AWAKENED
Five: The Figure Behind the Back

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This story is just fictitious. All events that occur are free authors' essays, not actually occurring in the places and locations mentioned......

Here are the five-semester students now. In the car, travel to their destination. Gopal was driving with Salfa beside him. The girl chose just in front of her, looking for a place where she didn't have to be close to anyone especially Vin. Without Kinara saying anything, he was already convinced that the young man must have been the mastermind of all this shock. At least if in front, he didn't need to look at Vin's face for a while until his emotions completely subsided.

All chat in the car. Have a casual conversation while joking. Of all the humans in the car, Kinara and Vin's voice was certainly the most domineering. They are always so, fussing about things that are actually arguably not important. Moreover, Kinara also could not help his frustration about Vin's actions that caused tension between everyone.

Gopal glanced to the left, where Salfa sat quietly. He was able to catch the face of Salfa who was not excited at all, realizing that his female friend was in need of a moment of calm. "Srst…. You two are very noisy, deh," said Gopal.

"Have people move, Pal. I don't know about him!"

"Well, let Genta be here?" reply Vin intentionally.

Kinara looked back, to the place where the person mentioned Vin just sat quietly. "Outside him, it's getting worse!" kinara was not friendly at all.

Genta was only silent with a flogging feeling. Since then, his eyes had only been straight towards the front bench. Looking at Salfa though the girl never once looked back. If the girl knew, that the reason came not only because she liked the holidays, but also because of Salfa. At that time, a slow fist was obtained by Genta. He turned to find Novan looking at him as if he understood what he was feeling.

For Salfa, this trip felt an anomaly. After two years he did not meet with Genta— which until now he could not drive out of his heart, there was still a sense of pleasure. However, on the other hand, when recalling all her injuries, the girl again dissolved in disappointment.

In her daydream, Salfa was immediately jolted from his position that supported his chin with one hand. Surprised not only was Gopal driving, but everyone. "PAL WATCH!!" yells.

Of course Gopal stopped the car. Directly he glanced at the rearview mirror, fortunately there was no vehicle right behind him, everything was still within a safe distance. At once, Salfa immediately removed his seat belt and darted down from the car. Hurriedly he ran small, crouched down, and peered down.

Kinara, Vin, Gopal, followed by Genta and Novan. They are both curious about what happened.

"Why, Sal?" asked Kinara with a bow as Salfa was still in a crouching position. The girl draped her straight hair behind her ears while again asking, "What's up, Sal?"

I don't know, Salfa's face looks agitated. His mind is getting less and less. What else is this? What else is going on? Staying in his crouching position, he stared strangely at everyone. Genta then took the initiative to come crouching and peeking.

"Pal?" it was just like Salfa. "Lo hit the cat, Pal."

Shocked not playing, Gopal rounded his eyes. He had not seen a cat crossing the street. He also did not speak, so his focus was not divided on anything other than driving.

"Kidding lo?" reply Gopal who immediately took a peek. Just below his car, a black cat ran over until his entrails came out. His knees instantly gagged, there was no strength to get back on their feet. Maybe that was also what Salfa felt so that the girl was speechless.

Anyone knows, and all six know. That, bumping into a cat is a bad sign. But even so, among them, there are Genta and Novan who are still trying to think logically and do not want to be further investigated by the myths that exist. Novan immediately went in to take over the steering wheel preparing to pull over the car so that no road users were disturbed. He waited only for instructions from his friend after the cat was taken.

Using the crackle bags strewn across the roadside, Genta quickly moved the cat with slightly narrowed eyes, grimacing in the nausea from the fishy scent of blood. His quick steps soon followed Vin who was digging the ground to bury the cat.

"Eh, Pal? Why lo?" astonished Vin when he saw Gopal remove the shirt he was wearing. "You want to show off your sixpack lo stomach? Ah well, sixpack-an also Si Genta.”

This Vin, even at times like this can still be joking. It made Kinara shine a sharp spotlight on him. "Yes, my God, Psychologist. I'm dem."

A line of faint smiles appeared on Kinara's face. No matter how irritated he was to Vin, it still could not beat what he felt to the young man. But apparently, the one smiling was not just Kinara. Salfa who was next to him and realized all that, also smiled faintly.

And Genta, come smile. Not because it was aware of Kinara who harbored a taste to Vin, but because of seeing Salfa's smile.

Salfa who was standing next to her side then realized that someone was staring at her. A second later, he changed the direction of view anywhere as long as not to the eyes of Genta. The highlight, it feels more horror than all the ghosts that Salfa saw. The tremors, strangely still remain the same. Even after two years.

"Say people, if we hit a cat, burying it must be wrapped in the same clothes we wear, Nyet!" gopal said later.

"Any right, Sal?" reply Vin even threw Salfa a question, and was replied with a brief nod. "Yes, here's your shirt."

Then, after the fateful cat cemetery drama earlier. Although still overwhelmed with anxiety, the six people resumed their journey. Gopal no longer wants to drive because of trauma. Now Nova replaced him. The driver realized the silence in the car. No one spoke, even if it was just a small conversation between two people.

"Mighty loneys?" abugn. "Why the hell are you on? Still thinking about the cat? Yes, we have all buried the cat properly. Gopal also accidentally, kali. Nothing can be wrong."

Salfa turned his head to look at Novan who seemed to be very relaxed like nothing had happened. "Gopal is not wrong. The cat also does not know where it came from, suddenly appeared just in the middle of the road, Van."

Finally, after a few hours of silence, Salfa now chooses to say it. He did see that the cat was suddenly already on the road, and that was obvious. It feels like something happened. His mind again remembered the grandmother who was rich in the Gopal house earlier, which seemed to signal something happened but still convinced him to leave. It's weird, right?

"Seriously lo, Sal?" kinara's tone of question sounded enthusiastic due to her shock. You could say, his tone sounded very splashy, and unusual.

"Kok Kinara was that stupid? What the hell is it, Vin?" whispered Genta at the back who was met with a strange gaze by Vin who had indeed moved to the back.

Feeling ineligible to say, Vin chose to shift the subject. "Tau ah, that's what he is. I want to sleep, Ta. Sleepy abis."

Genta glanced at his watch, only showing it at ten o'clock in the night. He knows Vin from High School, and there is no way a Vin complains sleepy at hours that are still not too late. It was getting strange, but Genta did not ask any more questions. Of course there was one thing he did not know that Vin alone did not dare to tell.

So Genta put his logic together, surely what he wanted to know had to do with Salfa.

●●●●

The six young men reached their destination city to cross to Pulau K at half-three in the morning because quite often stop to take turns driving a car. At Kinara's request, Gopal opened his phone and searched for a nearby restaurant that was open twenty-four hours. Apparently, not far from the port, they found it. The car stopped there, and immediately they ordered what they wanted to order.

Salfa found himself welcomed by many figures. Strangely, everyone was staring at him sadly. Really, if there was only Kinara or Vin with him, it was certain that he would question one of the figures.

"Don't daydream, Sal!" pinta Kinara quietly who a moment before patted Salfa's hand slowly and then turned his head. "Please. Careful. Don't let anyone in."

Not Kinara thought, Salfa even deflected his hand. He could see his best friend as frustrated. "Why the hell, Sal? Lo see what?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Genta, who had been watching the two girls since, felt something strange. A little surprised also when he saw the teary eyes of Salfa, but he could not ask anything because he did not know what they were talking about, considering that both of them were whispered then of course it was very privacy.

The sound of falling objects made everyone turn to Salfa which caused the sound to be created. The spoon fell, the girl leaned over to pick it up. "Yeah!!" screeched Salfa but his mouth immediately he cupped himself with the palm of his hand. Grimacing, because he cursed himself who could not hold back his voice.

Everyone must be panicking. "Sal's? Why, Sal?" ask Gopal.

"E-e, n-not what, Pal. It's my leg like it was bitten by a red ant, "his alibi, glancing at Kinara and it seems like the girl next to him immediately understood, there's something.

Salfa bowed again, about to pick up the spoon he had not had time to take earlier. The little boy is still under the table. Seeing it horrified. In fact, it should be Salfa who was horrified to see the child. His face was broken, even arguably, like it was not whole. The shape of his head was strange, and it seemed that Salfa knew that the child was the victim of an accident that was somehow oppressed.

Stunned, Salfa did not understand the meaning. But he knew it was Javanese. Although his father and mother were Javanese, Salfa was born and raised in Jakarta. His mother taught him only a few common vocabulary. From what the little boy mentioned, he could only understand the word 'ojok' which means 'don't'. Don'tdon't? Don't what?

The girl placed the fallen spoon next to the plate, while Kinara's hand gave her a new spoon. "Thanks" he said briefly.

"Lo why, Sal? How weird is that?" novan now asks. Apparently besides Genta, Novan also sniffed something awkward at everyone, especially Salfa.

"No what. G-gue doesn't want to eat, guys, I guess."

Not because he saw the child earlier, he had been accustomed to seeing such a form for almost a month. However, the unpleasant feeling rippled again, and Salfa had no idea why at all. He glanced at one more figure that made his brain process more questions. The figure also made clear to him, standing behind Genta and saying, "Don't go…"

DEG! The same sentence again.

"Why? You're hungry, you know?" reply Vin.

"I don't know why my stomach feels so good. Who's that cake, please finish. People I haven't eaten yet, too," replied Salfa continued to alibi.

"Lo got a cold?" genta asked suddenly, it was quite surprising Salfa because he did not think he would be questioned.

"No," he replied sniffling and threw his face away.

Not only Salfa, even everyone can hear the heavy strands of Genta. The two men, who had not seen each other for two years, now created a tension that left everyone dead, not knowing what to do. Reconcile? It seems, both are adults and can handle it on their own without the intervention of others.

"Eh, Vin," called Salfa who tried as much as possible to adjust the look of his face to look relaxed. "Lo know what it means to 'lift?"

Vin frowned, although it was quite a sigh because Salfa was willing to question him, but it felt strange. "Lifted? What the hell, don't you know me?"

"How am I supposed to?" sahut Genta is quite familiar with that word. He was still trying to melt the atmosphere between himself and Salfa, even when the girl did not give a good response to him.

And Salfa? Keep dodging and still hope there is another friend who can answer.

"What's the sentence, Sal?" tanya Novan repeated Genta's sentence, feeling concerned. "Si Genta asked because maybe he knew, he was eight years in Surabaya before moving to Jakarta."

Giving up, as no one said, Salfa replied. Of course with a jutek tone. "The corner is dead."

A few seconds silent, Genta then replied. "Oh. That means don't leave, or you could say.." he hung up his sentence, looked at Salfa clingy and the girl realized it. "don't go."

Hearing the other-sounding pronunciation of Genta, plus the way he stared intensely at Salfa, Kinara seemed to soften. Yes, his emotions at Genta seemed to slowly disappear. He didn't see it wrong, did he? Genta seemed very sincere in saying it. He then glanced at Salfa who was staring at the young man.

Kinara knew, in Salfa's silence, there was a feeling that was spreading. A taste that never goes away.

●●●●

After hours of waiting in the morning, taking a nap in a car that was already in the port area, the six young men welcomed dawn with equally bright faces. Just cross over, and they get to their destination.

Gopal's car is parked in day care. He said that the young man had been talking to Vin to leave him. They decided to rent a car when they arrived at K Island. It was based on Vin's advice, which Salfa's parents had been warning him about like that, just in case there was anything.

And Vin, obey. Than Salfa can't get permission?

"You want fast boats, what ferries?" ask Vin to all his friends.

"Well, how about a question? Didn't you want to leave before you left?" astonished Genta, his forehead frowning. He did not know anything, only invited by Vin and he immediately agreed without a second thought.

"No. We're all reckless, Ta. I don't know" replied Vin lightly. It made Salfa and Kinara sinister on him. There were two weeks, but the young man never prepared. It's a slacker from birth, if his mother said Vin.

A moment later, Vin turned to Gopal. "Where, Pal?"

"What's the difference, Nyet?"

Instantly, Novan directly hit Gopal's shoulder with a jacket that he had originally sipped on his shoulder. "From his name is seen, njir. If the ship is fast, it means we are short to arrive. Two hours is fine."

"If the ferri ship?" ask Salfa.

"Five to six hours" said Genta.

Salfa only turned around for a moment, then turned around again. I did not expect the young man to answer. Obviously the question was directed to Novan.

Genta then frowned, but did not mean confusion, but understood something. "I don't think we can get on a ferry boat, guys," he said, continuing while looking at Salfa, "we can't stay at sea for long."

Everyone immediately understood that what Genta meant just now was none other than Salfa. Genta did know very well, Salfa did not dare too long close to the beach, let alone the sea. Time keeps rolling, but what's on that girl never changes.

Feeling insinuated, Salfa then shone a cynical look at Genta, though in his heart confirming that. Until now, he himself did not know why he dared to go to the island which incidentally is an island surrounded by beaches. He wanted to go there, actually just because he fell in love with one novel he had read. I don't really imagine going there. Perhaps the weight of the burden and the problems he was carrying made him lose his mind to agree to this holiday idea.

"Who am I afraid of?" pick it up while scypping. "Yes, ferries are okay too."

Kinara was just a little bellwether watching her best friend challenge Genta's speech. Besides Genta, Kinara knew that what the young man said was true. Since childhood, every invited to the beach, Salfa never dared to get close to the water.

Once again, Salfa realized his female friend was smiling. It made her step on Kinara's feet with glaring eyes, like giving a warning not to divulge her secret.

A moment later, something stole Salfa's focus. Then he just watched. Keep staring at that figure. The figure behind the back. Question after question he still keeps, until later there is the right time to ask him. Who's that figure?

●●●●

Double part today, because yesterday did not update hehe, sorry. I hope you like it, although it's still a puzzle. In the next part, the real horror will begin

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Thank you all. Greetings dear.

neiscainbria