Only The Vultures

"I'm not ready for a world without you, Sabrina," Fatima sobbed as she held her sister's hands trembling in debility and fear. Fear of dying and leaving her sister behind in this sordid place called home.

"We're never ready, Fatima," muttered Sabrina, staring at the soot on the ceiling. She was supposed to mop the ceiling last week. If Habib's mother notices, she'll make sure Habib hears about it when he comes home. About how Sabrina's not been working as much lately, how she forgot to bring Maa her medicine yesterday and how she's using her sickness as an excuse. Habib's going to make sure Sabrina remembers, if not for the curses, then for the scars he's going to leave behind. On her chest, her breasts and her thighs. But never on her face.

"My little dove, I won't leave you behind," smiled Sabrina as she turned towards her sister, "I have a secret I want to share with you."

Fatima noticed a crackling flame in Sabrina's glittering eyes. Scared, she sat on her knees, "What is it?"

"I've been taking it all in, Fatima. Every night for the past 13 years. The howls, the scars, the filth. This was before Abba Amma died and I brought you here. The first few months – I would scream, fight and cry while the world turned deaf. I could see Abba and Amma stare at me while Habib gnawed my flesh out," Sabrina sobbed, "And they'd smile, Fatima! They'd stand in a corner and smile. That's when I stopped screaming and crying. I just kept my eyes closed until their smiles disappeared."

"I can't leave you here, my Jaan," Sabrina cupped Fatima's cheek, "When they're done with my janaza, I want you to come back to my room. Right under this bed behind the blankets, you'll find a black jar with a yellow flower painted on the lid. Open it and promise me Fatima, you won't close the lid no matter."

"I promise, Apa," Fatima sobbed.

Sabrina's Janaza was completed in secret after Maghrib. Habib's mother didn't want a commotion.

Fatima went to Sabrina's room later that night. She found the black jar with a yellow flower on the lid. Fatima stepped back as the jar dropped off of her hand, wobbling unsteadily on its own. Hesitantly, Fatima knelt down and tried to open the jar. Branches and leaves from the flower grabbed Fatima's hand and wrapped her wrist all around. As the thorns on the branches pierced through her flesh, Fatima clenched her teeth and forced open the lid.

A sharp screech pushed her across the room. Smoke gushed out of the jar as Fatima could see her sister's rotten corpse, shrieking as it kept disintegrating. Fatima could see cracks on the walls as the roof started collapsing. The branches and leaves on her hands kept spreading out across Fatima's entire body until they wrapped her around like cocoon wraps a moth and Fatima could see no more.

Covered in debris, Fatima woke up. The entire neighbourhood collapsed to rubble. As far as her eyes could see, it was annihilation. Rising from the ruins, Fatima saw her sister standing in the distance.

"Is everyone dead, Apa?" Fatima's voice quavered.

"Only the vultures, my Jaan," Sabrina smiled back.

Remind Ifti to be quieter at hasiburrashidifti@gmail.com