Horror And Mystery Stories
Adolescentula M.A.T.I

I stared at the writing on the window that I wrote from the hot steam of my mouth. The raindrops outside were dripping onto the window as if to give a gloomy backdrop to the writing. Adding to my gloomy mood.

I stared at the white room that locked me away for the past week. The walls are pale, with only a large iron clock that makes the only sound in the room and a TV that rarely lights up. Some sofas are kept near the entrance, which are medium-sized large enough for an adult to sleep on.

I turned my head, and stared at the light green curtains that surrounded me, sometimes closed when it was night and opened in the morning. It's not very influential in my opinion, because after all there's nothing I want to see, or hear. In front of me stood a door leading to the bathroom. For reasons I don't understand, I don't like the door. Especially right in front of my bed. I think you understand what I mean.

The point is this place is just a clean empty space, too clean until there is almost no sign of life in it. Except for me, if I'm alive for a few more days.

The sound of the door being knocked broke my daydream. I quickly erased the gloomy writing on the window earlier, and reluctantly looked at the woman in white who was now entering my room with a smile.

“Good morning Yuki. How are you today?”he asked while putting the small gray tray that he had brought

I forced myself to smile, “Baik” I replied briefly.

Actually I'm not okay. My breath was a little tight when I woke up earlier, and my head was very light. But I know, if I admit that, maybe today I'll spend it with hoses and some more tests.

My gaze turned to the mini white plate containing the colorful pills and tablets on the gray tray earlier. “Still not reduced huh?”I asked while frowning.

The sister smiled bitterly. “Kan let it heal” quickly.

After an unusually bland breakfast earlier, it felt like an army of these medicines I could consider to be dessert. At least the red medicine that tastes like strawberries. Or I want to think of it that way.

I am a coronary heart patient. Since childhood I have been used to going back and forth to the hospital for treatment, and until now I have not found the right donor. So this is my fate, rest at home if I lie about the tightness that I feel more and more, and go back to the hospital if I can't even talk anymore.

After making sure I upheld all the medicine given, the nurse opened my green curtain and opened the window. He said the weather was good, and I needed to breathe some fresh air. Actually I'd rather breathe the hospital air that stinks of alcohol. But after the pine-smelling air and the rain poured into my room, I guess I'll let it go in a little while.

Shortly thereafter the nurse checked my temperature, and finally came out of the room after a thousandth time reminding me to press the emergency button if I felt something was wrong. Something is wrong with the TV. There are no cable TV channels. And the chef of this hospital clearly has a problem with his sense of taste. Do they want to clean that up?

I straightened my seat back and picked up a fantasy novel that was given yesterday by my friend who was out of the hospital. I got tired of watching the glossy plastic cover and the large printed title with the prominent letter: Eventyr.

I took a breath and started to open the first page as something rolled into my room, rolling into the bed.

It was a medium-sized, bright-yellow ball of pastic material with a smiling sun.

I looked towards the door of my room which was slightly open, waiting for someone to come in and take the ball.

Justright. The white end of the shoe appeared at the corner of the closed door shortly afterwards. Judging from the model, it's a girl's shoe.

This kid is a shy kid. I lowered my head slightly to take the ball and call out to him.

“This is your ball, right?” call me. There's no answer. “Take it, later you don't have any more toys”.

The shoe still remained in place, in the bottom corner of the closed door. I rolled my eyeballs. I was lazy to be friendly and wait for anyone to play anything.

I impatiently threw the ball out of the room, and the shoe disappeared.

I snorted in annoyance and went back to reading my novel. Next time I'll ask the nurse to close the door tight.

***

I opened my eyes slowly and tried to look at the clock in front of me which was still in the shadows. I narrowed my eyes in order to focus more, and finally managed to see the current time: 11 hours past 15 minutes. I opened my window and saw the dark sky. I realized I had been asleep for 7 hours. I'll probably be up until midnight.

I yawned wide and suddenly felt hungry. I took the biscuits that Mother brought me this afternoon. He was in such a hurry that he only had half an hour to visit me and bring me a few bags of food. I'm used to it, but I don't want to feel sorry for him. Since the divorce with Dad, he had to fight all out to support the family. I know exactly that, so I never protested that his time for me should be limited.

Biscuit crumbs were scattered on my shirt. I patted it gently so that the crumbs fell by themselves, when again something rolled near my bed.

The same bright yellow ball I saw last afternoon.

Exasperated, I looked towards the door, and I found it tightly closed. My forehead shrinks. Where did the ball come from then?

Exerting all the remaining energy I could muster, I tried to extend my arm to pick up the bright yellow ball that had now stopped rolling right to my right.

My hand finally managed to reach the ball (although with a slight tremble). It feels cold and pliable, the typical texture of plastic balls.

Suddenly I saw a shadow, and a pale white little hand came out from under the bed and clasped my wrist.

I screamed loudly and pulled my hand away immediately.

Then I opened my eyes again.

Dreamlike.

The dreams?

Dreamcimp.

My eyes were still wide open, and I hurriedly looked at my hands. There's no trace of anything in there. I spread my eyes around me, and I found no ball anywhere.

I can't panic. I can't panic. I can't panic. It was just a dream. Sleeping flowers.

I try to take a slow breath. It could be bad if I suddenly get an attack right now. I drank the water that was kept on the table beside me in a bit of a hurry. After that I closed my eyes, trying hard to sleep without daring to glance under my bed.

***

I asked the nurse to always close my room every time anyone came in or out, the next day. Somehow, I felt that the cause of my nightmare yesterday was a prankster throwing a plastic ball. I don't have any phobias related to balls, plastic or yellow.

According to the doctor who examined me today, in a few days I should have been able to go home. As long as I keep taking my medicine. That's right. If I have to take those drugs in a week, I suspect the doctor's a contract killer hired by someone who hates me. The amount of drugs is inhumane!

I leaned my shoulders as usual, and I saw the view outside. I was lucky to get a room with a garden view behind the hospital. At least, I can see the fun activities that people do with their family or friends. If it's my old room, I get a view of the front of the hospital, where I can see desperate people who have to face the verdict of their illness, or because they have to pay for an expensive surgery.

Maybe that's why I had to be treated for 2 months.

While watching the man in training walk, my attention was suddenly distracted by a sweet little girl who was looking at me from under a shady tree right next to my room. His eyes look at me sad. His hands were kept behind his back and he bit his lips, as if he did not dare to say anything to me.

Then I noticed the shoes he was wearing. Just like the shoes I saw yesterday on my doorstep; white with rounded edges. And there he was, I could see he was holding onto that yellow ball that created that nightmare for me.

He is the owner of the yellow ball.

Unconsciously my body leaned forward, and I felt a few strands of my hair being pulled back, no matter what.

I heard a very slow singing voice, almost like a whisper. It's a bit vague and obscure, like the kind of sound you hear from old tapes playing on old radios. But I know this tone. I hear it often.

...star.

How I's...

what.are.

My hair suddenly stood up. My hair was pulled again, but this time I was in a still position, and my hair was pulled by something behind me. Something on the wall I was selling.

Above

...high..

.diamonds...

The sound of singing was now clearly whispered in my ear. I felt the cold running down my back.

“Yuki, are you awake?”

My mother's new voice coming into my room made me flinch in shock. I immediately flipped over and saw nothing on the wall. The wall was pale white as usual, with faint mushroom marks.

I quickly looked for the little girl who owned the ball. It was no longer under the tree. Also not on the park bench. It's not everywhere. It has disappeared.

I want to move rooms right now.

***

And I can't move rooms. There's a natural disaster happening nearby, and the hospital is full. Some of them even had to be treated in the ward for a while.

I could've insisted on moving out and forced one of the patients who didn't have heart disease to swap rooms with me. But what should I say as the reason? There's a little girl ghost with a yellow plastic ball who likes to bother me?

Luckily, I'm staying tonight to take care of me. I'm actually embarrassed to admit this, because I don't want to be thought-about a coward. But I'm relieved that there's at least someone else with me tonight.

The hour hand shows at 10 p.m. Mother with glasses perched on her face, staring at her laptop screen with a serious mimic. His ten fingers were cloaked unceasingly as if he wanted to smash the poor keyboard in a matter of minutes.

Apparently I realized I was watching him. He looked up at her face, and smiled tiredly.

“Not sleeping?” ask her with the sweet voice that I missed.

“Not yet sleepy” replied me.

“You want to buy what? The food? Another book?”

“No need, Mom. I continued my mother's work. I just want to squirm Mom.”

Mom smiled again, this time there was guilt on her face. Fortunately he knew me well enough, knowing that I would be angry if he apologized and stroked my head like a child. His fingers again taught the keyboard keys mercilessly and his gaze focused on the screen.

My disease is inherited from my mother's family, not because I like to smoke or because I mostly eat fast food. That's why he likes to feel guilty, because a normal boy my age shouldn't have come home at this hour, was playing in the game center with his friends, he said, or on a date with the girl he was after at the cheerleading club.

But no, I had to lie in the hospital because something was blocking my coronary arteries.

A boy my age shouldn't even know what a coroner is.

Slowly, my eyes felt heavy. Paying attention to working mothers is not the most fun activity in the whole world. So no wonder that soon after I gave up on sleepiness and I also dissolved in sleep.

***

TIK NO TIK

With a blurry look, I opened my eyes. The clock shows at 2 am. I blinked my eyes, trying to focus.

The bathroom door opened, and someone came out of it. Someone was a hazy black shadow that walked over to me.

“Mother?” ask me with a loud voice.

Instead of answering, the figure stopped right in front of me and hissed softly trying to calm down.

“Sst”

Strange mom. If you really want to calm me down, there is no need to hiss like a thief. Just answer my question what is the difficulty.

I was inexhaustible, and tried to go back to sleep when I felt someone's weight on my bed, and hit me. What do you want to do anyway? Fix lights?

“Mother? Mom ngap..”

My words came to a halt when I heard a soft snoring next to me. To my horror I stared at the mother who was asleep on the sofa near the entrance, still with glasses on her face.

My heart was beating hard, until it hurt. People – or maybe now more accurately I call as something – it still hit me, I can feel the burden he my feet.

Then, the faint voice sounded again. The sound of whispers heard from the old cassette recoiled the same song as earlier this afternoon.

Little.wonder...

are...

I felt the weight crawl, move over my body, get close to my face. The sound of singing was getting closer.

“AAAAHHH!”

I frantically flipped the blanket and threw it on the floor. Gasping for breath, I forced myself to see what had happened to me earlier.

The blanket I threw was just on the floor. There was no sign of anything moving in it, whether it was a lizard or something bigger.

I felt the tightness start to attack my chest. Half a gasp, I took the little white pill I always drank when suddenly my heart was crushed. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. I took a slow breath while trying to regulate it.

Something's wrong here. There's no way that little girl keeps bothering me if there's no point. Either because I teased him (even if I barely left my bed), or because...

My daydreams ran out when I heard the sound of the door opening slowly. Exerting all the courage I had while still breathing, I opened my eyes slowly.

My bedroom door opened slowly. And a yellow plastic ball bounced in.

Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. Each ball junction feels equivalent to one heartbeat. Eventually the ball stopped bouncing and stopped near my bed. I gulped, waiting for the owner of the ball to appear.

And there he was, the white-shoeed leg reappeared at the corner of the door. But this time, pale little fingers accompanied him, holding the door leaf as if the owner was going to peek inside.

Without a second thought I rushed towards the door to look at the mysterious little girl and all I got in the doorway was an excruciating pain in my head. It felt like something was piercing my eyes and nape with big needles.

I squeezed my pajama collar hard, as if that way this fucker's headache could vanish. I almost threw up, when I managed to open my eyes and see the scene I was sure was not the one I should have seen.

Like watching a movie with a giant screen, the hospital ward which is usually shades of green, is now in black and white. Sometimes the ward was crusted and crimped, just like when watching the 1920’an movie.

The ward was very quiet, I expected this black and white scene to happen at night. The atmosphere is so quiet. But suddenly I was surprised by the sound of screams in my room – which is now black and white as well.

A little girl in her pajamas moved in a strange motion on her bed, twitching with her eyes wide and her mouth spitting out foam. A nurse tried desperately to hold the girl's body from being thrown out of bed.

Part of the girl's body I noticed was blacker than the rest of the body. The doctor who treated her looked panicked.

“It looks like *carbamazepine. *SJS, how is this Doc?”ask the nurse in a tone that is no less panicked.

The little girl did not stop convulsing, and although her face was swollen and blackened, I knew exactly that it was the girl who had seen me from under the tree. The yellow ball he always played was in the room.

“Take *hydrocortison!”the doctor was quick.

The nurse ran out past me. I grimaced in horror at the state of the little girl. His convulsions slowly subsided, only his head occasionally snapped strongly. But before long his arms were conscious but clenched firmly, now drooping weakly on the edge of the bed.

The nurse returned quickly with a tray, but stopped when she saw the doctor covering the little girl's face with a blanket.

A kind of electric shock occurred again, and the sight I saw again changed. The mattress where the little girl had fallen asleep was now empty and clean. But I saw the figure of the doctor with a man (who does not look like a medical person) pushing an *blangkar out of the hospital.

With a dizzy head like being halved, I tried to chase after the two people. I staggered, trying to catch my breath while continuing to squeeze my pajama collar. I ended up leaning against the hospital wall, exhausted and out of breath. Dreams shouldn't be as real and painful, right?

Then I felt a soft touch on my palm. The little girl with the yellow ball put her cheek on the back of my hand. He then looked up, looking at me with a clear look.

I-i know. I-i know.

I forced and dragged my legs to the hospital yard. My gaze began to blur, but I could still see the two people digging something under the tree. I raised my hand as if to grab them, and...

DEG!

A loud jolt ran through my chest. I only took one breath and I collapsed onto the ground.

***

Cold drops of dew soaked my cheeks.

I opened my eyes slowly, and I immediately closed them again as my eyes glimmered the wet end of the grass.

The smell of dew and grass immediately filled my nasal cavity. Sunlight had not yet fully appeared, but the sound of birds chirping had already begun to be heard. It was morning, I realized.

With fully recovered energy (which I was also confused how to. I was so all-out last night and I shouldn't even have the strength to chew now) and supported with both hands, I tried to get up.

Then I felt my foot get stuck in something, and I turned around to let go of whatever was stuck in my leg.

And I saw the thin white fingers that had become bones coming out from the ground, gripping my ankles tightly.

I unconsciously smiled and stroked her.

“It turns out you were there. Don't worry, I found you. Rest in peace.”

***

Police immediately secured the body of Emi – the girl's name was – and installed a safety line around the back garden tree. I'm relieved that the doctor who handled Emi was arrested and is now being examined. He may be charged with malpractice. I don't know, I don't really understand the law. Anyway as long as the doctor had to pay for what he did, I was quite satisfied.

Now I lie back comfortably in my bed feeling better. The events of a few days ago seemed to last for weeks and drained my energy and mind.

The good news is, the doctor stated that my condition was better and could leave the hospital in a few days. I have also taken time off and will be spending the holidays with me. Things couldn't be better.

I heard a knock on the door and a nurse grew a little thick inside.

“Siang Yuki's. I'm Sister Ana, who used to handle Emi.”

Ah, I finally remembered her as the nun I saw in Emi's black and white memory. But I'm not going to tell this sister that I've seen her, I could have been held in the hospital again for a different case.

“Siang. What's up?”ask me without a stale base.

Sister Ana smiled and dragged the chair to sit next to me.

“I just wanted to thank you for finding Emi. That kid is so nice. When he died I was sad. Doctor Henry told me that his body had been returned and buried by his orphanage, and I was told to shut up about the medication he had done wrong. If I dare to mess around, I was threatened to be dismissed from here, even though I was in need of money at that time. But I admit I was wrong too. I accept if I have to be punished”

I'm getting interested in Sister Ana's story. “Suster, Emi from orphanage?”

Sister Ana nodded enthusiastically. “Emi's an orphan who was treated here because her epilepsy was severe. His son is very kind, he likes to play with patients here.”

I'm nodding.

“Thank God” continued Sister Ana “if you've met this, Ema also might be calm ya.”

My forehead winches. “Ema, Sus?”

“Ema the twin sister Emi. He died of the same disease but was treated too late. He is also a good boy, he likes to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, make us laugh because he is so sweet. I think I have a picture of both of them. Where ya?”

I didn't hear Sister Ana's words. Or interested in seeing the twins.

All I feel is my back cooling down. And I felt my hair being pulled back from behind.

Samar, I heard a whispering voice that I knew in my ear, singing a song that I can now guess the title of.

Twinkle twinkle little stars...

How I wonder what you are...

I dare not look back.

***

________________________________________________________________________

Remarks:

*Carbamazepine: A drug used to treat epilepsy

*SJS (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome): Serious abnormalities in the skin and mucous membranes due to drug reaction or infection. Signs and symptoms of SJS usually include swelling of the face, swollen tongue, pain in the skin, a red or purple skin rash that spreads in a matter of hours or days, blisters on the skin and mucous membranes especially in the mouth, nose and eyes as well as flaking skin. It can lead to death if handled too late

*Hidrocortisone: One type of drug for anti-allergic. Used for acute allergy cases.

*Blangkar: Push bed in the hospital (usually momo likes to read medical science :D)