Under the Shadow Page #2

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Aren't you a big girl?

Big girls don't wet the bed either.

Why do you have trouble sleeping?

Well?

Tell me. What are you scared of?

Hey?

Djinn...

Djinn aren't real...

They are. We just can't see them.

- Who told you that?

- Mehdi.

Who's mehdi?

Sogand and Ali's cousin.

He gave me a ball of magical cat

fur to protect myself from them.

But I lost it.

Drink properly.

Djinn are just a fairytale made

up to scare little children.

Mehdi said djinn are real.

They're evil and want to hurt us...

Mehdi is talking nonsense.

- Hello, Mrs. ebrahimi.

- Hello...

- I hope it's not a bad time.

- Not at all. Please come in.

No, thanks. I just

have a small request...

- Your relative...

- Mehdi?

He has been telling scary

stories to my daughter, dorsa.

I know he's just a child,

it's nothing spiteful

but dorsa is having real

trouble sleeping at night.

Please ask him not to tell

dorsa those kind of stories...

Your daughter has made a mistake.

Mehdi is mute.

He hasn't said a word

since he lost his parents.

They both got killed.

Ebrahimi took him

to so many different doctors.

But no result.

- She said mehdi told her...

- Has she said what stories?

- Djinn and stuff...

- Oh, god, have mercy!

Djinn aren't Mrs. ebrahimi...

They are very real.

It's even in the quran.

My husband gets angry when I say this,

but the boy is creepy...

- You're back early.

- Mrs. ebrahimi sent me back upstairs.

Didn't she say why?

She took sogand and Ali home

and told me to go home too.

What about mehdi?

Mehdi's allowed to stay.

But we can't play with him anymore.

You know, the stories you

mentioned this morning...

Are you sure it was mehdi that told

them to you and not the ebrahimi kids?

Well, sogand and Ali

also tell me stories.

Why be careful?

Because they're coming.

Did he say that

in front of the ebrahimi kids?

No, he whispered it in my ear.

Oh my, we've talked so much.

Your tea is getting cold.

You are right. Sorry.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

What lovely tea you've made.

I didn't know that you

could make such tasty tea.

Thank you.

- Have some bread too.

- Yes, yes, I will.

Hello?

Hello?

- Shideh?

- Hello.

- Can you hear me?

- The line isn't great but it's okay.

- How are you?

- We're fine. How is it over there?

Not great.

Either working in the hospital

or taking shelter.

You still don't want to go

to my parents?

Don't worry about us.

The foreign radios are saying Iraq claims

they'll level Tehran with missiles soon.

Nothing has been reported here.

Please take dorsa out of the city.

I'm not abandoning my home

based on a rumor.

- Not even for dorsa?

- Dorsa is better off in her own home.

I have to go.

Think about what I said.

I miss you.

- Bye.

- I miss you too...

400 miles from the battlefield...

Tehran will become the new front line

for the ongoing Iran-Iraq war.

Iraq has started launching missiles,

reaching out...

- Where did you go, ma'am? Your tea is getting cold.

- Hold on.

- Many iranians have already left the capital...

- What about our tea party?

- Playtime is over

- it's not. It's not. It's not.

Enough!

When I say playtime's over, I mean it!

If you don't listen to me

next time I'll take kimia away

so you can't play with her.

- Understand?

- Did it hurt?

It's okay. I'm here.

I'll look after you.

Dorsa!

Come here please.

Are you still mad at me?

We need to go downstairs right now!

Dorsa!

Dorsa!

Somebody...

Help me!

Please!

Dorsa?

Sweetheart?

Dorsa?

Dorsa?

Sweetheart?

Please answer me...

Oh, my sweetheart...

- I saw them. They're real. They were scary.

- Saw who?

- I saw them...

- What are you talking about? Shideh.

Please... my dad...

My dad is dying.

- Please help.

- Mum! Don't leave me!

Please! Help my father!

Save my dad. You're a doctor. You can.

- But I'm not a doctor...

- Mum! Don't go!

- I'll look after dorsa. Go.

- No, mum! No!

Come here.

He's here. Hurry!

- Mr. bijari?

- Father!

Let's take him out of here.

We can't be here.

This missile might still explode!

Go and call an ambulance!

If I don't do cpr now, he'll die.

Dad... my poor dad...

Come on.

Come on.

Come.

Paramedics.

It's safe, you can come up.

If I was a real doctor,

he might still be alive.

Why do you say this?

You did everything you could.

- What's going on?

- Nothing, darling. Go back to sleep.

She's not here!

Kimia...

Kimia is not here.

- Where was it before?

- On the bed...

- They took her.

- Nobody took it.

It's probably around here somewhere...

Are you okay?

You're so hot!

Oh, my baby...

My sweet, baby girl...

They came and saw

she was alone and took her.

Don't worry.

You should rest for now.

Take your shoes off.

Keep warm and rest

until your fever breaks.

I promise to find her.

Okay?

Mum, I had a bad dream.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

Dorsa?

What are you doing?

Going to get kimia!

I think she's upstairs... they've taken

her upstairs... I want to go, find her...

Let's go back to bed.

- You need to eat something.

- I can't.

You have to eat

if you want to get better.

Do you know what I'm going

to do after breakfast?

I'll put a video on for you.

You can lie in front of the TV all

day and watch whatever you want.

But only if you eat breakfast.

- Dorsa?

- Yes?

- Have you seen my workout tape?

- No.

It was here but I can't find it now.

- I never touch the tapes.

- I didn't say you did.

Who is it?

Glazier.

Just a second...

- Hello.

- Hello.

Business must be good at the moment

with all the attacks.

Problem is, the missus insists

that it's too dangerous to stay.

- Wants us to move out of town...

- Mum.

I had my breakfast.

So, put the video on for me please.

- You said you would.

- Let's go outside and let the man work.

How many times have I told you not to

say we have a vcr, in front of a stranger?

Do you want the authorities

to find out and take it away?

But I'm bored...

I want kimia.

I told you I'll find kimia.

- Hello, shideh...

- Hello...

This is for you.

For what?

For your help yesterday.

I'm also here to say goodbye.

Goodbye?

- I'm going back to Kurdistan for a while.

- But it's so dangerous over there.

My father always wanted

to be buried in his hometown.

Dorsa, my dear.

Remember, yesterday after the missile hit,

you said you saw something or someone?

Pargol?

- You said they were scary. You were crying.

- Pargol? Go inside.

Dorsa is a child.

She imagines things when she's scared...

You probably think I'm going crazy...

But my father was fine yesterday

after the missile hit.

He was talking to me. I swear.

I left the room to get him a glass

of water and then I heard him scream.

I ran back and saw...

He looked so terrified.

His eyes were fixed on something

behind me I couldn't see.

Something terrifying...

Like...

I understand how hard it is to deal

with the death of someone so close.

You know I lost my

mother six months ago.

But it was the shock of the missile

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