<p>All their phones had been confiscated and discarded near the car, leaving them completely cut off from the outside world.</p><p>Eventually, they arrived at a clearing deep in the forest, far from any sign of civilization. They were met by more of these wild men, who were gathered around fires, celebrating.</p><p>The savages welcomed their comrades cheerfully, excited by the sight of the captives. They had gone a long time without capturing anyone, as the villagers of Bununu had become wary of their traps and avoided venturing out after 10 PM.</p><p>The captors’ trade was simple: they kidnapped people—some they killed, some they enslaved, and the women… they used them for their pleasure.</p><p>The prisoners were immediately thrown into a tiny, cramped cage. Sumy and Zuby sobbed, regretting ever attending the party. The men tried to console them, though they themselves were terrified.</p><p>Suddenly, a large, imposing man emerged from a hut. The others immediately knelt before him in respect. He raised his hand, and without a word, one of his men took the lead, while the others followed behind.</p><p>They approached the cage, yanked the door open, and pulled the captives out. Sumy nearly wet herself in fear. They were lined up, trembling uncontrollably.</p><p>The leader licked his lips as he eyed Zuby, then nodded to one of his men. The gesture was clear.</p><p>Two of them grabbed Zuby.</p><p>Saif instinctively reached for her, his face set with defiance. Despite his fear, he refused to let them take her.</p><p>One of the captors shouted at him in a foreign language. When Saif did not comply, one of them struck him with a metal rod, sending him crashing to the ground, clutching his wounded hand in agony.</p><p>Zuby was dragged away, crying pitifully. The rest were shoved back into the cage, and the captors left.</p><p>Saif’s hand swelled up, but all he could do was lie on the ground, silent tears streaming down his face.</p><p>Nabeel sighed. “Saif, I’m sorry. This is all our fault. We disobeyed God, and now we are facing the consequences. Whoever defies God's laws will never find peace.”</p><p>Sumy wiped her tears. “Poor Zuby. That monster was drooling over her. Who knows what he’ll do to her?”</p><p>Khairat added, “We’ve ruined ourselves. We disrespected our parents and chose a sinful life. None of us ever thought about death, but now, here we are—completely helpless.”</p><p>Najib wiped his tears. “Instead of complaining, we should pray. What pains me most is that none of us even prayed today. We wasted our entire day on that stupid party. And now, look at us.”</p><p>Nabeel nodded. “That’s true. I have disobeyed my parents for so long. My father has cried over me countless times, praying for me to change, yet I never did. My mother is sick, and I haven't seen her in two months. What if she dies before I ask for her forgiveness? I regret everything.”</p><p>Just then, they heard Zuby scream. Everyone froze in horror. Even Saif, despite his pain, sat up in alarm.</p><p>Khairat trembled. “Oh no… they’re hurting Zuby.”</p><p>Saif gritted his teeth. “Enough with the crying! What about us? Do you know what they’ll do to us? At least Zuby is a girl. They might take pity on her if she’s still a virgin.”</p><p>Nabeel forced a weak smile. “Even in the face of death, you haven’t changed, Saif.”</p><p>Sumy almost laughed when Saif let out a scream as Nabeel tried to tend to his hand.</p><p>Meanwhile, Zuby had lost consciousness after being assaulted. The others had wanted to bring in the rest of the girls, but their leader had refused, so they waited until morning.</p><p>Back in Bauchi, Sumy’s mother was crying uncontrollably. Her husband scolded her for hiding their daughter’s whereabouts.</p><p>Meanwhile, Nabeel’s sick mother wept in regret, confessing to her friend about the sins she had committed in the past—sins that had likely doomed her son.</p><p>And in the dark forest, the captives lay awake, knowing that by sunrise, things would only get worse.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
