death journey Part 3

In his stride he continued to pray, asking for the almighty's protection. But what can you do, the fear continues to surround you. Aki's shoulder was tapped from behind very hard. "Astagfirullah!!!, who is that??!!," no answer. Aki walked again, the more he walked into the forest, the stronger the disturbance came. Now his leg was pulled until he fell. Aki woke up, Aki walked back while continuing to pray. The forest seemed to forbid the battery to go much deeper. until the figure of a woman in a white dress appeared standing with her back to the battery. Aki backed away, and intended to return to the road. But his steps were stopped when there was a scream from within the forest. The girls shouted, ignoring the woman in white, Aki ran. The woman laughed shrillly making the battery's ears hurt and when the battery spontaneously turned around.

****

He saw a girl covered in blood with a nearly severed neck laughing at the battery. Yes, that's the girl. Who ran for help at the edge of the forest. And maybe this is how the fate of the girls will be. Aki ran again until he finally arrived at a big house. An old house in the forest that I never imagined would witness the massacre. The house was the only building in this entire forest, large, sturdy and dark. There, the battery saw that there was no electricity, only oil lamps and gasoline that lit up the whole house. Aki walked slowly, and he arrived at the back door of the house. The wind was blowing hard, but the battery remained firm, he saw the glass window beside the house, and there he saw Mbah Putri and Sapto and their entourage of girls eating dinner. The dinner was quiet, there was no meaningful conversation. Until slowly one by one the girls collapsed, they fell asleep right on the dining table.

***

Aki thought for a long time, maybe the screams he heard earlier didn't come from the girls but from the girls who had previously been victims of Mbah Putri's cruelty. Aki looked back into the house, and how shocked he was when he saw Mbah Putri's eyes directed to the window. Their eyes met, Aki spontaneously looked down. Until he heard Mbah Putri laugh very loudly. Aki stood back up, she didn't want to lose her fear. Mbah Putri is still looking at the window. He looked at the battery with a small smile as if to hint "It's not much," Sapto sat the girls one by one back to their original position, until a few minutes later a black creature emerged from the back door. That figure, which made the battery unable to sleep for a very long time. With his long nails, he tore off the necks of the girls one by one. He sucked his blood without remaining, he gnawed the contents of his head so that he didn't even destroy his face. Aki who witnessed it couldn't help feeling nauseous and horrified. His steps were stiff, he wanted to feel like he disappeared from the place, or at least, run as fast as he could. But the battery is not able, he is like cursed, to feel and witness the barbarity of his countrymen.

***

One by one the girls died, until finally, the last girl, Andini. The friendly girl I knew, now in seconds, her life would be gone. The creature was silent, he looked at Andini's face carefully. He stroked Andini's cheek with his long nails and occasionally saw Mbah Putri's face. I don't know what they were talking about, but it seemed that Andini was starting to wake up from her sleep, she saw that her surroundings were covered in blood and the corpses of her friends were in a pathetic condition. Andini screamed as loud as she could, which made Mr. Sapto immediately restrain her from running away. Mbah stood up, he immediately hit Andini until she fainted. Aki couldn't do anything, he just stood frozen until finally his hand was pulled by Sapto who had just left the house. "That's all you know," Sapto grabbed Aki's hand and dragged her away from there. "What's this for?, what's really going on? Why did you get involved like that?," Aki continued the questions he was holding back from Sapto. "I have no other choice, I have to do it. My son is sick and it costs a lot. Mbah Putri offered me a position where I can earn a lot of money enough to support my family," Sapto held back tears while still carrying Aki away from the house.

***

Then, that creature, is he Mbah's pet demon?" "No, that's Mbah Putri's husband," Aki's steps stopped. Sapto, who grabbed the battery, also stopped. "They used to be ordinary people, just like us, but because of the devil's instigation, they allied themselves to obtain the treasures they now possess. At a very high price. 100 virgin lives. The foundation is just a cover, the mbah has been doing that for a long time. At that time, the middle of the time given to them ran out, making mbah's husband change to replace the demon and if in the 10th full moon later the agreement of 100 lives has not been fulfilled, then it will be mbah's turn to be like her husband," said Sapto. "When is the 10th full moon?" "Tonight," "Then, what happened just now?" "It seems that the husband of the mbah is interested in the girl. He wanted the girl to accompany him in this forest which of course was vehemently rejected by the mbah." "She is the 100th girl," continued Sapto. Aki was silent, she didn't know how to respond after hearing that terrible story. There was a loud scream coming from the house. Not Andy's voice. But the voice of the princess. "You get out of here quickly, hide as much as you can, and never appear in front of mbah again." Sapto let go of his grip and ran back to the big house. Aki who kept hearing the screams, ran out of the forest. He wanted to quickly get away from the place he felt like hell. And Aki Toha's story ends here. Yusuf and Layla still couldn't believe what they heard.

***

"Then, what will happen to this foundation after that?" Layla asked Nek Ira, curious. "Well as we know, word of mouth spreads so fast, many prospective migrant workers run away after knowing what their fate will be. And there are also many parents and relatives who need them from the shelter," said Nek Ira. "And Mbah Putri, what about him?" Yusuf asked in reply. "No one knows the fate of him and Sapto after that. After that incident, Toha disappeared for several years, grandmother had been looking for him everywhere. Reported to the police but to no avail. Then Grandma remembers, Grandma has a friend who understands things like that, you must know him?" Grandma Ira looked at Yusuf. "Your grandfather, Ki Rusman," Nek Ira pointed at the bracelet that was worn by Yusuf. "That's from your grandfather right?" Yusuf nodded. "Your grandfather managed to find Toha in the opposite village, in a hut in an almost insane state. But thanks to God's help through your grandfather, Toha managed to survive and live to this day," said Nek Ira. "Then why did Aini appear in Yusuf's dream, Grandma?," Layla again couldn't hold back her curiosity. Grandma Ira was silent, and looked at Yusuf

***

Because I was the witness that night he was 'picked up'." Yusuf bowed and made Nek Ira and Layla look at each other in silence, and Yusuf began to tell stories. [This story is adapted from Twitter/bulanpurama0] "I forgot a little, Grandma, but that afternoon I came home late because I had an Student Council assignment and when I passed class 2 of IPA III, I saw Budi and Aini were still in class. I didn't really pay attention because there were still people in other classes who hadn't gone home. When it was almost evening, it was raining quite heavily, so I decided to go home. When I ran to the bus stop, I saw Aini there, when a deer car stopped in front of Aini, she got up smiling. I thought it was deliberately picking him up but after a few minutes I saw that the car was gone, even though it should still be visible because the direction to Aini's house was straight and quite far from the turn," Yusuf tried to remember the incident he saw a month ago. "That's Sapto," Aki Toha came out of the room, making everyone there look at him. "He's been eyeing this girl for a long time. His brother who survived the massacre, must be replaced with the same blood, namely his younger brother. Exactly in January this year, the girl turned 17 years old. Sapto will take him to Ms. Putri," "Mbah Putri is still alive?" Grandma Ira now asked. "Of course she is still alive, she became a demon-like creature like her husband and they live in the forest with their slave, Andini,"

***

And bringing Aini to mbah Putri is the only way for Sapto to be free from all those curses." Aki Toha's eyes reddened, his hatred for the family was implied. "Then, can Aini survive Ki?" asked Yusuf. "Right now, maybe still. The ritual must be performed on a full moon night." "Tomorrow the day after tomorrow," said Ira's grandmother. Everyone was silent, Aki Toha thought for a long time. "I have to atone for my sins, madam, this is my chance to stop them and save the girl," Aki looked at her brother sadly. Grandma Ira was silent, she really understood how much her sister had suffered for the past 7 years being haunted by the devil every night. "I'm coming," said Nek Ira. "Me too," Yusuf did not want to lose, followed by Layla who asked to come along. It was finally decided, the day after tomorrow, they would go to the forest. Isha has passed, it looks like Yusuf and Layla really have to stay that night. But suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Assalamualaikum," said a man from behind the door. "Waalaikumsalam," everyone in the house answered the greeting as if it was a familiar voice. "Rusman?," said Nek Ira as he opened the door which made everyone there turn to look at him. "Sorry to interrupt at night, I want to pick up my grandson," said Ki Rusman with a friendly smile. Yusuf stood up, and immediately approached Ki Rusman who seemed to know what had happened. "Don't involve my grandson. He looks strong but actually he is weak. If you need help, let me go the day after tomorrow," Nek Ira nodded understanding Ki Rusman's intention, at first she didn't want Yusuf and Layla to come too. "But Ki, Yusuf also wants to come," Ki Rusman looked at Yusuf with an angry look so that Yusuf did not argue. They both said goodbye to go home, while Layla stayed at her grandmother's house. "Just go straight, don't look left and right, follow Aki's steps," "Yeah Ki," they walked forward past the building. Cold air began to seep into Yusuf's thin body. He shivered, Ki Rusman who saw this immediately took off his jacket and put it on his grandson.

***

"If you have something to say to Aki, don't suddenly disappear and interfere with things like that," "Yes, Ki," answered Yusuf briefly. Yusuf felt that the road to the future was very far away. He walked behind his grandfather. Look at his grandfather's back. Field and sturdy. Yusuf didn't say much. Now that he was walking past the building, he didn't dare look up. But the curiosity was getting stronger. He was scared, but at least his grandfather was there. He turned to the left, right at the window of the first room. There is not anything. Joseph was relieved. He walked back. But suddenly, something hard hit his head, Yusuf collapsed and passed out again. "Brak!! Brak!!! Brakk!!!!" At exactly 11 pm, the door of Ira's grandmother's house was banged again. Everyone woke up and rushed to the front door. When Ira's grandmother opened the door, and how surprised she was when she saw ki Rusman standing breathless. "Where's my grandson?" he said in a high pitched voice. Everyone looked at each other, they had clearly seen with their own eyes that Yusuf was picked up by him. "Damn!!!!," Ki Rusman could not contain his anger. "Toha, come with me now!, and you two, wait at home until we get home. If someone comes tonight, don't open the door. Stay at home until the dawn call to prayer is heard."

Continued...