groan of frustration and turned to see Hiba, a nasty, pissed-off smirk already plastered onto her face. Khalid resisted the urge to rake his eyes over her body - and it was hard, seeing as she was wearing a tight crop top and a mini skirt so short, it could have passed as underwear.

How lovely, he thought sarcastically.

"What?" He asked, irritated.

"Sabrina?" She shrieked out. "REALLY?"

"Yes, really." Now leave.

"Why?" Hiba shrieked again, making Khalid wince. Murder my eardrum too, will you?