Lost In Paradise

Chapter 12

"Well, erm...,"

"Exactly," she said. "So do I have to ask you again before you do it?"

Amina left the living room as Saudat tried to negotiate with her mother so she would be allowed to continue watching her movie. Their voices echoed through the hallway as she made her way up to her room. Her stepmother's words still echoed through her mind, and she knew that it was the right thing to do. Perhaps it would be best if she went to stay with her aunt for a bit, just to allow everyone in the house to have some sort of peace without her lurking around every corner.

She was just about to turn towards her bedroom when something caught her eye. She turned around slowly and realised that her father's bedroom door was open. That seemed strange to her, as nobody had been in his room since he died. Amina paused to stare at the door, and for a fleeting moment, she half-expected the door to swing open and Bello Mukhtar would walk out with that stupid grin on his face, as if he had just managed to get away with stealing something valuable. He would probably pause to stare at her quizzically, then he would ask her if she was alright.

As if he actually cared.

Steeling herself, Amina made her way towards the door very slowly. Already she could feel the panic beginning to seize her, and it was almost as if the walls were starting to close in on her. His smell still lingered around the room, and the terror that gripped her was so intense that she could barely move her legs forward.

But everything stopped the moment she pushed the door open. It was as if someone had flipped a switch, and all the fear in her heart just dissipated. She stood in the doorway and stared blankly at the room, wondering why everything seemed so normal. It was hard to believe that he was truly gone, and she hadn't just imagined the last few weeks. Everything just seemed so—normal.

Amina walked into the room, her feet sinking into the plush carpet as she did. The curtains were drawn shut, plunging the room into a darkness which mirrored its former occupant's heart. The bed looked freshly made, the closet looked impeccable, and even his phone sat on the bedside drawer. It all seemed too perfect, and even the low hum of the air conditioning made it seem like someone was still living here.

"That's impossible," Amina whispered to herself. "He's gone. For good."

Saying it out loud somewhat reassured her. She made her way to the drawer and picked up his phone, which was surprisingly still fully charged. Perhaps her mother had been coming in here whenever she missed him. That would surely make sense.

As expected, the phone was locked. Amina swiped up and glared at the request for a six-digit password. In all her years, she had never once bothered to guess what her father might use as a password. He was a cunning man, and she knew he wouldn't pick something so simple or easy to guess. Knowing Bello, he would make his password so complicated that no one would ever be able to figure it out.

But what could it be?

Amina wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to unlock the phone. It just seemed like something she had to do, and her gut told her that there was something on it that she needed to know. But she could have stood there for a thousand years and still not know the answer.

Groaning, she set the phone back down on the drawer, but then in a moment of weakness, she quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into her pocket. She hurried out of the room, not stopping until she reached her own room where she slammed the door shut and turned the lock.

It took a while before she realised what she had done. Whoever had been going into the room would know that she had taken the phone. And knowing her family, this person wouldn't reveal themself even after they discovered the phone was missing. She needed to know what was going on, and whether Bello had any more secrets that he hadn't yet revealed on that terrible day.

Amina stared down at the wallpaper, an old picture of her father sitting on the bonnet of a car and holding her in his arms. The picture made her sick to the stomach, and she had to resist the urge to smash the phone on the ground.

"I'm sorry, sunshine," she heard him whisper in her mind. "But we're all monsters. Some of us are just more comfortable with owning up to that fact."

She hid the phone in her bag, deciding that she would try to figure out his password some other time. She was just about to leave the room when her phone suddenly buzzed as a notification popped up. It was from an unknown number, and when she read the message, her fingers turned numb and her feet nearly gave out beneath her:

You're in grave danger. Your father's enemies are coming for you. Watch your back.

***

A.N: Can anyone guess what Bello's password might be? It's much simpler than you think.

Also, Eid Mubarak in advance to everyone who will be celebrating. I hope your tailors did not disappoint you this year. If they did, all you need to do it this:

Step 1: get a single egg from a chicken that was hatched on the midnight of New Year's.

Step 2: get a cup of water which is 3/4 full.

Step 3: fry the egg (omelette or scrambled is fine)

Step 4: find a comfortable seat preferably in front of a TV.

Step 5: relax and eat your egg, then flush it down with some water because there's nothing to be done. We're at their mercy from now until after Eid.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully I can finish the next one as quickly as possible. Until next time, au revoir.