Dadi Zohra opened the door.
There was complete darkness inside.
“To the old basement.” Areeba looked back.
The door was now shaking violently.
Dadi Zohra pushed Areeba inside.
“Come on!” The two of them entered the dark passage.
Dadi Zohra closed the door behind them.
For a few seconds, they could still hear loud banging coming from the other side.
Then…
complete silence.
Areeba slowly asked, “Are we safe now?” Dadi Zohra didn’t answer.
She simply stared ahead into the darkness.
Areeba pointed her phone’s flashlight forward.
Old markings covered the walls of the passage.
In one place, someone had written a sentence in a dark red substance that looked like blood: “DO NOT WAKE MEHER.” Areeba read the words.
A strange fear settled inside her heart.
Then her eyes fell on the floor.
An old little doll was lying there.
It was dressed in red clothes.
Areeba slowly walked toward it.
She stared at the doll.
And suddenly…
The doll opened its eyes.
Areeba stepped back.
The flashlight on her phone suddenly went out.
A little girl’s voice echoed through the darkness: “We can play together again, Areeba.” Dadi Zohra said in a trembling voice, “Run!” But at that very moment…
a door slammed shut at the other end of the passage.
BANG!
Areeba and Dadi Zohra both froze.
They were not alone in the passage.
Behind them…
came the sound of someone walking.
Ching…
ching…
ching…
Areeba slowly turned around.
The darkness was so deep that she couldn’t see anything.
But the sound was unmistakable.
Ching…
ching…
ching…
The sound of anklets was slowly approaching them.
Dadi Zohra grabbed Areeba’s hand.
“Don’t make a sound.” The two of them pressed themselves against the wall.
The sound came closer and closer.
Ching…
ching…
ching…
Then suddenly…
it stopped.
Areeba held her breath.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then, right behind her, a little girl’s voice whispered: “Areeba…” Areeba’s entire body went numb.
Dadi Zohra tightened her grip on Areeba’s hand.
“Don’t answer.” “Areeba…” This time, the voice was right next to her ear.
Areeba closed her eyes.
Then someone slowly touched her shoulder.
Areeba opened her mouth to scream, but Dadi Zohra quickly covered it with her hand.
Suddenly, the passage filled with light.
They both looked ahead.
At the end of the passage, an old lantern was burning.
And beneath the lantern…
there was a door.
Dadi Zohra pulled Areeba toward it.
“Quickly!” She opened the door.
They both rushed inside.
The moment the door closed, a loud bang came from outside.
BANG!
Then silence.
Areeba took a deep breath.
“Where are we?” Dadi Zohra replied, “In the old basement of the mansion.” Areeba looked around the room.
There were old trunks, wooden boxes, and dust-covered cupboards scattered throughout the room.