My story begins in 2002 when I was at college studying. As I was attending a city college, there was a large mix of people and I really enjoyed the diversity. There were people of all different races and religions who attended the college and I found the environment very pleasant. There was an acceptance and warmth at the college that I found refreshing. Nobody judged anyone; they just accepted them as they were.
I had been attending the college for three months when I started working on a project with one of the other students, Hamzah, who was an Arab. As I got to know him, he told me that he came from a Muslim family. One day while we were working, I noticed another Arab-looking student across the hallway. I turned to Hamzah and said "Oh, is he one of your friends?" Hamzah looked up and saw the man in question. His expression changed instantly from smiling and kind to a seething, hateful look.
I was shocked and asked him if he was alright. He turned to me and stared, with his dark eyes fixing me with a meaningful glare. "That man is trouble," he hissed vindictively. "Just make sure you have nothing to do with him! He is a very, very bad man. Have nothing to do with him!"
I looked down at my arm, which Hamzah was now holding very tightly. "You're hurting my arm!" I stammered, terrified. The hateful look on Hamzah's face dissolved and he let go of me and seemed mortified. He apologized profusely, and there were tears in his eyes. He was genuinely sorry for what he had done. I wondered what on earth had worried Hamzah so much about this man. Hamzah was always so polite, modest and gentle; he never said a bad word about anyone. Even during confrontations and arguments, he was polite and gentlemanly, and never raised his voice or became aggressive with anyone.
I desperately wanted to ask Hamzah why he had reacted this way. What had this man done to offend him? But after he had behaved this way, I was quite hesitant to broach the subject again.
Meeting the stranger
A few days later, I was in the college canteen and I saw the man who Hamzah had warned me about. I was so curious to find out about this man that I decided to speak to him. As we both happened to be leaving the canteen at the same time, I asked him what time it was. He looked at his watch and told me. I asked him what he was studying at college. He told me which subject and then we got into a good conversation with each other. I decided to walk home with him that evening as we had got on so well.
So there we were, walking through the streets and talking politely about various subjects when he suddenly asked me if I knew anything about the occult. I replied that I only knew what astrological sign I was born under, and that was as far as my knowledge of the supernatural went. He smiled and carried on walking with me.
The next week we met up again and started talking. I discovered that his name was Abdul and he was also from a Muslim family. But he told me that he had turned his back on the faith and no longer wished to be a part of it.
And what Abdul was about to show her was not of this world....
Next page > The djinn materializes
