Secret Alit

Dancers in the Empty Sanggar - Part 4

I continued walking deeper into the ancient building of the palace. From its spacious courtyard, I moved towards an open room that resembled a pendopo with carved pillars. Gamelan is becoming clearer. Apparently, there's a set of gamelan in that pendopo. But I can't see the face of the player. Meanwhile, the melodious gamelan sound continues to flow non-stop.

I continued my steps back into the palace building. From the pendopo, there was a corridor leading to the room behind him. The room was covered in walls on all three sides, while one side was open and adjacent to the corridor. Once inside the room, the gamelan flow stops suddenly.

In the room, stored a number of statues with various positions. There are several statues of male dancers equipped with a history of war; keris, spear, or shield. All of the statues were the same size as the average height of an adult male.

Still in the same room, I also saw a group of female dancer statues. The position of the statue is arranged according to the composition of the dancer which amounts to eight pieces. Meanwhile, the statue was in a mendhak position (standing low with bent legs) and his hands stretched to the side. The height of the statues is the same as the average height of adult women in general.

While being serious about paying attention to the statues, the sound of gamelan back playing. I was shocked when I saw the statues start moving! I retreated backwards while still looking at their feeble movements trembling in rhythm.

Eight statues of women who were in the position of mendhak next to the corridor began to move one by one in tandem. They danced towards the pendopo and took the green shawl stacked on the floor of the pendopo. The scarf was wrapped around their waist. They then held the end of the shawl and moved to take its position in the corridor.

As if someone had arranged my steps, I walked deeper into the palace building. Aluman gamelan is getting louder, until finally I can no longer see the inside of the pendopo. Does the gamelan still continue? I can't hear it anymore. Do all the dancers still get together and dance there? I don't know anymore.

My footsteps stopped in front of a very dark place. The room was closed without windows and there was only one small door facing the corridor. The door was leafless, and it was too small for such a large room. Just enough for one person to enter with a tilted position.

Before entering the place, I observed that the outside looked to have roughly the same area as the pendopo.

"Superficial" I thought.

Arriving at the door, my steps stopped. I could see nothing in it, other than a dim yellow light spot. Darkened. The room was surrounded by closed walls with no ventilation, wind holes, or windows. As soon as he entered the room, his condition was very stuffy as the wind could only enter through that leafless door. The door hole faces into the corridor so that sunlight cannot break through into it. My breath began to sting. In addition to the fear of being there, the room was also too foreign and dark for me.

I wanted to run out, but my legs felt heavy to step on. Under these conditions, I need concentration to see the figures that inhabit the room. First, I saw eight figures. Their clothes are black. His clothes were long-sleeved, as well as black trousers with a headband that was also black. They sat cross-legged in a circle with a dim oil lamp in the center. It turned out that the oil lamp was what I saw as the yellow dot from outside the room. No one spoke, just looked down.

Then, I gathered strength to look at his face. With the dim light of the oil lamp, I saw his face that was like a normal human. However, I can't see it clearly.

My gaze kept staring at the creature alternating according to the ability of my eyes to see in this dark place. Along with that, the figure raised its hand a second time. The fingers were without flesh and skin. In my opinion, it is indeed a secret code among these strange creatures. A while after, they all nodded their heads in unison, as if there was an agreement among the creatures.

Cold sweat started flowing. My body is weak and helpless. I strengthened my body to move out of this gripping state. But it can't. I can only stand watching the next creature.

With a gripping feeling, I saw the eight figures begin to raise their hands. In the position of the hands held high, the palms and fingers stretched out and swayed sideways like someone was waving his hands. A moment later the creature lowered its hand and sat back in silence.

In that dark and silent atmosphere, they next held a dark colored glass like it was made of clay. I don't know if the creature was carrying a glass from scratch or was it available in the room? Then, three of them raised the glass high up like they were doing 'toast'.

After the 'toast', the creatures brought the clay glass closer to his face. It seems like the creatures drank something from the glass. I don't know because I can't see it clearly. I also don't know what liquids they drink?

The next scene I saw was the creature putting the glass in his pocket. I could only see the first figure closest to my position. But it seems like the others are doing the same.

I can't explain this, because I don't understand what it means either. Along with that incident, 'a death spit' appeared in my mind. I'm so scared. I kept trying to run, but my legs were stuck.

The creature at the very end and far away from me began to stand. Then, he turned towards the wall. It is like having no balance. He walked soaring, then pierced through the wall and disappeared. After that, one by one of them stood up, and walked following the figure earlier. Their steps were wide and swaying, like being blown by the wind. Though this room is surrounded by walls without ventilation and almost airtight.

- Connect -