Dedicated to AminaAAhmed

CHAPTER EIGHT

That same night,
2:10am

Have you ever find yourself wondering how wrong you were living your life if you were still up past midnight thinking of a stranger? Well I was then I wasn't.

Why?

Because something is wrong when you hear noise in an otherwise dark, sad and lonely night especially when it keeps getting nearer and nearer with every second past since the stillness of the night was emphasizing the sound in a rather ghastly manner

My life has suddenly switched from a melodrama to thriller, isn't that just perfect?

I froze when realization dawned on me; it was the crunching of dried leaves by undoubtedly a feet and from its bearings, it seem to be clearly heading to my room.

I held my breath cursing my stupidity at leaving my door open; call me an idiot but a part of me was still hoping that Aman would creep back into the room and thus the philosophy behind the open door and shut my eyes tightly as I wrapped my blanket thickly over me, burying my head within its softness and warmth, I began praying to rebuke whatever evil was headed my way.

God, please, one more time. Save me!

I had barely finished praying when I heard a gentle sliding of my door and the subsequent tiptoeing of whoever has entered the room. I kept on praying anyway, trying as much as I could to remain calm and look asleep however a gentle tap on my shoulders had me springing up; I have an innate phobia of people's touch on my skin and couldn't ignore even the slightest of touch. My eyes remained tightly shut however. I couldn't look at my intruder.

"Reima-

The sound of my name on his lips however had my eyes flying open. Although it was almost unbelievable, but I knew this voice. It was Aman's. He was back.

"Aman?" I asked tentatively, I guess I needed some kind of confirmation to acknowledge the truth in front of me.

"Yes, it's me." I put out my hand and turned on the bedside lantern and there he was really, Aman.

"Where were you?" I whispered, "-when I woke up, you weren't here."

He let go of a deep breath,"It's a long story which I'll fill you in on the way."

"Way?" I frowned, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, we are," And at my strange look, he went on. "Consider this the beginning of your 3-days project,"

I stared at my bedside clock; 02:12am. I turned back at him. I still couldn't believe he was here and yet here he was asking me to follow him to only God knows where. I couldn't even believe myself when I found I was considering following him. I really am pathetic.

"And why would I do that?" I held his gaze, "I hardly know you. Your name, yes. But apart from that I know nothing, which is crazy considering I don't even know if your name was even yours."

He was glaring strangely at me with his eyes that weren’t doing a very good job hiding his pain. Aman Hassan Jibo was in pain but I know I am the last person he'll share that pain with but it was also clear that he needed me, for why would he risk returning if he didn't?

But why?

"Can you just trust me?" His eyes pleaded even though his voice was hard and finite.

"No, I can't." I said without hesitation. "You aren't exactly a trustworthy person you know. Gunshots, running away and now sneaking in, in the middle of the night? Those are definitely not attributed to someone trustworthy."

He paused and I huffed. I simply couldn't believe his nerve; walking in here and simply demanding me to up and leave with him.

"What if I tell you that if we don't leave right away your mother dies?" He asked as if it were the world's most obvious question.

"WHAT!" I asked taken aback. My ma, dead, what in hell was going on. I scowled at him, what kind of sick game was he playing?

"I just need three days. Three days, then I'll explain everything to you, but first we need to leave." He kept on staring out the window with his eyes marred with an unmasked fear-it was as if something was chasing him.

"Now, Reima." His voice and eyes pleaded.

I debated with myself for a few seconds. He sounded and looked truthful but was it right to trust him? Would it be right to gamble on my ma's safety? And what if he is right? I stared cautiously at him and what if it was just his idea of a lame joke? But I saw his wounds, would he shoot himself to keep up appearance? I don't know anymore; what I should do and what I must do, but the decision was taking out of me by the multiple sound of crunching leaves; more people were coming.

"NOW!" his voice held the fear and sense of urgency that held me in its grasp.

I made my decision.

I stood and followed frantically behind him; he was already out the door.

Aman pause for a moment as our eyes held under the fluorescence of the garden as if he couldn't believe that I was there before he told me to follow closely behind him which I was glad to do; I still couldn't understand what I was doing out here with a stranger whom had sneaked in and out of my bedroom in just twenty four hours of meeting him bringing danger on his heels both times

I saw him use his flashlight in the direction of the footsteps and seconds later, screamed, "RUN!"

At first my brain didn't register the meaning of that word but hearing the sprinting sounds headed our way, I made a run for it, running blindly at the direction Aman was headed.

We ran for a while with our chasers at our heels until we'd found ourselves a little further from a stream of lights, it was a town. I didn't even know the town existed however I could feel my feet slow down with my lungs gasping for air-I had somehow reached my limit and couldn't run anymore. He must have felt my tardiness because he paused and ran back to me.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think I can go any further," I was breathing very hard.

He stood silent for a few seconds no doubt deciding on what next to do but that decision was taken out of his hands when I pulled his arm and began running again; the chasers was were upon us.

This time, I ran and ran and ran, too scared to do otherwise until he told me I could stop running—I didn't realize it but we were in the town we had seen earlier and were standing in front of what looked like a bed-n-breakfast.

He pointed to it and I nodded; being in a crowd was no doubt our key to survival whatever the hell this is.

* * *

"You're welcome to Destiny bed n’ breakfast," A tall, slim, fair lady with small eyes and an easy smile welcomed us. It was a fairly large room and the reception's desk stood at the middle of the room. It is surrounded by stairs on one end and a door on which the words 'RESTAURANT AND BAR' was inscripted boldly on the other. The place looked homely with its bright coloured walls and family portraits.

"We need-," he spared me a glance,"-a room."

"Two rooms," I corrected glaring at him. How dare he assume that I would spend the night in the same space with him? Surely he was smarter than that!

"I'm sorry but we only have a room left." She sounded very apologetic as she stared at the both of us, no doubt picking up on the animosity between us.

"We'll take it," I said after a few moments of pause. They were both staring expectantly at me that I felt I had no choice but to give in. However on our way up, I couldn't help but feel manipulated.

Everything was fitting too perfectly for my liking.

There were ten doors upstairs, each facing each other; ours was the last door on the floor. He put in the key and opened the door wide for me, he followed after me.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced immediately as if he suddenly feared being in the same room with me.

I nodded simply. I was very tired to argue with him anyway and extremely worried; I needed to know if my mom was safe or not. I fell flat instantly on the bed and shut my eyes, allowing myself to feel the pain I was denied earlier.

I don't know how long I maintained that position but I opened my eyes at the sound of his voice calling my name.

His face dripped of water and his hair was tousled but apart from these there was no sign of him having a bath. I don't know if he changed either; I guess I was too distraught to have noticed what he had on earlier, but he have on a pair of armless black shirt and trousers with a bag in his hand which he was handing over to me.

"You can change into these," he said staring down at my body.

I followed his gaze and gasped softly. I had forgotten I was putting on my knee-length trouser and strapless sleeping dress. My hands flew to my chest and he turned. I stood and ran into the bathroom slamming the door behind me. I quickly undressed, went into the tub-he had ran a bath for me and let my thoughts wild

My limbs were numb with pain and my mind drowned with questions. I didn't even know what to think anymore.

My life as I knew it had drastically changed in just two days and that which were my worries seem to belong to someone else now and my brain couldn't grasp why, yet.

Who is Aman and why would someone want my mom dead? This was the most predominant question niggling in my head. Questions like; why was he shot, who were the people chasing him and what the hell am I doing here were a close second. However the rising pain in my head made it clear I had to downplay my thoughts. And the best way I could do that was to get things off my mind, at least for now and so I looked around the bathroom, staring blankly at its white walls and tiled floors.

It was then I noticed some droplets of blood on the floor and then a bloodied bandage on top of the sink-I suppose he had forgotten to place it in the waste bin. I felt shamed. Due to my despair, I seem to have forgotten about his wounds.

That's just great, Reima. I scolded myself.

Leaving my already cold bath, I head for the bag he had given me which I had hung earlier on the door knob. I unzipped it to reveal a similar clothing as his, only this one was a shirt. I put on the clothes, re-tied my hair underneath my headwarmer, dropped the bandages in the waste basket and walked out.

It was time to get answers!