Chapter Fourteen: Bulgarian Imprisonment

The days in Bulgarian detention were nothing short of hell for Abboud and Abbas. They were crammed into a small cell with dozens of other refugees, the conditions unbearable. The old, damp walls seemed to close in on them, and the stench of filth filled the air. The dim lights barely allowed them to see each other in the dark. The Bulgarian guards were ruthless, and they didn’t hesitate to use violence at the slightest provocation.

Abboud (sitting on the wet ground, leaning against the wall): "I never imagined I’d end up here. All I wanted was a better life."

Abbas (tiredly, placing a hand on Abboud’s shoulder): "This is the curse of fleeing. Running from death only to find another. To them, we’re just numbers."

The nights passed slowly, each moment stretching into what felt like eternity. The air was thick with the sounds of groaning, refugees crying out in pain from hunger, cold, and illness. The sickness was starting to claim more and more of them.

Abboud (whispering between labored breaths after another round of beatings): "My mother warned me about this journey, but she never knew the torment would be like this."

Abbas (in a quiet voice, trying to hide his despair): "I don’t regret anything, Abboud. If this is the price for a new life, I’m willing to pay it. But... how much more do we have to pay before we find safety?"

The Bulgarian guards would enter the cell at any time, picking refugees at random to beat or take them for long and painful interrogations. Each day was a test of survival.

Abbas (shivering after a long day of suffering): "Do you think God hears us?"

Abboud (in a lost tone): "God is always with us, but I’m losing my patience. How much do we have to endure before we see some mercy?"

After a month of torment, a glimmer of hope appeared. The guards informed them that they would be transferred to a camp in Germany. For a brief moment, Abboud and Abbas felt like this news was the beginning of salvation. But that hope soon turned into another nightmare.

Abboud (looking at Abbas, his eyes filled with cautious hope): "Can you believe this? Maybe we’re close to the end of this suffering."

Abbas (with a long sigh): "I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes. They’ve lied to us before."

The next day, they were loaded into a cramped truck, their hands bound and their eyes blindfolded. They had no idea where they were being taken. Hours passed in the cold and darkness, the silence weighing heavily on everyone.

Abboud (in a low voice, trying to break the silence): "Do you think we’re really going to Germany?"

Abbas (whispering, his voice heavy): "I don’t know, Abboud. It might just be another trick."

Just as Abboud began to feel a flicker of hope, the truck came to a sudden stop, and the Bulgarian guards shouted at them to get out. When their blindfolds were removed, they found themselves in yet another Bulgarian camp, not in Germany as they had been promised.

Abboud (standing in shock, looking at Abbas with wide, disbelieving eyes): "They lied to us... again."

Abbas (his voice filled with anger): "It’s like they enjoy torturing us. Every time they give us a glimpse of hope, they rip it away and throw us back into despair."

They were placed in a torn-up tent in the camp, and the conditions here were even worse than in detention. There was not enough food, and the cold was so severe that frost began to form on the edges of the tents at night. They were surrounded by barbed wire, forbidden to leave or communicate with the outside world.

Abboud (his voice full of exhaustion as he sat inside the tent, hugging his knees): "I feel like I’m dying slowly here, Abbas. I don’t have any strength left to fight."

Abbas (looking at him with eyes heavy with worry): "Don’t say that, Abboud. We’ve survived worse. Yes, we’re trapped here, but we still have a chance. We have to hold on to it, no matter the cost."

The days passed slowly in the camp. Abboud and Abbas fought every day just to survive, but the hope of escaping Bulgaria began to fade with each passing day. One day, after waiting in the long food lines, they sat together and began to talk about their future.

Abboud (in a quiet, thoughtful voice): "What are we going to do, Abbas? Do we just wait here until we die?"

Abbas (with determination): "No, we’ll try again. We didn’t succeed this time, but I won’t give up. We need to plan carefully. This time, we won’t trust any false promises."

Abboud (his voice filled with hesitation): "Isn’t it better to go back? To forget all of this and live with what we have left?"

Abbas (with barely contained anger): "Go back to what? To destruction? To death? No, Abboud, I won’t go back. The road ahead may be hard, but it’s the only road to salvation."

The thought began to settle in Abboud’s mind. Despite everything, he knew Abbas was right. They couldn’t go back. They had to keep moving forward, no matter the risks.