Can't Escape

Chapter 24

My heart is in my throat as I try to make my way back into the room through the dark. I swallow as I try to moisten the back of my dry throat, the sudden anticipation causing me to feel on edge. The floorboard creeks as I tip toe across the narrow hallway, my pale fingertips gliding across the cold wall. Another footstep comes from inside the room which I now stand outside of, causing me to suck in a sharp breath.

I could have sworn that no-one was in here with us. I made sure that we were alone. Unless I missed their presence?

I'm suddenly brought out of my thoughts when the door swings open with a cry and I widen my eyes, my heart missing a beat. I'm stood still as the figure stares down at me, his dark eyes holding confusion.

"Hudayfah," I gasp, my hand hitting my chest as I blow out a breath of relief before letting out a soft chuckle, shaking my head at myself.

He clears his throats and that's when I realise he's holding the duvets from the bedroom. He stands awkwardly and I'm not sure if he wants to laugh at me or not but. I can make out The ends of his lips twitching slightly and I grin however once it falters and leaves his face I step back.

He walks past me, the duvets gliding across my arm as he does so. I sigh, clearly tired of feeling this way and run a hand down my face. I'm about to turn away and get back to my search until his voice stops me. "It's cold."

The simple declarative sentence states the obvious. I understand that he's telling me to join them at the fire and warm up but I shake the thought away, not wanting to stay in the same room as him.

Once he's walked away with a soft sigh, I turn back around to look at the door I was stood at. I make a move towards it as I bring out my phone but then click my tongue when the screen is still hard to see past. In the end I decide to walk back into the front room, sitting besides a sleeping Nafisah who has been wrapped up in a duvet. The other one has been left aside, probably for me but I don't take it.

After what feels like hours of drifting in and out of sleep I get up, noticing the day lightening slowly. Making wudu quickly in the sink I stand to pray, hoping it is the correct direction of the Qiblah. Once I'm done I sit crossed legged, raising my hands as I whisper silent prayers, hoping that we'd be able to get back home to safety.

"You didn't wake me," I jump at the sound of a deep voice, my head snapping to look at Hudayfah who now hovers over Nafisah, tucking in the covers. He then looks out the dark window, stretching as he does so before looking back at me.

"I was about to," I reply, standing from the floor and clearing my throat. He runs a hand through his hair, wiping his hand across his sweater as it still looks a little wet. "Um, the water is uh, cold."

At this, he laughs softly, shaking his head before walking past me. I furrow my brows in confusion and return next to Nafisah at the same time as I hear water spluttering out of the tap. He prays relatively quickly and before I know it, he has returned to his seat. We sit in silence, only the sound of the fire and Nafisah's soft snoring surrounding the room.

What feels like hours have passed by and I am now sat by the dark windows, watching the night turning into day and the room finally growing brighter. Hudayfah knocked out a while ago albeit jumping in and out of sleep, restless due to the fact that we are not safe. When Nafisah stirs back to wakefulness, I turn to her and hold her hand to lead her to relieve herself however that isn't possible when there isn't a toilet in this little cabin. I sigh as I drag her outside, making sure to pull on her coat and hiding her away between bushes as she empties out her bladder.

The wind gushes past me and causes me to shiver, my clothes still not dried properly. My teeth chattter against one another and I hold my body tighter together in hopes to get warm although it doesn't help. The trees sway softly against one another and the river gushes back and forth. I look around, my anxiety building up when I hear movement within the trees but I don't spot anyone. As soon as Nafisah is done I spin around in a millisecond after having covered her before racing back inside.