Jinn

Hey, Check you out! A badass journalist fresh out of college. Your professors taught you that in order to write the stories you want to write, you must first write the stories you can get published. Sometimes that means taking assignments that are, for one reason or another, unapealing. You try to keep your chin up while you look for work. But things are looking up! You get a call back from a magazine about a job. Your assignment is to investigate rumors of Jinn in a rural town in Iran. You're not particularly religious or superstitious - you're pretty sure you don't believe in Jinn. But maybe that makes you the perfect person for the job? Hmm. You also consider your safety. You're not one to take shit from anyone, but you are a woman, and the idea of travelling alone in Iran gives you pause. [[Accept | accept]] [[Pass | pass]]

You kick back with a glass of gin and start to think ... Nothing will happen in life if you never take risks. [[reconsider| accept]]

Congratulations! You're a working writer! This is very exciting. Good thing you renewed your passport last year; the magazine wants you to fly out next week. But wait, you realize you don't know that much about (link: "jinn.")[jinn, which you think might be the same as genies?] You don't really know a ton about Iran either. Better gather some information before you go. The [[library]] is still open, or you could call your old [[roommate | ask roommate for help]] who studied in Iran a few years back.

The library has a small collection of books on Iran and Jinn: =><= [[Visiting Iran]] =><= [[What are Jinn?]] =><= [[Identifying Jinn]] =><= [[Protection from Jinn]] <= --- Even if you read all these books, you'll probably still need to [[ask| ask roommate for help]] your old roommate for help.

Your roommate studied abroad in Tehran for a semester back in junior year. She was, at one point, fluent in Farsi, and she is obviously savvy to Iranian culture. You call up your roommate, who is thrilled to accept your proposition that she act as your cultural liaison. [[Go! | land in tehran]]

//Jinn, also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the more broad meaning of demons), are supernatural creatures in early Arabian and later Islamic myhtology and theology. An individual member of the jinn is known as a jinni, djinni, or genie. According to Islamic mythology and Persian folklore Jinn or genies are creatures that live in parallel world to that of mankind. The Quran says that the jinn were created from a smokeless and "scorching fire", but are also physical in nature, being able to interact in a tactile manner with people and objects and likewise be acted upon. In addition to their animal forms, the jinn occasionally assume human form to mislead and destroy their human victims.// Sounds scary. [[Read|library]]

Inside this book, you find a short list of the most common indication of jinn. //1. The Jinn will play with the flame 2. Treasured objects will become missing 3. Rocks are thrown by no one 4. Experiencing a feeling of being followed 5. Jinn often live in trees or around graveyards 6. The Jinn travel in whispers// [[Read|library]]

//The best ways to protect oneself from the Jinn are as follows: 1. Daily prayer and invocation 2. Consumption of dates 3. Burning bakhoor incense// [[Read|library]]

You meet your guide, assigned to chaperone your entire trip. You're not to leave him. You need to get to this remote town. You see three options: =><= [[Bus | bus]] [[Driver | driver]] [[Stranger | psych]]

The bus is cramped. Two women in the next row are gossipping. Your roommate leans in close to [[listen]]. The bus stops to fill up on gas. You grab a [[newspaper]]. Finally, you arrive in the [[remote town]].

You get in the car. Your driver has a big mustache and an even bigger smile. He turns on the [[radio. | radio]] You reveal to the driver your intent to investigate the rumors of a Jinni in the remote town. He gives you a stern [[warning. | warning]] You don't speak until you arrive at your [[destination. |remote town]]

=><= #Psych! <h1> <= You took a night to sleep on it before deciding whether or not to go to Iran and now you're dreaming about it. You'd never take a free ride from a strange man in Tehran! When you wake up, you decide to [[investigate | accept]] the rumors

Your roommate has always been better at understanding Farsi than speaking it. She pushes her hijab behind one ear to better hear what the women are whispering about. One of the women is holding back tears. Her brother has disappeared - stolen by a jinni, she believes. He was deeply religious, but recently, he had been straying from his faith. The woman says she believes this weakness allowed the jinni the opportunity to snatch her brother and drag him back to the Rig-e Jenn desert, which everyone knows is home to jinn and other evils. The women noticed your roommate eavesdropping and abruptly stopped talking. [[Great. | bus]]

You ask your roommate to translate, but her Farsi game is pretty rusty. She warns you it may take a few days for her kinda-fluency to return, but she can still make out the gist of the articles. A few pages in, there is a story about a man who has disappeared from the remote town to which you are destined. There's also a story about drug smugglers trafficing drugs through the Rig-e Jenn desert. Your destination is on the edge of this desert. You better be careful. The bus hits a [[pothole| bus]] and you look up.

You arrive in the small town. While your roommate thanks the driver, and your guide gets the bags, you start to notice that people are staring. Two people approach you: [[Mayor|The mayor]] [[Woman|An angry woman]]

//"Iran isn’t on most peoples travel radar but it should be. It is home to 19 UNESCO registered historical sites. We don’t often hear a lot of positive things about Iran in the news but everyone I know who has visited has nothing but wonderful things to say. Iran is a beautiful country with incredibly hospitable people." "If you only watch Western media you might not thing so but Iran is a safe country to visit. Visitors, even Americans, will be welcomed by locals with open arms. Follow the local customs and culture and you should have a great time on your visit to Iran. Iran is a safe place to visit for Americans." "American citizens must by accompanied by a guide at all times while they are in Iran. This doesn’t me you need to have an extremely structured itinerary (although the itinerary will need to be approved) but your guide must join you as you explore new cities and sites if you stray from the group." "Women should bring a headscarf and wear this the moment you step foot in Iran. When you are in public you need to have your head covered." "It’s estimated that 80 percent of the dope flowing out of Afghanistan passes through Iran before ending up in Europe, where it is sold at a street level. Along the way, a lot of it ends up in the arms of what the Iranian government estimates to be 2 million drug users. (The actual number is widely believed to be much higher.) The Iranian government states that they allocate approximately $1 billion a year and about 12,000 soldiers to their war against drugs. And over the past few decades, approximately 3,700 of these soldiers have died in the line of duty."// [[Read |library]]

The driver turns the radio on. The voices are speaking very quickly, but your roommate hushes you to listen. "It's about drug smugglers," she says after a while. "They think there is a band of smugglers crossing the Rig-e Jenn right now, but law enforcement is reluctant to pursue them." She stops to listen as the radio goes in and out of reception. "I guess they're afraid?" From the front seat, your guide quickly switches off the radio. You look out the [[window.| driver]]

Upon finding out the purpose of your visit, the driver issues you a harsh warning. He says it's extremely dangerous to go looking for trouble in the Rig-e Jenn. Everyone knows that evil lives in that desert. You want to ask the driver if he believes in jinn, but you decide not to. He got really heated over this Rig-e Jenn place. You adjust your [[hijab.| driver]]

The mayor is a friendly looking man. "Welcome to our village. We are very happy to have you," he says loudly. He takes a step closer, and in a less-audible tone, continues, "There have been rumors circling this town, many rumors that are fueled by uncertainty and fear. However, this fear comes from a reality of danger." "But," The mayor pauses, his eyes narrow, "sometimes, safety is preferable to truth." The sun is shining in your eyes, but you sweat on his brow. Talk to [[the angry woman. |An angry woman]] [[Go to your guesthouse. |guesthouse]]

The Angry Woman grabs you by the wrist. Her fingernails are long, and filed to points. She is yelling in your face. The other townspeople are rush over to pull her off of you. You look at your roommate quizically. "What did she say?" Your roommate responds, "she said that we shouldn't be here, that because we are outsiders, we will only make the town more vulnerable to the jinn terrorizing it. I think it was her husband that disappeared." You are holding your wrist and when you look down, you see that the woman's nails drew blood. Talk to the [[mayor. |The mayor]] Go to your [[guesthouse. |guesthouse]]

Your guest house is run by a nice old couple. They're actually really good at english. Even though you know you are safe, you feel something lingering with you. You ask about what the angry woman [[said. |inquiry]] The woman leads you to your rooms. She looks you in your eyes - straight in the pupil - and says with breathless force "Do not dare keep your doors unlocked at night." As she turns, you hear a groan. She stops in her tracks. "What was [[that?"|"What was that?"]] you ask.

"Why does that angry woman see me as such a threat?" you ask. Your hostess is quiet for a moment before she answers. "The Jinn live amongst us - all of us - the pious and the unholy. Those who pray and honor their faith are strong and the Jinn cannot touch them. Those who lose track of their faith, who move away from God - may he be praised and exhaulted - are targets of the Jinn. They are led astray and distracted by earthly temptations. The angry woman sees you as a distraction from the focused prayer that will deliver her husband back to her." You look [[away. |guesthouse]]

She tells you about her sick son, so tragically bedridden, and apologizes for any sounds he might make in his fits of pain. She quickly pulls shut the door at the end of the hall. Take a moment to confront your confusing mash of [[feelings|feel]]. As your hostess leaves you, she eyes your golden [[bracelet|golden bracelet]].

You wake up to the smell of a delicious breakfast. It's already hot out, but you dress modestly, as you've been advised. With that in mind, you decide to leave your golden bracelet on your bedside table. When you enter the kitchen, your guide is speaking in hushed tones with the patron of the guest house. They become silent when you enter the room. Your plan today is to try to talk with the Angry Woman about her missing husband. Upon hearing your plan, your guide becomes noticeably uncomfortable. He suggests that your time would be better spent speaking with the local imam. You decide not to listen to the guide. You and your roommate sneak out the back to go interview the Angry [[Woman|interview angry woman]] on your own. You decide to trust your guide. This is a foreign country, and your journalistic instincts may not be as trustworthy here as you think. [[Don't|interview imam]] ditch your guide and follow him to the local mosque.

You knock on the door of the Angry Woman's house. When she sees you, she starts to slam the door, but your roommate holds her hand out - "As-salamu alaykum," your roommate says humbly. In her hand is a stick of incense. The Angry Woman takes the incense and invites you in. As your roommate begins to ask her questions in Farsi, you notice how very nervous the woman is. She is fidgeting, wringing her hands. You intended to pay very close attention to the objects in this woman's house - you know, look for clues - but the house is nearly empty. She has almost nothing. Your roommate tells you that the woman fervently believes her husband was kidnapped by a jinni. She said times had been hard on the family. The man lost his job after an accident that left him with permanent damage to his hands. His injuries made it nearly impossible to find other work. The couple began selling their possesions to make ends meet, but it wasn't enough. Before long, the woman noticed that belongings were disappearing from their house without equivalent money coming back into their finances. Neighbors told the woman they suspected her husband was gambling instead of looking for work, but the woman insists those rumors were untrue. She says it was a jinni stealing one possession after another until one night, the jinni came for her husband. The woman pointed at a pair of dusty shoes waiting by the door - her husband's //only// pair of shoes. "If the jinni comes for you," she almost whispers, "remember the word //bismillah//." It's time to leave. You thank the woman. She offers you a date. Erm.. You don't really like dates. [[Eat|night#2]] it anyway. Politely [[refuse|night#2]] the date.

You take off your bracelet and put it on your bedside table, like you do every night. It's too delicate to sleep in. Don't forget to [[lock|the next day]] the door. [[Don't|the next day]] lock the door. You don't want to deal with it if you need to use the bathroom in the night.

The mosque is humble, but obviously tended to with great care. The Imam greets you, your roommate, and your guide with a cup of strong tea. You begin to ask the Imam questions about jinn and the missing man. The Imam quickly interrupts you. He explains that while jinn are very real, so too is the desparation of those in poverty. The Imam believes that what haunts the town is the specter of addiction. Instead of showing faithfulness to God, he explains, some members of the town have become devoted to heroin. The missing man was abducted or possibly killed by the drug cartel that passes through the nearby Rig-e Jenn desert, the Imam insists. With an obviously heavy heart, he lowers his head. "If you do ever encounter a jinni," he almost whispers, "remember the word //bismillah//." It's time to leave. The Imam asks you if you'd like to take some insense with you, as a gift. You gladly [[acceept.|night#2]] Something about that insense makes you feel safe. You respectfully [[decline.|night#2]] You //do// have asthma. The Imam understands.

When you return to your guest house, you find that the electricity is out. This happens from time to time - nothing to worry about, your guide assures you. Carefully, you walk to your room in the dark.It is very quite, but for the ailing man at the end of the hall. You're impressed you didn't trip over anything. In your room, you find your flashlight. As you turn to go back to the kitchen, you notice something - or rather you notice nothing. Where your golden bracelet once lie, there is nothing. You frantically shine your light under the table, under the bed - nothing. This was your grandmother's bracelet - your most prized possession. A wave of guilt washes over you - why did you even bring it on this trip? Perhaps to feel safe? To feel watched over? Suddenly, you feel with intense certainty that someone is watching you from the corner. You whip around, your light grazing the whole, small room. Nothing is there. There must be someone in this town with more information. Who do you approach? [[Hostess|interrogate hostess]] [[Son|investigate son]] [[Mayor|report to mayor]]

She insists its a jinni. //Now it'll know where you are - it'll always know where you are. As long as you are in this house, none of us will be safe!// The Hostess expells you, your roommate. Your guide totally bails on you because he's afraid. Everyone in the town shuns you and no one will help you. No one will let you into their homes or businesses; no one will drive you anywhere. You've really gotten yourself into a pickle here, huh. There is some good news though - the bus will drive you and your roommate back to Tehran tomorrow, and you can go home. But, it is gunna be dark soon. What are you gunna do? Sleep underneath some inviting [[trees. |get got]] It's a nice little private shelter, and you kinda feel like hiding from the townspeople right now; they are not happy. //And// it's close to where the bus stops, so you know you won't miss it. Stay [[awake|Stay awake]]. There's no way you could fall asleep now! What if jinn //are// a thing and now one is out to get you? Regardless, everyone seems to hate you now and you don't feel safe enough to rest.

You walk down to the room at the end of the hall. When you crack open the door, the smell of sweat and stale air attacks you. You see that the son is a heroin addict. Your flashlight illuminates tell-tale paraphernalia. The son stirs in his bed. He grunts for a while, but you finally get him to answer some questions. He admits to selling your bracelet for heroin and says it is too dangerous to get it back. You ask the son if he knows anything about the missing man. His eyes go wide, and he whispers, "Rig-e Jenn," before collapsing back onto his mattress. Share this new information with the [[mayor|report to mayor]]. Rush to tell the angry [[woman|tell the angry woman]].

They mayor reveals he's been assisting the drug smugglers in return for a portion of heroin, which he sells to the townspeople. The mayor started the rumors of jinn harassing the town to cover up evidence of the drugs - junkies trading valuables for drugs, for instance. It wasn't until the angry woman's husband disappearsed that the rumors really took off. The Mayor pulls out a gun and shoots your roommate in the leg. [[Help|help your roommate]] [[Flee|cowardly death]]

How nice and cozy these trees are. It was cold out and there are a considerable number of knots on the ground, but once you and your roommate lie down, the warm haze of sleep pulls you under. Your dreams are horrible, closterphobic and burning. You can't tell if you're awake. You feel around in the dark. You pull a flashlight from your bag. When you turn it on, you see a menacing face inches from your own, the gaze from it's dead, black eyes piercing you. You dropp your flashlight. It's over.

Your roommate and you sit back-to-back under a street light. Hours pass. The light begins to flicker. There is a sudden gust of frigid air, a crack of thunder, and like a candle, the street light goes out. He is here, the jinni. You feel his deadly hand grab you by the hair and throw you to the ground. In a flash of lightning, you see his broad sillouette, at least 10 feet tall. He rushes toward you and before his hands grasp your neck, you shout out the word the you learned would save you from jinn. =><= #"//Bismillah!//"<h1> <= And like that, a large pop pushes you to your feet. The sound echoes off the concrete walls of nearby buildings. You did it. You vanquished the jinni. You're still scared shitless, though, and the next day you GTFO and head back to The States.

You and your roommate go to the Angry Woman's house. She's unwilling to talk until you mention that you have information about her husband. She let's you in and you gently tell her what you learned about her husband. Oh God, it's so hard, watching her face dissolve into tears. She had still held out hope that her husband was alive somewhere. Or ... that's what you'd thought. Your roommate grabs your hand and covers her mouth in horror. The Angry Woman has pulled back her hijab to reveal a devilish grin and dead, black eyes crying fat tears of blood. You really wanged this one. You and your roommate both get got by this jinni. =><= #Ya got got! <h1>

You can't abandon your roommate, but you're about to get shot. Like a total badass, you do a jumping roundhouse kick and disarm the Mayor. You scramble on your knees to pick up the gun and as you turn and point it at the Mayor, you see him coming at you with a knife. The fire of justice burning in your eyes, you shout "not today asshole!" and pull the trigger. The Mayor falls dead on the ground. When the townspeople rush in to see what happened, you tell them the truth about the drug trade and the lies about jinn. Your roommate is rushed to the nearest hospital - she's gunna be alright. And you, you'll be better than alright. Your article got published on the cover of the magazine and Charlize Theron has just been cast to play you in an upcoming film about this harrowing event. =><= #Great Job! <h1>

You run out of the mayor's office. It's dark out; something has obscured the sun. You can't think about that now - you have to watch where you're running. You hear another gunshot. Someone else is dead. Oh, God! Is it your roommate? The Mayor, by some twist of fate? You're still running, but you are suddenly overcome with an overwhelming feeling of shameful anguish. Pulsing before your eyes: your roommate doubled over, clutching her leg. Maybe you can still go back and save her. You stop and turn to look back at the mayor's office. Your chin whips over your shoulder and you come face to face with a visage so evil, so dark and foul, that when you try to scream, nothing but dust erupts from your mouth. Surprise, the illegal drug trade is a sick reality //and// so are jinn, and this jinni just got you. =><= #Better luck next time, sucker.<h1>

What do you feel? =><= ###[[Curiosity]]<h3> ###[[Dread]]<h3> ###[[Skepticism]]<h3> ###[[Dismay]]<h3>

You wonder why your hostess seemed so eager to get off the topic of her ailing son. [[hmm|"What was that?"]]

You look at the closed door at the end of the hall. Your heart pounds, but you can't look away. [[hmm|"What was that?"]]

Something feels fishy. Your hostess was a little too quick to change the subject from her son. You wonder what she is hiding. [[hmm|"What was that?"]]

You feel profound sadness for the son. It's in your nature to want to help people, but you get the feeling that whatever the son is going through, you probably cannot provide any relief. [[hmm|"What was that?"]]