Injection: Pulling Strings

Pulling Strings

Razia swept a few more shards of glass into the pile. She also managed to get a majority of the dust that had been building up on the floor. Shattering the display case wasn't the best way to remove the bracer, but what's done is done. She took a pause from her work and looked down the line of exhibits. Each glass case held another artifact found buried within the city or the desert surrounding it.

The museum was going dark as the sun started to set, and the last few rays trickled in from the stone windows on the far side of the room. Soon only the pot lights in the ceiling would keep the room lit.

Razia cherished the museum and all the history it held. But now the jewel of their collection, the Bracer of Sharjah, was in better hands.

She wiped her hands off on her black dress, and returned to the task at hand. The mess of glass would surely take her the rest of the night.

"What happened!? Where's the bracer!?" Narin dropped her stack of books and ran over to Razia. She was a young protégé who had only just begun learning the history of the town. She wore a simple, blue hijab on top of her black dress. "We have to find it before Fariq finds out!" She frantically kicked the glass aside. Her eyes flitted around the room searching for any sign of the bracer.

"Calm down my child," said Razia, raising a finger to her mouth. "The bracer is gone."

"We have to--"

Razia quieted Narin again. "The bracer is in safe hands. I will tell Fariq, and we'll have nothing to worry about." She lowered her finger, and returned to her sweeping.

Narin took a moment before retrieving her books. "Are you sure? Fariq will be very angry."

"When isn't he?" Razia laughed to herself. "When you're done putting away your books, would you mind helping me tidy up. I couldn't possibly do it alone."

"Yes ma'am," nodded Narin, and she took off to the spiraled stairway up to the library. Razia smiled after her. Narin was always a huge help around the museum. In a few more years, she'd be ready to take her place. Razia returned to her sweeping and listened to Narin's creaking footsteps from the floor above.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump from above, and a cloud of grey dust fell from ceiling.

"Everything okay up there?" coughed Razia, waving the dust away. No response. "Narin? Are you alright?"

Silence. Not even a creaking footstep.

She leaned her broom against a nearby pedestal and walked to the stairs. "Narin, dear. Did you drop your books?"

She climbed the last few steps and arrived in the library. It was mostly rows of tables with books piled high. The only shelves were pushed back against the walls, and were equally stuffed. She weaved through the tables trying to find Narin.

"Narin, please answer me. Where are you?" She tried looking over the stacks of books to spot her. But no luck. They were too high. She crouched down and tried looking underneath the tables.

A pair of legs rushed by against the far left wall. "Narin? Is that you?" She pushed herself up to her feet and hustled in the direction of the legs. Peering down the left wall, she saw nothing. "Narin, this isn't funny. I need to know if you're okay."

There was a loud thumping from the other side of the room. Razia jumped, and a gasp slipped through her lips. She wheeled around; heart racing. Had a stack of books fallen on her? She ran off in the direction of the noise. She rounded the last corner and spotted someone curled up at the end of the row.

"Narin!" she shouted, as she dashed over. She knelt down beside the girl. "What happened?!" She turned Narin over. Her face was bloodied, her nose broken, her eyes glazed over. "No!" Razia dropped her in shock. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she examined the rest of her battered student. Both her arms had been broken, and her legs bent out of shape. "What's happened to you?! We need to get you help immediately!"