Around Us
Chapter 1: The Sign
Life is full of mysteries. The more you try to solve, the more you ask questions.
My name is Arya. First degree student at a public college in Bandung City. From childhood, I often felt strange things around me. Feeling and seeing their invisible presence, can feel the future and death, until sometimes as if living in another dimension.
In the past, I considered all the supernatural things I experienced as part of my destiny. I live my life as I always have, and I don't pay much attention to the distractions I've received.
However, everything changed when my hijrah to continue my studies brought me together with many individuals. I was involved in their life story. Various absurd situations increasingly aggressively stalking my daily life. Things became more intuitive, forcing me to move and take action.
I live in a hostel behind campus. This place is a recommendation from search results on Google. The review was positive with a near-perfect star, exactly 4.9. Located in a crowded housing. The building has 2 floors with a total of 10 rooms. Each floor has 5 rooms. Unfortunately, the bathroom facilities are all outside with 2 units per floor each.
I decided to stay at the boarding house, because the location is close to the campus and the rent is quite affordable. The room is also quite comfortable. The area is 4 x 4 meters, there are cabinets and single bed mattresses.
I also got a room ration on the second floor, next to the stairs. That room is all that remains. So, I can't choose.
It's just that when I set foot in the boarding house, I felt the residents there were more than 10 people. That means there are other residents who do not get room rations, but can be anywhere. I felt someone watching but his form was invisible. Never mind, I better purify the mind of all prejudices first
On the first night of occupying the boarding house, there were only 3 residents living. The rest are still in the village. Two of us, including me, are new students who will undergo OSEK (Campus Study and Introduction Orientation), another final-level student who is compiling a thesis. I'm the only one sleeping on the 2nd floor. There is an uncomfortable feeling I feel. No, it's not fear.
Huh! Instead of thinking about them, I better take a shower, then take a break. The journey from Tangerang – Bandung is quite tiring. I left during the day, and arrived after the Maghreb. Had been stuck in traffic long enough at the Cipularang KM 92 Toll due to a consecutive accident.
At about 10 p.m., I was already lying in bed. No time to chat with new friends, because drowsiness attacks massively.
Although it is quite easy to fall asleep, but the first night to sleep in a new place is always difficult for me. Moreover, I have sensed that there are other residents who settled in this place, but the form is invisible. I do not disturb their existence, may they also not try to penetrate the boundary of the dimension. My hope in every place that feels there is an aura of their existence.
My sleeping position is always tilted either to the right or left. Just a short sleep, I suddenly felt my back was hot. Only on the back.
The room also became dark. I'm still not ready to open my eyes and turn around. While the heat that was initially felt on the back only, began to spread to the legs.
I opened my eyes without turning back. Is the light off? Damnit damnit! I hate the dark. I always sleep with a bright light.
I tried to reach into my phone on top of a 1.5-meter-high wooden cabinet. It requires me to wake up. I had to find my phone first and quickly turn on the flashlight. They like the dark atmosphere.
Apparently I didn't realize I was moving my phone. What was in the closet was in the closet. I also stood up. Inevitably my gaze naturally glared to every corner of the room. My eyes just looked at the diagonal corner of the front door. I had suspected from earlier that someone was trying to accompany my sleep.
His figure was pitch black with a height that almost touched the ceiling of the room. I closed my eyes while looking for my phone. The heat that was only felt in the body suddenly filled my room. Is this because I'm scared? No, I just don't want to see it.
I tried to turn my head back to the corner where the creature was standing. Heart's pounding. It's not a first experience, but dealing with them is never the slightest bit of fun.
Unfortunately, he's still there. I rushed to the doorknob to get out of the room. I need to find a place that's exposed to light. Because there was a bit of panic, I couldn't find my phone.
After it made it out, it was all dark. It turns out that the lights are off. I rushed down. At least outside the hostel there is still moonlight that can shine.
I am sick of being faced with this situation continuously, being able to sense their existence. Although it is rare to see their form as a whole, but it is sometimes enough to disturb my psychic. Just like it just happened. Only his figure is drawn. That's not my hallucination. They always give a sign when they want to show their existence.
That Sunday night, my friend and I were planning a morning run. In order to leave together, we agreed to stay at my house.
I often see shadows as big as a child, but I don't really care about it. Sometimes I think it's just my vision. Even behind my funeral home, I always thought that no one who had died could rise again. There's nothing to be afraid of. Every creature has its own nature.
Around 10pm, I couldn't stand the sleepiness anymore. I slept first too. But my dream was suddenly disrupted. My back was warm and the bed suddenly narrowed.
I don't understand why my friend's sleeping position keeps pressing and pushing me near the wall. Without turning around, I kept asking my friend to shift her position.
My request was not responded to by him. I had to turn around and push my friend to give me some space.
Before returning to my original position, I noticed that my friend's clothes had changed. I remember him wearing black shorts and a blue t-shirt. But the moment I pushed, he used a white cloth from head to toe.
Since I was still very sleepy, I continued to sleep. Perhaps the putin cloth she used to cover her body was just a scabbard she took from her house to use as a blanket.
Before long, my friend again urged my sleeping position. Warm air around the back that had subsided pushed back and even hotter. I got to sweat.
Still with my position behind him, I asked him to shift again in a somewhat irritated voice. But he put his body on my back. I also stopped and continued to sleep. I think over time he will also feel uncomfortable and shift himself.
Tomorrow, my friend and I will not exercise. When I woke up, I saw that he was no longer in bed. I rushed to his house.
After finding him in his house, I immediately interrogated him without further ado.
“Dam, how come you home don't wake me up anyway? He said we want to exercise,” I'm upset.
“Gue came home from last night. My mother is nyusulin. I'm not allowed to hide because my mother is afraid to sleep alone,” he said.
I don't believe the answer. “Seriously, lu? What time do you come home?”
“Iya.” Adam seemed upset at me. “Jam 11s My mother calls. I want to wake you up, but you're so good.”
“Lu dare to swear?”
“Soath!” Adam's voice was rising. “Ngapain also I lied. Why the hell?”
I hesitated to tell a story, but I'm sure he didn't lie. Indeed, if I remember again, the figure that disturbed my sleep last night did not look like him.
Adam has his bongsor stature. While the friend who accompanied me last night seemed smaller, even slightly shorter than me. He was wearing all-white clothes that resembled a corpse with a shroud.
My friend kept asking about me who looked strange, while I was still trying to digest the events I experienced. I also decided not to continue talking about the incident. I don't think he believes my story either. Finally, I told myself about the incident.
Starting from the events during childhood, the experiences beyond reason more often I feel to this day. Sometimes I feel very scared, sometimes I try to behave normally. I was afraid, because their presence carried another sign. I behave normally, so as not to be a burden in living daily life.