User blog:TeamSeth/Pray

Yesterday was such a long and extremely surreal day. The night wasn't any shorter. I couldn't sleep until 3:30 this morning. Most of the time I was just sitting in the dark, with no other lights than the flash from the TV, and a candle that we lit earlier that day. I don't think anyone managed to get a good night of sleep after what happened. Before I went to bed, they assumed that at least 10 people were killed at Utøya. I thought it was tragical, especially since they were all so young. And if you added the people who died because of the bomb explosion, the amount increased to 17 people. Too much, I thought to myself. That's 17 too much.

The first thing I did when I woke up today, was to turn the TV on. The news had been on the whole night, and what greeted me when I woke up wasn't good. Big, fat letters screamed in my face: "At least 84 people killed at Utøya." I was shocked. Completely shocked. How could the amount increase THAT much in just... 8 hours? It was just so unreal, I couldn't believe it.

I've done nothing else but to watch the news today. I've also listened to some songs, songs that makes me think a lot. I'll admit, I've shed a few tears today. And I think there's just so much more to come. Even though I didn't lose anyone close to me, it still hurts. Because it hurts the entire nation. It hurts each and every one of us, and we have to stand together and be there for each other. There's nothing else we can do.

I know I've asked for it a lot, but I will just remind you guys to keep Norway in your prayers, or at least your thoughts in the days ahead. We need all the strength we can get. Yes, we're gonna rise above all this. But the scar will always remain. No matter how much we try to escape it, it will always be there as a dark reminder of what happened this tragical summer day in 2011.

22/07-2011 - We will remember.