The Lost Students
Chapter 7:
When Khadija opened her eyes, the room was still wrapped in darkness. But she quickly realized that her hands were tied with a thick rope to a cold wooden chair, and her mouth was sealed with duct tape, silencing even the faintest scream. She tried to move her body, in vain, then began pushing the chair slowly with her trembling frame until it stumbled and crashed to the floor.
She found herself lying on her side, her face turned toward a mysterious closed hall — one that seemed to hide a secret. A secret Fatima knew very well should never be uncovered.
(Inside her mind, Khadija cursed):
Damn her… she must be one of the kidnappers. Damn her.
Outside, Fatima walked across the schoolyard with hesitant steps, glancing left and right, making sure no one had seen her leave the place where she had hidden Khadija. Inside, a storm of conflict raged within her, but she muttered steadily:
"I'm doing this… for everyone."
A few meters away, Nargis and Salma wandered through the corridors of the old school. Nargis stopped and said sharply:
"Fatima is a strange girl. She never helps us."
Salma replied with a tone of indifference:
"But she's still better than Khadija."
Nargis shook her head:
"Of course… I don't even want to see that girl."
Suddenly, a voice struck them from behind:
"Who are you talking about?"
They spun around to find Ziad standing there, his face grim.
Nargis looked at him coldly and said:
"None of your business."
Then she grabbed Salma's hand and pulled her away, trying to ignore him.
Ziad watched them walk off, then muttered irritably:
"Why do all the girls avoid me?"
A mocking voice came from behind him:
"Because your attitude is awful. Simple as that."
Ziad turned sharply to see Ammar standing there. He smirked and said:
"Look who's talking! Are you jealous of me?"
Ammar shot back without hesitation:
"Jealous? Of what? Your arrogance?"
Ziad stepped forward threateningly:
"Do you want to get hurt, boy?"
Ammar replied with a calm, mocking tone:
"Nobody's stopping us from fighting this time… but trust me, your nose won't survive if we start."
Ziad sneered:
"Come on then. Let's see who's stronger."
The two stepped into an empty hall and shut the door behind them. The air was tense, breaths sharp, eyes burning.
Ammar took a step forward and said:
"Do you know what happened before I got here?"
Ziad raised an eyebrow:
"What?"
"I taught someone a lesson… and you're next."
Flashback – Ammar's memory:
In the corridors of the old high school, Ammar's name was whispered in fear. Everyone knew him. Everyone feared him. He didn't belong to any gang, though many had tried to recruit him.
One day, on his way home from school, a man named Imad confronted him. His appearance was pitiful: a foul smell, missing teeth, scratches all over his face. The moment he spotted Ammar, he shuddered and jumped into a garbage bin.
Ammar approached slowly, lifted the lid, and stared down at Imad's pleading eyes with cold indifference. Then he slammed the lid shut and said:
"Good choice… trash suits you."
Ammar walked away as a few street thugs laughed at Imad, who fled crying like a scared child.
When Ammar got home, he opened the door and immediately heard his little sister crying. He rushed to her room and found her sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face, trembling.
"What happened?" he asked, panicked.
She lifted her head and answered with a trembling voice:
"Marwan… he harassed me, took pictures… and threatened to post them online."
Ammar's blood boiled.
"Where does he study?" he asked instantly.
"In a high school in the eastern district," she replied.
Without hesitation, Ammar borrowed a neighbor's motorcycle and sped off. Upon arrival, he shouted Marwan's name across the schoolyard. When no one answered, he grabbed a student and demanded Marwan's location. The boy pointed to his classroom.
Ammar stormed in and ordered everyone to leave, leaving only Marwan.
Marwan smirked and said:
"Join my gang, and I won't post your sister's photos."
Ammar didn't answer. He punched him hard, knocking out teeth, followed by a kick to the stomach. Then he grabbed Marwan's head and slammed it against the floor.
Suddenly, the room filled with thick smoke. Ammar covered his nose, trying to get out, but visibility dropped to zero. In the chaos, Marwan got up, grabbed a chair, and smashed it into Ammar's head.
The last thing Ammar saw was darkness… before waking up in this mysterious school.
Back to the present:
The fight was about to erupt in the hall when the door suddenly opened. Louay, looking for a place to sleep, froze at the sight of Ammar and Ziad locked in a tense stare.
He shut the door quickly, only to feel a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned to see Haroun behind him.
"I was looking for you, Louay," Haroun said.
Before they could exchange another word, a loud thud hit the door.
"What's going on in there?" Haroun asked.
Louay chuckled: "Better if you don't interfere."
Haroun, annoyed: "Get out of my way."
He opened the door again, and Ziad walked out, his face bruised, moving with pain. Ammar followed calmly.
Louay muttered to himself:
"Good… Ammar's not like Ziad. I should get closer to him… make him my friend."
…To be continued.