FROM ANOTHER WORLD To You (A Mystery Short Story Collection ) - The Second Book
[ Horror] [ Mystery ] [ Thriller] (Missed ) In Nakampe Ivory Village #7

(seventh round )

“Sring .... Ssrriengg.... Sssrrriinnnggg..”.

The sound was heard from the backyard, my ears like a sharp object penetrated the eardrum, making my neck feathers as if caressed – caress something cold and strange. Gooseflesh. The sound was disturbing, but it was still dawn. Indeed, today Joan and I were planning to head to SACRED TOMB, but, it was too early to leave and I needed a break to restore my strength in a few hours.

I lazily got up, got off the bed and walked – tiers to the backyard.

“Ssssrrrriiiinnngggg ....”

The sound is getting longer, the louder it sounds, especially when the legs – feet are stopped in front of the bamboo door that opens a little. I pushed that door. The flashpoint on the axis of the oil lamp that occasionally enlarges in the wind plus the light of the oil lamp not far from the well, enough for me to see the atmosphere in the backyard.

Not far from the well, there was a wooden table. On it a lot of knives – knives with various shapes and sizes. Her knife eyes looked sharp glittering – lightning and Joan sat on one side of the table while sharpening a long knife like a machete. Even though the blade already looked sharp glittering – lightning, Joan still continued to sharpen it. He didn't seem to hear me coming. But ....

“Why did you wake up, Cel ? We leave after adzan... still a few hours,” said Joan, he still continues to hone.

“You yourself, what will you do with that knife – knife ?” my many.

“The deeds of these villagers to Bianca and friends – friends .. so cruel,” said Joan while her pair of eyes remained watching the machete eyes which made her look terrible.

“Joan, don't like – kinds. We are just guests,” I said, “Istighfar, Jo ... Istighfar. Don't let your heart be burned by feelings of resentment,”

“Istighfar, you say ?!!” joan said in a high tone, while the machete she was holding was swung to one side of the table. Knife blade stuck in once, he was right – really looks furious, “How about them that ? Don't you know for yourself, what happened in that place called Sendang. What if Bianca's fate befalls friends – other friends ? Do we still think about Istighfar, ha ?! No. gabe. They should also feel what Bianca and the others are feeling ? And, this knife – knife will ask for justice for Bianca and others,”

“But .. should we be determined ?” my many.

“If they hadn't been looking for trouble with us first, I wouldn't have been desperate. But, they have been looking for things with us, should we just keep quiet ?! No, I have to demand liability coverage on them. The debt of life is paid by life" Joan said, pulling out her machete.

After that I looked at him with a cold gaze, "I did this for the sake of our safety. I don't want you to be the savagery of these damned villagers. Well, if you come with me to the Holy Sepulchre, go back to sleep. I still have to sharpen a few more knives" he said.

"I won't let you go to the Holy Sepulchre if your heart is still filled with resentment" I said.

"Coward ! Even if you prevent me, I will still go !" joan snapped as she grabbed the knives on the table and put them in a special bag and was about to step out of the backyard, but I stopped her.

"Wait, Jo..."

Joan stopped her steps, she looked at me intently, "Side, you, Cel..."

"Joe... I don't want to argue or let us all get hurt. But, please use your common sense,"

The commotion woke up the friends, they were all standing in the doorway staring at us.

"If you go and fuck .... Who's gonna protect and look after us, Joan ?" Yulia walked over, "Among us, you are the most experienced in dealing with a precarious situation, as you are today. We need you, Jo,"

"Taekwondo ability - you, already famous all over the world... We all know that. But, we .... Do not know about taekwondo, pencak silat or the like," continued Bella with a trembling voice. He was still weak, his face pale as paper. The wounds from Bianca almost took his life.

"Semically you're gone now... If anything happens to you, what is our fate like that of a sheep surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves ? Is it not possible if they make our meat as a side dish ?" connect Akhmad.

A heartwarming look from friends, seemingly melting Joan's hardness of heart, he was silent a thousand languages.

"Sorry, guys... Makes you guys worry. Bianca I've taken it like a sister myself, not accepting what happened to her as well Pedro, Parto and Ikbal. They were all like family, but, had to suffer fate. Why do good people always get hurt ?!" joan said with a trembling voice. In my heart I am grateful, friends can soften his heart that is burning with vengeance. I know exactly, if he's desperate, he'll be doomed... Especially all of us.

***

"Those who have been seriously injured, critically or died when the accident occurred, are considered bearers of disaster or misfortune by the villagers. Meanwhile, those who suffered minor injuries, were considered as humans who escaped Death. That is usually used as a collision for Angkara Murka. The ceremony or ritual of TAPA BRATA, YOGA SAMADHI in this village is different from other villages. The ritual must have uprooted someone. Whether it's the newcomers, young girls or pregnant women. Done when full night comes. Because the young girls, pregnant women and migrants are no longer there, then, the ones used as collars are livestock. Mbah Buluk is worried, they treat you very well and friendly may be you will be the one who will be made into a collision like that befall your friends,"

The explanation of Mbah Buluk makes us want to leave this village immediately, but, before that... We have to make sure that what Mbah Buluk said is true. If true, then we will bring along the ashes of Pedro, Parto and Ikbal.

SACRED TOMB, located to the North of this village. In addition to the green grass growing spread along the road, right-left lined with giant palanquin trees. Its height even reached over 80 meters. The shape is weird too. The abdomen of the tree until the root of its support is like being split into several parts. Some of its roots grow irregularly, coiling and protruding into the ground... It looked like a giant snake hiding part of its body into the ground.

The strange tree shape and seemed to spread strange air that made me and Joan seem to be in another world. No wonder the residents call the Northern region is the most sacred location among other locations. Especially in front of there, the road is still covered by a thick fog floating in the air carrying the remnants of the cold night air and enveloping the Ivory Nakampe and its surroundings. Armed with a flashlight in hand, we traced the green grassy streets.

We stopped when in front of us there was a gate made of an arrangement of stones painted blood red.2 yellow janur tied to the right and left side of the gate. Several trays containing seven-colored flowers, a cup of thick black coffee, some traditional foods, fruits and incense sticks are placed on the left side of the archway. Thin white smoke mixed with fog spread to various corners of the wind, spreading a strange aroma, tickling the nasal cavity making my hair goosebumps.

"Never enter the North of this village, there is nothing there but a tomb. We named the area the Holy Sepulchre, only the elders of this village are allowed to enter it,"

I turned my eyes around. The road is just green grass, like a tapestry. Up ahead there was still covered in thick fog, as if hiding something that should not be carelessly known. Until a loud pat on the right shoulder jolted me.

"Hey, what are you daydreaming. I've been calling you since but, you don't seem to hear it. We have reached the entrance of the Sacred Tomb. Why are you suddenly hesitating, Cel ? How ? Continued or not ?" ask Joan.

"We've reached this place, we can't break up in the middle of the road" I said.

We went back, the road we went through more and more uphill. Whatever happens, that's the risk we have to take to save our friends.

In this place....

There are no houses, no more palanquin trees replaced with Cambodian trees. Since entering the entrance, my back body started to feel hot and heavy. I try to ignore it. In such circumstances, the journey feels long and long.

I let out a long sigh as, 5 meters in front, there were mounds of earth with gravestones made of marble.3 of them were wrapped in red, smaller, cloth, it resembled a baby tomb compared to the other seventy. My heart was full of seeing it.

"There's no time to grieve, Cel.." comfort Joan, "Come, do our job, don't waste any more time" she continued, looking back and forth, making sure that no one else was in the place, "Dig, get it and get out of here, '" he lowered his backpack and pulled out some earth-digging tools. Deftly he began to dig up the meal, I helped him.

"Ooeekkkkmr... Oooeeek.... Ooooeeeekkk...."

The voice echoed, as if filling the Sacred Tomb and its surroundings, I stopped my work but, Joan signaled that I should ignore the sound.

"Ooeekkkkmr... Oooeeek.... Ooooeeeekkk...."

The voice grew louder and louder, sounding very close but far away... Far but near, breaking my concentration. Joan looked at me deeply and said, "Use your logic, Cel... In the middle of this tomb there is no single unit resident house, could there be a baby here ? Don't let you get affected,"

However, the baby's cry was heard even louder and on the sidelines it was also heard a sound like a tiger's growl. The grunts rang out right behind us, stopping the sound of crying. After the baby's voice disappeared, the tiger's growl disappeared as well.

Both Joan and I were stuck, we tried to ignore it until we felt our equipment touch something. An urn covered in a brownish white cloth. We immediately opened it and ...

The jar holds an ash and some remains of bones.

"We have found it" said Joan, "Let's not let people know that the tomb was demolished. We need to get it straight,"

Our work came to a standstill when we heard the sound of the tiger growling again. I, who could not help but be curious, hurriedly turned around. And....

"Ha.... Ha.... Ha... Tiger Beetle," I said stammering, my knees drowning for a moment and falling down.

"That's great. Where did it come from ?!" joan was no less surprised.

"Our history is finished" I said in despair.

The black-colored tiger stood up while looking sharply at us, its mouth grinning, revealing its white and pointed fangs. We can't do anything just be alert to prepare for all the possibilities that exist especially as he walks closer.

Joan pulled me to her back, mounted the horses to defend herself in case the tiger attacked suddenly.

Unexpectedly, when the animal was near us, it sniffed the jars covered by the shroud one by one. He trampled the ground where the 3 jars were buried with his feet.

Surprisingly, the tomb we dug suddenly returned to the origin, just like the time before we dug it. The beetle tiger sat down while its pair of eyes stared towards the urn and slowly its head lifted, stopping at our backpack. I grabbed the jars and put them in the bag. After the jars were neatly stored, the beetle tiger stood up. Once near us, he lowered his body. His movements seemed to signal us to go up to his back. Our entire life, we have always kept our distance from wild animals, especially four-legged animals. That is why, our bodies trembled incoherently when a four-legged animal eroded the distance with us. We're terrified.

The tiger growled loudly, as if he did not want us to refuse. I can't imagine how we felt at that time. We didn't make a sound, neither did the tiger, all it heard was a normal heart rate and hunting breath. Silence gripped that's what happened.

However, the silence was broken by the sound echoing from a distance... The sound of the baby's crying was heard again. This time his voice was like a howl of pain and the pair of gazes of the beetle tiger was sharper this time towards us... He again growled as from afar strange black dots approached. The tiger looked very uneasy, seeing our doubts as the black dots became more and more clearly visible. We need to get out of here.

"What can I do, Jo... Let's just climb on this tiger's back instead of adding more complicated problems" I said.

Joan nodded in agreement, we immediately climbed onto the back of the beetle tiger with various feelings mixed into one, especially when the tiger stood up.

A loud roar echoed, I felt the tiger's neck, accidentally holding onto something, like a rope or a necklace... I clutched him firmly as the tiger jumped up and ran away from the Sacred Tomb. Joan hugged me tightly and we saw the trees on the left as if chasing each other, so fast that they resembled a beam of light. Our eyes were closed, unable to look around. When our eyes opened, we had already arrived around the house where we were staying. There were already many people coming and from inside there was a noise.

__ Connect Eighth Round __

(Thursday, 25 Jan 2023 )