The Girl in The Green Scarf

F i f t y - t w o | Sebastian

C H A P T E R

52

– S e b a s t i a n –

"We are fighting barbarians but we must remain human."
―David Benioff.

"Please, we have to figure something out!" Hamsa says, sniffling.

Seeing her this broken and not being able to do anything about it, splinters something inside of me. I've never felt so helpless my whole life.

I want to draw closer, wipe away her tears and collect her in my arms. But I know none of that will make her feel better.

She just saw the vile evidence of her family's murder, and now Zayn is barely hanging on.

Slowly I rise up, sweeping my surroundings aimlessly.

Almost everything is in flames, and I fight not to look at the dead bodies of the people who welcomed me into their home just a month ago.

I run my fingers through my hair, tugging it until it hurt, the pain keeping me grounded--sane.

My aching eyes fall on the rusted, old truck parked in the driveway. I remember seeing it the last time I was here.

I rush towards it, praying against all the odds that the thing was not affected by the explosion.

The bonnet is crushed under bricks from the collapsed wall of the house, the windshield glass is shattered but I still manage to yank the creaky door open.

This pickup truck probably hasn't been driven in years, but it looks decent and I think it will operate if I'm just able to work its cables right.

I climb inside, diving under the steering wheel and using a shard of glass to cut the wires, get to work.

I flinch when Zayn's laboured coughs grow louder, cutting myself in the process. I ignore the blood on my thumb and keep working.

Zayn coughs again, it sounds like he is choking on blood, and I know he doesn't have much longer even before Hamsa cries.

"Sebastian! He's dying." Her voice is hitched and dominated by panic.

I can't answer her because I have wires between my teeth. I just speed up the process and pray to God that this work.

"Sebastian!"

I'm almost there. Come on, come on.

But as I rub the wires, twisting and untwisting them, nothing happens and I begin to freak out.

I start untangling the wires again, but then notice the petrol level indicator showing there is no fuel and I stop, groan and slam my hand against the steering wheel.

Damn. This is a hopeless case.

Where am I going to get petrol now? It's not that there are extra fuel tanks lying around anywhere...

Except! Maybe there is.

With renewed hope, I jump out of the truck and run out into the street.

"Oh my God, Sebastian!" Hamsa calls after me. "Where are you going?"

I stop at Theo's bike, scanning it until my gaze zeros in on the metal holder under the seat.

"To get this," I shout, snatching the red can from the holder.

I shake it with anticipation and sigh when I hear liquid swish inside.

I race back to the truck, locate the fuel tank door in the back and fling it open.