PLOT: Amara was supposed to be the town's hero. A statue built in her honor was protected by the tribesmen in the forest. But when Kiara and her friends chance upon it, they learn the terrifying truth about Amara.
After all, not all legends are about heroes.
CHAPTER ONE
Kiara Someri tried to ignore the constant snickering behind her. She already hated school; Shanaya's presence made it unbearable.
Her arch-rival was at it again. Instead of listening to the History lesson droned on by Ms. Tivani, Shanaya was gossiping with her nitwit friends, Rami and Veena.
"Ugh, those boots with those jeans? Yuck!"
Kiara bit the inside of her cheek. It must be Rami who said that. She must feel self-entitled to pass comments on style as she was a self-proclaimed fashionista.
"That personality with that face?" Veena giggled. "Has she even heard of makeup?"
"She's going for au naturel," Shanaya said a little loud so she could be heard by Kiara, "More like, oh no not for your skin type."
More snickering. More ridiculous gossip. More distraction.
Not that she wanted to pay attention in History class anyway. Kiara felt she would pick any career that would steer her far away from boring subjects that she was forced to study.
"As this is your last year of High School, I think it is important that we learn our history." Ms. Tivani gave a beaming smile at everyone, her green eyes sparkling as she watched every student. Her short curly hair, a hairband and maxi dress with a black jacket, made her look more like a hippie than a teacher.
She rubbed her hands together slowly as she spoke, "Many of us will venture out of our little town, and into big cities. But before you do, don't forget where you came from. We must know our roots."
Kiara sat up straight. Behind her, the snickering stopped.
"HarbourOne City was once a little town called Yamara. A tribe had settled there and they began building houses. Soon enough, they caught the eyes of the wolves that roamed in the wild."
Kiara turned her head to see Shanaya looking at her. She turned away and clasped her hands in front of her.
"One brave girl decided to stand up against the wolves." Ms. Tivani spoke as if she was narrating a drama. “It wasn’t an easy task, but this brave twelve-year-old girl decided she couldn’t stand by and watch the people in the village be mauled to death. Her name was Amara.”
Kiara looked sideways and saw Shanaya looking at her too. Her face had paled, her small mouth seeming smaller as she bit her lip. Her blue eyes were wide and darting around the classroom in fear, as if expecting to be attacked at the mere mention of the girl’s name.
Kiara felt the same way. She wished Ms. Tivani would just stop talking about the so-called hero of the town. If only she knew the truth.
But she didn’t, just like the rest of the people in town who revered Amara as if she were a God.
Kiara wanted to raise her hand, tell the teacher how wrong she was. But the consequences of it would affect her life. No one would believe her. And what if someone outside heard her words?
She would be punished for her blasphemous statements and she would have to pay with her life.
“If it wasn’t for Amara,” Ms. Tivani continued, blissfully unaware of the lies she was spewing, “this town would not exist. It would be a hunting ground for wolves.”
Kiara heard a small gasp, then a moan that only she could hear because she was seated in front of Rami.
“Shut up,” Veena hissed.
Rami replied with another tiny moan. Kiara glanced back and saw her shaking as Ms. Tivani paid a tribute to Amara.
“Can you imagine, being twelve and facing such terror?” The teacher scoffed. “None of you would ever understand how it felt to begin a life in another place, trying to thrive in the wild.
You all are too dependent on your smartphones and social media. Amara had guts. She stood up for her people, she...”
Rami was shaking so violently, her desk shook.
“Stop it! None of it is true!” Kiara uttered the words aloud and then choked on her shock.
Around her, she heard gasps. There was whispering.
“Is she crazy?”
“Is she seriously insulting Amara?”
“She’s going to get into so much trouble.”
Kiara stared wide-eyed at Ms. Tivani whose eyes were blazing. She raised her hands and screamed, “All of you, shush!”
Kiara turned to Shanaya who looked mortified. She shook her head, her blue eyes registering her reluctance to agree with her, much less support her outburst.
“Kiara! Stand up!” Ms. Tivani took a step forward, as if part of her expected her student to show more impudence.
Kiara rose slowly, her cheeks warming, sweat running down her neck. She opened her mouth to explain herself when there was a vibrating thud on the window next to her.
Kiara turned, a cry caught in her throat as she saw a pair of bloody palms on the window of the ground floor classroom.
The palms slipped, squealing against the glass, leaving a trail of blood, revealing a girl. Her face bloodied, her hair matted with more blood. There were deep cuts on her cheeks.
“Help…me…” she fell, disappearing from view.
Kiara froze, sure she was hallucinating. When the screams behind her grew loud, she let out a shaky cry, barely audible even to her.
CHAPTER TWO
KIARA STARED AT her palms that were cold and pale. Her fingernails had a bluish tinge. She could still hear the dull thud of her heartbeat.
“You shouldn’t have said that in class,” Shanaya said, her voice low.
Kiara looked around the office, saw the teachers gathered around one table, throwing uneasy glances in their direction. A few police officers were talking to the principal Mr. Wardan. Kiara could see them looking at her through the open Venetian blinds of the office.
“I didn’t mean to.” Kiara felt weird talking. Her lips were cold and numb. “Every time they start talking about Amara like she was a god, it just feels wrong.”
“That’s what the town wants to believe. If it’s keeping them safe, then let them believe in that.” Shanaya rolled her eyes. “I told you something terrible happens whenever we say anything against Amara. Five years ago, we promised we would never utter her name."
Kiara looked at Shanaya. “I kept my end of the promise. Till today. But you? You put the entire blame of what happened to Nari on me.”
“Shut up!” Shanaya said softly, yet threateningly. “They wanted to know what happened to her. We couldn’t tell them the truth now, could we?”
“Your solution was to make me look like a killer,” Kiara accused.
“Oh boo-hoo.” Shanaya threw her a disparaging look, then clasped her hands and crossed her legs. “If everyone thought you were the killer, you would be behind bars. We had to do this. We agreed this was the safest option.”
“For you. And I don’t remember agreeing to this.” Kiara spat.
Mr. Wardan’s office door opened, and he along with two police officers, walked out.
“Ms. Kiara and Ms. Shanaya,” the female police officer said, “You both were friends with the victim…Ruchi Varma.”
Kiara looked at Shanaya who gazed down at her shoes, then stood. Kiara stood as well. She hadn’t been friends with Ruchi ever since their fallout five years ago. Still, she didn’t think it was a good idea to divulge juvenile school politics to the officers who were working on a case.
Ruchi was dead. Someone had killed her based on the wounds found on her body.
“Yes,” Shanaya replied.
The woman police officer glanced at Kiara who simply nodded. “I’m Officer Lekha. When was the last time you saw Ruchi?”
“Just a few minutes ago. We were in class…” Kiara stopped when she saw the officer’s expression. “Did you mean before?” The officer nodded. “Yesterday. At school.”
The officer narrowed her eyes. “And did you decide to meet up after school?”
“No.” Shanaya let out a breath. “We did talk on the phone at around seven in the evening, but that’s it.”
The police officer took out a notepad and scribbled in it. “Did she have any enemies? Anyone who might want to hurt her?”
“We’re in high school.” Shanaya scoffed. “Yeah, sometimes girls can be bitchy and have fights, but we don’t want to kill each other.”
The officer raised her eyebrows as she jotted something in her notepad. “You have no idea how far some girls take their rivalry. Did she have a boyfriend?”
“Not that I know of.” Shanaya chewed on her lip. “What killed her?”
The officer exchanged looks with her colleague. “The investigation is still underway.”
“There were cuts on her neck and face.” Kiara searched for any indication on the officer’s face that she would reveal more, but found only stolidity. “Who could do this to her? How did she even get here in her condition?”
“You’ll know more soon when we do.” The officer walked away, while the principal came to them.
“You girls must be in shock,” Mr. Wardan said, his voice soft with sympathy. “Your parents were called.” He turned to Kiara. “Your mother didn’t pick up. We are cancelling the rest of the classes for the day. You can go home. If you need someone to talk to, the school counsellor can help.”
Shanaya checked her phone. “My mother is going to pick me up.” She let out a breath. “I don’t think I’m going to get those images out of my head.”
Mr. Wardan nodded in understanding. “You both are neighbours, aren’t you? You both live in the same building?”
Shanaya took a step back, looking away, clearly not interested in offering an invitation to Kiara.
Kiara swallowed and pretended to check her phone. “Actually, my mother just texted. I’ve asked her to come pick me up. I’ll wait for her.”
Mr. Wardan looked relieved. “Take care, girls. I’m sorry for your loss. Ruchi was a very dear friend to both of you. Let us pray that her soul finds peace.”
Kiara looked at the freshly cleaned tiles in the office. Ruchi, Shanaya and her were best friends as kids, and that was probably what the principal remembered. He didn’t know that Ruchi was one of the girls who would occasionally bully her and hurl insults at her.
Still, Ruchi was dead now, and Kiara preferred to hold onto the memories of them as kids. Ruchi was a sweet girl once upon a time.
Shanaya left without another word, and Kiara followed her back to the classroom to pick up her things.
The classroom was empty, and Shanaya picked up her bag and books. Throwing an uneasy glance at her, she left. Kiara sat down on one of the chairs and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to turn around and look outside the window where the bloody marks were still present. The area outside was cordoned off, and she could hear the muffled voices of the police.
She picked up her bag, and walked out. Phone in hand, she considered calling her mother, but knew she wouldn’t take her call. Her mother was probably busy on the phone, hurling insults at her ex-husband who dared to get engaged to someone younger and was demanding that his engagement ring be returned.
Outside, the air was crisp. The murmurings of students and the investigation team, broke the dullness of the day.
This was supposed to be a quiet town, with a small population. HarbourOne City. Nothing bad ever happened, apart from a few shoplifting cases.
And now someone had died under mysterious circumstances. A cool breeze swept over her, chilling her to the bone. Her shoes crunched dried leaves as she walked faster, desperate to distance herself from the crime scene.
She stopped when she saw a movement behind a tree that stood beyond the school gates. A grayish hand, crept over the trunk, almost hugging it. Around the wrist, she saw a blue ribbon fluttering.
Kiara's mouth went dry. A head moved sideways, but all Kiara could see was long dark hair, being pushed back by the wind. The head moved again, and Kiara saw hollowed out eyes.
Her heart missed a beat, and Kiara felt dizzy. She blinked rapidly, and the bizarre sight was gone. Part of her didn't want to go further. The other part reminded her she needed to get out of here and into the safety of her home.
She strode toward the gate, her eyes on the trees, but there was nothing unusual staring at her. She wondered if she was hallucinating; probably a side effect of what she had experienced two hours ago. She had witnessed someone's death. Of course, her mind was disturbed.
Still, Kiara couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes on her. She took the road that would lead her home, and kept her eyes on the tree that was leafless at this time of the year.
The wind blew again, and the branches swayed. Dried leaves on the road made a crinkling, whooshing sound. Something fluttered in the wind, and stuck to her wrist.
Kiara clutched at the fabric and brought it up to see a light blue ribbon, twirling in her hand. She gasped, as memories poured into her mind.
Five years ago, she knew a girl who liked wearing blue ribbons.
CHAPTER THREE
The walk back home was excruciating. Being alone with maddening thoughts was torturous, but Kiara knew she had to endure it.
Usually, she would make the trip lively by wearing her headphones and blasting rock music into her ears to deaden her misery.
But today was different. Her hands were numb after what she had witnessed. Someone she knew, died in front of her. Someone she knew since childhood showed no compassion even in such circumstances, and didn’t bother to drop her home.
On top of it all, Kiara knew her mother was still unaware of the incident at school. She was too preoccupied dealing with her own misery to even put on the TV or check online for the news.
She felt for the phone in her pocket, but her fingers still wouldn’t pry it out. What was the point anyway? She would only receive a busy tone.
The road ahead was dreary, the sky above graying. The trees that lined the road swayed in the wind, making a terrible whooshing sound that reminded her of an incident that took place five years ago.
Another name. Another friend. Lost to the legend of Amara.
She heard a squeaking metallic sound and turned her head to see the board still swinging between two trees, held by rusty chains.
DO NOT ENTER THE WOODS
Kiara let out a breath. The red board was scratched and dirtied. It barely looked menacing enough to stop trespassers.
It hadn’t stopped her, and her then friend, Shanaya either.
Kiara closed her eyes to push away the memories but saw Ruchi banging on the window, her hands soaked in blood, her eyes desperate, her mouth splurging more blood.
Kiara opened her eyes and shivered. It was too cold. Her red hoodie jacket didn’t provide enough protection against the chill that dug into her shoulders.
The vast empty road reminded her there was still quite a distance to her house. Overhead, the sky grew darker.
When she heard a rumble, she supposed it was thunder, but as the sound repeated, she realized what it really was.
Deep in the woods, lay the settlement of the tribe that worshiped Amara. No one was allowed to disturb them. No one was allowed to venture in.
Over the years, the city had forgotten Amara was meant to be revered, but not the tribe. A word against Amara was a word against them.
And the only way they responded was with violence.
At least that was how the rumour went. A high school student had written a thesis on the city some years ago. He too had negated the possibility of Amara being a young girl when she saved the town.
Something hadn’t added up, and he had come up with a theory that Amara wasn’t a little girl but a dwarf. He allegedly stated that the birth date was wrong and he found documents which showed Amara wasn’t born in 1895 but in 1885. She was twenty-two when she died. He had found census documents of the town which backed his statement.
He decided to venture into the woods to talk to the tribe and get them to support his theory. He was badly beaten and upon return, stopped talking before leaving the town forever.
Of course, other rumours milled by teenagers claimed that it was Amara who attacked him for bringing out the truth about her.
Kiara stopped and checked her watch. It was four-thirty. The sun was about to set soon, and right before, the tribe played the drums. She heard it was so that they could drive away demons. Another version of the story was that they believed the wolves would return now that Amara was dead and now needed to play loud sounds to discourage the animals. Her statue was placed at the entrance of their settlement so that she could always protect them, and they always played the drums to ward off danger.
Kiara walked faster, wishing she wouldn’t remember what she had seen five years ago. They were never supposed to go in. They weren’t supposed to enter the woods and find Amara’s statue. They should have paid attention to the rumours.
Except, Shanaya had managed to convince her and the others to check out the settlement. It was supposed to be adventurous, daring, fun. However, it had been none of those things as the evening panned out.
A blaring horn jostled her nerves. She whipped her head around and uttered a cry when she saw a motorcycle heading straight for her.
It came to a screeching halt, inches away from her.
“What the hell are you doing in the middle of the road?” The biker had a helmet on, and his voice was muffled.
Kiara just stared, catching her breath, focusing on whether or not she had been hurt. She couldn’t be sure.
It was then she noticed, she had walked right into the middle of the road, heading to the woods across.
She breathed heavily when she saw a movement. There was someone behind the tree, staring at her through the branches, growling.
“Hey!”
She heard a snap in her ears and turned back to the biker who had removed his helmet.
It was a man, well into his twenties, wearing a leather jacket and dark blue jeans, with dark boots.
Kiara looked into his inquisitive brown eyes and gathered herself.
“Sorry,” she mumbled and turned around. The faster she got out of here, the better. At the moment, she couldn’t wait to get home.
What she couldn’t understand was how she had ended up on the road. She was sure she was walking on the side, gazing at the board, losing herself in her memories.
“Wait up!”
The biker came over to her with his bike and stopped. He was riding a red cruiser and by the looks of it, the bike had been through a rough journey. She saw stains of mud, droplets of water on the fender and the body of the bike.
He plucked out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.
“Can you tell me where 218, Roster Street is?”
Kiara felt her stomach drop. “What for?”
His brow furrowed. “My cousin lives there. I’m visiting.” He smiled then. “My name is Veer.” He offered his hand but Kiara didn’t take it. She stared at him, torn between giving the directions and imagining him to be a predator. After all, how could he know her home address?
He retracted his hand and looked over her. “You must be in school. Perhaps you know my cousin, Shanaya Rupers.”
Her jaw tightened. “You’re Shanaya’s cousin?”
“You know her? Good. I’m new in town, so I would really be grateful if you could help me.”
Kiara didn’t hear him. She saw Shanaya teasing her for all these years, saw her placing a blame on her that Kiara didn’t think she deserved. Worse, she saw Shanaya refusing to give her a lift even though they were neighbours and she had suffered a traumatic incident today.
She could just walk away, tell Veer to get lost. But the burning hatred in her chest wouldn’t allow it.
“You’re going to wrong way,” she said, her lips numb and her heart beating fast. “You need to turn around, take the first left. You will see a roundabout, take a right from there. Then another right.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Okay...”
“The first building on your right is where Shanaya lives,” she told him, straight-faced.
“Thanks,” his voice sounded wooden as he put on his helmet. “I’ll see you around town.”
“Sure.” She managed a polite smile.
The motorcycle engine roared and he was gone seconds later.
Kiara felt a knot in her stomach that she attributed to excitement. She didn’t think she had it in her to be vengeful. Shanaya had made her life miserable for five years and Kiara thought it was better to remain quiet and ignore her.
Kiara shook her head. No, the truth was that she thought she had failed. That she would never be able to stand up to Shanaya and her friends, so she had never even tried to stand up for herself.
She watched Veer in the distance, following her directions.
“Damnit.” It was childish, really. Veer had nothing to do with what Shanaya had put her through over the years.
But somewhere deep inside her, a voice spoke bitterly, “If not her, at least you can mess with her family. That would show her.”
Kiara began walking faster, disconcerted by her train of thoughts. This was hardly revenge, but still, she felt a glow of retribution.
It felt good, yet queasy.
“It’s not like I pushed him in the ditch or spread vicious rumours about him. Just wrong directions. It’s not like he’s going to end up at a serial killer’s den or anything.”
Kiara looked around her, hoping no one saw her talking aloud to herself.
No serial killers in their quiet little town. Except...Amara...
Kiara glanced at the woods.
At least she didn’t send him inside.
A gust rattled the warning board again and Kiara hastened her steps. If only there was an alternate route home. Or a faster way. She breathed a sigh of relief when she exited the canopy of wild trees.
The town that lay beyond was quiet, unassuming and cozy.
There was a small fountain in the middle that served as a roundabout, old buildings that had small stores and groceries on the ground floor.
A small garden lay across from the buildings where a play set was erected in the center. Kids rarely played on it since it was old and badly in need of repair.
When Kiara was born, her family lived in one of the red brick buildings. She still remembered growing up amongst friendly neighbours, having to go just downstairs to get some urgent groceries or a candy bar that she wasn’t allowed to snack on.
Then when she was ten, her parents decided they needed to live in better surroundings now that they had well-paying jobs. They moved to Silent Meadows, a place far from the heart of the city.
Despite its name, the street, Silent Meadows, was hardly silent. It was a bustling street where people drove their luxury cars and motorbikes, all of them trying to show off their affluence. The neighbours were always competing with each other, the kids always putting down others for wearing outdated fashions.
Kiara stared at the yellow and white, glass building tower ahead. This was what her home had been for seven years. For the first two years it had been okay. Her mother and Shanaya’s mother had become quick friends since they lived in the same floor and across from each other.
Kiara couldn’t think of another reason why they would even be friends apart from it being convenient that they lived nearby. Shanaya and Kiara were forced to become friends because their mothers always set up play dates to strengthen their own friendship.
As years passed, things went downhill when Kiara’s father had an affair with a perfume saleswoman. Countless fights later, her father moved out, leaving Kiara’s mother bitter and even more eager to stay at Silent Meadows and retain her status in spite of the fact they could hardly afford to stay there with only one income.
Worse was when her father called up one day, not to ask how she was doing but to convince her mother to give back the engagement ring because he wanted to give it to his new girlfriend who was no longer the perfume saleswoman, but his office secretary.
Kiara let out a breath. Today had taken all the energy out of her, and all she wanted to do was collapse into her bed. But she also didn’t want to go home, knowing that she would be greeted with yet another phone argument and her mother smashing more plates on the counter as she emphasized her point to her ex-husband.
She headed toward the stairs, defeated, knowing she at least had the option to close her bedroom door and get some sleep. Where else could she go? She didn’t have any friends she could hang out with.
She headed to the elevators, feeling like the weight of world was on her shoulders, like she was oscillating between problems without not even a moment where she could catch her breath and relax.
The elevator signalled its arrival and she got in and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor. She stepped back and leaned against the back of the elevator, closing her eyes.
The doors were closing when there was slight vibration before it drew open again.
She opened her eyes to see Veer enter, helmet in hand. He gave her a half-smile before turning around.
Kiara swallowed. He was taller than she had imagined, menacingly so. The leather jacket emphasized his broad shoulders and she noticed in the mirrored walls of the elevator, that his jaw was tightened.
She considered stopping the lift and getting down on an earlier floor. He knew what she had done. The elevator was too small. She needed to get out.
He turned his head and she saw his brown eyes were twinkling with amusement. “You could have told me you were heading this way. I could have given you a lift.”
Kiara felt her heart leap into her mouth. She simply stared, aware of beads of sweat forming on her temples. She looked away quickly, fixing her eyes on the digital board that told her she still had ten floors to go.
She prayed the elevator doors would open again and one of her neighbours would step in.
He turned away again, his helmet swinging slightly as he did so. “Thanks for the directions by the way. You do realize there is such a thing as an app called Maps? You know, to help with directions? GPS? Must have heard of that.”
Kiara stayed silent and kept her eyes downward, waiting for her floor to arrive.
“I didn’t realize we were neighbours,” he kept talking. “What was this supposed to be? A prank on the new guy in town? You really didn’t put much thought into this.”
The elevator finally gave out a ping and the doors opened. Veer moved to the side, and she caught him looking smug. Of course, he would be. Must run in the family, she thought miserably.
She walked to her door, aware he was behind her. She had made a mistake. He was probably like Shanaya. He would try to make her life miserable.
She removed her key and focused on inserting it even though she sensed he was behind her, ringing the doorbell diagonally across from her apartment.
Once it opened, she rushed inside and closed the door behind, then locked it.
The first thing she heard was her mother’s raised voice. “Don’t you dare think I’m going to give it back! Yeah? Well, you can try to, you scumbag. Oh, what are you going to do about it?”
She heard short pauses before her mother went on a tirade.
Kiara went into the kitchen, grabbed a big bag of chips and a candy bar. She opened the fridge and found a bottle of mixed fruit juice.
Holding it all under her arm, she walked out, and spotted her mother in her bedroom, sitting on a chair and yelling on the phone.
Her mother took one look at her snacks and frowned. She covered the mouthpiece and spoke, “Eat something healthy for a change.”
“Okay. Did you lay out a healthy lunch for me? Is it in the oven? On the stove? Refrigerator? No?”
Her mother’s gaze intensified at her sarcasm. Of course, her mother hadn’t found the time to cook. She was too busy fighting with her ex-husband on the phone to even notice the time. Kiara waved and went into her room, slamming the door shut.
Her room was where she was free to think about whatever she wanted, do whatever she desired. She had purposely kept her walls barren, despising the thought of nail holes or tape marks left behind when a poster or painting was put up. When she was ten, she did have posters of her favourite actors put up. Then when she no longer was a fan and took them down, and was aggravated to learn that her clean walls were now marred.
After a paint job, her room was finally spotless. Her twin bed was always made up and her bed cover was a calming lavender. The bedsheets underneath were a pale yellow. On her white nightstand stood a desk lamp fitted with an LED bulb. She had a dressing table on the right side of her bed, and a wide window on the other. There were curtains over them, but they always tied back because she liked looking out at the sky.
Right across from her bed was a desk with an inbuilt shelf which contained a handful of novels she had yet to complete. The books she owned as a child had long been given away to charity.
Her bathroom was on the left of the bedroom door and always shut because the first thing she wanted to see when she entered her room was the window, which showed her that just for a few moments, she was safe from the cruel world.
Kiara tossed her snacks unceremoniously on her bed, grabbed her laptop and turned it on. She put on a movie she found online and plopped on her bed. She removed her jacket and tossed it on the floor. Opening the packet of potato chips, she stuffed a handful in her mouth and was opening the bottled juice when there was a knock on the door.
Kiara paused, sat up and chewed the barbecue chips loudly, savouring the sweet and smoky flavour. Then she swallowed and wiped her mouth, all the while staring at the door.
She should have heard her mother stop arguing a few minutes ago.
She rolled her eyes. Her mother was probably going to come in and give her an earful about choosing the unhealthy snacks for her.
She glanced back at the screen and saw the movie was still buffering, slammed the laptop lid shut and jumped out of bed. It was better to just get over with it. She swung the door open, at the same time, ready to deliver her statement of having every right to eat whatever she wanted.
But there was no one. Just the empty hallway, and her mother's hushed voice coming from her bedroom. Perhaps her mother had come to talk to her and then received another phone call.
She closed the door softly and went back to her bed. She stopped short when she saw a blue ribbon on top of her laptop. Her hand felt for the ribbon she had found near the school and put into her pocket, although she should have just tossed it out right then.
When she couldn't find it, she realized the ribbon must have slipped from her pocket. She picked it up and walked over to the window. The light blue satin ribbon was innocent enough, yet it produced a sense of dread within her.
Nari used to love ribbons.
That thought refused to leave her mind. She opened the window and tossed it away, wishing she could toss away Nari's memories like that too. The ribbon flew out of her hand but floated down to the ledge of the apartment below.
Kiara groaned. She had hoped the wind would take it far from her. But now the wind seemed to have died down.
At least I'm on the eighteenth floor. I don't have to look down if I have to. The building cleaners will get it.
The door opened behind her and she jumped. Her mother stopped by the door, her face slightly pale, her eyes dark. Her dark hair fell in silky waves over her red sweater.
Her mother still had an enviable figure even in her forties. The dark blue jeans she wore, showcased the curves of her legs. Kiara wished her figure had gone on her mother's rather than her father's side. She felt she had curves in all the wrong places and it didn't help that she wouldn't stop her intake of chips and chocolates and sugary juices.
Anything to keep her feeling a tiny bit happy, even for a little while.
"I got a call from Mr. Wardan." Her mother pressed her lips together, searching her daughter's face. "He told me what happened at school today. He said he tried calling me, but the phone was busy."
Kiara stood by the window, not knowing what she should say. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to tell her mother she was scared. She just wanted to forget and feel like a normal girl, unaffected by worldly troubles.
"Did Shanaya offer you a ride?"
"I told the principal you were picking me up."
Her mother looked down at her soft-soled slippers. "You should have come with Shanaya. You shouldn't have been alone after what happened."
Kiara crossed her arms. "If you were paying any attention to my life, you would know Shanaya and I aren't exactly friends. We endure each other because our mothers are friends. She didn’t exactly offer an invitation to drop me home. "
"You will grow to like each other if you spend more time together."
"Is there something you wanted?" Kiara wanted nothing more than to get back to her movie.
Her mother scratched the side of her nose. "You've been through something traumatic. Do you want to go out? Talk? Or order your favourite food and watch TV?"
Kiara opened up the laptop and frowned. The movie was still stuck on buffering. Then again, she shouldn’t have closed the lid abruptly and interrupted the process.
"I haven't paid the internet bill. I'll do that and then we can go out if you want."
Kiara nodded without looking at her.
"Great. I'll go get dressed."
Kiara sat down on her bed, closed the laptop and sighed. She didn't think she had the energy to go out. But anything was better than staying in sans internet and letting her thoughts torture her.
****
The aroma of French fries and waffle ice cream cones wafted in the air. Kiara threw an anxious glance around the food court, hoping she wouldn’t run into any of her classmates.
There were some kids from her school who were joining tables together in the centre to sit together, but they were three years her junior.
As she walked through the tables, she felt eyes on her. The news of Ruchi’s death had spread like wildfire. People wanted to know more than what was revealed in the news so far.
Kiara was in her class; she realized people would see her as some kind of informant. She wanted to scream out that Ruchi and she hadn’t been friends in years, but at this point, people would only think her callous for bringing up teenage drama.
“What do you want to eat?” Her mother broke into her thoughts.
Kiara let out a shaky breath. “Huh? What?”
Her mother looked around at the people seated, most who were watching them curiously. She muttered something about a ‘bad idea’ that Kiara barely caught.
“What do you want for dinner? Burger? Pizza?”
Kiara looked at her mother in surprise, certain she was being led to a salad or a juice bar.
“I can have a burger?”
“Ice cream, too, if you want.” Her mother sat on a table for two.
Kiara watched her mother’s expression, seeing nothing but sincerity.
“I can have a burger with fries and a soft drink. And ice cream?”
Her mother nodded.
Kiara eyed the burger joint her mother never let her visit. She turned around and walked toward it.
Behind her, she heard her mother say, “We’ll share.”
Kiara sighed and went up to the counter. “A smile meal, please.”
The cashier punched in the order. “Do you want to upsize it?”
Kiara pressed her lips together, glanced back at her mother, then replied. “Yes, supersize it.”
The cashier looked up then, adjusted her orange cap and eyed her. Her fingers punched the machine but she kept looking at Kiara. “Aren’t you the girl whose friend was murdered? The Early Report published a statement and some kids from your school pointed at you.”
The small threads of hunger that had awakened inside her, quelled. Her chest felt like it was turning into ice even as her cheeks felt warm.
“What exactly happened?” The cashier asked, laying one arm over the machine and leaning. “Were you with her at the time? The other kids said you saw everything up close.”
Kiara watched the woman with soft brown hair tied into a ponytail, her gray eyes shining with curiosity. She had lines on her face, denoting she was middle-aged.
In this quiet little town, the woman was probably bored out of her mind and was now angling for gossip.
Kiara’s throat ran dry. She had a few notes rolled up in her hand. She stared at it, then cleared her throat. “How much?” Her voice barely came out.
“Her name was Ruchi, wasn’t it?” The woman leaned forward. “Was she murdered? The news says it was an animal attack, but it really wasn’t, was it?”
Kiara swallowed, feeling herself close to tears. The images ran in her head again. She saw Ruchi slamming against the window, her hands dripping blood.
Kiara put down a few notes and mumbled, “Keep the change.”
She looked around and saw her mother had changed seats to a table at a corner, hiding behind an artificial palm tree. Her mother’s pink satchel by the chair was a give away to her location.
She rushed over, and sat down, feeling the room spin around her. The noises, the lights, her own heartbeat drumming in her ears, made her want to run.
“Do you want to leave?” Her mother asked kindly.
Kiara looked up and saw her mother frowning. Clutching the sides of her chair, she shook her head. “I’m hungry.”
“Hunger trumps anxiety.” Her mother said, flippantly. “What is your order number.”
Kiara swallowed as she remembered she didn’t take her receipt. Her mother sighed, got up and went to the Burger joint. She spoke to the cashier and was handed a tray.
Once her mother returned, Kiara picked up a French fry and stuffed it into her mouth.
“I think it would be better if you talk about what happened today.”
Kiara stuffed four French fries into her mouth, then took a big swig of cola.
“Were you and Ruchi close?” Her mother prodded, chewing slowly on a French fry.
Kiara could feel a lump growing in her throat. “Can I please not talk about today?”
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow if you want. Or the day after. You can’t keep dodging my questions. You need to talk about this in order to heal from this.”
“Why are you being so hard on me today, of all days?” Kiara felt tears welling up in her eyes. “Do you know what it felt like, seeing her like that? Do you know what it felt like having no one pick me up because you were too busy to take the call?”
“You’re angry and projecting,” her mother replied calmly. “I should have picked up the call. I’m sorry. But you are projecting your anger on me rather than confronting your own feelings.”
“Fine.” Kiara sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “The truth is that Ruchi and I stopped being friends five years ago. The same is true with Shanaya as well. I’m going through hell at school because I’m being ostracized; all because of some dumb rumours that were spread by my so-called friends.” She let out a breath. “But it’s not like you care or anything. You didn’t even notice what I was going through because you are so self-absorbed.”
Her mother watched her with a change in expression, then took a deep breath before saying, “Self-absorbed?” She gave half a smile. “Alright, the past few years haven’t been kind on me either. I found out my husband was cheating on me. My marriage fell apart. I had to sort out finances, build a life for myself once again, deal with my ex-husband badgering me to return things that don’t belong to him.”
She leaned forward. “I know you were going through something at school, but I thought you would tell me what it was, rather than me having to ask for it.”
“Now you know.” Kiara said quietly.
“What can I do to help?”
Kiara looked away, blinking back tears. “I want to leave. This school, this town, everything.”
“We can’t do that,” Her mother replied flatly.
“Why?” Kiara asked, frustration bubbling inside her. “We can start a new life. Dad doesn’t need to know where we live. He won’t call you, ever. We could just…”
“Run away.” Her mother scoffed. “The easiest solution isn’t necessarily the best one.”
“Mom, please.” Kiara wiped a tear. “I hate it here.”
“I know.” Her mother frowned. “But I would be a terrible mother if I gave in. We have to stay here for the only reason that we can’t always keep running away the minute things get hard.” She reached for Kiara’s hand. “At first you might even be happy with the idea of going to another place, because hey, you left the bad people behind. But deep inside, you would hate yourself for being a coward. Then there would come a day, when you would find something else hard and unpleasant in this new place, and your solution will be to run away again.”
“What’s so bad about taking care of your mental health? Isn’t it advisable to keep away from toxic people and environments?”
“You can’t keep running,” Her mother said firmly. “At some point, you have to realize that running cannot be your only solution. Life is hard, and it sucks sometimes, but you can’t escape every difficult situation. Sometimes, you just have to stand your ground and face it. Trust me, you’ll become tougher.”
“I don’t want to be.”
“You know that feeling you are feeling right now, you won’t feel it if you changed your perspective.”
Kiara made a frustrated sound. “And I’m supposed to change my perspective too, now?”
“If you step back from your situation, look it at from a different angle, maybe you might find a solution,” her mother said. “The only thing is, you are going to have to sort your problems yourself. I’ll always be there to support you, but this is your life and your fight.”
Kiara pulled her hand back, and unwrapped the burger. “We are getting ice cream afterwards, right?”
Her mother smiled. “Yes.”
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Nice plot. I am wondering about the murder. Who did it? Best wishes for your book.
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