Somewhere! (Hunaak!)

by Abbas, Ibraheem

  I could hardly hold my drool in place as I slowly shook my head like a shy girl on a first date!

  “Would you like to change its color? Or is red fine?” — Layan asked.

  My dumb silent head shake continued… Layan smiled as she said:

  “It will be here in a minute.”

  She barely finished that sentence when the car’s thundering sound hit my ears and saw it stop right in front of the building’s main entrance… I forgot all eloquence behavior as I left Layan and her sisters without even thanking them and stormed towards the Ferrari all barefooted and with my towel almost flying of my shoulder.

  I started off by achieving my long life dream of ignoring a convertible’s doors and jumping directly to it’s seat, and I whispered to myself “Please forgive me dear Camry!” my elbow slammed against the car’s edge but I did not ruin the moment with my elbow’s pain and my arms shock, I only waved to Layan and her sisters who stood there watching me with joy from behind the glass wall. I fixed the mirror in front of me… wait a moment! Where is the steering wheel? There was no steering wheel! Nor pedals! There was only a start button and a glowing red sphere and a holographic screen. What is this?? I want to drive a real car! I got really upset… but I quickly adapted to driving this toy, as that weird ball responds smoothly with my hands’ movements, as I roll it left and right to turn and push it forward to speed up and pull it backwards to go in reverse and press on it to slow down or stop. It felt as if my right foot and left arm were totally useless, I am not used to this much laziness while driving.

  I loved the sound of these wheels on the road and the sweet shiver from the square bumps; I did not go as wild as I normally would as I do not know the traffic laws of this place. So, I sufficed with the law that says “Be well mannered” —until further notice! The rocky road cut through the garden that separated the building from the beach, and it then moves along the coastline and next to a building that looked like a seashell covered in a waxed pearl-like substance. That building was a commercial complex, my car slowed down as I passed next to the window displays, I am not sure if those standing behind them were holographic images or lively sculptures or even real people! My curiosity got me to press on the ball forcing the Ferrari to stop in front of the building’s entrance allowing the handsome deprived barefooted to charge into the place! My emotions now are similar to those I felt in the only time I visited Dubai when I saved the first two salaries I had ever collected in my life to travel with my mother and Maram. The gasp that I had that day when I entered the Dubai Mall for the first time was almost one thousandth that of the gasp I had today!! I lingered into this mall for a few hours, mall? No… no I insult it by calling it that, this must be something else! A paradise of shopping and entertainment! And to top this heavenly luxury no one asked me for any money! No money, no credit cards and no ATMs! I forgot that pesky heart-aching colon-swelling word: Budget.

  I picked up anything I liked and hoped for the sales representative to just wrap it and place it in a bag warmheartedly and to wish me a good day.

  Everyone here knows my name, even kids would point at me and would escape their parents grips to run towards me and take their picture with me.

  Please do remind me to reward myself and my subconscious for this splendor detailed creativity the moment I wake up from this dream!

  I strolled between the shops and shopped with such insatiableness. I walked through the food court and was so torn between all the choices. I decided to treat them all equally and to try them all.

  After the food court, I went to the Holographic Theater. I took with me a bowl of nachos, a bucket of caramel popcorn and a jar of ice cream. For the first time in my life, I found myself exhausted from entertainment and tired of food! I could spend days, even weeks exploring and enjoying my time here. But at the same time, I did not want to miss out on the joy of swimming, I should leave now before it is dark. A jewelry store called out to me on my way to the main entrance of the building, I entered to find the perfect gifts for my mother and Maram, even if this was only a dream, I had always dreamed of making them happy, naturally – like any young Saudi – the first gift that crossed my mind was an iPhone, but luckily the sales woman saved the moment and recommended an assortment of amazing gifts, I did not hesitate to take them all and asked her to gift wrap them and put them in two separate bags, one for my mother and the second for Maram. I am going to tell them about these gifts when I wake up!

  “Would you like to get something else Mr. Husam?” — the sales person asked me at the exact moment that a small masterpiece got my attention. It was a diamond who’s color had a breath of pink and was shaped as a heart held by two wings of white gold. It actually reminded me of Malak.

  “This is the most unique peace I have here, you have great taste Mr. Husam!” - the sales person assured.

  Since everything here was free, it would be chivalrous of me to present this gift to her. I will not waste a bag for such a small piece. I threw it into my pocket and each of my fingers carried its share of bags, I stuffed them all into the Ferrari and raced to the beach.

  The beach was swarming with people playing, swimming and relaxing. I walked on the white sands; they were so smooth as if they were small marble balls, my feet would sink to my heels with every step; I thought of getting to know the people here, to ask them where I was, but I was honestly too embarrassed. I would not dare talk to them, I think that the complex of “guys” and “families” was still chasing me even in my dreams! The Shy Beauties’ (that is what I called Layan and sisters’ music band) music filled the air along with the symphony of waves and birds that had decided to join us swimming and playing. I saw a kid holding onto her balloon in the water as she fed the birds that gathered around her, and also on her head and shoulders; her innocent laugh added the final touch to the amazing symphony surrounding all of us.

  The water was so clear that I could see the kid’s and birds’ shadows clearly on the sea’s bed, had it not been for the braking of those shadows as a result of the waves and the slight turquoise color I would have thought it was all balancing in mid-air.

  I will not go back to my world until I figure out everything here! I took a deep breath, and ran towards the seductive waters, I picked up a bottle of ice tea from the hut that was placed in the middle of the water, I opened it while I was running, I took a sip and spilled the rest over my head, I threw the towel away and made a high leap into the air, it was more like “I flew” for a second. Only at that moment, I remembered that I did not know how to swim without a float!

  To hell with that! As I learned how to dance in a moment, I shall learn how to swim! The waters covered me, I felt a soft cold sting that only lasted for a few seconds. Oh my God! the water was not salty, it was fresh, it was as if I was swimming in a sea of Evian! I opened my eyes and I could see clearly, I pushed forward to discover a second heaven under water, my eyes hurt from all the colors, the strange thing was that creatures here were not terrified like in our world; I reach out to the small fish and they would gather around my hand and feel the titillation of its kisses on my palms and arms. My breath that used to only allow me but a few short seconds under water had kept me for a few minutes before my lungs demanded more oxygen. I laid on my back and floated back to the surface. I had moved far away from the beach but The Beauties’ Band music was still clear, I noticed from the other side of the beach a group of… of… something that looked a lot like Jet Skiers, oh how I had wished to ride one of those! I had never dared to ride one before! I knew that half an hour on that thing was sure to destroy my monthly budget! I swam towards it. This was the moment of revenge from all of the scandalous greedy Jet Ski renters! They were floating by the dozens over the water, no one was there renting them. I picked the one that matched my swimwear the best, hanged on, and dashed. My boldness and courage were increasing as my speed did and I was cutting through the blue crystal waves, causing two huge waves on my left and right, I was moving fast towards the other
side of the bay where the huge city was, but it was much farther than it appeared; I tried a few stunts that I had seen guys perform on their Jet Skies as I watched in envy. I tried to raise myself as I dashed with high speed causing the Jet Ski to fly in the air for a few seconds, then returned back to the water and dove into it like an arrow before I was able to surface again. I thought for a moment about the fuel and what it would be like if it ran out of it while I was here in the middle of the sea. I knew that I would not find anyone to save me here. I decided to stop my recklessness and turned around; I noticed someone approaching my location. We were on a collision course and I thought that he was a lifeguard and wanted to warn me that I had broken every safety rule in the book. He kept speeding up as he approached me. Who was this crazy guy? He will destroy the both of us! I tried to change direction but he still managed to slam into me on the right side with such force throwing me off of the Jet and into the water, I felt enormous pain in my right leg and my chest and I tried to fight against the water to get back to the surface and take a breath, but I felt a powerful punch in my stomach and two strong arms pulling me downwards.

  My lungs shredded as it squeezed the last atom of oxygen, I started to fade out, I could only see darkness, and I heard a clear voice: “Husam, you are always late!” and saw her face. I saw my mother’s face clearly as she was yelling at me with clear annoyance; I tried to get to her but I felt two arms surrounding my waist and pulled me to the surface as I heard a shout the moment we got to the surface”

  “Husaaaaaam… Husam! Stay with me Husam! Wake up Husam”

  I heavily opened my eyes, it was Malak! She surrounded me with her arms and swam with all her strength towards the beach, she laid me on the sand and through herself next to me as she took her breaths, she immediately got up to examine me, she pulled my head to her lap and started slapping me:

  “Husam stay awake, do not close your eyes” — Malak prompted me.

  “Don’t worry I am as strong as a horse!” —I said this as I coughed and she hugged my head as she was crying.

  “Don’t you dare do this to me again! You almost killed me in fear for your life!” — Malak said.

  “I did not know that there was anything that could harm me in the dream world” — I tried to explain.

  “Dream? You still think this is a dream?” — Malak said as she ripped my shirt off and shredded it with her teeth to wrap my right leg that was heavily bleeding.

  “Can you see that wound? Can you see the blood? Can you feel the pain? Is all of this a dream?”

  She felt my leg to make sure there was no broken bones as if she was an osteopath. She felt the blue bruise on my chest.

  “Thank God there are no broken bones!” — Malak added.

  “Do you have a hospital here?” — I asked.

  “There is no need. for a hospital. You will get better in no time. Let us rest for a moment and I will drive you back” — Malak comforted me.

  She then laidon the sand next to me and said — “Husam what have you done to yourself? What exactly happened?”

  “Are you asking me? I thought you knew everything here” — I replied.

  “How would I know what happened to you? I just felt you were in danger and came as fast as I could!” — Malak added.

  “Do you want to drive me mad? How did you know I was in danger? How did you know where I was? How do you know everything I think of?” — I asked hastily.

  “What is wrong with that?” — Malak asked.

  “What do you mean what is wrong?”

  — I replied.

  “I told you, it is instinct! You could say it is telepathy. Haven’t you heard of telepathy?”

  “Listen to me Malak, I do not believe in these fairy tales!” — I responded.

  “Those are not fairy tales! All creatures have telepathy, animals communicate telepathically! Not only animals, even ants communicate telepathically!” — Malak added.

  “I am not an ant!” — I replied.

  “Humans have the best communication mechanisms” — Malak explained.

  “If I had a telepathic center, I would not have barely passed my collage exams!” — I told Malak.

  “You have it, you just don’t use it! Telepathic Centers of humans have weakened because they depend on direct communication methods and rely on the physical ones even more!” — Malak explained.

  “You mean to tell me that you feel everything I feel?” — I asked.

  “Almost! Forget all of that and tell me what happened?” — Malak responded.

  “A crazy man crashed into me with his Jet” — I explained.

  “Impossible! Unbelievable! Do you remember how he looked like?” — Malak asked.

  “I did not pay attention! If you could only explain to me where I am so that we can figure out what had happened!” — I responded.

  “I can’t!” — Malak said.

  “OK, I will ask you ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions!” — I said.

  “Go ahead” — Malak prompted me.

  “I am starting to confirm that I am in some sort of brain experiment, I mean I am drugged or in a coma. And that everything I see here is a virtual program that I am living in and that my brain believes it is real!” — I said to Malak.

  “Hehehe! I told you that you were so into movies!” — Malak jokingly said.

  “What do you mean?” — I asked.

  “Matrix, Inception, The Cell, Vanilla Sky, Total Recall. An over-used idea that you had seen in more than fifty movies!” — Malak explained.

  “This is the only logical explanation to what is happening to me here. Everything here is like a dream. It’s like magic!” — I said.

  “Like magic?” — Malak quipped.

  “Yes like magic. Everything is ideal. Everything responds to my touch and it reads my thoughts” — I explained.

  “Let me ask you a question: Imagine if you take your phone or laptop and show it to your Grandfather, imagine if he watches movies or chat or see what was going on around the globe all in a palm sized device. What would he say?” — Malak elaborated.

  “Magic!” — I responded without hesitation.

  “Just like you! If the technological revolution continues at the same pace you will find all of the devices you call magic in every house. In less than twenty years!” — Malak explained.

  “So I am in the future?” — I asked.

  “No!” — Malak quickly interjected.

  This time I got angry. I could not take it anymore! I sat up straight and held her by her shirt and shook her violently as I yelled — “Then where am I? Tell me!! Where am I?” — I saw a terrified look in her widening eyes.

  “OK, I will tell you everything!” —she said while looking around as if she was afraid someone might see or hear us.

  “What you see is part of a secret science experiment!” — Malak began explaining.

  “A secret experiment?!” — I interjected.

  “I am Natashe… Natasha Travnikov … a secret Russian agent. I work for a science organization called Международной Hаучной Pазведки! The technologies here are beyond anything you ever thought possible, you have been our guest for the past year! We had operated on you several times along with some genetic modifications. The most successful complete genetic modification procedure to date!”

  This news hit me like a bolt of lightning. I should have known all along that I was part of an experiment! I must have deduced that such a creature must have been the result of plastic surgery and genetic modifications along with heavy intelligence trainings!

  Malak went on — I mean Natasha — “I am tasked with your file. My training started a few years back as I had to study your case and history along with everything related to you, I had to learn your language and accent and every detail of your life. We must keep an eye on you all the time as you live in this perfect environment so that we can study all of your body and mental evolution that has happened to you after the procedur
es. There is no way they would allow you to leave and spoil the experiment!”

  “Impossible, I can’t believe this! Why me?!” — I yelled.

  “Who said the program was only for you? You are one of a hundred and forty other cases selected from all over the planet. Each case lives here for some time. We change some details in this constructed world and train the people here. Actually, they are all agents trained to deal with every case differently!” — Malak/Natasha explained.

  “You mean I am a Guinea Pig? Has my life changed forever?” — I asked.

  “No, that is also a risk for them, after the experiment is over they will have a reverse modification procedure done to you to return you to convince you that you had been in an accident and lost your memory for some time until some security forces found you in a village and recognized you and returned you to your family. Of course, the accident will be an excuse for any changes that still remain, but do not worry, you will forget everything you had seen here, and what you will remember will seem like a dream.” — Malak/Natasha explained.

  “And then?” — I asked.

  “The end!” — Malak/Natasha said this as the fake serious look dissipated from her face only to be replaced by a childish laugh as she fell to the sand while laughing.

  My angst was so strong that for a moment, I wished that I could slap her so hard on her red cheeks. I wished that I could punch her and shatter some of those pure white teeth! But I did not do any of that. I only stood there hardly on a single leg, and just as I bent my second leg that was still bleeding, Malak stood up from the sand and took my arm around her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around my waist to help me walk.

  “Come on Husam. Don’t be a downer!”— Malak said.

  “Had you been in my shoes you would have felt what I feel!” — I replied.

  “I swear to God that I feel you. And my heart aches for you! And I swear I am doing everything I can for you!” — Malak said.

  “Feel me? Impossible!! My life is gone and I can’t get back to it, I want to fulfill all my dreams, to make my mother and sister happy and succeed in my job, I want to get married and have a home and kids!” — I added.