Chapter 1 "The basement"
When I was a child my mother always prevented me from going down to the basement of our old, dilapidated house, the walls of which were filled with cracks like those wrinkles on the face of our old neighbor who was over ninety years old.
I did not know the reason, but I did not ask, thinking that only adults could go into the dark basement, the great fear Which fills the heart of any small, short child who cannot reach the electric switch; To turn on the light, perhaps my limited vision prevented me from understanding the truth, but in any case I trusted my mother; Because I feel her fear protecting me all the time.
I have never seen this basement, but I drew a picture of it in my imagination: a very dark room with no openings, or cracks in its walls through which light leaks in, so that the person standing there cannot see his hands. I never thought about going down, not because I fear the dark, but rather what confronts me inside this darkness.
Perhaps the room inhabited by goblins, or any other frightening creatures...
One day I heard the sound of a door creaking, so I ran to my room, quickly closed the door and the windows, wrapped myself in the blanket, closed my eyes, and convinced myself that whatever was down there, as long as I couldn’t see it, would definitely not see me either. I didn’t feel anything after those moments. I didn't wake up until the next morning.
Welcome, I am Shihab El-Din Ahmed, a young man in his mid-thirties. I graduated from the Faculty of Mass Communications. I work as a broadcaster.
I am a moody, useless and very lazy husband, and a father who needs to raise himself first before raising his son Iyad and his twin Tarteel. I have been married for seven years. From Jamila Saad, who is four years younger than me. She graduated from the College of Pharmacy and works in a company that prepares cosmetics.
I restored the old house and rebuilt parts of it after the death of my mother and my father, one year after my marriage. I warned the twins not to go there. I did not need to warn my wife; Because she is afraid of the darkness and closed places. Fear of the unknown is the worst type of fear.
While I was reading a post on Facebook, a scream coming from below shook the entire house. I jumped up from in panic and ran to where Iyad’s voice
“Help, Dad!”
When I arrived at this door, which I hate to approach, I found it open, as if it were one of the gates of hell that has just opened. My love for my son forced me to enter there, for a father’s love no matter how neglectful he is still stronger than his deepest fears.
"Eyad! Eyad! Where are you?"
"I'm here, Dad!"
I headed towards the sound without thinking despite not being able to see. I took out my phone and turned on the torch to see what was there, I found Iyad sitting cross-legged on the ground, cradling his bent head on his chest with his hands as if he were a butterfly curling up in its tight cocoon, or a snail fitting into its tight shell…
"Are you alright!?"
"Yes I am okay!"
“What brings you here? Didn’t I repeatedly warn you not to go down to the basement!?
"I was hiding from Tarteel, so I entered here because she would not find me like she does every time. I tried not to be afraid of the dark, but something walked on my feet.”
Shihab looked right and left, directing the light to the corners of the room, and saw a small mouse. He did not tell his son so that he would not feel disgusted…
A psychological dialogue took place inside Shehab: “Oh my God! It is just an empty room except for that mirror mounted on the wall. Was all this great fear throughout these years just an illusion formulated by my imagination after listening to others? It is strange that I have never gone through the experience, nor thought.” "In that! Why was my mother warning me so harshly?”
Iyad interrupted his father's thoughts like scissors cutting a rope, saying:
“I would like to continue playing with the chant, 'Let's get out of here, Dad.'”
Shihab picked up his son and said:
"Yes, let's go, you reckless person.”
to be continued...(every week
