3. Vika

(this is just the half part of the second chapter that I cut so it's not being soo long. You can skip this chapter if you already read it)

While still being treated at the hospital, Bunga often saw nightmares of the death of the people on the train. 

The dream began with her standing in the middle of the carriage. Then the corpses of the victims who lined up on the benches and floor, flocked to Bunga's body and did lewd things to her body. Afterwards biting down hard on every inch of skin, tearing it like a loaf of bread. 

Blood flowed like a river from every piece of flesh they pulverized. They hungered for Bunga's entire body and dignity in order to get at her heart. 

Which, when they got it, all the heads went straight to the woman, until it was all gone. Then, just as the parents had told her about the torments of hell, Bunga's body regenerated again. 

And the cycle of eating and being eaten repeated itself. 

In all the cycles, people shouted loudly, "WHY SHOULD YOUR LUCK KILL A LOT OF PEOPLE?!"

"YOU'RE MORE DESERVING OF BEING A GIRL WHO GETS EXTORTED BY AN UGLY BASTARD ON THE LRT EVERY DAY THAN SURVIVING A MASSACRE!!!"

Then when she looked back. A mother was trying to protect her child. While the faceless Sima kicked and hit her in the head with an axe relentlessly. Seeing Bunga, the mother tried to call for help. However, Bunga's body that was held by thousands of corpses could not do anything. 

And the mother would soon be dead, skinned alive, along with the child who was not far away.

She would be awakened and scream hysterically afterward. The doctor then came, checked the situation.

Since being discharged from the hospital, she had hardly ever had such horrific nightmares. All because of psychological treatment. From her who began to try to accept the situation and adjust to office work life as a marketing assocate. As well as a healthy office environment that was willing to be friendly to her situation.

Coincidentally, tonight, she had that dream again.

She woke up and screamed hysterically. Immediately went to the bathroom to wash her face, then drank some water and sat for some time, calming down.

It's still 3am.

Bunga has no intention of sleeping again out of fear. So, she goes out.

Her neighbor greets her as she steps from the doorway. A man, a decade older. He wore only a white T-shirt and short green pants. His hair was dyed brown. There is a cigarette perched between his index and middle fingers. 

There was only him here, between the doors of the rented house, which was still asleep-perhaps actually awake, but back to sleep or simply not coming out. Including the man's wife, who he assumed had decided to sleep again. Meanwhile, the man happened to be staying up late. 

They sat on the front porch of the room on the second floor. Both looked at the vast green garden on the other side, which was empty between the lights of garden lights and trees. Feeling bad, Bunga apologized. The man didn't think much of it. Galih is his name.

"When I was your age, every day I had to wake up because of the screams of my brother who lost his wife because of events like you experienced. Time passed, he finally accepted the situation, and moved abroad for a better fortune. I myself also realized something from my experience with my brother."

He paused for a moment.

"That in the end, death will only be a number."

Galih smiled broadly after saying that, then laughed. Feeling fancy with that monumental sentence. Bunga laughed too. Then he offered her a cigarette. Bunga refused it. She didn't smoke. Then he put the cigarette back.

"But I don't mean to be reckless with death." The man put the pack of cigarettes into the pocket of his pants. "Because it could be that my words have a negative connotation. And people aren't wrong, I used to be like that. It's an empty feeling. 

"But yeah, since I married Vika, I don't feel alone. Humans will indeed die, but in the end I realized that there will be those around us who care, whether it's for those who die, or for those who are left behind, like me."

The 3 o'clock conversation put Bunga in a good mood. And from there, she could go back to sleep until she had to wake up again at 6am to get ready for work. Although then her head became a bit sore because of the hour of sleep that was cut. 

At least, she was happy enough to be lucky to get a kind neighbor. Moreover, the wife of Galih was her office mate. Where it makes Bunga no longer need to jostle in the LRT again because every single day getting a motorcycle ride.

Bunga might just be jealous that they always kiss before going to work. 

Vika and Bunga went to work, while Galih worked as a freelance.

The two women swept through the quiet morning streets. Out of the residential area with its large green park. Dashing electric motorcycles and fancy electric cars power the streets. 

They move on a giant elevated primary road that runs over a long man-made river, with the LRT elevated tracks next to it, separated. Then it's down to the left at a fork in the collector road. 

Where there are two roads going in different directions with a clean man-made river in the middle. 

Numerous floating electric buses shuttle passengers from one water station to another, while people are organized on pedestrian bridges that cross over the river and sidewalks.

Not long after seeing the river up close, they arrived at the office. 

Separated into their respective divisions where Vika herself was in the finance division as an accountant. Then Bunga, who starts the day at the office with daily administrative tasks; replying to emails, taking care of social media. Then, various reports and tasks from seniors. 

Until break time reunited her and Vika at a food stall near the office. They chatted about many things. Bunga liked the sincerity of Vika who treated her. And Vika's frank nature where she asked questions like: "How does it feel to have an insider?"

It is common secret that Bunga's uncle works as a higher-up in the company. 

It was Vika who first mentioned the matter. Bunga knew that and didn't mind it. Because nepotism is arguably one of her forms of luck, it is worth laughing at. So, with a cocky attitude, she said something like this: "Yes, it's obviously great, duh!" 

Then they laughed together. However, in this case Bunga felt that she didn't want to be a jerk. So she also explained that she hadn't originally intended to apply here to avoid that kind of conjecture.

"But it was really very limited. It happened to be really difficult to vacancies. And if there are any, the requirements aren't mind-boggling! Like, good looking, 2 years' experience, or you have to be able to do this, that, and so on. Even if there are reasonable ones, the competition is crazy!" she continued, "my uncle honestly wasn't too involved after that. If I do a task from my boss, I just do it. If it's wrong, it's wrong."

Vika just nodded.

This is another example of the luck that Bunga really wants to happen in her life. Vika is a friend who is unlikely Bunga hate because of her words. Even since Bunga occupied the renter and became her neighbor, she never hide her nature, so Bunga did not need to pretend or get involved in awkward conditions with that person.

Realizing that, Bunga felt grateful.

However, all of that vanished in the night.

Dimness of light filled the silence of the rooftop parking lot building, added to the gloom of consciousness of the construction. At the end of that gloom, like a small long path, like a doorway at the end of a dream, Bunga saw it.

How Vika's life was taken by the heart-hungry Sima.