Mystery of Room 13
Part 72: Getting Stuck in the Occult Village Again

The mouth of the headless ghost continued to drool blackishly and several maggots continued to fall as if it was endless. "Come with me, I'll show you." A word that is terrible but also has a powerful hypnotic power. I continued to follow him regardless of the cries of the people. Even every hand that tried to stop me, I easily got rid of it. I continued to follow the headless ghost away.

My steps stopped along with the loss of the headless ghost in front of a large archway. The writing on the gate was also written with a fading Javanese script. I'm trying to dig up my memory because it looks like I've been here before.

Not yet remembered, I was aghast at the sound of a loud and shrill scream from inside. My ears hear it

As the voice echoed, I saw an old woman in brown clothes standing by the archway. The woman's face was not foreign.

"Come in, Nduk cah ayu. Don't be afraid, we'll take care of you. You come with a healthy state of body and soul, so you go home with the same condition."

When I heard his simple voice, I remembered it. He is a symbok, the guardian of a magical village that is sacred because of the many invisible creatures here.

"Mother Hanna, come here!" That wrinkled hand was waving towards me. My heart actually said, it's better to go home. However, when I looked back apparently the village that I went through earlier had turned into a wilderness. I had to drag my steps to enter the gate.

Simbok walked ahead of me into a magical village so dark. Is it because this is another world from my world, the cymbok woman can be agile once stepped, to the point that I am overwhelmed walking behind her. Sometimes I have to run in order to equalize the pace with the symbols. From a distance I can see the house with two torches that became the lights of this house.

"Sit down for a moment, after that I'll take you around this village."

"Thank you" I replied trembling.

"Don't tremble, you have to step strong!"

I just nodded and stared at the ceiling of this house which was not as dirty as the first time I came. The house that I even knew existed in the real world, in fact, it makes me feel safer than hanging around outside the house like I was stuck here a second time and watching Intan get whipped for stopping dancing.

"Sir, drink this!"

I want to feel like I rejected it. Food from this other world, I can't guess. When I used to eat in angkringan invisible that I thought rice and vegetables, in fact only land sprinkled with dried leaves and frangipani flowers. As for this drink, I don't know what it is.

"Don't be afraid. This is plain water, he also took from the joints in your world. It'll keep you alive while you're here."

Water from directly, meaning this water is not boiled first. What if I get a stomachache because there are germs in this water.

"Drink fast! If you don't want to drink, you will continue to be trapped here and will never return to your world forever!"

The hardening of the symbock makes me immediately downing the contents in the glass from the bamboo. The taste of the water was as fresh as when I drank plain water. However, after drinking it my energy seemed to recover.

"Hows it? Is it good for her body?"

"Yes, Mbok. It's fresh too!"

The old woman sat beside me smiling. "Sir, now you go out and meet your friend. Invite him home but if on his waist already wrapped sampur or shawl commonly used for dancing, then do not be reprimanded. Get away from her immediately."

"Why, then, Ma'am, if he's already wearing sampur?"

"That means your friend is dead and has become a slave to the dancer, while his body will still be in this world. He won't be found in your world, as if lost to the earth."

"That means if I manage to take Intan home, he'll live, huh, Mbok?"

The woman instead of answering me stared at the ceiling of her house. "No, his soul will still be here because no matter how he has been bound by a pact with the dancer, then still he will be a slave here. If he wants to come back, then once in your world he only has a few minutes, before he finally dies. At least his body will be returned to the ground properly."

Although heavy, I have to bear this responsibility is to find and save Intan's body, yes only his body. Simbok led me to a path full of rocks.

"Just follow these streets. You will meet them later. My message is, if anyone asks you to come into the house, don't ever want to be me. Remember that! You can only enter my house. The only house with two torches. As grand as anything or as bright as any house will be, if only one torch is attached then do not go in there."

"What would happen if I went into that house, Mbok?"

"You'll be stuck in that house forever. Do not eat or drink even if it is just a grain of rice or a drop of water. If you have completed your goal whether it is successful or not, turn around and take the right path, then you will find a way out. However, if you choose your left side, you will fall more and more into this village."

I was amazed to hear the rules described symbok. Sounds simple but if you make the wrong decision, then the consequences will be very fatal. I must remember carefully, every rule that is spoken symbok.

"I can't get you there. Later if you're in trouble, there's someone who'll help you."

"In-him? Who is he, Mbok?" My eyes scoured this village, so silent and no one was in sight.

"No need to look for it. He's all around you and he keeps an eye on you."

Near the boulder where I first met him, the symbol left me so that I could continue my search mission. If I can choose, I'd better go home and let Intan get stuck here. Especially considering that my life was about to float because of it.

With a giant step accompanied by a heart full of fear, I walked down the path with rocks that are sharp enough. My feet are walking towards the direction indicated by the symbology. I scanned this invisible village closely, silent without the slightest sound.

"Hanna, are you home, Nduk? Quickly go in and wash your hands, eat it. I've fried catfish with sambal terasi."

"I-mom," called me and ran towards the woman who was very similar to my mother, even the negligee she wore exactly the same that my mother used to wear before she died. My steps stopped when I realized that. As soon as I remembered the symbo, that never enter anyone's house except his house which was lit by two torches. I glanced at the torch right behind the woman who looked a lot like my mother, there was only one torch. It could be that he is a resident of this village who resembles my mother.

Looking at my stalled steps the figure that resembled my mother waved her hand. "Sir, Han. Why stand there? Come in and eat. Your stomach must be rumbling, right? I'm gonna finish watering this tree."

Red roses are my favorite plant. I remember very well that on the forty day Mother died, the red rose withered and slowly died. Everyone ignored him because he was still in mourning.

"Snack, come in. After that meal, the hunt was cold. Don't you like hot rice and it's still smoking, right?"

I wanted to hug her and treat my longing for her. But I realized, all I saw was a trick from an invisible nation. Not necessarily when I enter later the atmosphere of the house is the same as my home in Ungaran there. Maybe the house was really so horrible.

I chose to turn around and walk towards the goal of my being here. I tried to ignore the calls that sounded very similar to my late mother. I kept muttering that she was not my mother, so that I would not waver and return to that house. I don't know what I'd meet if I got stuck there.

My steps continued forward until the sound of the call disappeared. Out of curiosity, I looked back. Sure enough, the house similar to my house in Ungaran was lost to change the house with bamboo walls. Sure enough, all that was a trick just so I wanted to stay there and get stuck in this terrible village.

From a distance I could hear the sound of gending hammering. Ah, that must be the dance troupe. I quickly quickened my pace in hopes of bringing Intan home. The dance troupe was getting closer because I could hear the loud and clear sound of the gending.

I had to hide first while keeping an eye on the group. Because the dancer could have seen me and made me her slave, like Intan and Melati. No matter how long I waited, I saw some men whipping Intan's stiff hands and feet and unwilling to dance.

"Agod! Return me to the world to take revenge on my enemies" Intan said in the midst of his agony.

"We have given you time, but until the appointed time, you have failed to take two lives in exchange for your punishment! So accept your punishment!"

The sound of whip whipping continues to echo among the crowd of gending sounds that are timid. The screams of pain continued to resound making my heart feel the pain of the torture it felt. Although I realize Intan has absolutely no heart because it intends to make me and Wulan as a substitute for the mistakes he made. Very angry it feels, is it better I undo my intention to take him home. I was about to turn around, but suddenly the headless ghost prevented me.

"Don't drown in anger. Immediately rushed to help him. If he refuses, then leave. You'll come home safe, but if you go home now, you'll be stuck here forever."

After saying that, the headless ghost disappeared somewhere. Is it true that he said, that I have to help Intan if he wants to go home. Ah, the hard choice must be to save that enemy. It doesn't feel like it, but fine I will. As evil as Intan was, he was once so good to me.

I waited for the right time to approach the diamond and invite him to escape from this terrible place. After waiting for a long time, I finally found a safe time, as the men carrying the whips went and joined the dance troupe and left the drooping Intan helpless with blood and pus continuing to flow from his body. Intan kept whining about the pain.

"Witho!" call me in a very loud voice. It could be called almost whispering. However, Intan was silent, it could be because he did not hear my call.

"Witho!" call me again, this time in a slightly louder voice. Again Intan remained unmoved.

On the third call, he started to look around. He seems to have heard my call. I slowly came out of the bushes of my hiding place.

"Intan, come on, let's get out of this horrible place" I asked as I extended my hand to her.

Intan's originally dim eyes turned gnarled and reddened at the sight of my presence. I held my hand violently.

"Go! I don't need your mercy. After all, it is better for me to be tormented here than to return to the world, tormented by inner birth. You know, because of your actions my form has turned like a monster that makes people afraid to come closer to me. Besides, I didn't want to suffer there because in reality Mas Adnan, the man I love wholeheartedly easily canceled our wedding plans that had been counting days. And all this because of the fault of you two who have thrown powder from my lord! The only ones who deserve to die are the two of you!"

My face warmed up because of his words that actually blamed me and Wulan. Yet all of this was the result of his own actions that had allied himself with the devil. I wanted to express all the words of mockery, but the headless ghost speech that prevented me from drowning in anger in order to return home safely made me choose to hold back.

"Intan, let's go home. About Adnan, we will talk later about how good. The important thing now is that you are free from the torment of the dancers first."

"No way, I owe you my life! I'd rather be tormented in this world!"

Intan, why are you so hard to persuade. I tried to temper my anger and also fight my fear in order to bring you home, but the girl refused.

"Intan, please come home with me. Think of your parents who will lose you."

"Shut up! Shut your mouth!"

Suddenly, Intan's lips revealed a very mysterious smile. Instantly this heart felt that he had a devious plan. Sure enough, suddenly with all his might he shouted.

"Oh, my master dancer! Hear me! I bring you a life of substitute over me. Take his life and the life of the child in my womb! Release me like you promised!"

I was shocked to hear his screams. What kind of mother is she, who gave up a child that had not even been born into the world for her own safety. This leg trembled when the dance troupe stopped moving, the gamelan harvesters also stopped the flow of the bending. All eyes are now on me. Not only that, they slowly approached me who stood staring without being able to move a bit.

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...-connect-...