Edwirlan

After a hard day’s work on a farm in the Ait Baha region of Ashtouka, I returned exhausted, with nothing on my mind but lying down on my bed.

I went in, performed my ablutions, prayed Maghrib, and then headed to my humble bed, and within moments I plunged into a deep sleep, almost like a coma, from the sheer exhaustion that had overtaken me as I toiled like a slave on the farms of humiliation and shame imposed upon us by the savage forces of capitalism that seized power in Morocco, took control of all the people’s resources and wealth, and then enslaved the citizens, using them to amass even more wealth in their bank accounts held abroad.

Wait, here I am, entering a world of dreams and nightmares as if I were a bird, flying around the world, discovering it. The earth is vast, dominated by greenery; most of it is submerged in water, and some of it is covered in snow and ice. Along some shores, there are fires or volcanic lava. This is not the earth I see on TV or on my cell phone; this one is slightly different. Even my country, Morocco, is half underwater on the western side. It takes me a lot of analysis and thought to conclude that time has taken me back to prehistory, even to the eras before life. I approached the earth in a descent as if I were a falcon about to swoop down on its prey, only to discover that it is devoid of any signs of civilization or construction. What are these strange and frightening trees, and the smell spreading everywhere as if it were the scent of a fire emanating from all directions? As I wandered lightly here and there, I saw no creature walking, crawling, or flying.

I set off toward the mountains to take shelter there, for darkness was about to cast its shadow over me, and I still do not know what dangers lurk here at night. As I covered the distance, crossing plains and valleys, a mountain range came into view—perhaps the Atlas Mountains. I headed toward it without looking back until I reached it, then climbed to the summit to survey the surroundings. Beyond it lay a vast expanse of green land stretching as far as the eye could see.

The sun began to set, and darkness enveloped the surroundings. Then I found a cave that sheltered me from the cold and provided refuge from the beasts—none of which I had encountered yet. I settled into my resting place there, and just as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard loud voices and commotion that sounded to me like a wedding celebration in one of the mountain villages. I was wary of the situation, but since I was at the top of the mountain and the sound was coming from below, I felt emboldened to investigate; I stood up and headed toward a rocky cliff overlooking the plain below the mountain, and there I witnessed a scene that sent shivers down my spine: Frightening creatures—my very being shook at the sight of them. They were shaped like goats but walked on their hind legs like humans. They had long horns on their heads, and their bodies were covered in black hair—neither thick nor thin. They swirled around a blazing fire, performing graceful dances accompanied by chants and terrifying screams.

Their size, the curve of their backs, the timbre of their voices, and their lightness of movement—none of these traits belong to humans or any animals I know. Perhaps they are creatures from another world, or perhaps they are jinn, and this is not out of the question. I kept watching these scenes until I was struck by a sight that shook me to my core—a truly heartbreaking scene. I saw these creatures dragging one of their own, bound, as he screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice shaking the very air around him, but no one paid any heed to his screams. They continued dragging him toward the fire, and everyone danced around him, indifferent to his weeping and wailing. Then, without warning, they threw him into the fire, and his screams grew so intense that the mountain on which I sat .