Burning Hot, 2-3 Weeks Ago

Last updated on November 2nd, 2025 at 01:34 pm

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Thabita

She turned around and saw another plane arriving at the already very hot, airport. She just got out of the plane and went, by bus, to the airport building.

It was busy at the airport. Although Thabita arrived with a line jet, she didn’t need to go through pass control of the tiny island-country Saharaya. And she wondered how her life changed since 2–3 weeks ago.

Although she didn’t tell anyone that she intended to visit the island, she knew immediately when she arrived and was picked from the line to check her documents that it was known she was at the island.

“O shoot”, she thought. She used the ticket that she found in the desk of her parents. The desk where she took her passport from. Yet, these tickets didn’t have a name on it. They were only added at the airport. There went her chance to discover the island and its ruler without them knowing she was there.

Saharaya is ruled by Sheik Khalid Saif Amir. The man she was promised to. She still wasn’t used to this news she only got on her 21st birthday a few weeks ago. Since that time, her parents had kept her separated from the rest of her family. Allowing her only to come out of her room for their meals together.

Although she protested that she only wants to marry when in love with her prospect husband and doesn’t want to be engaged, her parents stood firm, aided by her grandparents on both sides. Nothing she said changed their minds.

She still didn’t get it. A normal woman, young, still at university where she studied Medicine, Philosophy, History & Culture. She was an excellent student and had only a few months to go before she could leave university. She was thinking about going to study Economics & Politics and Sociology.

Luckily, she was allowed to go to the university to keep learning. And when needed, she could follow the lectures and seminars online. For her own protection, she had all the information and books she required for her studies saved at a secret placed. Far away from anyone who could interfere with her love for learning.

Aware of the fact that all her studies weren’t really related to each other, it was difficult to convince her parents she had the need to do these studies. Why she was so eager to do these studies she didn’t know. Only that she felt into her bones that she had to do them.

Since her birthday, she became aware of strange things. Being looked at by strangers. Having the idea that she was followed. Yet, when talking about it with her parents, they laughed it away. They also didn’t answer her questions about whom she exactly was engaged to. And she still didn’t understand why she, a plain and normal young woman with no connections to Saharaya was chosen to be his wife.

As far as she knew, she hasn’t roots that came from the African Arabic part of the world. No one in the family ever talked about having roots there. Nor did they go on holidays there. Grandparents from both sides were also from the country where she was born and all four still alive and kicking.

Yes, it was true that her family hardly spoke about the past and where they’ve lived before. Her family isn’t talkative. They rarely talk about anything. She only had deep conversations with the few close friends she had. And treasured.

One of her good friends, in fact her best friend, Jacky, was able to find information about her fiancée. It was hard to have a private conversation with her, but they managed. Their secret spot at the university and her secret cell phone had been a big help.

Jacky found out that her fiancée ruled over a small island-country called Saharaya and here she was. There was more she found out. According to the information, Jacky had found her fiancée, descended from a long line of leaders of the small country. All were Sheiks. Originated from the Tuaregs out of the Sahara. Rulers for almost 1000 years. Loved by their people. A peaceful country.

What she also found was that previous protectors of the island-country had left the island over 300 years ago. After one of their family members was murdered during a holiday on their boat at sea. This whole family fled. Still unknown who was the person, or were the persons, who assassinated one of their ancestors.

That long time ago, they left the country in the night, leaving all their belongings behind. The reason they did this, to protect the ones they protected for generations. The Sheik and his family. It was the habit that children of the protectors married children of the Sheik & Sheika. But only when they fell in love and wanted to marry. Both men and women are allowed to refuse. No marriage was forced. Not one.

So why now? Why now am I forced to be engaged to marry someone I don’t know.

At the airport, she was taken out of the row by 2 dark and dangerous looking men. They said her name, she turned around, and they took her by her elbows and placed her in a dark SUV with tinted glass. The kind of glass you could look through from the inside. Not from the outside in.

The dangerous looking men didn’t answer her questions, only looked straight forward. She tried to use her cell phone. Only to find there was no coverage. She did type a message to Jacky, though. Hopefully it would directly be sent when the coverage would be back.

Her feeling was that she was not safe with the 2 men. She looked around in the big car and tried to remember as much as possible from the inside. And also from the route they were driving. She was thirsty and there was a small fridge. She didn’t dare to take something to drink, though. Afraid there would be a sedative, or worse, poison in it.

And there, in the back of the car, she started to think what she could do to escape when in real these 2 men weren’t employees from the Sheik but enemies of him. How, how could they know she would be coming. Was it possible they knew she was his fiancée?

Immediately she pushed away this thought. If it was known that the Sheik had a foreign fiancée, there would have been journalists, not to mention guards, around her house and following her all day.

In her mind, it was only possible that there was a trigger on the ticket. In this case, it was only possible that they were members of the staff of the Sheik. But then they didn’t have good intentions for him. Or for her.

Then and there, she decided that she wouldn’t tell anyone that she was promised to the Sheik. When being questioned about the reason of visiting Saharaya, she would answer that for her studies, she wanted to visit the island-country. Making clear that it has had no other intention, to get the island and its history a little and to return to her home country to finish the last few weeks of her studies. And start her new ones. That she only wanted to ago back to her family, studies, and country.

Although the air conditioning was blowing, she still felt it was incredibly hot outside. Almost as hot as her 2 guards, she thought. Stop these kinds of thoughts! She called herself to order. Start to make your plans how you can escape.

She already typed the message to her best friend. Is there anything in my purse I can use? A nail file, a bunch of keys, a fountain pen and a few ballpoint pens. Also a small paper block. And some tissues. And what else? Her passport, money, and credit card.

She took the last three items and placed them in her bra. That would be a safer place than still in her purse. The nail file and keys could come in handy too. Not that long ago she followed self-defence classes where she learned that almost any item could be used for self-defence. Even paper with its sharp sides. Sharp enough to cut through human skin.

In her big bag she had with her, she also had a traditional Tuareg dress. It was lightweight and perfect for a desert climate. Still at home, she didn’t know if it was allowed to wear western clothes in Saharaya. Now she was extremely happy she’d done that. This dress could save her.

Next she decided that she could not lose time. Time to get away from these 2 men who she felt weren’t her protectors. She had to get out of the car. Away from them. Back to the airport of a city where she would be able to go to the police or a foreign embassy.

“Can we please stop somewhere? I have urgently gone to the toilet”. There was no answer. “Please, I have to go. When not I am going to pee, and more, here in the car”. It was clear the car was important to them and after a few minutes the SUV left the road and drove into a castle like village it seems.

2-3 Weeks Ago, Saving Herself

In the big bag she had taken with her, with all her important items, she also added a smaller bag. Smaller, yet still big enough to add all the items she needed at this dangerous moment. Still in the car, as silent as possible, she took the smaller bag out and added the items she thought she required. She even found some chewing gum and a protein bar. Nothing to drink, though.

Carefully, she changed everything into the small bag. Even her dress fitted in. And also her extra pair of shoes made from comfortable and soft leather. There might be a problem after she had changed her clothes. In the smaller bag wouldn’t be space to take the clothes with her.

Should she shed the clothes, or should she wear the dress over her clothes? She decided for the latter option. Her abductors wouldn’t know she changed her clothes when they wouldn’t find the clothes she wore at the moment. Better idea indeed.

Luckily for her, the glass window between her and her abductors was closed and muffled all the sounds. Of course, she still wasn’t sure if it were really abductors and if she had been kidnapped. But her gut feeling said she was.

The car started to slow down. Looking out the window, she saw a few men sitting in the front of a café and a woman, clothed in traditional Tuareg clothes, hurrying to a for her unknown destination. As quiet as possible, she changed her high-heeled shoes into her comfortable pair. Because she didn’t want to take the high heels with her, she looked around for a spot to hid them as good as possible.

Tabitha noticed that there was a pretty big space in between the sittings on the row where she was seated. Carefully, she used her hand to feel how big the space was. Big enough. Without being noticed, she was able to place her high heels in the space. She checked again, nothing strange to see. The shoes weren’t visible.

The car stopped in front of a store that had toilet signs on the outside. Just before the door was opened, she took both bags in her hands. After getting out of the car, she casually turned around and placed the big bag back in the car. Hopefully pretending to be back soon.

“Where do I go?” She asked the man who opened the car door for her. “In this small shop here on the right there is a toilet especially for women. It’s a woman only story and men are not allowed inside. They don’t speak English. Don’t try to ask for help, they will not help strangers here. And for sure not a woman”.

She nodded, turned around and walked slowly into the store. She nodded to the women behind the cash desk. “কিবা এটা খাবলৈ ভাল পাবনে? — Kibaa eta khaboloi bhal pabone?” She looked surprised and sad, “Sorry, I don’t understand you”. With a thick foreign accent the women said “Good afternoon, do you want to use something?”

Thabita asked for a tea and for the toilets. The toilets were in the back of the small store. Just outside. To her surprise was the toilet space large and it was clean. Quickly, she did what she needed to do and added her dress over her clothes. After that, she got out of the toilet.

With a shock, she saw that the women from the store was waiting outside the toilet with her tea. “Drink it, it’s not too hot, you’ll need it. I am worried about you” she went on. “I recognize these 2 men you are with. In Saharaya a few foreign women disappeared, and I have seen all the women in the same or similar SUV as you were in. Are you safe? Can I help you?”

While the women said this to Thabita she pushed a small purse in her hands. “Money and telephone number” she said. “And now go! Go around the back to the left. You’ll have the end of the castle building on your left. Walk by and walk on as far as you can. Try to go straight ahead. It’s difficult, but try”.

“But, what about you? When they are really the persons you think they are, you are not safe!” The women took a deep breath. “Don’t worry about me. I am protected by the Sheiks of this area. It might be indeed that something will happen to me, but then it’s my time. I will be happy to know that I saved some innocent people from these perpetrators. But hurry, you have to go!”

Thabita turned around and hurried away. In the direction the women told her to go.

Next: Burning Hot, Where is She?, Sheik Khalid Saif Amir

Left Featured Image by Chris0223 from Pixabay.
Right Featured Image made by Karin with Canva.

Isla Storme’s Writings

Burning Hot, 2-3 Weeks Ago