The One Thousand Days

Chapter 4. Decisions

Days have changed when I parked the car in front of the weird fortune teller kiosk— named Alice— whom I met a few days ago. The place I failed to reach yesterday. The kiosk is not open yet. I glanced at my reflection on the glass then took a slow breath, it seemed like I went out this morning in a hurry. My face looks pale and messy. Besides, the streets in this place are still deserted.

At first I did not want to come to this place. It's just that the dream came again. Though I thought sleeping in a hotel would make my dream mood better. Surprisingly, Geral came back in the dream. He asked me for help last night. Maybe he was unhappy there. I don't know why, I feel like I have to come to this place. Besides the constant nightmares, I think because today is the seven-day anniversary of Geral's death, the last day to call him back.

My finger grabbed the phone in the bag. Breathe in disappointed when no new calls or messages come in. What was I expecting, other than Alex who last night sent me a message asking if I was okay\-all after she got home. The rest were no incoming messages from anyone else even from my father once. I put the phone back in the bag.

Tapping by the tap of my finger on the steering wheel made my mind start to drift\-layang. My memories fly back to the past. When they left me one by one since the tragedy a dozen years ago. I don't even want to look me in the face. The killer's face said. No one in the family wanted my existence. As for friends, I've told you that I don't have that kind of thing. Alone and isolated, that's what I'm running into. All this time my friend, best friend and lover was just Geral. Geral is enough. That young man who was by my side all the time and he never left, did not look at me cynically or judge.

The first night after Geral's departure, I just curled up alone in bed. I tried to contact Alex, but he said my brother was having dinner with him. I gulped as silence began to fill every corner of the house until my hair shuddered again. My eyes stared in all directions whenever I heard a sound. Lamat\-goal creaking window started to sound. The sound of footsteps began to tread on the floor. I closed my ears with both hands. Bending my legs until my thighs almost touched my stomach. The voice of\-sizzling and whispering to each other began to sound. I lowered my legs and slid out, wearing only a shirt.

That night, I went back to the big house. My sudden arrival\ was driven in fear only to swallow the bitter reality. The door is open. Featuring Dad's square face and twitching lips. But there is no hospitality there.

“You want what you came here for?”

“Au—”

Yes, I failed to find the reason for my arrival. In front of this man I really\-suddenly turned stupid.

“Go home to your house!” he said firmly, his facial expression illegible.

I'm down. Clenching the fingers in front of the body. “Can I meet Brother Alex?”

“Alex outside the city.”

Outside the city he said. This guy is really\-totally a big liar. I know Alex is inside. He didn't come out because he didn't know I was coming.

“Daddy, this time only. Can—” my voice faltered.

“Cannot,” cut it fast.

“I haven't said anything,” protest me.

“I have no intention of granting your wish, whatever it may be. So no need to bother\-repot say request,” said ketus.

“Didn't my family's father, the family have to help each other, I again butub help now, Yah.” My voice almost screamed.

“We are not family.”

My eyes are breaking now. Could\-can he say that we are not family. “Until when do you want to be like this?”

“Honest. I'm clear again, Za. I never had a family of a murderer.” His dark iris stared coldly.

“I don't kill. This time only, please.” My finger touched his arm and tried to beg for mercy.

“Since the beginning I didn't like you. Go home!” The man shook his arm.

“Dad—”

“Now you bring death to Geral. Before you finish Alex, I don't want to see your face again!”

“Dad.”

I'm not a killer. It was an accident, Geral also died in an accident. I'm not bringing death to anyone, I'm just human. My arms fell on both sides of the body. Tears began to drip one after another over the cheeks. The man coldly grabbed the doorknob.

“Never come here again!”

“Should Dad be this bad?”

“While you say I'm evil, at least I give you a home to stay in and don't throw you into the streets straight away.”.

I didn't find a single sentence to refute because I knew everything he said was true. He was kind enough to give me a home and not throw me out on the street. I bit my lower lip withstanding the sudden irritation. Even though I tried to defend, in the end my defense was broken. My crying collapsed again that night. Dad's always treated me like this, ever since the accident. Ah, not even from the very beginning that I came she already disliked me. He did take care of me after the accident a dozen years ago, but once I was old enough, Dad and Alex left home to move to another house. Yes, the house I live in is our old house. A house full of blood, tears and seclusion.

I flinched as the door of the house moved shut. The voice sounded so real that I came back to reality. All the shadows disappeared, but the bitter memories were still fresh in the memories. Spoiled like a toddler to his mother. So I can understand why Alex didn't take me home and make me stay at the hotel, maybe that guy still doesn't want to set foot in that house. I took a breath and gasped, trying to get back to reality to stay sane.

My eyes glanced at the watch in hand. I have to wait until the next few hours. Time moves so slow. It was four in the morning. The divination kiosk might start operating a little later in the day. I leaned back, trying to close my eyes. Maybe waiting while sleeping for a while is not a bad idea.

My eyes were not completely closed when I heard a knock on the windshield of my car. My heart was pounding as I opened the windshield. Maybe I'll be dragged by the satpol\-pp officer for parking recklessly. At least that wild thought developed in my head when I first heard the knocking sound. However, the figure standing beside my car was a young girl intersecting a bob with a piercing in the nose. Someone who introduced herself as Madam Alice yesterday. I opened my car door as the girl moved backwards.

“How much are you looking for me this early morning?” insinuations.

I cleared my throat slowly. “I'm not looking for you, I just overslept.”

I reasoned while throwing my face away, not going to admit it this easily. To be honest, I had a guess that if I confessed easily, he would treat me as he pleased.

“Alright, just continue your sleep!” The girl with the waistline doesn't ignore me.

“Eh, tung—wait!” I swallowed and tried to catch my breath. “Au—”

“You want to call your girlfriend back, don't you?” he asked while looking at me full of search.

I twisted my eyeballs while my stiff neck forced me to nod. In the end I really\-committed.

“But, it is not easy and needs a big sacrifice. Are you up to it?”

Hearing that sentence suddenly made me worried. Is what I'm doing right? Is it possible that Geral could be summoned back to this world while I know for certain that the young man's body had been buried in the ground a few days ago? How could humans do that unless there was a human who made a pact with the devil?

“Bingo!” suddenly the girl screamed.

“Huh?”

“You are binding agreement with the devil of course.”

I tilted my head and looked at him. How could he know?

“You can read my mind?” many finally.

The girl smiled. “Slight.”

“No manners!” my ketus.

“I do not know each other with politeness,” said the girl sounded original\-fuck.  “Look down, I have no intention at all to read all the bad things and the desire to ally with the devil that is now spinning in your head.”

I grunt. “I also know that angels are obviously not on my side at the moment, but not necessarily demons either.”

“Then who are you allied with? Fellow humans? I guess not. Too bad,” he said like I was giving sympathy that I did not ask for.

“Are you not human!” I said I don't want to lose.

“Yes, but I'm different levels to someone who hasn't been self-aware until now. By the way\-by the way you're pretty stupid, yeah!” he said as he turned his index finger near his temple—as if\-wanted to hint that my brain capacity was very minimal.

“Madam!” I said half screaming.

Alice. Only Alice!” This time his face looked serious. His nose pierced seemed to move when the nose was sharp that fireworks kempis.

“Alice?”

“Well, it is still early enough to dwell with confusion. I obviously don't want you to rush\-hust, there's still plenty of time until midnight. But, if you get confused later then busshh Alice pursed her lips while pointing towards the sky, her fingers forming a rifle mark.

“It doesn't matter if you talk hard\-hard outside here?”

“No one is restless in the morning,” says relax.

Ah, right too. This road is still empty. Only one two vehicles passed by, the shop\-store has not even started operating. The world felt suddenly empty and silent.

“Have finished checking the situation? So how?” Alice slapped her finger in front of my face.

“You sure?”

“Ya.”

“Come in!”

Although not rolling a single smile, but the tone of his voice suddenly changed friendly. The change in attitude was quite strange, but I didn't want to think about it. He was weird from there.

I followed him into the house. I have no idea what darkness awaits me.  I did not hesitate to step my feet inward because my determination was round. There is no turning back, no. I can't turn around anymore either. Maybe the only way out is to revive my lover.

The shadow of Geral again filled my mind. If only the accident had not happened. Who is the person \*\*\*\* who crossed without seeing a car coming? If only the man had not crossed the road that night, Geral's car would not have gone into the abyss. Geral will also still feel there at this time. I'm mad at that guy whoever he is. It felt like throwing him into the nearest ravine. However, blaming that person would not bring my Geral back.

However, the voice\-sound I heard. The scent of Geral's favorite perfume is often floating in the air. The laughter of the young man that is sometimes heard. Footsteps at home to objects that shift themselves. All that was not enough, he even appeared in a dream that kept repeating as if\wanted to hint that he really needed help. He kind of gave me a code that he wanted me to call him back because Geral hasn't completely left this world.

Besides, I'm so sick of this solitude that I want Geral back to patch that void. I only wish that one in every million people who died would return to the world. It doesn't matter if it's me breaking God's destiny or classifying me as a Satanist. My hands are clenched, I have no one. That's just sah–sah, isn't it?

Alice took me inside her shophouse. After closing the door, we walked into a narrow gap flanked by walls and curtains. The smell of the stuffy mixed damp. I almost hit a cardboard box then a dumpster that just looked like a black mound in the dark. A sigh of relief came out just like that when we arrived at a rather bright room.

“Sit!” he said pointing to one of the chairs flanking the box table in our room.

Alice moved into the other room while I circulated the gaze in all directions. How big is this shop? How many rooms? Or is this shophouse is an elongated house that is camouflaged into a shophouse on the front.

I cleared my throat to cover the shock that I was observing this place. Alice pulled the chair in front of me with the box in hand. He thrust out a box shortly after he sat down. My eyes stared at the beautifully carved box with gold\-leaf leaves and a red\-fruit protruding on the lid.

“What is this?”

“Buklah!” he said he did not answer the question at all.

I grabbed the box and opened it. Instantly I was glued when I saw the contents. Tiny silver necklace and matching color bracelet inside. Actually not a necklace but more like a chocker for a dog necklace. The bracelet is made of thin chains with a tiny pendulum on several sides.

“Jewelry?” I started to get curious while touching that thing.

“You could say so. But, it's a soul calling device.” Alice's voice sounded sinister as it mixed with the sound of clockwork movements filling the dark room. Moreover, the humidity of the room that I believe is above average\adds an odd impression. Damnit damnit! my hair is starting to crumble.

“Soul caller?”

“Iya. That necklace and bracelet for you.”

“Then why did you give this to me? Didn't you call?” ask again.

“Don't be stupid, Geral is your lover. So it has nothing to do with me.” Alice chuckled softly.

“But didn't you help?”

“Really, but I'm not a soul intermediary so I can't call him—”

“Ta—but can I?” cut me quick.

Alice nodded in confirming. “Yes, you can call Geral because you're the soul's intermediary. Since you don't know how yet then wear a bracelet to help.”

“What is this dangerous?”

“Unless you call another soul\-soul then it should be harmless.”

I'm nodding. Alice's answer made me a little calmer. “Then this necklace is for what?”

 “The jar used must indeed wear it to lock the soul of your late girlfriend in this world.” the tip of her index finger is right near the bracelet pendulum.

“Locking?”

“Iya. His soul had to be locked in this necklace so he wouldn't leave. This necklace is only media.”

“Why should it be locked?”

Alice took a breath. “You know, the soul of someone who dies will continue to be in this world for a thousand days. In that period of time, one could call him or even that soul could possess another human. Since this is only seven days after his death then I can be sure that your lover is still around you now.”

“That's a myth?”

“You want proof?” Alice chuckles.

“What is the proof?”

“After his death, you started dreaming about him, right? Not quite up there, you also heard a strange sound that had never existed before, right?”

“What do you mean?” My fingers started squeezing the thighs.

“Yes, like footsteps in the middle of the night, the smell of perfume that he often uses or maybe the aroma of his favorite cuisine.”

I'm woken. He knew it was all happening to me. Could Geral have become a ghost around me? All this time maybe I was surrounded by supernatural beings. Suddenly I shuddered. The fur of the nudge is getting bristled up, sending a surge of horror that instantly shrinks my nyaliku. The fact that Geral is still in the world at least makes me comfortable instead of scared. However, the presence of ghosts still horrifies me.

“Not a ghost.” Alice seemed to know what I was thinking.

“Then?”

“His feelings and love are still left for you, all of it binds his soul in the world. Therefore, you often feel his presence and as if he is still close.”

“Really?”

“You can prove it later,” he said full of confidence. “Or now can also.”

I looked in all directions. Suddenly a fear ambushed. Could it be that Geral or some other ghost is still here. I don't know what wind is getting into me right now. I who was timid suddenly\-all suddenly interested in performing the spirit summoning ritual. I touched the neck, a strange chill started to ambush.

“Stupid basis! No ghosts here.” Alice again seemed to read my mind.

“Good.” I gulped trying to focus on the original purpose of my arrival. “Then what should I do first for the ritual?”

“Use this!” Alice thrust the silver bracelet at me.

“Wait!”

“Aparticularly?” alice asked, sounding impatient.

“Have you ever done this before?”

“You mean?” Alice raised both eyebrows.

“I mean ap—have you ever helped others to call souls?” ask me without being able to hide the fear that arises.

“Sure.”

“There's proof?”

“You have doubts, huh?” Alice grinned.

Of course, I doubt it. How am I sure of the strange decision to summon a spirit back into the world. That all sounds absurd.

“Give me proof, then I believe,” I said in a trembling voice.

“Proof yes? Sure.” Alice this time grinned. I gulped, what kind of evidence would he show. However, that face was full of confidence that exploded full of confidence.

“I just want to convince myself,” I said honestly.