Creepy Stories Of Eszed
MOM #EXTRA

"Let's go, baby. I've been waiting for you in the car" I told Panji, who was sitting holding his toy in the living room.

He nodded and ran happily holding my hand. "Let's take a walk, Dad!" her cheers filled the space and made my heart feel warm.

Suddenly my steps stopped with the pull of his hand. I turned back to look at Panji who was currently bowed.

"Why stop?" many wonder.

"The banner can't come, Dad." Then crouch down and sit right in front of the living room door.

"Why, Son? Your mother and sister are waiting for us in the car." I knelt down and raised his chin so I could see his face. Once I was surprised to see his sadness with a blank look and dark eye bags. I've never seen a banner like this. 

Kuraih hands and tries to hold her, but can't. It felt as if Panji's body was stuck by something. I dropped it off to check, what really happened?

Ah ...

How shocked I was when I saw Panji's legs tied to a rusty black chain. From the abrasions that were on his ankle. It is certain that Panji fought to try to be free from there, but could not.

"When has this been at your feet, son?" askaku's holding his calf. Panji just bowed, then cried bitterly. Not a word came out of my son's little lips. "Did Mom do this to you, Panji?" my connection.

"Not Dad, not Mom." He shook his head quickly.

"Then who?" I slightly snapped at him.

The banner cried and looked back. When I followed his line of sight, there was no one there. Then he crouched back down and covered his ears.

"He's coming, Dad. He doesn't like me." The banner is getting hysterical.

"Who, Son? Who?" I was impatient and shook her little shoulder. I could not feel my tears coming down to see the helpless state of my son.

Suddenly ....

Sreeeekk

Sreeeekk

A sound like a fingernail being lashed on a wooden surface was heard from inside the house. Panji's body seemed to jerk and stiff so frightened to hear the voice. I peeked behind his shoulder, there was no one there, until finally there was a little movement that I could catch on the ceiling of the house.

Small fingers that suddenly appear from behind the wall, then hands, then arms and then attached to the ceiling. My body trembled violently when I saw those hands. That's his arm, I haven't seen what he looks like.

Slowly, the hands crawled up and clawed at the ceiling surface, revealing his body, thighs, and feet. He looks the same age as my son, even wearing the clothes my son wears. Again, I haven't seen what his face looks like.

My heart is beating so fast. It was not able to feel like I was getting from where I was standing right now, but as a father, I spontaneously raised and carried Panji tightly.

I looked back at the creature that was moving slowly crawling on the surface of the ceiling. O God, he suddenly fell silent and seemed to make a gesture like he was about to raise his head. My embrace of Panji is getting tighter. I closed my eyes.

I held my breath long enough to close my eyes. My body was limp with an uncorrupted feeling. It's just that I don't think I can stay like this for much longer without doing anything. I tried to open my eyes.

There is no one here but me and Panji who are still in my arms. When I looked at his ankle, there were no chains binding there, not even the scuff marks I had seen, were in place. 

Was this creature just my imagination? I don't know.. I think I really need a break to hallucinate in broad daylight. I lower and release the banner from my arms.

"Let's go" I told Panji. 

He pulled my hand and raised his face. How shocked I was to find a little boy standing in front of me, who I was sure was my son, was someone else. He smiled grinning, with jagged teeth. 

I tried to resist and let go of his hand, but I couldn't. It's too strong. Suddenly my breath stopped in my throat when I saw him open his mouth slowly, then stick out a very long tongue, to touch the surface of my skin my face and around my neck, saying, "Let's go, Dad. Mama is waiting."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah." 

"What's up, Mom?" Tita slapped my cheek gently. "You called out the name of the banner from earlier. What's the matter, Mas?" Tita looked worried because I mentioned our son's name in the sleep.

"It's okay. Let's go back to sleep, " I said.

➖➖➖➖➖

Can't wait any longer. Tonight I'll bring Mr. Ikhsan, the one my office friends introduced. I even got permission to go home from the office early, to pick up Mr. Ikhsan because the distance we were going to travel, was quite far.

Thankfully, when he got there, Mr. Ikhsan was willing to help after telling me what my family was going through right now. Hopefully, we headed home.

I told Tita I was gonna be late tonight. It's just that on the way, the worry began to arise because it had to leave my wife and child at home at night, with Panji which incidentally is not the Panji I know.

[Tonight you put Panji to bed in his room, then lock your room immediately after that. Don't come out before I go home ]

That's the text I sent him. But it turns out that short sentence, it makes Tita seem to ignore the messages I sent through whatsapp, even seemed reluctant to lift my connection.

My fear grew, as Tita suddenly called after I sent a message informing her that I was going there right now. He seems to be hiding or planning something.

"Yes, Mas. Sorry, I was in the bathroom. What's up, Mas?" Tita started the conversation.  

Noose. He must be lying. I can't believe what he said. Immediately I turned the phone call into a video call to check the situation right then and there.

"Yes, Mom."

"Keep your camera away."

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"Keep your camera now, Tita!" I snapped. 

Tita was silent as if surprised to hear my voice so high. I knew he was in shock because he had never been rude, even snapping at him.

"U-for what, Mas?" His voice vibrates.

"You lied, Tita! You're in Panji's room right now. Where's she?"

"Pa-banner?"

"Yes! Where's Panji?!" 

"What do you want, Mom?!" Her tears began to unbear.

"Oh, Tita! Why are you doing this?"

Suddenly ....

"Where's mom?" 

Uh! That's the Panji sound. He called Tita, while I was still halfway home. 'Oh Allah, help us, my mind.' All I wanted right now was to be able to stand at my doorstep and meet them. 

"Mama!" The banner calls back.

"Don't answer!" Half whispering I tried to distract Tita. "Tita, look me in the eye. I saw it in some of the movies I watched and some of the books I read these days.  Now I'm with someone who's coming there. You're a mother, you know all the anggos .... The tita? A TITa? Hello?" I started to snarl at my own salary, because he broke the connection, before I finished my sentence.

Mr. Ikhsan who saw the uneasiness, told me to stop for a while and offered me some drinking water. He patted me gently on the shoulder and said, "How are you going to look after your family, if you're not calm yourself, Hari?"

It was like medicine to me. I looked at his shady face, then looked back at my gaze. Roughly, I searched for contact numbers I knew, contacts of people I could trust and rely on for the rest of my life. 

With my body shaking, I pressed the dial on the contact.

"Assynolt, Mother. I need Mom's help."

➖➖➖➖➖

Extinguished.

From a distance, none of the house lights were on. Seeing that, I panicked to the point of no longer being able to park the car. Immediately I stopped the car, then opened the door, and ran as hard as I could towards the house, regardless of Mr. Ikhsan who was sitting next to me.

It felt so cold and dark inside. There was no sign of anyone there, as if the house was empty without its inhabitants. But my body gasped after faintly hearing Keysha's weak cry coming from our room.

In the room, I got Keysha who seemed to have been crying long enough until her voice became hoarse. There was a slight sense of relief in my chest while carrying a tiny body, then I realized something.

Haven't. It's not finished completely. I turned my eyes to the whole room, but there was no one but Keysha and me. Where's my wife, Tita? Why are there no signs of her presence?

Again I felt an unpleasant aura filling this house. As my body tried to turn around, suddenly ....

BUKS!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahh."

I fell when the hard object hit my head and almost knocked me unconscious. He kicked me in the back and hit me blindly many times. To stand up I can't, because Keysha I keep in my arms so I don't get hurt in the least.

"It's me, Tita. It's me!" I tried calling his name.

My screams echoed throughout the room and resuscitated him to stop his punch.

"Ma-Mas Day?" Tita's voice is shaking.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry. I think the creature wants to take Keysha. I didn't see you in the dark." 

Then Tita knelt down and kissed my cheeks many times, the kiss I had missed all along. A kiss that can warm my chest on the sidelines of the fear of losing the family that I loved so far.

"It's okay. Let's go out and see a friend who's been waiting outside" I said.

Tita nodded slowly, then took Keysha out of my arms and stepped outwards, while I held her in case something went wrong. Suddenly.

Deg ...

A flash of black shadow quickly shot up from the end of the room and stopped right in front of us. The entire room felt so gripping and so cold, it made everyone in it goosebumps.

In a matter of seconds, the shadow became more and more clear and dense, then formed the small body that we used to call the name, Panji. The difference is, Panji never smiles like that, and does not have a row of sharp teeth.

The banner looked at us sharply, bent its neck left and right, then opened its mouth wide and stuck out a long tongue, licking the skin of my wife's face.

The gleaming tongue drooled slowly from the tip of its base, then fell on the cloth that wrapped Keysha's body.

"Where are you going, Mama?"

Tita was glued, and so was I. We were unable to move in the slightest, as if time had completely stopped and allowed us to stand still and hold our breath.

Until I heard Mr. Ikhsan's voice calling my name, "Sir Hari?!"

Panji seemed to be aware of the presence of others who were in this house. He turned around then looked back at us in anger.

"Carrrggg. Who did you bring here, Dad?" 

I did not answer his words, but instead shouted to give a signal for Mr. Ikhsan to come closer to us. 

Panji got angrier with my shout and turned, then pulled Tita's hair from behind until it fell. Keysha who was in her arms screamed for a great jolt when her mother lost her balance.

"Let go!" I snapped while holding Tita's shoulder so that her body that was embracing Keysha did not get dragged along. Tita became increasingly hysterical and cried out for help, Her groaning ripped my heart apart.

With a gasping breath, Mr. Ikhsan came touching my shoulder. Seeing his presence, Panji howled and jumped into the wall and crept towards the ceiling surface of our house. It doesn't make any sense.

"You just wait outside" said Mr. Ikhsan.

I nodded and helped Tita whose body was still shaking violently to stand up and get out of this terrible place. 

There is not a single word we say but pray and hope that this will all end soon. Embrace Tita's body that is no longer strong enough to hold her own body to stand. 

"Patience, dear. I'm sure it'll all be over" I said to calm him down, but he didn't respond to me in the least. Tita was silent and trembling. 

Guilt arose, as a result of my stupidity that had never explained this before. Intention not to burden Tita, it became a disaster for our family.

Then Tita's gaze shifted forward. I followed the direction of his gaze and got Pak Ikhsan already standing in front of our porch with a pretty tense face.

"W-how, sir?" Tita can't wait to get a response from Pak Ikhsan.

"Alhamdulillah. Everything is safe" he said.

"Parent? Safe how? Where's son?" Tita's crying broke.

"Later I will know for myself" explained Mr. Ikhsan calmly. "Let me help you turn on the power and then you should go home, Mom. There's still a lot to take care of."

Tita sat down and hugged Keysha and cried. I don't know what Mr. Ikhsan meant, but it feels very strange. It didn't feel like the happy ending stories we were hoping for. Not in line with my expectations, because Panji hasn't come back in the middle of our arms.

Mr. Ikhsan seemed to not care about Tita's behavior and my gaze. He looked around the terrace looking for something.

"Alhamdulillah. It's on" he said after pressing an electrical switch located at the end of our porch, then he smiled.

"Where's the Panji, sir?" The faint image from Tita's eyes, was very clear as she said that.

"Mom just sit inside, yes" said Mr. Ikhsan as he helped her up and sat her in the living room.

I, who was at a loss for words, just stood looking at them with an astonished look. It's not over, because Panji hasn't come back yet. My heart is not calm.

Suddenly.

BUKS! BUKS!

"Open up! Open the door, Mother," the cry of the little boy coming from inside the house, jerked my body and Tita.

Suddenly Tita and I looked at Pak Ikhsan's face tensely, but he only returned our gazes with a small smile.

BUKS! BUKS!

"Please, Mom, open the door. Panji's afraid!" 

Back the scream echoed. We ran to the bathroom and got Panji with a wet body jumping out, then hugged my wife, then cried as hard as she could.

Tita hasn't returned that hug. For a few seconds he was silent, until he finally raised his hand and stroked Panji's hair.

"Pa-banner?"

"Wicked mother! Why did you open the door so long?" pintih Panji's.

Tita looked at Panji's face, then kissed him. When I looked at his body, there was a blister wound on the ankle, just like the one I saw in a dream. Not feeling, my tears are flowing. He really is my son's banner. We embrace each other and cry together in novelty.

Uh! I remember Mr. Ikhsan. Immediately I wiped away the tears that ran down my cheek, then ran outside to meet him immediately. There, Mr. Ikhsan stood up and smiled when he saw me coming.

"Have you?" said Mr. Ikhsan as if he already knew about what had happened.

"Thank you, thank you very much, sir." I leaned over and shook his hand.

He hugged me tightly and patted my body. It feels so good, like we've known each other for a long time.

"Then, I have to go home, sir," said Mr. Ikhsan after releasing his embrace.

Oh, I get the point. Before bringing Mr. Ikhsan here, he also said that he had to go home tonight because there were other important things to take care of.

"Good, Sir. Let's get to the car." Politely, I let Mr. Ikhsan walk ahead of me.

"No need, sir. I can go home by myself, but I've called for other help" Ikhsan explained.

I was silent and confused by the words he had just said. What more help can Mr. Ikhsan give us, while Panji is already present in the midst of this family?

Suddenly ...

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrggggh!" Tita's hysterical screams sounded very clear.

I turned my gaze towards Pak Ikhsan with great fear. Is this not over yet? What else is this? Tita's cry became more and more so, so I was forced to leave Pak Ikhsan on the porch of our house to come to the direction of the sound.

From behind, I saw Tita standing right at the door of our room and gazing inside, as well as the banner that closed her eyes and tightly embraced her mother's waist.

"What's up, baby?" I touched his shoulder from behind.

"I'm sorry, Mas Hari," said Tita, then she fell limp on the floor and cried with all her might.

"There's nobody wrong here. It's all over. See, there is a Panji who is here with us" I said, looking at Panji's face with a smile.

Panji didn't return my smile, he even cried and said, "Dad," hysterically, just like his mother did.

"Already! It's all over. I know you're in shock and fear, but I'm here. No one else is gonna hurt you, "I'm trying to convince them.

But all my words seemed to be in vain. None of them cared about my efforts to calm down after this incident. Their gazes were only fixed at a single point that was inside the room.

I was confused and tried to find the gap between my wife and my son's body in order to step inside the room to see what they were really afraid of.

While there, my body seemed stiff to see a lot of blood on the floor, as if there had been a brutal massacre in this room. Look back at the face of my wife and son crying bitterly at our doorstep.

Nope. It was not because the blood frightened them. I turned my face back to follow their point of view.

How shocked I was to see a man, in a blue shirt drenched in blood, stifled at the edge of the bed with an open wound that was right on his head. 

With hesitation, I tried to bravely approach the man, but a few seconds later, I fell limp as if all the bones in my body had disappeared.

When I looked at the man carefully, I realized that he was me.

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➖ Sarah Eszed ➖