Mariam

I rushed to my room, shut the door, closed the windows, switched on the lights and sat in the corner. It is 12:30 am. Every thing seems calm and silent except for my troubled breathing. My eyes are wide open, my heart is beating hastily, my clothes are still wet because of the pouring rain, and I'm thoroughly exhausted…

My story took place one year ago. As usual I was standing by my window looking at the dark street in the new area that we have just moved in. the houses were still being built on my block except for one of them from which I hear loud voices coming out at 12 am every Saturday. I was always curious to know what was really happening in that house, and every time I told my parents they paid no attention. Actually my parents became very unsocial after my younger brother's death in an accident.

One Saturday night I decided to go out and take a walk exploring the area. It was my first time. I wore my black jacket, blue jeans, and I took my scarf. The weather was too harsh that I could not feel my limbs. The first thing that crossed my mind was to take a look at the strange house, and it was about 200 meters from ours. Although my first aim was to explore the strange house, I thought I may find a friend with whom I can spend my time.

As I was walking through the dark street, I started getting scared and the voices were getting closer. Every thing looked huge and wretched, so I tried to ignore anything around me. After minutes of horror, I reached the house and there was what seemed to be a girl standing by the light which made her more visible than anything around. With curiosity, I walked right towards her crossing the short fence. She was looking at the ground with her thick black hair covering her face. Once I became close enough I said "hi", she raised up her head and tears were covering her cheeks, but behind those tears laid the most beautiful face I have ever seen. "What do you want?" said she with an agony in her voice, and the loud voices from the inside almost prevented me from hearing her. I kept silent for a second and said with a sweet voice" why is all that sadness?, although I don't know you , I'm sure that your tears are so precious" I preceded" my name is Ahmad and with a naughty smile I asked her, don't you have a name?" she smiled and said "I'm mariam. We spent the following few hours walking together and I told her almost everything about my life, unlike her who just prefered to hear my life's story. Time ran quickly and right before sunrise, I walked her home, from where no more voices were coming out, and with a sweet smile she entered the house.

Day after day we became very close. I couldn't spend a single day without touching her soft hand and getting enchanted by her eyes, and she liked me too at least that what I thought. We became so close that I could easily know whether she was sad or happy without her saying a word. All I can say that I was very happy when I was near to her. When we held hands, I couldn't feel anything around; I would just lose myself. As our relationship became so strong I decided to ask her about the reason why she was crying that night, when I first met her, outside the house, and about all those voices. "Ahmad I don't want to lose you" said she. "why did you say that" said I, and preceded" nothing will change my feeling towards you". As I said that, she put her head on my shoulder and cried. She raised her head up again and said listen to my story" I was born like any other kid innocent and joyful. My parents were the best to me. They protected me and gave me all their attention and love. Yet as I was growing up, I started to notice that my parents were behaving differently. They were doing weird things that I couldn't understand and that scared me a lot. My house always looked very repulsive and strange things happened all the time. As you noticed Ahmad the voices that come out from my house every Saturday, actually my parents always have a kind of special gathering in which I wasn't allowed to be back then. When I reached 7 they thought that I was old enough to enter their strange world and they were very enthusiastic to do it. The next gathering I walked with them to the big secret room, in which the weird gathering takes place. The first thing that took my attention was the walls. They are almost covered with blood, and there were many shapes of horns and other bizarre things. There was nothing to light the room except one red light and there was what seemed to be a painting on the wall. It was a picture of Satan. As she said that, I looked at her. She continued yes Ahmad we are satanic. Back then I was barely 7, so I asked my parents "what is this" and they started to explain everything. Since that day I dedicated my life to Satan. Everything I did was for him, but one day something changed my entire life, when I was told that I have to marry one of them as a sacrifice. My whole life just shut down at that moment. Nothing seemed clear or obvious, and I asked myself" what am I doing? Is this what I was born for? Is this how my life going to end?" I remember Ahmad I cried so hard and went out the house that night when I first saw you". She ended her story with that sentence like she was lost and I finally found her. Honestly I was too shocked to say anything, however, I struggled my silence and said" I'll never leave you no matter what mariam, right now you need to rest yourself". I walked her home and went to mine. I passed that night thinking only of what mariam said and I tried to clear my mind. I wasn't sure about what I was going to do, and I started questioning about that love thing. Is love real? Or it is just an excuse to be with some one! However, there was one thing I was sure about I would do anything for mariam.

When I saw her the next day she was really calm like she didn't want to confuse me more. I knew that she had so much to say, but she prefered to keep silent. Suddenly, something just jumped into my mind." Why don’t I just go with you to that gathering and I'll talk to him" said I." you don't know what you are talking about" said she. You are right mariam I don't, but I know that I'm doing it for you. You don't have to…... I'll do it mariam." Ok, but you have to pretend that you are satanic to get in" said she. And after she tought me some gestures I became ready.

On the next Saturday I entered the gathering and the room was very wretched even more than what mariam said. I was going to get out of there, but Mariam pointed at a man who was facing the wall. With uncertain steps I walked towards him. As I became close he turned around and I saw the ugliest face ever. He didn't have eyes, nose nor any expressions. It was like a piece of skin covered his face. I ran!! As fast as I could I ran, without looking behind. I got out the house and it was raining. I just wanted to reach my home.

I woke up in the morning on that corner of my room. The lights were still on from last night, and I could hardly move my body. I wondered whether I was dreaming! I thought this was too bad to be real, but for sure I wasn't and it was real. I didn't go out of my room that day, and I started avoiding mariam. She actually tried to reach me but she couldn't. I told my parents that I was too ill to see anybody.

Two weeks later, mariam stopped asking about me like she knew that I left her, and after another week I heard that she died a savage death and no one knew how that happened.

The end

The finest day

When my finest day comes I'm waiting, when my heart stops loving, hurting and hating. The day that everyone is sharing, and all the sorrow's fading. When everything looks the same because no one is caring, and the sun, the moon, the stars are all staring.
Please don't tell me you are far away or you have lost your way. Don't let my smile fool you or all the fake attitudes deceive you.
Is it my youth what prevents you, because I am older. Is it my health, because I am sicker or is it my strength, because believe me I am weaker.
If you accuse me of being a child, who can't wait for Christmas, guilty your honor and I even put the lights on the tree. Oh when my finest day comes I'm waiting.
Farewell, with tears of happiness playing on my cheeks. Farewell, with closed eyes refusing to peek. Farewell life, it's time for death to complete.

Inside a Mind

Inside a Mind



Hardly, I woke up that day with an exhausted mind. I was late for work and I wondered why the alarm didn't wake me up! Quickly, I washed my face and headed to the car. The sun was burning and the dust almost prevented me from seeing the sky. There were tens of dead pigeons everywhere, and trash was covering the street. I stood in a shock till' I felt the burning sun and dust eating my face, so I entered my car and drove; I knew that there was something wrong, what a silence! I just hoped to see anybody around, but non." Am I dead? Is this the judgment Day! If there is any!" as I was buried under my thoughts the fear Infiltrated to my soul. When I approached the first traffic light on my way, I saw a black man whose face was covered with dirt and dust. His lips were very dry and the sun was burning him up. I freaked out; "the poor man, what has he done in his life! What sin could lead him to such atonement! I wondered what could be mine; what have I done in my empty life! All those sins blinded my vision. I knew in my heart that the second traffic light will be my stop; my empty life will be ended forever. I slowed down as I didn’t want to reach it, but unfortunately I did. I stopped and kept looking around with terror. Suddenly, I heard a loud scaring noise from behind. I closed my eyes and my heart almost stopped beating; the loud was getting closer and closer till' the silence showed up again. I looked to the right to see a fancy car with a very ugly driver; however, he was like a relief. I smiled for him hoping to have a smile back, but that never happened, he looked down on me as if I'm a disgusting creature and continued his way. I followed him as I had to be with anybody in that cursed day. While I was following the man and approaching the last traffic light before my work, the dust was fading away. I could see the sky vividly, and a few cars too. When I stopped, I saw bored unhappy faces waiting for the green light. Then I realized I'm not dead, this is simply life! This is just our miserable daily life.


The end

A Murderer Dream

Like many of us, Bader had a very ordinary life. There was nothing special, and for him, life could never be easier. Going to college, watching movies and visiting his father's grave every Friday is all what he had to do. However, Bader was not getting along with his mother. There was always that kind of domestic battles between them, so in summer he decided to move to his big brother's apartment. Even though Bader was always trying to show people that he was tough and didn’t care about anything or anyone, he was very sensitive in the depth of his heart, and his dream was to find a girl who could understand him and appreciate his thoughts. Some night, and while he was sleeping, he heard a very noisy sounds from the upper apartment. So he went to that apartment and knocked the door. A man opened and said" what do you want young man?" Bader replied "we're trying to sleep down there, can't you just cut that off?". As Bader was speaking, the man grabbed his nick and said "that's what happens when you live in an apartment and you'd better go to sleep now boy". Bader didn't say a word, but he was really annoyed from that man's attitude. He went back to his room and after minutes of thinking of how rude that man was, he slept. In his dream, Bader saw that man dead and he was looking at him. In the after noon, he woke up, and barely could remember his dream. He washed his face and went to the dining room where his brother was shouting" lunch". After they finished their lunch Bader's brother said" get dressed, we have to condole our neighbor". "Why who's dead?" said Bader. The big brother preceded" our neighbor in the upper apartment, his wife was trying to wake him up this morning but he didn't, poor man". Bader remembered his dream directly, and said to himself" what a coincidence!". Even though Bader had nothing to do with the death of that man; that day did not pass easily. Because he thought that the man some how died because of him. However, he gradually forgot the whole incidence. The summer passed away, and there was nothing more delightful to Bader than returning to college and seeing friends. In the first day, and during he was greeting friends, he saw a girl who attracted his attention. She looked very beautiful and conservative to him. Every since Bader saw that girl, he became obsessed of her. It looked like she completely invaded his mind and became his first priority. Bader watched her every day, every single movement and every expression she made. He just liked to watch her talking with her friends. As Bader was crazy about her, he finally found a way to introduce himself to her, and Noor wasn't so surprised because she had noticed Bader since the beginning of the semester. Days went on and in the middle of the semester they became very close to each other. They walked together, ate together and even studied together; besides, there was that kind of sweet harmony between them. Since Bader was a very polite student, he had a special relationship with all of his teachers except for one who was mean to him. Mr. Malek was an arrogant man who thought that no one could reach his standards. Bader was supposed to submit a kind of an extend course assignment, which took him two weeks to end, to Mr. Malek. But Mr. Malek with his arrogance refused to take the assignment because it wasn't perfect according to Mr. Malek's standards. That was like a big disappointment to Bader, and he even had a long argument with Mr. Malek that day which gave him nothing but rage at the end. Bader couldn't forget what happened, and he carried his agony to his dream. He saw Mr. Malek dying in front of his eyes and he couldn’t do anything. The next day he over slept, so he couldn’t make it to college. But he took advantage from that and spent the whole day rewriting the assignment. The next day he looked every where for Mr. Malek and when he asked they told him Mr. Malek died yesterday. Bader became totally speechless. Somehow the words became too heavy to be uttered. He went back home and fell in fever. Bader knew that it was him who killed those people; it was all in his cursed dream. So he refused to talk to any one even to his beloved who kept asking the big brother about him. Two weeks on that manner and the guilt almost killed Bader. Finally, the fever was gone and the suffering as well. Even though there was something eating him from inside, Bader found something else that took him out of his sorrow; it was Noor. Without hesitation, he walked to his brother and told him everything about the girl he loved, and that he wanted to marry her. The brother was very happy to see his young brother getting well and thinking of marriage. After three weeks of sickness and suffering Bader decided to get back to college and caught up what he missed. He was even more excited to see Noor and told her about his plans. In the morning, Bader got dressed and headed to collage earlier than usual. He sat in the place in which they used to sit. He was too happy that he couldn't get himself together, and he couldn’t imagine what Noor's reaction would be. Meanwhile, he saw a girl who looked like Noor walking with some guy. It was Noor's walkway but who was with her, they were holding hands, he definitely not her brother. She was smiling the smile, which she used to smile when she was with Bader. When they approached Bader she acted like she didn't see him, and he just couldn't take his eyes off that scene. He was very mad; how could she do that like she'd never met him before. She broke his heart. He felt like he was nothing and gradually surrendered to his anger. He never talked to her that day and after finishing his lectures, he went home. Even tough what Noor did turned him apart; there was still a part of her inside his heart. He was very sad because he knew what would happen at night. However he spent the day with his brother like he needed someone to embrace, and his brother was going to travel for business in the early morning. Bader preferred to swallow his pain and didn't tell anybody about what happened. At night, on bed he cried bitterly, and after two heavy hours he slept. That night passed away but Bader didn't wake up. Two other nights passed away but he never woke up again. He killed himself because in the very depth of his heart there was something belonged to Noor.
The end

10 Days

As an old man, Adam has nothing to do except sitting in his small warm house by himself. Sometimes reading and sometimes watching TV. Life has completely been changed and everything has become different to him since he retired. His friends just stopped asking about him unless they wanted something. He started wondering if there was something wrong with him; and by time Adam got along with that. The loneliness that surrounded him was too intense to stand which made him very sensitive. Everything became touching to his heart, and he could easily get hurt by anything. His eyes were always full of tears that couldn't be shed because of his pride. It has been a while since the last time he shaved his Beard, and he became very careless about his look. Adam's thought was "since no one cares about me why should I care about anyone". However, having breakfast in the nearby dining and reading the newspaper was his only escape. One morning and while he was heading to the dining, his eyes laid on a beautiful lady who was standing on the corner and she smiled for him. He didn't pay her attention as he thought no one would actually notice such an untidy old man, so he continued his way. The next day the beautiful lady was standing exactly in the same place and she smiled for him again. He smiled back and entered the dining. "She smiled for me" said Adam to himself. After he finished his breakfast he went back to his house quickly, and started thinking of that beautiful lady and dreaming of a sweet relationship. Even though she only smiled, that meant a lot to him. Day after day, she kept smiling for Adam and he was only smiling back, but that was bigger than what it looked like. It was like a bittersweet taste of life… yes she brought hope back to Adam. He shaved his beard and cleaned up himself. Eight days have passed on that scenario, but in every night Adam dreamed about her smile and he felt that he just needed to know her name. In the ninth day, he finally decided to talk to her, and like a child who is excited the night before the Christmas, Adam prepared his favorite black suit before he went to bed. He thought of every single detail, and he phrased the sweetest words to say and with a smile he slept. In the morning, in the same place and with a smile, he walked to her. But while he was getting closer it seemed like she was fading away, and once he became close, she vanished. Adam wasn't very shocked, because he realized that it was just his imagination, and he realized too that it is not family nor friends who create hope. Hope is inside every one of us, but we only need to search for it.

The end