C13 Unearthly dream

Let it go, let it go

Turn away and slam the door

I don't care what they're going to say

Let the storm rage on

The cold never bothered me anyway

Sudden alarm clock alongside someone knocks on her door makes her jounce shockingly on her bed. She clicks the ‘miss’ button so the same mistake will not happen again as she sometimes forgot. She was somehow deaf as a post when her alarm was ringing for God knows how long before. She even made her parent come into her room one by one just to off her phone's alarm. Too loud, lass. Too loud. But much to her consciousness, she accidentally clicked the snooze button loads of times. Screw you, gal!

"Farah... Farah, it's already crack of dawn. Go pray subuh before sunrise is up... Get up now, Farah"

Her mother gently taps her forearm and tells her to pray. She remains laying but her eyes are slightly open and body barely moving. Her mother then switch on the light which makes her shut her globes immediately. She sighs internally did not open her eyes not until she recovers from the abrupt light yet give in. No time to waste. Feeling everything but somnolent, she paces to the bog with tough effort plus pouting as well as blinking a few times before habitually brushing her teeth and performing wudu'. Once cease, she takes her dark brown prayer garment and a black and a tad white Kaaba as well as with a green colour design prayer mat, wearing them while reciting ta’awwuz three times before starting to pray fajr.

10 minutes after carrying out fajr prayer, she recites the Holy Quran for about 2 pages including the meaning. She closes it after finishing them and by some means yawning as she is still drowsy. An idea comes to her mind to get a little kip but she has tasks to finish first. She shortly washes her mug before her drowsiness gets the better of her and helps her mother with laundry and breakfast. She eats an omelette with bread after making breakfast and directly walks to her room while hands on her mouth as she keeps yawning since laundering. She slumps against her pillow as soon as she closes the door and drifts off after.

______________________________________

An hour passed after her last class, Anne leaves her two classmates behind as they look rushing to go somewhere so she bid goodbye first. Whilst Farah eyeing her from afar as she just arrived at the corner of Anne's alley. She wants to meet her thus she decided to silently follow her as a surprise. The latter’s fizzog is somewhat queer as what as it seems. Bizarre. The oscillation of her body could not go unnoticed as she did quiver and faltered as soon as the bid took place.

It makes Farah on tenterhooks, taking little steps to wherever Anne is heading to. The unwilling apprehensive takes her time as well pleading herself because assuasive is the best medicine for her presently. “Ya Allah, hope she's good. But she's something else just now. It freaks me out. What were the two friends told her? She looks sad after their goodbyes” She whispers.

The latter precisely turn left the moment she reaches her house's fence. Farah quietly pursues her behind until she unlocks the door and later does not bother to surprise her anymore. 'Ah, of course, she will go home. Where else she wants to go, right? But... why she still didn't sense my presence? Obviously, I’m right behind her and she’s a good observer. Am I a ghost now? Oh, come on. How come you didn't notice me? Gurl, I'm mad' She sighs.

‘What... what the?!!’ She swears inside after seeing something shocking she never saw before.

Anne directly walks inside after closing the gate meanwhile the two friends earlier chatting and treading to their respective houses on the right side. Are not they in a hurry? On the other hand, Farah's breathing space is halting as she runs out of puff the moment she saw a black figure that turns into a gigantic snake at the back of Anne. It is in the middle of the living room when she is securely locking the door and now moving slowly towards her. She did not see it is moving in her way but not when Farah go to the rescue. She helps her by shouting her name but somehow her lips are in control as in mute mum. She tries for the second time but to no avail. The gigantic snake is halfway to wound or maim or even worst maltreat her best friend to death. She will not let that happen. No! It is not going to happen!

“Not in my watch, you big monster” She mutters in dissatisfaction.

‘Please, please, please, please, please’

She hopefully begs it would work on the next try while closing her eyes and concentrating on asking for help. Suddenly, a loud thud could be heard on the floor as she attempts for the third time. As soon as she open her brown exquisite orbs, Anne got slammed and thrown on the door harshly. Her mouth agape as she looks in Anne's direction meanwhile the giant snake is gazing at her intently as now it is her turn. It wants to hurt her to boot. But she is too dumb to realize that as she keenly checking on her best friend. No single glance and pleased Anne is in a good state. A force noisy grunt makes it speedily spin on Anne's way back. She feels weak but tries to gather her strength with all force she has and carefully lift her body adding a glower written on her physiognomy.

Crack!

A wooden table in the living room was poorly damaged after she is being thrown on it by the giant snake in the middle of the room. There is no sound and movement from her and that makes Farah worried so bad. The door is lock thus it is going to be arduous for them to break out albeit it is close. The common bungalow small space is not helping either. There is a rack and bookshelf full of work and personal files, research papers, novels, dictionaries, encyclopedias, business books, religious books and how-to books on their rear, a set of sofa in the middle with the crash table, television on the wall and two clothes baskets at the back. Bet this would look like a horrendous room she had ever seen. It throws every single thing in the bookshelf and baskets. Things are getting perilous and lamentable. She detests this but the more she is watchful of Anne, the more the latter looks sallow.

A smudge of thick and dark red droplets dribbles on the fluffy carpet below Anne. Wait, thick and dark red water? No way! Anne abruptly coughs and out of the blue Farah feels alive from her trance. She begins to sprint with all her might. She is back but somehow peculiar because her height is taller and her body is much bigger than usual. Is she inside someone else body? For real? It is even new for her. Without further ado, she approaches her while yelling her name in horror.

"Anne! Ya Allah, Anne!" She anxiously screams while checking on her condition.

The giant ophidian quickly strives, twining its body but Farah got time to break free from its body and tail and subsequently bites the body till it loses the twine. Whilst Anne is getting weak and cannot move at all as it presses hardly on her deep wound. Sustain the smarting inside attempting to be alive and be upright. Swell is invisible on Farah's knee albeit she could feel the aching. Hence, she regards it. She knows Anne needs her succour at this moment. No more delay. Hacking is seen on Anne's face together with a blood fluid draining like a cascade. The edge of her mouth on each side is swelling up too. Wait. The thick dark red water was her blood?

You bad serpent!

She props Anne's left hand on her left shoulder at a rate of knots and carries her upstairs where her room is located. She plans to call the police, swiftly reaching her phone taking it out but nothing come out after she pushes the 'on' button. Only blank in sight. In a matter of seconds, she realizes her phone's battery is empty. “No, no, no, no, no. Ya Allah, help us”

Anne remembers there is one locked window though need maintenance as the handle is a bit stuck so the possibility is low and the window is placed at the corner close to her desk on the left. They got no time to fix it. Thus, she hastily begins searching so hard for the key in the drawer but she gives up after a few minutes. The key is nowhere to be found and she does not want to waste time anymore. But then, she got another idea. Any heavy or sharp things could help them though. “Wait, this? No. This one? No. That one? No” She mumbles while raking through her things. Later, she discovers a trophy she barely knows exists inside her rack alongside the bookshelf(in between) after rummaging her closet. The window ends up shattering. A cacophonous thud is audible along the stairs. In addition, hissing and banging sounds also were clear making them quiver in their spot. The sound is getting near minute by minute without fail and thence the big serpent smashes the door with its tail after innumerable times attempting to break in.

"Farah! Now.or.never! Go! Before I push you!" She shouts.

She screams at her one more time as she did not move at all feeling hesitant and ambivalent to jump. She orders her, again and again, assuring her it would not hurt her more than what it did to her just now before the big ophidian get them both. Just, please. She begs. At last, Farah does as told even it is abnormal as she never jumps from a two-storey height. Never. And she never will. Unless she had to. She feels like dying after the jump and it is Anne's turn now. As she is about to jump, the giant snake captures her, clenching her body and throwing her on a tall and huge Durian tree outside the house.

It lifts her and throws her away over on the other side of the same tree where the offshoot is sharp and firm for one last time. It cause penetration through her stomach making her inert with remorseful as she thought it is going to target and kill Farah after her. But no, it is not going to kill Farah at all. Just hurts her if she interjects its work but she did not. The long serpent's purpose for coming here is because someone was giving it a task to kill Anne and it succeeds. It was unbeknownst to them. Her pulse becomes slower. She then recites shahadah slowly while smiling knowing this time would come. Could not be free from dying, she accepts her kismet. "No! I'm sorry... Anne! I'm so sorry... I couldn't save you" She weeps while hands palpitating, tries to touch the gash on the anatomy but could not then knees fall on the ground.

The weep turns to blub as she thinks this is not fair and grieve for her best friend. Sadly watching her with blood drops out of her mouth and abdomen like raindrops. Moreover, there are two girls opposite Anne's house also 80 metres away from her just standing there and doing nothing. Strange and absurd. Not knowing they are smirking and scoffing as if satisfying to see a person with one foot in the grave. She did not know when they appear together as they are supposed to be in their own respective houses after bid Anne goodbye. Unbeknownst to her, those girls merrily with what had happened the moment Anne was thrown away as they got their revenge(envy with her ‘fake’ kindness and happy life) and backstab her at the end of the day.

“Anne... it's my fault. I’m so sorry... I’m-”

Farah rises from her dream, catching her breath and pretty hard sweating as well as feeling fresh tears streaming on her cheek. Her mind is blowing as the dream pretty much looks true because the place and people in it were real. Heavy breathing makes her surprisingly stay still with her state of mind that is somewhat shocked. Confusing. Anxious. Frightened. These would describe what she felt inside. “It's just a dream? It felt real somehow... ya Allah, protect Anne wherever she goes ya Allah. I'm not supposed to sleep after Fajr. This is what you got, dear self. Forgive me, Oh Allah the Almighty" She whispers while rubbing her eyelids.