"Mom, you should go home"
"...No, I am alright. Dad still not coming out of the forest so I cannot even relax at home."
Said mom with her relaxed smile, or so she tried to be.
...Hmm?
Tilting my head, I reach my phone on my pocket and got struck dumb when realize that 2 hours already pass. Looking back at the eerily dark place the entrance of that forest, my eyes and hand start to twitch uncontrolably giving one a very uncomfortable vibe.
"...No info whatsoever from dad?"
"I will try calling him" Said mom with a bit of hurry.
A good thing that my family are not that awkard with technology, but still not going to help much with the current situation.
Because his phone cannot got through.
The chaos here in our camp start to stabilize but just why?
"...Just like a calm before storm"
"Hmm? what is it, Bagas?"
"No, nothing"
I cannot make my mother get any more anxious. She try to look as calm as possible in front of me but I already adult enough to notice that she do that to make me not anxious.
I am not a kid anymore to the point that my own mother need to consider my emotion so it somehow give me warm feeling to be care about.
'Still...'
Clicking about in my handphone, dialing one of my friend number that I know who somehow knowledgeable about supernatural phenomenon, and call him, I am Hoping he will pick it up while walking to the corner and wait the ringing tone.
My heart rate start to thump loudly every single time I hear the tone ringing unanswered but there is no way I will give up that easily when even my dad become involved to this extent.
'I will bother him to the point of breaking our friendship in worst case if it is necessary'
But it seem my resolve are uneeded because just when it start to reach a 7th time...
"...hmmmhello?"
...hmm? What should I said to make him awake and would help me in not half assed way?
"Haaalllo? Just who is calling this earl..."
"I am behind you and WILL kill you in ten second"
*Biiip biip biipp
Nodding my head in satisfaction after hanging up, I start to count in my head and will call him back in ten secon.
1,2,3...hmm?...5
"Hallo? I only count until 4 and you already call me ba..."
"DAMMIT BAGAS! COULD YOU PLEASE STOP YOUR UNFUNNY JOKE ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF NIGHT!!!"
...Whoah. Based on his voice, it seems like we can start a normal conversation, and it is not "In the middle of the night" anymore. In that case...
"Who do you call bagas? Listen kid, you better check your number before yelling on people"
Said me with very deep and chilling (Probably) voice. No matter how fast your mind awake, 5 second is not enough to make his brain work properly so I need to push him a little bit.
I just answered "I only count until 4..." just a moment ago but he wouldn't realized it if he is still half awake.
"eh? wha!? I am so sorry!! I just got a phone from my friend so I...hmm, wait? Hello? Who are you? this is my friends phone so it should be you in the wrong here."
...as expected.
"Nah it's bagas speaking, sorry but I need your.... *Biip biip"
-20 second later-
"So that's how is it"
"...Understand. I will call my acquaintance to assist you. It might take around 45 minutes at most so please bear with it for a while"
Is it really that easy? I thought that my request are quite rude considering my worst TPO.
"Don't worry, it is exactly at this kind of time that their activity start to get busy. On the other hand, I hope you didn't pull this kind of stunt to wake me up again."
"I am sorry, I will try to. Thanks a lot for your help"
"I hope you just call me normally on another time. Anyway I want to rest now, bye"
With this, I hope I can relax a little bit but of coursse there is no time to lose anymore. Walking to my childhood friend, I tried to contruct every appealing sentence possible in my head to get their help and wait within 45 minutes long.
***
"That guy never stop doing weird thing, but it is the first time he get involved in this kind of phenomenon"
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Said the brown skin, a little plump and 165cm tall guy with his curly brown hair sitting on top of his bed. Looking around with his phone on hand, he steadly walk to the bathroom to wash his face.
*Splash
The running sound of water is splashing are quite loud but not enough to wake up his family but weirdly different from normal household, his parent from who know when already stand behind his back looking at him with puzzled expression and not having any kind of tired face whatsoever.
"Why are you washing your face in the middle of the night, Ges? It would make you harder to fall asleep."
"Because I don't intend to. Dad, we have a job. "
Said Ges without stopping his action.
"Based of what my friend told me, it might be worse then he expected to be. He ask me for help so It is fine if you ask your friend's help in this matter"
Said Ges, while turning around looking to both of his parent. Water dripping down from his hair trickling down making his face a little messy but if you look at his eyes, the light of determination could be seen clearly showing how awake he is on this decision.
Ges's parent both dumfounded, but rather than answering yes or no, the feeling of confusion clearly taken hold of them instead.
"Why all of sudden? I am fine helping your friend but aren't you normally dislikes working in the night? "
"I don't dislike it. It is more like I better sleeping at night but after being woken up by a jerk. I need to punch a certain face first to calm this anger down so it is better to have a in experience with you both while at it"
On top of that, he said that his parents get involved in it so I really want to know just what is happening here myself.
"We can talk about it on the way. For now, let's get there as fast as possible"
"I will prepare every neccesities. Reges, you will help mom to move all things to the car."
"Don't you need to call organization mom?"
"...Well" Ges's mom become unsure what to say but his dad ended up the one who answer instead.
"I will, but only some helper. Depend on how severe the case is, I will ask for a better ranks shaman instead so you better prepare your explanation"
The father start to fiddling with his phone and message a few friends he had, while moving about busily and answering his son quesetion at the same time. Their movement looks frantic but if you look carefully, every time he did something are with naturalness and practiced manner.
"Understand"
Answered ges as he help his mom moving a box, stick, talisman, and any kind of weird and not normal writing on top of it. If Bagas were here, He will be very surpised with how weird all of the things this family own. Reges are known for his supernatural abitlity but never did he show any gesture that make one feel awkward with disturbing habit.
As if a normal guy with a little bit quirky ability, that is how Ges known to others but never he let just how depth their family involvement in supranatural being known to others.
'You know Bagas. I not only help you but betting my current lifestyle in your hand by showing you what kind of family I had. I hope you better be grateful by listening every request I said when I get there'
Such is his real purpose.
'Wait for me and don't do anything unnecessary, Gas'
***
In front of the entrance of the forest, I sat surounded with 4 of my friend around my age while keep looking at my phone. A first, only me and Agung who came to help out but I call the rest of them considering tha we need a lot of manly hand here for any undesired posibilities.
"Mom, how about I call Police?" ask me toward my mother standing nehind me.
Some of my friend flinch when they heard the word "Police" but they decide not to say a thing considering I am only asking for opinion toward my family member.
"Uhmm, I don't know. How about we wait for your friends help first?"
"...Understand"
This is difficult.
It is already 15 minutes but my feeling becoming more uncomfortable with every tick of second. I tried to message my brother and ask his opinion but he didn't reply at all. Calling all of my childhood friend, waiting together and starting conversation with them, my mind start to relax a little but not really helpful with current situation.
On top of that.
"...so sleepy"
Now that the possesion festival start to get calmed down, all of my tension leave my body making my mind even more hazy.
"Gas, how about you sleep a little? I will wake you up when the times your friend come"
"...Nah, don't worry mom... I am fine"
...
"On the second thought, I need to wash my face first"
Said me, while standing steadly and then walking toward the exit of this aula looking for my Shoes ignoring all of the student here that still sitting obediently while listening "I don't know What he is talking about" motivator spewing his saliva with gusto.
'Wait? Where is my shoes!? I will be scolded by my mom if I lost it and I doubt she will buy me a new one!'
Because of our financial issues, even losing Rp 1000 will become a mini world war let alone losing a shoe!
'Where!?
Frantically scattering a bundle of shoes stacked on top of each other, crawling without care how dirty my blue short pants uniform become, my heart thumping with anxitey by how the normally shoes that I put before are not found anywhere I look. Before I knew it, my eyes become misty at which a tears start to flow on the corner of my eyes.
'No! I already an adult, I must not cry!'
Wiping my tears with the hem of my white uniform, my sight darkened but still not stopping my hand for grabing every single shoe until a certain texture that give me very familiar feeling jolt my heart with joy.
'Eh? My shoes!!'
As if clutching my most treasure imagined, I hurrily put my shoes on while looking left and right as if making sure no one will steal my most important thing again. The feeling of comfortableness, just like drinking a chilled spr*te in the middle of fasting, my eyes closed with happiness .
Now I can show myself with confident!- thought myself before which by body sit straight unconditionally without me knowing.
'Bagas, do you know that you cannot take a national exam before you pay your monthly tuition? You already late 4 months already you know?'
That gentle voice that I very much aware of are no different than a death sentence. The fulfilness I felt back then disappear just like an illusion, replaced with the fear of debt my helplesness self cannot pay.
'I am sorry, I already tell my parents but they only capable of preparing for 3 months worth of it'
Said me while shoving a wrinkled money out of my pocket while trembling. To be honest, they only give me for 2 months while 1 of it are my secret saving which make me very hearthache.
Sighing in resignation, the teacher that I don't dare to look at taking the money without saying anything and entering his office right after. My body become limp, lips trembling, tears pouring, and my mind full of remorse and resignation as I sit while clutching my face in regret.
Just why am I living this way?
'No! I still have a chance!'
Just like how the protagonist of the novel I like very much, none of them are someone who give up easily. Tucking my shirt in, combing my hair neatly, fixing my black tie, checking my rubber black pantofle that still brand new, I swept away all of my anxiety and walk toward the interviewer with much confidence.
'I Understand Bagas, based of on our interview and your CV, we will notice you within a week at most. Please wait our news within that time'
'Thanks, madam'
Said me with a happy smile after hearing such a positive response.
Handshaking with the HR, packing my things and then walking out of the office, I threw everything aside and take off all of my uniform before asking my mom the lunch today. A feast appear before my eyes making my saliva drolling at which after I eat with much gusto.
But I wonder why?
The more I eat, the more unsatisfied and empty I feel. As if a tiny hole gnawed and become bigger instead, that is just how I feel right now. Tilting my head in wonder, I set my sight left and right before setting my eyes toward a certain mirror behind a little left corner of mine.
And a woman with with slit as as a mouth without teeth and her long wavy and dirty hair flowing and fluterring with her finger and long nail-like claw pointed at me instead of my self.
"I ALREADY WARN YOU!"
"!!!!""