Creepy Stories Of Eszed
NOT FLESH #2

"Little? You're a fool, Jihan. You should have reported the treatment."

"Report? Whither? You want me to report it to my boss so that Erin's dad can break the deal with my place of work, right?" I rinsed again and moved out of the bathroom.

"Just find another job." Dance is getting upset.

"You think it's easy to find a job right now? High School graduates like me, always lose competitiveness with those who are scholars, Dance. Maybe this is just the beginning. All I have to do is be patient for a while" I explained.

"Patience and*****, sometimes not much different, Jihan. If you still want to linger there, you better be harder on him. Just this time I saw a weak child who was raised in Mahendra's family. Basic adoption!" Dance went past entering her room by slamming the door.

Yes, said Tari, I am weak. There was no resistance I could do but avoid, be patient, or run away, like I did when I left my father and mother.

After I ran away from home, I had to make ends meet on my own. It is impossible to constantly bother Tari, if only for snacks or other small needs.

Not that I never tried. Some places I've been to to apply for a job, but the results are nil. Just two weeks ago I was accepted into cleaning service and placed in a bank.

The problem came not to my company, but where I was placed by the company. Erin's father is the chief director who works with the company, where I work. Erin worked there as one of the employees.

Erin seemed to dislike me so much, there was something she always did to make things difficult for me. At first it was only a burdensome job and a few small bullyans, but over time, it bothered me like an obligation for him.

Today he deliberately nudged my arm while mopping, making me fall down the stairs. There was no help he gave, just the saying, "Take care, dong."

➖➖➖➖➖

Dance her name, my father's youngest brother. Dance is only 10 years different from me, and unmarried. It's been a long time since he broke the cord with our family.

I accidentally got his contact from the internet. Not because it deliberately searches for his existence, but because he is a gymnastics trainer who often upload videos via youtube.

At that time, I was on a whim looking for gymnastics videos for dietary purposes, and saw a profile photo similar to the family photo that Mother kept in an old closet. My father never knew, if he knew, he probably wouldn't care.

No one else came to my mind, just Dance. I tried calling Tari that night. At first she refused and felt she did not know Hendra and Gita's family, but because I insisted and kept crying, she finally gave her address to meet on condition, not to tell anyone.

That very night I booked a train ticket to Bandung with nothing but my wish to be away from the cursed city, where I was raised by Hendra and Gita.

When she opened the door of her house, Tari let me in filled with doubt. I could only cry on her cold rented floor and tell her all the actions of the old man who had adopted me.

"Lantas, what about your Mom and Dad, Jihan?" tanya Dance.

"I called the police and ran away here, Auntie," I replied with tears still flowing.

That day was the last day he let me call him Auntie. Recognizing me as a niece can remind her of her extended family back, Tari doesn't like that.

Turns out Dance knows everything. The disease was passed on from their own parents, grandparents. They have a strange tradition of killing innocent people. My mother still has a blood relationship with me. They are cousins.

After marrying Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma died on their way home from vacation. At the very least, it was the story that Dad told me when I asked about their presence. But according to the version of Dance, they are judged by the citizens for being found to be committing depraved acts. Both were burned alive without any remains. Only Tari survived being released by the citizens, she was only 12 years old at the time.

That's why Tari stayed away and didn't want to see her family again. A psychopath is banished from his life. Dance really didn't want to know them anymore, not even her brother. He accepted me in this house because he felt that I was just a pick-up boy, nothing more. There is no blood that flows in both of us.

➖➖➖➖➖

Dance sent me a message this afternoon. With a feeling of constant wonder, I spurred the bike he lent me to work, passing the drizzle towards home.

Right in front of the fence, Dance was ready with neat clothes. White shirt and jeans like it looks very fit attached to his crazy body.

"I'm the one who brought the bike." Dance takes position on the wheel.

The weather seemed to bend its knees to the woman in front of me. The sky that was once overcast, was now suddenly bright. I who was behind was pampered with the rose perfume that Dance wore, and kept asking in my heart, 'Where will she take me?'

We stopped at an old, unkempt building, away from the residential area. Dance parked her bike and put her ring finger right over her lips, signaling that I wasn't making any noise.

Years of abandonment, made the room we entered give off an unpleasant smell. Dari invites me to enter in a room that has been provided two folding chairs and a small tube television in front of him.

"Sit down and say nothing" said Tari whispering near my ear.

I followed her orders, positioning my seat to stay comfortable in that stiff cold chair, but Tari did not come with me. He stood up and turned on the ugly tube television that was in the room.

Deg.

Vaguely with a black and white screen, I saw a woman sitting with her body bound and her mouth covered with duct tape.

"Who is he?" I was a little panicked at Dance.

"Let's pay attention" replied Tari smiling.

I pressed my face towards the screen and squinted my eyes to see more clearly who the woman was. It didn't sound like anything from there, because the duct tape was stuck to her mouth, but I knew for sure that she was crying right now. It was clearly visible on his shaky shoulders.

Wait up! I know the uniform he wears. The uniform I see every day when I'm at work. Damnit damnit! Why was Erin there?

I turned my gaze to look at Dance. He just smiled and blinked one eye. My heart is really beating very fast right now. I never thought that Dance could be like this.

Dari felt his pants pocket, and took the phone that was there, then played a finger like he was looking for someone's number. Suddenly there was a phone call in a different room. I don't know exactly where, but I'm sure it's still in this old building.

"From now on" Tari said to someone she was calling, then closed her connection and sat down on the folding chair beside me.

Shock. I was really in shock. I could not take Tari who sat beside me to chat, even to return her smile, did not have time. In my head right now was Erin sitting behind a black and white glass screen.

I looked back at the screen in front of me, until the figure of a burly man wearing a face cover, walked slowly around Erin a few rounds, then opened the duct tape attached to her mouth forcibly.

*_CONNECTED* ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

➖ Sarah Eszed ➖**