Terror in Paris

Friday, 13th November 2015 in Paris.

A day that started as all others did, but would end completely different….

As usual, I overslept on this Friday and hurried to university. As usual, I stayed until 14 o’clock in university and then took the metro back home. Unusual was the announcement in the metro: Attention, because of security reasons this train does not stop at Gare the Lyon”, which surprised me, but, as no further explanations were following, I soon forgot. As usual, I went home to do my homework and study. In the evening at around 20 o’clock, I met some friends to go and meet another friend at her place. On our way to her, we changed at Gare de Lyon and only there I remembered the announcement from before and told my friends about it. I also said, I had no idea, why it had been closed. But, obviously, it was not something current, as it was opened again. Only later, I would get to know that it had been closed because of a bomb scare.

At 21:20 o’clock, we arrived at my friend’s place and had dinner there. Spaghetti Carbonara, which is her boyfriend’s special dish and he had cooked for us. It was yummy. We had Cider with it and later got served Daiquiris made by him. It was a normal night with friends. And we had a very nice evening and were planning, where we wanted to go out later.

At after 22 o’clock, one of us looked by chance on her cell phone and noticed many missed calls and a huge amount of messages. “Explosion in Paris?!” And then all our cell phones started vibrating and every one of us received messages: “Are you alright?”, “Where are you?”, “Did you watch the news?”, “You heard what happened?”, “Look at this link…” and suddenly everything changed. We switched on the news and at the same time tried to answer all the messages and find out where our friends were and what was actually going on. Every one blurted out, what he found out:

“Explosion in the football stadium”

“Oh yes, there was that game today”

“I was thinking, of going there…”

“Explosion in a bar in Paris”

“A shooting in the 10tharrondissement”

“There has already been a bomb scare for the hotel of the football players”

“Bomb scare for the metro”

“18 deaths”

“At least 26”

…

“At least 30”

“100 hostages in a theatre”

“Yes, that’s the concert hall of Bataclan”

“A shooting at the Louvre”

“…and at Bastille”

“How could that happen? Who would do such a thing…?“

“Highest security of precaution in whole France”

“State of emergency has been declared!

“Yes, all windows shall be closed, lights be switched off, no one shall leave the house”
“Borders closed”

“The assassins are still free. Everyone has to stay inside”

“Attacks at seven places in Paris. They don’t know, if more will follow…”

“What nightmare…”

“They are storming the theatre”

“100 victims, during the storming of the theatre”

“Two suicide assassins”

“Again a shooting”

“More deaths”

And during all this time, more messages of friends, where we were, how we were… Soon, we posted on Facebook that we were alright, at home, that we would stay there. Then this application appeared, where you can mark yourself as safe and so we slowly found out about all our friend’s whereabouts. The news were confusing and not reliable. It was shocking. The number of dead or blessed people rose. And our shock with it. We were just sitting there, not able to understand what was happening. It was unbelievable, unreal. And so close. The places, that were named, were all known by us, as well as metro stations and street names. These were places, that we visited frequently. When we heard about the explosion in the stadium, we thought it was just an attack at the game and we wanted to wait until it got calm and then go out or home. But after the curfew and the rising number of worrying news, we didn’t dare to leave the house. Anyway, how should we go home? The Metro was closed. All traffic stopped My mum asked, how far it was and if we could walk. Firstly, I didn’t dare and secondly, it already took me three quarters of an hour by metro, so I would not walk. We were totally shocked and tried to distract us with playing Wii and drinking alcohol. Yes, that sounds strange, but what else to do? Watching the news, that were not reliable and didn’t have certain information, and rewatch the disturbing news and then panic and cry? That was not the best imagination. We were deeply affected, but tried to keep each other from panicking. Honestly, I was so happy, that I was with my friends. Only the thought of being alone in this situation, sitting in my room, scared me. I wouldn’t know what to do, would not dare to go out and completely panic. My friend and her boyfriend started preparing places for us to sleep in her small apartment. The two of them slept on the carpet with many pillows and covers and we three slept in her bed. It was three o’clock, when we went to sleep. Our thoughts about the next day: What would happen in this night? What would we miss, if we go to sleep now?...

We all dreamt crazy stuff and the flying helicopters didn’t help of getting the constant fear away. In the morning, we just set there silent, until one of us dared to ask to switch on the news. With fear, we turned on the TV and saw all the shocking news of yesterday night again. Videos of the shooting at the Bataclan, where so many people died, videos of people running on the streets, trying to get into houses, injured people on the streets. At this time, 100 dead and 300 injured people was a specific number. 8 suicide assassins are said to have made an attack at different places in Paris. Later, the news tell about people being arrested in Germany and at the streets outside of Paris. ISIS has admitted the attacks and the security scale is even more increased as well as the number of soldiers. We are still shocked. Until now, one should not leave the house, because it is not known, if more assassins will attack and the traffic is only partly working. Museums, Universities, some shops are closed, all events are cancelled. Stay at home, pay attention, is the always repeated order.

At around 12 o’clock, we were thinking of going to the shop right next to my friend’s house to buy something to eat. We didn’t expect to stay the five of us at her place, so she didn’t have food at home. We were even thinking to buy provisions. We didn’t feel good, when leaving the house together. People were on the streets, which calmed us a bit. But even though, it was a dark and disturbing atmosphere. No one was talking, there was almost no traffic. Without saying a word, we entered the shop to buy baguette and some cheese. People were looking afraid at everyone, who moved a bit faster and every sound was a shock. We ate, with continuous playback of the news and tried to distract us. At around 16 o’clock, we were looking for a possibility so get home, we couldn’t stay here for ever. We discussed for long, if it made sense to leave to house. I was actually calmed, by all the people that I had seen outside before, just continuing their lives. We didn’t want to pass the centre and so decided to take another metro around the centre and left the house. This metro passed by the Eiffel Tower, but we thought it safer than the centre, where we would have to change at the station where many lines and regional trains would come together. It was scary, because it was suspiciously quiet and even if people were out, it was a lot less than normal. When the light it the metro started to flicker, my heart jumped. It had been my idea to go home, but now I was worried, if it had been a good idea. It was not probable that directly after yesterday something would happen, but you never know. When, I got off at my station and said bye to my friend, who still had to continue, I called my parents, because I was afraid of walking alone through the tunnels in the metro. As already said, it was not probable, but I felt safer, while talking to someone. More people were out now, but still it was not as normal. Everyone seemed to be strict following his way and doing their stuff. It was still not recommended to leave the house without a good reason! Arriving at home, I wrote immediately to my friends that I safely arrived and waited for the same response of my friend. The number of deaths had risen until then to 129 and the injured to 325. I am reading discussions from my friends and other Erasmus on Facebook. Who else wants to quit? They want to leave immediately. Should we stay here the rest of the semester, always afraid to leave our house?...

Maybe I am still under shock, but I don’t see a reason to leave. For now, I will stay in my room, wait for orders of the government and the embassy. I am really planning to finish my semester here without sitting afraid in my room. In spite of everything, I want to enjoy my time here. Of course, I will pay attention!

It is horrible, what happened that Friday. Horrible, cruel, and impossible to understand. I am shocked. I am really missing words for such a crime. I am praying for Paris and all affected as well as all affected ones in Syria, Lebanon, and all other places, where recently attacks happened. I am happy about all my friends that I know in safety and am thanking everyone, who thought about me and asked about me. I am praying that this terror here and everywhere ends soon.

#JeSuisParis

#NousSommesUnis