SABR:Life Of Zarah

•|CHAPTER 13💜🏝️|•

*unedited*

January 2021
9:30pm

I lay there in bed, half-dead. The room has been a little hot for some time but I didn't care to open my eyes. I thought I was hallucinating because of how weak and dizzy I've been. I've been locked up for good three days without food. What is the worst that could happen?

The heat became so intense that I rolled from one edge of the bed to the other sweating despite the air conditioner. This time, I decided to open my eyes. Gradually, my eyes fluttered open. The first thing I noticed was the black smoke.

"Innalillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji'un". I sat bolt upright immediately. I wasn't hallucinating at all. The whole building was ablaze. Black dust hung in the air, the odour of the smoke and ash from the fire filled my mouth, nostrils and lungs. The windows, ceiling and walls were already blackened and charred from where the flame had licked at them. I quickly peeped through the blackened window, neighbors and firemen were desperately trying to stop the fire from spreading to the neighboring houses by spraying protective rind of water around the fire.
I was confused and devastated at the same time and for a moment, I didn't know what to do. Abruptly, I dashed to the door but unfortunately it's still locked. I began to cough uncontrollably due to the effect of the smoke. I tried to pull the door but all in vain.

I started to pull and bang the door with the little strength I had. "Help! Help me!! Somebody please help me!". But my effort was fruitless. The firemen were yards away from my room.
The air became tight and suffocating and I started to gasp for air. My life flashed before my eyes while I struggled to catch my breath, my life, my memories, the person I have become,so this is the end. Heavily, I fell to the ground and was on the verge of khalimatush-shahada when the door swung open. The whole place was filled with smoke so I couldn't see who it was. Suddenly, I felt someone grabbed me around my waist and pulled me out of the room. As we staggered downstairs, I noticed my life saver was Radika. She didn't utter a word to me. All she did was to drag me hurriedly down the stairs.
Downstairs, nothing had escaped the fire. Glasses littered the floor, windows broken and the metal base of the grand chandelier lay blackened and twisted on the ground.

"Ma'am take this and run as fast as you can out of here. They'll kill you!". She looked at me fearing the worst.

" Who's after me?, why? Where's my husband?". I asked terrified.

"It's a long story ma'am, please I want you to do as I say Please, Run!". She hugged my body which was already charcoal grey tight and handovered a phone to me. Run!!

I collected the phone, smiled weakly and sprinted to the back door, if I was to go through the front door, hajiya will sight me. So I headed straight to the small door at the back of the house. Good thing i was wearing a loosed cotton dress, this way I'll be able to run freely. Just as I was about to open the small gate, I heard Hajiya's voice screamed. "Zahrah has escaped" Her voice echoed off the top of the trees. Hastily, I climbed over the fence and jumped to the other side of the street.

The dry,desolate streets of malali rested in silence as the pale cresent moon shone in the night sky. The streets is lonely and deserted. The only sound i could hear is dogs barking and cricket chirping. I stood barefooted in the middle of the cold night confused,powerless and indeed helpless. I had no clue where I was going but I know I needed to get out of here immediately. Facing forward, I began to sprint, running so fast that I thought my legs were going to explode and tears raced down my cheek. My eyes were shut tight in fear of falling and being caught. My feet flew over stones, leaves, jumping over small potholes and dodging insects.

Catch her! Don't let her escape! ". The mysterious masculine voice behind me shouted and my heart jumped out of it's cage. I felt surge of adrenaline, I forced my legs to push harder as the wind whipped my hair back from my face.
In the corners of my eye everything became blur, my breath came in short gasps, my breathing labored, my legs were tired and the wind is torturing my eyes filled with tears I wiped away several times. Fear washes over me as I think of the possibility of my life being cut short. Suddenly, my foot caught on a tree root and prevented me from taking another step. I tried to take a strong step and failed spectacularly. I stumbled and plummeted to the ground, the skin on my knee ripped off and blood began to trickle down my lower leg. I cried out in my mind, my stomach churned over and I felt sick for this brief moment. I felt dizzy and had a headache from the trauma of my head jerking. I stood up trying to compose myself and run for my life but it was too late. I was already surrounded by three hefty men.....

I can't walk, I can't move. I scramble across the ground backwards until my back hits one of them. I'm surrounded. I felt the whisper of death creeping up my spine.

"You think you can run forever right?". One of them grumbled kicking me.

"What should we do to her?". The other asked and I was terrified.

"Follow Hajiya's order, Make we kill her nah (let's kill her)". I flinched, his words sliced me like a dagger. Hajiya ordered them to kill me?. How could she! What wrong have I done to her!?

"Please don't kill me". I pleaded. I stared at them in fear. Tears streaming down my face in disappointment as my black hair blows widely around me.
"Ya Allah come to my rescue " I continued to recite in my mind. This prayer has never failed me before.

"Wetin she dey talk like this, make we drag her comot from here go bush(what's she saying, let's drag her out of here to the bush)". The other guy said in a fierce and stern voice. I felt cold, terror clawing at my throat.

"Oya you carry her leg, you hold her hand(you grab her legs and you her hands) let's go!". He ordered the other two and they dragged me, the end of my dress dragging across the ground.

"Please I beg of you! I'm innocent, don't kill me". I continued to plead as they dragged me into the bush. I closed my eyes tight, if I was going to die, I do not want to watch it.

Suddenly a voice called "Zahrah!.... I mean Zahrah Gwarzo Muhammad?". The leader of the gang stuttered in astonishment as he moved closer to me. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. He knows my name?

"Zahrah! it's me Ahmed... Don't you re-cog-nise me?"....

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A word for Radika...
A word for hajiya....

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