The Devil's Legs Upside
Dwarka City Police

KRIIING KRIIING

I memorized the ringtone, the same classic ringtone as on my mom's smartphone. Somehow Lim was so fond of putting up that tone I remembered when mom was going to work, the voice of the phone was what signified that the mother's invitation from the office had arrived in front of our house …

KRIIING KRIIING

Wait a minute …

Instantly I opened my eyes, then got up and grabbed Lim's smartphone which was on the top mattress, right next to his head that kept snoring it. I picked up the phone immediately.

“Hello ..”

“Hello Your ***!! Where the hell you Lim?!” (Hello your bald!! Where are you Lim?!)

“Uh oh... this is Dimas” (Uh oh... This is Dimas) I said with a little sleepy.

“Oh my god you two! You already late for an hour!” (O Lord, both of you! You're over an hour late!)

I removed the smartphone from my ear and looked at the digital clock. SHIT! Aye! It's 8 in the morning!

Immediately I turned off the phone and woke Gagan and Lim. Who called earlier must be Abeba, from the way he spoke, he must be very upset because of our delay. After everything woke up, we both rushed to change clothes and came out of the room in a disheveled condition. We didn't even have time to take a shower, of course, it was all because of last night's conversations that dragged on into the early hours of the morning. Gagan came out with us, but he staggered, still sleepy. We were forced to leave him, obviously Gagan did not have to worry about arriving late.

We both ran as fast as we could towards the Well-head Platform. And when we got to the stairs leading to the Well-head monitor room, Mr. Teigl called us. We were nervous, but upon learning that his voice was coming from the Generator-Compressor Platform bridge to our right, our fear suddenly turned to curiosity.

“Hey! You two! Come here!” (Hey! You two! Come quickly!)

Lim and I turned, and Mr. Teigl shouted at us from the bridge. Two Indian police officers opened a barrier protecting Mr Dennis' bloody footprints. Without much thought, I immediately approached them. Lim seemed hesitant to follow me behind.

“You two, help that Policeman” (You two help that cop) Said Mr.Teigl flatly, and soon he went by.

Mr.Teigl did not look at us at all, even the impression he was indifferent and hurriedly left the place, was he afraid? I kept watching his footsteps leave us and went up to the Well-head monitor room.

“Excuse me .. Mr...?” (Excuse me... Mr...?)

“Oh! Sorry ... Dimas” (Oh! Sorry.. I'm Dimas).

Suddenly one of the Indian police reprimanded me, casting my eyes on Mr. Teigl earlier.

“Could you please help us?” (Can you help us?) Speaks kindly.

The policeman was well-built, large in stature, and had a thick black mustache. Wearing a neat uniform with many emblems on his shoulder, it seemed like this policeman was in a high shake. The moustached policeman then pointed towards the corner of the closed bridge, where the footprints had faded. Another policeman sprayed liquid on the empty floor, then he shone a blue light coming from a flashlight he was holding, and suddenly the footprints that should have faded were seen back in bright blue.

“Luminol!” Ketus Lim enthusiastic.

Luminol is a chemical liquid used to see traces of blood. By wetting the invisible traces of blood with Luminol liquid, then shining it with UV light, then the traces of blood will look bluish fluorescent. Apparently, these cops were ordered to analyze the footprints.

Lim ran ahead of me and approached the policeman. With his ignorance, Lim wondered at the policeman about what he was doing. But kindly, the policeman answered Lim's question. He even put his equipment aside and had a light conversation with Lim.

“Umm .. what are you doing here, Sir?” (Umm ... What are you doing here, sir?) I asked the mustachioed cop.

“We investiggate bloodstep ... umm ..” (We investigate bloody footprints... Umm...) He took out a small book from his breast pocket and began flipping through the pages of the book “Mr. Deni ..”

“Mr. Dennis!”

“Yes, he is! Mr. Boss said that you had information for this?” (Yes that! Boss said that you have information for this?)

"More than information! I’m the witness!” (More than information! I'm his eyewitness!)

I started to discuss with the mustache cop, I told him the whole incident that afternoon. The mustachioed policeman was friendly, he did not refute at all my words, either he was trying to understand or he did not care at all. He kept recording everything I said. Then, not forgetting he introduced himself to me, as a representative of the Dwarka City Police, from the main island….

“How many police did you bring here?” (How many cops did you bring here?) instantly I threw a suspicious look at this mustachioed cop.

“Six people with me, Mr. Dimas” (Six people with me, Mr.Dimas)

“So the other four” (So there are four others.).

“Yes, at the Living Platform bridge over there ..” (Yes ... On the Living Platform bridge across there)

Looks like the other four cops are investigating Mr. Xoliza's jump location. Of course I asked the number of police, because I had to make sure. If it's true what Gagan said and our discussion last night, it's likely that Pretni came from the main island by boat. The policemen came by boat from the town of Dwarka. I must be vigilant, do not rule out the possibility of one of them is Pretni, ‘kan?

“Blood step?” (Bloody footprints?) The mustachioed policeman seemed confused by my question.

Lim turned his head towards me after hearing my question earlier.

“Yes ... Just like here, the blood step ..” (Yes ... As here, Bloody footprints..).

“There is no blood step over there, Mr. Chinise” (No bloody footprints there, Mr China)

“Why are you asking that Lim?” (Why are you asking like that, Lim?) much

“Why? There should be a bloodstep over there too right?” (Why? There should be bloody footprints too, right there?)

WHAT'S?!! Wait-wait, why don't you think of me! When Mr. Dennis disappeared these bloody footprints appeared the next morning. Then when Mr.Xoliza disappeared, there should have been footprints, ‘ right?

“You sure there isn’t any bloodstep over there? This morning?” (Are you sure you didn't see any bloody footprints there?) ask the mustache cop.

“Umm .. no.. why you two insist?” (Umm ... no. Why are you forcing?) said the mustachioed cop was astonished.

I glanced at Lim, there's no way I'd tell him about Pretni?

“Mr. Dimas, when did you see this blood step?” (Mr.Dimas, when did you see these footprints) Ask the mustachioed cop back.

“The day before yesterday, eveni... EH!” (Lusa, sor... EH!)

Wait... Something is strange! I glared at the police. The question made me realize something important. It seems, all this time we have been wrong to think…

I suddenly paused answering the mustachioed police question. Because I realized, when I hit Mr.Dennis the day after tomorrow afternoon, THERE WERE NO BLOODY FOOTPRINTS! This was discussed with Mr. Teigl and his staff yesterday! How could I forget!

Then, I try to remember what happened yesterday afternoon. Mr. Xoliza who suddenly twisted her neck horribly, then showed the form of Pretni and then jumped marine, Oh wait! There were no bloody footprints last night, how could it? Lim and I sat together, as if thinking the same thing about these bloody footprints.

Then how could the next morning there be bloody footprints in Mr. Dennis's place? Then why aren't there any footprints in Mr. Xoliza's place this morning? Momentary .. I need time to think …

When sorted from the time of its occurrence, the sequence will be like this. First, I collided with Mr. Denis the day after noon, Gagan saw him transform into Pretni and jump into the sea. I didn't see any footprints at the time! I swear to God, the floor of this bridge was clean as I was busy sweeping through the shards of light bulbs back then. Then, these footprints appeared in the morning, and shocked everyone in the Bridge. For a bloody footprint to appear and stay up until morning, it means that the person who leaves the trail must leave it at night or dawn, right? Meaning, these footprints don't belong to Mr. Dennis?? So also last night, when we saw Mr. Xoliza's neck twisting horribly, we didn't see any bloody footprints at all, did we? And according to the police, there were no bloody footprints this morning either. Meaning it can be concluded that the footprints on this bridge, not Mr.Dennis's!

I kept looking at Lim with fear, and so did Lim. It is as if our thoughts are telepathically discussing this forgotten reality.

“Wait-wait-” (Wait-wait-wait) Lim looked panicked and approached me “Are you trying to say ..” (What do you want to say ..)

I'm not hinting at Lim, I'm continuing my wild thoughts that were delayed last night because of Julia being tired. I remember Gagan saying that Pretni's legs were upside down. The footprints were pointed right out of the bridge, as if the person who left the trail jumped into the sea, IF TRUE WHO LEFT THAT FOOTPRINT WAS A HUMAN!!

“What’s wrong with the bloodstep?” (What's wrong with bloody footprints?) Ask the police next to Lim.

“Y-you sure there are no bloodstep at Living platfom’s bridge?” (W-Are you sure there are no footprints on the Living Platform bridge?) My words tremble in fear.

“I Asure you ..” (I can make sure..).

“Dima .. Are you trying to say that Mr.Brad and Miss Dunn didn’ leaving bloodstep too?” (Dima ... You want to say that Mr.Brad and Miss Dunn didn't leave any bloody footprints either?)

I looked at Lim in shock, I thought he was thinking the same thing as me. No. This has nothing to do with Mr.Brad and Miss Dunn, or Mr.Dennis or even Mr.Xoliza though. Because these footprints don't belong to them!

The mustachioed police were surprised to hear the words Lim “Mr .. Who?” (Sir ... Who?)

“Mr Brad and Miss Dunn, they are missing too ..” (Mr.Brad and Miss Dunn, they also disappeared)

“S-Sir .. how many people? We were just informed that only two people missing” (T-Master... how many more people? We are only informed that two people are missing) The mustache police asked Lim with a panicked face.

“What?! There are four people! Four people missing” (What?! There are four people! Four people are missing!) lim said firmly.

Crazy, meaning Mr. Teigl didn't tell of the disappearance of Miss Dunn and Mr. Brad's?

“F-four P-Pretni... Uh! No!” (Four P-Pretni... Uh! No!)

My sloppy words immediately caught the attention of the two policemen. The look on their panicked faces instantly turned fearful.

“P-p-Pretni?” Said the police next to Lim, trembling in fear.