"Nadeen told me what happened."

The water dripped down Amani's eyes, her head too heavy to hold up as they drag down.

"You did the right thing. Instincts, I would've done the same."

The supposed soothing words were stimulants to Amani, she grabbed the table under harsh pressure, channeling her overwhelming emotions into her grip.

Laura's face kept straight, yet her eyes told a different story.

"How is Nadeen?" Amani asked, her eyes landing on a cream-toned, younger version of her mother.

Laura cast her head down, bringing a discrete index to wipe her tears, "She is okay." Her tone was quiet.
Amani knew otherwise, "She isn't, is she?" Her question swept away without a response, compelling her head up and down.

"Take care of Nadeen," coming out of her hiding, expressing her dislike towards Laura's demanding career that left her sister uncared for by her immediate family. She was asking too much and yet, she wanted to ask more. "Please," Harder, "Take care of Nadeen and Walid."

"I will," Laura reassured, leaning forward and mimicking Amani's attentive poise, "But we will do it together. I won't let you die or go to prison for that monster. I don't care," she waved a hand in the air, nodding in determination, "I'll twist the law, bribe...even kill to get you out of here."

Amani's heart palpitated in her chest, terror ripping her throat as she took glances to her side, afraid someone could hear them. Laura was only scared, as she should, spitting whatever word came to her mind.

"Warn Nadeen," She was warning Laura as well, shaking her head bitterly, "tell her to stop talking, she will ruin my chance at winning. I know," she put a hand to her chest, she knew from her heart that, "Nadeen is the fiercest of us all but she is too emotional...too emotional. Aunt Laura, we can't have that right now. We cannot—"

Laura's eyes followed Amani's line of sight to her back, catching Walid's fast steps towards them and back to Amani who swiftly pulled her head down and aggressively wiped her tears.

"Walid." Her tone could not fake enthusiasm. The kid settled with Laura, dragging his chair close and resting his head on Laura's shoulder.

He was showing himself to her fully, honestly, his behavior confirmed nothing was fine like Laura insisted. If it was, where was Nadeen who although knew Amani would refuse to see her would still tag along to receive the same fate?

Amani wanted to fall apart. She sniffed, gripping the wood slashing the table in half, the prison's cruel way of keeping her off contact with visitors. "I miss you, Walid."
She felt the weight on him as he said, "I miss you too, Adda."

She inched further, "I want to come home. I just want to come home." ignoring the sharp warning,

"Saad, No physical contact!"

They could not break her, "I miss you all so much, it makes my chest hurt."

"Amani!" Sara called, her tone thick with warning.
She closed her eyes, on action, on instinct, and grabbed Laura and Walid's hands each as she rose. "Just know that I love you! Tell Nadeen, tell her I love her."

Laura was the strongest, rising to her feet and holding on, "I will, I will."

The alarm blared in her head, consequences en route to hit her, and guards rushed to grab her. "Come see me. See me as much as you can Walid-" Amani struggled against the arms that wrapped around her chest, propelling her back, "I want to go home!" She screamed, releasing her weight on her knees to retard Sara's effort.

Amid the commotion, between Walid, Laura and the guard's yells, the most prominent was, "Stop it, Saad! Don't do it!"

Sara wasn't enough, a bulkier male guard stepped in, grabbing Amani as she continued to scream, "Bring Nadeen! Please! Come and see me!"

Come to me,

Come see me,

Please, come see me.

***

The cloth soaked up the blood.

Yet it didn't stop more from spilling out.

Her eyes blinded with red, her fists unsteady, breathing ragged.

The discipline, and control she had acquired months back had been washed off, replaced by hastiness and heat, ants eating at her pants.

Amani smashed the speed bag harder, floating on her toes, not knowing where her next energy to strike came from.
The voices in her head began to hum again and she yelled. She screamed, hollered. Striking harder.

It didn't silence them, or overpower them. They sang harder.

Anger was an offspring of fear.

What did she fear?

Abandonment, the shadow behind her laughed.
It derived pleasure from her woe. Voices attached to her derived pleasure from her trials.

"I'll come see you more," she mimicked, crashing her shoulder into her face to wipe the sweat off it, "I miss you too Adda," she widened her pink eyes, dodging the speed bag that bounced back hard to her body, "Liars!" She declared. "You all don't love me!" Her scream resonated around the ring and everything surrounding it, "Talmabout, we will do it together. I won't let you die. Liar!" She rose her leg and delivered the next punch with it, maintaining the balance that she almost lost. "You're killing me already Laura!"

The sweat traveled down her neck, the alley of her now perky boobs confined in gym vest and disappeared. "You killed me, Sadiq!" The strike at the speed bag was personal, a picture of Sadiq's face on it when she stroke.

"A week?" She paused, the speed bag coming back to hit her off balance. She fell on her butt, immediately kicking her feet into the air and towards the bag that escaped her planned assault. "You stupid thing." She was back on her feet, squeezing the towel she had immaturely wrapped around her fingers and palm, the blood still dripping.

Amani's breath hadn't declined in rage, her feet already on toe, in position, as she continued to strike the bag. "None of you want to see me?"

Yes.
The answer she gave herself extracted a scream from her. "You ungrateful shits!" Punch, "This isn't for me," a bigger punch, "It's all for you!" A punch with the leg, "All for you!"

Her mother watched her from the speed bag shadow, their eyes crossing. She could feel tears in her eyes as she paused, her mother's eyes filled with fear. Fear of the monster her daughter had become.

Protect yourself, protect Nadeen and Walid-

Amani froze in her spot, compelled by her mother's words. The world remained with them alone, memories she did not wish to remember resurfacing.

No, wallahi no.

She closed her eyes, hoping it'd go away. The memory, the voices, hell, even her mother. She met Mommy even closer with her eyes closed.

I am sorry, mommy.

It was her voice, cracking and breaking.

I am sorry I failed you, Mommy.

The surrounding turned icy. It crept into her, her choice of gym vest was the worst decision she had made all year long.

It's why they left you alone, failure.

An evil grin crossed Mommy's face, her gait like that of a stature as it approached Amani. A personification of what mommy was not.

It wasn't real, why did it feel like it?

Her mind had created a game, a mad one at it. Pleasure from pain. A sadist.

Laura, Nadeen, Walid, Sadiq. They've all left you, why won't you say the truth?

Amani turned in search of an escape. Mommy was everywhere she sought, eyes in ire of flame.

I can't, mommy. You know I can't.

Then you're alone, Mommy's voice taunted, flaming fingers of hers grabbing Amani's face and attaching it to her equally flaming and grazing face, you will die alone.

"Saad!"

She was deaf, her mind too fixed on her mother.

I am sorry for not keeping up my promise, Mama.

Her body shook, temperature both cold and hot.

"Saad!"

Amani caught an overpowering voice again and desperately tried to focus on it, follow it, and hope it'd draw her somewhere away from her cruel, cruel mind.

Break their hearts, the voice was twisted, nothing her mother would ever say, before they break yours.

"Saad. Breakfast!"

Amani jolted and Mommy disappeared.