We crept along the tunnel silently, our path lit up by my candle. I shuddered at the sight of those cold, black walls surrounding the prison we call our home. I really wanted to meet the world again so, driven by my own selfish needs, I lead them on. 

" Assalamualaikum Sarah, Yasmine, Nadia, Karima, Basma, " it was Rahma, the one other girl my age at thirteen. Thing is she liked to keep to herself, tend to her siblings and help out Ms Kaur. She looked surprised to see us all together.

" Where are you all going? " She glances at us once more, then at the candle, probably thinking we're rich.

Yasmine's eyes lit up at the sight of her, she really admires Dr Kaur and would do anything to help her out.

No, no, I already knew she was going to tag along.

Even though Nadia loves weasling information from people she's really good at keeping secrets but really bad at pretending there isn't a secret.

" Nowhere of your concern. " Nadia said airily wagged her fingers," Now why don't you hurry on home and let's keep our meeting a secret. "

She really does have a weird way of making people feel important when they're not . . .

Rahma's eyes shone with curiosity and I knew I'd have to bring her along or she'd probably go nuts.

" Shut up Nadi, " I said a little sharper than I meant, then added more softly," She can come along if she has to. "

Yasmine jumped with excitement and immediately sidled towards her, nattering on about where we were going.

I ignored Rahma's squeals of delight, Karima's sighing and Nadia's face-palming and tried zoning out on Basma huffs over 'terrible clothing '. . . But she was impossible to zone out - 

" Shut UP! " I mutter loudly," We're almost there and are going to attract - "

attention

We were going near the most risky part of the journey, the 'town square', where adults have meetings that are strictly children free. Those 'meetings' are crucial to our survival and if anyone uninvited hears them we could all perish.

But obviously it was too late and adults swiveled around to our general direction. Karima blew out the candle and we froze, with bated breath. A man with a lantern whispered something to a collegue and raced towards us. The lantern lit up our faces.

" Karima! " A voice that I remembered vaguely yelled. Yaccoub . . . Yaccoub's friend! " Yasmine, Sarah, Nadia, Basma and Rahma! "

There was nothing left to do. There was no point in going back and getting severe tellings-off. Might as well go into the blissful world then face reality and it's consequences. They might not even know we went outside because only one anonymous person ( unincluding me ) knows the exit to this place so that he/she can collect the food/drink/stuff we need every month, the old one we all came through was blocked so the English didn't get  in and a new one was built for our survival. I found out by chance as I was trying to snoop by the town square a few years back and found a huge parcel filled with food, drinks and candles. I did some investigating and found that some some of the black wall was an optical illusion and it led to a gunky alleyway.

The others raced after me through the endless darkness until I paused because I couldn't here the larger footsteps echoing on the walls of the tunnel like I did before. I lit the candle.

" What happened? " Karima whispered.

Basma looked uncertain," I - I don't think we should go on Sarah! "

" He's gone, " I smile," I didn't want to bring you all along but we're almost there. "

Rahma's eyes lit up with hope," So we can finally breathe? "

" If," Nadia looked annoyed," Our friend here has got it right. "

Yasmine giggled," If anyone can't live with getting things wrong it's Sarah. "

I huffed, I'm not that bad, am I? So maybe I got a little annoyed when I was younger and got things wrong, so maybe I went nuts . . . But I was only eight! 

" Yeah, remember that time when she told Mr Khan off for saying her answer was wrong - " Nadia prompted.

They all tittered. 

" This is not the time for jokes, " I glare at them.

Karima stifled her laughs and nodded," She's right. Lead the way Sarah. "

Rahma's eyes were dreamy and Yasmine looked excited. 

" Hurry up Sarah! " Yasmine exclaimed," Hurry up! "

I slowly open my mouth to say, I'm not so sure about this when Basma squeaked," Optical illusion! Look! "

They all hurried over to her and worked out the illusion. I sighed and let my shoulders slump.

Nadia glanced at me," Coming or not Sarah? " Then she slipped through the illusion. The others sighed in protest then followed her. Rahma and Yasmine bounded eagerly through, hand in hand, then Basma stared at a cobweb, closed her eyes and raced through, finally Karima slid through elegantly.

I glared at Karima's back, they're so stupid, they're meant to check if anyone's there not slip right through. Then I think of flowers, the smell of lavender, roses and violets . . . The scent lingers on my mind and before I know it I'm through the illusion and the stench of garbage and stink sets on me. 

The area is lit up by a gentle and beautiful light but apart from that the place is horrible. It's a long street with black bags dumped everywhere, flies buzzing around. Cans are littered on the ground and all sorts of things are dumped. Wrecked houses glare at us menancingly and any sense of calm I once had was gone. Everywhere you look is grime and everywhere is overgrown with tall, evil plants.

Everyone turns to stare at me. 

" The not so beautiful reality huh? " Nadia smiles in a way that makes me want to explode. Reality huh? Reality huh? You want me to show you REALITY?!?

" You, are the most PESKY insect I've ever known, Nadia. "

Karima gives Nadia a comforting glance then puts a hand on my back," Nadia, chill out yeah, I mean there's a whole world out here. "

Yasmine and Rahma start jumping up and down with excitement. Basma sniffs the air and holds her nose but does noting more. Karima's mouth drops open and she points up.

Instinctively we all gaze upwards. A sky. 

Waves of colour painted on it, blood-reds, oranges and yellows and bubbly cloud shapes bobbing above. And a deep yellow semi-circle near the ground. A brilliant sunset. Alhamdulilah!

Nadia has been proven wrong. Ha! Nadia really is a no-brained nosey gnat  -

A shadow falls upon me and I shiver. Suddenly things seem weird, dark and gloomy. I glance at Yasmine and feel horrified at her look of terror. Rahma's eyes are wide with shock and Karima begins to scream, Basma looks close to tears.

I spin round to see three hooded figures slipping through the illusion behind us and into the tunnels. 

I'm such an idiot. Astaghfirullah! 

Because of me . . . I was still frozen in fear, I snapped myself straight and twisted around.

But there was no time to think. I grabbed Yasmine's hand, trying not to remember anything just anything could happen to me or her. I tried forgetting I was the eldest and if she got hurt in any way it would be my fault.People might not blame me but the biggest person will, me. 

" Nadia, Karima, Basma! Look after Yasmine and Rahma. I'll try and . . . "

I cuddle up towards Yasmine and she stares at me with fear in her eyes.

Do what?

" I'll try and get to the intruders maybe delay them or I'll warn the others . . . "

" I'll come - " Began Karima.

I put my hand up high," I know them best. Alahafiz! "

Yasmine shakes her head," No. You aren't! "

Rahma nods," You definitely can't! "

Nadia puts a hand on Yasmine's head," Yas, wait, not now love. "

Karima's eyes are filled with tears, but I didn't have enough time for this.

I give only one glance back and remind myself that my job is to keep Yasmine safe, that could only happen if we are apart and I can't, just can't back down now. This is all my fault so it's my job to fix it. I jog further and further away from them, unable to resist I take a last look behind my shoulder. They're gone, hopefully to safety.

No, I couldn't burst now . . . Silent tears whispered in my brain, more and more uncontrollable.

Dun . . . Dun Dunn! What do you think of their sudden disappearance near the end?

What do you think of her going on alone?

Is this the last we see of Yasmine? 

( Sorry I just Had to include three questions :) )