Catharsis II: An Army of Words (AUDITIONS)

Applicant #52: Rido

"Rajib, hurry!"

Rajib swallowed as he followed his younger sister, Raja, out of his room. He was almost dragging his legs as he walked out of their house---out of his isolation.

It had been three days. Three days of misery, torture, fear and guilt. It was only three days and yet he felt like a lifetime prisoner.

"It's okay, Rajib. Nobody knows. Nobody," her worried mother assured him the night he came home terrified and trembling from what happened.

But she was wrong.

His friends know. They were there. They witnessed what happened and that's what terrified him the most---because someone with eyes, ears, and mouth knows.

"Everything will be okay, in shaa Allah." Her mother embraced him tight just before she urged him inside the car.

His father will drive them to his uncle's house where he can reclaim his freedom. To escape. And that thought was enough to put ease into his tensed muscles that were tightly gripped with dread and terror, every single day.

Raja was humming beside him, muffling the silent eeriness that was surrounding them as they travelled down the road.

An hour passed and his lids started to feel heavy. He's been sleepless for three nights and now, fatigue was catching up on his wary mind. Feeling exhausted, Rajib drifted to sleep and gave into the promise of a beautiful dream.

And then...

Bang!

His eyes shot open and his body jerked upright from that loud, thunder-like sound. A gun shot.

Bang! Bang!

They kept on shooting them. Sharp sound of metals thudding behind their car and the glass shattering mingled with his sister's cry and her mother's prayers.

"Ya Allah! Help us!" his mother cried.

But the bullets kept coming closer, louder, and his body started to quiver as he drowned in his cold sweat.

They're here... his mind screamed as he realized that his dream turned into a living nightmare.

He heard his father grunted as their car lose control and despair tore his soul as their car suddenly stilled. Stiff silence followed. Not even Raja's cry could be heard neither his mother's prayers. Not even his own breath.

Rajib shut his eyes in helplessness. He's alone in that car---with three lifeless people.

Panic seized his throat and he desperately prayed for his life. He didn't deserve this. He just saved a friend's life that night. He never meant to kill someone---least of all, a brother. A Muslim.

But the fear of dying made him pull the trigger.

Rajib felt his heart thudded harder to his chest, his lungs constricted when he heard voices and footsteps drawing near him.

There, outside the broken window, stood a man who shared his beliefs, culture and homeland.

But bullet knows no man, no family, no friend or foe. No religion. Rajib recognized that because he had killed his cousin that night---with a face same as the man who was pointing a gun on his head.