Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

Allen Saunders

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Sitting beside a terrorist and being enlightened that my life might end soon is not something that I had expected when I woke up today. Even breathing the same air as his makes me feel sick.

You want to know how it all started? How I ended up at the same place where a shooting just took place? Where innocent people actually were killed? Well, I'll enlighten you to verify that this is real. To verify that the least unexpected can occur.

As usual I went to the University. It turned out that our last class was dismissed which made me, Anita, Linda, Hanna, Diana and Shona end up in the city. We were chitchatting at a coffee shop after some shopping while sipping over some hot drinks.

After a while a lady with a beautiful headscarf walked in. There was a teenage boy who was enjoying himself with a bunch of friends. They were two tables away from us. When the woman with the headscarf walked out with a cup of coffee the boy threw a comment which made the rest of his group laugh.

"Hallelujah, we are still alive." Clearly indicating that she could have been a threat. Even though it was a joke, I hope she didn't hear.

That is when our discussions took a new turn.

"Why are Muslims getting so much attention these days?" Shona asked frowning.

"Maybe, just maybe because when a human being, which happens to be a Muslim, makes a sin the whole media is splashing the news pointing out the fact that a Muslim did the crime." Diana shrugged with annoyance.

"Well, they think that Islam teaches violence. When people have prejudice about something it is hard to change their minds. And with the media giving fuel to the idea that all Muslims are criminals it doesn't get any better." Anita added with a sigh.

"To be honest, the people hating on Islam is the people who doesn't have the lovely friends I have." Linda smirked and melted my heart. Linda is a Buddhist but the way she supports all religions is overwhelming.

"The problem is the few idiots that doesn't think before committing crimes. They are ruining the image of 1.6 billion human beings." I was really annoyed with the latest news circulating around, especially about the extremist groups popping up now and then around the world.

"But wait, why should 1.6 billion people be held responsible for a crime committed by another human being? It is not like I go around and hold every single man guilty of a rape crime a fellow man committed?" Linda stated.

I shrugged. "It is different when it comes to Muslims." Diana pointed out taking a sip from her chai.

"Anyway, why are we even discussing this? Hopefully we will never encounter a terrorist." I told them with a shrug. The irony.

"Hallelujah for Sweden! Blessed we are indeed." Anita chuckled with delight.

When the evening came we departed from there, the girls would take the subway while I would take the train. I checked the SL app to notice that my train was delayed and I did the stupid mistake of turning back to the city. I wanted to check out a cardigan for my brother.

The weather was chilly today. While passing through the Sergel Square a hard wind took hold of my hair and literally threw it on my face. I accidentally collided with something hard and my bags dropped from my hands. Looking up startled I met two piercing cold blue eyes behind a heart-stopping mask, heart-stopping as in deadly terrifying.

I am not used to bumping into people with masks on and I guess you're not either. I looked around and quickly registered three other masked men, instinctively I took a few steps back and that's when I noticed the gun in his hand pointed at me. You might ask how I didn't notice them earlier? Well, it had turned dark and I am not that observant when walking around alone.

"Allah is the greatest!" One of the men screamed out of the blue and fired the first ear piercing bullet at the sky. It created a chaos to say the least. People screaming, running and well, crying. And this lovely individual in front of me had his gun pointed towards me the whole event.

And that's how it all began. A normal day, a normal visit to a normal place and a unexpected turn. My peaceful country is not that peaceful anymore.

"Why are you crying?" The terrorists rough voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Am I crying? Automatically my right hand reaches my wet cheek. Yeah, I am indeed crying. I hadn't noticed as lost as I was in my own thoughts. He is still driving and I think we have been on the road for over two hours now!

"Why shouldn't I cry?" I ask him looking ahead. It is still heavily raining.

"Are you crying because you're scared of dying?" He asks quietly and I barely hear him. I start to laugh. Seriously? He thinks I am crying due to his threat of killing me? "What is your freaking problem?" He asks disturbed now. The irony, he is asking me what my freaking problem is?

I smile. "Actually, no." I let go of a sigh before continuing. "I am crying as you and your partners just ruined the image I had of my country, of my safe world. You ruined everything, now some people will start to hate Muslims or being afraid of Muslims for the crime you did." I spit out emotionally with more tears.

"You consider this country as yours?" He asks now.

I glare at him. "I am a Swede, I am born here. I don't freaking have another country." I snap at him.

A moment of silence takes over. "If you dare to snap at me again, I might forget that you are a girl." He calmly warns me and my whole body suddenly gets cold leaving me with goosebumps. The yellow light from the streets make him more intimidating.

Why am I scared of a terrorist who already has decided to kill me? I keep quiet as arguing with a lunatic will give me nothing.

When we have been driving for too long I break the silence. "For how long will we be driving? Where are we even going?" I ask him, as I stretch my sore muscles.

"You will notice when we reach our destination." He grumbles and I let go of an annoyed sigh. "May I ask you a question?" He asks now and I tuck away some of my long black hair from my face to put it behind my ears.

Really? A polite terrorist? Or more a bipolar one. "Will you kill me if I say no?" I query now irritated.

He glares at me and I look ahead to avoid his intimidating cold eyes. "Ask." I shrug.

"Why are you not afraid?" I look up at him puzzled.

"What do you mean exactly by not afraid?" I ask him and he frowns.

"At Sergel Square when I was pointing a gun at you." He takes a pause as if not knowing how to continue. "You didn't even flinch. It was more like you were lost in some deep thoughts. You looked confused and disappointed, even startled but not scared. Only time you showed some real emotions were when the man beside us died." He says emotionless as if seeing a man die is an everyday thing. "And right now you're talking as if you know me." He adds sternly.

What should I even answer him? I don't know what normal behavior is when encountering a terrorist. This is my first and hopefully the last encounter.

"I may not seem scared to you but fear is a human thing and I can assure you I am terrified. It is not like my heart didn't stop beating when you pointed a gun towards me. And you have already declared that you'll kill me, why should I tiptoe around you with my words now?" I take a pause as I don't know what I am trying to say. "But I am just not scared of death." I state and at the same time try to convince myself.

"How come?" He asks sternly and a sudden thunder breaks out from the sky.

My heart skips a beat. "Maybe because I believe that our days are counted. Even if you're thinking that you're the one killing me today my life is only Allahs to take. You have your free will, you will either kill me or let me go. However, if you decide not to kill me today and God have decided that this is indeed my last day then this will be my last day. It might be by a car accident or I'll just collapse somewhere." I ramble without knowing if I am making any sense. "And eventually everyone will face death, being scared won't help us overcome it." I add as a matter of fact.

He nods as if understanding. "Then why were you disappointed?" He asks as if I am at a really great position in my life right now.

I furrow my eyebrows as this conversation is bizarre. "Because I have regrets, I am not ready to face my Lord and I want to spend more time with my family. And besides you killed a man in front of me, cruelly and inhumanly. Obviously I'll react to that." He rubs his forehead as if having a headache. Serves him right.

Silence consumes the thick air around us. He drives through a woodland now and this time I am beyond afraid. What the heck will we do in a jungle? How does he even know where he is driving? The road is unsteady with lots of bumps and I am surprised that the tires aren't punctured by now. Will he kill me here and just throw my body away? My mind is not helping me to calm down. We finally come out of the woods and I heave a sigh of relief while he looks at me blankly from the corner of his eyes. If I am not mistaken, he actually seem a bit amused.

He halts the car after ten minutes of driving. To my surprise there is a beautiful white villa in front of us. How the heck can he afford it?

"Where are we?" I yawn and feel sleepy.

Way to go, feeling tired while being a hostage. Remember you have to fight!

"Beside the ocean." He says and walks out of the car.

Ok, this is awkward. Should I stay here or should I walk out? He turns around and frowns seeing me clueless. He gestures with his hand for me to come out and walk to the villa. I pick up my jacket from behind and hope that I can make a call once alone.

I tremble out of the car and feel panic creeping up on me. Lord, please if I die today let me die with dignity. I follow him in and we're welcomed to a bright and open hallway. In front of us is a wooden staircase to the second floor.

"I'll be right back." He says and I nod. He walks up the stairs with a straight posture as if he is a trained soldier. He halts in his movement and turns his head to the right. "If you decide to run away, I'll enlighten you that to just find your way back to the highway might take you forever." He throws at me and walks up.

I stand frozen for a moment with goose bumps all over my body and shiver as if I have caught a cold. I fill my lungs with as much air as possible and let it out slowly trying to control my body. I take a moment to look around the environment. To my right I find a elegant all white and glass teamed lounge room. There is an open black furnished dining room to the left. The lounge room is sea faced with walls of glass. It seems like no one is here. This is the chance to make a call and I fumble for my mobile. I keep my senses alert and feel sweat forming on my back. My eyes widen as I hear steps upstairs and I halt in my movement. He is talking and seems angry or disturbed, I don't know. I guess he is on the phone? My heart pounds hard enough for him to hear!

Is he coming down? Should I put my mobile back? The noises disappear again. My heart literally stops while I turn on my mobile. I feel panic creeping up, what if he catches me? Oh gosh, hurry! Come on stupid phone, work! My brain is not helping me to think straight. I look at my right and it seems like there is a kitchen behind the door. With my drumming heart and my eyes on the staircase I make a run to the kitchen with my idiotically slow phone in my hand.

"Hands up!" I hear an unfamiliar voice behind me when taking a step inside the kitchen. Oh crap! I trip in surprise and fall on the ground. I find myself sitting with my hands as support in front of me.

"Ouch." I mumble and my eyes widen. I got caught. Crap. I can't hear anything beside my heart which is jumping out of my chest. I can feel a stroke of sweat from my left temple. My body is hot and cold at the same time.

I breathe heavily as I feel a gun pressed against my back. Please no. Not again.