She travelled to Paris from her home on the Shropshire-Powys border to boost her studies and never did Megan Williams believe she would end up in the midst of an international terrorist outrage.
Today the 20-year-old from Knighton described the fear and chaos of the moments after the attack.
And she says she and her friends were now helping one of their flatmates, who lost a number of friends, shot dead as they enjoyed a Friday night out.
We are all just looking after each other at the moment, she said.
Megan only moved to the French capital two months ago and now finds herself in the middle of a city whose residents are frightened, bewildered but overwhelming defiant.
She has no plans to return home and will continue her studies at La Sorbonne where she is on an exchange year from Kings College London.
She and her French flatmate were in their apartment on Friday night when they began to hear noises, followed by sirens and saw blue lights across the city.
The attacks were all within walking distance of her flat all areas where she regularly socialises. She has visited the Bataclan music venue where most people died many times for drinks with friends.
The first place that was attacked was a 10 minute walk on the other side of the canal and the Bataclan is just 20 minutes away, she said.
We knew we were safe in the apartment but we had an awful lot of message from family and friends. I had told people I was living by the canal so they were very worried.
Megan, whose parents, Christine Williams and Barry Jones and sister and half brother still live in Knighton, said she had been worried for the friends she had met at the university.
I knew one was in the Bastille area so it was a relief to hear that he had gone straight to the house of his nearest friend for safety.
Sadly my French flatmates has friends whose friends were killed.We are all looking after each other at the moment.
All the areas targeted are where were young people meet up, it seems to much to be a coincidence, she said.
I will stay in Paris.
The people of Paris are trying to get back to normality and I want to do the same. You can t live in fear for the rest of your life.
As far as I know lectures will continue as normal at La Sorbonne – the university has a lot of security.
Megan described the atmosphere in a city coming to terms with a second terror outrage in less than a year.
Tributes at Le Carillon restaurant
I visited the Place de la Republique on Saturday, she said. It s an important place for the French so there was quite a few people there, mostly leaving candles and notes, along with others unfortunately trying to make money from the situation by selling candles.
We then decided to walk along Boulevard Voltaire to the Bataclan, which was packed.
The area directly around the Bataclan building itself was closed off, but we could still see the building clearly. To see it in person was bizarre and moving at the same time, especially since I was at the Bataclan bar only a few nights before, and the people I was with all knew people who had lost their lives there.
We then walked around the area and stopped at a bar nearby, which had some customers but was weirdly quiet for a Saturday evening in one of the liveliest parts of Paris – the barman said it would normally be full but there were plenty of empty seats.
We stopped by a friend s bar as well and we were the only people in there, whereas normally you wouldn t even be able to get in through the door on a Saturday night for being so busy. To sum up the feeling in Paris right now, particularly in this area, the French are doing their best to put on a brave face and carry on with life but the city has undoubtedly been changed.
People gather outside for a national service at Notre Dame cathedral
It would be easy – and understandable – for people to be cowed in the face of Friday s atrocities, which left 127 dead and hundreds more injured.
But when the Shropshire Star arrived in the French capital on Saturday night it was clear Parisians wanted to send a message to those who seek to terrorise them.
That message was simple – you will not scare us into hiding.
Thousands visited the Place de la Republique, which saw its monument turned into a makeshift shrine and overwhelmed with candles, flowers and messages.
Thousands more spent time paying their respects at the venues which were targeted by IS extremists on Friday.
Thousands more simply went about their evening as if it was any Saturday night, by visiting bars and restaurants with friends.
What gave away the fact this was not just any Saturday was the presence of armed police and soldiers on the city s streets.
These forces staff walked among the mourners, clad in body armour and carrying automatic weapons.
There was also a palpable sense of unease when emergency services raced past the square with sirens on.
An extremely quiet Eiffel Tower in the aftermath of the attacks
Visiting Place de la Republique was father-of-one Yoann Le Murel s way of showing he would not be oppressed.
Mr Le Murel, 30, said: I wanted to show that I m not afraid.
This isn t something that should happen here or anywhere in the world.
My friends and relatives didn t come here because they re worried about what could happen.
There are lots of reasons to be afraid. But I think we need to show IS and show the world that we will get over this and keep living our lives normally. We won t get scared and live in fear of those people.
What we re doing here is showing we re all together – unity is important at this time.
After the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris in January, which saw 12 employees of the satirical publication murdered, Mr Le Murel said he was surprised another attack had followed so soon.
I was completely amazed, I couldn t believe it.
Now I think it could happen again.
A young boy holds a signed French flag
Another of the locals preaching her message of defiance was 23-year-old student Celia Ghilal.
Miss Ghilal headed to the historic square with three friends to pay tribute to the people killed.
She told the Star: I was devastated by what happened. But I wanted to pay my respects by burning a candle for people who lost their lives, and to pray. We are all united.
Mother-of-three Laurence Larour, 49, was enjoying a meal out with friends in the city when she found out about the attacks.
At first I thought it was just some mad people but when I heard about the many attacks I realised it was terrorists.
This could ve happened to anyone.
I came out to think about all the people who died and to say that I m not afraid.
There was a similar sense people did not want to let terrorists disrupt their plans on the Eurotunnel heading to France.
According to one staff member, business was just as busy on Saturday as it normally would be.
The worker, who asked not to be named, said: It s been like any normal day, I was surprised.
We were full up at 9.30am and have maintained that level.
I thought there would be a reduction in numbers but we haven t seen it. Coming back there is extra security.
Student Alexandre Monnot, 23, had been in the UK taking exams ahead of his entrance to the French Naval Academy and was heading home to Rennes via the Tunnel.
He said: I was pretty shocked by the attacks.
My cousins live in Paris but they are ok. It s hard to explain how you feel.
I wanted to show the terrorists will not win.
There were fewer mourners – just 20 or so – outside the Stade de France than at the sites in central Paris.
This was no surprise given it is in the suburb of St Denis a train ride away while other sites are within a few minutes walk of each other.
At the stadium, one stop away from the Gare du Nord, the physical impact of the terrorists actions was even more apparent – on the pockmarked walls which were still stained with blood from a suicide bomb.
Two bombers are struck outside the ground while the match between France and Germany was taking place, with a total of six people killed.
White walls across the road from Gate J at the ground were yesterday splattered with blood, while a wall at the gate to enter the stadium is littered with holes – which one bystander said were caused by flying nails and bolts when a homemade device was exploded.
Father-of-five Jack Martin, who lives in St Denis close to the stadium, spoke of his growing fear when he heard the bombs go off.
Mr Martin, 40, said: I was watching at home about 200 yards away when I heard two booms.
At first I didn t know what it was and thought it was a supporter but the sound was more loud than I d ever heard before.
I opened a window, heard a helicopter and the police then I knew somebody had done something bad.
I thought maybe it was a car burning but you don t think it will be a bomb, not in Paris.
Mr Martin said he fears the actions of IS could cause splits in French society, as it is so multi-cultural.
This was terrible, horrible, he said.
Every time things in France are getting better here then something like this happens.
What happened on Friday was awful.
It makes you think that it could be your neighbour doing that.
People will start to live in fear if something isn t done.
I think there could be another attack – there will be – unless the Government does something serious to stop this.
Hoping to heal any growing religious rifts in Paris was young Muslim Mehdi, who presented a Tricolore flag outside the Stade de France with his family.
The young boy was a picture of innocence, with mourners clamouring to have their photo taken of the beaming boy proudly holding his French flag.
His mother said the people who carried out the attacks were not Muslims .
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