SUKMA: The Deal With the Devil

Energy Absorbent

Susan noticed Atikah's presence on the kitchen doorstep. The baby doll picked up the knife that was lying on the floor, then walked up to Sukma's brother. Atikah who noticed Susan's movements towards her, rushed back to the room.

"Sister, let's play!" said the baby doll with her cry.

Atikah is getting scared. While running small, he entered the room. However, his steps were thwarted by a knife thrown by Susan. Atikah turned his head, his body immediately collapsed as the doll walked towards him.

"Please! Don't kill me!" atikah muttered with a trembling and stammering voice.

The doll grinned, then threw a bottle of Sukma milk at Atikah's head. On all fours, Susan approached Atikah who was still trembling against her.

Atikah felt she could no longer stand up to her fear. He closed his eyes, his heart pounding. His two hands moved as if trying to prevent Susan from rising into his body.

"Tolooong! Helpme! Aaaa ...!" atikah panicked.

Hearing Atikah's screaming voice, Ms. Inah woke up from her sleep. Faintly seen the shadow of his daughter in front of the bedroom door. Mom felt something was wrong there. Soon she turned on the light, then looked at her eldest daughter lying on the floor holding Susan's doll.

"Well? It's attikah!" said Bu Inah patting his daughter's shoulder.

He was surprised and opened his eyes. Soon the girl stood up, then hugged her mother tightly. He was still scared apparently.

"Mother! Mama! I'm scared, Mom!" atikah whinek.

"It's okay, Atikah. There's Mom here" said Ms. Inah to calm her daughter down. "What are you doing in front of the room screaming all over?"

Atikah looked up and said, "I-Mother .. t-so I saw Susan walking herself into the kitchen. I-I follow him secretly. When the doll found out I was struggling, she chased me with a knife. I'm so scared, Mom!"

"Just bring a knife? Is that true?" ma'am Inah asked frowned, as if she did not believe her daughter's words.

To prove his point, Atikah picked up a kitchen knife lying on the floor. He showed the knife to Ms. Inah, hoping that her mother would believe all the terrible events that happened to her a while ago.

"Here's the knife, ma'am," Atikah said, then pointed at Susan's doll lying down. "No, look, Mom! There's a bottle of Dedek's milk near the doll! She ransacked the dish rack, kept picking up the milk bottle of Dedek."

Mr. Risman and Sukma who heard Atikah's conversation with Ms. Inah, were curious. Both of them woke up, then got out of bed. Half-conscious, Mr. Risman looked at the doll near Atikah.

"Well, what's going on?" ask Mr. Risman.

"What about my playin doll nights?" sukma asked, taking the shabby doll off the floor.

Atikah who was still in shock, immediately snatched the doll from Sukma's hand and threw it near the window. While flapping, the girl stared intently at her sister. Sukma began to fear seeing the anger on his sister's face.

"Sukmas! That's a goddamn doll! Don't play it again! If you keep the doll, you'll get sick" Atikah snapped.

"But .. but it's a doll my friend gave me," said Sukma, his voice sounding raucous. His eyes were teary, unable to stem his sadness.

"Your friends are not human!" hardik Atikah's.

Sobs of Sukma broke. Mr. Risman immediately carried the little girl into his lap. Sukma's cry was so loud that it sounded outside the pavilion. Not usually Atikah to yell at his sister. Mr. Risman and Ms. Inah knew very well that Atikah was a loving sister. However, looking at his current behavior, the two were astonished.

Ms. Inah pulled Atikah into the living room. He felt, the behavior of his eldest daughter was excessive. Perhaps with advice, Atikah will not repeat his actions again.

"Well, if you're scared and upset, don't take it out on your sister. Poor him, still a little girl."

"But, Mum. Sukma Deck brought the doll here. He also met a friend of mine this afternoon, but I didn't see anyone. I'm sure his friend wasn't human."

"You can't easily conclude, Atikah. It's possible that Dedek has a high imagination, to be able to create his own imaginary friend."

"No, Ma. I'm sure Dedek's friend isn't human. Keep the doll .. The doll must be nothing."

This time Ms. Inah can't resist anymore. His mind immediately remembered Giska's words on his way home from school. Sukma's friend was so frightened when he saw a shabby doll in his daughter's hand. In fact, Giska said that he did not like the doll named Susan.

"alright. Tomorrow I try to persuade Dek Sukma to throw away the doll, yes."

"Promise, Mom?"

"Yes." Yeah." Madam Inah nodded. "We should sleep again, yes. You have to go to school tomorrow, right?"

Atikah nodded, then led by Bu Inah to the room. Both of them lay in bed, followed by Mr. Risman who had calmed Sukma. The little girl finally stopped crying after being exhausted.

The needle of the wall clock kept turning, the heavy rain started to subside. Susan, who was lying by the window, slowly got up. The baby doll returned to the room to approach Sukma. However, suddenly his steps were interrupted by an old woman waiting for Mr. Risman's family room.

"Get away from you, Ugly Grandma!" snapped Susan.

"Do you want to come here, English boy? Do you think getting the soul of that little girl named Sukma is easy?" asked the old woman, followed by her terrible giggling.

"I? You think I'm making things difficult for you, aren't you? Stupidhead! I've been living here since Sukma was a baby. Many times I tried to take his soul and body, but his father always woke up and caught me."

"That's because you're stupid. Unlike me, take a child's soul little by little."

"You mean?"

"I absorbed all his energy slowly, until the child I targeted fell ill and died. Now, I will absorb Sukma's energy until his soul is in my hands."

The old woman was angry. "Oh, yeah. It's free for you to absorb the child's energy. There you'll die first."

"What's? How come?"

"Sukma is no ordinary child. She's the devil's daughter! His power comes from supernatural beings like us. The more jinn and demons inhabit this house, the healthier the child is."

"Impossible! Don't try to make up stories just to get rid of me!"

"Why am I making up stories? I have lived in this world for a long time. If you don't believe me, just look at the boy right now."

"Then get out of the way!"

The old woman let Susan into the room. The spring bed is not so high. When he was in bed, the doll stared at Sukma for a long time. The devil princess, who had two horns on her head and a jet black skin, was sleeping peacefully between her father and foster mother.

How surprised Susan to know the figure of the girl she saw. Slowly he got out of bed, then approached the old woman. Long enough the baby doll was pensive until the old woman had a horrible face, making her stunned.

"Hows it? Do you believe me now?"

"But .. is impossible! Why didn't Maurin know his true figure from the beginning?"

"A soul that has not calmed down will not know the real figure of the demon princess. And you and I are indeed supernatural beings who have outlived humans."

"Then, now what should I do? If absorbing his energy alone is impossible, how can I bring his soul to the supernatural realm?"

"The only way is to kill him, but .. if until he is killed prematurely, then the Demon King will be angry with you."

"What?!"

"Yes. The Demon King doesn't like it until his daughter is wretched. However, if we take good care of Sukma, he will give half his strength."

"But I need his soul to accompany my master. Maurin's."

"That's your business. If you still insist on taking Sukma's soul by absorbing its energy, be prepared to die."

"I have to tell Maurin first."

"Preferably so. Just find another child for you to take his soul."

...****************...

The morning has arrived. Sukma was escorted by Bu Inah to go to school. Along the way, Ms. Inah looks at her daughter who is taking Susan to her school. He still remembered the incident last night, which made his eldest daughter scared. However, he did not feel the heart if he had to tell Sukma to throw the doll.

Upon entering the school gate, they accidentally cross paths with Giska and her mother. Sukma was let in first, considering that Giska was terrified to see the doll in the hands of the adopted daughter of Bu Inah. While Bu Inah took her mother Giska to sit on one of the kindergarten chairs.

"What's up, Mom? Tumben didn't want to go home yet" said Giska's mother.

"I want to ask you about the doll, Mom. Why is Giska so scared to see Susan's doll, huh?"

"Oh, that. Actually, he used to play with the doll. He said he was loved by his friend, whose house was facing our house."

"Oh, yeah. Then, why is he so scared now?"

Her mother Giska turned nervous. He did not want to explain his bad experience in detail. His timid nature, makes him guts to reveal everything.

"Sorry, Mom. S-me .. I go home first. I have important things to do at home. Excuse me," said Giska's mother.

"But, Mum. I need to tell you a lot about ...."

"If that's the case, you better come to my house to have a live chat with her sister Giska. He knows all about the doll. Excuse me."

"Well, I'm going to Mom's house later in the afternoon."

Giska's mother no longer responded to Ms. Inah's words. He seemed to be in a hurry, trying to avoid the next question from the middle-aged woman. Not to forget, he also contacted his sister Giska who was in college to go home soon.