The Lost Students
Chapter Nine: "The Novelist"
Nargis and Salma sat quietly in the school library, flipping through a few books they had found there, the silence around them heavy with focus. Suddenly, the library door swung open and Louay rushed in, panting, asking if they had seen Ammar.
Nargis looked at him in surprise.
— What happened? You look completely worn out.
Louay, still catching his breath, replied:
— We found a locked hall—it could be our way out of this school. I came to find Ammar. Maybe he can break the door open.
Nargis raised her eyebrows in shock, closed the book she had been reading, and stood up, ready to go with Louay to search for Ammar. Salma, however, didn't seem to care; she simply kept reading, her eyes never leaving the pages.
Flashback – Salma's Past
Salma had once been an ambitious young writer, dreaming that her novels would become known around the world. But poverty kept her from entering writing competitions, and she faced constant bullying from classmates—some even tore up her manuscripts.
Despite it all, she never gave up. She kept writing and began posting her novels online, where they gained surprising popularity and support.
Then, a wave of reports led to her account being shut down. When she opened the suspension notice, she was shocked to see she had been accused of copyright infringement.
How could I be accused of stealing stories that I wrote myself? she wondered.
A few days later, she discovered one of her novels being sold in a bookstore, drawing a large crowd of eager buyers. Pushing through the crowd, she grabbed a copy—only to see the author's name printed as Reihana Attaf, one of the classmates who had mocked her in the past.
Fury welled up inside her. She left the shop without paying, but the security guards stopped her, assaulting her in front of everyone before letting her go.
The next day at school, Reihana was surrounded by classmates asking for her autograph and for spoilers about the story's ending. Salma stepped forward.
— She doesn't know the ending—because it's not her story, it's mine!
Laughter erupted. No one believed her. Overcome with rage, Salma lunged at Reihana, and the two tumbled down the stairs in a violent scuffle. Supervisors broke them apart and handed out punishments to both.
Afterward, Reihana posted an article online claiming that a "crazy girl" had attacked her and was falsely claiming ownership of her work. Sympathy poured in for Reihana, while Salma was ridiculed and labeled a brute. Her mental health shattered, she withdrew from others and stopped attending school.
One night, drowning in depression, she decided she had had enough of Reihana's cruelty. She slipped out of her house after midnight, heading for Reihana's home. Breaking a window, she crept inside silently.
She tiptoed into Reihana's bedroom, where the girl lay asleep. In Salma's hand was a stick—her intended weapon—but at the last moment, she hesitated. As she turned to leave, her foot landed on a cat's tail. The animal shrieked and clawed her, waking the entire household. Alarmed, Salma fled into the night.
The next morning, news of her break-in spread through the school. The students rallied behind Reihana, stormed into Salma's home, and beat her mercilessly.
Emotionally and mentally crushed, Salma abandoned her passion for writing. A week later, she returned to school. As she walked to her class, someone stuck out a foot, sending her sprawling. She ignored it and kept walking.
Then, without warning, strange smoke filled the air. She inhaled it, felt her vision fade, and collapsed. When she opened her eyes again, she was in this strange high school—isolated in the middle of the sea.
Back to the Present
Fatima awoke from unconsciousness, her head throbbing from being struck with a chair. She found herself tied up, with Khadija glaring at her.
Khadija:
— We're going to break into that mysterious hall—whether you like it or not!
Fatima:
— No… if you defy my vision, you'll bring disaster upon us.
Haroun:
— What disaster could be worse than this? We're trapped in a school in the middle of the sea!
Hani:
— Louay hasn't come back yet. Let's try to break the door ourselves.
Adam:
— I think we should wait. We have no idea what's hidden behind that door, and Fatima is desperate to stop us for a reason.
Khadija:
— Don't be such a coward, you fool!
Elsewhere, Ziad gripped a kitchen knife he had stolen, searching for Ammar—ready to settle the score after losing to him in a previous fight.
…To be continued