Judy woke slowly, her eyelids heavy as though weighed down by mist. A dim light seeped in through the curtains, bathing the room in a quiet shade of gray. She felt a faint warmth across her forehead, and caught sight of a shadow seated beside the bed.
Yousef sat on a worn wooden chair, his back straight but his face betraying a deep, unspoken worry. His hands were clasped together, as if holding a question he hadn't yet asked.
Judy (her voice hoarse as she opened her eyes slowly):
— Who… are you?
Yousef (leaning forward slightly, his tone calm and reassuring):
— I found you in the forest… near this house. Is it yours?
Judy (pressing her trembling fingers to her head, trying to sit up but her body failing her, her eyes unfocused):
— Yes… I think so… Something strange happened there…
Yousef (watching her intently):
— What happened? I didn't find anything around you.
Judy (whispering in broken breaths, as if her thoughts trembled out loud):
— An anaconda…
Yousef (frowning, leaning in closer):
— What?!
Judy (a faint, cracked smile tugging at her lips):
— The anaconda… it only lives in the Amazon… but… that's not important right now. What's your name?
Yousef (hesitating slightly):
— Yousef.
Judy (studying him, as though trying to pierce through his face with her gaze):
— I feel like I've seen you before… Have we met?
Yousef (relaxing his shoulders, letting out a deep sigh, looking away):
— Maybe on the news… or social media…
Judy (eyes widening in surprise):
— Wow… so you're famous?
Yousef (rising from the chair, running a hand through his hair in unease):
— I don't know… I should go now.
He left the room, slipping back into his home with the quiet caution of someone returning from battle. Darkness filled the house, broken only by the faint glow of a single lamp. He moved silently down the hall until he reached a room where Jacob lay.
He opened the door slowly and stepped inside.
Jacob was lying on a narrow bed, his chest rising and falling with calm breaths. Yousef approached cautiously until their faces were inches apart. Suddenly, Jacob's eyes flew open. He froze for a few seconds, then let out a terrified scream and leapt away from Yousef.
Jacob (shaking, breathless):
— Yousef…?!
Sarah rushed in, her hair disheveled and her face pale with alarm. The moment she saw Yousef, she snatched a heavy vase from the table and raised it above her head as if ready to strike.
Yousef (raising his hands in surrender, his voice breaking):
— I just want to understand… What did I do? Why all this hatred?
Jacob (moving between her and Yousef, his face ashen):
— Stop! Don't make him angry, Sarah!
Sarah (glaring at Yousef with hostility, her voice trembling):
— I won't let you go this time.
Silence fell for a moment. Time itself seemed to slow in that charged room, as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the coming explosion…