PARLORS DIE

FAKE FAMILY

"You have about half a day to get ready. Bring all your things, no one left in this place. I'll be back to pick you up tonight,"

"Don't you say tomorrow sir?"

"I said that tomorrow you've met your death" said the man, then laughed. The sound of laughter drew closer to the door.

We panicked and retreated as quickly as possible. However, this hallway felt even longer than usual. The door opened slowly.

Look someone tall and in a black suit, wearing a black fedora hat. The minimal light aisle plus his hat made his face look dark, except the bottom like his mouth.

We were caught eavesdropping on their conversation. Me, Reza and Sindi just froze. My step back was heavy, as if I didn't want to move.

The man's mouth turned into a cynical smile. He continued his steps past us who were still glued. The man stopped, his gaze fixed forward, his back to us.

"You know the reality, right?...There's nothing you can do" whispered the man leaving this place.

Even if it was just a whisper, those words were very piercing in my ear. The truth of his words was terrible. As the pain that wrapped around my life, also in my stomach, made him feel nauseous.

The man continued walking. The sound of his shoes echoed in this hallway. Like a clock that keeps moving. It will never stop and come back.

I regained consciousness and ran after the man. The man was already in the front yard of the house, near the gate to get out of this place.

"Hey, you freak!" exclaim me from the porch of the house.

The man stopped, and his head faced the side and glanced at me. He kept quiet to continue talking.

But somehow, I just fell silent. The words I want to say don't exist. I was frozen and confused as to what to say.

While He is still motionless, I think for the words I want to put out.

"Why are you doing such a cruel thing?!"

The man smiled cynically.

"Cruel? There's no such thing as cruel in what we do."

"What do you mean?" I clenched my hand.

"You know? In this world, there usually has to be a victim to support others" he said, smiling slowly.

I'm a little confused what he means. I read his words back. I also got something out of her meaning.

Perhaps, Our Child sold his organs to people who were more important to life. For example, the son of a rich man who needs a functioning organ to replace his organs that fail to function.

After getting the purpose of our organs to be sold. I have a question.

"victim...We're the victims, why is that?" ask me in a hateful tone, clenching my hands even harder.

"Actually these are not my words." The man instantly changed his gaze upwards, staring at the sky in front of him. He continued his words.

"You live by the rope of a broken family destiny, a failed family, a disharmony. With that you reconnect the rope of family destiny in this place. You form a group of people who are neither needed nor discarded by your own original family. So all that is gathered here is a fake family, not in accordance with the destiny of real family ties. This falsehood is tantamount to a lie, therefore, in order to make up for this lie, you deserve to be a victim for the lives of others, people who have harmonious families, he said, whose parents are willing to give us money to buy your organs for the life of his son. So that the creation of a family remains sincere and pure."

The man's words were extremely sharp and sounded like an honest whisper of heart, yet they were not his words, were they the words of his superior, his boss?

But to me, it was just silly words and nonsense, no kindness at all and a sense of justice.

The man continued walking away from me and moved his hand to signal goodbye.

"I don't have much time."

The man passed the fence, and locked it from the outside. This iron fence looks high to me. It cannot be climbed. I approached the fence and looked out there. The car disappeared in the distance. Now only the road looks straight empty, and also the left and right sides filled with dense forest.

The sun rises darker today, as it is covered in a cloud. It feels strange, I now seem to realize, that this place feels like a prison in the middle of the forest.

I turned around and it turned out that there were Reza and Sindi who were silent with sad expressions and crying, they were also listening to my conversation earlier.

As I looked towards the front of this home, I felt nostalgia. When I first came here and saw my brothers welcoming me.

There was warm water running down my cheeks from my eyes. Fear, sadness, resentment, loneliness mixed into a melancholy feeling.

~|~|~

At this long table, we had breakfast. The sisters ate voraciously, they did not know about the incident. I, Reza, and Sindi, have no appetite. The three of us had a grim expression.

After the incident, the mother was just busy packing her personal belongings. When Sindi wants to help her, Mommy refuses. He just told us to cook for breakfast.

I feel very full, even though I eat rice with this chicken side dish very little. Eating with an unusual feeling, will only make your appetite change. I stood up and wanted to wash the dishes and glasses I was wearing.

"Huh? Yayan is full?" The innocent and cute voice of my sister, the Nia.

Yeah, yeah, usually if I finish the plate, I'll add more, but this isn't.

I was also confused about what to answer, because the first question asked was that.

"No more dieting" I replied smiling.

That was the only answer that came to my mind. I'm not fat, I'm not too skinny. Normal size people...

"Pffs." Reza and Sindi's shoulders trembled as they held back their laughter.

"Why are you two?" I looked at them both suspiciously.

"Fuhh, it's okay... Pffft," replied Reza, who was trembling again withholding her laughter.

"That's okay," replied Sindi who started to calm down and smiled.

It turned out that Sindi had also finished eating her breakfast, and wanted to wash her plate.

I walked first to the kitchen and washed my dishes. When I arrived, I washed immediately. Behind me was Sindi who was daydreaming waiting for her turn to wash.

After I finish washing, I intend to wipe my wet hands. Take a washcloth hanging in this kitchen.

Reza came carrying cutlery: plates, cups, and spoons that piled up, had sisters who had finished eating. Reza approached Sindi who was about to finish washing her cutlery. Sindi turned around and looked at Reza in surprise.

"Let me wash all of this" said the smiling one.

"Oh, thank you, yes" Reza said with a smile.

Sindi nodded slowly.

Woy, you weren't washing in mine, that's a little unfair.

Reza came towards me and wiped his hands that were not wet. He then leaned against the wall. I didn't realize I was leaning back.

"So, what are we gonna do?" asked Reza in a serious tone.

"Mother tonight will be picked up by the freak, I think, we have to help the mother first" I replied.

"That's true too."

"But how?" ask Sindi who was washing.

"That way, we'll talk to you later" I replied.

~|~|~

The day is running, there is not much time to plan your escape. So, the three of us now headed for Mother's room, passing through a familiar passageway.

Reza immediately knocked on the door when he arrived at the door of Mother's room. Not long after the door opened, Mommy looked sweaty tired.

"What's the matter, kids? Mother is busy." Mother smiled forcefully.

Her face, which looked lethargic, made me feel like I wanted to help her.

"Mother, we want to save mother" said Reza.

"Yes Mother, we will help Mother" I also said to Mother.

Mother was silent and her smile disappeared.

"Let us help Mother, ...Mother has been raising us all along, taking care of us. Let us reply, let's talk with Mother," said Sindi.

Mother was speechless with a moody expression, she was like daydreaming of seeing something intense in her memories.

"Yes, please Mother.." said the Mother in a tired tone, "lifting the Mother's belongings."

Mother pointed at the bag and suitcase, she smiled holding back her laughter seeing the three of us, I think this Mother is sneaky as well. Though We were serious about helping his life, He wanted to ask for help lifting his belongings.

My dear mother... You know if we are all in danger. (***:v)

The three of us just breathed. Reza then looked at Sindi and I gradually.

"Let's help Mommy" asked her who smiled slowly.

~|~|~

After you have finished lifting your goods, namely: a bag containing his belongings and a large suitcase, we want to discuss this.

The atmosphere was silent, no one started the conversation. If it makes a sound, there will be an echo following it. Because this room, it's almost empty.

"Mother, we want to help Mother to get out of this place" I said.

Mother's mouth was open and shocked. After that, He took a deep breath and took it out.

"Actually it is similar to Mother's desire for you," replied the Mother who smiled wryly.

(Note: Similar words in your monologue)

I was confused and silent by his words.

"Actually, you don't need to help Mother... There's nothing you can do."

"What can't?" my many.

"You do not know yet, if we are in the middle of a forest that is very far from the city. Mother only had to ride a motorbike for two more hours through the road. That's why Mother always comes home late."

"I just found out" muttered Reza.

"Middle forest... But we're getting electricity, how can we?" my many.

"Electricity did not exist. But now helped by those ruthless people. Mother used to think they were some kind of electronic contributor."

"Contributor?" ask Sindi.

"Sort of Contributor" I replied.

"Oh.." he said nodding slowly.

"Why did you make an orphanage here?" ask me.

"When you find a wasted baby, your heart is moved, wanting to help discarded or unneeded children gather somewhere. Mother invited Dad to create an orphanage, He agreed, and this is the only place we can use."

Mommy's eyes look nostalgic with the early days of this home.

"Over the years, little by little the children have grown up here because of the father... And one day my father said to my mother, that we get electricity. The children at that time were very happy...Yayan and the others."

Mother smiled looking down, feeling back our good times at that moment. The three of us smiled with relief.

"By the way, where is Mom now?" my many.

Mother gasped at the question, expression looking nervous.

"His words, father, have been killed by him." Mother's mouth and voice shook answering that.

The three of us were shocked to hear that answer.

Wh who?

"H-Huh...?" Sindi then gulped her saliva. Hand vibrates.

"O-Who is Mother?"

"The one whom Mother called 'Master' earlier," replied the mother who was softly about to cry, "He claimed to have killed Father...They took over everything that was here. Sell you one by one...Mother is only commanded to take care of you. There's nothing you can do, you're just working on their will."

We just mourn your grief. His moist eyes were about to cry.

"Therefore, surrender, there is nothing you can do. Mother also gave up. There is nothing you can do, you are always like this... Always give up, what happens, then it happens."

"That doesn't make sense Mother! Mother has been struggling to take care of us, what is it that always gives up?" said Sindi who was crying near Mother.

Mother was just quietly flabbergasted. Not long after that Mother woke up.

"That's because of the forced work... But Mother is really sincere in working to take care of you," she replied smiling.

My hearing was suddenly focused towards the door. A lot of footsteps. We stared at the door worriedly. The tense feeling made us quiet.

As the footsteps stopped, there were four small children with their faces agitated. They are sisters, I breathed a sigh of relief, the breath was like echoing in this room, it turned out that it was the same breath from Reza, Sindi and Mommy.

"Why are you guys?" ask Kevin flatly.

By the way Kevin is a child who is often serious in his words, is also smart and he is the oldest child among these brothers.

"It's okay," replied Reza smiling gently.

Kevin's eyes narrowed suspiciously, while the other sisters only looked nervous.

It seems they are aware of our strangeness.

Kevin then looked around this room, he seemed to realize that the things here were decreasing.

"Mother, Ap-"

"You're hungry, huh? Let's have lunch, "suggest the Mother who cut off Kevin's question.

"Come, it's been a long time we did not eat with Mother" said Reza.

It seems they want to avoid this situation.

"Come on!" take Reza, smile at the sisters.

The sisters smiled except for Kevin. We then rushed out together, only Kevin was left behind.

~|~|~

The sun had set, for some reason, it felt like time was going faster. Cannot be replaced, cannot be returned.

In a moment, someone will come here, pick up mom.

About the sisters, Mother told them to leave for a while.

The sisters were silent with restless faces. It was as if they knew there was something strange about Mother.

"Mother why bring a bag and suitcase?" ask Kevin.

"This bag contains your worn out clothes, Mother wants to sell them at the recycling bins in the city."

Mother covered the lie logically.

To me, his lies are good things. The trigger for fear for the sisters, she hid it.

There was a small light from far away. The sound of the car rang out in my ears, it would slowly get here, picking up Mother. The car came to the front of the fence, turned around on the empty land and stopped.

The man called 'Master' got out of the car. He walked towards us and wanted to open the fence.

I felt someone's face approaching my ears.

"When the fence opens, let's run."