The Empty House

Chapter 12 Negotiating

Pak Karya just got home from out of town. His wife Bu Ratih welcomed his arrival by preparing her husband's favorite food.

Today Rangga and Sintia felt that the spirit that disturbed her mother had gone from her body. The proof, his mother began to look normal and cook his father's favorite dishes.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" asked her mother when her two children looked at her strangely.

"No papa Ma'am. We're just kangen with mom...."

Sintia could not help her longing for her mother who had been possessed by the spirit of the house.

Her mother was shocked when Sintia hugged her as if they had been separated all this time.

Sintia hugged her mother and was no longer afraid. Today her mother is acting as normal as ever. His gaze was also soft and soothing.

Pak Karya smiled and was happy because there were no more complaints from his children about the house.

"Hows it? You guys start living here?" asked his father to look at his two children.

"There's something we want to talk about,"

But Rangga can't say it if his mother is there.

Rangga then told Sintia to take her mother to go for a walk out so as not to listen to the story that Rangga will tell.

"Mom.take care of me. I have a friend on my birthday. I want to buy something for her" Sintia told a lie.

"All right...."

After Sintia and her mother came out, Rangga began to tell her what she and Sintia had experienced when her father went out of town.

"Mother changed and was possessed. Mother brought an axe and will kill us. The door was broken, but strangely when father came, mother became normal again,"

"Actually your story doesn't make sense. But fine. I'll find out the truth,"

"Trust us. We don't want any more victims. Toni's father died fighting the spirits in this house. And if we still live here. We can be wretched because they're gonna kill us, too,"

Suddenly someone knocked on the door, and it turned out to be the citizens. There are ten residents who come to meet Pak Karya.

tok tok!

"Please enter the fathers!"

Pak Karya invites the citizens who come in kindly. They all sat down and one of the guests started talking about why they came here.

"This is Karya. I represent the people here who want to say something,"

"Ohh yeah. please...."

"So this is sir. Lately in our village there has been interference from spirits. And they continue to harass the citizens at night. Before when this house was empty, there was no such problem. But since the father inhabited this empty house, the spirits became wandering and disturbing the residents," said one of their leaders.

Pak Karya was surprised but then smiled.

"good. I accept his complaint. But I don't understand what you mean. What does the spirits have to do with our move to this house?"

"There certainly is, sir,"

"So what do you mean?"

"What's? This father is joking. I bought this house. Now if you want all the fathers to have this house vacated. Where do I want to live?"

"Then I have to move all the spirits here somewhere else. It's necessary sir, so that they don't waver and disturb the citizens,"

Pak Karya seemed silent and thought for a moment. In the heart is actually not sure of the existence of the spirits. But because of the insistence of the citizens, he made a decision.

"Okay gentlemen, I'm not sure of all that, but because you want me to call smart people. All right, I'll do it...."

"Thank you sir, for your understanding. Then we'll excuse you, "The people say goodbye and go back to their homes.

Rangga seemed to agree with what the residents proposed to his father.

"Rangga.... What do you think, son?"

"I agree sir with the proposal of the citizens. If they flinch and disturb the citizens, it would be unsettling,"

"When are we going to find a smart man to drive out the spirits?"

"Tomorrow sir...."

.

It was 18:00 but Sintia and her mother did not come home. This made Rangga very anxious.

He was worried about Sintia's safety because her mother was sometimes easily possessed by evil spirits.

"Well...would we catch up with Sintia and mom? They've been gone since, but they haven't been home,"

"Why do you look so anxious Rangga. Sintia went with your mother. You don't have to worry,"

"It's precisely because she went with Mom that I was anxious,"

"Don't worry Rangga. They'll be here soon...."

Rangga was pacing back and forth and at this time an hour had already passed. It is now 19:00 and his mother and Sintia have not been seen.

"I'll catch up with them. My heart told me that Sintia was in trouble,"

"Dad will wait at home. If they come back I'll let you know...."

"All right...."

Rangga then took his mobile phone and left following Sintia. Rangga down the streets that are getting darker because the sun has set.

In the countryside if it has passed the Maghrib then it is very quiet. The streets are also dark and the number of lights illuminating yes is only small.

Actually Rangga was afraid, but he gathered his courage to save Sintia.

Now Rangga has arrived at the market. But the market is dark. Only shops on the side of the road are still open.

The gate outside the market is closed. This means that there is no Tokopun open in it.

"I went down that road. Now I have to go through the woods. Maybe they went down that road in the woods. Ck, actually I've never been through there. But what if Sintia gets lost there?"

It must be very dark there. No one will go down that road. Unless the road is closed here.