MARIEL

5~ You Must Calm ~

A loud, warning siren screamed in the city.

Ahdam landed on his stomach, and his face slammed against the dusty road. He tasted blood in his mouth and he lay in the dust, belly down, digging his fingertips into the earth as the dust smoked around him. His ears perked, listening to the sounds around him.

The oncoming engines.

Angry, desperate shouts. Footsteps.

The warning siren.

The force of the landing had knocked the winds from his insides. He coughed, wheezed, and inhaled dust that then caused him to choke. He was scared, afraid, angry, and he opened his eyes, tried to assess his surroundings. Particles of dirt blurred his eyesight as, slowly, he attempted to raise his head. It was dark, he saw streetlights, headlights, a checkpoint, and an enormous wall.

Around him were homes and small businesses. Townspeople rushed from their homes to view the commotion on the streets. He raised his head a little further, glanced back behind him, and saw the white truck upside down. Smoke drifted from the hood, which had crushed inwards from the landing. The glass had shattered and lay in glistening shards. Lifelessly on the ground, protruding from the broken window, was Ali's bloody hand and arm. To Ahdam, he thought it looked like tiny, red streams or rivers that ran over his hand and between his bloody digits. Ali was dead. Wasn't he?

Quickly, Ahdam looked forward again and saw Israeli soldiers running towards him. Their rifles, in the high-ready position, were aimed towards him as their black boots scurried across the road to reach him.

Mouth dry, heart racing, Ahdam trembled.

As if on cue, the earth began to tremble. Gently though, as if Mother Nature was attempting to lull the creatures of the Earth to sleep.

Ahdam watched the miniscule shiftings of dust. He saw the small, vibratious pebbles bouncing on the ground before his eyes. It reminded him of Haleef. When he bounced the pepper in his hand. When he flashed his large, beautiful smile towards his wife.

Ahdam Kaseem wanted to go back home.

"Ahdam!"

With a violent jolt, the boy felt himself yanked backwards by the collar and dragged. As the earth trembled beneath his heels, which scraped against the rough, dusty road, Ahdam realized that the voice belonged to Ali.

Relief quickly turned to dread. As he felt the pebbles bite at his heels, Ahdam also felt a cold piece of metal against his neck. Trembling, he turned his eyes to glance as far behind him as he could, to confirm that it was Ali. It was.

Why would his father's best friend do this to him?

"I will kill him," Ali screamed, pressing the gun harder against the boy's skin. "I will kill him, and he will be of no use to you. Stay back!"

The Israeli soldiers were screaming at each other, telling each other to hold fire, holding up their hands. Fixating their eyes on the Ahdam and Ali, they lowered their weapons.

"Ahdam," Ali whispered. "You need to calm. You will kill your own people."

The rumbles of the Earth became louder. Frightened, townspeople began to retreat as they glanced about, seeking a safer place to go.

Ahdam could not find calm. Instead, he felt terror in the form of nausea, pain, tears. Shaking his head, he let out a gasp, and the Earth increased its vibrations.

Townspeople collapsed. Buildings rumbled.

"Alright, when I say run, you run. Got it?" Ali whispered.