When treatment turns into a nightmare

Written by: Adham Al-Amiri

A young man in his early forties always felt that life had been unfair to him since his childhood. He lived in a small apartment in a bustling neighborhood, surrounded by the noise of busy streets. Omar was alone, with no close family or friends. Everyone was preoccupied with their own lives, and the world seemed to move at an incomprehensible pace. Omar grew up with simple dreams—he longed for a decent job, a comfortable home, and a small family to make him feel less alone in the world. But those dreams remained just thoughts in his mind. He never realized that life could strip everything away, leaving one exposed to their fate. His days passed in monotony and boredom—an unremarkable office job in the morning, and evenings spent sipping coffee at the neighborhood café below his apartment. He often felt like the tables he sat at, lifeless and stagnant. That’s what he used to tell himself, sometimes laughing at his own situation. Then one day, life decided to offer him a new opportunity. His old friend Akram suddenly reappeared after years of absence. Akram was different—polished and persuasive. He sat with Omar and said, “Omar, I have a huge project that will make us a fortune. Just join me, and we’ll make our dreams come true.” Omar, who had been living without hope, saw a small window to a different life in Akram’s words. For the first time in years, he felt a glimmer of optimism. Why not? Perhaps this was the chance he had been waiting for. But as life often does, it knows how to snatch hope away in the cruelest ways. Omar was about to discover that the dream he began with Akram would soon turn into the worst nightmare of his life. Doubts crept into Omar’s mind: “Is this project real? Will we really strike gold?” These questions lingered, but Akram was the only thing Omar had left at that point in his life. One day, while sitting in front of the television, barely paying attention to the low volume, Omar repeated these thoughts in his head. He felt disconnected from everything around him. A boring job, absent friends, and a life that seemed like endless darkness. But Akram appeared, bringing a glimmer of hope when he said, “Let’s start the project of a lifetime.” Without hesitation, Omar agreed. The idea of escaping his deadly routine felt like a lifeline. He pooled all the money he had saved from his job, even selling some valuable items, like his late father’s old watch, which he had inherited. He invested everything into the project that Akram promised would change their lives. At first, things looked promising. The shop they opened was in an upscale neighborhood, and the products they sold were always in high demand. Omar began to feel like he had finally found his path. But this success was short-lived. A few months later, Akram began acting strangely—he was often absent and stopped answering Omar’s calls as promptly as before. The money that was supposed to be deposited into the company account mysteriously vanished. When Omar confronted Akram, the latter offered weak excuses, saying, “That’s just how business works. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.” Omar sensed something was wrong but couldn’t bring himself to face the truth. He held onto hope that things would improve. Then one day, Omar walked into the office to find the shop closed, papers scattered everywhere. He tried... Omar tried contacting Akram, but there was no response. Then, he learned the truth: Akram had stolen all the money and disappeared. At that moment, Omar couldn’t believe what had happened. How could Akram do this to him? Akram was the person he trusted most. The world closed in on him entirely—his money was gone, and his future was lost. Omar sank into a state of shock. He didn’t know how to eat or sleep. When he tried to file a complaint, he discovered that Akram had left no evidence to incriminate him. The beautiful dream had turned into a nightmare from which Omar couldn’t escape. In his despair, drugs became Omar’s only refuge to escape the grim reality. He tried them for the first time with a random group at a café, convincing himself it was just a small way to calm his nerves. It started with one puff from a rolled cigarette. But as days went by, the small doses grew larger, and addiction became a monster consuming every part of him. He would tell himself, “There’s nothing left to lose.” Gradually, Omar sold everything he owned—the television he spent nights in front of, the bed he slept on, even the old fan. Eventually, nothing remained. Omar became like a ghost, wandering the streets, desperately searching for his next fix by any means necessary. One day, he collapsed on the street from exhaustion. People gathered around him and rushed him to the hospital. When he woke up, he found himself on a white bed, surrounded by medical equipment, with a doctor standing beside him. Dr. Sherine was an angel walking the earth—stunningly beautiful, with eyes that radiated safety and warmth. She said to him, “You need help, and I’m here for you,” in a calm and soothing voice. Omar recovered and completed his treatment at the hospital, feeling much better. Sherine began giving him small amounts of money daily to help him buy food or meet his basic needs. Omar felt a new glimmer of hope in his life and eagerly awaited seeing her every day. Omar fell in love with Sherine. To him, she wasn’t just a doctor; she was everything beautiful in his life. He even started to believe that she might love him back. One day, Sherine told him, “I’m working on a dissertation about innovative addiction treatments. If you’re willing, we can try the treatment on you.” Omar agreed immediately. For him, Sherine was the safety he had dreamed of all his life. She took him to her private lab—a stunningly organized and advanced facility, filled with cutting-edge equipment and cameras everywhere. “This is where we’ll start changing your life, Omar, but the most important thing is for you to trust me,” she said with a reassuring smile. The lab was vast and impressive. The lighting was dim but comfortable, and the walls were covered with screens displaying data and records of past experiments on other addicts. “This is my life’s work, Omar. This place is the dream I’ve been building for years,” Sherine explained. Omar didn’t understand the details but felt safe. His trust in Sherine was absolute. She began explaining the experiment, saying, “This treatment won’t just rid you of addiction—it will make you feel reborn. But you must commit to the process.” The first step was an injection of a mild substance, which she said was for partial sedation to help him relax. Omar felt a strange sensation, as though he were floating in the sky, his body completely at ease. He could hear Sherine’s voice guiding him toward a new life. “Every person has a second chance, but they must be willing to sacrifice for it,” she told him. Time passed slowly. Omar drifted between consciousness and sedation. He began noticing the cameras in every corner of the lab, seemingly monitoring him. He dismissed it, thinking they were just for documenting the experiment. Sherine approached him with a smile and said, “We’ll start with a very simple step to cleanse your body of toxins. Just relax and trust me.” But as Sherine spoke, a small feeling of unease began to grow within Omar. Why were there so many cameras? Why was there a faint sound coming from the walls? Sherine’s demeanor also felt slightly different that day. Omar tried to move, but he was completely paralyzed. His body wouldn’t respond, and his eyes grew heavy, refusing to open. “Don’t worry, this is just a small step,” Sherine assured him. Omar didn’t understand what was happening. He couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake. He began to lose trust in Sherine, unable to comprehend what was unfolding around him. As time passed, he heard Sherine’s voice change. It was colder, as if she were speaking to someone else, like she was hosting a show. She said, “Today, we have a new sacrifice. We’ll begin dissection, and you’ll choose the first part.” Her tone was chilling, as though she were narrating a television program. Omar’s eyes widened in terror, but his body remained paralyzed. He tried to scream or move, but all he could manage was a muffled groan. Sherine stood in front of the cameras with a sinister smile and said, “Now we begin. Make sure to stay focused. The choices will appear on the screen soon.” The lab walls lit up with small screens displaying the names of anonymous viewers and strange phrases like “Start with the right hand” or “Start with the leg.” Omar realized these screens were showing live comments from people voting on which part of his body to cut first. He tried to scream, to make any sound, but it was no use. His muffled cries went unheard as Sherine began her horrific display.