Followed by the Chaotic Creature
Early Misfortunes

Three days during Melya's treatment. This is what happened in his class.

POV Riri's

"Duh, lazy to go to school. I had a horrible dream last night." I said to the friend next to me. We're on our way to class.

"Don't think! It was just a sleeping flower. Not to watch a lot of horror movies!" said Eli, my best friend and my gaming friend since long ago in SD.

"I haven't seen a horror movie in a long time! Hah, I guess because of the gossip we will be the same class of strange children it becomes a nightmare."

"Freaky kid? Why is he?"

"That's you! The boy who said he could see ghosts, yesterday he also had lost camp. It's spooky! Good thing we're not in a group with him."

"Don't be like that. That's just their word. Not necessarily true. Who knows his son is good. We should be friends with him too."

Eli was a good boy long ago. He made friends with anyone without differentiating them. The sweet-hearted little girl, that's what I saw from her.

When entering the classroom, the children were huddling around and fussing about something.

"What's wrong?" ask me who just arrived.

"Aren't you looking up ahead?"

"Are you sure it's the locker?"

"I accidentally heard from the teacher's chat that the locker that should be in class 3-3 was moved to the front of our class."

"So we don't get a new locker?"

"Boro-boro new locker, we even get the phantom locker."

"Laila, you don't try to talk to our homeroom teacher if we don't want to use that locker."

"I told you. But we don't have enough money to replace the new locker. That's also a story that's not necessarily true. You don't just believe that." Laila tried to give her understanding. But the kids protested.

"They lied! My brother alumni of Junior High School also he said his class friend had an accident because he held the key no 13."

"Whisper!" Instantly all was silent. Maya our class treasurer finally spoke up.

"You are fussing over the trivial! It was just a locker. You want to wear it or it's not up to you. We also have no meaning. Here we just run instructions from the homeroom teacher to share the locker key to all of you." Maya's loud and firm voice coupled with her larger posture than her peers made the children not dare to argue.

"Sorry guys! I understand you're worried. But we have no choice but to accept it" Laila said.

"For all of you not to point to each other for who will hold locker key no 13. We're going to use the lottery system. For our friend who cannot be present today will be represented by our other friend. So after we all hold the draw we open together. So whoever gets no 13, no one protests. Agreed?" Andi said the vice-chairman of the class gave instructions.

I feel a bad feeling. I'm honestly very scared. What if I get it. I've heard the spooky story about that locker.

Nah! Nah! I can't think about it. I have to believe in my luck.

"OKAY? Everyone got it, huh?"

The class was filled with cheers, they jumped in joy. I'm the only one who's petrified.

"Riri's? You why?" ask Eli. I showed Eli my lottery number. All the kids saw it.

"I-I don't want to! Why should I?!" I whine so scared of him.

"Maya, exchange with me, will you? You'll dare!"

"No ah! I'm not saying I'm brave. You can only. Don't trade your bad luck for someone else's luck!"

"Laila! If I trade it for having a child who doesn't come in today, how about it?" I begged Laila again. However, Laila shook her head.

"Sorry, Riri! can't be like that. We all agree with the outcome of this election. It's not fair if you trade her for Melya's when she's not around. You can ask her directly when she comes in."

I'm resigned. Of course no one wants to exchange it for this cursed key. If only I could throw it away...

Until I got home my anxiety didn't go away. I walked outside the classroom. Staring blankly at the row of iron boxes in front of me. While the other students passed me one by one until the class was almost empty.

"Relie!" eli called me. I'm turning. It turned out that my good friend Eli was already standing waiting for me. He approached me.

"You still thinking about it?" tanyanya was worried, looking at me glumly.

"Where's the key?" her door. I showed him again. He took it straight away.

"This. Just change with me!" he handed the key to me.

"No Eli! How about you get fucked. I don't want to!"

"will not. All the stories you hear are not true. Trust me! I'll prove it by unlocking the locker." Eli said, inserting the key into the locker. Eli tried to open it, but failed.

"Can't you open up? Is the key stuck?" The locker won't open.

"Stop Eli! It's already! Enough's enough! I trust you. Please don't push that locker away again! Let's just go home!" I panicked, immediately pulling Eli away from the locker.

"While we use the locker alone" I said again. I asked for the key again, but Eli wouldn't give it. The reason is he doesn't want to keep thinking about the key. So while he's gonna keep it.

Then I saw Eli put the key in his bag. On the way home I diverted my anxiety by talking about funny things so Eli would laugh and not talk about the locker anymore.

It just so happened that our house was across. Eli's house is right in front of my house. After parting with me he crossed the street while I opened the fence of my house. Uncompleted this foot stepped in, a motorbike passed quickly.

Spontaneously I turned towards the road. Eli, who had not reached the side of the road, was hit by the vehicle. With these two eyes, I watched how her petite body floated for a moment in the air before finally falling onto the asphalt like a discarded doll.

Blood began to seep from the body of my good friend lying on the street. His body doesn't move anymore. The bag and its contents were scattered on his side. Including locker key no 13 that began to sink in a pool of blood.

"Eli!" my screams desperately called out his name. Tearing the air apart for a moment. My tears are falling fast.

I shouldn't have given you that key. I must not take it! I should've thrown away that goddamn key! All wrong! Because I'm Eli, it's like this. I continue to curse myself regretfully.