ALKISAH: Prayer for the World [1001 Indonesian Fantasy Stories]
STORY/Time of Miracle: The Star Caller

Seen from any angle, humans are indeed very strange creatures compared to anything. In fact, Lani sometimes thought to drop the stars in the residential area where she lived because of her anxiety with them. They can be very annoying, to the point where the girl wants to eliminate them all at once.

“God creates one star for each soul... Yes?” Somehow those words suddenly came out of Lani's mouth. That strange phrase used to be spoken by the late grandmother of the head of the orphanage in the city. Even because so often, Lani so feel eneg every time he heard it.

Lani felt like that too not without reason, but because what the grandmother said was true. Everyone has their own star.

“So? Hows it? Do you want to do it this time?” Ask Along who was sitting next to Lani. The teenage girl with the hair looks curious.

On a very hot afternoon, the two teenagers were sitting relaxed at the ojek base while observing the residential area where they lived from a distance. Not many people were seen to be on the move at that time, considering the weather was not supportive. Most people who roam outside of that time are just doing an important activity.

Lani raised her right palm, then looked at it fixedly. But suddenly, a pitch-black circle appeared above his palm. The floating circle was extremely thin, even far beyond paper, and unexpectedly, a strange white stone came out from within the circle.

For people who know about the dark circle, maybe they used to call it the term portal. However, for Lani himself, he did not have a special name for the power he had. That's not important.

“Eh, Lan, you know what, no? I had time to nguping mothers gossiped about their vegetable shopping again, you know.” Along spoke up, and he looked very serious.

“Eh? What gossip is it?” Ask Lani curious.

“I heard, you know, yes, he said there are people who want to report about you to the government. I don't know who exactly, but the residents here seem to support that decision.” Obviously the boy with a funny looking face.

Lani was a little impressed to hear about the news. An evil smile formed on his lips. “Wah, wah... they have started to dare, nih, the story? Do I need to fall something from the sky again, let them not macem-macem?” Lani said while chuckling.

“Heh! You're crazy, huh?” Pekik Along exasperated. “You don't remember what? I have a cow, you know! And one of them is in the field where you landed your star that time. My father was so stressed because of the incident. Try it next time, you fell the star all the way! Not here, dong!”

“Well, so, dong.” Said Along while grinning. “But, yes, it is true you said, these people are very annoying as it turns out. Just try I can call your star kayak, must have been destroyed in the first place.” Along seemed to be wandering in his own mind.

“Heh! you don't have to follow crazy like me, dong.” Lani reminded.

“Hmm... Bizarrely. Sometimes I wonder, you know, how can, yes, you endure their treatment? Especially what happened last week, just as you were thrown with stones the same boys. I'm the only one who just saw it even felt really sick.”

“Eh... It doesn't feel that sick, though. Maybe it's also because of my strength, deh.” Lani explained as she looked at the stone that was still floating above her palm. “Sometimes I wonder too, why I still survive. Maybe, it was because of my strength, or maybe it was because of something else. I don't know for sure, anyway.”

“Hmm... Maybe, because you are special.” Reveal Along suddenly. Somehow his words just now managed to make Lani a little creepy. “Try see it.” Along pointed at the stone in Lani's hand. “You have a miracle in your hands, and you are strong. Your mother and father died a long time ago. You don't have any family anymore, do you? But even so, you still survive. You are also a very nice person, you know, Lan. The nicest person I've ever known. Same as grandma head of home.”

“What-what... Ok? Me? Let's see that field.” The girl had a wry expression on her face. “Try to remember, who is the person who has removed the field behind from the map of Indonesia. I mean, I do it just because I'm emotional, you know.”

“Lah, you are still human, you know, Lan. Naturally, what, if you are angry, let alone the wrong ones too, right? People here are cruel not to play, really, if you are the same. With your power, you can do very, very, very bad things, like kill. But, the proof is you never, tuh.”

“Eh... Wait a minute.“ Somehow Lani felt awkward because of everything that Along said.

However, Along did not allow Lani to finish her sentence. “You remember, don't you? In the past, the head of the house grandmother once said, if things are bad, always approaching good people.”

“Wait, wait..“ Lani wants to say something to refute Along's statement, but the boy doesn't care at all.

“This world has been very evil to you, Lan. It's reality. But you still haven't changed. That... really weird, you know.” Along suddenly fell silent. He looked up at the blue sky above. “Sometimes... I wonder, why does God give eyes to bad people like them?”

Once again, Lani is made goosebumps by the words of Along.