TUMBAL SEVENTH

Caught

I staggered, bowing in order to catch my breath. Upright again heaved a sigh of relief it could finally escape from the snake and those strange people. Throat feels dry. Now my mission is to find a river to wet this dry throat.

I forgot where the river I met was. Already walked to and fro splitting the bush, but have not yet met. These eyes glazed over as they hit a fruit tree. I know that fruit can be eaten. Mulberry fruit. Rushing I approached and picked the ripe blackish-colored one. Tastes sweet. Thirst and hunger are a little minimized.

This leg joint feels like it's about to break. I decided to rest under the mulberry tree. However, before the break it is good to make a nature bivouac, a temporary resting place. I started looking for tree branches and leaves that I could pick up or break by hand. Then, arrange it like a ba bi nest. Once the bivouac is ready to be occupied, I immediately go in and sleep.

*****

I don't know how long I've been asleep. After the consciousness had gathered perfectly, I came out from within the bivouac. I was petrified still in a riding position and only half of my body came out. I found blackish feet lined up in front of me. As I glanced left and right, apparently those pairs of legs surrounded my bivouac.

Yeah, they're the freaks again. They managed to find me. Now, how should I? I think escaping is free. It certainly won't. Perhaps, it is better to raise both hands up. Surrender. Or beg for forgiveness so that they do not hurt me, but will they understand my language?

I haven't raised both hands up. These two freaks had dragged me out violently. After that, my body was carried by one of the thick-bodied men. The rest paraded us in the back while continuing to cheer ‘hu ha hu ha’ and raising their weapons in the form of spears and arrows, repeatedly. Until I got to a place, which I believed to be their settlement.

I was taken down rudely. Like a farmer who drops a sack with a crop. I grimaced in pain. Falling in a sitting position with legs. My tailbone feels pain. Hopefully not injured. I'm besieged. After the man who was carrying me went into a hut with a wall of leaves aligned with the roof. The rest who live here form a circular row. Surrounding my body. There is no room at all to escape. Damnit damnit!

“Please, forgive me! I'm not a bad guy. I'm stranded here. Please, let me go!” I try to beg and hope they understand. However, it seems free. They just kept calling out ‘hu ha hu ha’ nonstop. I don't know what that means.

One of them gave way. A second later an old-looking man approached. There was an arrow in his hand. I don't know what it is for. I shuffled back as the man got closer. However, my efforts to stay away were in vain. My position is fixed on this line of freaks. I shook my head in horror as the man raised his arrow high, then thrust it into this arm. Of course I screamed. It hurt so bad, and then shortly after the arrow was removed, my eyes became blurry and darkened.

*****

I blinked, then these eyes were completely opened perfectly. I gasped when I found my body without a thread and in a position stretched out on a stone shaped like a cot. My hands and feet were tied with the roots of the tree, then tied to wooden stakes that were stuck to the ground at every corner of this stone.

“What will you do?! Where's my outfit?” I tried to fight and hoped for a miracle. However, it seems nil. Maybe my life will end here.

Those freaks circled my place while exclaiming ‘hu ha hu ha’ ranging from slow to fast rhythm. Then they stopped going around, then changed the movement to be like a hitchhiker repeatedly. After which, they joined hands forming a circle and finished. Some went into his hut, and some went out of nowhere.

*****

Until nightfall, I was still tied to a rock. Not fed or drank. I can only cry, when this whole body is covered with mosquitoes. It feels amazing, but can't scratch it. Plus the cold that was piercing.

“Tolooong!” I keep trying to ask for help.

In the dark there was a figure that looked dull approaching.

“Please, let me go,” my door is down. I think my energy is over. Instead of letting go, the figure groped my entire body, including that forbidden part. I could only cry helplessly. Not long ago came again two figures of legam. They smacked the nape of that brash figure on me and lay helpless on the ground.

“Ti ..” I almost screamed. Tirta closed my mouth and hissed, gesturing me not to make any noise.

Yes, he's right my husband. After all the rope that tied the accomplice came off, I immediately rushed into his embrace. Dunked his face into his chest so that my sedu was disguised.

“Where is your outfit?” tanyanya.

“I don't know,” reply I whispered.

“Let me find.” That's Bayu's voice.

A few moments later, Bayu returned. Carrying my pants and shirt without the interior. It's okay even without the interior, rather than gil bu. I put it on and we left in the dark. Just rely on instinct. Sometimes we fall down, then get up and go on our way.

“Where is Mela?” my question after we were away from the settlement of the tribal people inland earlier. Neither my husband nor Bayu spoke. Both are silent.

“I don't know where she is,” says Bayu after being silent for quite a while. His voice sounded raucous. I rushed into his arms. Swiping his back gently, giving him strength.

“We thought Mela was with you, Darling.” Husband.

“No. I never saw him.”

“Is it possible that Mela has already eaten the cannibal herd?” lirih Bayu's. His voice sounded desperate.

My husband's approaching, we're flanking Bayu. Together give him strength and spirit.

“I'm sure, Mela is alive,” I said as per feeling. Husband agreed.

“Hopefully so,” wilt Bayu.

We decided to rest by the beach without any lighting and without a bivouac. Completely in the open, sitting side by side leaning against a large rock lying on the shore. Waiting for the light to come, then we will plan to get off this island. Although I still do not know how. At least for now we have to look after each other and survive first here.

*****

Several times we were caught, then managed to escape from the herd of cannibals. Several times we also made rafts, but were destroyed by the tribe of the interior. Even Tirta had almost been slaughtered by the chief of the tribe of the outback. However, Bayu and I managed to save her. Until finally, now we managed to ride the raft that we made the style of logs that we collected with bare hands for almost two weeks here. Some of our wood was forced to steal the property of the people of the tribe of the interior.

We tied the logs into a raft with a wooden root. We also deliberately chose to escape on a dark night, so as not to be discovered by the tribe of the interior. The three of us hugged each other on the raft, as we managed to get away from the deadly island. Our haru cries broke.