Fiction

Munir first noticed it during a dhuhr prayer at work. His hands trembled slightly as he raised them for takbir, a faint dizziness washing over him like heat rising from asphalt. He brushed it off, too much coffee, not enough breakfast.

Essa was eleven years old, with wide, curious eyes and a quiet way of studying the world. Most people who met him noticed his gentle smile before they noticed anything else.