Long Hair Ghost

Arsya returned to his luxurious house which was not far from the bus stop earlier. The house is still bright, he is sure that the occupants of the house are still awake. Arsya wasn't sure if it was his father or stepmother because they both always went to bed early.

Arsya held the doorknob of his house, pressed it down and stepped after the door was opened. His guess was right – Arsya was annoyed, seeing her sister Mina who was still watching television. His younger sister, who really likes ghost movies, can already guess that Mina is watching a movie that Arsya doesn't really like.

"Mina!" Arsya snapped.

His sister was shocked, more than had a heart attack and also wore a frightened expression when a ghostly figure appeared on the small screen. The eight year old girl looked annoyed at her step son who suddenly called out.

"Older brother! I thought it was a ghost," she said in a whining tone. Mina hugged the chair cushion tightly and her eyes returned to focus on the screen.

"Aren't you afraid of watching ghost movies all the time?" Arsya protested as she walked up to her. His right hand becomes a shield on his right cheek, so that Arsya's eyes do not look directly at the film that could keep her awake until the morning out of fear.

"I watched with Auntie."

"Where's her aunt?" asked Arsya looking for the figure of his assistant who was not there.

"Auntie went to the kitchen to get a drink," Mina replied without noticing the look on Arsya's face, which was now so tense.

There was the sound of footsteps approaching, but not in the real world but in the movie that his stepbrother was watching.

Arsya also watched the movie scene which looked exciting. It was so tense when the schoolgirl walked in the hallways of the school that seemed to be late in the evening.

Arsya, who was standing behind the sofa Mina was sitting on, subconsciously lowered his right hand which she had used as a shield.

Arsya doesn't dislike horror films, he's just too scared to watch them. Especially the impact after watching.

Both are very focused. The actor then opened the classroom, looking for something… don't know what it was.

Until a black shadow appeared in the window.

The film actor looked up, he felt something strange. She looked out the window where there was a big tree. Looked up at the straight branches and looked very comfortable when used to sitting and hang there.

Surely at night, everyone would agree that the branch became the seat of a long-haired astral creature.

Then the actor turned his face back and sighed, because she thought there was something but it turned out to be just a leaf with branches spreading near the glass.

When the actor turned around while putting his side hair behind her ear….

"Aaaah, Kuntilanak (female ghost)!" shouted Arsya along with the screams of an old woman beside her, so loud that Mina was shocked. Not because there is a ghost in the film, but because Auntie Ani is now not tying her hair and is standing next to the timid Arsya. Arsya tilted his head and crouched down. "Don't disturb! Go! Go!" Arsya chased the old woman away who he thought was a ghost.

Mina, who was scared before, is now looking sadly at her brother who is like a madman, she thought. Hysterical.

"O Allah, O Lord. La haula wala kuta illabillah, go you Kuntilanak. Go!" Auntie Ani closed her eyes, she didn't realize that the term 'Kuntilanak' was meant by Arsya to herself.

Mina just left the two of them scared alone who didn't dare to open their eyes. Mina watched the two's expressions while resting her chin on the sofa's shoulder. Until their parents came down from bedroom.

"What is this, Arsya?" asked Hendrawan--his father. Mina widened her eyes with a smile after Arsya and Auntie Ani opened their eyes.

"Astagfirullah, Auntie Ani!" said her employer, Nia while glaring. He then walked up to Auntie Ani and held her tousled hair. "No wonder Arsya is scared, why are you leaving your hair like this without being tied up. Hah? Like Aunt Kuntilanak, you know. Quickly tie your hair!" Nia ordered with her power index finger held up.

"Sorry madam, hehe. Ani likes to untie her hair at night," Auntie Ani was honest. However, her employer will not tolerate her honesty when it comes to Arsya—her stepson whom she spoils so much.

"Mina, go to sleep quickly! Watch a scary movie. Go to sleep!" Nia snapped and immediately turned off the television. Mina is used to her mother's overprotective attitude towards her brother—Arsya. Mina's lips pouted and went straight to her room downstairs, next to Arsya's.

"Arsya, you're still a coward," said his father half ignoring Arsya. If the child is to be married to a woman who is more courageous.

Nia glared at Ani, the maid quite understood what her female employer ordered just by looking at her eyes. Ani nodded with a row of teeth grin, leaving while rolling her hair without a hair tie. Just rolled up and tucked into her curled hair.

"Well, don't be afraid Arsya," Nia said while stroking her stepson's hair. Arsya still felt her heart beating like a disco from the shock.

"Arsya wants to sleep Mom," he said with his eyes unfocused and breathing irregularly.

"Okay, have a good sleep. Do you need mom to bring you some hot tea?" she offered to her stepson.

"No need Mom, Arsya wants to sleep quickly."

"Okay then, sleep, honey."

Arsya then walked away leaving his parents.

Hendrawan looked at his wife with seduction eyes. Nia is aware of what her husband wants.

"Brew yourself, I am lazy, ah," Nia said as she walked up the stairs.

"It's a habit, Honey, you like to put Arsya ahead of your husband." Hendrawan stalked his wife. Keep pushing.

"No! Mommy is sleepy."

"Yes, Mommy, Honey."

"You can brew it himself."

"Mom."

"No."

***

Arsya smiled in his room. He does know that his stepmother loves Arsya very much and sometimes it's like favoritism to Mina, her own biological child.

Even though Arsya was not friendly to her as a child, thanks to Nia's kindness who always spoiled Arsya – he finally accepted Nia as his surrogate mother and sometimes even forgot about his own mother, although not totally.

Arsya holds a grudge, she still wonders why his mother left.

Half couldn't believe what his father said that his mother cheated on him and chose to be a prostitute, but his memory with his mother can't just be forgotten by Arsya.

Even though after the departure of his mother, Arsya felt that Nia had come as an angel in his life, as a substitute for his mother who had the heart to leave her, his only child never came back again, showing the bridge of his nose.

In his daydream, a flash of the image of the girl he had met passed by.

In all his ages, Arsya has never liked women, not because Arsya is not normal but no woman has been able to touch his heart.

But sometimes he advises the woman who looks amazed after Arsya says his words.

Arya smiled to herself. Feeling insane with himself for a fraction of a second can disguise himself as a Mario Teguh who motivates others even though at the same time he is also in a dilemma.

"Arsya, Arsya ... you are really great at tricking other people," said Arsya to herself.

Whether high or low praise he himself did not know. What was on Arsya's mind was that now she had to go to sleep by covering her whole body with a blanket without any air gaps.

He was very afraid that any astral beings could touch him.

***