<p> </p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>A car sped by, carrying six young men and women. They were shouting at the top of their lungs, the only sound coming from the vehicle being laughter and cheers.</p><p>It was around 1:00 AM. They had just left a party thrown by one of them in celebration of his girlfriend’s birthday.</p><p>The party had not taken place in the city; they had wanted privacy and didn’t want prying eyes watching them. Being natives of Bauchi, they had chosen to host the party in a remote village called Bununu, outside the city.</p><p>The party was held on a farm, and many people attended. There was music, dancing, and alcohol. As the night wore on, people began to leave, each heading their separate ways.</p><p>This was the last car to leave, and it belonged to the hosts of the party. Ignoring how late it was, they cranked up the music, locked the windows, and sped off, still dancing and laughing inside the car.</p><p>Just as they left the village and entered a small forested area, the car began to emit smoke. The driver quickly hit the brakes, and they all jumped out.</p><p>Upon inspection, they realized the radiator had run dry, but there was no water in the car to refill it.</p><p>One of them kicked the car’s tire in frustration. Another placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, “Are you okay, Nabeel?”</p><p>Nabeel clicked his tongue in frustration and replied, “There’s no water in this car, Najib.”</p><p>One of the girls, Sumy, panicked. “Oh no, what are we going to do now? Everyone else has left! We’re in the middle of nowhere, and I’m scared.”</p><p>Nabeel pulled her into an embrace, rubbing her back. “Calm down, dear. Nothing will happen to us. Just get back in the car and rest. We’ll stay up and watch over you. There’s no way we’ll find water at this hour; we’ll wait until dawn.”</p><p>Sumy sighed in distress. “Oh no, Khairat! My dad doesn’t even know I came here. Only my mom knows, and she warned me not to stay out too late. If my dad finds out, he’ll beat me for sure.”</p><p>Khairat reassured her, “Don’t worry, Sumy. Your mom supports you, right? She won’t let your dad find out. Besides, we came all this way for your birthday party. If you’re really worried, just call her and tell her the car broke down. You can stay at my place for the night.”</p><p>Sumy turned to another friend and said, “Zuby, pass me my phone from my bag.”</p><p>Nabeel intervened. “Sumy, there’s no network here. Your call won’t go through. Just be patient and leave everything to God until morning.”</p><p>He turned to one of his friends and said, “Saif, grab the prayer mat from the car so we can sit.”</p><p>As Saif turned to get it, a group of men suddenly surrounded them. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere. These men looked like wild savages, their faces devoid of any sign of compassion.</p><p>They were shirtless, wearing only ragged shorts and pieces of cloth tied around their waists. Their eyes gleamed with menace as they licked their lips.</p><p>The girls burst into tears, clinging to their boyfriends as their bodies trembled in fear. Even the men were paralyzed with terror.</p><p>One of the savages let out a sinister laugh and signaled to the others without uttering a word. The men advanced toward them, eyes wide and hungry.</p><p>Without resistance, they were rounded up and forced to walk deep into the forest.</p><p>At first, they cried out in fear, but after a long, exhausting trek, their cries turned into silent sobs. They walked for nearly an hour and a half in the darkness, the only light coming from the dim torches their captors carried.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
