They had walked through the desert for most of the day. The two suns had risen and hovered over the four. And yet, it hadn't been terribly hot. Just a fairly strong warmth, plus a somewhat high humidity. The combination was a bit uncomfortable. But it was bearable. And now, the two suns were preparing to set.
Mahdy sighed slightly. He thought about the time that had passed between him and the Americans. Little conversation occurred between them. And whatever conversation that had been attempted was initiated by Benton. George and Ruth kept silent. Benton told Mahdy a little bit about his childhood. He grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, along with a brother and sister. His father was a preacher. He would be sitting in the front row often while his father delivered the Sunday sermon. He felt the call to God, and decided to embark on a religious life. Benton then began to preach to Mahdy about God when Ruth ordered him to stop. She told Benton to respect Mahdy's religion. Benton smiled sheepishly, and apologized. From that moment on, there was no conversation.
And Mahdy preferred it that way. He had no interest in hearing about their God. He had even less interest in being with the Americans. As annoying as Benton was, Mahdy felt even more uncomfortable about George and Ruth. There was a coldness in their eyes that unnerved him. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. But there was something about them that wasn't right...
As they walked, the four found themselves approaching the edge of a cliff. It overlooked a grassy plain. Ruth walked up to the edge. She surveyed the plain, her eyes scanning left and right. Suddenly, something caught her eye.
"Out there, to the right!" she exclaimed. "Look!!"
Ruth pointed in that direction. The three men obeyed. They saw a small building off in the distance, in the middle of the plain. It was low and long. The roof was flat, and was a red-orange color. The rest of the building was a light purple. Several windows were along its side. Soft light shone from them.
"What is that place?" asked Benton. "It's in the middle of nowhere!"
"Let's find out." answered Ruth.
She looked around, and found what she was searching for; a small, rocky pathway down to the plain below. The four walked onto the path and descended onto the plain. They continued on for a while. A light breeze caressed their faces. Eventually, they arrived at the house. It was a simple structure. It appeared to be made of cement. They went around the side, and spotted a wooden door. It was open. The four walked over to the door. Ruth entered first.
It was a simple, elegant lobby. To their left were several leather couches and a large, low table. In one corner, next to the couches was a large lamp. It had a purple body with a large rounded bottom. A big lavender lamp shade sat atop it. It emitted a soft, warm light. To their right was the reception desk. Behind it sat a Hispanic man, in his early sixties. He had dark brown hair, with a few streaks of white in it. He was reading a book. To his left sat a little black boy. He had a little watercolor set next to him, and he was painting a flower. The area they were in was lit from above by a small, elegant chandelier. Ruth approached the reception desk. The man looked up, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"Yeah, um...can you tell us where Heaven is?"
The little boy looked up. He squinted at Ruth, his face full of bewilderment.
"Heaven?"
He turned to the man.
"They sound like new arrivals, Alfredo."
The man nodded.
"It looks that way."
He sighed slightly and looked over the four.
"Well, what you folks call 'heaven' isn't in these parts. You have to stop at a town called Atibrattion first. I wouldn't suggest walking there, though. It's too long a walk. There is transportation that comes through here, and that should arrive early tomorrow morning. Meantime, you're welcome to lodge here for the night. Albin will take you to your rooms. I imagine you've had a long journey."
Mahdy walked over to the desk, gazing at Alfredo pleadingly. The old man squinted at him.
"Yes?"
"C-Can you please tell me where Allah is?"
The Hispanic man smiled slightly and shook his head.
"I don't know...I can't help you. As I said...you'll have to go to Atibrattion for your answers."
Mahdy shook his head in amazement.
"H-How can you not know Allah??"
"I'm sorry. I just run this place. Atibrattion is where you ask your questions. I can't help you."
Mahdy pulled away from Alfredo. He regarded him a few moments with apprehension. The little boy got down from his stool, walked around the front of the desk, and faced the four travelers. He smiled.
"Please follow me."
The four followed the little boy down a hallway. The walls were painted a salmon color, and the floor was covered with a maroon rug. Albin then stopped in the middle of the hallway. There were two doors on either side of him. He turned to face the travelers.
"Here you are. One room for each of you." He smiled brightly. "I hope you enjoy your stay. I'll wake you in the morning so you'll have time to get yourselves ready for the transportation to Atibrattion. Good night."
Ruth nodded, smiling.
"Good night. And thank you."
The little boy moved around the four, heading back down the hallway towards the reception desk. Mahdy opened the door behind him and entered the room. He closed the door. Ruth opened the door to her room. She went inside. It was a small bedroom, with a medium-sized bed off to the left, its black headboard against the wall. There was a window to its left, looking out towards the grassy plain. The room was light-blue in color, and a dark-blue carpet covered the floor. Ruth turned to George and Benton.
"Let's talk in here." she said in a lowered voice.
George and Benton followed her into the bedroom. Ruth closed the door, locking it behind her. She turned towards Benton, her eyes narrowed.
"Don't get too chummy with that Arab. We don't know what he's about."
Benton rolled his eyes.
"Ruth, I was just trying to be polite!"
Ruth walked up to him, pointing a finger at his face.
"I know you, Benton. You talk too damn much."
Benton smirked.
"That's a peculiar way to be acting in the afterlife."
Ruth glared at Benton with exasperation.
"You are so naive. Don't you sense how odd all this is?? Let's start with Carlton. He was with us when we died. Where is he now?? You don't find that odd??"
Uneasiness crept across Benton's face. Ruth wrapped her arms around herself. She walked over to the window and looked outside.
"And there's something about this place...Something that just doesn't sit right with me. I can't put my finger on what it is."
She turned towards the two men.
"George, what about you? Don't you sense something? Something off-kilter?"
The huge man raised his eyebrows slightly, and nodded.
"Yeah, I do. I can't put my finger on it either."
He turned towards Benton.
"Don't you feel uneasy??"
Benton sighed, nodding.
"Yeah." he admitted. "Yeah, I do. But hey-we just died. This is the afterlife. We're new to it. That's all."
"It's more than that." said Ruth quietly. "I should feel at peace. But I don't."
Benton looked at the blue carpet for a moment, his eyes wandering over it. He looked up, and walked over to Ruth.
"We blew up an abortion clinic." he said, matter-of-factly. "We killed sixteen people. And that's not counting the fetuses inside some of them."
Ruth spun towards him and bared her teeth with rage.
"Sixteen people that deserved to die. Those fetuses were already dead!! They would have died anyway!! But here, they died for a worthy cause!! Their deaths were not in vain!! The doctors were baby-killers!! They murdered the unborn!! This...is...a...war. These bastards wanted to murder unborn children?? These parents willingly participated in the murder of their own flesh and blood?! Then they reaped what they sowed. They now know what these poor innocents went through."
"She's right." answered George with cold finality. "They had to be punished."
Benton turned away. Doubt and apprehension filled his features.
"I wonder..." he said quietly.
George grabbed his arm and spun Benton to face him. A snarl curled George's lips.
"What the hell is there to wonder about?!" he snapped. "We did what we had to do!!"
Benton frowned.
"Exactly. And who gave us the right to do that?"
George's eyes narrowed.
"Who?? Are you trying to be a smart-ass, Benton?? Who do you think??"
"I know who you're talking about George." he responded calmly. "It doesn't mean He gave us that right."
"Do you remember, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'??"
Benton lowered his head.
"Yeah. I also remember that we are supposed to love our enemies."
George lessened his grip on Benton's arm. Bits of uncertainty appeared in the huge man's angry gaze.
"We...did... the...right thing." he said with quiet intensity.
Benton nodded slowly.
"You're awfully sure of that. We all were. I hope that we were right."
George released Benton's arm. He pulled back. Benton gazed at his two companions and sighed.
"I'm tired. I'm off to my room. Good night."
He left the room and closed the door. George and Ruth gazed at each other with apprehension.
"You think he's got a point?" uttered George nervously.
Ruth sighed. She ran her hand through her hair and looked out the window. A few seconds passed. She slowly began to shake her head.
"No..."she said with authority. "No....we did the right thing."
George nodded.
"Yeah...yeah, we did."
They looked at each other again. They could see the uncertainty in each other's eyes. And it was growing. George bit his lower lip.
"I'm going to my room. Good night Ruth."
Ruth forced a smile.
"Y-Yeah. Good night."
George turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Ruth turned back towards the window again. It was twilight. The two suns had just gone below the horizon. Ruth gently bit her tongue as her mind began to wander...
Abortion is MURDER!! IT IS AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD!!
Pro-abortionists must be stopped AT ALL COSTS!!!
Ruth squeezed her fists. She ground her teeth and shook her head.
No-she was IN THE RIGHT.
They did what they had to do. Peaceful solutions hadn't worked. They had been tried for decades...
But abortions continued. Women went to seek them, and there were doctors willing to help them.
They were the butchers. Not her. She was a soldier. A SOLIDER.
A soldier in the war against abortion.
She delighted in seeing her victims suffer and squirm. She took great joy in it. Seeing their fear. Seeing how it consumed them. Seeing how utterly helpless they were against Ruth and her comrades. Volley after volley of gunshots...explosions of blood, corpses dropping...and finally, that fireball that consumed them all...
It was an orgasmic joy Ruth took in seeing them suffer.
Yes...she did the right thing.
Ruth thought about where she was now. The euphoria slowly faded away. In its place came uncertainty, and an anxiety she couldn't quite pinpoint.
What was this place?
Where was this place?
And most importantly-where was God?
Ruth walked back to her bed. She plopped down heavily onto it and laid back. Her eyes wandered the ceiling, finally focusing on the lamp.
So many questions...
So few answers.
Mahdy gazed out the window, looking at the mountain range before him. The three crescent moons were just above the mountain peaks. They sky once again was filled with countless stars. He gently rubbed the back of his head. Something about all this didn't feel right.
Where were his comrades?
He didn't know. He just didn't know, and that disturbed him greatly. Were they with Allah? There was no way of knowing for sure.
Mahdy was totally at a loss. He was a devout Muslim. He worshipped Allah fervently. He followed what he was taught closely. He did his part in the jihad against the Americans. It had been years since the attack on the World Trade Center . Nearly three thousand Americans had died. And yet, Mahdy and his fellow Muslims were enraged by America's continuing influence in the Arab world...their allegiance with Israel, their meddling in the affairs of Arab countries, their Western ideologies permeating parts of his Islamic world.
America had not learned its lesson. It was time to strike again.
The plan had taken a long time to execute. He and his comrades had lived in the United States for quite a few years. They were very methodical. America's senses had dulled. It had been twelve years since that black September day. There were still ways around immigration and border crossings-and having the proper connections didn't hurt. They managed to infiltrate themselves into American society. They blended in among their enemy.
They worked hard towards that fateful April day...the day they attacked the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City. It was a perfect target, since hundreds of people traveled through there on a daily basis.
And yet, Mahdy had begun to develop doubt. He questioned himself. It was one thing to cry out hatred against another person, and quite another to actually kill them.
But he couldn't face his comrades with this doubt. He just couldn't. It would have been a sign of weakness. And he had been instructed quite explicitly how imperative the jihad was against the Americans. The fatwah was clear on what needed to be done. These were orders from Allah Himself.
He remembered the letter that had been given to him to read a few days before the attack on the bus terminal. He thought about certain passages...
Think about what God has promised the good believers and the martyrs. Remind yourself to listen and obey that night because you will be exposed to critical situations. Train and convince yourself to do that.
God narrated: "Obey God and his messenger and fall into no disputes. Lest you lose heart and your power depart and be patient and persevering for God is with those who are patient."
Let your chest be open because it's only moments before you begin a happy life and eternal bliss with the Prophets and the veracious and martyrs and the righteous and these are the best of companions. We ask God of His bounties and be optimistic because the Prophet was optimistic in all his matters.
And then when the zero-hour comes, open your chest and welcome death in the cause of God, always remembering your prayers to ease your mission before the goal in seconds. And let your last words be, "There is no God but God and Mohammed is His Messenger." And then comes the meeting in the Highest Paradise with the mercy of God. When you see the masses of the infidels, remember those parties that numbered about 10,000 and how God granted victory to the believers.
Mahdy remembered all this very well.
And remembering all of this only fueled his anxiety and confusion.
He was a soldier. A SOLDIER.
A soldier in the jihad against the Americans.
He did what was asked of him!
He did the RIGHT thing! He had done what he was told!!
Mahdy had no greater desire but to do the will of Allah.
And yet-why was he here??
With Americans, no less?? Infidels?? The enemy??
Why wasn't he with his comrades? His brothers, who sacrificed their lives along with him?? Why wasn't he in Paradise??
Why was he here??
Mahdy's head ached the more he thought about his situation. He couldn't deal with it any more. He had to put those thoughts aside-for now.
Mahdy was certain about one thing. He felt incredibly tired. He gazed at the bed. It looked inviting. Mahdy sighed, and gave into the temptation. He fell back onto the bed and gazed out the window. Immediately, his eyelids grew heavy. He didn't resist. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep....
Darkness...a black, oily darkness...
Drops of red...drops of bright, glowing red...hitting the blackness, here and there. The red twists into the black, forming circles, semi- circles...wiggly lines and curves...
Larger drops of bright red hit the oily black. More and more drops....the blackness churns and twists. It bubbles and seethes...
The drops of red increase to a torrent. They strike the blackness with force, creating dozens of craters within it....
And soon, the blackness begins to fade. Soon, there is nothing more than red. A red torrent of rain...
And the rain subsides...The surface calms. It is a bright, intense, glowing red... a red void. It fills everything, wraps around everything...
Soon, shapes begin to form in this red sea. Boulders...rocks...dead trees.
Little by little, a desolate landscape forms. The rocks and sand are a dark maroon. The sky is blood-red. Pink cirrus clouds hang in the air...
And Mahdy finds himself standing in the midst of it all.
It is daylight, but Mahdy looks up and sees no sun. It is bewildering...it is frightening to him.
Mahdy looked down at his clothes. They were the same. The same clothes he wore when he died....
"It felt good, didn't it??"
The raspy voice sends chills down his spine. Mahdy turned around to see its source. He gasped in terror.
Half of the man's face had been ripped away, revealing a bloody skull. Parts of it gleamed a ghostly white. Chunks of flesh hung from it. Whatever was left of his blond hair stood straight up, encrusted in blood. Brownish black rags that were once a suit hung from his torso. His right arm looked like it had been put through a meat grinder. His tattered black pants were encrusted in blood. The man's torso, left arm and legs were discolored; blotches of black and brown, purple and red, and some hints of whatever his normal skin tone had been. His eyes glowed a brilliant blue-white. He drew closer to Mahdy. He recoiled in fright. The shade tilted his head.
"What's wrong??" he hissed coldly. "Don't like your handiwork?? You should be proud. Ya did reaaaaal good, boy."
Suddenly, the shade was upon him. He grabbed Mahdy's throat. With fingers of steel, the shade began to crush it. He lifted Mahdy into the air as if he were a doll. Mahdy squirmed in his grasp.
"I was a banker." the shade growled, its voice like sandpaper that ground into Mahdy's ears. "I had a wife and four children. Because of you, you son of a bitch, my wife and kids will suffer horribly. I was working to pay off my house. Now, they will lose it because of you. My children won't go to college. My wife suffers from depression. And my murder will put her over the edge. You lousy fucking piece of SHIT!!!!"
The shade threw a vicious right uppercut. A ferocious explosion of pain roiled out of Mahdy's mid-section, tearing throughout his body like a tsunami. The shade tossed him away. He flew through the air, crashing into the ground. Mahdy folded into a fetal position, gasping for air in huge gulps-
And another searing blast of pain hit his back as a foot dug into it. Mahdy let out a strangled cry of agony. He rolled over onto his back-
Two massive hands grabbed his shirt-
And he was hoisted to his feet. He saw a reddish black face. Pieces of flesh were gone, revealing the gleaming bone underneath. Again, glowing blue-white eyes. They penetrated Mahdy's being. They were full of rage, agony and hate.
"I was a cop." growled the shade, its deep voice cascading through Mahdy's body. "I had a wife and one child. My little girl has Down's syndrome."
The shade drew his head back-
And smashed it into Mahdy's face with punishing force. There was a sharp cracking noise as Mahdy's nose snapped. Blood erupted from it. His head whipped back. The shade shook Mahdy roughly. Groaning, Mahdy managed to focus on the shade's dark face again.
"Do you know how hard it is to care for a child that has Down's syndrome? Do you have any idea? No, of course you don't. Why would you. Why would you, you dirty fuck-"
The shade head-butted him again in the face. Mahdy's head flew back, more blood bursting from his nose and mouth. The shade shook him roughly once more
"Look at me, you fucker!! LOOK AT ME!!"
With great difficulty, Mahdy raised his head and focused unsteadily on the dead policeman's face. The shade's eyes narrowed.
"Know how many people you fuckers killed? Wanna guess, huh?? Wanna guess?!"
Mahdy felt something ram into his groin. A massive eruption of pain roared from it, up through his body and into his head. Mahdy let out a high-pitched scream of agony.
"Guess, motherfucker!!"
The hard object burrowed into his groin again. Mahdy screamed once more.
"Guess!!"
The shade delivered the blow again. Mahdy's screams grew deafening.
"GUEEEEESSSSS!!!!!"
The shade repeated the process swiftly, over and over. Mahdy wailed with wild abandon. Finally, he felt the shade lift him up high, and then throw him down on the ground with incredible force. Searing pain swept through his body. He felt bones crack inside. He rolled onto his right side, gurgling in agony-
And then a hand clutched his face. It turned Mahdy's face sharply to the left. He gazed into the glowing blue eyes of the shade.
"You and your friends killed over six hundred fifty people. Men, women, and children. Children, you fucker. You bastards killed children."
Mahdy looked beyond the shade. With growing terror, he saw other silhouettes of people gathering behind the shade. They all had glowing blue eyes.
"You thought you'd get away with it, eh?" the shade uttered with a low, icy hiss. " Na-uh. I don't think so. Your ass is ours, mother-fucker. It's time for you to get yours."
The others gathered around them silently. Mahdy's eyes widened in absolute terror.
"ALLAH, SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
The shade tossed its head back and laughed. A loud, blood-curdling, hysterical laugh. He yanked Mahdy forward so that they were face to face.
"You dumb shit!!" he cackled with glee and malice. "There ain't no Allah here. Just you. And me. And the other victims of yer little ji-had."
The shade yanked Mahdy roughly to his feet. Mahdy looked around him erratically. Hundreds of shades surrounded them. They were in various stages of disintegration. Torn clothes, charred, ragged flesh, exposed bone...They all glared at him...
And it was the same glare throughout. One that was filled with rage, hate, and an ever-growing desire to destroy.
"NOOOOOOO!!!" Mahdy screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The massive crowd of shades let out a deafening roar that drowned Mahdy out. They rushed upon him.
Mahdy felt fists punching him. He was being hit with incredible force. Mahdy felt bones snap. Blood flowed freely. Mahdy let out a strangled cry of agony-
He dropped to the ground-
And the blows increased with severity. The eruptions of pain were brutal. Mahdy heard the shades curse him repeatedly as they hit him. Again and again and again-
The blows felt like jackhammers against his body. It went on and on and on. Mahdy tilted his head back and began to scream-
CRRRRRRAAAAAAAACCCCKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!
A bright flash. A loud, violent thunderclap-
Darkness...pitch black darkness...
CRRRRRRAAAAAAAACCCCKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!
Another bright flash. Another deafening thunderclap...
Mahdy clutched around in the darkness. He grabbed onto the side of the bed. He pulled himself to his knees. Horrible pain surged through his body. He cried out in distress. His body trembled violently, uncontrollably...
With great difficulty, Mahdy got onto his feet. There was another bright flash and ferocious blast of thunder. Mahdy stumbled across the room in the dark, reaching the wall. He felt around for the light switch, found it and flicked it-
And the light came on. Before him was a mirror. Mahdy looked into it-
He gasped at what he saw.
His face was bloody and bruised. Massive welts jutted out of the sides of his head. Large cuts were all over his face. He looked down at his hands. They were mangled. Hysteria filled Mahdy. He reached for the nearby door, turned the knob and staggered out of his room-
And the sight before him made him shriek in terror.
It was the Americans.
They leaned against the wall. They were horribly battered. The huge man, George, could barely stand. His face and arms were terribly bruised. His left eye was swollen shut. Welts jutted out of his forehead and his temples. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose in huge globs. The woman had two black eyes and a broken nose. Blood dripped from her mouth and nose as well. Benton had a giant welt sticking out of the side of his head. His right eye was swollen shut, and his face and arms were filled with cuts and bruises. They all stood there, groaning.
Mahdy could not take another second of this. He turned and began to stumble down the corridor, towards the reception desk-
And suddenly, he felt himself being violently shoved aside. He collided hard with the wall, his head bouncing off of it. Mahdy tried to focus on who pushed him-
It was George.
The giant lumbered rapidly down the hallway, with Benton and Ruth following close behind. Mahdy decided to follow them. They rushed into the lobby. Alfredo was still reading, and Albin was still painting. They looked up quickly. Their faces filled with shock.
"What the-what happened?!" exclaimed Alfredo.
In less than a second, George grabbed the old man by the collar and yanked him over the counter. He rammed the old man into the nearby wall with incredible force. The room shook with the impact. George bared his bloody teeth in fury.
"You tell me." he hissed with a malevolent coldness.
Alfredo's eyes narrowed. He wrapped his hands around George's forearms and began to squeeze. The pressure increased rapidly. George felt something inside them crack. He cried out in blinding pain-
Then he felt a knee burrow into his groin. George's eyes bulged out of his head in agony. He released Alfredo-
And ferocious pain blasted through the right side of his face. George sailed through the air, crashing into the opposite wall. The room shook once again with the impact. The giant dropped heavily onto the floor. Alfredo stood before him, fury twisting his features. He turned towards Albin.
"Open the door. " he growled icily.
Albin immediately got off his stool, ran around the counter, and opened the door wide. Outside, there was a raging storm. Hurricane-force winds howled into the lobby. Titanic blasts of lightning lit the sky. The resulting thunder swept through the building like an avalanche. The ground trembled. Rain poured down in sheets. Alfredo strolled over to George and grabbed him by the collar. With inhuman strength, he lifted him up into the air. Alfredo carried him outside. Ruth, Benton and Mahdy followed.
"What are you DOING?!" cried Ruth.
Alfredo lifted George high over his head. He tossed George far out into the grassy plain. He crashed into the ground, bounced once and lay still.
"GEEEOOOOOORRRRGGEEE!!!" screamed Ruth.
She quickly looked up into the storm. Her eyes bulged in terror.
She saw massive funnels hanging from the dark thunderclouds...
Massive, glowing twisters, grinding along the landscape. They emitted a greenish-yellow light. There were at least a dozen of them. They tore across the plain...
And Ruth could hear blood-curdling screams coming from them. She took a closer look at the tornadoes, and saw faces in them. Dozens and dozens of faces. They were horribly distorted, filled with ravenous agony. Ruth stared at the faces...
And suddenly, she recognized one of them. Her jaw dropped in utter shock.
It was Carlton.
His face was disfigured in anguish. His head twisted and turned, warping into strange shapes. Ruth gasped, placing a hand over her mouth.
"M-m-my...G-G-God...!!" she stammered. Mind-numbing terror and hysteria filled every fiber of her being. "M-MMY GOOOOOODDDDD!!!"
She rapidly turned her eyes towards George's motionless form. Lightning lit the sky, illuminating his massive bulk. Ruth ran towards him. Benton's left eye widened in fear.
"Ruth!!" he shouted. "NO!! DON'T GO OUT THERE!!"
Benton ran out into the violent rainstorm. He kicked up large amounts of mud as he rushed towards Ruth-
CRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKKKKKOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A fiery blast of hot blue-white light shot down from the sky. It tore into the ground just before Benton. The resulting explosion hurled Benton's body back through the air. He smashed face-first into the side of the building. He dropped to the ground once, bounced onto his back and lay perfectly still. Smoke rose from his charred body. Mahdy gasped in shock. He saw Ruth getting closer to George. Mahdy turned to Alfredo. He gazed out at the two. His expression was cold and impassive. Albin stood next to him. He looked out at the pair with indifference.
Ruth arrived at George's side. She crouched down beside him. He lay face up, his right eye rolled into the back of his head. Ruth leaned in towards his face.
"George!! GEORGE!! George, WAKE UP!!"
Suddenly, she saw George and the ground around him bathed in a greenish-yellow light. A deep rumble shook the earth underneath them. The wind picked up rapidly, turning into an incredible roar. Something began to tug at Ruth. She saw George begin to slide away from her. Ruth quickly looked behind her. She let out a hysterical scream.
A massive, glowing tornado churned behind her. Great clouds of dust rose around it. Lightning ripped through the funnel almost continuously. Dozens of faces stared out from within the funnel. They screamed in agony. The screams echoed around Ruth. George slid along the ground towards the tornado, moving faster and faster, his head bouncing off rocks as he drew closer. Finally, the wind picked up his body and sucked it into the vortex. Soon after, Ruth saw George's face form among the others. He was screaming in agony.
A terror Ruth had never known surged into every fiber of her being. Struggling against the wind, she managed to rise to her feet. Ruth tried to move away from the storm-
And the wind picked up past hurricane force. Ruth felt herself dragged towards the twister. She stared at the house in the distance, looking at the two figures standing in the doorway.
"SSSAAAAAAAVVVVEEE ME!!!!!!!!!" Ruth screamed at the top of her lungs. "SSSSAAAAAAAAVVVEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A violent blast of wind slammed into Ruth's chest. She was hurled back through the air, flipping head over heels, over and over again. Ruth was sucked into the vortex. And soon, her face joined the dozens of others, screaming in endless agony. The giant twister then began to move away from the house, joining the others that were roaring across the plain.
Mahdy had witnessed the entire event. He stood in the rainstorm, drenched and slack-jawed. He turned towards Alfredo and Albin. He rushed up to them, and dropped to his knees. His eyes were wide with horror.
"W-Who are you?!" he cried out. "What is this place?! Is this place Hell?! I-I don't deserve to be here!! I-I've done everything the Almighty Allah has told me!! EVERYTHING!!!"
Alfredo adjusted his collar casually. He continued to look out into the violent storm.
"I don't know anything about you, or your Allah."
"But what is happening here?! Why was I beaten?! WHY?!?"
"I don't know." he responded flatly. "You'll have to look inside yourself for the answer."
Mahdy shivered uncontrollably. He looked around. Lightning crackled above and around him. Tornadoes were still churning across the plain. His lower lip quivered.
"W-Where do I go??" he muttered to himself. "Where do I go??"
"You can stay here." said the boy.
Mahdy rapidly shook his head.
"N-No!! No!!"
"Then you will be destroyed out here." responded Alfredo. "If you want to survive, your only chance will be staying in this inn until tomorrow. You have no other choices."
Mahdy turned again, looking out into the savage thunderstorm. The glowing twisters continued to march across the earth. His eyes focused on one of them. Suddenly he saw something...
Something familiar...something very familiar...
Mahdy's eyes grew wide as saucers. He slowly rose to his feet. Horrific realization hit him like an anvil.
He saw the faces of his comrades...the ones on the bus.
The ones that died with him.
The ones that sacrificed their lives for Allah.
Their features were twisted into gruesome shapes. Their mouths were agape, letting out shrill screams along with the rest of their brethren. Mahdy staggered backwards.
"N-N-Nnnnno!!" he stammered. "No!! NO, IT ISN'T POSSIBLE!!"
He spun towards Alfredo and Albin. He rushed up to Alfredo.
"What happened to my brothers?!" Mahdy cried out. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?!?"
Alfredo's eyes narrowed. His left arm snapped out like a cobra-
And his hand wrapped itself around Mahdy's throat in a vise-like grip. The old man hoisted him up in the air. His brown eyes were filled with annoyance.
"You ask too many damned questions." he said with a slow, dangerous purr.
He tossed him away. Mahdy landed face-first in a pool of mud. He flipped over himself onto his back. Mahdy coughed violently, spitting out chunks of mud. He got onto his knees, wiping the mud from his eyes. Albin went behind Alfredo, disappearing for only a moment. Then he came outside with a large umbrella. He opened it and walked over to Mahdy. The rain beat down on the Arab's head mercilessly. The little boy spoke.
"If there is anyone you should be concerned about, it's yourself." he said in a calm tone. "If you want to survive, you stay at this inn until tomorrow morning. You have to decide right now where you want to be."
Mahdy looked up at the child. His face was filled with agony.
"Please tell me what's happened to my brothers." he begged. "Please."
The little boy's features grew hard.
"Alfredo was right." he answered in a low, harsh tone. "You ask too many damned questions."
He turned around.
"Let's leave him out here, Alfredo."
The old man gave a slight nod. The boy began to walk back towards the inn. Mahdy quickly got to his feet.
"No!!" he exclaimed. "Please don't leave me out here!! PLEASE!!!"
The boy spun around on his heel. His eyes narrowed.
"Then stop asking questions!!" he snapped. "One more question, and we'll toss you out on your ear."
Mahdy swallowed hard. The child meant business.
Albin turned around and walked back towards the inn. Mahdy wiped his face and hands, following the little boy back to the inn. The child entered and Mahdy was about to follow when Alfredo instantly reached out, slapping his right palm onto Mahdy's chest. He looked at Alfredo, bewildered. The old man continued to look out into the storm.
"Bring that man inside. Sit him down here, in the lobby."
Mahdy looked at Benton's motionless form. He hesitated.
"Bring him inside, or you stay out here." Alfredo growled.
Mahdy swallowed hard. He rushed over to Benton, bent down and grabbed his forearms. He dragged him inside, over to the couch. With some effort, he lifted Benton onto it. Mahdy then sat down across from him. Benton was still unconscious. Mahdy looked towards the reception desk. Alfredo went back to reading, and Albin went back to painting with his watercolors. Mahdy turned around, looking out the window behind him. The tornadoes had disappeared. The thunderstorm was moving away. Lightning still lit the skies, but it was mostly sheet lightning. The thunder became less intense.
"You can go back to your room." said Albin, without looking up from his work.
Mahdy shook his head rapidly.
"I-I-I can't."
Alfredo looked up from his book, seeing the terror in Mahdy's face. He pursed his lips, raising both eyebrows.
"Well, you can sleep on the couch if you want."
Mahdy rapidly shook his head again.
"I-I-I can't go back to sleep."
Alfredo shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
Alfredo and Albin went back to what they were doing. Mahdy wrapped his arms around himself, and began to rock back and forth slightly. He stared at Benton's motionless form. Smoke rose from his torso. Mahdy's teeth chattered uncontrollably.
What IS this place???
Where is Allah???
What happened to my brothers???
The image haunted him.
It chilled him to the core of his very being.
The massive whirlwind, containing the faces of his comrades...the ones who joined him on the attack of the Port Authority building. There was no denying it. It was them, and they were in absolute agony. Not only could Mahdy see and hear their agony, he could feel it. There was no denying it.
WHAT IS GOING ON?!?
Mahdy's mind raced.
Could this be some sort of trick?? Some trick that Satan himself was playing??
The answer his instincts gave was even more bewildering.
No. This was not a trick. They were under great torment.
If so, why?!
They followed the will of Allah!! Why would they be punished?!
Mahdy's head began to throb. He ran everything that had happened through his head, over and over again. None of it made sense.
None of it.
He looked at his situation from every possible angle he could think of. Nothing added up.
His eyes shot towards Alfredo and Albin. They were oblivious to him, each immersed in his own task. He closed his eyes, bit his lower lip and made a silent prayer...
Allah, what is happening here?? Why am I going through this?? What must I do?? I am so confused!! I need your help!! Please!!
He stared at the ceiling. If his prayer had been heard, there was no answer...
At least-not yet.
Part 3