Phone Call

 It was daybreak when Aleena woke up from the sound of a phone buzzing. She felt uncomfortable after a night full of nightmares and the reward of  tossing and turning was given to her even though she was sleeping on a comfortable bed.

 She stretched her arms like a lazy cat and yawned, then reached towards the side table to picked up her phone.

 She groaned after looking at the caller ID and unwilling picked up her phone.

"Yes, Selena?" she asked with gritted teeth but with a sweet voice, so she didn't sound rude to the person on the other side of the phone.

"You had another night full of nightmares, didn't you?" 

That question made Aleena groan inwardly  as she knew that she would get a whole long sermon in a few seconds by none other than her friend.

This voice belonged to her publisher Selena Issac, her new best friend as well as the owner of Isaac Publishing. Selena was a sweet innocent maiden like a lady from a fairytale, except she had a personality that could make children run for hills.

 No one dared to look in her eyes when she was angry, but Aleena was proud to tell that she did it without feeling an ounce of fear.

"Yes, I had a nightmare," Aleena blurted without seeing the warnings in her tone and jumped straight into the trap that she was trying to avoid since the start.

"Being scared and staying awake is the answer." 

Selena's voice was gentle, but with the underlying feel of a threat. Having a nightmare again softened her, but still living in fear and staying awake angered her.

 "at least I am not drinking alcohol or doing drugs, am I?" 

aleena casually replied while shrugging her shoulders and Selena knows Aleena too well to know what's on her mind and said

"You brat! I want to see your smiling face before I get married!! Understood?" Selena scolded after hearing Aleena's blunt reply. It was a month until Selena would get married to the love of her life, Alexander Knight, but she felt worried as she had yet to see Aleena's smiling face.

"Don't you have anything else to do than to nag like an old lady?"

 Aleena groaned the urge to break Selena's neck, and her phone was overwhelming. She wanted to scream and tell her not to go towards the marriage thingy.

 Marriage has always been a touchy topic for Aleena, and Selena getting married to an influential person had already got Aleena worried enough. Still, she couldn't dare to tell Selena the truth as she still felt the fear of disturbing her which was much more prominent than her worries.

"Look, Aleena, you are the most important person in my life. I care about you, and you have completely shut yourself away from the world,"

She paused for dramatic effect, yeah Selena is a person who can be called spectacular.

"Your condition is making me worry, so all I think about is you and. No, I do not allow you to cut me. Just fight with their fear for aahil, tayiba, and me, please,"

Selena pleaded, and worry was laced with her words, making Aleena think

' she always cares about me, giving hope in return won't be wrong.'

"Ok, I will try, " Aleena sighed, unable to refute Selena. She can only sigh since no one can wing against Selena. hearing her sigh, she said 

"Good and now the prime point of call, you have an interview this Wednesday, no buts," Selena said with a cheerful voice, making Aleena feel herself getting angry at the peak.

"Ah, I should have known," Aleena groaned out of annoyance.

"I am tired of rejecting reporters just one interview, please," Selena whined while trying to get Aleena to agree.

"Not again! I told you I couldn't reveal myself."

 Aleena refused once again. She couldn't let Selena get involved with her issues because of a dangerous past that she couldn't risk telling anyone.

"Please…" Selena begged, "plus... I already agreed,"

"This better be the first and last time Selena," Aleena warned while giving in to Selena.

"YES! I love you," Selena giggled and her mood rising immediately as she heard Aleena agreeing.

"don't worry about clothes. I got it all arranged for the interview; just appear at my office at 8. Don't be late."

"Ok, and stop plotting. Bye."

Aleena cut the call before Selena could even answer and threw the phone away. It plopped on the bed while she punched the pillow like a baby to control her anger.

Aleena continued to let off some steam by punching her pillow for a few minutes. She was finally calm when she took a picture of her son on the nightstand and admired it.

she admired her son for a while then remember her son request of a horror story and smiled 

"my son you are asking for too much, grow up I will tell you a horror story."

 She said with a sad smile, and a guy smile flashed in her brain, making her go on in trauma for a while and then she continued

"grow up fast aahil, I will tell you a horror story created by your own father at that time I will live to know and see who wins the vote of yours."

she continued with tears streaming on her face, and then a determination was seen on her face

"aahil, you might be handsome like him, even your features match him, but I swear I will never let you become him, never."

She vowed while wiping years away from her face.

As she was done with her promise to self, she gently placed the photo frame down and plopped on the bed.

Few minutes passed, then she heard a ring and then suddenly a text popped up on her phone screen.

She stood up and went to get the phone which was on the dressing table, she unlocked her phone and saw a picture of her family on it. a lone tear escaped from her eye which was wiped away after a few seconds.

An unannounced message from a stranger made her go in panic again while making her wonder about various scenarios. 

Her worst and unspoken curse , her past, which she never wanted to face and was afraid of had caught up to her sooner than she expected.

 Her hands trembled as she reached for the phone while pulling the covers on her bed over her body in anxiety. She clicked on the notification and read slowly.

"Beware, he is back and is finding you," the text warned.

After reading that text Aleena felt numbness all over her body, she felt like life was sucked out of her body and her brain went into a coma.