Biohazard's Catastrophe: Death's Hallway

Darinya Slap

“Pak Ilham? You mean... Inspiration Jati Ravana?” Paramitha frowned curiously.

Ardana nodded with a smile. His mouth was still approaching Paramitha's ears until he didn't realize something was moving rapidly towards his own face.

“You know, right? He is also in this village. We came berdu—.”

THE PLAQUE!!

Ardana turned and retreated three steps from Paramitha and grimaced. This girl's face was red but certainly not because she told me about Inspiration. The problem was the way he said it was like he was going to kiss Paramitha's ears. His left cheek was the target of a slap. It was quite painful and it was like being hit with a sheet of iron heated to the point of almost smoldering.

“Lain times, if you want to tell something just say it. Don't be like that or I'll report to him!” Paramitha threatened with the same expression of anger as before. His blackish-red eyes became clear from the previous ones, a sign he was furious.

Again, Ardana was made to faintly see the creepy gaze of the Catranata girl. Coupled with the shadow that until his actions were reported to Ilham, I don't know what the Kopassus retired to do to him. Furthermore, it will risk his work.

“Eh? A—aku apologize! Seriously, that one was by accident!” Ardana tried to prevent her from being reported. A second later he came closer.

Paramitha glared sharply. “Do not approach!”

Ardana raised his hand and retreated. Instead of getting slapped again, it is better to obey what Paramitha said. It's really embarrassing to get into trouble in people's villages while he has a task to complete. For a while she did not say a word, waiting for Paramitha to say something in response or another new threat that would make her dizzy.

Paramitha snorted annoyedly at Ardana's behavior. He looked away while closing his eyes. It was eager for his hand to slap the person before him that was because it was really impolite, regardless of intentionally or not. Had it not been for his confession to come with Inspiration, the young man would not have been forgiven. For a long time he did not rely on the martial skills he learned while still in high school. And Ardana almost became a target because of the act that was considered rude.

“So... he knows I'm still back here?” ask her then without looking.

“Ti—no, Mr. Ilham did not know you were home,” replied Ardana, “because there is an important thing we are finishing here.”

“So, yes?” Paramitha sighed.

He approached Ardana who was still rubbing her cheeks. The former slap not only left a red color but also almost blisters. There was a hint of pity looking at the person in front of him that expression held a tremendous pain. The shocked Ardana could only remain motionless as her hand covering the slap marks was exposed by Paramitha.

“We went to my best friend's house. Your cheek must be treated or Mr. Ilham will be suspicious. He pounced right with my slap or punch,” he said.

Ardana gulped with a horrified feeling. It's just been slapped, not hit. Finally there is no other choice but to resign and obey. In such a position, he was truly like a village duckling who followed wherever his mother went. The two of them walked towards the house with a spacious courtyard that was several dozen meters away from where they were speaking earlier. A magnificent teak-wood stilt house was instantly visible. On the veranda, it appeared Nina who was sitting on a chair while showing a look of anxious expectation. That woman must have been afraid something might happen to Paramitha.

“Duh, Neng... indit ka market meni lila pisan? I thought you were okay. Lah, is this saha?” Nina immediately approached the two while frowning at Ardana.

Paramitha only smiled as she handed the groceries in her hand to Nina.

“Sorry, Mom. On the way to meet him, my friend too. He is in this village he said there is an important need,” he explained briefly.

Nina nodded. “You're Paramitha's friend? Mom just found out. assholes, come in first. But, why is his cheek so red?”

Paramitha turned to Ardana for a moment. The one that was stared at was silent like a full goat.

“So got hurt, Mom. But it's okay, really. Let me just treat.” He deliberately lied so as not to make Nina wonder any further.

Nina shrugged her shoulders as she turned back inside the house carrying the groceries Paramitha handed her. While the middle-aged woman was heading towards the kitchen, Paramitha climbed onto the veranda and went into her room to pick up the P3K box. Ardana sat on the chair that Nina had previously occupied while circulating a glance. The atmosphere of the large house felt very comfortable and soothing. He could feel the breeze of fresh air that crossed his neck. The distance between one house with another is somewhat far apart because each already has a yard that is wide enough. The barrier is dominated by ornamental plants or certain trees such as frangipani and others. A very natural atmosphere, unlike in Jagakarsa where he had to face to face with a narrow alley and the walls of a house that was almost close together.

It wasn't until a minute that Paramitha had returned with a P3K box in hand, then sat down in an empty chair beside Ardana. Between himself and the young man was only limited to a teak wooden table on which was coated with table cloth.

“Hold a little, this does hurt.” His hand took something from the box.

I don't know what Paramitha put up, which Ardana obviously felt excruciating pain in her cheeks. His face was small. But it was only for a moment. Furthermore, replaced with a cold and pain that initially strengthened slowly almost no longer felt. When seen by him, only a bottle of traditional wound-recovery oil is light blue with a brand of old people who are massaging patients in a sitting position.

After putting the oil away, Paramitha covered the almost scuffed part with a bandage and draped it with plaster. Ardana still did not move and still let her cheeks be treated to completion.

“Do not open first. Let the healing work for the next few hours. Approximately six hours maximum,” Paramitha message while reinserting the oil bottle in her hand into the P3K box.

“Thank you,” reply Ardana. “And once again, I'm sorry for that one.”

“Pardon me this time, do not repeat again.” Paramitha accepted Ardana's apology.

Not long after, Nina came up with two cups of warm sweet tea and a light snack brought with trays. The dishes were placed on a table separating Ardana and Paramitha. Without saying anything, Nina returned inside after winking at Paramitha and smiling. A code understood by the girl that she thought she was lying and about the romance of young people.

“Ih, Mom!” inner evasive.

Paramitha lowered her head while sighing softly. Just this time he saw Nina until teasing him when it came to bringing men. Maybe because he thought he had grown into a girl, the woman who in fact his best friend's mother was happy as well as Sumita, his own biological daughter. The difference was that Sumita already had a lover and she had not.

After a moment of silence, Ardana remembered something and then turned to the package of surabi cake that began to cool.

“Duh, bad! I should have gone back to Mr. Ilham but instead got carried here,” his siss.

Without realizing it, what came out of his speech was heard by Paramitha. He looked up with a flat face but looked curious.

“You want to go back to Mr. Ilham, yes?” tanyakanya.

“Eh, i—iya, i.. should have met him again at the village hall,” he replied rather haphazardly.

* * * * *

Cikembang Village Hall

At the same time

Inspiration did not blink noticing the hundreds of sheets of white and yellowish opaque paper A4 size stacked in front of him. All of them are files containing missing persons reports from various sources stored in the Cikembang Village hall. Some of the paper is already in a slightly damaged condition because it is stored in one with the old archives of the village that is not considered relevant to the development of the era. Next to him sat a man in a beige uniform who was the same age as him with a slightly mushy body and a slightly bald head. This person was Odang Suparman, the village chief.

“Yes, this is everything you need related to the missing person case in Sirnasurya Forest,” he said while inviting Ilham to start opening the data.

Ilham nodded, “Formerly thanks for the help, Mr. Kades. Indeed this is one of the basics I need most to start an investigation. At least, I can know the chronology summary before they disappear.”

Smiling with satisfaction. “It's our job. After all, this village is often scapegoated every time there is a missing person in the Sirnasurya Forest. Indeed, Cikembang Village is the closest village to the artificial forest,” he said.

“I make a treat first, huh? Waduh, sorry early in the morning you so bothered to take care of the file,” he said later.

Inspiration that did not want to bother tried to resist. “No need, Mr. Kades. I just stopped by here for a while.”

“Eh. Responsibility, early in the morning like coffee atawa ngeteh heula atuh,” timpal Odang.

“Alright, anything can, deh.” Inspiration gave up while nodding his head. It is not nice to constantly refuse let alone the attitude of Odang so friendly to him.

While moving outside the room, Odang looking for a waiter who is usually in charge of preparing dishes. This slightly fat man fluttered left and right as soon as his feet stepped onto the veranda part of the village hall. What is sought after to arrive new by carrying groceries contains consumption for activities there such as coffee, sugar, bananas and other foodstuffs. The young man with long hair who came down from the motor was astonished to see the village chief looking at him like there was something emergency.

“Jajang, inside there are guests. Make coffee and banana fried heula, all right? All for you also breakfast,” orders.

“Ready, Mr Kades!” answer Jajang briefly.

One business is done. Odang immediately turned to his office room to return to accompany Ilham who was still seriously paying attention to all the data of the missing victims. The village chief deliberately silenced him for a while after seeing Ilham's face appear flat with his jaw slightly stiffened. It seems clear that the person who came from Bandung was thinking hard.

Actually Inspiration is not just thinking to arrange the right steps to be done. The chronology of the presence of most of the victims before they disappeared is well understood. But Ardana who was supposed to help the search process is now out of nowhere and makes it a little irritated. The young man was ready to look for breakfast and Ilham asked him to return to the village hall immediately when it was finished. But until the passing of thirty minutes, Ardana never seen the trunk of his nose.

“Pak Ilham, I have prepared coffee and fried bananas. Just relax first, yeah?” Odang surprised him a little, making this man blink three times and then turn his head.

“Aduh, I'm so troublesome like this. Breakfast will later be at your home,” reply Ilham in an unpleasant tone.

Odang chuckled, “If waiting at my house later breakfast even bad luck. I forgot to remind my wife to cook a special meal. Well, at least we can eat fried bananas and have coffee or tea, right?”

Inspiration just laughed as he glanced back at the missing persons file that was on the table.

“Ardana...where did you go heh?” grunts in the heart.

“Pak Kades...! Wipes, Sir! Gawat..!”

A shout from outside the village hall then shocked the two. They both came out and found some villagers clustered with various conditions. Among them were even those whose feet were covered in mud and wet soil.

“Pak Kades, a body found near Sirnasurya Forest. We have to get there!”

* * * *