The new kid

"The biggest sponsor has pulled out."

"Others are leaving too. Customers are refusing to buy anything because of the security breach."

The voices around the table were grim. The director of the organization slammed his hand down.

"We stop meat production for now."

The rage in his voice was undeniable. He glared at the principal.

"You've failed me. From now on, Tanveer will take your place."

But Tanveer refused.

"I'm sorry, Director. I won't replace him."

With no other choice, the director turned to Sakib, the only person left to trust.

A Few Months Later—

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you—"

Walid gasped awake, drenched in sweat.

"Huff… Huff…" he clutched his chest. That dream again.

"Why am I still seeing this?" he muttered. "It's been months…"

He wiped his face.

"I've moved on. I keep telling myself that. But these nightmares—why won't they stop?"

He stared at the ceiling. That man… Hayashi. He must've been just a lunatic. There's no way he was the killer. I should just forget everything and live in peace.

Outside Walid's House—

"Heeeeeey! Walid!"

Walid flinched.

"Ugh, it's Bappi again," he groaned. "If Mom hears that…"

He leaned out the window. "Dude! How many times do I have to tell you—stop yelling in front of my house! My mom's super strict. She doesn't even like me staying out long."

Bappi grinned. "Chill, bro! It's not like I'm coming to live with you. Just wanted you to come out and play!"

Walid sighed. "She wasn't always like this. Used to love visitors. Something happened a long time ago… Never mind. So what are we playing today? Playground?"

"Nope," Bappi said. "We're heading to my place. Got something cool to show you."

At Bappi's House—

Another friend greeted Walid.

"So, still having those weird dreams?"

Walid nodded. "Yeah. Same one, over and over. No idea why."

"You gotta let the past go," Bappi said. "Come on, let's play this new board game. Just got it—brand new release! We play cricket and football all the time. Let's do this today!"

Next Day at School — January 2012

"Good morning, teacher!"

The class stood.

"Good morning everyone. You may sit."

The teacher looked around. "We have a new student today. Come in!"

A skinny, dark-haired boy walked in. He looked about 5'6".

"This is Rahul Dev. He moved here because of his dad's transfer. Be kind and make him feel welcome. Go ahead, Rahul, introduce yourself."

Rahul shyly said, "Umm… Hi. I'm Rahul Dev. I'm 13, and I love watching movies. Nice to meet you all."

[Polite clapping]

A student waved him over. "Hey, sit with me!"

"Oh, thank you," Rahul replied.

From the back, Walid leaned toward Bappi.

"Look at that new guy," he whispered. "Already getting cozy with those idiots."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Bappi muttered, uninterested.

Lunch Break

A group of older students approached Rahul. Their leader, a tall kid named Durjoy, smiled slyly.

"Hey. I'm Durjoy. People around here can be real jerks. Stick with us—we'll protect you."

Rahul raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? Sounds more like you're the troublemakers. Heh. Am I wrong?"

Durjoy's smile vanished. "You little punk. Last chance. Join us, or you'll regret it."

Rahul smirked. "Ooooh, I'm so scared."

"Bastard!"

One of the bullies, a fat kid twice Rahul's size, grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.

"Hey Bappi, look!" Walid said. "They're beating him up!"

"Let him be," Bappi replied coldly. "Maybe he needs to learn a lesson."

"But they're punching him—!"

"Fine, I'll go."

Bappi stepped into the fight.

"Hey, fatso! Try fighting someone your own size."

The fat kid looked down. "No one's close to my size."

"Well yeah… you're huge," Bappi said with a grin. "Still, that doesn't mean you get to beat up new kids."

"You think just 'cause you're alone, you scare us?"

"Try me. Let him go. Last warning."

"Tch. Whatever. Not worth it," Durjoy said, and the bullies backed off.

Later

"Thanks, man," Rahul said, brushing off dust. "You saved me."

Bappi pointed to Walid. "He's the one who made me jump in. Wanna eat with us? We've got extra food."

"Food? Can't say no to that, hehe."

(Bappi thinks: A straight yes? Ugh. I don't like people like this.)

Rahul turned to Walid. "And thank you too. Really."

"No problem," Walid said. "I'm Walid, this is Bappi. He's strong—beat up those guys before. If you ever need help, just tell us."

"Nice to meet you both. Can we… be friends?"

"Of course."

[They shake hands.]

"We're playing cricket after school. Want to join?"

"Sure… but I suck at sports."

"No worries," Walid said. "Just have fun."

After School

On the field, teams were formed. Rahul joined Bappi's team. They batted first, fielded last.

"Come on, Zubayer! Hit a six!" Walid shouted.

Zubayer swung—crack!—the ball soared high. Rahul reached to catch it… and missed.

The ball landed far away.

"We won!" Walid's team cheered.

"Haha, your team lost again, Bappi!" a kid laughed. "Now you have to carry everything home. That's the rule. Oh—and don't forget the ball!"

Everyone left—except Walid, who stayed to help Bappi.

"I hate this rule," Walid said.

"It's fine. Makes the game more fun. Thanks for staying."

"No big deal… Wait, look. Rahul didn't leave either."

Rahul waved them over. "Heeey! Come here!"

The two joined him near a corner of the field—where an old dig site lay.

Last year, police found knives and evidence of murder here. The principal marked it with red paint. It still remained.

Rahul pointed. "What's this place? Why's there a mark?"

Walid replied, "Long story. You don't know about what happened last year?"

Rahul shook his head. "Tell me! Please—I'm super curious! I won't sleep tonight if I don't know."

"Alright, short version," Walid said. "We'll tell you the full story tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal!"

Bappi stepped in. "Last year… some students were murdered. Police found weapons here. The principal, being the weird guy he is, marked the place for remembrance."

Rahul stared, wide-eyed.

Suddenly, Walid looked up.

"Guys… look."

They all turned.

The principal was on the second floor, watching them.

His cold eyes locked onto theirs.

"Let's go," Walid said.