Lost

Chapter 83: "After-shook"

Alley panicked watching her daughter gasp for breath while her gut squeezed out. Asim looked closed to tears as he rushed forward to hold her by shoulders. The other boys ran out of the room, racing each other down the stairs, their faces white as a sheet as if they had seen a ghost. James left to get Anne while Dean slammed the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator in search of anything that looked like it would help.

***

Salma rested her aching head on the pillow, staring out of the window aimlessly. It had been full day since her near death experience with intense wave of sickness that washed over her.

She had dreamed of Sarah visiting her in her room earlier and it forced her to wake up. 

"Was it Zayn?" Sarah had asked her in her dream, an underlying fury detectable in her controlled voice.

Salma scoffed in reply.

"Who else?" She rolled her eyes. "It's not like you did not see it coming."

For an instant, Salma believed it was real but when she opened her eyes, she found herself alone in her room with only Asim sitting in the arm chair. Her mum and the boys had left.

Asim was reading a book. Salma pretended to sleep every time he looked up. The dream brought back everything and she did not want to face her brother. His face, sick with worry from the day before swam before her eyes, making her feel guilty every time. He did not deserve any of this.

Salma gazed out at the grey sky as it continued to snow. The past forty eight hours had been extremely miserable for her. After Asim brought her home, she had run straight to the privacy of her room. Her mother had followed her upstairs. Salma had to pretend to be praying to avoid facing her mother while she was crying bitterly.

"Salma, honey, for Allah's sake!" her mum groaned. "You should have had you dinner first! If you fall ill, I'm throwing you out this time! A two year old knows better about taking care of themselves . . ."

Salma kept stifling her sobs, praying that her mother did not see her shoulder shake as her crying fit continued. Asim figured out she needed privacy and asked her mother to go to bed.

After her family went to bed, Salma was overwhelmed by the crushing feeling in her chest. She felt the walls of her room caving in on her. Feeling suffocated, she slid out of her bed and crept out into the backyard. The cold numbed her out. She sat in silence watching the first snow flakes of the winters slowly blanket the yard in pure white. Her surrounding were quiet and still, so when she heard the clear creak of the backdoor opening, she jumped in alarm, ready to defend herself.

"Hey," Asim breathed out, a puff of mist appearing as he spoke.

Salma relaxed her posture when she saw Asim taking note of her panic. She looked away, trying to hide her tear streaked face.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

Salma took in a deep breath. The chilly air felt brutal against her lungs. She sat back down, discreetly wiping her face dry.

"Just wanted some fresh air," Salma muttered.

"You could catch a cold," Asim replied, sitting next to her.

The two siblings sat in silence. While Asim worried about his sister having seen her complete meltdown earlier, Salma just stared into the space letting the cold and silence numb her out. It was almost fajr time when he finally convinced her to get back inside. The next day, her mother found her burning with a high fever.

"I know you're awake," Asim suddenly called her out, putting the Harry Potter down.

Salma turned around to face him.