CHAPTER NINE: LAYLAH IS STILL MISSING.

LAYLAH IS STILL MISSING

'I...I...am...sorry. I am sorry.' Before I get a hold of myself the damage has already been done. The Top's palms have been broken deep. Everyone is on a standstill half alive half dead cos I made them that way, unconsciously. Laylah is being held tightly by my fingers. I was oblivious to all of this when it was happening. My mind was pitch black! I swear. Only his smile I could see. Only his smile truly!

I let them all go. Releasing them from whatever holds them. I unchoke them. I undo that but can't undo what has happened to the Top. I just stand there in tears apologizing. She stands in front of me in pain with wrath written all over her face. Everyone is shocked. Everyone except Feline. She seems indifferent. No emotions are written on her face.

My plea can't stop anything. I was waiting for judgment to be passed on me while I sit on the floor, lifeless. I let go of Laylah who is on the brink of death. She lets out only strands of air. Breathing in crumbs of air, she lets out strands of it. My father is puzzled, "What just happened? What was to happen?"

Nellie is standing exchanging glances with everyone from time to time. Thinking that a disaster just happened and what my father fears is inevitable. I mean see!

Noa is panting. Never has she seen this with her eyes only in tales, folktales. Tales of the old. Twenty-four years have passed so this was expected but not this soon.

The rest of my aunts hold fear close not letting go even an ounce of it. They are trembling because of what I did. I nearly killed them. The Top has gone in the car she came in with. The boy who caused all of this goes with her too.

I look around but Feline is nowhere to be found. I do not take to notice that the wind is on hold. I caused that. It is forced to whirl in a circle affecting all other parts but not where we stand. I can see nothing through it just a hazy grey cloud-like substance.

'Where's Feline? What's his expression, that boy who caused all of this?' I say in a faint tone. 'Let's go.' I hear a voice tell me. I turn to see who uttered those words. It is the same voice as in the toilet yesterday's morning in front of the sink, my father's. I followed his command putting all my weight on him as he reaches for my hand. I take Laylah along. I can't drag myself up but I take Laylah!

My father takes us up, both of us. Shoves us in the back seats wearing us our seatbelts then closes the door. He turns to my aunts who all seem exhausted. They wave him goodbye and whisper something to him one I can't hear nor make a sense of.

I turn away from the window to face the passenger's headrest. I am looking to nothing in particular but right through the past. "What happened ten(10) minutes ago? What did I do and how?"

Nathaniel gets in the driver's seat five(5) minutes later. I take a glance at my watch that's how I knew the time he spent. We drive off reversing backward. My aunts too did the same. I pay no attention to anyone. I behaved myself waiting for the punishment upon my head. Thinking deep about my sins; breaking the Top's bones, grinding it but unknowingly.

****

Mrs. Hussein is still worried. She's not pacing anymore of course she can't be. It's been two days! She wears a green dress. One which passes her knee but not to her ankle. Isn't she supposed to look wretched? She sits on the black couch, not in the direction of the TV but the windows. All of the inanimate things you can think of name it. She stares facing that direction but not at it. She stared into nothing in particular. No shaking of her legs. No shaking of her palms nor hands. She just sits staring blankly.

"What is she thinking of?" I say in my mind as I look at her. Everyone's back to the house we stepped out of. The one in which Laylah was held hostage. I stare at my phone's screen trying not to think of anything. Trying to distract me. Waiting for my punishment. Will they cut off my limbs too or will they dispose of me(I'd be dead of course).

Her older sister is there too, Laylah's. In the sitting room Nabeenah stays looking at her mum in the state she's in. Not a good one. Her father's in his room. Relaxing. Chilling. Eating chips and ice cream in his boxers on his bed watching TV. It's on the music station. He's vibing to it while his daughter is missing.

"I'm feeling vibes on vibes. I'm ticking dynamite..." The TV says. Its volume is tuned to the highest. Blasting is the sound across. The whole street could hear his loud music but he doesn't care. "They should fuck off. All of them." That's probably what he thinks as he played it. Eating chips spreading the crumbs on his bed. He doesn't care!

Mrs. Hussein is going crazy. Her husband is...playing music while his daughter is missing. Normally she would have gone to meet with him yelling at him to get a hold of himself but no more. After all, it's his money. She choses not to bother about him again. There is nothing she can do but wait. Nabeenah seems indifferent. She wears pity on her face for her mother and her father, disappointment.

WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?