I wanted to say something better—something stronger.
But the words refused to come out.
Even they were asking for help.
The situation had become unbearable.
When I looked beneath the desk, I found new tufts of black wires—fragrant with that fresh scent.
I had told her about the room last night, and she said she had never entered it before.
'Did she lie?'
"[What's wrong, Mariam? What's happening?]"
"Nothing important… Can we meet? I want to see you."
"[Of course we'll meet. How about tomorrow? I'll wait for you at the café we used to go to. Can you come?]"
"Yes. At four. Is that okay?"
"[Yes.]"
"I'll be waiting."
I hung up and turned on my phone's flashlight again, inspecting every corner carefully.
I had taken the hallucination medication, and since then I hadn't seen the fuzzy ball.
So maybe the medicine had started working.
Or maybe not.
The ball came and went on its own—I couldn't tell when the medication would actually take effect.
And since I had shown the hair to Zain before, it had to be real.
That meant the hair belonged to her. That was certain.
But… why?
Why under the desk, of all places? Was she hiding something?
Or had she taken something?
I searched across the desk and inside the drawers for a cold, metallic blue object that used to spin.
But it wasn't there.
Impossible.
'Did she take it?'
The truth struck me like a cold slap.
Huda—you said you never entered the room.
But the spinner is gone.
And the hair is still here.
Why take something so trivial—a child's toy?
Do you want to strip away everything that gives me comfort?
Do you want me to lose my mind completely so no one will believe me?
I clenched my fist so tightly my nails dug into my palm.
It wasn't just a toy.
It was a gift from Zain.
By taking it, it felt like Huda had begun pulling at the threads of my relationship with my brother—undoing them strand by strand.
She didn't take a simple metal object.
She took my calm—and replaced it with this black terror.
I've had enough of fear.
Enough of this nightmare.
Let's end it.
I left the room, leaving the irritating scent behind me. It only worsened my headache.
"Hey—you! I'll ask you one question, so answer me."
I grabbed her shoulder firmly.
I was afraid she'd slip away like the ball did.
Or avoid answering me.
The movement startled her so much that her body trembled.
"I… y-yes… me?"
She couldn't process what was happening.
She shot a pleading look toward my brother, who was there.
'Go on. No one will save you from me. Not even my brother.'
"Mariam, what are you doing? Stop!"
"I'll ask you just one thing—what were you doing under my desk?"
"The… desk? I didn't—ah—"
"Just answer."
I tightened my grip on her shoulder, demanding a clear answer.
"Mariam, stop!"
Zain grabbed my hand and pushed it away from her.
I stared at my hand… the one that had been pushed aside.
"I just wanted an answer."
"This is not how you get one."
She clung to my brother's shirt and cried, leaving two damp stains on the fabric.
"I've had enough of living in this horror! Isn't what I'm already going through enough for you?!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
It wasn't just my voice that rose—every echo of my emotions came out with that scream.
I didn't know when my parents had started watching.
I heard anxious footsteps from where my mother stood.
I saw her cover her mouth, unable to endure it anymore.
I wasn't sure what she couldn't endure—
My episode?
Or my madness?
"I just wanted to know what she was doing in my room when I wasn't there—and why her hair is under my desk—and where my spinner went!"
"Huda?"
"I… I don't know what you're talking about. I never entered the room except last night. And I don't know anything about hair or any spinner."
When I heard her words, I wanted to rip out what was left of that liar's hair.
"Then why don't you see for yourself?"
Of course she'll refuse.
"…Fine. I'll come."
Yes. Come. You'll only embarrass yourself.
My brother held her hand, and they both walked toward the room.
I followed them.
My parents came behind us.
"Look! Her hair is scattered on the floor—and hanging there, under the desk!"
I pointed toward it.
She and my brother bent down to look.
I waited with a victorious smile—
Waiting to expose her lie.
I waited.
And waited.
Why was it taking so long?
What were they doing?
They looked at each other nervously.
Then they looked at me.
"Mariam… there's nothing here. Are you sure… you saw hair? Here?"
"What do you mean? Of course!"
I urged him to move aside and looked.
"…!"
Nothing.
Nothing.
There was nothing anywhere.
"No—no… it was here! It was right here!"
My body turned cold.
Had the earth swallowed the strands of evidence?
Or had the medicine I took begun erasing reality instead of hallucinations?
"Mariam."
"No, brother—you know. You saw the hair too when—"
"Mariam!"
My brother shouted in my face.
My dear brother.
The one who had treated me with nothing but love.
He shouted at me.
"You're mentally unstable—don't you realize that?"
'Yes.'
"You've been throwing accusations left and right without even knowing what's real and what isn't!"
'Yes.'
That had been the truth since the moment I woke up.
Nothing had been the same anymore.
And it will not return.