I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Nelson Mandela

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I look up at Shawn trying to hold back my tears. "Can we please have this conversation later? He halts in his movement and looks at me with disbelief. "Scold me, hit me or do whatever you feel like to teach me a lesson but right now please get Adam upstairs. I don't trust him with them." I beg him and I start to sob.

His eyes widens while realization dawns upon him. While running his hands through his head he stomps his foot and swears. "This is all your fault." He almost run back downstairs after his words slaps me.

Really, this is all my fault? "It is all your fault." I say out loud and my words echo in my ears. "Yes, it is your fault Shawn." I say this time and walk over to the wide open door.

I let myself fall beside the doorframe and wait for Adam. My head rests on the doorframe and I sit there feeling a void. I am so lonely. After five minutes waiting, which seem like an eternity, I stand up realizing that they won't be coming up anytime soon.

They will probably continue with their so called Madrasa and I frown upon the thought. The innocent children downstairs are not being taught about Islam they're being taught about terrorism. How to justify it and how to commit it when there's no way of justifying terrorism.

I close the door and try to divert my attention. I just want to keep myself indulged in something to forget that I am staying with a terrorist. My eyes lands on the TV at the glass bench on the right corner of the room. I take the remote next to it and place myself on the edge of the bed.

Numb I turn it on and flinch at the loud sound that my heart almost jump out of my chest. Crap! I fiddle with the remote and mute the sound and breathe heavily. I wait there with cold sweat on my palms for the terrorists to run upstairs. Luckily no one comes and I sigh in relief closing my eyes. l slowly start to flip between the channels to find something interesting. They only have boring channels to begin with.

When my eyes halt on a familiar figure, I stop pushing the button and gasp emotionally. It is the news showing my parents, my mom is crying fiercely and my right hand flies to my heart as if it is going to break any second. I can't stand my mothers tears and seeing her cry violently makes me fumble for breath while my eyes gets soaked. My dad tries to comfort her.

In a matter of seconds I start to cry. "Mom." I whisper and walk to the TV to caress her on the screen.

The news focuses on a video of the terrorist attack where I am held by my neck by a masked man and his gun is pressed towards my temple. Well, guess who that gentleman is? By actually seeing the event on the TV my body shivers, he was so brutal and it all looks like taken out of a movie.

At the same time I know that what happened or is going to happen to me is nothing compared to what's happening around the world. Unnecessary wars are brutally killing innocent human beings. Even children are dying horrifying deaths and it is as if there's no rules in war.

A picture of me is shown with the text missing and I can't help but chuckle between my cries. They choose the profile picture from my facebook where I have a forefinger on my chin with a mischievous smile. I have green lenses on with red lips and a equally red sweater. The funny thing is that I used to joke saying that if I ever go missing use this one, I look best in it. How obvious I was back then.

They show another picture of me with lesser make up and without my lenses showing my almond shaped brown eyes. I chuckle between my sobs and they show my parents again which stings my heart. My dad starts to speak and I turn up the volume as minimum as I can.

Dad looks devastated and tired, it is as if he have aged tenfolds overnight. "Please, if anyone notice or find any critical information about my daughter inform us or the police. I beg you." He whispers in the end with a hoarse voice that breaks.

Tears leaves his eyes at the same time as mine. "And please, stop the blaming game. Please, stop attacking muslims and stop vandalize our Mosques. The terrorist was a terrorist. A bad human being and that's all. He can't be considered a fraction of a Muslim. I am a Muslim but a human first and I am begging you all to help my family get back my precious daughter." I look on startled.

Mosques being vandalized? Muslims are being blamed? For gods sake they're not Muslims! They're terrorists!

They show a short video of a mosque in Uppsala in flames, the city where I actually study pharmacy. Shocked I hyperventilate. This is too much for me and I fall down on the floor to completely breakdown. I don't want this. I want to go home. I want to be in my parents safe arms.

I don't want to feel responsible for a crime I haven't commit just because I share the same religion as the criminals. It's like holding Homo sapiens responsible for a crime that one human being commit. That's insane, right? Hugging my knees I rock myself back and forth while tears streams down my cheeks. Muffling my sobs as hard as I can I try to stable myself.

Knocks on the door startled me. I quickly grab the remote and turn the TV off and as on cue the door opens. I look away and wipe my tears with the back of my hands. I try hard to not snuffle.

"Sana?" I hear a whisper behind me.

I smile and turn around. "Come here boy." I say with my hand stretched out for Adam.

I avoid looking at the terrorist behind him as the mere presence of his makes my temperament flare up. This is all his and his companions fault. Adam hesitantly takes a few steps towards me and I hug him tightly while he hugs me back. The only comfort I have around here. The terrorist leaves and I feel relieved.

Adam whispers into my ear. "Are you sad?" While playing with my hair.

I sigh and pull away from the hug. "No." I shake my head and he smiles standing in front of me. "Are you scared?" I ask him and he seem surprised.

His blue eyes drops down to his feet. "I was a little." He mumbles.

I make him look at me. "You know? You're the bravest child I have ever known." I say and kiss him on the cheek.

His face breaks out in a grin. "Thank you." His chubby cheeks make him adorable.

I analyze Adam and think for a moment. "Adam, you know what the man said about non-muslims?" He nods. "Well, it is not true. Every human being have trails of good and bad in them. What dominates in their action makes them good or bad. If you try to be good, you will get friends and you will find good people in your life. No one is bad due to religious belief. We're all humans first." I convey to him.

He looks confused. "But Imam uncle says that we should not talk to non-muslims. They are bad people." He remarks playing with his hands.

I sigh and think of a way to make him understand. "Wait a second." I say and walk over to the beige wardrobe.

I grab a paper and pen from the drawer which I had seen in the morning. Walking back to Adam I sit down on the floor again resting my back at the bed frame. I make him sit beside me. I draw two stickmen beside two smaller stickmen. Adams eyes follows my hand. I put a flower in the hand of one of the stickmen and a rod in the other one.

I look at Adam. "So Adam tell me if a man gives you a flower is he nice or bad?" I ask him while tucking my hair behind my ears.

He answers without having to ponder. "He is nice." Adam says and points at the man with the flower.

I nod with a triumphed smile. "And this man, who wants to hit you with a rod?" I ask him now with raised eyebrows.

"Bad!" He says aloud.

I nod again. "Exactly. So who of them are a Muslim?" I ask him and wait anticipated for an answer.

He thinks for a moment. "The good man." I mentally face palm myself.

Oh really? Ok. "Why?" I ask him and try to remain calm.

He shrugs. "Good people are muslims." I blink my eyes at his answer.

"How can you tell if he is a Muslim? I mean how does a Muslim lock like?" I question him now.

He furrow his eyes eyebrows. "I don't know." Adam whispers.

I touch his nose with my forefinger. "Exactly. You can't know. People are either good or bad." I pause for a moment. "Is it bad to kill people?" I ask him with a blank expression.

He start to nod and then shake his head. "Yes sometimes. If they're bad." My eyes widens at his answer.

I shake my head. "No baby, it is never right to kill. You're a Muslim right?" He nods. "Then know that in the holy Quran it is stated that if you kill one innocent then it is like killing the whole humanity. Do you want your lord to be angry with you?" I explain to him with a question.

He shakes his head. "No." Startled he answers.

I smile. "Then try to be as good as you can be and never harm anyone. Never upset anyone. Make everyone smile." He nods with a smile. "Promise?"

"I promise." He says with his eyes twinkling.

The terrorist walks in making me turn ice cold. "Adam go and play in your room." He says to Adam who looks at me.

I smile at him and he walks away while I just look ahead of me, resting my eyes on the white element while crossing my legs. The terrorist don't leave and I can't help to feel disgusted by breathing the same air as him. His intense glare can be felt on my skin.

I clench my hands into fists. "Stop preaching about Islam to Adam. He gets to know what he needs to know." Shawn tells me.

This is ridiculous. "You're teaching him terrorism, not Islam. Do you even know what Islam stand for? Peace!" I snap at him.

He glares at me. "I know all about it!" He claims sternly.

I shake my head. "No, you don't!" I scream at him with a throbbing pulse.

His jaws tightens and he breathe heavily. "Don't forget that I am keeping you here." He reminds me as if I am on a vacation!

I look at him with disbelief. "I don't want to be here! Let me go!" I scream at him while I stand up in frustration.

He looks perplexed for a second. "I am not keeping you here for my pleasure! You're just a painful sacrificing goat, whom we might need if anything goes wrong!" He informs me and I look astonished.

Within a second he walks out and slams the door leaving me startled. It makes sense, he will keep me as long as I am beneficial. I don't care I won't be beneficial to him. I will find a way to leave this place. There must be a loophole, I have to find a way out. Surely he must be communicating from here.

I walk up to the cupboard and search for my jacket. Taking out my mobile from the pocket I turn it on. There's has to be a way. Unlocking my mobile I see the network still down. I walk around in the room to get a signal, just one common. Climbing up and down the bed I walk over to the washroom, nothing. Giving up I throw myself on the bed and play with my useless mobile. Trying to call my dad without network my eyes widens in surprise at the message on my screen. Only emergency calls. I can make an emergency call without network?

With throbbing temples I press the call button. Pushing the phone tremblingly to my ear I hear the signals going. Oh my god! Allhamdullillah, thank the lord. Not believing my ear I try my best to keep calm. Excitement is bubbling in my stomach and my heart is pumping faster.

The corner of my lips shoots up. "Hello my name is Anna, welcome to SOS. How may I help you?" A young girl chirps out.

In a second I lock myself in the washroom. "Hi, I am Sana." I start to whisper and briefly tell her my story, but she soon connects the dots.

The girl instructs me. "Keep your phone on. We're locating you right now and will reach you in half an hour. Will you be able to stay on the phone or do you need to hang up?" She asks me.

I take a glance at my screen. "I need to hang up to save battery." I whisper and we cut the call.

Walking back and forth in the room I almost go crazy with anxiety. The clock suddenly decides to slowdown as I count the seconds. My mobile is resting on the rack of the window. Breathing heavily I wait to be rescued. I have decided that I will save Adam from this insecure place.

Suddenly I hear steps storming up from the stairs. My door snaps open and I stare startled at a angry Shawn. He stomps toward me and in a second my back collides with a crash into the wardrobe while his hand is around my neck. His nostrils are flaring and I can't breathe.

My eyes widens and become moist. "I warned you, no tricks." He says between gritted teeth.

How on earth can he know?