The Memory Of Us

Chapter 21

There was a distinct and wholly unmistakable skip in Mina's step as she walked to work at the recreation center a few days later, her arm not fully healed but the pain slowly subsiding more and more with each passing day.

Her lips were pursed in a slight smile, her hands swung idly by her sides, her eyes crinkled silently greeting every single person and every single thing she passed in her path and it was all because of Khalil.

The kiss they had shared at his group home had transported her back to the naivety of  a few months ago when they had merely been two immature and inexperienced teenagers navigating what was, most likely, their first real relationship. At least, it was for her, Mina recounted because, despite what she had tried to convince herself and the rest of her friends, she had felt more chemistry between her and Khalil on the first day they met than she had felt between herself and Asher for the entirety of their relationship.

She shook the thought from her head; you weren't supposed to speak ill of the dead, no matter how true your statement.

    And she wanted to feel guilty about it, she wanted to be upset, to be angry, to be sad, to be anything other than overwhelmingly happy that she had gotten to experience the euphoric sensation of Khalil's lips pressing firmly against hers once more. But she couldn't, and the more she tried the more the edges of lips threatened to stretch wider and wider until her cheeks burned in the best way possible.

    It was exactly these thoughts, the anticipation of seeing Khalil again, and her proximity to the glass double door entrance of the recreation center that had Mina stupidly neglecting her surroundings, and she didn't notice the tall, bulky man shrouded in all black until he was right upon, shoving something sharp quickly and forcefully into her stomach.

    Her mouth gaped open wide as if to scream, but no sound escaped.

    A hand migrated down to her stomach, but she immediately pulled it away at the feel of something warm and sticky.

    "Since suffocating you and burning you didn't seem to get the message across-" A clearly male voice whispered directly into her ear, his lips brushing the sensitive cartilage sending a sporadic wave of shivers up her spine. "-maybe this will." He said, before adding, "If you know what's good for you, you'll make sure your mom comes home safe and sound."

    Mina couldn't help it, her brows knitted themselves together in confusion, but she couldn't just come out and ask her attacker what exactly his ambiguous words had meant, mostly because as soon as the last word had left his mouth he had disappeared into the shadows from where he had come leaving Mina to ponder and bleed simultaneously.

    What did he mean when he said to make sure her mom came home "safe and sound?"

    Was it about her trial?

    Wait.

    Mina blanched as realization struck her at full speed, fast and hard, almost as fast and hard as Willow who was suddenly ramming aggressively into her side a moment later.

    She quickly apologized.

    "Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "Oh my god!" Her eyes were glued to Mina's abdomen where Mina could feel the slow trickle of blood spreading through her t-shirt, expanding into an unsymmetrical display.

"We need to get you to a hospital!" Willow said hastily, reaching out gentle hands to brace Mina's sides, but Mina pushed her hands away, wincing in pain.

"No!" She grimaced, hunching over in an attempt to abate the rush of searing pain that flamed through her stomach.

"No?" Willow echoed in astonishment. "What do you mean, 'No,' you're bleeding!"