A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
INSPIRED BY THE BOOK SERIES WRITTEN BY DR. AHMED KHALED TAWFIK
[crows cawing]
[ominous music playing]
[Ibrahim] I'll never forget the first time I saw Al Khadrawy's house.
[crows cawing]
[woman] You have to be a good boy, Ibrahim.
I took a long time to get this job. I don't want to get fired because of you.
MANSOURA, 1910
[door creaking open and slamming]
Follow me.
[Ibrahim] I found it strange that Mr. Khadrawy
showed us around the house personally.
[Al Khadrawy] Listen, Om Ibrahim, this is the hall...
the dining room...
and this is the guest room.
[ominous music continues]
You'll be sleeping in here.
This is the kitchen.
And this is the chimney.
We don't ever use it.
This is Hamdeya, the house manager.
She knows all of the rules.
In this house, we do not permit noise or unnecessary chattering.
[thud]
Didn't I tell you the master of the house doesn't like noise?
I'm sorry, Mom.
[loud banging]
-What's that? -Nothing. Go to the room!
-[banging] -There it is again!
It's nothing.
And don't you dare say you heard something.
[muffled rhythmic knocking]
[knocking intensifies]
[silence]
Om Ibrahim...
-Nargis isn't done eating her food yet. -[knocking]
Yes, I am.
I said leave the plate right there!
[knocking continues]
[whispers] I heard that sound again.
[whispering] Shut up. Follow me.
Let's go.
-Didn't I tell you? You never listen. -[knocking continues]
[knocking continues]
[knocking]
[knocking continues]
[knocking intensifies]
-[knocking continues] -[wood clattering]
[knocking continues]
You scared me! Who are you?
I'm Shiraz. Would you like to play with me?
[woman 1] The master is very forgiving. Anyone else would have killed them both.
[woman 2] Well, God himself forgives our sins.
How long will he keep that girl locked up?
If something happens, her blood will be on his hands.
Actually, it'll be on her father's, since he's the one who abandoned her.
And her mother, for having her out of wedlock.
Hey! Hey! Get out of here, boy!
[Ibrahim] I'm sorry. I thought you were a ghost.
My mother says that only ghosts live underground.
You're the one who keeps knocking, right?
Yes, whenever I need something, I knock on the walls.
I know that your grandpa locked you up.
Don't tell anyone you saw me.
If my grandfather finds out, he'll kill me.
Want some berries?
[hopeful music playing]
[Shiraz laughs]
-That's the sea in Alexandria. -I don't know what that is.
It's a bunch of water next to a bunch of sand.
You've been there before?
No.
But when I grow up, my mom said I can go.
[loud knocking]
[Shiraz crying]
[Hamdeya] Shut up!
Shut up!
[knocking continues]
[Ibrahim] Don't cry.
I want to get out of here.
Can you please help me?
I'll do anything I can for you.
[Ibrahim] Don't cry.
Anything?
[somber music playing]
I did what you told me.
Someone will have to come and let you out now.
[crying]
[coughs]
Shiraz!
[Nargis] No, Shiraz!
-[Nargis sobbing and coughing] -No, I'm not bringing her.
[Al Khadrawy grunts]
Shiraz!
[Nargis sobs]
[Nargis] Shiraz!
Shiraz!
Ibrahim!
[Shiraz sobs] Ibrahim, don't leave me!
-Ibrahim! -[Shiraz crying]
-Let her out, Mother! Let her out, Mother! -Don't leave me!
-Let her out! Let her out! -[crying] Ibrahim, don't leave me!
[Nargis] Shiraz!
[Nargis wailing]
-[coughing] -Let her out, Mom! Let her out!
Mom, let her out!
Let go of me! I want my daughter!
You're my daughter, too. I'm not leaving you.
-Let her out, Mom! -[Shiraz] Ibrahim!
Don't leave me, Ibrahim! [crying]
Don't leave me, Ibrahim!
Ibrahim!
Don't leave me!
[Ibrahim] Shiraz!
Mom! Shiraz!
Shiraz...
There is no one named Shiraz in that house, hear me?
[Shiraz] Ibrahim, help me!
Ibrahim! Ibrahim! Help me!
Ibrahim!
[crying]
[crying continues]
[Ibrahim] I saved up money my whole life so I could buy this house...
and finally bury her body.
Maybe then she would forgive me for abandoning her.
But when I bought this house...
the basement had vanished.
So, when I learned that you can see her,
I started wondering
why she had never appeared to me.
But then I realized she didn't want to see me
because she thought I abandoned her.
So, the only option I had was to die like she did.
Maybe then she would forgive me.
Please try and find her.
And if you do...
hopefully, you'd be able to do what I could not.
HOW TO GET RID OF SHIRAZ?
HOW TO SAVE SHIRAZ?
[breathing heavily]
[ominous music playing]
[grunting]
[panting]
[heart beating rapidly]
[Raeefa sobbing]
He used to say, "I'll die soon, then I won't be a nuisance anymore."
[whimpers]
And I'd say, "You'll outlive us all, Talaat."
[sobs]
He's at peace now.
I used to yell at him because I was always worried.
He was like a little boy, just like Taha.
And now that he's gone, I feel like a little girl, all alone.
I miss him. I need him so much!
[Raeefa crying]
Raeefa, we, uh, we couldn't find Refaat anywhere.
[girl] Ready or not?
-Ready or not? -[ominous music playing]
[panting]
It's nothing! I don't see anything!
I don't see anything.
[panting]
[bats screeching]
-[coughing] -[Refaat] Refaat's law number 55.
"Everything seems normal until Refaat Ismail touches it."
[door creaking]
[breathing heavily]
[coughing]
[door creaking faintly]
-[door creaking] -[bats screeching]
[ominous music playing]
I was just in here.
Where could he be? What happened to him?
Raeefa, we, uh...
[stammering] We have to figure out what to do.
-[Taha screams] -[gasps]
Taha, sweetie! What's wrong?
It's nothing.
What do you mean "nothing"?
[ominous music playing]
[sighs]
[Maggie] "Dear Refaat, I hope the tarot card was wrong.
And that you didn't lose a loved one after all.
I'm sending you the last tarot card, the one I didn't have time to read.
Don't worry. This card symbolizes home.
Maybe the card just telling you to go home to your country,
or to your house which you must have done already.
Please tell me how you're doing. Regards, Louis."
[telephone ringing]
-Hello? -Can I speak to the doctor?
Howaida?
I'm at Refaat's office, but he's not here.
We thought he'd be with you.
Do you have any idea where he might have gone?
-We've looked everywhere. -No, I don't know.
Can you let us know if you hear from him?
We're waiting at Raeefa's house.
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
[dramatic music playing]
[loud knocking]
[door creaking]
Taha, are you all right?
-[Howaida] Auntie Raeefa! -[gasps]
When I came in, I found him drawing all of these.
What are those, Taha?
Did you see her again?
-Taha, answer me! -So, Raeefa, are you crazy?
That's Al Khadrawy's house.
I swear it is.
Enough of that. The boy just lost his father, he's delusional.
He heard you telling the stories so much he believed it.
Just like the day he almost jumped off the roof.
Even if that's true, he drew that house.
How could he? He's never even seen it.
I saw her too, Uncle. The day I was hospitalized.
What?
What does that thing want from us?
Reda. He's the one who made us promise not to see her again.
[Raeefa] And Talaat... She must be the one who--
[Elham] That's it. Shiraz wants the children who used to play with her.
[Medhat] What does that mean? That she wants to kill us all one by one?
[Elham] We're the only ones left. Who's going to be next?
Refaat.
-He must have gone to Al Khadrawy's house. -[Elham crying]
Elham, will you please shut up? We have to figure out what to do.
We go to Al Khadrawy's house and save Refaat.
And just hand ourselves to her? Have you lost your mind?
Do you honestly think she won't find you here?
Stay with the kids, if you're scared.
-Watch yourself, Raeefa. I'm not scared. -You are!
You pretend like you're some kind of big man,
but then you're always the first one to run.
Do I, Raeefa? Fine! Whatever you say.
Let's all go to Al Khadrawy's house and save Refaat.
[Medhat] Hopefully, we'll make it out of there alive.
[Refaat] Refaat's law number 65.
"The monster in your mind is scarier than the monster itself."
[foreboding music playing]
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] No, not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
[girl] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] No, not yet!
[girl] Ready or not?
[birds chirping]
Someone is going to get caught.
Got you, Refaat!
[Reda] Hey, guys! Game is over. Refaat is still terrible at hide and seek.
Now Refaat is it!
[Refaat] Ready or not?
Ready or not?
Ready or not? Here I come.
[whimpering]
[stammers] Ready.
[Refaat] If I had known that, one day, hide and seek
would become so important to me,
I would've focused on it instead of medicine.
My life would be perfect for some hero in a Greek tragedy.
Someone like Sisyphus...
who drops the rock just as he reaches the top of the mountain.
Every time he thinks he's figured it out, it turns out to be wrong.
But Sisyphus managed to cheat the god of death.
What did you do, Refaat?
Anything?
[breathing heavily]
The only thing that has both is the fountain.
[dramatic music playing]
[gasps]
[ominous music playing]
[panting]
[breathing heavily]
All this time...
you're asking me to save you.
Forgive me.
I didn't understand.
[dramatic music playing]
[grunting]
[panting]
Refaat!
What? What are you doing here?
We came to find you. We couldn't leave you on your own.
-Is she going to kill us, Refaat? -Refaat, have you seen her or not?
[panting] Don't worry.
No one will see her ever again.
Follow me.
[tense music playing]
The...
Raeefa!
Elham!
Raeefa!
-[Medhat faintly] Refaat! -[gasps]
Refaat!
Help me, Refaat!
How the hell did you get here?
Help! I'm going to die!
Stay still. Don't move! If you move at all, the rope will break
-and you'll fall. -[Medhat groaning]
Wait, wait.
Do something! Hurry!
[screaming] Hurry up, Refaat!
[Refaat grunts]
Refaat! Ahh!
[foreboding music playing]
[Elham faintly] Refaat!
Refaat!
[Refaat panting]
[Elham] Refaat!
[Elham sobbing]
What do I do, Refaat? Help me!
Elham...
Stay. They react to movement.
I'm so scared, Refaat!
Help me, please!
-[snake hissing] -Stay still.
Elham!
[Raeefa] Refaat! Help! I don't want to die!
-I don't want to die! -Raeefa!
-Help me, Refaat! -Don't be afraid!
-Help me! -I'm going to--
-[yells] -[gasps]
Raeefa.
[sobbing]
Raeefa.
Raeefa!
[ominous music playing]
[somber music playing]
-[gasps] -Come down, Refaat.
Go away, Maggie. I have to die like them.
Raeefa, Elham, and Medhat.
They're dead.
-There's no one here, Refaat. -They're dead.
They were just hallucinations.
I... I... I...
I found Shiraz's body...
but her soul still isn't laid to rest.
I don't understand.
[breathing heavily]
I'm losing my mind, Maggie. Someone is trying to make me look crazy.
-Calm down, so you can think straight. -I don't know.
Now, if you found her body... why is all this still happening?
It's your fault he caught me.
He could see the bag of berries behind the curtain.
I was trying to help, but you're being stupid!
[young Refaat] Shiraz! Wait!
[old Refaat] Shiraz...
Shiraz was...
trying to help me this whole time.
[loud knocking]
Shiraz!
[indistinct screeching]
[distorted] Refaat, I tried to help you...
but he wouldn't let me.
He made me a monster.
I stopped you from taking the mummy to the wrong place.
And I led you to the cave.
It was... you who lured Taha to the roof statue?
I wasn't going to let him die. I was waiting for you to rescue him,
but you didn't want to see me. I had to do it. I tried to warn you.
I wrote "death" on the wall.
I tried to warn Howaida and untied Reda so he could save you.
The incubus kept locking you in the maze.
You never wondered how you woke up every time?
[Raeefa] Refaat!
The maze is your mind. Never give up your mind, Refaat.
Inside it is something more precious than you could ever imagine.
But...
why didn't you warn me...
[stammers] ...or tell me it wasn't you?
As long as I was locked in the basement, I wasn't able to talk to you, Refaat.
I thought all of this was you.
Who's behind all of this horror?
Lucifer.
[gasping]
Lucifer?
-[Maggie groans] -The devil?
[distorted] I have to go, Refaat.
Shiraz...
Shiraz, wait.
I can't stay here!
The price for talking to you...
is... to leave...
forever.
We can't stay together, Refaat.
But I'll always love you.
Goodbye, Refaat.
[Maggie wheezing]
[dramatic music playing]
Maggie! Maggie! Maggie!
Maggie.
[mournful music playing]
Are you a relative, sir? This house... is haunted.
Everyone knows that.
SHIRAZ AL KHADRAWY
All those years, people denied you existed.
I was one.
This is the least I can do for everything you did for me.
Let me carry that for you, sir. Welcome back. Welcome back home.
Are you Dr. Ismail, young man?
Uh, no, I'm not.
Do you know when he'll be back?
Mmm, no.
I, uh...
My house is haunted...
and I've been told that's his specialty.
When he's back, I'll tell him you called.
And who are you?
You look like his photo on the paper.
I'm his ghost.
[gasps]
[indistinct chatter]
You sure I can't take you to the airport?
You know how I hate saying goodbye.
I'll see you again soon.
You want to see me again?
Well... we survived this time. We might not make it home the next one.
[Refaat] Tell her, "Stay, Maggie."
Tell her, "I love you."
I hope you have a safe trip.
[chuckles]
What?
You still believe I don't say what I think?
You wouldn't be Refaat if you did that.
However, I'm done trying to read your mind.
If you don't say it, then it doesn't count.
[wistful music playing]
When you can say it, doctor, Scotland isn't far away.
[Refaat] Refaat Ismail, Professor of Hematology...
and certified jerk.
I'll never stop loving you, Maggie.
Until the stars fall from the sky. Until the world ends.
[bell ringing]
Uh, Howaida... uh, I don't know what to say...
but... I'm very sorry.
-For what? -For everything.
For the pain I caused you...
how I treated you.
I know I haven't always had the best attitude.
You don't have to apologize, Refaat.
You just didn't fall in love with me. It's not your fault.
If people could control their hearts, everyone would be happy.
Maggie came to see me...
and she gave me this ring.
She said it wasn't her size.
The ring was never my size, either.
It's too small.
I was too shy to tell you...
but I'm not that girl anymore.
Take care of yourself, Refaat.
[dramatic music playing]
[Refaat] Lucifer himself!
What could the devil want with my mind?
I guess I should be flattered.
Obviously, there's something in my head that would allow me to rule the world.
But as faith would have it, I don't know what that thing is.
-[knocking on door] -Which officially makes me...
the unluckiest person on the face of the earth.
[knocking continues]
[Raeefa] Come on!
Finally!
What's wrong, Refaat?
I thought you'd never answer. [sighs]
[Refaat] Slow down!
-[shower running] -[Refaat coughing]
Can I tell you a secret, Uncle? But you can't tell anyone.
Uh... I won't.
I don't see that girl on the white dress anymore.
Her name is Shiraz, Taha.
Shiraz Al Khadrawy.
[coughing]
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
[Refaat] "Dear Refaat,
if you're reading this letter right now, then it means you're still alive...
which is something that always makes me happy.
I'm sending you a small gift.
No more mazes, my friend.
Perhaps we should play some other games that are a little more fun."
[Shiraz] The maze is your mind.
Never give up your mind, Refaat.
[Refaat] Louis is Lucifer?
Refaat's law number one amended.
"There is definitely... such a thing as...
the paranormal."
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[child 1] Ready or not?
-[child 2] Not yet! -[child 3] Not yet!
[foreboding music playing]
[child] Ready or not, here I come!
[somber music playing]