"Please, somebody help me!" I sobbed manically. "I've been kidnapped by a crazy man, I've been abused, and I'm going to be forced to marry him! Please help me!"
People turned around to face me, appearing gasped and shocked at the commotion, and exchanged words in Italian…
And I realized that none of them understood what I was saying. I was speaking in English…
I didn't know Italian. The only language I spoke other than English was Arabic.
I felt so helpless in this moment. Wishing that somebody would understand what I was saying.
"Please help me!" I sobbed and screamed manically, knowing that I was running out of time, before Aurora would walk in and realize that I was taking too long and realize that something was wrong, and come in to check on me.
"Cosa c'è che non va?" the cashier asked, putting his arm on my shoulder. I convulsed and sobbed, wishing that I understood what he was saying.
"Stai bene, tesoro?" asked a different woman, making her way towards me.
"Are you okay?" came a voice.
I slowly turned around, moving my body anti-clockwise, my eyes lighting up, my heart hammering against my chest, my entire body swimming with relief, as I realized that there was finally somebody here who understood English.
I came face-to-face with a cop…
A man wearing police uniform.
Maybe this could be my lucky escape after all. It felt like I was going to explode. A cop would definitely be able to help me…
A cop would definitely be able to get me safe.
Maybe even send me back to the United Kingdom, and get me out of this hell-hole.
"I've been kidnapped by a crazy man, I've been abused, I'm going to be forced to marry him!" I wept manically, rushing to tell him everything, not being able to speak fast enough. "Please help me! Please!"
"It's okay, it's okay… Don't cry…" he reassured me, with a concerned expression on his face. "Where is this person now? Are you here alone?"
"No, they're waiting for me, they're going to realize something's wrong!" I sobbed manically. "Please, get me to safety!"
"Shh, it's going to be okay," he soothed. "Are you from around here? Are you foreign?"
"I'm from the UK," I quivered. "I was here for a holiday but I've been kidnapped… Please save me… Please help me…"
I trailed off my sentence, hardly able to breathe. My body flooding with so much anxiety, panic and fear…
That it felt like I was going to explode.
The cop nodded at me.
"Don't worry, I will get you to safety. I'll take you back to the police station to take a statement, and help you out of this situation. No harm is going to come to you now."
I nodded at him gratefully, hardly able to express my thanks enough. He led me out back, where there was another car park, and a police car was parked there.
"We have to leave immediately, they have a bodyguard, h – he could be armed!" I screamed.
"Don't worry, you will be fine," he reassured me. He opened the door of his police car, allowing me to make my way inside, and put my seatbelt on.
And for the first time, since everything that happened in Italy…
I felt safe.