"My good Imam the topic is whether or not a god is needed for the universe to exist." Arielle said into the microphone. She was standing at a podium across from the Imam of a local Mosque. The stage was very barren, as a debate need few props. The audience was mostly the followers of the Mosque, though there were a good number of people of other faiths as well.

She had initially not wanted to take the debate, after all his Mosque was very extremist and her coworkers had noted that it could be dangerous. Arielle had just laughed and said they were over reacting, religion may make people violent but never in a public debate surrounded by security. Even they weren't crazy enough to try a stunt on tv.

Pointing a blackboard covered in mathematical equations Arielle continued "As you can see according to quantum physics particles do jump from plane to plane, appearing as if they appeared out of nowhere."

"Who is to say Allah did not cause this to happen" Interrupted the noticeably annoyed Imam

"Well just think about it" Arielle replied with a smug smile "According to you Allah is required because every event must have a cause correct?" 

The Imam nodded and Arielle continued "What then caused Allah to exist? Your scenario requires an unending number of creators to each cause the initial cause. You have claimed in the past that Allah has just always existed, but why not simply say the universe has always existed? Ocam's razor requires us to make as few assumptions as possible and I only require an assumption infinity is impossible, whereas you require many more beliefs..."

Before Arielle could finish her statement she stopped dead as a man in the front row, dressed in Saudi robes, jumped up on the stage with a nine inch knife in his right hand. Arielle screamed loudly but before she could do any more than flinch the bearded man had reached her, and plunged the knife deep into her stomach. She felt the cold steel shredding her body as warm blood poured from the opening, excruciating pain erupting and bringing stars to her eyes. She pushed back from the man, and managed to break his grip, just to fall on her back.

The whole crowd seemed to have begun to riot, blocking security as the supporters turned on the other side. Her followers trying to run to the stage and the opposition attacking them in turn. Before anything else could register the man was on top of her, pinning her between his legs. With a shriek she struggled but was soon cut off by the force of the knife slitting her throat open, followed by repeated stabs into her chest and stomach.

The overwhelming pain filled her thoughts as she struggled against the heavyset man. She could feel the weight of the man start being lifted, and through her cloudy vision made out a uniform. But that would be the last thing she would ever see, as she bled out on the floor she blacked out... and her heart gave one last thump.

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Grogginess filled Arielle's head as her mind began waking. Her mind struggled like an old car trying to start, thoughts starting but never becoming coherent. Suddenly the fight came to her mind, the blood, the pain the man she sat up straight with a shriek. Looking up to fight the man but didn't see him. All she saw was a living room.

She blinked slowly as if trying to process what happened. 'Was it a dream?' she thought

Looking down she could see her blouse was horribly shredded, and stained bloody but no wounds could be seen on her body. Not even a scratch.

"I don't understand it" She said to herself "How is it possible for my clothes to be destroyed but my body fine?" She touched her stomach and could feel only the smoothness of the skin.

Leaning back in silence she stared at the ceiling, pondering this riddle, and not even noticing anything around her as she was lost in her own thoughts. Debating with herself over the merits of different ideas ranging from comas to PTSD, because she knew the pain had been real but other than that she couldn't understand it and wouldn't' stop until she did.