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Wahid’s Musical Passions Wahid seems surprisingly music-savvy. This makes me feel like we come from the same world.

Wahid’s Secret Story I discovered the secret of Wahid’s actual family background.

Kassim’s Drawings I recorded my feelings as I looked at Kassim’s sketches.

Kassim’s Secret Tragedy Kassim’s secret tragedy was veritably Shakespearean.

The Storm: A Mother Saved I saved a little girl’s mother from drowning.

The Paradox of Egoism Had I not obtained this vest through deception, I would not have saved the drowning mother. Can vile deeds have virtuous consequences?

The Storm: Panic Attack When I got a panic attack during the storm, I felt... possessed.

Edward Mukuka Nkoloso This Zambian visionary dreamed of flying to the Moon.

Mona’s Childhood Photo Mona showed me a photograph from her childhood and told me all about it.

Diarrhea in the Storm I’ll never forget having explosive diarrhea at sea, in the middle of a storm. If you like amusement parks, you should try it.

A Friendly God Battuta relayed a vision of a friendly relationship between man and God.

The Complete Story of the Afronauts The full story of Zambian Afronauts sounds much like a mushroom trip.

The Nyumba Ntobhu Tradition Dinah told me about a local custom of same-sex marriage. It sounded progressive.

Dinah’s Stump Dinah lost her hand after she was bitten by a venomous viper.

Being Part of Something Greater After several weeks spent with the refugees I feel a bond with them. I feel part of something greater. It’s a new feeling.

Perpetual Outsider I’ve spent a few weeks among the refugees and I still feel like an outsider. Do I need more time? Or is it not a matter of time?

Anna: A Reverse Odyssey Most people were running from the Islamic State, and she was headed right for the heart of darkness...

The Jihadi’s Hypocrisy Anna called jihadis hypocrites. They fight against Western culture, yet wallow in lavish consumerism.

Anna’s Story Epilog Anna fled the Islamic State. What does fate have in store for her next?

Battuta: Tragic Epilog Battuta’s story had a painfully tragic ending. His dementia seemed to be a blessing and a curse.

Almas: Full Story Almas’s story culminated tragically. She lost everything that was of any significance to her.

Francesco’s View on the Refugees Francesco laid out some solid arguments against welcoming refugees.

Francesco: Inconvenient Questions Francesco’s inconvenient questions still ring in my ears. He forced me to look at the refugees from a different perspective.

Moria Camp I stayed at the Moria refugee camp in the Greek island of Lesbos and described my experience.

Moria: Hundreds of Tents, Thousands of Stories The ocean of tents in Moria… You have to see it to even grasp its scale.

A Bird’s Eye View of Europe You can’t see any borders if you look at Europe from a great enough distance.

How the Aging Casanovas Party Who were these day-drinking, chest-bumping, obnoxious passengers?

A New Idea of Space Planes and airports are a little magical. Like portals leading to foreign worlds.

Some Thoughts from the Chiller Truck The moment they locked us in the back of the refrigerator truck... I get two kinds of chills just thinking about it.

Infinity of the Desert The desert didn’t seem to end. I was slowly starting to believe there was no world beyond it.

A Night in the Desert I’d never seen this many stars.

Losing Control on the Minibus We rode the minibus to who-knows-where. Anything could happen. We were at the driver’s mercy.

The Arab Spring The refugees viewed the Arab Spring from many different perspectives.

Running Across the Beach Run, boy, run! Nothing else matters…

The Last Goodbyes Before the Crossing People were saying their goodbyes to loved ones before we set sail. Was this the last time they ever talked?

Jailbird Thoughts Once the cell door was locked, all of my reflections focused on the shock of suddenly losing my freedom.

Wahid’s Limited Description of the Smuggling Trade Wahid told me about the personal odyssey that led him to this boat. He’s traveled thousands of kilometers.

Daily Life with the Refugees Sometimes, the greatest epiphanies come to you in the most mundane situations. Ordinary life with the refugees has taught me the most about them.

Death at Sea You have failed to reach Europe’s shores. Like thousands before you, you have drowned in the depths of the Mediterranean.

Hold the Line The night is long, but you endured five waves of terror.

New Blood You’re growing stronger. Level 5 marks the beginning of your journey.

Tinkerer A little polish goes a long way. Your first weapon upgrade.

Survivor First match completed. You’re starting to feel at home in chaos.

Butcher of the Dead They fall before you in heaps. Fifty zombies silenced.

Iron Wall Fifteen waves beaten back. You are the barricade.

Master Engineer Every bolt tightened, every part tuned. A weapon perfected.

Seasoned Fighter Five matches completed. The horde knows your name.

Exterminator The ground runs red. Two hundred fifty zombies crushed beneath your fire.

Headshot Machine Thirty precise kills in a single match. The undead never saw it coming.

Unbreakable Thirty waves resisted. The horde cannot break you.