Journal of a Teenage Muslim.

Chapter 18 - Secluded Secrets.

Dedicated to Mitgag, for pulling me back up the cliff! ;)

I hate it when people chew with their mouth open. It's like they want to show us what happens to the food in their mouth, like we don't already know.  Random, I know. But I'm trying to get rid of my thoughts, at times like this I wish I could disable the thinking part of my brain.

We left the hospital almost immediately after they took my dad. Mazin's been restless, switching the TV channel every two seconds, unable to focus on anything, flipping through random magazines and newspapers, anything. Well I guess I've been quite the same. The thing is I want to think about it, make sense of it, but at the same time I don't. You see, after we left the hospital, we didn't actually go home. We were greeted by an unanticipated visitor, who told me a dark secret of the past. One which I probably should have known a very long time ago. One which would change my life forever, for now, what I did, was what runs in my blood.

"Hello Maydah Ahmad," I heard a familiar deep voice from some where behind me. I turned around, wondering who was addresing me, and felt my heart sink into the deepest parts of the earth's core. Mr Hensus.

"What the hell do you want?" I said gritting my teeth.

"Maydah!" Mazin exclaimed surprised, probably having no idea what the relationship between Mr Hensus and I was.

"Oh no, no it's fine," Hensus removed his sunglasses. "I wouldn't blame her for being angry,"

I narrowed my eyes, what was he doing here? And how exactly did my dad get injured?

"I have the answers to all your questions," He said as if reading my mind. "But here is not the place to answer them, if you'll just come with me back to the office and we can have a nice chit-chat. There's a lot of catching up we have to do don't we?"

"Ok than," I said, not really thinking too much.

Mazin held me back. "Whoah, who is this guy? Is it even safe to go with him?"

"He has answers and I need them." I said breifly.

"Make yourselves at home," He said once we were in his office. His over-cheerfulness was starting to really get to me. His office was grey and pink, genuinely messed up, like his mind.

"Just tell us what we need to know so we can get the hell out of here," I insisted.

"Aah, straight to the point eh? Not in the mood for small talk?" He joked.

"Do you want me to laugh at that?"

"So much character just like your mother, too bad she's not here to see you."

I froze, and I felt Mazin tense next to me. 

"How do you know about my mother?" I croaked.

"Well why don't you take a seat and I'll tell you."

Mazin and I sat catiously, not knowing what to expect.

"Well this whole story started very similar to yours. Once upon a time, on a fine summer's day-"

"Quit the humour and tell me what I want to know!" I growled.

Mr Hensus must have gotten the message because he straightened up and clasped his hands together. 

"Ok." He began again. "As I was saying before I was rudely interupted, her story began very similar to yours, of course it didn't end very well, but I suppose we're deciding to let your fate be a bit different from hers,"

I had no idea what he was talking about, but let him continue, knowing if I said anything we would never get any where.

"Your mother, like you, found out about our little scheme."

"Turning children into lab rats?"

"Oh yes, she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time and saw the wrong thing, what she shouldn't have seen. You see, adults are a problem, they want human rights and all that crap, they want to live long, but for what? To grow up, get a job, work 24 hours a day to feed their families, get kids who'll grow up and abandon them when they retire, and then they'll end up a clump of bones, having lived around a century, but not really living at all.  But children, they are quite different, quite vulnerable creatures. They don't know a thing about life, all they wish to play all day long. But when you take that away from them, all they want is food, water and a roof. They haven't lived long, they don't know much, so we make use of it. We need to test our products to stop some one some where else dying, but to spare one life, you have to sacrifice another. Makes sense don't you think?

'Anyways, your mother found out about all this and was simply horrified," He licked his lips, "She was smart, but not smart enough, she managed to get word out, enough that the whole neighbourhood was buzzing with these rumours. We couldn't let the news spread any further than that, so we had to get rid of the source - which was obviously your mother, and seeing as she spread the news by word of mouth, no one actually knew her by face, so getting rid of her was quick and easy."

"You!" I gasped.

"Yes, well done, it was me. She was working late one night, and was on her way home all on her own, what a better way to kill her. The gang of drunk guys is merely a cover up story for the truth because the truth, you see, is way over rated."

I was trembling with anger. I looked at Mazin who turned away, avoiding eye contact, what was his issue now?

"So is that what your going to do with me? Get rid of me? Because the coward that you are can't possibly stand up against us, so you'l get rid of us."

"My dear Maydah, you have not been listening attentively. I said your fate is different," He leaned forward. "Who do you think is responsible for that gunshot on your dad's left lung?"

I shot up, my chair toppling over. "You monster!"

"Indeed," He said, his lips curling, "Your case is a bit different you see. If mother and daughter are both killed, it will definetley start smelling of fish. So we are going to let you live, but if you say a word, if you utter a single phrase, we will fire, we will tear down your life, we will rip out the people you love most and we will watch you watch them suffer. You are going to stay quiet Maydah Ahmad, because you will wish we would kill you if you don't. You've lost the war before it's even begun. This is the end of the line."