Light 1: Sandekala

Nekala Village

It was supposed to be on this sunny Sunday that I went to the beach. Enjoy the beauty of the sunset at the end of the ocean. Flo, Nora, and her family are on holiday at White Sand Pier (WHISPER) beach in northern Clayraira. But, I don't have time to enjoy the day off right now. I had to immediately find out what I wanted to know and get answers from the dreams and apparitions that are increasingly disturbing my life today.

I looked at the window. A motorbike was parked in the yard. There was also a low boisterous voice of the mother who was conversing with someone downstairs.

After wearing a black jacket and jeans I immediately went down.

Ian had already come to pick up and was sitting in the living room.

"We're leaving now?"

"You haven't had breakfast?" tanyakanya. "Breakfast first, let me wait for you here, Dane."

"Hm .. fine."

"It's still morning. No hurry! I wait, okay!" his reply.

I went to the kitchen.

Ronny was brewing coffee when I picked up a box of cereal on the shelf.

I pour the cereal into a bowl and I flush it with cold milk from the refrigerator.

"Where are you going, Dane?" he asked after a long while in an awkward silence.

"I want to go for a walk with Ian" I replied as I put my cereal on the dinner table.

I saw his face was not as usual. Like saying something but hesitating.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I was talking stale while eating my cereal.

"Dad went with his friend to play golf. Mom is in the backyard."

There's nothing we can talk about. It's been months that we've never been this close. It's even been a year since he worked at Vereyon and we've never done anything together again.

Over time, me and Ronny were not like sisters. There's nothing I want to ask you anymore. We feel awkward for each other.

I know Ronny wants to say something. He occasionally glanced at me but immediately turned his eyes and sipped back on his coffee as soon as I looked back at him.

I finished my breakfast immediately and was about to move on.

"Danny's."

"Yes?"

Face doubts. "May your sightseeing be fun. I'm sorry, I can't take you for a walk like I used to."

I just smiled in surprise while nodding. Ronny doesn't usually talk like that.

"Are you ready?" ask Ian to me.

"certain."

We headed to Vereyon.

"Where was the first Nekala village?" ask Ian.

I opened my notebook. The information I need I've recorded everything.

"In the Serengeti area. Vereyon west."

Ian propelled his motor through the uphill rock road.

After a few hours we finally arrived.

You could say, the village is quite modern because there are several houses made of concrete. The state of the village was not the same as in my dreams. In my dream, all his houses were still made of bamboo, wood, and glass. But even so, the electricity had already reached the village. And there was one unique house in the village in my dream. The house was tubular with one window near the door.

Although I doubt that village is the one I'm looking for, but, I want to make sure of it first. I went to the house of one of the RT chiefs. Asking me everything about the village in my dream.

I asked about the red-haired girl, the tube house, and Sandekala. But according to Mr. RT, there is no red-haired girl and tube-shaped house in the village. He asserted that a creature called Sandekala always came to the village during the last summer. Since the disappearance of dozens of children several years ago, all teenagers, children, and newlyweds have not lived in the village. They all live in safer suburbs.

Before proceeding to the next Nekala village, Ian and I decided to look at the state of the village. There is a calm river and bamboo trees around it. I wish I had a clue but there's nothing I can find.

"Okay, the first village we've been to. And it's not the village in your dreams. Where is the second Nekala village?" ask Ian on the way.

"It's ten kilos north of Nekala's village. At the foot of the Alfian Mountains."

An hour later we arrived because the road was so steep. And it should not be possible to pass motor vehicles.

The same thing we asked the local village chief and the result was the same. No red-haired girl and no tube-shaped house. But we still want to be sure back about the girl.

The village has only five teenage girls. And there's nothing like it in my dreams. They are all ordinary girls.

Our search failed today.

We decided to go back to Den Lag because it was getting late. The twilight valley was visible on the Western horizon as we walked down a steep stone path.

Some other villages around Nekala village we passed. It is clear how the real changes of these villages are.

Everything's quiet.

Like dying at dusk.

Everyone hid themselves in their homes until the twilight of the day was over.

"Ian, I ...," it's so hard to say. But I can't fool myself. I don't know why I'm so scared.

I felt an aura that made my guts shrivel. That black shadow was always and more appearing in my brain. I even thought that the black sheets hanging on the clothesline were Sandekala.

***

The sun has not yet sunk. We have not found a highway yet. At least the highway is still one kilo meter away. We have not been able to get out of the creepy forest to our left and right.

I hugged Ian's body quite tightly. I closed my eyes and hid my face behind the curve of his back.

Shortly thereafter, the sound of cars driving from the left and right. I opened my eyes. It turns out we were on the highway.

"Danny, are you okay?" tanyanya felt my movements.

"Yes, I'm fine."

It's already night. When I look at my watch the time shows at 21:00.

"Huh? Am I asleep?" my wonder.

"Yes, Dane. I'm surprised you slept like a dead man. Not moving at all."

The night wind pierced my skin. The cold air made my skin snow white.

"Hey, are you hungry?" ask Ian. His stomach felt trembling in my hands.

"Yes." Yeah."

"I'll show you a good place to eat at night like this" he said.

Ian parked his bike in the restaurant parking lot. A small restaurant that is so romantic. Maybe ... is too romantic for two young men like us who just want to fill a rumbling stomach.

We sat at a table near the window facing the sidewalk. I saw the table in front, back and side we had filled by a pair of young-goddlers. Flickering lights on the ceiling and candlelight in the middle of the table that gives off a fragrant Lavender is indeed comfortable for a place to eat lovers. But, to me this .. is a little laughable. They all glanced at us with wondering gazes. Maybe they think we're a gay couple dating.

I wouldn't feel good about Ian if I said I wanted to get out of this restaurant. Ian's been helping me. There's no harm if I follow what he says. After all he was not distracted by the whispers of our next-door customer.

"It's menu. Go ahead" said a waiter.

"Danny, what do you want?" ask Ian.

"As far as you go" I said embarrassedly.

He must have been aware of that. Suddenly he stood up and surprised me.

"Hey, you! She's my sister. Don't think anything!" he screamed throughout the room.

Ian sat back down and read the menu list. "alright. Then we order two chicken steaks and french fries. To drink it we ordered two lemon teas" Ian told the waiter.

After taking down the order, he returned to the kitchen.

"Did you ever come here?" my many.

"No, yet" he replied plainly.

"What's? How do you know the food here is good?"

"Isn't every restaurant expensive to eat delicious?" answer while grinning.

The waiter finally came while carrying our order. The smell of chicken breast wrapped in black pepper sauce was already smelled from a distance of one meter.

We both ate the chicken steak and the french fries we ordered.

The atmosphere on the highway is so beautiful. Seen from behind the glass, street lights illuminate the streets that began to be quiet.

"We'd better get home soon. Anyway, tomorrow you have to go to work, right?" my proposal.

"Yes, you're right. It's night, '" he said. "Servant!" ian called out to the waiter who had cleaned the empty tables.

"Let me pay. You have helped me. Now it's my turn to repay your kindness" I said.

"No, no, Danny. I'll pay."

"But it-"

"I'm glad to help you. I'm the one who brought you here."

After he paid for the expensive food, we went home.

"Tomorrow you're off?" asked Ian to make sure.

"Yes. Two weeks' end of summer vacation."

"Then just stay at my house. It's already night. Your family must have gone to sleep. Wanna?" ask Ian.

I just nodded at him. "But then try calling home. I'm afraid Mom and Dad are worried."

We finally arrived at Ian's house. He brought the double keys to his house. Deserted atmosphere. Ian's family must have gone to sleep. His house is typical Indo house mostly. With ceramic floor and concrete wall. Not terraced but definitely wider than my house.

"That's Siman's room. You just sleep in my room," he asked. "If you want a call home, the phone's in the living room. I'm gonna take a shower first."

I tried to call home, but no one picked it up.

"Have phone?" ian asked as he walked out of the bathroom.

I saw him sitting on the couch.

I'm nodding. "Nobody's lifting. Maybe they're asleep."

"Don't you have a boxer?" my many. "I borrow it."

"Yes, ada. You take a shower there."

I know now he's looking at me.

They're spying on me.

But I can't see it. Only a certain time can I see it. When I don't think about it or when I'm afraid it must appear.

I'm sure it's a dream.

I want to get out of this dream.

It's dark in here.

There's nothing

There's no one.

I was in a tight room.

An incandescent light suddenly lit up above my head. Just light my body.

I'm getting scared.

This is not the dream I was expecting.

I'm yelling.

Hope realized.

Waking up from this dream world.

Can't do.

Light emerged from the ceiling of the room.

Other light bulbs.

One, two, three ....

The lights started to light up everything.

I was in the middle of a vast empty space. Ceramic-plated.

In the corner of the room, I could see taps that were incessantly dripping with water.

It's wet in here.

Far away at the end of the room, there are hooks, rigging, chains, and cleavers.

It's like an animal slaughterhouse.

"Danny ...," the voice wafts from behind.

Echoing slowly in the room.

Slowly, I turned to face him.

He gripped my neck tight. The longer the grip gets stronger. Choked me.

He brought the black hood-covered head to my face. Dark initially. But then the two blue eyeballs lit up brightly.

I gasped and couldn't breathe. I thrashed with all my might. Trying to release the clutches of his increasingly tight hands.

"Dane! Danny's! Why you?!"

I could hear Ian's voice but I didn't wake up from my dream.

I screamed in pain.

Thrashed uncontrollably so that I could escape from the entanglement of the creature and wake up.

"Danny! Wake, Danny!" call Ian to panic.

He doesn't know what to do.

I was trying to grab my own neck so she would know what I was going through.

I'm suffocating!

I can't hold it anymore.

Could I die in my own dream?