Malak

Malak’s hair was blowing madly in the wind like grass in a storm, as she briskly ran after her friend, Farida. She always wanted to catch Farida but she never could. She is too fast because she’s older than me, Malak thought as she tried to go faster. Farida kept on looking over her shoulder, teasing Malak as she laughed every time she looked back.

It was one of her happiest moments; hanging out with her friend, Farida. She was like a sister to her in spite of the constant arguments that they would go into over almost everything, like a married old couple. But still, for a long time she was all Malak had.

“Hey, am I going a little too fast for you?” Farida shouted as she smiled mockingly, “Do you want me to slow down?”

Malak was now catching up with Farida, as the latter was just taunting her and not putting an effort to actually run away. Malak tried her best not to slow down and set her eyes on her prey. Their eyes met. I am going to get you this time, Farida. Farida got the message and smiled back, but she was too late. Malak was now almost behind her by a few strides.

Farida looked behind her once again but this time, it wasn’t a smile that was on her face, it was sheer horror. It was like Farida didn’t want to look in Malak’s eyes. Malak kept on running wanting to know what’s wrong with her, but Farida was running like someone who’s running away from hell.

Malak reached out with her hand, trying to get hold of Farida. Farida, wait! What happened? But she hesitated; she saw strange glowing lines and dots stirring around Farida. It was like an energy field of some sort. It didn’t have any meaning, but to Malak, somehow it meant Death.

Malak woke up, startled, drenched in sweat and her heart pounding in her chest. The first thing she was thinking about was Farida! Realising that it was just a bad dream, her heart started to slow and she began to calm down.

Malak lifted her face off the cold floor she was laying on and sat up. I am still in the same room. She thought. Fear growing back into her heart. And in the same place where I fell down. But… but what happened? Where are they?! They were coming to kill me! Did they just leave me here?

The little girl stood up and tried to look around. I have to get out of here. Her eyesight has gotten a little better but still it was a bit too bright for her eyes to see clearly, but she managed to vaguely see the door a few steps away. She quickly headed for it as she tried to look around, fearing that the doctor and the woman might come back.

She was almost at the door when her feet hit something solid that made her trip and fall down. The girl stood back up to see what did she stumble over. She had to focus her eyes’ gaze in order to see clearly and she slowly started to see what was on the floor. Malak took one step closer and began to recognise the two large objects that were laying on the ground.

“Holy s**t!” Malak said screaming as she jumped back and went down on the floor. It’s… it’s them! They’re dead! She saw the doctor and the woman laying lifeless on the ground. Their jaws abnormally wide opened and their eyes burned out of their sockets.