Amina Bezzazi

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I reached a dead end so I stopped running. I could not run anymore, anyway; I was out of breath.

She looked at me with bloodshot eyes, as if saying, 'Well, that's your end.' Then, she didn't think twice before pulling the trigger of her rifle...

I felt a terrible pain. I checked my belly and saw a hole, but there was no blood. I fell to the ground and, eyes wide open, I saw my life passing in swift review. All the fun time, the bitter moments, my childhood memories... and Dad. It had been long since we'd last talked and I realised I desperately missed him. I remembered I had lost track of him half-way back home. We were listening to C.M.'s last album and he was singing wrong lyrics of the first track to make me laugh. I had looked at my right hand, all of a sudden, and had found out that one of my fingers was swollen. I had shown him that finger and he had said I shouldn't complain if I wanted to be rewarded. Before I could ask him what he meant by that, the weather had changed in the blink of an eye. The warm afternoon sun rays had faded and the sky was all dark. I don't remember how I'd got out of the car and how I'd lost my way. I had to run through a long tunnel, cross dark dense woods, hear weird cries, pass by a wide pond with stinky stagnant waters, until finally reaching this narrow road, where she was standing, still looking at what remained of me...

My eyes were still open when the sky was suddenly flooded by a blinding light. I slowly got up and made some steps forward. The scenery in front of me was so enlightened that I couldn't see ahead; the place was too serene, though. I felt as light as a bird. I couldn't feel my flesh, my body, my feet; I could only feel my spirit, almost flying. There was a merry chatter and I heard a dozen children's cheerful laughters all around me, but I could see none of them. I felt strangely too happy and wanted to hug those invisible hosts. I looked ahead and saw, in the far-off distance, a white car parked. It was a small ambulance I could distinguish in the intense light. I didn't want to go; I wanted to stay with those happy kids. A voice was raised, suddenly, and was ordering me to do -or not to do- something. It kept repeating the same sentence till I could distingish what it was saying.

'Don't go! Come back, now!' I was hearing in the back of my mind.

Somewhat systematically, my eyelids slightly trembled, began to move, and my eyes opened to see a white-bloused woman bending her head over mine. She looked pale. 'Don't do such a thing to us, next time!' she murmured, trying a smile of relief while examining my pupils. There was no trace of the woman with the rifle around.

I knew then I was back for good. I knew also what I would do with my swollen finger. After all, what started as a nightmare could well end in a dream.

All I needed was a pen...