The One Thousand Days

Chapters 13. Silent Killer

The cold wind that blew my face made me instantly open my eyes. The white curtains were waving\-lambai in the wind. I yawned and moved slowly down the bed. I think I forgot to lock my bedroom window open after the wind. I have to close the window immediately if I don't want to catch a cold while sleeping later. My arm had just stretched out to grab the shutters as my eyes caught a figure moving closer to the front fence of the house. I rubbed my eyes. It is no mistake that this man is Geral.

Why is he out the night\-night like this?

My eyes grew bigger as Geral walked under the chandelier in the yard. The young man's shirt was splashing red. Why are there red patches on the surface of his shirt. I closed my lips, could it be blood? But what blood?

Its bad. Really\-bad. I had to get away as fast as. Now I shut the shutters quickly and then swerved towards the door. I have to make sure that it's locked. I don't want to meet or deal with that young man. I stood by the door and pressed my back against the wall. Maybe tomorrow I should buy a gun or at least a bat. It feels really\really scary to have to face every night with this kind of fear.

I have to get help. I hurriedly\hurriedly grabbed the phone and pressed Alice's number. He's the only\ I can call right now. Only he can help me. Unfortunately until several times the ringing, the girl did not pick up the phone from me. I squeezed the thing tightly\-fierce while listening to the sound that appeared out there.

My breath was restrained when her footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs. Geral was heard walking in. Not long after, the sound of water from the faucet poured out profusely. The water splashing sounds loudly slapping the water well. Should I go out? Should I ask him? But, the incident a few nights ago when Geral almost made my life float back to color my mind. I squeezed the clothes that wrapped my body. The incident still shudders with fear until now so it might be better not to go out.

The sound of water stopped. Not long after, I heard Geral slamming the door. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least maybe I'm safe for tonight. I gasp. The sound of the ringing of the phone managed to make my heart raise its beat up several times. I grabbed the phone so it stopped ringing. Alice's name was floating on her lit screen.

“Halo, Alice,” I immediately greeted without waiting for a reply from him once the phone connection has been entered.

“Ya.”

“You haven't slept.”

“I woke up kebelet peed. What's up?” tanyanya sounds lazy.

“Can we meet?” ask me without further ado\-basics.

“For what? Kangen?”

“Not. It's important.”

“I'm disappointed you didn't miss me.”

“Alice!”

“Come now! At the kiosk,” said short.

“I'm coming now,” I said quickly while hanging up the phone.

I stared at the wall clock, it was already one in the morning. I sighed, I hadn't even closed my eyes until this late. The atmosphere was already quiet and it was likely that Geral had also fallen asleep. Now is the right time. I grabbed the jacket hanging behind the door and the car keys. The door creaked slowly and slowly. I stepped out, settling down\-sink so as not to cause any noise. Even so, my heart still beats faster than its normal rate.

To make sure that the young man was really\-asleep, I placed the earlobe in front of Geral's bedroom door. A soft snoring sounded from within, he fell asleep. A sigh of relief came out from the lips. I walked back to a\-sniff while carrying shoes in my hands to minimize the possibility that he would hear my footsteps.

Car engines roaring on deserted streets. There were hardly any vehicles on the road. Stepping on the gas pedal deepens and forces this vehicle to go faster. Alice's kiosk began to look, I parked the car right in front of the entrance. Alice came out not long after I knocked on her stall door. I followed him in.  My eyes looked around, not much has changed from this place. The portrait that made me curious was still covered in curtains like the one I remembered last time.

“What's up?” ask without waiting for me to explain. Typical Alice.

 “You said that Geral would be back, right?” I said open the conversation.

“He's back what's the problem?”

“I think there's something wrong with Geral–” I deliberately hung up a sentence to wait for his reaction. However, the look on Alice's face did not change. Stay calm as always.

“What do you mean?”

“He's being brutal now. I don't know this side of him at all.”

“Listen, you yourself just want your girlfriend back. He has risen from the dead as you wish. When it comes to nature, I can't guarantee anything.”

“But you never said anything about this change!” rebuttal fast.

“People who experience bad things only have side effects and sometimes even trauma. Then you think the man who died will be fine\-all and return to how he was after feeling the pain of death?”

“You mean he changed because trauma never died?” this time I couldn't close the vibrations in my hand. I didn't expect this at all.

“Can Be Yes, could be no.”

“You yourself also do not know.”

“Ya.”

“Then go home!”

“Alice!” I stared at him. Could be\-can he, I far\-away came here just to hear him throw me out. “I could have died and you told me to go home without a solution?”

“Listen, I'm lazy to hear you whining all the time. I made this clear once again, I have reminded you.  There's a price you have to pay.”

 “Mean with that behavior change?”

Alice shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know. This price can vary,” he said casually as if just saying he prefers vanilla flavored ice cream over chocolate.

“So you yourself don't know the variation either?”

“The world is too vast for us to fully understand, indeed you think I am able to see all things in other worlds as well. I'm still sane.”

“I know, forgive me,” I said limp.  “But Geral–”

Alice looked at me sharply. “Think again, I'm lazy to repeat. Everything has to be paid for. Until when are you gonna get spoiled and whine like this? If you think you can't make it why did you do this deal in the first place? Don't tell me you don't know. We both know who we're dealing with,” Alice's voice firmly reminds me of all the things I ever agreed upon when deciding to call Geral back.

“But he has to be this brutal? I almost died,” I came back to rebuke the black haired woman.

“If you can't, I can take her back to the afterlife. You want that?” alice's voice was rising.

“I–” is out of words\-words to argue. I don't want Geral back either. To be honest I'm glad he comes back and accompanies me every day, even though every night I have to be scared.

“It hasn't even reached a hundred days. Think you still want it or not.”

My clenched hands are now drooping on the table. Alice was right, I wanted all this. It doesn't feel like I'm gonna be able to send Geral back. This fast. I can't. I'll be ruined. Sending him back was the same as saying that I didn't want him to be by my side. I'm going to hurt her heart and obviously I don't want that to happen.

I want you without knowing the limits. When I know you want me the same way, I'm happy, Enza.

The words\-word Geral reverberated in the ear. Right, he wants me just as much as I want him. My lips twitch. My heart started beating fast. I clenched my hands back.

“Do you think there is something wrong with this agreement?”

“You mean?” alice's forehead was frowned at.

“The devil is indeed evil and demands a payment greater than our request. But, Devils were also not the type that would make mistakes in the agreement. They'll take the pay as we promised in time. That promise is only with our people, you know that?”

“But it is possible,” I still insist.

“I told you once, face him. If you can't do it, bring him back. That's the only option you have right now,” he continued.

“But, can you help me?”

“Stop whining, okay!”

“But you also played a part in this agreement,” I pressed it again.

“I will return Geral,” Alice replied calmly.

“Why? Can you help me with this?”

“You remember how much you paid me?”

I'm shaking. Alice never asked for payment.

“You know I'm not a free service provider.”

“How should I pay you? I'll pay,” I said hunt.

“I don't need money. It's not like it's our system, Enza,” Alice smiled but the words\-words that ejected from her lips were as firm as ever.

“What should I do so you can help?”

“When did you act like this?” sharp proof.

“You know I just need help. Can you understand?”

“You always need help if you never trust yourself,” Alice starts to sound like a parent giving advice to her child.

“Not so,” I refute. He was completely wrong about me. All this time I was able to live alone even when everyone left me. But about Geral I can't let go.

“Then what? You called Geral back because you couldn't stand on your own feet either, right? You can't bear the loss and you can't endure the grief. Know, life is hard and stop being a baby!”

Alice's\-word struck right in the heart. Not to destroy my feelings, but to make my pride fall and shatter into pieces. All that remains is shame. I'm in a loser. He was right all this time I could only whine.

“You're right,” my voice is barely audible. “I'm going home,” I'm starting to stand.

Alice led me to the front door. I don't understand at all, what to do. Geral's getting more brutal or how I'm defending myself. I am blind to everything. On the one hand I was scared of Geral but on the other hand I wanted him. Don't want him to leave.

“Don't be greedy or you'll just dig your own grave,” Alice said quietly. Look at his sharp eyes.

I nodded and did not say a word.

“Stop whining and being spoiled!” alice said suddenly\-suddenly while patting my shoulder.

“I know. Thank you.”

I walked out. Alice has disappeared.  I don't know when he got into the house. I could only take a slow breath, my chest tightened. My car drove back on the still quiet and dewy road. It's still dark so I'd like to stop by the coffee shop before I go home.

I chose to wait in one of the internet stores that were open twenty-four hours. Watch a movie that is there or just open a search page without a purpose. After dawn, I bought breakfast. Au stopped near the rice wagon sitting on the sidewalk. Order one serving and eat it on the spot. After that, I ordered two more servings to take home because I needed a reason when I got home later.

After breakfast, I stopped by the coffee shop. My eyes are heavy, it takes caffeine to keep me awake. Fortunately, they started to open quite early compared to other places. I got in after parking the car.

“Hai, Enza, morning tumben\-morning,” the store owner welcomed me kindly as soon as I got inside.

“I can't sleep,” I lied. “Latte one, americano one,” I said as I pulled my wallet out of the jacket.

“ Take it home?"

I'm nodding. “Iya.”

"Alright, wait a minute” said he started busy preparing glasses and coffee.

I leaned my hands on the high table in front of the cafe owner who was concocting my ordered coffee. The smell of coffee started to calm me down. My eyes stumbled on the empty dog cage. Usually he would greet me with his barking and wagging tail.

“By the way\-by the way, Momo where?”

The woman looked at me, then her eyes dimmed. “Mati.”

“Hah? When's? Why?” suddenly I miss that big hairy dog.

“Evennight. "

"illness?" I keep asking questions non-stop.

"Someone killed him,” he said slowly.

“Killed? How can?” I still don't think it out. How can someone kill Momo's cute dog, what's wrong with that dog? Killing animals is still not the right thing especially if there are also dogs that have.

“Entahlah. Right at midnight I heard Momo barking loudly, I thought there was a burrow or something. When I came out, Momo was already lying with her head separated from her body,” the woman sounded unable to cover the sadness in her voice. I can understand that he may be shocked or still sad to remember that the dog was his pet.

“It was nasty once!” I covered my lips with my palm. “You saw the culprit?”

The woman shook her head. “The last person I saw, a tall person who disappeared at the end of the fork,” he said as he pointed at the street.

I followed his hand. That road leads to my house. High posture then most likely men\-men, although it does not close the presence of women who have a high body.

“You said Momo barked midnight?”

The woman nodded. “Just midnight,” he said steady.

Geral came home last night after midnight. The blood I saw. Geral also cleaned something in the sink last night, could it be that she cleaned the blood. Did he kill Momo? On what basis? My memory floated again. Momo barked when she saw him yesterday afternoon and this caused Geral to have reasons and motives. But, how could Geral kill Momo just because of that? Moreover, Momo died brutally until her head was separated so, I don't think Geral could have done it.

I fell silent and asked no further questions about the dog. In addition to suddenly feeling full, it feels rude to also nudge something sad for others.  After receiving the dus containing the two cups of coffee from the woman's hand and hurriedly\hurriedly pulled the money from the wallet. Take a break and straight out. I can't delay anymore and I have to make sure that this isn't Geral's. If he kills like this then there could be a splash of blood on his shirt even if only a little. It's still morning so the bloody shirt hasn't been removed yet so I have to find it.