Fluent Fiction - Afrikaans: Echoes of Fear: A Haunted House Adventure
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Story Transcript:

Af: In die hart van 'n klein dorpie, so oud dat die stof op die strate fluister van vergete tye, staan 'n huis.
En: In the heart of a small village, so old that the dust on the streets whispers of forgotten times, stands a house.

Af: Hierdie huis, met sy gekraakte vensters en deure wat kreun soos die asem van die nag, noem die dorpenaars Die Spookhuis.
En: This house, with its creaking windows and doors that groan like the breath of the night, is called The Haunted House by the villagers.

Af: Op 'n sonnige middag, toe die lug so blou was soos 'n vergeet-my-nie blommetjie, besluit twee dapper siels, Liam en Emma, om die geheimenisse van Die Spookhuis te ontrafel.
En: On a sunny afternoon, when the sky was as blue as a forget-me-not flower, two brave souls, Liam and Emma, decide to unravel the secrets of The Haunted House.

Af: Hy, met sy rooierige hare en somersproete, en sy, met haar blink oë soos sterre, stap hand-aan-hand na die huis.
En: He, with his reddish hair and freckles, and she, with her sparkling eyes like stars, walk hand in hand to the house.

Af: Met 'n skrikkerige glimlag druk Liam die piepende hek oop en hulle stap oor die drumpel van die huis.
En: With a nervous smile, Liam opens the squeaky gate and they step over the threshold of the house.

Af: Die son verduister agter 'n wolk en die huis se skadu's val oor hulle soos 'n donker kombers.
En: The sun dims behind a cloud, and the house's shadows fall over them like a dark blanket.

Af: "Niks om voor bang te wees nie," fluister Liam, al wankel sy stem effens.
En: "Nothing to be afraid of," Liam whispers, though his voice wavers slightly.

Af: Emma knik, maar haar hart klop vinnig soos 'n trom in haar ore.
En: Emma nods, but her heart beats rapidly like a drum in her ears.

Af: Hulle verken kamer na kamer, waar die enigste bewoners spinnekoppe is en meubels wat onder lae stof sluimer.
En: They explore room after room, where the only inhabitants are spiders and furniture slumbering under layers of dust.

Af: Die middagson begin sy strale terugtrek, en die binnekant van Die Spookhuis word 'n doolhof van skadu's.
En: The afternoon sun begins to withdraw its rays, and the inside of The Haunted House becomes a maze of shadows.

Af: Liam en Emma besef hulle is verdwaal in die eindelose gange en vertrekke van die huis.
En: Liam and Emma realize they are lost in the endless halls and rooms of the house.

Af: In 'n oomblik van spanning, kyk hulle na mekaar en skielik vang 'n gil die stilte – 'n gil so skerp, dit laat die glas in 'n venster tril.
En: In a moment of tension, they look at each other and suddenly a scream pierces the silence – a scream so sharp it makes the glass in a window vibrate.

Af: Emma kyk rond, haar oë groot van vrees.
En: Emma looks around, her eyes wide with fear.

Af: Maar die gil was haar eie weerklank wat die gang afrol.
En: But the scream was her own echo reverberating down the hallway.

Af: Liam begin lag, alhoewel hy skrikkerig is, omdat hy besef dit was net 'n echo.
En: Liam starts laughing, even though he's scared, realizing it was just an echo.

Af: Maar toe hy lag, rol 'n ander geluid terug na hulle – 'n diep, dreunende lag.
En: But as he laughs, another sound rolls back to them – a deep, rumbling laughter.

Af: Emma en Liam vries.
En: Emma and Liam freeze.

Af: Dit was Liam se weerklank hierdie keer.
En: This time, it was Liam's echo.

Af: "Nou ja, nou's ons beide spoke," grinnik Liam, sy stem bietjie stadiger en kalmerend.
En: "Well, now we are both ghosts," Liam chuckles, his voice a bit slower and soothing.

Af: Emma lag sag, maar haar oë soek nog steeds die donker hoeke.
En: Emma laughs softly, but her eyes still search the dark corners.

Af: Hulle besluit om wag te hou, elkeen gerig op 'n ander rigting van die huis, terwyl hulle probeer om 'n uitweg te vind.
En: They decide to stand guard, each facing a different direction of the house, while trying to find a way out.

Af: Ure kruiptog waar tyd verlore geraak het onder die dekmantel van stof en skadu's.
En: Hours crawl by, where time has been lost under the blanket of dust and shadows.

Af: Maar soos hulle wag, begin die maan se sagte lig deur die vensters kruip.
En: But as they stand guard, the moon's soft light begins to creep through the windows.

Af: Gelei deur die maan se bleek lig, ontdek Liam 'n klein venster wat nie heeltemal toe is nie.
En: Guided by the moon's pale light, Liam discovers a small window that isn't completely closed.

Af: Met moeite en 'n duidelike doel, druk hulle die venster oop en kruip een vir een daardeur, uit Die Spookhuis se donker hart.
En: With effort and determination, they push the window open and one by one crawl through, out of the dark heart of The Haunted House.

Af: In die veiligheid van die maannag asem hulle 'n sug van verligting.
En: In the safety of the moonlit night, they breathe a sigh of relief.

Af: Liam en Emma lag oor hul vreeslike avontuur, die eggo van hul eie geluide nou blote herinnering, en beloof nooit weer hul eie skaduwee te vrees nie.
En: Liam and Emma laugh about their terrifying adventure, the echoes of their own sounds now just a distant memory, and promise never to fear their own shadows again.

Af: Soos hulle wegstap van die huis met sy geheimenisse stewig agter geslote deure, kyk hulle nie om nie.
En: As they walk away from the house with its secrets firmly behind closed doors, they do not look back.

Af: Hulle het hul eie spoke aangepak en gewen – die egte spoke van Die Spookhuis sou nog 'n dag moet wag om hul skrikwekkende spel te speel.
En: They have confronted and overcome their own fears – the real ghosts of The Haunted House would have to wait for another day to play their terrifying game.


Vocabulary Words:

• whispers: fluister
• dust: stof
• haunted: spook
• sunny: sonnige
• freckles: somersproete
• threshold: drumpel
• echoes: weerklank
• tension: spanning
• rumbling: dreunende
• distant: blote
• maze: doolhof
• creep: kruip
• effort: moeite
• reverberating: afrol
• furniture: meubels
• sparkling: blink
• guiding: gelei
• pale: bleek
• firmly: stewig
• confronted: aangepak
• determined: duidelike
• shadows: skadu's
• whispers: fluister
• vibrate: tril
• soothing: kalmerend
• crawling: kruiptog
• venturing: waag
• safety: veiligheid
• faintly: sag