FROM ANOTHER WORLD TO YOU (Sistery Story Group )
Chapter IX - I'm [still ] Alive - First Half

When these eyes are open, nothing is seen, it is dark. My body was wrapped in a shroud tied to my stomach and legs, lying in a tight spot. I tried to remove the ropes that tied the shroud of my body's wrapper. After trying hard in less than half an hour, the straps of the stomachs of the legs and head were removed.

The 1.5-square-meter box, tightly sealed, that's where I lay. I have to get out of this place, that's my determination. So, with clenched hands, I hope that someone will help or at least hear the blow.

“Duak ! Duak ! Duak ! Duak!"

Fail. Once more. Fail anyway.  I didn't feel my heart beating, neither tired nor sick when my hands clashed. I can't remember how long I've been lying in this place. No memory helps me answer the questions in my head.

Calm..quiet my pair of eyes observe the circumstances around... I was in a coffin, did I die and rise again ? Why is there not a single piece of memory that can help me understand what has happened?

I don't want to stay in this place, I have to get out. I returned the upper part, but this time I just passed it and was already in a field that is quite large with materials piled up here and there.

Various types of heavy equipment in parking carelessly so that it looks like litter scattered.

Not far from me has stood some building foundations that are quite sturdy, it seems this place will be used as a place of industry or shops. If I'm dead, why not buried in a cemetery or something, why put it in this place. Nor did he find a tombstone. What exactly happened ?

I sat pensively for so long on the mound of earth where I darted out. As the sunlight began to redden, I stood up and stepped away from the place. I have to find the answer. My goal is the house where I live.

_____

I can't remember what happened but still remember the way to the house even though, being a stranger or long time abroad.

I didn't feel my footprints touch the ground but it floated so lightly that the night air took me everywhere I went, drifting like mist down the backs of the hills. Floating light, light as cotton.

Trees that grow densely, do not prevent this body from flying, this body just passes through it and finally arrive at the destination. No need to open the door, because my body was translucent, seeing fathers just sitting in the living room while, my sister was not there.

There was a melodious humming sound from the upper room, it was the room where my sister and I slept. “Good night dad, mom ... Lena's home,” I said to the dads, but, they don't seem to hear me.

I say hello again, they still don't hear it. Since there was no answer from them, I stepped onto the second floor.

Sluku sluku bathok, bathoke ela-elo

Si Rama nudged katha, leh by the umbrella of mutha

Mak Jenthit lololobah, wong dead ora obah

Yen obah medheni boy, yen urip goleka dhuwit

It was a song I used to sing before my sister went to sleep. He has memorized the song. I smiled and then went into Vera's room, she turned her back to me while playing with a rabbit-shaped doll. I walked closer to him.

Just a few steps, Vera stopped playing and while staring at the glass she asked, “Is that Kak Lena ? Brother has arrived, yes ?” while turning around, her pair of round eyes looked at me deeply, “So I don't have to be afraid of fathers anymore, they don't realize the arrival of big brother, do I?”

I smiled, “What happened to them, why did they ignore the arrival of big brother ? Why should I be afraid of them, they are our parents, not ?” my many.

“Does sister not remember what happened to sister 7 days ago ?”

“Vera, brother doesn't understand what you're talking about. Brother really does not remember anything but to find that when he woke up, he was already in a coffin, and buried in a field just that,” I said, “Can Vera tell it to sister ?” tanyaku later.

“Yang Vera knew, 7 days ago brother suddenly disappeared and Father-Mom didn't seem to care about it. When Vera asked her whereabouts, I just said .. Maybe your sister is having fun with her friends. Don't impersonate your brother as you please, or we'll hand you over to the orphanage,”

Just as Vera shut her mouth, my mother's open door came in saying, “Don't know, you're late, it's time to go to bed. Who are you talking to, Vera ?!”

Vera was dumbfounded, her pair of eyeballs moved towards me, “Hey, I'm talking to you, didn't you hear it ?”

“Sister is coming, mom .... didn't mom know it ?”

“Maybe your brother has forgotten his home. 1 week he has left home. You better not find him. Quick sleep or mom will take you to the orphanage,”

Vera did not reply, she immediately laid her body to the bed, but, once mother had closed the door and left the place, Vera looked at me, “Kak, can sister accompany Vera here ?”

“Of course,” answered me.

“It seems, mother is not aware of the arrival of sister, yes ? Is sister already a ghost ?” ask Vera with her charms.

I'm pensive, Vera's question I can't answer easily. After pondering for quite a while, I finally said, “Okay, sister herself does not know what happened to sister. In this house a brother is born and grows up, and now it seems that the fathers do not care about the brother. Well, now go to sleep, brother will sing a song so that you quickly sleep, yes.”.

“Thank you, brother, if not brother who sings it feels less melodious. Oya, even if my brother is already a ghost, I am not afraid. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to Cindy. Who knew he could help big brother,” Vera said as she closed her eyes.

I looked at Vera's cute face, even though she was a child, but her way of thinking can sometimes exceed adults, so far what I remember is that she is the closest to me. Well, I remember everything, but, what happened 7 days ago, why can't I remember at all. There's nothing I can do now but sing a song for Vera.

I don't sing anymore, my sister has fallen asleep quite fast, “Good sleep, my sister,” I said in my heart while observing the empty bed beside Vera's bed.

To relieve my boredom, I walked around the room, opened the window curtains and looked at the scenery outside the room. Nothing interesting, I also chose to get out of the room and down the stairs. Walk around and occasionally look into my parents' room. They were still not asleep, seemingly talking about something.

“Didn't you hear the sound of footsteps outside?” ask mom.

“Ahh, at most Vera walking, do you not know her habit of sleepwalking?” said my father who seemed to be lying lazily near mother.

“But, those steps, don't seem to belong to Vera. Can you check it out?”

“You are, I'm so sleepy, all weekday to support you. I'm so tired ... Cuisine you don't dare to check it yourself ?”

“I'm afraid, mas .. please accompany me,”

“You know what time it is ? Tomorrow I have to go in the morning, you know. Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore,”

Mother did not dare to argue anymore, she slowly got off the bed and stepped out towards Vera's room. 

Vera fell asleep while hugging her rabbit. He closed the door and walked down the stairs, his body clashing with my body, but, feeling nothing, his body was like a warm breeze. But on the contrary, the mother rubbed the two bases of her arms in turn, she stared back and forth as if looking for something.

Suddenly my mother ran towards the room with a frightened face, after entering her room, she did not come out again from the door I heard my mother crying bitterly while saying, “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my son's mother didn't mean that to you. Lena, forgive your stupid mother,”

_____

Cindy Permatasari, such is the name of the woman who now lives next door. Transfer from Bandung city. Vera looks very familiar with him. She was 2 years older than my sister.

Upon seeing my arrival he asked, “Is that your sister named Lena, Vera ?” 

“Yes, she is my sister. Somehow the story goes to the point that my parents couldn't see her coming?” sahut Vera's.

“Of course not careless people can see it .. because, he is one of the many CURIOUS SPIRITS that coexist with us.,” explained Cindy.

“Cannot be !! I'm alive,” I shouted.

“Sorry, sister Lena .. that's the reality. Supposedly, brother had died seven days ago. But, for some reason the spirit of brother was still in this place. Perhaps, there is an unfinished business in this world, so that the spirit of the brother is still floating in this world,” Cindy tried to convince.

“Why did this happen to me ? What's my fault ? And why, I don't remember anything 7 days ago,”

“For that... Vera invites sister to come to Cindy's house, brother...who knows she can help sister,” Vera chimed.

“Is it true you can help big brother, Cindy ?” my many.

Cindy nodded her head, that's when I saw a little boy with glasses appear and whispered to her, “Cindy, are you sure you can help this ghost lady ?” tanyakanya. The little girl smiled, “Who helped you blend in with us Jenshen ? His fate is no different from yours. You don't have anyone, but, she's lucky there's still Vera. Maybe Vera is the only one who still pays attention to her,” after saying so Cindy looks at me, “Kak Lena ... this is one of the ghost friends who always accompany Cindy when alone like this. Actually, Cindy has a lot of ghost friends. They come and go as they please, only 5 ghosts who always accompany Cindy all day. They are : A pair of sisters, Estefanny – Febiola, they love the music of Estefanny the broken silver flute holder, Febiola the harmonica holder; and this is Jen-Shen, she loves to travel, she loves to, Timothy and Tobias, they are also a pair of siblings who cannot be silent. One likes to paint and the other is chatty once ..”

“You insinuate me, Cindy ?” suddenly a child appeared from inside the floor followed by a child who was hugging a Sketch Book on his chest.

Their arrival surprised me, but, Cindy responded with a huffed face, “Why do you like to appear suddenly, Timmy ? You want Cindy to get heart disease, yeah ?”

“If you don't insinuate me, maybe we won't show up all of a sudden. What's more, your innuendo hurts me...” The boy who had a big tooth in the middle of the top was cut off as Cindy stuck a carrot out the front of his nose. The piece of carrot was immediately struck and the boy ate it voraciously. I smiled at his behavior.

“She is Timmy, sis. That's why Cindy likes it,” said Cindy while the other figure began to play her pen eyes on Sketch Book, “She's named Tobby, doesn't talk much like her sister. He loves to draw,”.

“You know, Cindy ...” suddenly the figure named Tobby spoke, “What did I meet when we came to your new home ?”

“Can you tell it ?” ask Cindy with interest.

“Actually, we have arrived in this Malang city a few days ago .. we had a chance to look around the atmosphere of this cool city for a while. At that time, it was night, my sister and I had seen a car coming to a field that was about to be built industrial area. A 43-year-old woman got out of the car followed by a young man. They cut up a coffin and put it in a hole that seemed to have been dug up not long ago. Everything I've painted in this sketch book,” said Tobby while giving his sketch book to Cindy.

Cindy accepts and turns back the Sketch Book page Tobby gave her. Vera and I walked up to Cindy and saw a painting by Tobby. My eyes widened when I saw that the painting of the woman was similar to my mother while the man, I did not recognize at all the car he was driving.

“I was curious about the man who was with my mother, my guess between them knowing each other. But, that crate .. that crate is what holds my body,” I said.

“The young man who often came to visit his mother when the father was not there,” said Vera while continuing to flip through the sketch book, until finally stopping on the page where the antelope car was moving away from the field, so the, “They also often come out by driving this car. The deer is silvery white.

“This can't be left,” I said.

“Indeed, sis... but, how do we stop all this ?”

“Cindy and friends have ideas to help you. Hopefully this simple way can stop everything. Hopefully this way also the memory of Kak Lena can return,” said Cindy.

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