Red Shadow

Bayu is surprised as he watches Heidy's sketch. His eyes focus on the beautiful face on the paper. While Heidy is still looking at his father, a little bit surprised. She is also waiting for a response from Bayu. For a while, silence falls between the two of them. Heidy becomes a little restless. The curiosity in her heart is piling up and becoming a bigger obstacle.

"Dad, please say something!" Heidy asks, which immediately interrupts Bayu's daydream. The sixty-year-old man looked a little nervous. However, he is still holding onto the paper. He then looks at Heidy and returns to his calm character.

"What do I have to tell you, Honey? It was just a dream, not something you should worry about, don't let it bother you," he says. Bayu then returns the paper to Heidy as he stands up. Leaving the room and having time alone in his room might be a good idea.

"I've been seeing that dream since I was fifteen, Dad! Do you think it's normal?" Heidy protests her father's opinion.

"We live in modern times. It's 2020 already, Dy. We must always put rationality ahead of such irrational thoughts. This is Oslo! Never mind! I hope you should focus on something much more important, for example, your education. You haven't answered where to continue your education," Bayu begins to change the subject of their conversation.

Heidi couldn't reply to her father. She feels even more strange seeing the attitude of her father who seems to be avoiding, discussing the problem of the dream that bothered her. However, she also didn't want to argue about something that isn't clear. "I'll think about it first," Heidy replies with a slightly disappointed face.

Bayu nods slowly. "Yes, I want to take a shower immediately," he says, kissing the forehead of Heidy who is still sitting on the chair. Heidi doesn't answer. There is a regret in her heart because of her father's reaction. She is pensive for a moment before Bayu speaks to her again.

"Oh, yes. I have to go to Indonesia this week. There are very urgent works that cannot be delegated. So, for this week you just stay at your sister's house, Lingga!"

Instantly, Heidy's sullen face changes completely. That feeling of disappointment vanished just like that and turns into a cheerful hue. Heidy gets up from her seat and walks over to her father who is already standing near the exit.

"May I come with you, Dad? Can I? I beg you!" Heidy cups her hands in front of her chest.

"What for, Dy? I'm not on vacation," Bayu says. One thing that is in vain. Because whenever Heidy wants something, nothing can stop her from achieving what she wants. Neither did the father.

"Come on, Dad! Just one week, right? I promise I won't interfere with your work. I'll find my activities," Heidy pleads with a pitiful face. "Besides, I want to know more about my ancestral land, my father's birthplace," the girl adds.

Bayu could only take a deep breath. For a moment the charismatic man seems to be in thought. His right hand was still gripping the door handle, while his left was on his hips.

"Dad? Good dad. Dear dad," Heidy coos, tilting her head so she could see her father's half-bowed face.

"Alright! Alright! On one condition!" Bayu raises his index finger.

Heidy replies with a quick, loud nod. Her heart is pounding, waiting for her father's next sentence.

"You can't go anywhere without my permission! Don't act stupid! Don't go anywhere alone!" More than one condition actually, but Heidy still accepts it with a happy heart. "Thank you, hot daddy!" she jokes as she hugs Bayu tightly.

Bayu could only shake his head at his daughter's naughty behavior. "Prepare your needs! We leave in five days," he says.

Heidy jumps with joy like a kindergartner who had just been presented with a new toy.

"Oh, yes! Take care of your visa. I don't want to know, I have too much work to do," Bayu says, as he walks out of Heidy's room.

"I will!" Heidy exclaims. For a moment, she forgets her excitement about the image of a woman on paper. She is now focused on preparing the files she will use to travel.

***

It is a sunny summer here in Oslo, even though the temperature doesn't represent summer at all. Geographically, Norway is located not far from the North Pole, so the country's climate is more or less affected by the cold polar weather.

Heidy's destination this morning was none other than the Indonesian embassy, ​​which she could reach on foot because it is not too far from the housing complex she lived in.

She is so excited that Heidy doesn't notice the pair of little eyes watching her from a distance. A black Maine coon cat is engrossed in following Heidy's movements from the sidewalk across the street. The majestic animal walks so gracefully through the traffic of people.

The cat stops in its tracks as Heidy's body enters the embassy building, then disappeared.

Inside the building, Heidy meets one of the embassy employees who is tasked with interviewing him. Straightforwardly, the beautiful girl answers every question that is asked.

Heidy was born in Indonesia. However, since moving to this nordic country, her father has taken care of everything so she has changed nationality. Bayu, Lingga, and Heidy officially became Norwegian citizens a dozen years ago.

The last question session ends, along with Heidy's unique cell phone ringing which caught the attention of the people in the room.

"Hello, Sissy! Why are you calling so early in the morning?" Heidy says in a half-whisper.

"Yes, five more days. Uhm, four days. Come on, Sis. I want to see Indonesia. I want to see Bali in person," her voice is still whispering.

"Ehm," the officer in front of Heidy seems disturbed by her conversation on the phone.

"Oh, sorry. Do I have to take this call outside?" Heidy asks the officer.

The clerk nods and directs Heidy to the hallway at the front of the room. To make the visa process smooth, Heidy complies with the officer's wishes and steps out into the hallway. Her sneakers squeak as they collided with the slick white floor. She then stops in front of the toilet door.

Heidy gently turns the doorknob. It's a bit difficult to open, so she uses both hands while tilting her head, clamping the cellphone that is still stuck to her ear. "Hello, Lingga? Are you still there?" Heidi calls.

She is now in the toilet. She stands in front of the sink and caught her reflection in the large mirror. After getting tired of staring at her face, Heidy begins to look around. There are several booths there which were all empty. Heidy listens to her sister's advice carefully while checking the condition of the cubicles one by one, then returns to the front of the sink.

"Okay, Sis. I understand," she answers in response to her sister's advice about what she could and could not do while in Indonesia. "I know I'm not going to do anything there," says Heidy a little annoyed.

"Yes, of course, I ..." her sentence is cut short when she sees a flash of shadow pass behind her as seen in the reflection of the mirror. "Wait a minute," Heidy says before she headed back down each room.

One odd thing happened, the door in the last booth is tightly closed. It is clear that a few minutes ago, all the doors were open and there was no one in the room but her. If someone entered the toilet, it would make a sound at the door.

"Sis, don't hang up the phone, okay?" Heidy asks as she tries to open the door one by one until the last booth. Her efforts stop when she sees a piece of red cloth creeping from inside the booth and towards her feet. The cloth seems to contain an electric current that stings Heidy's body. The strength of her body seems to be sucked in by the red cloth. Her energy seems to have run out, making Heidy unable to support her body.

Heidy falls on the toilet floor. Slowly, her vision blurs before finally getting completely dark. Her cell phone also fall and lay beside her head. Lingga's voice is faintly calling out her beloved little sister's name from the other side. "Dy, Dy! Are you okay? Answer me!" she exclaims.