SPIRITS

Episode 5's

It was late in the evening when Jounatan and Leo walked to their block of houses. They had to drive Nay first whose house was in Block B. The three of them live in one complex; Bulak Chain Housing area Hek, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. Leo's house is in Block F, cement tara Jou's house in Block K.

The complex streets look deserted. Usually the atmosphere at this time is more silent because most residents of the complex are in their homes. Tibatiba to the maze that accompanied Leo and Jou's steps was solved by the dog's howl. Instantly Leo tightened his shoulder distance with Jou. She's looking. After the unexpected incident in Discotek Lipstick earlier, Leo did not talk much. His expression was still frightened and shocked. Jou wants to ask what happened, about why Leo pointed at Bram and what he saw on the ceiling. But that stopped him from doing.

“It looks like you have to rethink your work there, Jou.”

Jou. Leo's gaze was straight onto the dark street.

“So I saw a ghost in sister Melodi's room. There is a feed pen in the middle of black smoke and a figure hanging in the sky.”

The sound of the dog's howling is heard again. Jou gulped. Whether the sound of the dog's howling or Leo's story that made him afraid, Jou's hair stood up without being prevented.

“Please persuade Nay to cancel work there. I'm worried about your safety.”

Unexpectedly, Nay Tibatiba also volunteered to work part-time at Diskotek Lipstik. At first Bram was hesitant because Melodi told me that Joulah needed the job. But after considering that Jou cu kup's job is a lot and the time Jou has short, Bram decided to accept Nay as well.

When he heard Bram's words, Melodi's face immediately meme rah. He scowled and looked at Nay with annoyance. But he dared not protest to his brother in front of Jou, Leo, and Nay. Leo who was still in shock could not say anything.

“Why should I persuade Nay?” Jou walked while slipping both hands into his pants pocket. “Nay is stubborn. He won't follow my words.”

Leo tibatiba stopped his steps. Jou jerks. He stopped swinging his legs and looked. Leo looked at her with a look that Jou could hardly translate. A deep, piercing look, like a mist.

“Because Nay will nurutin elu.” Leo's voice raspy. Jou frowned.

“Nay will like you.”

Jou was stung to hear that. He did not expect at all that sentence to be slid from Leo's mouth. He stuttered, about to refute, but Leo's speech made him not wince.

“No need to know, Jou.”

In Jou's view, Leo's face turned gray. His gaze also faded, as if those eyes were suffocating sadness and despair.

“Elu also do not need to be bad for me. Love cannot be imposed. Even how hard I make efforts in his heart, he still likes ama you.”

“Elu say what, anyway?” Jou scratched his head that was not itchy. “Don't tell you about the discotheque's ghost suit.”

Jou tried to pull the tip of her lips, putting on a joking smile. But it was precisely the grin of pias and cornered expression that was reflected on his face.

“Gue don't want you guys to get fucked. So consider again.”

Jou wanted to open his mouth, but Leo hurriedly stepped up and did not turn his head again. Jou raised his hand, intending to call out to Leo, but he lowered his hand again lethargicly. He looked at Leo's constantly shrinking back and his end disappeared on one of the forked paths in front of them. Darkness swallows Leo.

Jou sighed. He continued walking with a gontai. Lam pu street in front of the house beside Jou stood swaying in the wind. He took the opposite path to Leo. In the distance, the sound of the dog's howling is still heard and the shrillness is getting more heartbreaking.

Jounatan knew Leo Sanjaya since he was in the VII Junior High. They actually lived one complex since childhood, but only knew each other when in Junior High School. Although different classes, they often meet and get along quickly. Jou still remembered that Saturday, a week before the final exam of the first semester, when he came home from school and was in the Rebo Market area. Tibatiba alone he was surprised by the commotion out of nowhere. Dozens of Junior High School students in the same uniform as Jou, ran biritbirit towards him. Jou who was waiting for Kopaja under the Rebo Market flyover was frowning confused.

“Woi! Run on! We were attacked by Pancasakti Junior High School!”

A boy in his school uniform tibatiba curses and pulls the confused Jou. The boy's body did not block his steps. He ran so agile. Batubatu rained down on them. Dozens of other Junior High School children in uniform mengue jar. Bamboo, stones, belts, machetes, and whatever else was in their grasp.

Jou and the curly-haired child were desperate when another child, from the same Junior High, who had run away from the ridge, emerged. It was then that Jou saw Kopaja speeding in front of them. Without a long pi kir, Jou pulled the curly-haired boy's hand and chased after the bus. They managed to survive and climb to Kopaja who drove faster, but not with the other child. He slipped as he was about to get on the bus and fell, and the assailants gave him no mercy.

At the same time, while watching the news on television, Jou saw the news about the brawl. His body trembled when the news anchor said that a student of SMP Jaya was killed in the tiwa. Jou could not close his eyes because of fear and guilt because he could not help his Junior High School friend.

At school the next day, all the students were talking about the brawl. The Facebook homepage is full of terrible news status about the event, even photos of victims covered in warawiri blood on social media. Jou searches for the curly-haired boy who saved himself with him, but he can't see him. Almost a week later, from the news that was broadcast, Jou only found out that the boy was named Leo and was a little traumatized by the incident, so did not go to school. After getting the address of Leo's house, which turns out to be close to his house, Jou comes to him after school. He is greeted by Leo's mother who immediately escorts him to Leo's room on the second floor.

“She came,” Leo said with pale lips that quivered. Jou looked at him with an incomprehensible expression. He hasn't talked about anything, but Leo's been messing around like that.

“Dia...” Jou gulped, a single thought flashed in his pulse. “Who is he?” But that question came out of his mouth.

“Yosep.” Leo's eyes were wet, slowly tears rolled from the corners of his eyes.

“Yosep Jou shuddered. Yosep was their Junior High friend who became a victim of brawl.

Not sure what moved Jou, she approached Leo who was cowering in fear on his bed. He sat down next to her and grabbed Leo's shoulder, patting her softly.

“You are not wrong. The wrong child Pancasakti.”

Jou lost the katakata. He doesn't know what else to say. But the arrival of Jou that afternoon meant a lot to Leo. He seemed to find a friend to pass through the dark, terrible hallway and terrorize him. Since then, both men have been.

Jounatan stopped the hand that would push the waist-high iron turnstile. She's looking. He felt that someone had followed him since he had parted with Leo at the intersection, but there was no one behind him. The street light across from there seemed to be flashing. The nyala. Die. The nyala. Die. It's been almost a month of lights like that.

Jou looked back at the small courtyard of their home. The lights on the terrace are on. Its dim light makes the iron swing installed under the mango tree a little shadowy.

Sretti.

Jou looked quickly. Blank. The gate of the house across the street was still tightly closed. There is no one ready. But the plants that became the living fence of the blue painted house swayed. Jan tung Jou rumbled. The thump is firmer. He waited while counting in his heart. One. Two. Three. Knee lunglai.

Two rat tails appeared, running fast with boisterous narratives. Romp.

Goddamnit! This must be because I ate Leo's story.

Jou hurriedly pushed the gate of his house, then closed it. He did not look back, although he could still hear the iron swing creaking. It was as if someone had just boarded it or touched it. Jou pressed the bell next to the door. Sayupsayup sounded excused, there was a person in the house who echoed in there. He waits. The sound of someone walking hastily. Jou can guess you're his sister, Natali.

Jou tries to count Natali's steps behind the door, but the atmosphere is suddenly quiet. The sound of his sister's steps vanished. The terrace of the house feels more empty. The wind was wafting, slow and cold at Jou's nape. He clasped tightly onto his backpack, then turned to his left with a thumping heart. Five seconds passed and this strange silence still imprisoned Jou. He swallowed. He knew something was wrong with his surroundings. But what? He doesn't understand.

Terrace light flashing. Jou looked up. The sound of swinging an iron under the mango tree again sounded. More me litching. She's looking. Suddenly deserted. The street light that was on now has gone out. Darkness covers the other side. The sound of the swing creaking. Again. Jou seemed to see the swing going backwards, but no one was sitting on it. Sweat adorned Jou's forehead.

Uncommanded, Jou retreated slowly, towards the door that was still tightly locked. His eyes were looking out at the swing that continued to move slowly. It must be a hallucination. I saw it wrong.

“Kak!”

Jou screamed. Restrained. Unknowingly he jumped, then one hand pulled him quickly behind a door he himself was unaware of when it opened.

“Why did Kak Jou take him home?”

Natali's breath is hunting. Her twelve-year-old sister leaned her back behind the tightly closed door. Jou's heart was still dagdigdug, but he tried to control himself.

“Who?” But Jou was unable to hide his trembling voice, holding back fear and surprise because Natali had tibatiba pulled him.

“That, that again maen swing under our mango tree.”

Jou flicked the window curtains. The iron swing was still moving backward with a slow rhythm.

“No one is readywhat.” Jou closed the curtains. He's merin ding.

Natali did not reply, only hurriedly running towards the kitchen, leaving Jou alone.

Jou looked at Natali. Since childhood, his sister did like to tell things that he thought were strange and unreasonable. He remembered the most horror incident he had ever experienced with Natali. At that time, papa and mama were going to Mr. Liem's house at the end of Block K. Reportedly Mr. Liem died in a motorcycle accident.

When they got there, Natali said she saw Mr. Liem du duk at the Block K siskamling post, the post was at the end of the block, near Mr. Samuel's house which means only one house away from their house. Jou remembers him asking Natali, why is Mr Liem there? He's already dead. Natali replied, Mr. Liem felt he still owed the patrol duty, because last week he worked overtime and his job was replaced by Mr. Samuel. He wants to pay the debt, so sit there. Jou could not say anything at that time.

That memory made Jou rush after Natali. Without Jou noticing, several long strands of hair fell from the ceiling, as well as drops of red water, right on the spot where he was standing earlier. Then, a yellow T-shirt bearing the words Nirvana dragged her feet, following Jou to the kitchen. In his footsteps, the figure left a trail of sticky red water. Fishy smell and cigarette smoke.