TUMBAL SEVENTH

Soul Prison

In a blink of an eye everything had changed. The place that was once beautiful, glamorous, now turned into a pitch-black cave. My eyes can see nothing. Only black. I don't know where to go. Baffled. The voice that was similar to Tania's voice earlier also disappeared.

“Halooo! Is anyone here?” My screams echoed and no one answered. Seconds later silent.

My brain is still working hard, trying to digest the situation. Ah, that's right, in just an instant, I'm already in a different place now. I don't understand why I got here. Could it be that Sania's soul is here?

I walked forward relying on the palpation of the hands and feet. I don't know what hit my body from the back so hard. So I fell face down and when I got up, I was in another place.

Now I am in the forest. Nuansanya. Just like the atmosphere of Magrib. Each tree had several people tied up. No, not people. Perhaps more precisely a soul or spirit. They asked for help to be released. I couldn't hear their roars.

I walked from one tree to another. Examine the spirits one by one and hope to find Sania. However, until I felt weak, Sania had not met yet. This forest is too big for me to explore alone.

“What are you doing here?” A voice boomed behind me, making me turn around. A large tall creature stands up Sangar's face. His eyes glared bright red.

“I'm looking for my friend.” As much as I can, I try to fight fear. The giant laughed out loud. The sound of his laughter boomed, echoing like an almighty lightning. It caused tremors on the ground that I was shaking, like an earthquake.

“If my friend is here, show me where it is and give it back to me!” I said after the giant stopped laughing.

The monster came back laughing. “If your friend were here, I wouldn't just give you back. You have to make it up to me!”

“You want me to redeem with what?”

“Hinwa paid lives!” answer's jarring. I was speechless, there was no way to agree to the devil's crazy request. Again, the demon broke down, then disappeared.

I have to try myself to find Sania's spirit here. My mind believes Sania is here. I kept walking from one tree to another.

“You saw my best friend?” ask me about the spirits tied up in those trees. They just kept on crying out for release.

“Indeed, if I told you, would you release me too?” One female spirit replied and looked at me with a sharp look.

I fell silent, caught up in a difficult choice. On the other hand, I need him to show me the place of the new spirits, but I'm afraid I'm going to let him go. What if the devil's words were true, he wanted a replacement for every spirit I set free?

Nope, no! I don't want to take any chances. I shook my head and continued on the road. The longer it feels like my body is limp. My energy is running low, I guess.

“Raniaaa!”

I was silent hearing someone call me. That's like Mela's voice? Did he come here?

“Raniaaa!” Again the call echoed. And right, that's Mela's voice.

“Yaaa! I'm hereii!” my reply.

“Oke, wait for me there! Don't go anywhere!”

As per Mela's orders, I stayed in place waiting for her to approach. Not long after, Mela looks and gets closer. I let out a sigh of relief. I finally have a friend here, and hopefully the search for Sania's spirit will pay off sooner.

“You're here?” ask me after Mela's close.

“You how else, you are so long, Ran. Tirta was very worried, tau!”

“Look, I'm having trouble finding Sania.” Mela monitored the surroundings, then she let out a long sigh.

“Hmmm, yes, I can see it,” reply Mela later, still while looking around.

“How now?” tanyaku later.

“We'll find Sania until we meet.”

“Sorry, but you are not the Sania we mean,” I said to one of the spirits who asked to be released.

“Why don't we just release him?” advice Mela.

I pulled Mela a bit away from that spirit binding tree. “It's not a good idea. The problem is, if one is released, it is clear that the other will also demand release. And not only that, the demon lord here will ask for a replacement collision,” I whispered.

Mela nodded in understanding. “OK, we find our best friend Sania then.”

Me and Mela continued walking, until they reached a hut with a bamboo room and roofed nipah. Inside there was a reddish glow, which I believed to be the light of a lantern. I looked back and forth, it seemed, we were now in a different forest than we were.

“What might Sania be in there,”. Seconds later we looked at each other.

“Can be,” reply.

“We check!”

I nodded at Mela's invitation and we walked slowly closer to the hut. The atmosphere here is very quiet and dim. No animal or wind sounds. Suddenly felt sick wanting to cry for no reason. However, I tried to hold on so as not to break my tears.

Now, we are right in front of the door which is also made of woven bamboo. Me and Mela compactly peered inside through the gap of woven bamboo. And right, Sania's in there. After peeking, Me and Mela had a point of view. Mela invited in with a head gesture, I nodded in agreement.

The sliding bamboo door we managed to open. Sania stared blankly at the two of us. Me and Mela looked at each other for a moment. Then, he looked back at Sania carefully.

“Sania!” call me make sure. However, Sania instead looked at me and Mela was confused. He's like a dazed man.

“San, do you remember who you are?” asked Mela, and Sania shook her head. Mela then looked at me. We looked at each other. I put my shoulders back, because I don't know what happened to Sania either.

“Sania, your name is Sania. I'm Mela, and this is your best friend Rania,” Mela explained trying to restore Sania's memory.

“Sania? My name ... Sania?”

Mela and I nodded in confirming.

“Dan ... You're Rania?” I nodded back.

“Your place is not here. We need to get out of here. So, let's stand up and let's get out of here!” take me.

“Where to go?” ask Sania.

“Back. Home,” Reply Mela.

“Go back?” sahut Sania while looking at me and Mela. I nodded, Mela too.

After a long time of effort, Sania's memory finally returned. He finally remembered our original purpose until we got here. Not only that, he even remembered who brought him here.

“The old grandmothers who brought me here,” obviously Sania panicked, “We have to get out of here before the grandmother returns,”.

“OK, then we go now!” take Mela and Sania up from sitting down. The three of us came out of the bamboo room. Just as we reached the terrace, a grandmother stood in the courtyard of this hut. His eyes stared hard at the three of us. In his left hand was a torch, while in his right hand was a bundle that I did not know what it contained. The grandmother was the exact same grandmother that pointed the way back then. Yeah, I don't remember wrong. The clothes are exactly the same.

“Handle! Whatever happens do not let go,” said Mela. The three of us held hands. Sania's position in the middle. I held Sania's left hand, while Mela held her right.

“We run. Follow the pull of my hand.” Me and Sania nodded in agreement with Mela's words.

“Now!” exclaim Mela. Sania and I ran with Mela's hand. The granny chased after us, and the torch in her hand just now turned into a bati banas that floated in the air chasing us as well.