SWNOVELS Chapter 11: The Suicide Bomber.
The following day, I woke up refreshed. The sun was shining, and there was a crisp winter breeze coming in through my window as I opened it. After eating breakfast, I set out to explore Jerusalem on foot. While most guidebooks recommended guided tours with bulletproof vehicles, I felt that I didn’t want to give in to fear. Besides, I was looking for clues on the whereabouts of the Zeto Crystal, and I believed that it would be easier to find them, if I walked around the city. But Jerusalem was large, so where would I start my search? Since it was a Saturday, and I was under surveillance by the government, the natural choice was to go to the Western Wall to pray.
I don’t like praying to deities, following specific rites, and gathering at specific buildings. I see this as a symptom of man’s vanity, to worship gods, created by men, for men. The True Maker is everywhere, she is the universe, and any place is as good as the other to connect to her. What is important is the mindset of the individual, not the location and the ritual.
Casting aside my own preferences, I approached the wall, where I sensed something magical. Could it be that the Zeto Crystal was nearby? Suddenly, the sensation was dulled by another feeling. The strong feeling of danger and fear. I turned around, and I saw a young man, around my age. His face was solemn, and he was reciting his prayers, but this was only a façade. This man was here to harm himself and others. I touched the man’s hand to get a better read of his emotional state, and to get a sense of who this strange person was.
Yussuf was a seventeen-year-old Palestinian man struggling with severe depression. Unfortunately, instead of finding help to deal with his problems, he had come across evil men. Men that would manipulate him, into killing himself and others, so that the vicious cycle of hate, fear, and paranoia could continue. Although I hadn’t come to Jerusalem to save individuals, I had to save Yussuf from himself. My life, and the lives of countless others, depended on it.
I grabbed Yussuf’s hand to establish a telepathic link. I didn’t say anything. Partly because it would be hard to talk with him with all noise around us. But also, because I didn’t want to arouse panic in the people around me. If the worshippers found out about the suicide bomber among them, they would run away in panic. In the stampede that ensued, people could get harmed, or even die.
“Don’t do it. There is still hope!” I communicated to Yussuf telepathically. Yussuf stared at me in awe and replied. “Who are you? How can you get inside my mind?”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters are that everyone here can go home unharmed, and I can help you build a better life.” I replied
I saw tears running down Yussuf’s cheeks, and he replied. “I believe you, but it is too late. I had already activated the bomb when you contacted me!”
Yussuf stood up, shouted out “Allah Akbar!” Shortly afterwards, I saw the bright flash from the detonation.
The terrible force of the bomb disintegrated Yussuf body into a cascade of blood and flesh.
The shockwave from knocked me unconscious, and transported my mind to the Divine Dimension. There I saw the True Maker, taking the form of my first mother, Keila Eisenstein. She spoke with an urging voice, “Sabina! You must be careful. You cannot fall here. Get up!”
I woke up, and I studied the carnage around me. My head was pounding, my ears were ringing, my eyes the flash had blinded my eyes, and blood covered me. How wounded was I?
I got up on my feet and concluded that I was unhurt. But dead and wounded people covered the ground around me, and I could hear people’s scream in pain and terror. I needed to find inner peace, so I walked towards my hotel to have a purifying shower. I got to my hotel room and I entered the shower. The warm water washed away the blood, causing the shock and terror to recede from my body.
I didn’t have the time to find inner peace though, as heavily armed police raided the room shortly afterwards, bringing me with them.