CHAPTER 15

"You, told me that you had something to say. Then

surprisingly you weren't present in the class when I had come

for interrogation. Don't you think this is too odd? I am

beginning to believe that you are involved in this incident

somehow." he walked around the room, his tone cold and

rude.

"I wasn't present in the classroom at that time because, you

called me, sir." I got up.

"Did I ask you to get up?" he stopped walking.

I shook my head.

"Then?" he yelled.

I sat down almost shivering. It was very cold today. And, he

was very cold too.

"What were you saying again?"

"You called me for a separate interrogation an hour after the

school assembly." I looked down feeling miserable.

"I didn't. You're lying."

My head shot up and I looked at him horrified at his

accusation.

"I am not lying, sir. You called me. The teacher she came in

and..."

"Wait. Teacher? Which teacher?"

"My class teacher. She called me and said that you wanted to

talk to me. I was waiting for you downstairs."

I deliberately skipped the part where she had taken me to a

separate classroom and had interrogated me. Well, my school

was where my loyalties lay. Sure, I had loyalties towards the

law. That's why I was going to give him my statement. But,

will I ever compromise on my loyalties to the school? Never. I

wasn't lying where I had agreed with the coordinator that this

school was my second home. If he finds out that they had

separately interrogated me that would give him an idea that

my school was trying to find a way out of this. To clear their

image, to deal with this matter indoors rather than getting

criticized by the police, the state and the public.

He stared at me for a while.

"You're lying." he stated very calmly. Like he could see

through me. Like he could read my mind very easily.

I shook my head.

"I am not. The teacher came in and asked me to wait for you

downstairs while you interrogated the rest of the classrooms."

tears began to form in my eyes and before I could push them

back in, they...

Well, let's just say that my record of not breaking down in

front of people was now broken.

I glanced around the room to find tissues but the tears had

blurred my vision.

He was calm. I think he had expected that. A 15-year-old kid

to break down at his accusations and cold behavior. He had

expected that. He sighed irritated and walked out of the room.

Is he gone?

He came back in within a minute and threw a packet of tissue

paper in my lap.

"Very Rude. May lord forgive you." I thought.

I wiped my tears.

"I know you're lying and this petty act of yours will not save

you. If you want to be spared from getting behind the bars at

15 years of age you will quit this act and tell me the truth." he

yelled and slammed his hands on the table. I flinched.

I saw him breathing deeply.

"I'll tell you a story, Fatima." he sat down and tilted his head

back.

"A troupe of soldiers were sent over to attack our military

camps back in 2000."

I frowned. What does this have to do with me?

"Yemeni forces. They had carried it out. We arrested some of

the attackers. Each one them kept lying. They kept lying even

though they knew that we were aware of the truth. Do you

know what we did with them?"

"Killed them?" an obvious question came out of my mouth.

I regretted speaking unnecessarily in front of him.

"No, we didn't. We gave them electric shocks." he stated

casually.

I gripped the hands of the chair I was sitting on.

"When the current passes through their body the room is

filled with screams. When the prisoner begins to thrash wildly

in his chair. That's when I feel at peace."

"We would pluck out their fingernails if they didn't bend to

our electric shocks."

The memory from my dream flashed in my mind, where he

had plucked out my beautiful and dear finger nails.

I gulped.

"And, that satisfying sound that you hear when you pluck out

a nail it's just...." he smiled and chuckled deeply then he

leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

"Now, will you care to tell me the truth. Or should I have my

way with you."

"I am not lying, sir. I swear I didn't do anything. The teacher

called me." I muttered weakly.

"Alright. Should I ask her then?"

I nodded and he got up.

"If she says that she didn't call you?"

I got up too.

"She won't."

"Some strong faith I see there."

"As a part of one school it is our duty to stand together and

protect each other."

The coordinators voice rang in my ears and I felt content and

safe.

"What are you saying, dear? When did I say that the officer

had called you?" my teacher smiled at me sweetly.

Did she just betray me?

He turned to me.

"You did, ma'am. You came in the class and told me that

Officer Badr- Al Din has called me. And, then you told me to

wait outside his office until he's done with his interrogation."

The teacher laughed a little and turned to him.

"Officer. These are some 15-year-olds that you are dealing

with. Don't believe her. It not her fault too. She's just 15. She

must have heard me saying something else and she must've

told you something else." she stopped laughing when he

looked at her with a serious expression.

"I am not lying, sir. Believe me. I am..."

"Ma'am please come with me." a few girls rushed inside the

staffroom; their faces worried.

"What happened?"

"Ma'am there's this girl who fell down the stairs. From the

stairs of the third floor." one of them replied hurriedly.

They all rushed out.

"The stairs of the third floor led to the terrace. What was she

doing there?" I heard the teachers yelling as I climbed up the

third floor.

I peeked over their shoulders and gasped.

"Nadeefa. Nadeefa." I pushed some of them aside and

crouched down to her and patted her cheek. One of the

teachers harshly pulled me up.

Nadeefa was lying there. The side of her head was bruised

obviously from the fall. It was slightly red.

The teachers picked her up and rushed downstairs. I took a

deep breath and started following them when my path was

blocked by Officer Badr- Al- Din.

"You know her?" he asked, his tone cold.

"She's, my friend." I almost stuttered.

"Get back inside." he yelled loudly and the girls standing there

scurried inside.

"Come with me." he ordered and I followed him.

We reached outside the infirmary.

"How's she?" he asked the doctor in Arabic.

"Suffered from a concussion." she grimly nodded.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Sir, it's a head injury that temporally affects..." I began but

stopped when he glared at me.

"Did I ask you?"

I shook my head.

He turned to the doctor again and they conversed in Arabic

for a while.

"Can I go in?" I asked the nurse.

"With whose permission exactly?" he interrupted me again.

I pointed to the doctor.

"Who's she?" he raised his eyebrow.

"The doctor."

He sighed and nodded at the doctor to go away.

"Who is the authority here, Fatima?"

"The Saudi Ministry of Education." I stated the very obvious.

He laughed devilishly.

"I think I really need to teach you certain things."

"I..."

"Save it. Answer my questions first." he snapped.

I nodded meekly.

"Why is that you are closely connected with all of the incidents

that have taken place in your school?"

"Sir, I want to say something...."

"First the murder. You knew the victim and she knew you.

Then next you injured your hand twice and now this. I

conduct interrogation for all the classes and you are missing

then you tell me that the teacher said that I called you when in

reality you were lying. A girl falls down the stairs and it turns

out she was connected to you too." he looked at me

incredulously.

"I don't know, sir. I don't know why is this happening to me

too." tears began to form in my eyes and I rubbed them,

"Oh, for god's sake!" he spoke in Arabic.

"Stop it. Stop with your drama. I will not tolerate this."

"Sir, I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't lie. The teacher they

called me saying that you called me and then they took me

inside a room and interrogated me."

That caught his attention.

"What?"

"The Teachers. They called me and asked me about what I

wanted to say to you. They told me that as a student of this

school I should support them. And, that our problems should

be solved behind closed doors." I blurted out the truth.

Reason for betraying them?

Well, they betrayed me first. They didn't support me.

He narrowed his eyes.

"I am not lying, sir." I shook my head, tears forming in my

eyes again.

"Oh, stop it." he snapped and I looked down.

"I don't know who to believe. The teachers are as cunning as

you are." he shook his head with disgust.

"I am not lying." I muttered quietly but, he ignored me and

made a call.

I peeked inside the infirmary. Nadeefa was lying down. I could

see her bruise. My heart hurt badly for my friend.

I looked back at him. He was busy talking to someone. I

contemplated on going inside.

Should I go in?

With whose permission?

I am sure there's nothing wrong.

I will be back outside in a minute.

I kept my foot at the threshold.

"That's not my problem." he yelled and I retreated my foot

back glancing at him. He was busy.

I kept my foot at the threshold again.

"This isn't as simple as it seems." he yelled again. I flinched

and stepped back again.

Yes, going inside was not easy as it seemed.

"Officer, the patient is conscious now." the doctor came out.

He immediately cut his call and walked inside. I followed him

"Who told you to come inside?" he snapped as soon as he saw

me.

"I..." I thought of an excuse but, then looked at him with

pleading eyes.

He ignored me and the doctor helped Nadeefa sit up. Our

teacher was there too.

"The GCS of her concussion must be 13 to 15." the doctor told

him.

"What is GCS?" I turned to her.

"Look. I get that you are a student and that it is good for a

student to learn things but, this is not the place." he snapped.

"If you wish to stay here, be quiet." he warned me.

I looked down.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked her.

"I can't see." she murmured blinking her eyes.

I gasped.

"What? Did she lose her vision?" I turned to the doctor.

"Fatima." he snapped.

"I am sorry." I looked down again.

He sighed deeply.

"Don't worry. Blurred vision is a symptom of concussion."

"My head. It's …..." she clutched her head.

"Can you look here?"

She raised her head and looked up.

"Do you know what date it is today?"

"Yeah. It's 1st January 2016." she smiled slightly.

My eyes widened and I looked at the doctor worriedly.

"No, it's mid-December. Remember?"

She shook her head.

"Do you know where you are right now?"

She looked around.

"At a hospital?" she asked us.

"No, you are in the infirmary of your school."

"Do you know who she is?" the doctor pointed at me and I

smiled hopefully at her.

"Yeah. She is my sister. Haram." she smiled slightly.

"No, Nadeefa. It's Fatima." I got up.

"Sit down." he snapped again.

I immediately obeyed.

"It's Fatima." the doctor told her.

She shook her head.

"Alright, do you remember what happened a while ago?"

"Yeah. I was playing at the park with her and she pushed me

off the swing."

At this officer Badr- Al- Din's eyes snapped towards me.

I shook my head.

"I didn't push you." I held her hand tightly.

'I didn't push her. I didn't."

Wait. Why am I defending myself?

"Sir, I was with you and the teachers when this happened."

He didn't say anything and turned to Nadeefa.

"Madaam. I need you to answer my questions." he spoke up

after a while.

Does he not have any kind of consideration for a girl who just

suffered from a concussion? I thought and rubbed Nadeefa's

arm.

"You were at the school when this incident happened. Okay?"

She shook her head.

"Make her believe that. I don't have the patience to deal with

this." he ordered the doctor in Arabic.

He got up.

I sighed with relief.

"I will be back." he stared at me.

"Till the time I come back here. Be a little useful to me and try

to bring her back to the present." he ordered and walked out.

I am useful. I thought and turned to Nadeefa. I knew it was

Aqsa who did it. I didn't see her but, it was very obvious. Now,

I just needed to bring Nadeefa back to the present. If she

remembers everything and can tell him the name of the

culprit then I would be saved from this. I didn't want to take

the risk of telling her name. First, she murdered the girl then

she stabbed my hand, now she pushed Nadeefa from the

stairs. What will she do next? Who will be her next victim?

Me? Probably yes. I just need to bring her back to the present.

However, half an hour later I realized how badly this was

messed up.

"Nadeefa. It's Fatima. Your friend. We are at school. It's midDecember. You fell down the stairs." I tried to bring her back

to the present for the umpteenth time now.

"My head...." she clutched her head and closed her eyes.

"Let her rest." the doctor helped her lie down.

"No, I need to bring her back to the present. Officer Badr AlDin will kill me otherwise."

Where was my consideration for the patient who just suffered

from a concussion now?

I left the room when she refused me.

"Madaam." I stopped when I saw a guard approaching me.

"You are Fatma Ahmed?"

I nodded.

"You've been called for a separate interrogation. Now."

My teacher walked with me.

I nodded and we followed the guard. We walked inside the

other building. The kids section.

"You will be interrogated individually now."

The teacher urged me to go inside.

"I have to attend a call. I'll be there for the interrogation." she

walked away.

He took me to a separate classroom. The walls were painted

grey. There was a single desk with two chairs on it's either

side. It actually looked like an interrogation room.

Huh? I never saw this classroom before.

"Sit down. Officer will be here shortly." the guard left me

alone.

I sat down. I was tired. This was my afternoon nap time.

I want to go home.

The door creaked. And, I looked down. Bracing myself for

what was about to come.

"I'll kill you. You'll regret taking my name."

I looked up and I her staring at me.

"What are you doing here?" I got up as she locked the door.

"Why did you lock the door?" I yelled.

"Help. Someone please. Help." I yelled very sharply as I saw

her approaching me. Her face held no emotion. I moved to the

left and she moved to the right on the other side of the table. I

moved to the right as she moved to the left.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" I yelled again.

"Stop yelling." she whispered.

"Stay away." I moved to the left and she moved with me. The

table being the only barrier between us.

Should I make a run or the door? Yes.

Should I distract her first? Yes.

"You know you're so pathetic." I started.

She shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"No, I am not." she muttered weakly.

'Yes, you are. Going around murdering kids, injuring your

mates. What kind of a human are you?" I spat; my tone was

cold.

"I am not pathetic." she shook her head violently.

As much as it frightened me, I knew I had to run. So, I did. In

a flash I was at the door. I twisted its handle. It didn't open.

Oh shit. I forgot she had locked it. Where's the key?

"Looking for something?" I turned around and gasped when I

saw her right in front of me.

She elbowed me in my face. I froze.

Did she just? Did I just become a victim of domestic violence?

Should I hit her back? Will I overpower her? Yes. I can. I am

taller than her. And, I did. When she raised her hand again, I

held it and pushed her with all of my strength. Her back hit

the table and she let out a cry. But she looked unfazed. Like it

didn't hurt her. Like she was used to this.

"Help." I banged the door.

"Help. The murderer is here. She is trying to kill me. Aqsa

Anzar. She is the murderer. She is trying to kill me too. Help."

I yelled and kept banging the door. I heard some sounds of

chair shifting and the next thing I felt was a strong metal that

collided with the back of my skull. I didn't scream. I couldn't. I

clutched the back of my head and stumbled. I turned around

and saw her. She was staring at me unfazed.

"Help." I whispered and fell down. The pain intensifying with

each passing second. My vision blurred. I was slipping into a

dark abyss.