Baby Amber
The Midnight Disturbance

The sound of the dog's howl sounded simple. From a distance his voice sounded heartbreaking. Plus the sound of Ratih screaming and shouting made some neighbors arrive. Apparently they also heard the screams of Ratih.

"That's a trance, Mas. Just take it to Mr. Trimo to treat." suggested one of the neighbors who came home. Apparently they also seemed sympathetic to Ratih's condition. Almost most who came said that if Ratih possessed, no one said that Ratih was affected by mental disorders.

"When's your wife been like this, Di?" tanya Mbah Sum, one of the closest neighbors.

"Since then, Mbah. He did something dangerous, so I tied it up like this." I said. Miris once saw the condition of Ratih like this. Sometimes he laughs, sometimes he screams and wins. Sometimes he licks his tied hands. Even Ratih often stuck out his tongue.

"So soon, I'm not behind." Mbah Sum said goodbye to our home kitchen. Not long after, he came with a glass of water. Mbah Sum approached, sitting next to Ratih who was still shouting. With what prayers he did not read, Mbah Sum then blew into the white water in the glass he held. Then he dipped his hand in a glass and washed his face with his own hands. Of course, Ratih rebelled. Ratih tried to bite Mbah Sum who was trying to wash the face of Ratih with prayer water in his hand. It didn't take long, Ratih fell silent. He no longer screams or acts strange. He just stared one at a time at us who were in the room.

"Astaghfirullah, Le." Mbah Sum stroked his chest and retreated towards me.

"There is a baby demon following your wife." Mbah Sum's words made me aghast. How could Mbah Sum possibly know what was going on with our family.

"Mbah, Mbah Sum knows where?" manya curious.

"That's just a hunch. Treat your wife immediately. Pity if it is allowed to continue like this." Mbah Sum ordered.

"Why, Mbah?" hope in this village I will get help and a way out for my problems.

Mbah Sum let out a long breath. From the look on his face he seemed to think.

"Bring to Mbah Trimo only. He is good at treating people affected by disorders like this." said Mbah Sum makes me have a little hope.

"Then what should I do now?" I asked to see Ratih who had fallen asleep. His face looks very tired. He can even fall asleep in the condition of my hands being tied.

"Let him like this first. Tomorrow morning, you go to Mbah Trimo's house." said Mbah Sum.

"Indeed, Mbah Sum can't treat it? Pity Ratih if it has to be like this." I beg you. But Mbah Sum just shook his head slowly.

I breathe heavily. Staring at Ratih's appalling condition really broke my heart. Mother sat pensively in a chair not far from Ratih asleep. It's just that he didn't dare to get close to my wife.

"Why doesn't Mbah Sum want to treat Ratih, Mom?" manya curious.

Mother took a long breath. He was silent for a long time before he started talking.

"Mom knows less too. Maybe Mbah Sum respects Mbah Trimo more as an elder here. Moreover, Mbah Trimo has often treated this kind of thing" said Mother.

"Then, Mbah Sum was able to calm Ratih. Why didn't he try to treat as well?" I'm getting curious about him.

"Don't force. After all, he has advised us to go to his Holy Father. Mbah Sum knew the limits of his own strength. Maybe he can't do it or how we never know. Let's follow her words." said Mother.

I just listened to Mom's story.

Tonight feels very long. Many times I looked at the clock on the wall, but it felt like the clock was spinning for a very long time. Even my sleepiness has disappeared. Even though I was asleep, I couldn't fall asleep. Mom rolled out the floor mattress and put it near our bed. While I just sat near Mom while staring at Ratih. Short prayers I recited for Ratih. I hope he wakes up and he recovers from the disorder.

A noise from outside the room came back. This time it was the sound of people in the kitchen. The sound of footsteps pacing back and forth around the dishwasher and stove where Mother used to cook. I'll just shut it down. Merely, my heart was unceasingly pounding loudly. I hurried to stand up and locked the door slowly. Then I sat down to the door of the room.

The noise in the kitchen was still heard. Sometimes the sound of tap water also lights up indicating there is activity in the room there. I held tightly to my chest, forcing my heart to stop pounding. Sometimes I close my eyes, holding back the fear if suddenly Ratih just regained consciousness and rampaged again like before.

I looked at Mom, apparently she woke up. His eyes were staring at me, only his mouth was silent a thousand languages. Mom gestured me to shut up and get closer. I slowly crawled closer to Mom. The noise in the kitchen is getting louder. Even the sound of things falling like accidentally slammed onto the floor. Mother clasped my hand tightly, holding on to a cry that might soon be unable to hold back. I hugged Mom tightly, hoping to calm her down and stop shaking.

"Cekleekkk .. cekklleeekk.." My heart rate grew irregular when I saw the door handles on the press from outside. Looks like someone's trying to open the door knob. But because I had time to lock it, the doorknob just moved without opening the door. She covered her mouth with her palm. Refraining so that the voice does not come out because he is so afraid. From the bottom of the door, a shadow appears to be pacing to the right and to the left. Occasionally it stops right in front of the door, and if that happens, the doorknob will move again.

I hugged Mom tighter. I hope you won't make a sound and stay quiet. Until a moment the voice in front of the door of the room began to disappear, the situation returned silent. Mom let go of my embrace. Crawl. settles to peek into the slit under the door. Mom shook her head, gesturing that there was nothing out there. Until in the end Mother crawled back towards me, without a sound of course.

"Aaaarrrkkkhhhh.." Mom suddenly shouted loudly as she was about to stand up. The figure of the creepy woman standing outside the window was staring at us with both her hollow eyes and eyeballs hanging up to her cheeks and almost dislodged. Even his grinning smile with an irregular mouth shape smiled towards us who were inside. In his hand held a naked baby with reddened skin like peeling and a form that is no less creepy.