Not So Lucky
Title: Not So Lucky
Fandom: The Kite Runner
Pairing/Characters: Hassan, Assef (Kamal, Wali- not mentioned by name)
Rating: PG
Summary: Hassan’s perspective on the events in the alley. Oneshot.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Not so Lucky
“You’re a lucky Hazara,” Assef said as he approached me slowly, a truly evil glimmer in his eyes and I had to resist the urge to back away from him- not that I actually had anywhere to go. I knew that there was nothing behind me except for the bleak and impassable wall of the alleyway. That and the blue kite. “Because today, it’s only going to cost you that blue kite. A fair deal, boys, isn’t it?” There was no way I was going to give up that kite. I had promised Amir agha that I would get the kite for him and I intended on keeping that promise.
“More than fair,” One of his cronies cackled and I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew that even if I did give them the kite they would not just simply allow me to walk out of this alley. I try to keep the fear out of my expression, but from the delight in the boys’ eyes I can tell that, on some level, I must have failed. They enjoyed nothing more that instilling fear in others.
“Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite,” I try to keep my voice from trembling as I respond; I do not want to give them the satisfaction of my fear anymore than I already have.
“A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog,” Assef sneers at me and I can almost make myself believe that I hear nervousness in the high-pitched laugh of his friend, though that is probably wishful thinking.
When he asks me if Amir would sacrifice for me as I am for him, I have to wonder if he would. However I knew that now was not the time to be questioning such things, so I quickly push all doubts from my mind as I declare “Amir agha and I are friends,” He doesn’t believe and he laughs a me.
“Friends? You pathetic fool! Someday you’ll wake up from your little fantasy and learn just how good of a friend he is. Now, bas! Enough of this. Give us that kite,” I will not simply give up this kite. Amir agha is my friend. He goes up to the hill with me and he reads to me. Why would he do that if we weren’t friends? The thought of all the hours that Amir agha and I have spent up on that hill together help steel me and I pick up a rock threateningly, though I knew that it was likely to do very little good. One rock versus three of them. Not good odds, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I’m rewarded with a slight flinch from Assef, but not much else.
“Last chance, Hazara,” I pull my arm back, preparing myself to launch the rock at him, but he just begins to unbutton his jacket. “Whatever you wish,” I wished that they would just let my take the kite and leave, so it clearly wasn’t whatever I wished. I could feel the terror and dread growing within me as he neatly folded the coat and carefully put it down against the wall. Then he made a hand gesture- one like I’ve seen the men in the military using- and his two friends move forward so that the three are now surrounding me, making sure that it is impossible for me to escape from the alley. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m letting you keep the kite, Hazara,” I know that this is in no way a gesture of kindness and that knowledge cause my terror to increase tenfold. “I’ll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what I’m about to do.”
As the three boys all came at me I lobbed the rock at Assef as hard as I could and it hit him squarely in the middle of the forehead. He made a sound like an angry dog as he leapt on me and threw me to the ground.