The Girl in The Green Scarf

F i f t y | ?

"Ow!" I exclaim, rubbing my shoulder.

"Move, funny hair, turn around," she says.

I do as she says, afraid of further injuries.

"There's really no need to do this," I say, raising my hands to my head. "I mean you no harm, I swear. I'm just waiting for my friends."

"Shut up, please," she snaps.

"I'm a nice bloke you know," I say, using my charming tone. "I even own a kitten."

But she just ignores me, and all I hear is more rustling.

Finally my curiousity gets the best of me; how many of them are there?

Slowly, I glance over my shoulder to see a woman in a face mask pulling out a little girl from the tunnel, but before I can see anything else Lamees jabs the branch into my lowerq back, assaulting my kidney.

I jerk away, hissing in pain.

"Nothing to see here, look ahead."

For a pretty girl she is so violent.

"How long are you going to make me stand here?" I ask.

"Untill my friends get here and we leave."

"Why doeth he have a funny voithe like Bash?" someone with a heavy, adorable lisp asks.

I sneak a look to see the little girl that the masked woman pulled out of the tunnel standing by Lamees.

"Zeina sweetie, go sit with Miss Lana and Miss Yusra," Lamees says.

"Wait! Little girl, you know my man Bash?"

The girl grins, reavealing a gap where her front teeth are supposed to be.

"Zeina, don't speak to the wierd man," Lamees says chasteningly, moving the little girl behind her. "You! for the last time look ahead or-"

"Hey just hear me out!" I blurt out, turning around, hands held out to ward off her attacks. "My name is Alex and I am Sebastian's cousin. I am here waiting for him and Hamsa. Do you know Hamsa? That girl and I are tight!"

Lamees lifts her stick to hit me again, and I wince in aticipated pain, but she drops the stick instead.

"Sebastian went for Hamsa?"she asks, her hostility fading slightly.

"Yes, yes," I say, heaving a sigh.

"Once we saw the soldiers heading for the factories province, Bash headed out to make sure Hamsa was safe."

"Thank God," Lamees says, her shoulders relaxing as she drops the the branch. "I was so worried about her, but I'm sure Sebastian will find her."

"How do you know Bash?" I ask her.

She seems to contemplate her answer for a moment before finally saying, "he's a good friend."

And then she smiles and I know she's definitely beautiful. Damn that Bash for never mentioning her.

As if me damning Bash summons him, I hear the roar of an engine and a strong headlight breaks the darkness as Theo's motorbike approches us.

Lamees' eyes widen in terror and they all scramble to hide.

"Hey, calm down it's just Bash and Hamsa!" I say, waving my hands in front of Lamees to pacify her.

The motorbike stops infront of us. Bash, Hamsa and another bloke sandwhiched in between them are squeezed onto the seat.