Episode 3: "The First Confrontation"
Salma: Beyond the Narrative
By: Adam ALamr
Wednesday morning. Salma wakes to the sound of her phone ringing. Karim is calling for the tenth time.
Karim: "Salma! Finally you answered! Where have you been since yesterday? The whole newspaper is asking about you."
Salma: "I was... busy. Is there something new?"
Karim: "The police want you. They found a third body in Zamalek... and a young man in his twenties disappeared today. The inspector insists on speaking with you personally."
Salma sits up in bed. She looks at the mirror opposite. Nothing this time.
Salma: "I'll come immediately."
She hangs up. Opens her desk drawer. Takes out the silver pistol. Puts it in her bag.
Police station. The inspector sits before her with a tired face.
Inspector: "Three bodies... same method. No violence, no break-in, no traces. And beside each, a paper written on it: 'Why did you abandon me, Writer?' Miss Salma... we're not playing games. Did you see anything in Lina's apartment that you didn't tell us?"
Salma: "I told you everything. A teenager's diary. Fantasies."
Inspector: "These fantasies have become corpses. The missing young man is named Fadi. He's 23 years old. He spends his nights in the old military hospital. The neighbors say he's crazy. He claims he hears a writer."
Salma composes herself. Asks quietly: "Fadi? What are his descriptions?"
Inspector: "Thin, long black hair, wears a heavy coat even in the heat. He doesn't eat well. His parents died years ago."
Salma feels her heart pounding. Fadi... the man she saved last night.
Inspector: "Alright. You're free. But if you know anything... tell us."
Salma rushes out. She sends a message to the writer in her head: "Fadi is missing! I saved him last night!"
But no reply.
She heads to the military hospital by day. The place is different under the sun. Less scary, but still desolate. She enters through the main door. Wide corridors, broken windows, papers scattered on the floor.
She reaches the operating room where she found the phone yesterday. The phone is still there. She begs it to ring. Nothing.
Suddenly... footsteps from behind. She turns. No one.
She looks down. On the floor, a wet footprint trail leads out of the room. As if someone just left.
She follows the trail. It leads to an iron door at the end of the corridor. Written on it: "Morgue."
She hesitates. Then opens the door.
The morgue is cold, dark. A faint smell of decay. On one of the beds, a body covered with a white sheet. Her heart jumps.
She approaches slowly. Holds the edge of the sheet. Pulls it...
The body is not Fadi. A woman in her forties. No signs of violence. But dead, undoubtedly.
She sighs with relief. But before she can move, the morgue door suddenly slams shut! Violently!
She runs to the door. Screams: "Is anyone there?!"
No reply. She pushes the door. It's locked.
She takes out her phone. No signal. She raises the silver pistol. Looks around.
In the corner of the morgue, something moves. A black shadow emerges from the wall. Gradually takes shape... a woman.
The evil one. Appearing for the first time. Her features unclear, as if made of smoke. But her eyes... they burn.
Her voice is hoarse, sad, angry: "Salma... finally we meet."
Salma raises the pistol: "Don't come near!"
The evil one laughs: "Your silver pistol doesn't hurt me. This is a weapon against dolls, not against me. I'm not a doll. I'm... I'm the real writer here."
Salma: "The writer said you're a neglected character. Evil."
The evil one steps closer: "The writer lies. I wasn't neglected. I... I was his favorite character. I was his most beautiful creation. But he grew tired of me. He decided to write a new story... a story about you. And left me in the dark. I've existed for five years, Salma. Five years waiting to return. And he writes about you."
Salma: "So you want to kill him?"
The evil one: "I don't want to kill him. I want him to write about me again. I want to be the heroine. But he refused. So... I'll force him. I'll kill all his new characters one by one. Until he has no one left but me."
Salma: "Lina... did you kill her?"
The evil one: "Lina... tried to reach him. Tried to save him from me. Poor thing. I didn't kill her. She... she chose. She said she'd rather die than be a secondary character in my story."
Salma trembles: "And Fadi?"
The evil one: "Fadi is safe. For now. But he won't remain so if you continue interfering. I'm giving you one chance: stop searching, return to your normal life, and leave me and the writer alone. If you insist... the next ones will be dear to you. Karim, for example."
Salma: "Karim?! Don't go near him!"
The evil one: "Then... my decision is clear. Enjoy your few coming days. I'll see you soon."
She dissolves into the darkness. The trace disappears.
The morgue door suddenly opens. Sunlight enters. An inspector walks in: "Miss Salma?! What brought you here?! This place is dangerous!"
Salma gasps. Looks around. No trace of the evil one. No trace of the silver pistol in her hand... it's gone!
Evening. Salma in her apartment. She sends to the writer in her head with a desperate voice: "The evil one appeared to me! She almost killed me! Where were you?!"
Long silence. Then a faint, tired, different whisper:
The writer: "I'm here... I was... writing. Trying to find a way to help you. She's stronger than I expected. The further you progress in your mission, the stronger she gets. But I found something... someone. An old character of mine, who might be your next ally. Her name is Lynn. But she's... in a horror story. Reaching her is difficult."
Salma: "I don't want new allies! I want to know how to kill her!"
The writer: "Don't kill. She's... not purely evil. She's wounded. If you can understand her... maybe the battle can turn."
Salma: "How can I understand someone who kills?!"
The writer: "I'll send you Lynn's address. But beware... the place is dangerous. If you fall into the wrong story... I might not be able to bring you back."
Salma: "I'll go tomorrow."
The writer: "Salma... I'm sorry. Sorry I wrote you into this adventure. Sorry I couldn't protect you."
Salma: "Don't apologize. Just... don't leave me."
Silence. Then a final word:
The writer: "Never."
Salma ends the call. Looks in the mirror. Sees only her reflection. She sighs.
But before she goes to sleep, her phone rings with a message. From an unknown number.
She opens it: a photo of Karim, gagged, tied to a chair, with a woman's shadow behind him.
The caption: "Tomorrow... I'll start with him. If you come to save him, I'll kill you both. If you don't come, I'll kill him alone. Choose."
Salma screams. Throws the phone on the floor.
She opens the balcony door. A cold wind blows. She looks at the sky.
Salma: "Damn you... I'm coming."
(To be continued...)
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