Light 1: Sandekala

Self-death

I dream again.

All my brothers are in the woods. Including Iza, Rhinna, Shanty, Teny, and of course myself.

We were all there. With a purpose I do not yet know.

This morning I woke up in a bed. The bed in the living room corner of Shanty's house.

"Awake? How are you doing?" ask Ian.

"I don't know" I got up from sleep exhaling heavily.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

His eyes looked impatiently waiting to hear what I had experienced.

I'm unmoving.

Too tired to remember what happened last night.

"Maybe later ...," I said at last. "Where are the others?"

"At the village hall. The villagers were explaining to them what had happened last night" he said.

"Oh! You awake, Danny?" Shanty came out the door. "Wait a minute. I'll make you a drink."

"Dane, I'll catch up with your parents first. I promised I'd tell them you'd wake up" Ian said.

I'm nodding.

He also went after them.

"Where was the person next to you?" shanty asked while carrying two bamboo cups filled with tea water.

"Dian? He's following our family."

"He's your brother?" tanyakanya.

"No. He's my cousin. His brother Siman."

"But you guys look like big sisters."

"Ian has always been more attentive to me than my brother. I don't even know why he is, either" I said.

Probably know. But I hope I'm wrong. I need Ian next to me as a big brother. As protector. As advisor. As someone I can trust. Not the other one.

"Drink the tea, Dane."

"Trims, Shan."

"Actually ...," he said.

I sure know what he's gonna say. I hurriedly interrupted, "Before you speak, there's something I want to ask you,"

Shanty pursed his lips. Listen to my words well.

"What happened last night when Sandekala and I held hands? Because I don't know what happened after that."

"You're like fainting. He carried you and took you away to the black forest. I saw you being brought up on the Tablestone. And I saw you thrashing as she hugged and sucked something out of your mouth. Fortunately, my grandmother and I managed to chase and exterminate it. Then suddenly you're unconscious. Your cousin then brought you back here, "he said.

"Shanty .. I want to ask you something personal. Can you?"

I don't actually want to ask you this. I don't want to make her sad and think about her past. But I have to! Because it has to do with my life.

My identity.

"What's? Just try?" challenge smiled.

"How well do you know your parents? Are you willing to talk about everything about your parents to me?" ask me with a serious face.

"You're right. The question is too personal" Shanty replied. "But I'll tell you."

He breathed and began to tell stories. "Both of my parents were Indigenous. My father used to be the head of this Nekala village. My mother is an employee at KIE LIGHT CORPORATION. My father and mother aspired to advance this village so as not to be left behind. They introduced the outside world to the villagers. Explain that out there, life has advanced. And this village has been left far behind from world civilization. But you know, ever since that fire incident, the villagers have refused what's called modernization."

"What do your parents do when summer comes?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did they always fight the Sandekalas?"

"I just found out about it from my grandmother. He told us yesterday, didn't he? When he told me who the owner of Evilis Naifu was."

"So you don't know their relationship with the Sandekalas?" many ensure.

Shanty just shook his head.

"What the hell are you asking me about that?" wonder Shanty.

There was a low noise of people from outside the house.

"It looks like they've come" Shanty said. "Let's meet them!"

I took off my jacket. Leave a thin shirt stuck to my body. We walked out.

"Danny!" said Mom, hugging me.

Mom's always overreacting like this.

"Mom, I beg you!"

Who am I really?

"Mom, Dad, I want to talk to you both" I said.

They both looked at each other in wonder.

"Amy, Septy, then we go home first" said the parents of my brothers.

Mother nodded. "I'm sorry we've been troubling you."

"Yes. You're welcome."

"Friends, I'm sorry for bothering you once again" I said.

Rhinna, Iza, Siman, Ian, Sudra, Winny, Khyun, and Ricky approached me.

Siman shook my hand, pulling my body into his arms.

"When you need our help, we will always help you" he whispered.

One by one my other brothers hugged me.

"We already know what's really going on. Don't hesitate to ask for help, okay!" Rhinna.

I'm nodding.

"Danny, take care of yourself" said Ian slowly.

She hugged me.

Warm.

The warmth is so different.

I hugged him tightly.

Closed eyes.

I felt the warmth more deeply.

The warmth of affection.

All I need now is a hug.

"Danny, Danny. Already," whispered.

I let go of my embrace.

"I go home first" he said, walking away with the rest of my brothers.

I told my parents to go inside with Shanty and his grandmother to listen to our conversation.

"Mom, where's Brother?" my many.

"She's gone home to Teny" he replied.

"Look, it was dusk yesterday, when that thing made me unconscious, I had a dream. The dream seemed real to me. And I believe it. In the dream I met a woman. Her face was similar to mine and she confessed that she was my real mother. I also saw a Japanese man there. And ... the creature told me .. it's true, they're both my real parents," I said.

I could see that expression on the faces of my parents. The burrowing tubs that were caught off guard, they looked surprised at my words.

"There's something I want to ask Mom and Dad. And I want you to answer my question honestly! This question is for the umpteenth time" I said.

Their faces became more worried.

"Am I really your real son or not?!" I'm a little strict this time.

"Da-Danny what are you talking about? Of course you're our biological child" Mother replied nervously as she tried to smile.

"No!" sergeant Daddy.

Everyone was silent looking at him.

"It's time we told Danny the truth" Dad told Mom.

"But ...," came a tone of voice of worry and fear of losing myself from Mother's words.

"It's true you're not our real son. And we're not your real parents either" Dad said.

I was stuck in that corner. That answer I had expected and I shouldn't be this surprised if I finally answered it. But .. I don't know what I'm thinking. Everything is getting blurry even though it is becoming clearer to me.

Slowly my eyes turned red.

He hugged me before my tears finally spilled.

"Dane, forgive your father and mother for keeping this a secret from you all along" he said.

I wiped my tears. "Mom and Dad, just calm down. Don'worry. I'm not leaving you. Even if you're not my real parents, you're still my parents. Because all this time, you've been raising me. I thank you for thinking of me as your biological child all along."

I don't want to find my two real parents. Because I know what they've done to me.

They almost gave my soul to the devil.

Now I know who I am.

I was just a child with a half-demon soul who had been destined to die at the hands of that creature. I know, they're still after me. They want my soul. Because this is not the end but the beginning of everything. This nightmare will not just be a nightmare. Except reality. And I have to fight this reality so I can live in peace.