The House of Horror

Chapter 17 _ The House Became Darker

"No jinn or anything like that, just trees. I shouldn't be afraid!"

Sayed, the doorman, sat on the sofa in the gateroom, alone in the silence, whispering to himself as if words could somehow lessen the impact of what he had witnessed. His face was etched with astonishment, disbelief, and sheer terror, as if his mind could barely comprehend what he had seen. Every thought within him seemed to be in conflict, as he struggled to understand the enigmatic scene that had overwhelmed his senses. His voice was low, his whispers slightly trembling, yet he continued talking to himself, desperately trying to grasp a reality that now seemed utterly illogical. "What did I see? Was there something hidden? Someone like me shouldn't be afraid." Hussein moved away from the window, his sharp gaze fixed on Sayed before he slammed it shut and went back inside.

He spoke to Amal in a voice tinged with anxiety:

"Malik isn't in his room... He's left. Where did he go?" Amal shook her head nervously, trying to calm herself, but her anxiety betrayed her fear. "Malik isn't in his room, Hussein... Don't try to scare me more than I already am!"

Hussein approached, his tone now serious, reflecting the weight of the danger he felt. "I'm telling you, Malik isn't in his room, and his presence here could cause serious problems... if what I'm thinking is true."

Amal rushed towards Malik's room, her tension and anger evident in every hurried step. She approached the door, slowing her pace, and opened it cautiously, peering inside through the half-open door. What she saw saddened her: the bed was empty.

She quickly closed the door and hurried back to her room, stopping in front of Hussein, her face etched with fear. "Malik really isn't in his bed... I'll call him."

She went to the table to pick up her phone, but Hussein was faster. He grabbed her hand and said firmly, "Wait... Don't call him now." Hussein walked to the window, opened it quietly, and called out slightly, "Sayed... Sayed!"

Immediately, Sayed stopped in his tracks and replied seriously, "Yes, Sayed Hussein... come, I need you."

Hussein turned for a moment, then looked out the window again, his voice firm. "Sayed, don't come... I'll come down to you."

He closed the window slowly, turned, put on his robe, and left the room, as if everything around him moved in harmony with the tension that hung in the air.

Meanwhile, Amal sat on the bed, her features reflecting a turmoil of conflicting emotions: pain, fear, and sadness, all mingled in her eyes, as if the night itself had woven a cloak of anxiety and imposed silence around her, weighing down her heart and leaving her trapped between fear and anticipation.

In the stillness of the night that enveloped Hussein's villa, he walked across the garden with steady, focused steps, heading towards Sayed, the doorman, who was waiting in the shadows. The garden was partially dark, moonlight filtering through the trees, casting silvery patches on the ground, its soft glow accompanying his movements.

Upstairs, Amal stood by the window, her eyes following Hussein's every step in the garden. Her gaze was tense and anxious, her heart pounding with each movement, as if she were trying to decipher what the night held and what awaited them in those uncertain moments.

"The confrontation begins now."

Dima and Malik sat on the sofa, their faces a mixture of tension and anger. Dima raised her voice, her eyes blazing: "You expect me to be afraid of you and remain silent about your crime? And then justify it by saying that jinn and demons ordered you to kill? I don't believe that at all... You're sick, Malik, and you need to see a doctor immediately. If the police don't arrest you..." Malik looked at her silently for a moment, his eyes cold and unwavering, then spoke with a strange, calm confidence: "No one can touch me... because the jinn protect me from everyone's eyes. No one can see the victim but me."

He paused, lost in thought, then spoke again, his voice tinged with astonishment: "But how did Dima see her?"

A look of shock and confusion crossed his face, as if his mind was struggling to comprehend what had happened.

"The places watch us, not the other way around," he said. Meanwhile, the tension between reality and the supernatural filled the air, leaving the place charged with fear and anxiety. Hussein sat beside Sayed, the doorman, on the wooden bench in front of the security room. His eyes scanned every shadow in the dark garden, but his voice trembled with anxiety. "What happened, Uncle Sayed? I was walking in the garden when I heard something strange... something terrifying... coming from there." Sayed pointed to a dark corner of the garden where the shadows seemed to whisper the secrets of the night.

"I went to look... I didn't see anything, but suddenly, I felt something pulling me hard from behind... like a ghost or a jinn. I ran towards the gate, terrified, screaming, and suddenly Amal Hanem appeared on the balcony, calling to me."

Hussein turned slowly to Sayed, his face tense, trying to process what had just happened.

"What are you talking about, Sayed? Nothing like that. A man your age shouldn't be afraid." Sayed smiled faintly, a mixture of fear and surprise on his face. "Hussein Bey... I felt it. There's nothing wrong with being afraid. That's what happened," he said. Hussein continued, "And Malik... when did he leave, Sayed?" Sayed replied in a quiet but surprised voice, "Malik Bey hasn't left since you all came together." Hussein frowned, his eyes widening as he scanned the area. "No... Malik left? He's not in his room, and his car isn't here either." Sayed looked towards where Malik's car had been parked, but it had disappeared; only Hussein's car and his remained silent for a few seconds, as if witnessing a sudden disappearance. "How did he leave?" "I didn't leave the door open... not for a moment." Hussein sighed slowly, his voice heavy with worry.

"No... I left it open and searched for the sound all over the garden, Sayed... Focus, don't move." Hussein rose from his seat, his heavy steps echoing in the stillness of the night, heading towards the villa's door. Meanwhile, a look of surprise and disbelief crossed Sayed's face, and he whispered in a trembling voice,

"What's happening in there... something strange... tonight... so dark, so dark." Hussein slowly opened the villa's door and entered. As soon as he stepped inside, a terrifying sound erupted from the door itself—a sound he had never heard before. Hussein turned towards the door, his eyes wide with surprise.

Dima and Malik: The Evil Team Begins to Form

Dima lay on the floor in the middle of the living room, her body trembling slightly as if overcome by deep sleep or profound terror. Opposite her, Malik sat in a chair, his eyes fixed on the scene with a mixture of fear and anxiety. Suddenly, the King of the Jinn appeared before them, his imposing body and terrifying face radiating power and authority. His deep voice filled the room like an echo from another world.

The King of the Jinn spoke with commanding authority: “Malik, you are now on the path to destruction… either the police, or death, or killing Dima as I previously ordered. You refused to kill her before, but you love her dearly. Therefore, you will not die. We will let her work with you… everything is the beginning of the end. You will kill Dima with you as well, and we will help you in this as we did before.” Dima and Malik became one, sensing each other, thinking with one mind. “Now, for the first time, I will let you speak, Malik.” Malik stood before the King of the Jinn, his eyes meeting the king's imposing face, evil gleaming in his own. He spoke in a trembling, resolute voice:

"I killed as you ordered... so why won't you let me and Dima live in peace?"

The jinn smiled a terrifying, awe-inspiring smile, then said in a domineering tone: "Malik... life has two paths: weakness and strength. Humans are weak, but it is in your best interest now, to be of the Jinn world. Act as we do, take our strength—you and your beloved Dima. If you wish to stop, I will kill you now, and it will all be over, and the curtain will fall on your story."

Malik stepped back, fear evident on his face, and said:

"I will finish what I started... but Dima..." The King of the Jinn turned to Dima and gestured toward her. Suddenly, she regained consciousness; she rose as if nothing had happened, her eyes blazing with a strength and determination, a strength never before seen. The Jinn King spoke with authority and menace: “Dima, you and Malik are now partners in everything. You are now aware of everything, and no one will be able to stop you from now on. You will spill blood with all your might, skill, and pleasure… Remember, you are now Jinn, not humans. You must kill more humans and fill our lake with blood.”

Dima and Malik drew closer, exchanging sharp glances, then embraced and kissed passionately, as if they had merged into one being. The Jinn King looked at them for a moment, then vanished suddenly, leaving behind a charged silence, as if the entire night had witnessed the birth of a new, invincible power.

“I can’t even believe my eyes,” Hussein said, slowly pushing open Amal’s door and entering. The door creaked terrifyingly, its sound echoing throughout the room, making his heart pound. Amal was still sitting on the bed, her eyes wide open with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety. Hussein glanced fearfully at the door, then carefully closed it before sitting down beside her.

"Amal... where have you been, Hussein?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry and confusion.

Hussein sighed deeply before replying, "I was with Sayed, the doorman...! He says he didn't see Malik leave the villa."

Amal's body trembled, disbelief and doubt etched on her face.

"How could Sayed not see him? Sayed is crazy... How could he not see him?" Amal gasped, doubt creeping into her mind like the shadows of night. Panic and anger flooded her thoughts. She reached for objects on nearby tables, breaking some and throwing them to the floor.

Hussein moved quickly and grabbed her tightly. "Calm down!" he whispered, holding her close for several seconds, trying to soothe her amidst the chaos of the room.

Suddenly, they heard a door open in one of the rooms upstairs. Fear gripped them as they huddled together. Amal pulled away slightly from Hussein, her eyes scanning the darkness around them, and asked in a trembling voice, "What was that noise?" Hussein shook his head, doubt evident in his eyes as he scanned the room.

"I don't know... all the villa's doors are making strange noises. And no one is here with us except Sophia."

A tense silence fell for a moment, filled with growing anxiety, as shadows danced along the walls. The night inside the villa felt heavier, darker, and more mysterious than ever before.