The sun shone brilliantly in the crisp blue sky. The early spring chill filled the morning air. Below, it was a typical scene near the entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel. Massive lines of traffic snaked their way towards its entrance. It was Wednesday morning. It was the ongoing, never-ending battle to get to work, heading into New York City and other areas east and north. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes crept along, inching their way through one of the Northeast's busiest thoroughfares.
One of these vehicles was a large bus. It was painted two shades of blue. The upper half was a light baby blue, and below the windows it was a dark blue. It had CASTRONA BUS LINES painted in large white letters on either side.
At the wheel was a young man, in his late twenties. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. He was clean-shaven. The man wore a light blue shirt, black tie and navy-blue pants. He chewed slightly on his lower lip. Behind him sat four men. One of them placed his hand on the driver's arm.
"Be strong, Mahdy." he said. "We're almost in the tunnel."
The blue bus slowly pulled up to the toll both. Mahdy licked his lips. He hoped that the receiving antenna at the toll plaza would detect his EZ Pass tag. Ahead of him was an old yellow Volkswagen Beetle. It slowly rolled through the toll booth, pausing slightly. The light turned green. It sped off.
It was Mahdy 's turn.
He cautiously drove the bus through the toll booth, moving very slowly, his eyes glued to the traffic signal. Drops of sweat beaded on his forehead. The wait for the light to change seemed to take forever. Mahdy tapped impatiently on the steering wheel. Time slowed down to a trickle...
Finally, it happened. The light turned green. Mahdy closed his eyes a moment, sighing slightly.
"Allah be praised."
Mahdy pulled away from the booth. He swallowed hard, and drove the bus towards the entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel. The traffic slowed, then stopped. He licked his lips nervously.
"Allah, give me strength."
"Stay focused."
Mahdy nodded slowly.
"I-I'm trying, Faarooq."
Mahdy glanced to his left. He saw a police car, parked between his tunnel and another. He sighed raggedly and looked ahead.
"Look straight ahead Mahdy! Don't draw attention!"
"Right."
The traffic in front of him began to move again. Mahdy gently pressed on the gas pedal. The large bus eased its way into the tunnel. The traffic slowly began to speed up.
"That's it, Mahdy. Good." said his comrade.
"Faarooq."
He turned towards a bald-headed man, wearing a blue suit and black tie. His face was full of concern.
"Is Mahdy all right?"
"He's all right, Muntasir."
"Good."
The man to the left of Muntasir spoke.
"How long has it been? Twelve years since the last attack?"
Muntasir nodded.
"About that, Hamza. The Americans have let their guard down again."
"I wish we could take out this tunnel."
"We'll kill more people destroying the bus station." said the man behind Hamza. "Sure, many people would die, but not as many as in the Port Authority building."
"Soon, we will meet Allah." said Muntasir. "And the infidels will feel our wrath again. Time has dulled their senses."
Mahdy bit his lip at these words. Tension rippled throughout his body like electricity. The traffic wound through the lengthy tunnel, increasing speed moment by moment. Mahdy saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He swallowed hard, pressing down further on the accelerator.
"Allah, guide me..." Mahdy repeated to himself, over and over. "Allah, guide me..."
The bus emerged from the tunnel. Strong sunlight shone down upon them once again. Mahdy looked up, to his left. Before them was the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Mahdy made a left, and then a right onto the ramp that led up into the terminal. A few buses were in front of him. Mahdy slowed down. His heart pounded furiously. Fear coursed through him in huge waves. His body trembled uncontrollably.
"Mahdy!" exclaimed Faarooq. "Focus!! Focus on Allah! Focus on the mission!! You are a soldier in the jihad against the infidel Americans! You are doing this in Allah's name!! You will be rewarded with eternal bliss, I promise you!!"
The other buses slowed to a stop. Mahdy closed his eyes and licked his lips. A tear rolled down his cheek.
"Allah, give me strength..." he repeated, his voice trembling. "Allah, give me strength to do the right thing..."
Muntasir turned towards the man behind Hamza.
"Get into position, Issam."
Issam took out the detonator from his inside coat pocket. He switched it on.
"In the name of Allah, brother."
Muntasir smiled.
"In the name of Allah."
Faarooq leaned towards Mahdy.
"Drive deep into the bus station."
Mahdy nodded erratically.
"Y-Yes."
The buses began to move. Slowly. Mahdy followed close behind. On and on, higher and higher they went. Finally, the entrance to the station was in sight. Near the top, the entrance and exit ramps met for a brief moment. A police car was parked right where they met. The police officer inside drank a coffee. The terrorists held their breath. Mahdy's teeth chattered uncontrollably. He felt a wetness trickle down his right leg. They inched past the police car. They soon entered the bus terminal. One by one, each bus pulled off to the right...and then the path ahead was clear. Mahdy saw several buses parked ahead of them, unloading dozens of people.
"Pull up behind that bus ahead of you!!" exclaimed Mahad.
The trickle of wetness down his leg became a flood. Every pore in Mahdy 's body screamed at him to stop.
But the will of Allah had to be followed. He pressed down on the accelerator.
The bus moved forward quickly. He got closer and closer to the buses-
"IN THE NAME OF ALLAH!!!!" screamed the men behind him.
There was a bright flash. The roar was so loud it tore Mahdy's eardrums to shreds. Flame roiled all around him, eating his flesh ravenously like piranha. He never had a chance to scream. Everything faded away into a white mist...
The middle-aged woman aimed her Colt A-1 at the doctor. Her brown eyes were filled with malice, glee and fury. A strand of gray hair hung over her right eye. Her lips were curled in a cruel smile. The doctor moved back against the wall, her small frame pressing against it. Her eyes filled with tears.
"D-D-Don't shoot me...P-P-Please...."
The middle-aged woman raised an eyebrow.
"Kinda different now, bitch? Kinda different when you're facing someone your own size. Not a helpless baby, who can't defend itself."
"P-Please d-d-don't shoot-"
"It ain't me ya gotta worry about. It's Jesus, your maker. You'll have to answer to him."
The doctor began to sob.
"W-W-What do you want me to do?!" she yammered hysterically. "I-I'll do anything!! I'll do-"
CRRAAACK!!!
The gun blast echoed through the air. The doctor's head exploded like a ripe watermelon. A huge spray of liquid crimson, foam and gray brain matter streaked along the wall, around the doctor's head like a ghoulish halo. The corpse dropped to the ground.
The air filled with screams.
Mind-numbing, hysterical screams. The killer spun to her right-
Before her sat the doctor's secretary. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Next to her stood a huge man. He was bald, and had a couple of days' stubble on his face. His green eyes were filled with cold anger. In his beefy hand, he held a 357 Magnum. The man drew his huge arm back. He whipped it around with punishing force, and the barrel of the gun burrowed into the secretary's face. Her head flew back, a fountain of blood cascading from her crushed nose. The savage blow threw her back in the chair, sending both crashing into the floor. The man turned and fired several rounds into her head and body. Blood, brain and pieces of flesh sprayed onto his clothes and his face. He smirked in disgust.
"Noisy bitch."
He turned towards the woman.
"That's it, Ruth."
She nodded slowly.
"Mmm. C'mon George. Let's join Benton and Carlton, so we can finish this."
They left the examination room and turned left. The pair walked forward. Three more bullet-riddled bodies, two middle-aged men and a young woman, lay in the tiny hallway before them. The killers stepped around the corpses and continued forward. They passed the reception desk, where yet another woman sat slumped over the table, dead. Blood, brain and bone covered the desk, the excess dripping onto the stained carpet. George opened the door.
The killers entered the waiting room. There were two men standing near the door. One was in his early forties, with short, stiff blond hair. He had a medium build and was slightly overweight. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and wore a checkered shirt with blue jeans. In his hand he held a Desert Eagle pistol. He looked around nervously, sweat trickling down his forehead. He rocked on his heels. The other man was tall, thin and muscular. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt and black pants. His hair was brown, tangled and shoulder-length. In his hand he held a black box. It had a toggle switch and a red button on it. An antenna stuck out of it. The two men turned towards George and Ruth.
"You done in there?" asked the brown-haired man.
"Yeah." answered George. "You all set Carlton?"
The brown-haired man nodded in response.
"Benton, you sure you shut the garage door tight?" asked Ruth.
The other man sighed slightly. He turned towards Ruth, a tired, tense look on his face.
"For the hundredth time Ruth, yes!!"
Ruth immediately walked up to Benton, her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Dammit Benton, I'll ask a thousand times if I hafta. I ain't playing around here. No one's gonna mess with that van. We're gonna send these pro-abortion people a message with it. So don't fuck with me, you chickenshit."
Ruth looked around the waiting room. Ten people were there-three couples and four women. Different nationalities, different ages. White, black, Latino, American Indian. Some were in their mid to late thirties, and others were barely in their twenties. Their faces were full of terror. Ruth's cold eyes focused on each one of them. She chuckled slightly.
"Look at you all. You think you're so clever. You think you can just get away with killing the unborn. Well, you're not getting away. I plan to send a message to the scum who happen to think like you do. You want the unborn babies inside of you dead? Fine! You'll get your wish. But those little tykes aren't going to die alone."
She drew closer to them, her eyes wide with malice.
"You're gonna join them. Just like those doctors in there."
Several of the women cried out in anguish. One man, an African American, lifted his hands in the air.
"P-Please-don't do this!!" he begged. "My wife was raped -and this is why she's pregnant!! This is why she's here-"
CRRAAACK!!!
The bullet tore through his throat. Blood and flesh exploded from the entry and exit wounds. He dropped to the floor, dead. His wife fell beside him, crying out in grief and agony. As she reached for him, Ruth fired another shot into the woman's head. It shattered in a violent burst of blood, brain and bone. Her corpse fell alongside her husband's.
Several of the remaining victims had enough.
No sooner had the corpse dropped, two of the men and women rushed at George and Ruth. George opened fire, killing one man. As he fell back onto the floor, the woman leapt at George as he swung the barrel towards her. She slammed into him, and both of them went reeling. Ruth fired a shot into one of her assailants. Blood exploded from her chest. As she fell, the man tackled Ruth to the floor.
"Set it off Carlton!!" she shouted.
Benton spun towards Carlton, eyes wide with terror. Carlton looked at the ceiling, his eyes wide with glee and maliciousness.
"FEEL THE WRATH OF GOD!!!" he screamed.
He flicked the toggle switch and pressed the red button. There was a violent explosion. Gigantic balls of flame tore through the doors and walls in front of them. The fire whirled through the room, consuming everything in its path.
Benton let out a piercing scream. It was cut off as the flames entered his throat. He was instantly blinded. For a few horrific moments, he felt all of his flesh roast and disintegrate-
And everything faded away into a white mist...
White...
Never-ending white...a low intense hum...an all-encompassing hum, filling the subconscious...
OH MY GAAAAAAAWWWWWWD!!!!!!
...cutting through the white...ripping through the endless white void like lightning strokes...
UUUUUUUUUIIIAAAAAAARRRGGHHAAAAA!!!!
...cutting through the low humming...billions of bees humming...low, but intense...uniform humming...
...the smell of roasting flesh, a smell that is distinct...a smell that is...human.
MYYYY BAAAAIIIIBBEEEEEEEEEE!!! IIIIIIAAAARRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
...maddening humming...filling, surrounding, swallowing, consuming...a bright white...shapeless...formless...
...disembodied white...
I'M BLIND!!!! I'M FUCKING BLIIIIIIIIIIIIND!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
The sea of white...
It quivers and ripples...it turns smoky gray...
An eye floats to the surface...charred, full of glass splinters...
A burning suitcase emerges from the sea of light murky gray, tumbling over and over...orange yellow flames encircling it...a halo of fire...
A chewed-up leg, severed at the knee, twirling up through the sea of gray like some hideous, ghoulish baton...
Fire eating through the flesh, and the bone...
The sea of murky gray ripples, then boils with increasing severity...
Finally turning into a dark mass of smoke...
The smoke tumbles, twists in on itself, spitting out red-orange flame.
It spits out other things as well.
Like bodies. And parts of bodies. Many charred beyond recognition. Many of them nude, their clothes burned or blasted off. Pieces of building and buses shoot out of the smoke, trailing streamers of fire. Bricks, parts of walls...tires, bus hulls, girders, a never-ending stream of debris and carnage.
And out of this blackness flew Mahdy...
Or more precisely, what was left of him. His soul.
He looked down as he rose above the collapsing inferno that was the Port Authority building. He could hear and see dozens of fire trucks, police cars and ambulances rushing towards the doomed building.
Suddenly, Mahdy noticed the loud sound of propellers whirling overhead. Directly above him was a news helicopter. It was bright blue, gleaming in the strong sunlight. He floated up until he was directly alongside its cockpit.
There were two men in it. They stared down at the inferno, their faces filled with shock and horror. The wind carried the smoke off to the east.
"Jesus Christ..." uttered the pilot in a hushed voice.
"There appears to have been a massive explosion at the Port Authority building." said his comrade, speaking into his headset. "The building is collapsing. This happened at the height of rush hour. Unfortunately...i-it appears that the loss of life will be great...Whatever caused the Port Authority building to collapse like this must have been incredible indeed. My God...I-I just can't get over the destruction here..."
Mahdy felt himself being pulled upwards. He passed through the propeller blades, rising higher and higher into the sky. The cloud of black smoke rose with him. Mahdy could make out several massive explosions at the base of the cloud.
Then the pull became stronger. Mahdy began to fly up, faster and faster. Little by little, the sky turned from a deep blue to a blue-black. Mahdy looked down, and he found himself hundreds of miles above the Earth. He could make out the curvature of the planet.
Within moments, he was in the black of space. He continued on, above Earth and the moon. Mahdy looked down upon both in a state of utter shock and wonder. He looked towards the sun, its brilliant light nearly blinding him. He turned away.
The pull on Mahdy increased in intensity. Soon, the Earth and moon disappeared from sight, and the Sun eventually became nothing more than an incredibly bright point of light. Mahdy then noticed other lesser points of light fill the black void around him.
He was traveling faster and faster...
Soon, a thin, glowing blue cylinder formed around Mahdy. He looked above him, and saw an intense blue-white light at the end of the cylinder. Mahdy looked beyond the transparent cylinder wall to see massive red and blue stars, planets great and small, shooting past him at incredible velocity-
Then Mahdy noticed that he began to stretch. Longer and longer, like a rubber band. His eyes widened in horror. He looked above him. The brilliant blue-white light grew more and more intense. A low, deep rumble began to emanate from around him. Mind-numbing terror filled Mahdy. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. His body stretched out like an incredibly long piece of taffee. Suddenly, violent stabs of pain shot from his head to his feet. The blasts of pain surged through Mahdy with incredible force. Again, he tried to scream. No sound came from his mouth. The light grew brighter, until it was almost blinding. The low rumble soon increased to a deafening roar. The ferocious stabs of pain grew stronger and stronger, happening closer and closer-until it was a mind-numbing, searing pain that blasted through every pore of Mahdy's being like a volcanic explosion. The bright light overwhelmed him-
And suddenly, everything went black.
A deep, dark void. No sensation, no thought.
Then slowly, one by one, they each began to return...
Self-awareness...
Thought...
Feeling...physical, and then emotional.
Mahdy felt sand beneath his face, his arms and hands. He flipped himself onto his back...
And found himself looking up into a greenish-blue sky. It appeared to be twilight. Mahdy could make out many stars, and the shape of a huge spiral galaxy. Its center glowed brilliantly, lit by over a billion suns.
Mahdy quickly sat up. He saw that he was nude. Mahdy then got to his feet and looked around.
He found himself at the edge of a forest. He gazed at the trees. The leaves were a light blue-gray color. The trunks were a dark maroon. He turned around. Before him was a great desert, and beyond that was a massive mountain range. The tops of the mountains were covered with snow. Mahdy looked at the sand, and found it was a light blue-violet color. To his right was a massive, dark-blue boulder.
The air was fairly cool, but slightly humid. Mahdy rubbed the back of his head. He was full of confusion.
What was this place?
Where was this place?
Most importantly- where was Allah?
He wasn't sure of the answers, but he knew he couldn't stay here. No-this had to be heaven. He had led his life like he was supposed to. He died fighting for Allah. Everyone had told him this.
For whatever reason, Mahdy had come here. And now, he had to search out Allah.
Mahdy looked towards the massive mountain range. He felt drawn towards it. And so, he began to walk.
The sand was cool. He looked up into the sky and spotted three large moons, all in crescent form. Looking towards his left, he saw what was left of daylight. Or the beginning of daylight-he wasn't sure which.
He continued walking, on and on. The daylight was slowly fading. Yes, it had to be nightfall. He stopped and looked behind him again.
The forest stretched out for several miles in either direction. In the sky far beyond the forest, Mahdy could make out several massive clouds. In them, he could see brilliant flashes of lightning. Uneasiness filled Mahdy. There was something about those clouds that bothered him...but he couldn't figure out just what. He turned around, and began to walk again towards the mountain range.
"Give me your hand, Ruth."
Ruth shook her head, trying to rid herself of the painful dizziness that roiled through it. Without looking up, she outstretched her right hand.
Ruth felt a beefy hand grab hers, and she was hoisted to her feet...
And before her stood George and Benton. They were all nude. Ruth blushed in embarrassment-
And then suddenly, their bodies shimmered. Clothes and shoes formed on their bodies. The same outfits they wore when they died. George gasped in shock.
"What the hell...?! How did that happen?!"
"I-I don't know!" stammered Ruth. "I-I was just standing here, feeling embarrassed about being naked, and the next thing I know, I-I've got my old clothes on!"
"I-I-I was thinking the same thing!" exclaimed Benton. "I was embarrassed, and-"
He abruptly stopped. All three people looked at each other in bewilderment. Ruth's eyes widened with anxiety.
"Hold it. Where's Carlton?"
George and Benton looked around. Carlton was nowhere in sight. George's mouth dropped down in shock.
"Oh shit...!! What happened to him??"
Benton frowned deeply.
"I-I don't like this..."
Ruth squinted at George.
"D-Did ya end up traveling through some-some blue cylinder thing??
George nodded.
"I sure did."
"Alone?"
"Yeah. Alone."
She quickly turned towards Benton.
"You?"
Benton nodded erratically.
"Y-Y-Yeah...I-I was alone."
Ruth rubbed the back of her head, her face filled with confusion and fear.
"What the hell's going on here?!"
They looked around. They were in the middle of a large desert. The sand was a light blue-violet. Ahead of them was a huge, snow-capped mountain range. Ruth turned around, and spotted several massive thunderheads far off in the distance. Lightning ripped through them. A strong feeling of uneasiness filled her about them, but she wasn't sure why.
"What is this place?" asked Benton. "Heaven, Hell, Purgatory? It doesn't look like anything we've been taught about."
"All right, hush." Ruth responded, a bit irritably. "I don't know, but we can't just hang around here."
She looked towards the mountain range. Her eyes narrowed.
"Something tells me we're gonna find our answer out there."
George nodded.
"Dunno why, but I agree. I got that feeling, too."
George and Ruth began to walk. Benton fell into step behind them. They headed off towards the mountain range.
Daylight had gone. It was now night. The sky above Mahdy was filled with billions of points of light. The massive spiral galaxy glowed with magnificence. The three crescent moons were lined up behind each other, near the horizon.
Mahdy was growing weary.
He had been walking for what seemed like hours. And the more he walked, the more confused he got.
What was going on??
Where is Allah??
What is this place??
No matter how many times he asked himself these questions, he got no answer. Mahdy bit his tongue as a thought came to him...what if this was one final test Allah had meant for him?
He nodded slowly.
Yes, that was it...it was a final test to prove his loyalty and faith.
Mahdy berated himself.
Be patient. Allah wishes to see if you are really worthy.
Mahdy wanted to go on, but he felt incredibly tired. He had a strong desire to sleep. He looked ahead, and spotted two large boulders, off to his right. Mahdy walked over to them. One of the boulders was long, having a reasonably flat surface. Mahdy climbed onto it and lay down on the boulder. He found its surface surprisingly smooth.
Mahdy gazed into the starlit heavens. He thought about his comrades. What had happened to them? He wished he knew. Eventually, his eyelids grew heavy with exhaustion. He fell into a deep slumber.
"Hey!"
Mahdy heard the voice, far away in his mind. He tried to ignore it.
"Hey you!!"
Mahdy felt a strong nudge. He rapidly awoke-
-and stared into the light green eyes of a huge man, towering above him. The man squinted, studying Mahdy.
"He looks like some Arab, Ruth."
Mahdy quickly sat up. The man wore a blue T-shirt and dark gray jeans, along with heavy black boots. Alongside him were two other people-a middle-aged woman and man. The woman wore a gray sweatshirt, black pants, and sneakers. The man had short, stiff blond hair. He wore a checkered shirt with blue jeans and sneakers. He also had a small pot belly. Mahdy quickly tried covering his groin-
And suddenly, his body began to shimmer. Clothes formed on Mahdy. A light blue shirt, black tie, navy-blue pants and shiny black shoes... His jaw dropped down in shock. They were the same clothes he wore when he died.
The giant man snorted.
"This guy was embarrassed too. Huh."
Mahdy stared at him quizzically.
"W-What do you mean?"
"Same thing happened to us when we first got here." he answered. "We got embarrassed when we saw each other naked, and then clothes formed on us."
Mahdy looked up. The sky was turning back into a deep green blue. The sun was rising. Mahdy turned around. His eyes widened in astonishment.
He saw two suns, just beginning to rise above the horizon. They were still low enough that looking at them directly didn't affect him. One looked to be about the size of the sun he knew from earth. The other was smaller, about half the size. But there they were. Two suns. Mahdy shook his head in awe.
"Incredible..." he muttered.
Mahdy then slid off the rock and looked over his clothes.
"D-Did Allah provide me with clothes??"
"Allah??"
He turned around, facing the huge man. The behemoth raised an eyebrow.
"Who's Allah?"
"Their version of God, George." answered Ruth. "That means he's a Muslim."
Mahdy eyed George uneasily.
"And you are...?"
"We're Christian." George answered.
Benton walked over to Mahdy and smiled.
"God might be called different names by different faiths, but He accepts us, whoever we are."
Benton extended his hand. Mahdy hesitantly grasped it. They shook hands.
"I'm Benton Mills. This is George Barcon and Ruth Westerby."
George and Ruth exchanged a glance of wariness and exasperation.
"I-I'm Mahdy. Mahdy Qasim."
Ruth walked up to Benton's side.
"How did you die, Mahdy?" she asked.
"E-Electrocuted. It was a freak accident. It happened while I was working on a house. A-And you?"
"Car crash." answered George flatly. "We were all in a van that was hit by a tractor trailer. The truck driver ran a red light."
"Did you leave behind any relatives?" asked Benton.
"Um-my mother and father, and a brother and sister. You?"
"None of us have any family." answered Ruth.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Benton spoke again.
"S-So...would you like to come with us?"
Mahdy eyed Benton warily.
"Where?"
"To wherever heaven is. That's what we are all trying to find, right?"
Mahdy gazed at him, puzzled.
"Do you know the way?"
Benton shrugged slightly.
"The three of us have a feeling that the answer to that is in the direction of that mountain range."
Mahdy paused a moment. He couldn't believe it! He was drawn to the mountain range as well! The pull was strong. Something... something called out to him. But he couldn't put a finger on what that was. Mahdy also knew that these people were Americans. This added to his uneasiness about the whole situation. But these Americans were obviously not the ones he was involved in killing. If they were, Mahdy knew he would have been in a lot of trouble.
But why were they with him?! They were not Islamic!!
This disturbed him deeply. They were not true believers. This situation grew more and more puzzling every passing moment.
"Come with us." said Benton.
Mahdy regarded him with suspicion.
"Where?"
"To the mountain range!"
"W-Well, I-I..."
Mahdy was at a loss for words. This infuriated him. Benton raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
He studied Mahdy's features. Benton could see the nervousness in his eyes. He smiled warmly.
"Don't be afraid of us. We won't hurt you! You're among friends."
Mahdy took a deep breath. He straightened up.
"I-I'd like to check out other areas. On my own."
George shrugged.
"Whatever. Suit yourself."
Benton turned towards George. He frowned deeply.
"I don't think that's a good idea. He's all by himself here!"
George leaned towards Benton, his eyes showing increasing annoyance.
"The man said he wants to go off to other areas alone. Let him."
"B-But-"
"But nothing. He's a big boy. He can look after himself."
Ruth nodded.
"I agree. Let's get going. He's free to do whatever he wants."
Benton faced Mahdy.
"You're sure you won't change your mind?"
Mahdy shook his head. Benton sighed. He stretched his hand out to him.
"Well, if that's what you want. Good luck then. Have a safe journey, Mahdy."
Mahdy smiled slightly. He shook Benton's hand.
"Thank you. May Allah guide you and keep you safe."
"Thanks."
Benton released Mahdy's hand. He turned around, and walked off with George and Ruth. Mahdy sighed in relief.
He turned around and began to walk towards the forest. But as he did so, Mahdy felt himself grow ill. His body began to ache, and he felt an increasing dizziness and nausea. The feelings were strong and unpleasant. Eventually, the combination grew unbearable. Mahdy doubled over, groaning. He staggered backwards, towards the mountain range...
...and as he did so, the symptoms began to subside. Mahdy squinted in puzzlement.
What is happening with me??
Mahdy shook his head in exasperation. He began to walk towards the forest again-
And the previous symptoms hit with twice the force as before. Mahdy let out a strangled groan and staggered back several steps. He turned around and stumbled towards the mountain range again. The symptoms faded once again. Mahdy immediately noticed this. His eyes widened in shock.
That can't be... he thought to himself. Or could it?
He decided to test his new-found theory.
Mahdy continued on towards the mountain range. The faster he walked towards it, the more quickly his symptoms subsided. Soon, they had almost completely disappeared. He then turned around and started walking towards the forest again-fast, and with a determined purpose. The symptoms came back with the force of a sledgehammer. Mahdy let out a loud cry and dropped to his knees. He ground his teeth in agony.
Damn...w-what is this?! W-What's happening here?!
He rose shakily to his feet. Mahdy took a couple of deep breaths. The symptoms subsided somewhat, but were still bad enough to grab Mahdy'sattention. He decided to walk directly parallel to the mountain range. Mahdy began walking again. He headed in the direction of the two suns.
The symptoms stayed the same. No change. Mahdy increased speed.
Suddenly a violent cramp ripped through his abdomen. Mahdy cried out, doubling over. He forced himself to walk on, continuing parallel to the mountain range. The cramps ripped through his mid-section, stronger and stronger. Grimacing in agony, Mahdy stopped. Anger and frustration began to build within him. He turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction, still parallel to the mountain. For a while, he felt only moderate nausea and aches.
Then, like a razor, the cramps slashed through his mid-section. He cried out and dropped onto both knees. Mahdy took deep, ragged breaths.
It was obvious now.
He had no choice. He had to go towards the mountain range.
Mahdy heard footsteps running towards him. He quickly turned his head to the right.
It was Benton. He was clutching his own stomach, grimacing. Benton kneeled beside Mahdy.
"Are you okay?!"
Mahdy shook his head.
"I-I don't know...-I tried walking in other directions...and I-I felt this horrible nausea and cramps..."
Benton nodded slowly.
"I know. The three of us experienced something similar when we tried walking towards the forest, away from the mountains. Eventually, we found that if we walked towards the mountains, we felt better. We arrived about fifteen miles south of here. We spent the night walking through the desert."
Benton rose to his feet. He looked down at Mahdy and shrugged.
"I guess you have no choice but to come with us."
Benton held out his hand towards him. Mahdy gazed at him warily. Benton smirked in exasperation.
"Look, we are not going to hurt you. You're among friends. Trust me."
Inwardly, Mahdy groaned. He simply wanted no part of this American or his companions. But given his situation, Mahdy had no choice but to go with him. Then he remembered...
...this may be a test of your worthiness from Allah himself. Follow through with this.
Mahdy resigned himself to going with this man and his friends. He held out his hand to Benton. Benton smiled, and took hold of it. He pulled Mahdy to his feet.
"C'mon." he said in a friendly voice.
They walked off towards George and Ruth, who were waiting in the distance.
Part 2