Palestwinians.

Deception.

"Not telling the truth is the quickest way to turn yourself into a stranger." - Mark W. Perrett. 

Dedicated to @muslimah_1432 for making me an awesome cover, without me even asking her! Check it out ^  ❤

~ DOUBLE UPDATE Y'ALL. Check out next chapter too ^.^

Chapter 20 - Deception.

I was roughly pushed to the ground, the pebbles and granules of sand burning my sliding palms as I attempted to steady myself. The air was knocked out of me, yet I attempted to scramble to my feet and failed miserably, my head swirling from the fear and shock coursing through my body. 

“Who are you and why were you following me?!” An angry, muffled voice reminded me I wasn’t alone and this time, I managed to successfully stand on my feet. 

As I got up, my hoody fell off and relaxed against my back. It was completely dark now, with only a slither of light coming in from a street lamp. My eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dark and as soon as they did, I stepped away from the man in front of me. 

It was indeed the same man, yet now he had a black and white kuffeyeh wrapped around his mouth and nose, leaving only his eyes visible. I resisted the urge to break down crying or show fear, I was human after all, but  instead, I stood defiantly to my full height and stared directly into his eyes. 

He turned his head a little to assess me properly and as his face caught the angle of light and he fully came into view, I got a proper glimpse of his eyes. 

Those eyes…I know this man.

“Do I know you?” I asked, my voice coming out eerily calm. 

At my voice I saw him visibly stiffen, before he mumbled incoherently under his breath, turned around, and started running the way we came in. 

“Wait!” I yelled, startled, and started running after him, but he was too fast and in the dark I wasn't able to discern which direction he had gone in. 

“What the hell just happened?!” I huffed out to the dark night. I took my phone out from the back pocket of my pants and checked the time. I was late. So late. 

I began running myself, but not before quickly absorbing the details of the area around me and picking up my stranded book. I ran all the way home, not stopping once to catch my breathe. Despite the fact that my attacker had somehow gone from offensive to complete wuss was weird, but I was still on high alert. I shivered, remembering all the scenarios that were running through my head as I was pulled into a chasm of darkness. 

I hadn’t even realised I was standing extremely still and panting heavily in front of my house, until Noah spoke up. 

“Hey, I was just coming to find you. You OK?”

“I’m fine,” I said, urging my feet forward.

I’m fine.

****

I was not fine. In fact, I would only be ‘fine’ when my curiosity was satiated and I had found out who that man was and how he was connected to Zach. And for that reason I had been contemplating the unthinkable for the last week straight.

And tonight I was finally going to go through with it. 

I was pacing anxiously around my room, checking my phone for the time every few seconds. I pulled the sleeves of my jumper lower and made sure my hoody was still securely over my head. 

Who do I know that has hazel eyes with specks of gold…who, who, who? The question had been on repeat in my mind and I felt like the answer was on the tip of my tongue, yet I never arrived at an explanation.