MYSTERY OF TWO STAGES

Section Six

I opened my eyes.

“Where am I?”

I hear people's voices like they're talking. But everything felt so faint that I heard.

“What is this? Ahhh..”.

I tried to thrash, but I couldn't move my limbs. And I'm still naked.

I spread my eyes around.

It's the most horrible sight I've ever had in my entire life.

Around me there were many creatures like Limah that I saw in the river.

Floating each other on the ground with elongated bodies and faces. Wailing in the air.

“This man is now mine, hiiiiiiiiii.

I saw Limah talking above me. His legs were somehow able to wrap around my body like snakes.

“This man will be my slave, me and him have committed intercourse, hi.. hi.. hi.. hiii.....” Limah laughed shrillly.

“No one can touch him anymore including you Salmah, he has become my right, hi.. hi.. hi.. hiii...” Limah pointed towards the cacao trees.

I was really scared to hear and see what was around me now.

Suddenly, a white figure came flying down from the top of the cocoa tree and approached me.

It was Salmah, I still recognized her even though her body had turned elongated with a pale face that was also elongated.

He brought his face closer to mine.

“To-to-please a-aku Salmah..” I plead to Salmah while crying.

Salmah just looked at me with pale white eyes, growling with bated breath, then shook her head and drifted away towards the cocoa tree. He was so angry like that.

The sound of giggling is mutually unpretentious. While I'm down with what I'm dealing with. I really can't move my body.

“Let him Lime”

Suddenly a voice stopped all the giggling earlier.

Limah turned her head to see the origin of the voice.

“He's mine Nek, hiiiiiiii Limah said with a grin.

It turned out to be Miss Nor coming.

“But he is still my guest” said Bu Nor rebuking.

“No, I won't hand this human over to Grandma, we've done intercourse, and we'll do it again, Grandma know our rules don't you?!” Limah said as she giggled, her head circling.

“You also know our custom Limah, in the human world the guest must be respected and guarded, before he asks permission to leave or deliberately intends to leave, he is still my guest, my obligation to keep him, now release him Lima”

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Limah is loud.

The other creatures followed in a louder, boisterous voice.

I was crying with fear. My body shakes hard.

A moment later I saw some white figures hovering near Limah, I did not know who they were. They spoke as if they were advising Limah.

Limah grinned like she was unhappy.

“Good Nek, but remember, this human will remain mine until the meeting is over, when that time comes, I hope Grandma no longer meddles in what is our business, hiiiiiiii…………..” Said Limah staring intently at Bu Nor.

“There is no way this human will be your guest forever” Limah said again.

Limah chuckles horribly. His laughter seemed to fill all nature.

I who heard it shuddered.

Limah took the twists of her legs off my body and drifted away, following the other creatures.

Now everything is getting quiet. Suddenly quiet atmosphere.

I was drooping on the ground when Miss Nor approached me.

“Wear your clothes” His orders while giving some clothes, I according.

“Let's go home”

I also immediately followed the footsteps of Bu Nor who walked quickly in front of me with still covered face of fear and trembling body.

What just happened I thought? Why is everything getting creepy? The shadow of fear hugged me.

All the way we stayed quiet until we got home.

“What happened exactly Bu?” I tried to ask with still fear and a little trembling after arriving and entering the house.

Ms. Nor took a deep breath.

“Nak Aryo sleep first, I'm afraid this will worsen, should whatever happens Nak Aryo stay inside first” said Bu Nor.

I also obeyed the words of Ms. Nor.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my notebook and wrote down what I had just experienced.

I think back to the story of Hartono, is this really the village that has been visited by Hartono? And they've all been lying to me from the beginning? My brain is really working hard.

I wrote for a long time until I fell asleep in fear and exhaustion. I flinched when I heard like the sound of crying. It was the voice of Salmah.

I hurried out of my sleep and out of the room, I saw Salmah, she was not what I saw that night, she was still the same as when I first saw her.

I tried to reprimand him, Salmah threw her face and left the house of Ms. Nor.

There was disappointment on his face.

I see it is still night because it is still dark, or am I too deep to fall asleep through the day? I really don't know.

“Sit Nak Aryo” Bu Nor said to me after Salmah left.

“For a while Mom, I picked up clothes first” I replied. At that time I was not wearing clothes.

After wearing clothes, I also took the initiative to take my Notebook and a voice recording device, because only these two tools are still functioning.

I walked out of the room and sat down in front of Ms. Nor and put the notebook and the voice recorder in front of me.

“Mother will tell you about the truth” Bu Nor said again.

“Nak Aryo record this?” Bu Nor asked while paying attention to the bag containing the notebook and also the recording device on it.

“I-i-iya Ma, I want to write it down later as my memento here. Can Bu?” My answer.

“Come, after all Nak Aryo is just a minute away” He said with a flat face.

“Means Mother?” Manya jumpy.

“Have nothing to think of” Bu Nor said to me.

I took a deep breath, I know what it means.

“Mother has lived here for a long time, from the time Mom's husband died to today” She started telling stories.

“Munian Village is not like an ordinary village. There are no humans living in this village except Ibu”

“Mother isn't like them?”

“Of course not, Mom is just like you, human too, you shouldn't be able to see them” either

“Who are they, Mom? Why can I see them?”

“They are elves, a country of jinn, subtle creatures, whatever they call it for them. Nak Aryo can see them because one of them has chosen you, and you see them in a picture like what you want to see”

I read the explanation given by Ms. Nor.

“What Limits have chosen me Bu?” I asked like I was losing power. But Miss Nor shook her head slowly.

“They are all subtle creatures Mom? Including Salmah?” I continued to pursue with questions.

“Iya, of course, including Salmah”

“But isn't Salmah Mom's grandson? She called Mom granny”

“Everyone in this village calls me Grandma, of course including Salmah. From the beginning Salmah was with you. He's been following Nak Aryo since the forest. When Nak Aryo entered Mom's house, I also knew that Salmah was under the house listening to us talk. He was the one who had chosen Nak Aryo. From the beginning he liked Nak Aryo, because he was also the one that you could see them all. But now that everything has changed, Nak Aryo has broken something very abstinence for us against them, and Salmah is very disappointed” Bu Nor took a breath for a moment.

“Why can you be so careless as to be tempted to do the deed with Limitation? Now, Limah will not let you go, he will take you to their world, I don't know what he will do to you there" he continued.

I was silent, regretting everything.

“After Nak Aryo was brought there, I didn't even know what was there. Since Nak Aryo arrived here, you remember again, has Nak Aryo seen the sunlight once? There never was, was it? That's because Nak Aryo is actually on the other side of their world, the world of crossing between us and them. Mother never even know how their real nature is, if on the side of the world they are like Nak Aryo know and feel always dark, maybe their real nature, maybe, actually darker than we ever imagined” Bu Nor explained with a distant looking.

“To be honest at this time no one can prevent Limah from bringing Nak Aryo with him, nor Salmah or anyone, because that is the rule that applies to their people. Everyone now knows that Nak Aryo already belongs to Limah, the limit that is currently still in the way is your existence as a guest of Mother. They will not force into the house if not allowed by the owner of the house, because just like us as humans, they also have rules that must be lived. As long as Nak Aryo is still in the house and is a guest of Mom, I think Nak Aryo will be fine”, Bu Nor explained.

“They also do not want to interact carelessly with humans except in special circumstances. Nak Aryo see, around here there are many cacao and coconut trees, right? Actually the cocoa and coconut plantations are owned by people who live not far from here”

“They're human Bu?” I interrupted Bu Nor's testimony.

“Yes, of course they are human just like us, they are the ones who grow all the crops - those plants” replied Bu Nor.

“Every day they come here to pick up cocoa and coconuts, sometimes they also come here to talk, which is why sometimes Nak Aryo is like seeing you talking to yourself. Actually, I'm talking to other humans, but since Nak Aryo is being hidden, you can't see any other human except Mom, nor can they see Nak Aryo, either, even when you are hidden it, you will only be able to see their people” Bu Nor took a short pause, then continued.

“After the mothers of the people who are also the same as us, have community groups as well, have customs and rules that should not be violated, but the same as we are, too, have customs and rules that should not be violated, some of them sometimes also disobey the rules, ignore their own customs, some of them are good like Salmah, some are bad behavior, some are religious as diligent in doing prayers, some are good, but there are also those who behave badly like Limah for example”

I kept reading the explanation given.

“ Across the coconut garden there is a human village, those who take coconuts mostly never experience strange events, as long as each of them keep their own adab”

I nodded listening. At that time I actually resigned. I knew it wouldn't be possible forever that I would be a guest of Ms. Nor.

We were both silent when shortly afterwards suddenly there was a boisterous voice calling out the name of Bu Nor to come out.

“That's Limah coming” said Bu Nor took a deep breath then got up and stepped out.

Back the shadow of horror and fear hugged me tightly. Right now I can only wait.

The clamorous noise outside made me even more uneasy about what was to come next.

Serialize…………..