The next morning, the weather was unexpectedly sunny and warm. Amer stopped for a moment, staring at the sky, then whispered to himself, "Wasn't it winter here? How did the weather become warm so suddenly?"
He continued his way to school, still thinking about the strange weather. When he arrived at the school yard, he was shocked by an unfamiliar sight. A large bus was parked at the front of the yard, and a line of students and teachers were standing in a queue. It was clear that everyone was waiting for something.
Amer approached until he reached his teacher, Ishtar, who was standing near the bus. He raised his hand and said, "Good morning, Teacher Ishtar."
She smiled and warmly responded, "Good morning, Amer! How are you today?"
Amer shook his head and said, noticing the strange organization, "All this organization... what's going on? Why this gathering?"
Teacher Ishtar answered with a wide smile, excited about the trip, "A camping trip, didn't you remember?"
Amer rubbed his head, trying to remember, then sighed and said in a voice full of frustration, "Yes... yes, I remembered now. The camping trip!"
"The students, Amer. You need to get on the bus," she said.
Amer looked at her, took a deep breath, then muttered quietly while staring at the large bus, "If I had remembered, I wouldn't have come... damn my weak memory!"
Despite his grumbling, Amer had no choice but to get on the bus. He climbed aboard and said to himself, with a small laugh, "A camping trip in this warm weather? Looks like today is going to be fun... or maybe not."
Teacher Ishtar glanced quickly at the paper in her hand, then said while pointing to a seat, "Please, sit here next to your classmates."
Amer sat silently, trying to ignore the frustration that was starting to build inside him, but he felt something strange in the air... Something was going to happen today, but was he ready for it?
"You filthy creature, what are you doing here? Go back home or I'll try to kill you again!"
The words were full of hatred and hostility, and the speaker stood in front of Amer, their eyes blazing with anger.
Amer immediately recognized the voice. His heartbeat stopped for a moment, but he tried to remain calm. He looked at the speaker with a faint smile on his face, even though he knew very well he had no control over the situation.
He whispered in a low, suppressed voice, "Calm down, Zahraa..."
She stood in the shadows as if she were a fragment of the night, emanating a mysterious aura. Her green eyes, sharp as sword blades, concealed something unspoken. Her eyebrows, delicately drawn, framed a small nose barely noticeable in its refined shape. And her lips, the color of ancient blood, were full—as if meant for whispers rather than words.
Her white skin was not pallid but a soft glow pulsating with life. Her features carried a gentle femininity imbued with a captivating intensity, leaving one unsure whether she threatened or enticed. As for her hair, it was dense and black, meticulously braided and twisted to cascade over her shoulder in a smooth flow, interwoven with tiny ornaments that reflected a dim light like weary stars.
Her body, slender yet harmonious, seemed as if every curve had been carefully chosen to express a presence unlike any other.
She stood in front of him, rage burning in her eyes, her fist clenched by her side as if she were about to explode. Her face was flushed, and her gaze overflowed with hatred.
But before she could lunge at Amer, Sarah slipped through the crowd and surrounded her from behind, trying to calm her down. She looked at her with concern, her eyes shifting between the two of them, then said in a soft, deep voice:
"Zahraa, stop... that's enough."
Zahraa froze for a moment, but the tension still hung on her features, and her contemptuous glare did not fade.
Sarah turned to Amer and said, in a soft apology:
"I'm sorry, Amer... she's still angry about what happened."
Amer nodded quietly, his monotone voice unchanged:
"It's alright, I know Zahraa well."
Amer glanced at Zahraa, who was watching him with fiery eyes, then said calmly:
"But as you can see, there's no need for this violence. We can't live in this conflict forever."
Zahraa raised an eyebrow, but her words did not come. She remained silent, as if weighing things in her mind.
Sarah, with pleading eyes, grabbed Zahraa, trying to pull her away from Amer:
"Let's go, Zahraa. We'll talk later."
Amer sighed and sat down exhausted on the bus seat, burdened by the weight of the situation. He muttered to himself in a barely audible voice:
"I can't believe it... she's still angry. She's serious... to her, I'm dead."
He tried to regain his composure. This wasn't the first time he'd faced such emotions.
The bus set off on its way to the camping site, and soon silence took over. Along the rugged road, towering trees blended with distant mountains under a clear blue sky, a sight that made him sink into a quiet reflection, unaware of how much he needed this peace to escape his troubling thoughts.
Aram, his friend sitting next to him, broke the silence with his words:
"Has Zahraa not gotten over that incident? I saw what happened before we left the school."
Amer smiled a sad smile and replied coolly, hiding a suppressed anxiety behind his calm exterior:
"She hasn't forgotten... but what did I do? All I did was politely and respectfully reject Sarah's feelings, I didn't hurt her..."
Aram looked at him intently, then shook his head, saying:
"I understand that, but you know how Zahraa is. She doesn't take matters involving Sarah lightly."
Amer exhaled in surrender, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to stop the flood of painful memories:
"I know... I know, Aram. I was trying to avoid all of this, but I can't control other people's feelings."
Aram chuckled sarcastically, enjoying Amer's way of hiding his thoughts, and said with a playful tone that hid a deep curiosity:
"I can't believe it. She threw you out of the classroom window on the second floor as if she didn't even want to give you a chance to escape! She broke your arm, man! Everyone knows she's the reason, but no one has the proof."
Amer's features paled for a moment, then he closed his eyes, reliving that scene. The second floor... Zahraa, standing like a whirlwind, throwing him with all her might toward the window, as if he were a powerless doll.
He whispered coldly, though his voice carried a subtle tremor:
"She was harsh..."
Then, in a low voice, he added:
"But does that mean she was right?"
Aram laughed bitterly, raising his eyebrows in astonishment and sarcasm, then asked:
"And you? Why are you so afraid of her? Honestly, your fear is completely justified... Zahraa won't stop, and she won't calm down until she gets what she wants."
Amer tightened his grip on the seat in front of him, a faint smile forming on his lips, but a slight chill ran through his body. His fear of Zahraa still lingered deep within him.
He said softly, as if speaking to himself:
"I know she's not an ordinary girl... but she's different. Her ability to influence is exceptional."
Aram stared at him seriously before asking in a calm but firm tone:
"Will you always be afraid of her? Or will you face her one day?"
Amer gazed at the horizon, as if searching for an answer within the folds of the sky, then exhaled slowly and said cautiously:
"Not everything can be confronted, Aram... Sometimes, you have to wait for the right moment."
The voices of the students rose, and the atmosphere buzzed with laughter and stories as they exchanged tales of past adventures and their expectations for what awaited them at this site far from the city. Their enthusiasm spread through the place like dancing flames.
The bus continued steadily on the road, crossing rugged mountains and dense forests, where the green shadows blended with the clear blue sky, making every scene they passed look like a vivid natural painting.
When the bus arrived at the campsite, it came to a sharp halt, and its doors opened one by one. The students rushed out with enthusiasm, lining up orderly, filled with excitement.
The bags were quickly unloaded, and everyone began searching for their belongings to carry them, then they started setting up the camp. They pitched the tents, prepared sleeping bags, and organized the necessary tools with a spirit of cooperation, as everyone helped each other arrange the place. It was clear that each individual was determined to make the trip a success.
The sun was still shining, casting its golden rays on the ground, spreading warmth and comfort. The air was filled with a fresh breeze that refreshed their breaths, making them pause now and then to enjoy the beauty of the scene.
The camp was surrounded by a dense forest full of life, its tall trees covering the ground with vibrant green shadows, as if they were in a world far removed from the noise of the city.
"This is true beauty..."
Amer whispered, inhaling the fresh air deeply. This was the calm he had needed for a long time.
After a day full of exploration and activities, and once they had organized and cleaned the place, everyone quietly headed to their sleeping spots. As the fire, which had provided warmth, went out, silence filled the camp, leaving behind a deep sense of peace and relaxation.
Everyone closed their eyes, surrendering to a deep sleep to recharge for the next day.
But Amer, in his corner away from the others, remained sitting alone, staring at the dark sky. He whispered to himself:
"I don't belong here... and I don't belong to them. What am I doing in this place?"
He exhaled deeply and added in a low voice:
"I can still see them... their laughter, their enthusiasm, their overwhelming happiness. It's like a heavy burden I can't bear... Will there come a day when I am one of them? Can I live like they do?"
He fell silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts, then muttered:
"No... I don't think so. Not now, at least. Maybe in another life, in a different world."
He slowly closed his eyes and smiled with desperate irony:
"Until then, there's no choice but to forget hope... and live with the pain."
Suddenly, the stars vanished, and the stillness turned to dread. A mysterious cold wind blew, wrapping around their bodies, as a strange sense of unease filled the place.
In the blink of an eye, as if they had crossed into another world, they found themselves in the midst of a barren desert... endless red sands stretched before them, and a blazing sun poured its fiery heat upon them.
The calm of dawn. Amer slowly opened his eyes, feeling the first warmth of the sun's rays touching his face. The heat flowed through his body, but he soon felt the roughness of the sand beneath his fingers, as hot as embers.
His breaths quickened, and his pupils widened. His limbs froze, as if time had stopped, while his heart seemed to freeze in his veins, struggling to understand what was happening, a deep fear creeping into his being.
A faint voice whispered inside him, barely audible:
"Sands... desert... how did we get here? Weren't we just in that peaceful forest? How... when... where are we? This desert doesn't exist in our homeland. By God, where are we?"
A sharp scream tore through the air, shattering his thoughts. Amer slowly lifted his head, his brow furrowed, his eyes scanning the surroundings in confusion.
Everyone... was running? No, they were fleeing frantically, as if they were escaping from something unseen.