A Bunch of Horror Stories

episode 6 (victim )

Syamsudin began to feel worried as he stepped outside the school gate. Cloudy clouds clumped and the wind felt strong. Dark skies. The sound of thunder exploded several times in the sky that was starting to darken. The face of the 8th grade Cikoneng State Junior High School student looked shocked. But just a quick glance.

"I have to hurry home." Whisper to yourself. He regretted why he forgot to take the big plastic bag. Though his mother had prepared it on the table and even reminded him not to forget.

"When the rain falls, what will be the fate of your books? can be creepy and useless, right? You should always prepare this plastic bag to protect it from water. Now it's a rainy season more than last season" his mother said, folding the big plastic bag and putting it on the table. "Later, if Mamah has money, we'll buy another raincoat" he said. The look on the mother's face was rippling with deep sadness.

Syamsudin nodded while working on the last PR problem that he did not have to do last night.

After breakfast, they leave. When Samsudin got off the motorbike and stopped to get into the open school gate, then he remembered the plastic bag he had not put in his school bag. "Serious learning let's pinter." His mother said while trying to kiss Shamsudin on the head. But failed. Shamsudin shies from being embarrassed by his friends. His mother then took off his motorbike and left Syamsudin to go to work at a textile factory in Rancaekek.

A particularly electrifying lightning explosion followed drizzling drops, marking Syamsudin's increasingly rapid pace. In his heart he had already decided to take a shortcut through that old grave. A high-bodied friend of his, Amir, taught Syamsudin steps. Amir wrapped his body in a white striped black raincoat in several parts. Very cool, thought Shamsudin. "Mother will buy him a raincoat like that" Syamsudin said in his heart. He smiled at Amir.

"I'm going to take a shortcut. You wanna come?" Syamsudin. While continuing the hurried path, Amir looked at Shamsudin with an astonished look.

"I don't want to go that way, Sham. I don't like. The road is slippery."

"No, the road is not slippery, lots of grass and closer. That way, yuk!" Take Syamsudin.

Amir did not answer. His face looked wry and his body language showed that Amir was frightened.

The old cemetery in the eyes of his friends is a haunted and creepy place. Amir, Hendra and Ujang are his schoolmates - even if not classmates - and neighbors; they believe that the old cemetery is where ghosts live, dedemites and other subtle creatures. That's why the place is so dangerous.

Shamsudin once told his friends that he had crossed the old grave alone several times and nothing happened. But the reaction of his friends actually accused Syamsudin of deliberately bragging to be said to be a brave child.

"I never wanted to prove that I was the bravest kid in Cikoneng village!" Syamsudin replied with a sigh at that time. But his friends still no one believed in his story. Since then, if his friends told him the awesomeness of the old grave, Shamsudin just kept quiet. He never wanted to tell anything more about Cikoneng's grave except to his mother.

The drizzle intensified as Amir and Shamsudin and several other children who had returned home from school on foot arrived at the crossroads of the villages of Cikoneng and Chileutik. Without turning his head and saying goodbye, Amir immediately turned towards the village road Cikoneng while Syamsudin stepped straight towards the village road Chileutik. Along with dozens of other students who rushed home, Syamsudin saw Amir walking under a drizzle down the village road Cikoneng already casted and coiled very far, which goes straight only he himself.

The village road of Chileutik may be only two meters wide, yet to be casted. The asphalt has bulged and peeling almost all over its surface. To the right of the road, there is a stretch of corn and yam orchards. While on the left, where the old cemetery is located, lined young green leafy plants are somewhat hairy and yellow-flowered. This type of plant is a wild plant that is found growing in the village of Cikoneng and surrounding areas. Its height can reach 2 meters and a half for the oldest tree. After that it dries up and dies and is replaced by a new young tree. Among the dense yellow flowering plants, Syamsudin saw a gap that could be broken through and through. He immediately turned and broke through the gap. His shoes broke several branches of an old yellow tree and grew low near the ground.

After passing through the yellow tree, Shamsudin found a knee-high shrub growing nearly seven meters long. He penetrated it accompanied by increasingly heavy rain and worry at his books that might become very wet. He continued to step towards a lush tree and stood for a moment under its hoard. Shamsudin knows this is a very old jackfruit tree, which is the boundary of the Cikoneng cemetery area. This is not the only lush leafy tree in this old graveyard area. There are a number of other trees that grow scattered at various points in the cemetery area which is larger than this international football field.

"Now it's too late to worry about these books, all I have to do is get home immediately" Syamsudin said in his heart as he glanced around the old cemetery. He counted, from this jackfruit tree he would run towards the rubber tree; which was also an old and thick tree; and; stop there for a moment and then head to the banyan tree located in the middle of the grave area. If the rain gets heavier, he will take shelter there in moderation and continue the journey to the edge of the outskirts of this graveyard area which is bounded by a bamboo blade woven fence that is tenuous by the next garden owner. After passing through the garden, he would find the path of Cikoneng village and with half a run, he would arrive home safely with his school books.

"I must be careful with those old gravestones, not to stumble" he said in his heart. Syamsudin carefully noticed which was the best route he could go. This was not the first time he had crossed this old grave and saved 25 minutes faster than through the far-circular Cikoneng road. Under normal circumstances with bright air, crossing this old grave was actually not something ugly. The quiet atmosphere with the old gravestones that looked lonely, indeed felt a bit odd. The trees that were scattered in the area were like freezing and grieving. The gloom that arises actually comes from stupid assumptions. As for the black shadows that often flashed, it was just an illusion. Eye-view trick.

In the past, when the 7th grade, especially in the final weeks of the 2nd semester, Shamsudin always went home across the old cemetery. That time there was a long drought. The weather is very hot if you walk down Cikoneng road. Crossing the cemetery saves time and is cool by the breeze that carries a strange fragrance coming from the flowers of Cambodia.

The only thing that always keeps Shamsudin home through that shortcut is because his shoes will get dirty quickly. The dirt road he passed in the cemetery and garden area afterwards, will dye his shoes brownish and some of the soil was attached to the soles of his shoes. Before entering the house, he must brush it first until it is clean. If he doesn't do it, his mother will. Mom won't nag or say anything when cleaning her shoes. But his tired face and heavy breathing while cleaning his shoes, made Syamsudin's heart as sliced.

Now, under the rain, the expanse of old gravestones and grasses looked fresh, not at all creepy. Shamsudin immediately ran away from the old jackfruit tree quickly towards the rubber tree which was about 40 meters away. But it turns out, under the rubber tree there is a mother dog who is breastfeeding three children who are still babies. The dog's mother stood up, growling and driving out Shamsudin with her bark. While the children are teasing because it is separated from the milk of the mother. They're still hungry.

The dog barked very hard. The position of the standby standby to pounce while the sound of his barking was like blaring through the rain. A pair of the dog's eyes seemed to light up and his fangs sharply threatened anyone who came to disturb him and his children.

Shamsudin was intimidated by the barking. The look on the face of this 13-year-old man and a half, rippling between fear and pity. He didn't mean to bother the dogs but if the mother dog pounced, he would fight her. Shamsudin promised not to hurt her. He feels really sorry. The dog's mother looked very thin and flabby due to lack of food. If he had the bone of a meatball that his mother bought at the end of the village, of course Syamsudin had thrown it for the mother dog.

Shamsudin immediately paused his intention to stop at the rubber tree and continued his running steps towards the banyan tree. If there are other mutt shelter there, then there is no other way for Shamsudin to continue running until arriving at the edge of the cemetery area, penetrate the garden and go straight home, either the rain is getting heavier or not. Thus Shamsudin decided in his heart.

Shamsudin ran fast. His pair of long, very agile legs avoided the gravestones. Amongst the increasingly heavy rain, the shadow of his white uniform seemed to flash across the rigid, unmoving headstones.

Arriving under the banyan tree, Shamsudin felt grateful. There was no mutt in the shade and he sighed still. At first glance he saw the various greatness of black shadows between the rain and stiff headstones. It was probably the shadows of the mutt running around looking for shelter. Might as well. But Shamsudin was not convinced.

The rain is getting heavier and heavier. Syamsudin removed his backpack from his back sling. Bag's wet. But the water had not been properly penetrated and soaked his books. He then carried the bag upside down. While taking shelter, he hugged his bag. He would run while hugging his bag, running a bit hunched over, he sure could protect his books from the rain. At the very least, he could minimize his wet rate in such a way.

Shamsudin watched over the huge and old trunk of the banyan tree. The length of the tree trunk may be about one or two meters in diameter and its circumference may be about four or five circular stretches of an adult's hand. The trunk of this banyan tree is huge. When Shamsudin looked up, the branches seemed to be milling like irregular where the leaves grew very tightly. Even rain cannot penetrate it. When viewed from a distance, the trunk of a large and sturdy banyan tree and its branches are overgrown with dense foliage, looks like a giant umbrella.

According to the story of the old people of Cikoneng village, this enormous banyan tree already existed even before the village of Cikoneng was inhabited by the first inhabitants who settled; those who moved from various villages around and lived in the Cikoneng area since the time before the war of independence.

The old people of the village told that before being used as a cemetery area, the land covering an area of 5 hectares was originally a very high weed field. There were no trees there except for the banyan tree. He stood very gallantly and firmly; and when the mountain breeze blew, the whole expanse of weeds waved in dance; as if they were worshipping the banyan tree cheerfully and solemnly.

Some old people have tried to turn this grave area into a corn garden; they are very strange because there is not a single corn tree that grows well. Likewise when planted with cassava. That said, cassava produced small and poisonous.

Then as the surrounding population grew and formed small villages that developed around this cemetery area, many creepy events occurred in this cemetery area. Such as the disposal of corpses of unknown people, unsolved mysterious murders, rape and some cases of hanging themselves. Everything happened since the 1980s; long before Shamsudin was born.

Syamsudin was born at the end of December. 1998 Years.

Heavy rain does not seem to be coming down soon, it may even get heavier. Explosive thunderbolts the heart of Shamsudin, coupled with wild thoughts about the horror stories that his friends often flirt; dancing in his head like unstoppable; making Syamsudin feel restless and his common sense decided to immediately get ready to run through the rain.

Shamsudin's heart suddenly thumped hard as his feelings said it seemed like a pair of eyes were watching him.

"It's just my feeling." He said to entertain himself. "There is nothing here but immovable gravestones and a fretful wind in the distance..."

Shamsudin's body trembled. Maybe because of the cold. He had felt quite rested and was preparing to take a dash to run. Suddenly there was a voice of people speaking very clearly. His heart immediately pinched and his knee was lunglai.

"When didn't you hear that dog barking?" There was a sound in the rough Sundanese language. That voice sounded loud.

"Ah. It must be a human voice." Shamsudin said in his heart. His courage rose again and he undoed his intention to run. Shamsudin turned to the left side from where the source of the sound came from. Seen by Shamsudin there are two men walking side by side towards this banyan tree. They each carried a sheath bundle. The bundle was tied to a whole bamboo strip about a meter long and shouldered on each shoulder.

The deg!

Shamsudin knew the two men. One was named Mang Oding, an Ojek handyman who used to hang out at Pangkalan Cikoneng, the other was Pak Kodir. They are sons and daughters-in-law. They live on RT 5. Shamsudin lives on RT 2.

"Yes, but you can't believe I saw a white shadow flashing." The word Mang Oding in the same Sundanese language is crude.

Shamsudin pinched his body on the trunk of the large banyan tree and held his breath. He didn't like those two guys. They are criminals. They are the trash of society. All residents of Cikoneng Village, Chileutik, Ciloa and other villages also know. Both sons-in-law and in-laws are criminals who became a byword because they often deal with the police. They are the perpetrators of the crime. "Would they come here?" The whispers of Shamsudin in his heart.

"Huh, stop!" Mr. Kodir said with a half-snatch. "Sooner or later those cops will be patching and raiding our homes." Add Mr. Kodir with a sound.

They finally arrived under the banyan tree and lowered their respective loads. Syamsudin's heart was racing. The two people were unaware of his presence in front of their backs, behind the trunk of the banyan tree.

"We'll hide everything here first, until it's safe." Said Mr. Kodir.

"Money too sir?" Ask Mang Oding.

"Everything!"

"But..."

"Nothing but but. You are not being *****. Already, just massage!" Mr. Kodir said firmly. "Nobody will know we're hiding everything here. Unless we both. ha ha ha." Mr. Kodir laughed greedily. "Now let's go to that grave."

Mr. Kodir then stepped through the rain and approached a grave located not far from the banyan tree, followed by Mang Oding.

Syamsudin with the heart constantly pounding, watching them. He saw Mr. Kodir and Mang Oding prying the tombstone walls with the bamboo they brought. The slab of the tombstone wall was also raised slanted. Both intact bamboo slats were used to hold the tombstone wall slab so as not to fall and cupped again to the ground. As soon as the tombstone wall was lifted, the rats leaped from the ground in surprise. The two sons-in-law and in-laws issued insults and mockery that Shamsudin had not heard in his life.

"You see for yourself, right, the loot we have in the gold shop is still here... this is the best place to hide our work." Mr. Kodir said in a happy voice.

They then used the bamboo as a lever to enlarge the gap of the tombstone wall, in between the heavy dimness of the rain, Shamsudin could see that under the tomb wall there was a hole large enough. They then put the two bundles into a hole under the slab of the tomb wall. Cram it firmly because it turns out that the two bundles are big enough to fill the hole. Their hands deftly tidied the two bundles into the whole and flat with the surface of the ground. Then they simultaneously pulled on the two bamboo slats so that the tombstone wall slab was cupped back to how it was.

Like not satisfied, though, Mr. Kodir and Mang Oding then repaired the weeds that grew around the tomb wall so that it looked as if the weeds had never been touched by the hands of any human.

Shamsudin.

It turns out that the criminals are hiding the results of their crimes in the grave!

Satisfied with the results of his work, Mr. Kodir and Mang Oding then stepped towards the bottom of the banyan tree.

"A month and two months, or maybe a year.who knows, if those cops don't suspect us. You hear me, Oding? We'll divide it fairly."

"Can't!!!" Shouted Mr. Kodir. "I've done****** with such impatience... No. gabe. I don't want to go in Bui anymore. Remember Oding, patience is the key to everything. We have to be smarter than those cops. Don't take it lightly!" Said Mr. Kodir. "Sooner or later, when the time comes, we will become rich. But not in this village. ha ha ha ha. we moved to South Garut and became a prominent person there... Come on, now we're home!"

Shamsudin watched as the two sons-in-law and in-laws walked in the rain in the direction from which they had come. After some distance, Shamsudin had seen the two men throw bamboo carelessly into the bushes.

Syamsudin. He felt absolutely no fear anymore. The little man's head was now filled with the belief that everything could be explained with common sense. In that grave there was no ghost whatsoever, there was a human evil.

When the rain completely subsided and the sun shone brightly without being blocked by the black clouds, Shamsudin left the banyan tree with a quiet step down the road home with a light heart.

When she got home, she immediately brushed her dirty shoes and washed her wet uniform and dried them in the kitchen. In the afternoon, when his mother came home, Syamsudin had expected his mother to nag.

"You must have forgotten to bring the big plastic Mamah prepared, right?" He said after parking the bike on the terrace. "It's just brushed outside and here's the shirt, why the hell do you like hanging wet clothes in the kitchen?"

"Let the chips dry, Mah."

"You were through the grave, right? Your shoes are still dirty. Brush the bottom again!"

"Well, time passed by the grave was Sham see Mr. Kodir same mang Oding hide their loot under the grave." Syamsudin said while brushing the bottom of his shoes which still leaves brownish dirt. "Syam saw it from behind the big banyan tree," he said again while looking down at the soles of his shoes that were still dirty.

Shamsudin did not see how the expression on his mother's face, which was very surprised by her pair of wide-eyed eyes. But just for a second.

"They pry the tombstone walls with bamboo, Mah. Keep putting the stolen bundle into the hole that's underneath."

"Bodo is very." Said Mamah. "Ngapain also you look at people from behind trees."

"Syam is not intentionally concerned, Mah. The rain is very heavy, Sham shelter waiting to subside, but they do not know if Sham is concerned about their behavior."

"If they knew, you wouldn't have come home safe. They're criminals, don't they know sham? You could have been thumped with bamboo to death and your corpse put in a grave hole that is idle. Mama doesn't like you coming home through that grave anymore." Mamah said with a flat face but her loud tone did not sound angry.

"You have to promise, from tomorrow you won't pass that grave again." Said Mamah.

"Why, Mah?"

"You have to promise."

"Yes why? Mama's afraid Sham got a ghost?" Shamsudin asked in an unacceptable tone.

Mom just shut up and went to her room and closed the door hard. A few seconds later Shamsudin heard a sobbing sound from the room.

Shamsudin felt guilty. He approached the door and knocked slowly.

"Mah.. mama..."

"No need to knock..if your father is still there, of course you will not dare to argue with Mamah. Never mind. I accept this fate with sincerity...." The sound of Mamah's voice came from inside the room while sobbing.

"Mahs... Don't cry, Mah. Sham promised never to pass that grave again."

"You should also promise not to tell me anything you saw there."

"I yes, Mah. Sham promise. But Mamah don't cry on."

Silent.

There's no answer.

Shamsudin put his ear on the door, after believing that Mamah did not cry, Sham went into his own room and promised in his heart not to pass the grave again.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Mamah was not crying. He only pretended to sob loudly while his pair of eyes shone brightly with a grinning smile.

***

About a month after the incident, Shamsudin heard that Mang Oding had hanged himself on a jackfruit tree in the old cemetery of Cikoneng. The tree where he used to shelter first when it rained.

According to rumors, Mang Oding hanged himself because he often quarreled with his in-laws and his wife wanted a divorce. In addition, Mang Oding is also suspected by the police as one of the perpetrators of armed robbery in the house of the largest pawnshop in East Bandung as well as in a number of gold shops around Chileunyi and Ujungberung. To date, the robbery has not been solved.

That said, the police had difficulty solving the robbery case because the people who allegedly became the perpetrators one by one died in a terrible way. Even a week after Mang Oding hanged himself, the alleged mastermind of the robbery, Mr. Kodir, was also found dead lying on the road in the village of Cikoneng. According to the autopsy results of the doctor, he said, the 51-year-old man suddenly had a severe heart attack after walking in the old cemetery. Meanwhile, according to the testimony of residents, for several days before his death, Mr. Kodir went back and forth into the grave while carrying a machete. He was clamoring under the banyan tree and challenging the ghosts present in that place to a fight.

In his sompralous screams while challenging the ghosts into a fight, Mr. Kodir demands that the ghosts return his possessions. Residents who witnessed Mr. Kodir's behavior concluded that the middle-aged man turned out to be insane.

Shamsudin himself since promising his mother, he never again passed the grave as a shortcut. He also did not comment when his friends told him that Cikoneng's grave was now becoming more haunted and sinister.

After the death of Mr. Kodir, his mother decided to receive a PHK from a textile factory where he had been working for approximately 10 years. His mother got a large enough severance and opened a Sembako stall (nine staples) which is quite complete for the size of a village.

The campground was then famous by the name Warung Mamah Udin. The stalls are very selling invaded by buyers because the price of the goods is cheaper than similar stalls that have existed before. In addition, for a number of strong reasons, Warung Mamah Udin allows neighbors and buyers from various villages around to owe.

All debts are recorded and well administered by Mamah Udin, so disputes are very rare.

After Syamsudin graduated from Cikoneng Junior High School and continued to Cileunyi State High School, Mamah expanded his business by adding several kitchen furniture items that can be purchased by installments.

Although Syamsudin was amazed at the ingenuity of his mother and his foresight at business opportunities, but secretly Syamsudin questioned where his mother got the big enough capital injection from. The system of buying and selling by credit requires a large, strong and stable fund support. If not, you could go bankrupt. But when Shamsudin asked that, Mamah even laughed.

"Syam, try counting." Mamah said, "how much does Mamah have additional capital every month if there are 150 customers paying their debts which average of 500 thousand rupiahs? Hayo, guess what?"

"Mm.. anu Mah, but..where is the capital?" Shamsudin said half-nervingly.

"Don't use anu or but...Mamah earns 75 million rupiah per month! Great right? If you do not believe try to check and see for yourself our income balance sheet book Warung .. you must be surprised." His mother said with a smile. "You know you are not talented in counting and accounting. you have always wanted to study Anthropology. Mamah. Already, no need to worry. Just think why people in our village believe in ghosts so much!" Said Mamah while laughing.

Before closing the conversation, Mamah said in a carefree tone, "Sham, listen! Everyone has their own talents, some are good at counting like Mamah, some are good at painting, some are good at making up, some are talent in the field of sports, your talent is in the field of culture or maybe even in the field of psychology. You just focus there, develop your strengths.if that you do Mamah sure you will be a great person."

Syamsudin was silent. From then on he no longer brought up the matter of where Mamah got the capital.

***

Shamsudin did not know, after he recounted the events he saw behind the banyan tree, Mamah became very agitated. Because Mamah knew Oding and Kodir were rotten criminals. Totally rotten. Mamah always remembered when she was in the hospital; as she waited for Kang Ujang - her husband - in a very critical condition, many times Kang Ujang whispered to her ear that Oding and Kodirlah were the culprits. It was they who intercepted Kang Ujang that night at the dark and desolate Cikoneng road collage when Kang Ujang came home from overtime, grabbed his bike and grabbed him with a cleaver in the abdomen. Although he was rushed to Ujung Berung hospital by residents who happened to pass by, but Kang Ujang failed to survive death.

You cannot forget what your husband said at the end of his life. Mamah had reported the matter to the police, but the police found no evidence. Not even witnesses.

Shamsudin also did not know, when the afternoon sank replaced the night, and the rain fell again with more swift; Mamah made warm sweet tea for Sham - mixed with sleeping pills. So that Syamsudin sleeps until morning, even wake up late.

When Syam fell asleep, Mamah wore a raincoat while carrying a crowbar and a small flashlight. Mama secretly penetrated the rain and went down the quiet roadside in a careful manner so as not to be caught by the citizens. Then it penetrated the garden and entered the dark grave area towards the banyan tree.

During the day, the cemetery was spooky and haunted. But at night and in heavy rain conditions, the atmosphere of the cemetery was truly terrible and unexpected. A thousand and one possibilities can always happen in the dark.

Is Mom scared? Yep. He was scared to death. Many times he peed in his pants. But the heart of a woman who is full of vengeance, was able to defeat all kinds of fears.

Sticking on the banyan tree, Mamah finally managed to find the grave where the stolen treasure was hidden. Scraping the tomb wall by exerting all energy using the crowbar and taking all the loot.

Out of nowhere came all the power to pry the tombstone wall that weighed at least 100 kg. Mom doesn't know either. After painstakingly returning the tombstone wall to its original place, Mamah went home.

Mamah smiled satisfied to see the treasure of the robbery: hundreds of millions of money and hundreds of gold jewelry of various types in the form of bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings.

"Finally, I can avenge the heartache of my husband's death!" He said in his heart while tidying up and hiding all the stolen treasure in the closet. "I will find the most ingenious way to use all these treasures so that people will not be suspicious. I must have found a way." Said Mama with great confidence.

But Mamah also did not know that since she decided to go to the cemetery, Kang Ujang was always with her. Even he was chuckling in the corner of the room. Unfortunately, only Lizard and Gecko could hear the sound of the laughter's rarity clearly.***