My head hurts, as if someone
is stabbing my head with a sharp knife, over and over again. We grow up, and dreams grow and fade away; we quietly bury them deep within us and console ourselves with tears.
Shihab woke up today—but differently. Not as usual. His head felt like it wanted to detach from his body.
Every time he tried to breathe, he couldn't; his breaths were slow and shallow, like someone drowning in the depths of the sea.
And he couldn't see well—his vision was blurred.
He heard strange voices whispering odd words into his ear, as if casting spells, then saw the doll move, its eyes red like a lake of blood, laughing an evil laugh.
"Am I dreaming a nightmare?" he wondered.
He began sweating profusely until his whole body was soaked, his clothes trembling as though he'd been swimming in a pool of water, and his heartbeat accelerated.
Suddenly, he felt short of breath, as if choking,
and abruptly, his stomach clenched as though an invisible hand were gripping his intestines and twisting them.
Then he said, "What's happening? My head is spinning; I feel dizzy. How many times have I fallen and gotten back up, tried to escape from my room—even from my house—but all my attempts ended in failure?"
What a strange day... There's something I'm trying to remember, but I can't recall it.
The ringing phone irritates me.
I think it was yesterday, when I was trying to solve that horrifying case... Ah, my head! Someone hit me on the head with a hammer.
I'll try answering the phone to find out what happened yesterday.
Shihab asked, "Who's calling?" and heard a familiar voice say, "Don't you recognize your friends? You're forgetful as always."
"It's me, your friend Lin Weishen. What's wrong with you, Shihab? Why does your voice sound different? Are you sick?"
Shihab replied, "I don't know what's happening to me. I'm hearing strange sounds, and weird things are happening in my house. It seems my home is haunted."
Lin Weishen said, "Don't you remember what happened yesterday?"
Shihab answered, "No."
"We were investigating a murder that occurred in an apartment in the city, and it took us a long time to solve it. Then you spoke to a strange man whose behavior was even stranger. He was wearing black clothes, a hat, and black sunglasses. He seemed mysterious and suspicious."
"You asked him his name, and he told you he was called Al-Zarouq. You went somewhere with him, and we haven't seen each other since."
Lin Weishen asked, "What? Don't you remember anything? He's a suspicious person, my friend. I think he did something dangerous to you at the place where you met him."
Shihab asked, wondering, "Are there surveillance cameras?"
Lin Weishen replied, "Unfortunately, there are no surveillance cameras in that place."
Shihab said despairingly, "I think I've gotten myself into serious trouble."
Lin Weishen reassured him, "Don't worry. I'll ask the victim's neighbors and the residents of his building. Maybe they saw that mysterious man."