Light 1: Sandekala

Without Anything

My life is at the end of my neck. Maybe it will come off if no one helps me.

Suddenly I felt something in my neck.

Wetter.

Sardonic.

Someone bit my neck.

Not that creature.

It hurts so much.

I'm suffocating.

Hot neck.

This way I could really die.

"What a whisper! What's the matter, brother, what are you doing?!" the voice of Siman.

Ian did not answer.

It's like last time.

I am floating between two worlds.

My dream world won't let me go but the real world I can feel clearly.

I felt Ian clasping tightly to my arms, his chest resting on my chest, his feet holding my thrashing legs, and his mouth sticking to my neck. Biting me like a dracula. For a moment the blood flow to my head stopped. But not long after that I realized. My eyes were wide with shock. I immediately got up with a breath of breath.

"Siman! Get me a towel and some water!" Ian's orders.

Sweat drenched our bodies.

"Danny! Lookatme! Lookatme! Are you okay?"

I gulped still with a stingy breath.

I looked at both his eyes.

Trying to focus.

Everything looks blurry.

Shaded.

Blurred.

"It!" says Siman giving a towel and a glass of water.

Ian wiped my face and body soaked in sweat.

"Drink this, Dane!"

Ian gave me that glass of water.

I feel my whole body hurt. I rubbed my neck. There's a bite there.

"I'm sorry, Danny! I don't know what I should do. You were convulsing. I tried to wake you but you didn't wake up either. I saw you clawing and strangling your own neck. Don't know why I spontaneously want to bite your neck and hope you realize. Again I'm sorry, Dane!" said Ian.

"It's okay. I'm actually thankful. If I hadn't woken up, I'd be dead" I said.

"Dead?" wonder Ian.

I'm nodding. "I dream that Sandekala is choking me. It feels so real. I can't breathe. I heard your voice and Siman's but I couldn't get up."

"Dead in a dream?" asked Siman the astonishment that was standing next to me.

I didn't respond. Just looking at her for a while then my gaze shifted on both palms of my hands. Look at the empty hand lines.

"Are you sick?" ask Ian. "We'd better go to the hospital."

"I'm doing fine. I have had bad dreams often. But, just this time my nightmare felt this real."

I shiver and my hands tremble.

"Do you want to go home?" ask Ian. "Let me drive you home."

"What time is it?" I asked Siman.

"It's six in the morning."

"No need. You're gonna have to work" I told Ian.

"You sure?" tanyanya was so worried.

I swallowed spit. Shaking head. Trying to relax. "I'll be fine."

"Yes already then. You're like this."

Ian immediately went to the bathroom and changed his clothes.

"This is my shirt. Wear it," said Ian. "Are you really okay?" ask him to make sure last time.

"I mean I'm okay. I'm just a little ... depressed," I said. "But later also lost," I hurriedly added.

"Well, I'm off to work first. Today I have a job that I really can't leave."

Ian came out of his room.

I put the shirt on and with Siman followed him out.

"Man, if Danny wants to go home, please take you, yes" Ian asked.

"Yes yes," replied Siman reluctantly.

The sound of the motor slowly drifted away.

For a long time, Siman and I were silent. Watching TV with a blank look. My mind was floating everywhere. My heart is not calm. I fear. A fear that cannot be expressed in words.

"So you said Sandekala. What'sthat?" asked Siman who seemed to want to ask.

"Man ...," I said after a few seconds of non-compliance.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "If I ever need your help, will you help me?"

"What help is it?"

"Your power."

"Huh? Meanin?" tanyanya's confused.

"You're getting worse. What war will there be? Over where? When's? How did you know there was going to be a war?" tanyanya.

"I don't know where I know. I can't explain it to you. You'll know for yourself" I replied. "Will you promise to help me when that happens?"

"OKAY. Even though I don't understand what you're talking about."

I didn't understand all this either but my premonition and the words from Nia kept ringing. That I had to fight them, whether when or where. The only key to finding other clues is to locate the village where a red-haired girl lives.

Siman then took me for a walk around the housing complex using his motorbike. Maybe he was trying to make me forget about it. Because all I did was daydream.

"We'll just go to Iza's house. We haven't played there in a long time" I suggested.

We arrived at a house that could be said to be magnificent. The house was occupied by five people. Iza's first sister was Dhinie and her husband, Agies, kept her second sister Rhinna Angeran, Iza herself, and another was her niece, Fanze, who was 8 years old. Both of their parents live abroad and only come home once a year.

Siman parked his bike in the garage.

"Hey, Dane! Tumben wants to come here," astonished Iza who was watering the plants.

"With the holidays, he can play here" said Siman.

"Za, where's Rhinna?" my many.

"There's inside. Come inside!"

"Sepi, yes."

"Yes, that little monster was out for a walk with his parents. So no one's doing anything in this house" Iza replied.

He and Fanze were always noisy.

"Please sit. You guys wait here, I'll get you a drink first."

From the top floor there was the sound of someone walking down the stairs.

"Hey, Dane! Simans! How are you?" greet Rhinna immediately sat on the sofa, in front of us.

"Okay" replied Siman.

"It! Please drink!" tawar Iza immediately sat beside her brother.

That day we had a conversation with Iza and her sister. But I have not dared to mention my problems, my dreams. I know maybe they won't believe that easily with my story. I want them to find out and see firsthand the person who's been watching me and making me have nightmares. I'm sure they'll all be involved in my troubles because in my dream last time they were all present with each one a weapon and ready to fight.

At 12:00.

We decided to go home. Siman drove me to the front of the house but was reluctant to stop by. As soon as I entered the house, Mom was waiting in the living room.

"Danny, where have you come from?!" tanyanya angry. "You're just gonna make me worry!"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I came home last night. I'm staying at Ian's."

I headed straight to my room before being interrogated further. I changed my clothes. If today were so, Ian and I would go find Nekala's village again. But today we will look for one village only because the time will not be enough.

On the table was a setoples cake that I hadn't touched once since the day Iza gave it. I ate some of that cake and went down to the kitchen.

On the table there is good food. I ate it because I was hungry.

At 13.00.

Ian should have gone home. I wait for him in my room. From a distance someone riding a motorcycle was talking to a girl.

"That looks like Ian" I said myself.

I came out of the house to approach them.

"Sorry Kila, all this time I only considered you as my co-worker. Nothing more than that" Ian said to the girl before him who was crying.

"But all this time I thought you loved me!" get the girl.

"wait. You misunderstood Kil, I don't love you. We are just ordinary friends. The kindness of my heart to you has only been limited to friendship. I have no special feelings for you. Do you know how I am by myself? I've always been kind to everyone. Don't take my kindness as my love for you. I don't love you, Kil!" ian said with an emphasized tone.

"good. I-i understand. I was wrong. I'm sorry, Ian," he said as he pleased.

"Yes, already. Now do you want me to take you home or not? I have an appointment with my sister."

"No! I can go home by myself!" replied the girl in a disappointed and riled tone.

"Then be so careful on Kil's road. Sorry if I let you down. But .. I want us to be friends. With this incident I hope your nature and attitude have not changed towards me."

The girl left Ian. Ian himself was riding his motorcycle towards me who was waiting for him.

"Dane, are you ready? Let's go!"

"If you're uncomfortable, we'd better cancel. We can find Nekala's village tomorrow" I suggested.

"No, Dane. I promised I'd help you. Come aboard!"

Her voice is normal as usual. He is wise. Can control his emotions well.

We also did a village search.

The third Nekala village is located quite far away. Located in North Vereyon.

We asked the village chief. But again the answer remains the same. They don't know the girl I mean and there's no tube house there.

The night came when we were on our way home.

"Dane, we're here!" Ian parked his bike in front of the bus stop. "Huh! Tired of today!" his mouth while stretching his stiff muscles.

"You don't have to feel compelled to help me. I don't want to trouble you. Because of me, you're so exhausted" I said.

"I've told you many times I'm sincerely helping you, Dane. I like you - I mean - I really want to help you. I would love to accompany you. All this time you've always been alone" said Ian-who seemed to be lost. He looks wrong. "So, next time don't say that again yeah, it makes me sad."

I'm just nodding.

"Now do you want to go home or stay at my house again?" tanyakanya.

"I'm just going home. I'm always worried."

"Well then. Let's go!"

By the time I arrived at my house in the middle of the night, my parents had been waiting for me in the living room. Prepare interrogate. I made false excuses for them because there was no way I could tell the truth. It's not that I'm afraid they don't believe. But I'm afraid they're worrying about me.

Day after day I do the same. After Ian's work, we immediately went to look for one by one Nekala village. Hope to find the girl. The same thing I always asked the head of RT, RW, village chiefs, villagers, and village elders there. But the answer I was hoping I didn't get. The mysterious girl I still haven't found.

***

Two days before the summer ends.

Today, Ian and I will search for three other Nekala villages. And if from these three villages we don't find the girl either, tomorrow afternoon after Ronny's wedding is over, we'll find Nekala's last village.

It turned out to be true, the search for the girl in the three villages was just futile. There's no clue about it. I only have one more chance. The last Nekala village is located at the foot of the Andekhala mountains. That name sounds familiar to me.