Whispers from the Old Cemetery

Written by: Sarq al-Atyaf

That night was unlike any other; the air was heavy, as if it carried a secret that did not want to be told. Sometimes, all it takes is a single moment—a moment of anger, fear, or recklessness—to change one's destiny forever.

The protagonist of our story did not know that the decision he made in those dark seconds would haunt his soul for years, leaving him no chance to return, apologise, or escape. What happened that night... was not just a mistake. It was the beginning of everything.

. AhmedI grew up in a large family of eight. I was the middle child, and my siblings were close in age. When I turned sixteen, I noticed that my parents' attitude towards me had changed; they no longer asked about me or gave me pocket money, as if I were invisible in the house. I took pride in myself and did not ask them for anything, so I went to school without food and fasted until the end of the school day.

The years passed, and this neglect intensified. When I graduated from high school, I got a good job, but my father and mother insisted that I divide my salary between myself and my siblings, even though they did not work and were not looking for work. So I spent my salary on them, leaving me with very little, but I persevered out of consideration for my mother.

After eight months, problems began at work. The manager relied on me more than the other employees, so they became jealous and started provoking me until one day I lost my temper and pushed one of them when he assaulted me. He fell and hit his head on the iron and fainted. They accused me of attempted murder, and some of my colleagues testified against me unfairly. I was sentenced to a year and a half in prison and lost my job. Instead of standing by me, my family blamed me and called me a "prison graduate."

I spent eleven months in prison until a general amnesty was issued. I was released, but my life had changed; no one would hire me, and my family began to resent my presence. So I decided to leave home and stay for a while at the diwaniya of my friends Ibrahim and Samer.

I contacted IbrahimHe informed me that they had moved the office to a new location outside the governorate, only a few metres away from the abandoned cemetery. I hesitated, but I went. I arrived at night, tired, and lay down to sleep. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, but when I opened it, there was no one there. When it happened again and I opened the door once more, I found a strange-looking man who smelled of dust and mould. He knew my name without me introducing myself. He said he was a friend of Ibrahim's, so I sat with him for a while, but his behaviour was strange. He kept staring silently at the ceiling and into space, then got up and left without a word. I followed him with my eyes and saw him enter The graveyard And disappears among the graves!

I was terrified, left the office immediately and called Ibrahim. He told me not to worry, that some young people had taken the shortcut through the cemetery before. I returned to the office and spent a difficult night there. Ibrahim came to see me in the morning, and we talked at length about everything I had been through. He promised to stand by me like a brother.

But what I didn't know was that the presence of Saleh, that stranger who entered the cemetery, was not a passing thing... and that that night was just the beginning.

After Ibrahim left the Diwaniyah with his family for Mecca to stay for a week, I knew I wouldn't see him during that time. I bid him farewell, saying, "Go, may God bless you, and don't forget to pray for me at the Haram." After that, all contact between us ceased.

That evening, after Maghrib prayer, I went out to the door of the Diwaniya to take a short walk, and I was smoking – my apologies for that. As I was walking, my eyes fell on the door of the nearby cemetery, which was open, unlike yesterday. I focused my gaze from afar to see if anyone was inside, and a strange scene appeared before me: a black cat attacking a dog – may God bless you – inside the cemetery. The dog ran outside, and the cat followed it. At that moment, I thought that the two animals had opened the door.

But what shocked me even more was that after the two animals left, I noticed another movement inside the tomb, then I saw a man standing behind the door, looking directly at me, then he closed the door quietly, as if he were the owner of the place.

I was terrified and hurried back to the diwaniya. The question burning in my mind was: Was what I saw real? Was that the same cat that had disturbed me the night before? It seemed like it was no coincidence.

I decided to take my motorbike out to calm my nerves. The area was very dark, with only one lamp at the door of the diwaniya providing any light. As I was passing by the cemetery, I thought I heard a voice speaking inside it. I couldn't tell whether it was real or just my imagination.

I arrived at Manar Street and stood watching the cemetery from afar. It was completely covered by trees, and the road leading to it was very difficult. So how did Saleh — Ibrahim's alleged friend — pass through it to reach his house, as Ibrahim said? There must be a secret.

A few minutes later, I returned to the diwaniya. As I approached, I noticed that the door was open and heard laughter coming from inside. Thinking that Ibrahim's friends had arrived, I went in.

But I found only Saleh. The same strange man, with the same foul odour, and the same dust-covered clothes. The strange thing was that just moments before, I had heard many voices, as if the place was full of people, but there was no one there but him.

I noticed that this time he was limping, and his right leg was much shorter than his left. I hadn't seen him like that the first time. After he left, I closed the door behind him and sat thinking for a long time: Should I go back to my parents' house? But they hadn't asked about me since I left... So I decided to stay.

I fell asleep. I don't know how many hours I slept. But suddenly, the door burst open, and Ibrahim, Samer, and Saleh entered. They were talking and laughing without even glancing at me, as if they didn't see me at all. While Ibrahim was speaking, I noticed his voice change for a moment, then return to normal. It was very strange.

I grew again despite my fear

The next day, I wanted to go out to the outdoor bathroom, and I discovered that The door mُLock And the key Other PresentMy phone and motorbike are also missing. No young people, no car, no window, and no one to hear the screams in this remote place.

Darkness fell, and there were no lights that could be turned on inside the diwaniya, so I was engulfed in darkness. In the silence, I heard footsteps approaching the door. I called out, "Who's there? Please open the door."

Then I heard the voice of an older woman saying: “And you, what brought you here?” Then the voice disappeared.

Her voice was eerily familiar... After thinking for a moment, he remembered that it was the voice of "Yahya's mother," the last person to be buried in this cemetery ten years ago!

Then I began to hear movements inside the diwaniya itself... as if someone were walking with me in the dark. Suddenly, one of the lamps fell and exploded, and then crying began right next to my ear. All I could do was cry.

I covered myself with the blanket and sat in the corner. When I uncovered my head a few moments later, I saw a black cat at the door, which was open. I got up and ran outside, towards the street, without looking back.

I passed by the cemetery and saw a woman descending into one of the graves... She was very clear... And it was her... Yahya's mother.

I ran without stopping until I came across a group of children playing on their bicycles. When they saw me crying, they ran away in fear. A few minutes later, some men from the neighbourhood arrived in their cars and asked me how I was. I told them everything that had happened, and one of them took me home.

When my parents saw me in tears, they cried with me. Only then did I discover that my brothers had been lying to them, telling them that I had gone out with my friends so that they would not ask about me. They filled my parents' hearts with envy and jealousy because I was the only one who worked and spent money.

After I told my father the truth, he announced the matter to the Governorate (or Province/Municipality), and the news spread. Specialized teams (or expert teams) headed to the area. They dug around the cemetery/graveyard and the Diwaniya (or Guest Hall/Reception Area), only to discover more than 120 bodies buried outside the original boundary of the cemetery. It became clear that the Diwaniya was built on top of an old graveyard whose existence no one had been aware of.

The land was purchased from its owner, the diwaniya was demolished, the entire area was incorporated into the cemetery, and a complete wall was built around it.

As for the tomb that I saw the woman enter... it was grave mother Yahya Indeed.

Today, I Ahmed:
I returned to my life, got a new job, got married, and had a boy and a girl.
As for my parents, they have passed away, may God have mercy on them.
And my brothers are still the same... they haven't changed.

Envy Jealousy Cemetery Hearts…
Do not bury yourselves with your own hands.