DEAD
Section 23
“I've heard all the stories from Dara, so I hope you don't hesitate anymore to tell me what you've experienced in that house. No need to hesitate, I will try to help you while you still can.”
Rena looked at the old man in front of her for a while, then lowered her gaze. Not that he was unsure, it was just that he still felt awkward to talk to Dara's grandfather.
It was late afternoon when Rena and Arsya decided to go home and Hanif showed up, asking to talk to Rena for a while. They talked together in the room that Dara referred to as his grandfather's sitting room. Bookshelves lined up, surreal paintings hung on the walls, and wooden statues decorated the room, as well as other objects that Rena had first seen and did not really know what their functions were.
The room was covered in soft cool air. They sat on a soft red sofa in the corner of the room, near a large glass window that could not be opened. From there they could see a large street in front of the house that was touched by the afternoon sun.
“I don't know where to tell you,” said Rena then after some time thinking what to say.
Hanif smiled, a soothing smile from his old face.
“You can start from the beginning you came to that house.”
“I came to the house to look after my niece who fell down the stairs,” bright Rena, then told her everything she had experienced. Starting from the sound of water in the bathroom and ghostly shadows in the mirror when he first came, nightmares, until strange events when Dara was staying at his house. All, without exception.
Hanif listened carefully. The look on her face changes depending on the story of Rena. He frowned in wonder when Rena started telling him about the water faucet and the ghostly shadows in the mirror, as well as her nightmares. When Rena started recounting as she read Anna's diary and was almost killed by the creepy figure in her house, Hanif slightly widened and was shocked.
“So when I heard Dara's accident, I was afraid that the ghosts in the house followed Dara up here and disturbed her,” said Rena ended the story.
“She came here because Dara brought the book.”
“But it ‘kan Anna's diary, Kek. While Dara said that what bothers him is not just the figure of Anna, but there are others as well.”
“It is true that the owner of the book is Anna, but this one figure also resides in it. Somehow I do not know, because they usually only live in objects or places associated with his death.”
“So this book has something to do with the death of that figure?” ask Rena.
“Can be.”
Rena and Hanif fell silent. The cold air suddenly changed, a little hotter than before. Hanif looked out the window. In his visible head was the scene when he was a child, when he still liked to steal the conversation his father and Mr. William had. He thought back to what had happened back then.
“Dara said that she told you about the house,” Hanif said, without looking at Rena.
Rena nodded slowly. “Iya, Cake. Dara told me everything.”
“But there are actually things I never told Dara. It was something I had purposely hidden from anyone who wanted to know about the house. After hearing your story, it seems like it's time for me to tell you that. I want you to know one important thing that happened there. Things that have been the cause of the haunted house.”
“Not because of the death of Mr William's wife?”
“Indeed true, but what happened was more than that.”
***
“Why are you, Na? From earlier daydreaming mulu.” Arsya who was sitting behind the wheel looked at Rena with a confused look.
After returning from Dara's house, the girl did not talk much. Just shut up while daydreaming. The distance from Dara's house to Rena's house is not far, but Arsya at that time was deliberately taking a detour. Along the way, Arsya felt strange with the quiet atmosphere in the car even though he was not alone.
“Totally?” Arsya seemed to be hesitant about the words Rena.
“Iya.”
“By the way Grandpa Han talked to you?” ask Arsya again. Actually he did not mean to act like a curious person, the young man just wanted to start a conversation.
“It ... uh has arrived. Rana's sister turned out to be home.”
Arsya stopped the car right in front of Rena's house. They had arrived, on the veranda already stood Rana who had just returned from the office. Rena quickly opened the car door and got out, Arsya did the same, then took out Daffa, carried him into the house.
Rana stood with her eyebrows raised. “Where are you from?” ask with a probing view.
“Daffa was from the same streets Kak Arsya, Ma.” Daffa who was in Arsya's arms replied cheerfully.
“West-way?”
“Iya, Brother. Arsya took a walk to the newly opened amusement park near Daffa. Keep us to Dara's house, she's fallen down the stairs. Oh yeah, this is Arsya. He also lives in this housing,” explained Rena.
Arsya reached out to shake hands after taking down Daffa. “Arsya.”
Rana returned the helping hand with a big smile. “Rana. Daffa often tells about you. Thank you well, it has been good with Daffa all this time.”
Arsya smiled as she nodded small. After asking herself, she returned to the car and immediately went home.
The light of the twilight sun was trying to penetrate through the gaps of the leaves from the large trees growing by the roadside. Not late in the evening, but the streets have darkened. Arsya was still smiling to herself, when a loud thud came from the hood above her, like someone had fallen and hit her car.
Arsya hit the brakes, then got out. There's nothing there. No trace of falling objects, the roof of the car is smooth as usual. So what's? Such a loud sound clearly came from the impact on his car, Arsya was sure of that. He looked at the streets behind, there was nothing either. Empty, deserted.
He got back in the car, still confused. When the gas tank and began to run, Arsya still could not find an answer to the incident just now. It's strange according to him.
He fad swept his gaze and again frowned in wonder when he found there was an old book on Rena's seat earlier. He took the book with his left hand, while the right was still busy driving.
“It's got Rena?” arsya asked herself.
I watched the book for a moment. Just for a moment, then tossed it back to the side chair. Just then there was a woman who suddenly appeared and crossed the street. Arsya, who had gotten too close to the woman, quickly turned her car to the side, trying to avoid the woman.
“Crazy, do people want to cross what is suicide, anyway? Appears suddenly it.”
Car stopped. Arsya looked back, but the woman was gone.
“Highly lost?”
Trying not to get dizzy, Arsya returned to running his car. He did not know, if in the back seat already sat a woman who continued to look sharply at him.
