Pendulum

Thirteen

Avi

Her eyes glazed over as he said the words. "What are you saying?" she whispered. He watched her take in deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down and listen to whatever he had to say. 

"I wasn't feeling too well, and Firdaus had given me this drink before taking her usual shower. The next thing I know, I hear movements and I can't seem to wake up but this man tells me he will take good care of her before disappearing." He looks over to see Maia studying his expressions, her eyes softening as he fought to keep his composure. She nodded to herself, stretching out a hand to pat him on the shoulder, before letting go with a soft squeeze.

She sighed. "Where do we start looking for her?" 

Avi was flabbergasted by her question, especially at her assumption that the both of them would be travelling to find Firdaus. A surprised chuckle escaped his lips, and her eyes flashed in a sure warning that she was not in the mood for jokes. "You can't come with me, Maia. You have to stay here to ensure the baby's health isn't compromised. I just came here to tell you, so that you would be able to cover for me before anyone else finds out," he sighed. Her hands closed around the material of his shirt, and he looked at the rumpled material in her stronghold. 

"Did you actually think you could come here to tell me that my best friend is missing, and expect me to stay here and pretend everything is fine?" she demanded in a voice that had risen by an octave. He panicked, coaxing her hands off his shirt slowly before placing them gently in her lap. "I know you're worried about her, but I cannot let you do this. It's too dangerous and I have no leads," he reasoned, his voice taking a soothing tone.

Maia's arms wrapped around her abdomen as if holding the baby calmed her down, helping her to see reason. Her stomach had yet to show signs of pregnancy, but she had broken the news that she was pregnant a few days ago. She could only be a month through the pregnancy. He had no idea how long it would take before he found Firdaus, and the last thing he wanted was for her best friend to endure pain and go without medical help for prolonged periods of time. She would want the best for Maia, she would want Maia to deliver a healthy and beautiful baby. 

"Ok," she whispered. Avi's head snapped up to look at her unsure if he had heard her say the word. As if she sensed his confusion, Maia continued speaking. "I will stay here and help you out. But any sign of Firdaus, if you happen to find out where she is - you better tell me. I want a letter telling me of your progress every two weeks. Promise me," she beseeched.

He reached out to touch her hand, nodding. "Thank you."

"I'm going to kill her when she comes home, that girl never tells me the whole story," Maia huffed.

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Noor

She was afraid. He'd frightened her with his outburst, but he couldn't be blamed. She had uttered that man's name out of habit because that was the name she had been calling for almost a month now. She wasn't afraid of him, of course, she wasn't. He was the perfect husband to her - he never forced anything on her in their relationship. How was he going to love her if he didn't take the opportunity to show her? He had to touch her, to hold her.

He had stepped out of the room in a fit of anger, and now that he had calmed down with a few paces across the hallway, he found himself walking back towards her room. As his hand wrapped around the doorknob, he hesitated for a minute, before opening it with a soft click. His eyes immediately fell to her, knelt on the floor with a washcloth, as if she was trying to pick up shards of glass from the jug he'd broken and dry the floor. He took a step further into the room before closing it, when he heard her laboured breathing. "Firdaus?"

A sob broke from her lips as she scrambled back towards the wall, cutting herself on her palms and knees in the process. Could she not see the shards of glass on the floor? His eyes shifted back to her, watching her curl up in a ball and rock herself like a lunatic. He had to touch her now, he had no choice. He crossed the room in a few strides, lowering himself in front of her as she whimpered. "Please go away," she begged. He felt his heart break at those words, but he wrapped his hands around her forearms, tugging at them to reveal her face. She was staring unblinkingly at the ground, her skin pale and sickly. He shifted her arms to one hand while he reached up to tilt her face in his direction.

Her eyes were a shade of milky white, and it seemed like she had no pupils until he saw her eyes dart about trying to focus on something. She jerked her face away from his hold, looking at the ground again as she tried to control her breathing. "Firdaus, please look at me." She shook her head, and he was close to begging. "Please," he whispered.

Her eyes were still fixed on the ground. "I can't." 

He frowned, "Just look up at me and tell me what's wrong. Please, Firdaus."

"I can't see anything, Noor."