Crimson Lights

Progress

After hearing the story about Karmen and Inness, Anna found herself bothered about the whole thing – more so with Samar's involvement in helping Karmen in becoming an elite there at the brothel house. Her anxiety had over-exhausted herself to a point that she had fallen ill.

Samar stood in front of Anna's room, her hand hovering above the doorknob. She was feeling hesitant – whether she should check on Anna or leave her sulking still. Ever since she heard Karmen's story, Anna had fallen ill and had locked herself up in her room. Samar would have continued ignoring her had not Karmen made it known that Anna hasn't been eating since she fell sick.

Sighing, she stared at the door separating the two of them. She didn't understand the turn of events – or she did, but wished that she didn't instead.

Not bothering to knock, she turned the doorknob and strolled into the room.

Anna was lying sideways on her bed; her back was against the wall. Studying her, Samar could see the steady rise and fall of her chest – she was fast asleep and oblivious to Samar's presence. Approaching her softly, Samar gently laid her palm on Anna's forehead, intending to check on Anna's temperature. Anna's eyes flew open suddenly then, startling the both of them.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked, her voice thick with sleep still.

"Karmen said you weren't feeling well so I came to check on you. I can't have you dying on me now, can I? It'll make everything I've done up until now go to waste then."

Anna nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She would have liked for Samar to show at least a little bit of concern for her. The past few days kept flashing in her mind; starting from that night in Iman's room and ending with that evening with Karmen in the kitchen. Everything that had transpired had shown her sides of Samar that she did not know existed – the human side that she had come to love as well, yet at the same time, it had also increased her insecurities.

Karmen's story only made her feelings become more concrete than it was previously. Though Karmen's admission that Samar had helped train her in becoming an elite was shocking for her – the images conjured by that knowledge left her seething in jealousy and hurt – at the same time, it made her realise the depth that was Samar. The other elites that she had spoken to up until then lacked that; their reasoning was important and meaningful for them yet while it once was such, they now approached the job just as that – a job that needed to be done.

It made her curiosity grew even more – she wanted to know Samar's story.

"Where've you gone to?" Samar asked, interrupting her train of thought as she sat near Anna's foot.

"I want to know your story," she blurted out.

Samar stared at her, shaking her head slightly.

"You'll never learn your lesson, huh?"

"I won't tell anyone – I swear. I want – no, I need to know."

Samar lifted her brows at her, partially exasperated at her persistent questioning yet equally amused by her balls. She noticed then that Anna was perspiring heavily, despite the coldness of the air-conditioning that was switched on.

"How sick are you? Your clothes and bed are damp with your sweat."

"I ... don't know. I feel so heavy though as if I can't move."

"Have you had your shower?"

Anna looked at her sheepishly.

"I haven't left the bed since I got into it."