Shadows To Star [Wattys2019]

The Proposal

The next morning, Baba Garba wake up before fajr and saw Ahmad sleeping by the door. He wonder when came in. He smiled at the stubborn boy who loves him so much, Ahmad love for him always warm his heart. He was the son he never had.

Baba Garba knew he had to let go of him, even if he don't want to. He don't want to hold Ahmad any longer. He is tired of seeing him so lost and confused. He have notice how disturbed Ahmad have been these past few days. Things have been hectic, with him being sick.

Baba Garba and Ahmad don't have any clock to tell them what time is, they just timed themselves and use their instinct to pray or do whatever it is. Baba Garba don't want that life for his dear Ahmad anymore.

He slowly freed him legs from Ahmad hold, careful not to wake him up. And quietly left the room with the keys to the black room that Ahmad had kept in their hanging spot on the wall.

The house was so quiet, no sigh of moment or any voices from anywhere. And he knew known of their bosses were there. So it's the right time to pull through with his plan. Siliently opening the black room, he saw all the people in the room sleeping on the cold floor. Except for the girl he expected to still be awake looking so dull under the light of the single red blob, which was better than nothing. It only make people imagination and fear go wild.

Ever since she was brought there she hadn't sleep for a good one hour at a time. Her eyes are always open in case of being attack. She is so determined.

"Don't shout and if you do, you're on your own." Baba Garba warned her, she was startled by him. It was too early for someone to come in, so she wonders who the morning prey is going be. "I know you do not plan on dying here, how do plan to get out then?"

"Allah will safe me from you all." She talked, calmly for the first time and Baba Garba wasn't even surprised. He have seen tons of her kind.

"Hmm, young lady. You should open your eyes and see who your culprits are, okay. I want to propose a deal." He said and her eyes almost pump out of their socket, surprised. She ogles at his pale face. "Yes you heard me right, let make a deal beneficial for both of us."

"What do you want from me?" She eyed him, suspiciously.

"I will help you run away, because you never leave this room without any help. Let assumed your prayers had been answered." She nodded speechless for a while, why will he want help her?

"Why will you do that for me, you people are all together in this." And her vision became blurry with tears. She wanted to cry all her fear out, but she rather remain strong and appeared fearless. If she is dying she rather a brave girl with dignity.

"You think we all want to be here, to kill you and make money, right? No dear, you're mistaken. Just like you, our being here was a tragic accident we couldn't prevent." He reassured her, but she stare at him as if he had grown two extra head. What does he mean? They lived here for God sake, how can she believe him? She might be scared to the core but she wasn't stupid.

"I just want to go back home, i haven't prayed for days, i feel so dirty and disgusted." She retorts.

"Make Ahmad help you, he is the only one that can. He is a very nice guy and kind hearted. He is nothing like what you thought of him. Yes, he lived here, but not all glitters are gold. He isn't like me or them, i have been forced to do many bad things. But Ahmad is as pure as the water can be.

If you want to hate, hate me instead or the person who brought you here. Leave Ahmad out of your hatred, he had the saddest life you can't imagine, so he don't deserve your insult. You don't know how much it hurt him." He look so sad just thinking of Ahmad's life, and somehow the girl felt bad for them even she doesn't understand what he meant by all that. He look so tired to her and old.

"What's it you want from me, i don't get what you're saying." She asked hugging herself.

"Ahmad will help you, i know he will. You just have two days to convinced him though. You can start being calm and tell him you're sorry for calling him a monster and murderer. Believe me, it won't kill to do that, okay. In return for his help take him out of here, run as far as you can. But make sure you escape with him, even if that means forcing him out." He concluded and she looks at him dubiously.

"How will i do that all? What if he don't want to escape? And how do you know he will help me?" She settled her eyes on Baba Garba's waiting for his answer, if he have any.

"First of all you're doing it for yourself too, second i am sure he doesn't want to leave without me, but it's necessary that he leave this place becauce i can never leave. And thirdly, as i said before he is so kind hearted. He has helped so many people escaped from here, but now if he help you and stayed here. They're going to kill him, so in other to help you, you must also help him."

She looked dumbfounded, who are these two? Who are they? She wondered. But more than anything she had to leave there. Now she understood why he was smirking at her when she mentioned running away. He is her only way out now, and she won't want to got him killed because of her. If only she knew.

"I promised! I will escaped with him in sha Allah. But how will i get him out of here?"

"You have just promised, young lady. You should figure it out yourself, you look very smart. And one more thing, Ahmad must never know you're planning to escape with him, else he won't help you..." Her eyes follows him as he left the room, locking it after him.

Ahmad wondered why the shouty girl was being very calm since morning, she had begged him for water and he heard her mumbles thank you with a small voice. He almost couldn't believed it. He just look at her and didn't say a thing. Now he sat on the bench with Baba Garba each of them deeply in thought.

"There is going to a fiesta on sunday, all the shaitan's captains will celebrate their end of year achievement, hmm. It is going rain blood and money for them." Baba Garba sarcastically informed him. Ahmad looked dreadful, how could he have forgotten about it? It happened every year yet he forgot it this year too. The fiesta is only four days away. That's a living nightmare.

Ahmad has start witnessing it the fiesta six months after he was brought there. It is an event no one with an ounce of humanity want to witness. Who are going the victims now?

"The young lady in the black room is going to be the mistress of the day." Baba Garba added as if he had read Ahmad's mind. By the mistress of the day he meant, the girl is going to be raped by all the members of the secret society, drink blook and eat the human flesh. Their house being it the head chamber, all the small organizations from all part of the country will be there. It's going to be hell.

Ahmad prepare being killed that witnessing that event. He didn't say anything to Baba Garba, he sat there quietly reliving one of the past events. Why was he here to begin with? Why is his life so filled with darkness? He believed his thought will always remain a thought and nothing more.

"Won't you say anything, Ahmad?" Baba Garba inquired curiously. And the young man shrugs and forced a smile which didn't even reached his eyes.

"Well, it's just another year. At least we knew that, there's nothing we can do about it, right?"

"Don't you want to help the girl, she looked so pure and innocent. She might die the worst way possible."

"That maybe her destiny, we can't change it for her. You said not to get involve again, if i am not leaving the house. And i don't have any plans of ever leaving this place without you, Baba Garba. So the girl should just embrace her fate." Ahmad didn't even want to have the thought of helping anyone. He rubbed his nape and sighed.

"I will check on the food, okay." He sauntered away and Baba Garba knew he will never get to convinced Ahmad to left him behind.

On the other, the girl the black is still thinking of the scenarios to woo Ahmad. But his mind was set he wasn't helping anyone, even if that means having additional nightmares in his sleep and life.

Or will he?

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Assalamu alaikum