The Devil's Legs Upside
Meaning of Bloody Footprints

“Sir, you just say .. Pretni?” (Sir, you just said ... Pretni?)Ask the mustachioed cop who had a dialogue with me earlier.

I just looked at them with a half-glowed tense look.

“Om Shiva!!” Said the policeman holding the flashlight.

Immediately he pressed his palms to the floor and worshipped the footprints. His mouth was slanting indistinctly, reciting some sort of prayers in Indian. The mustachioed police then approached him and tried to calm his colleague down.

Lim glared at me with a slight huff, I shouldn't have said that word in front of these cops. Actually I also did not expect that they were so panicked after hearing that.

“Sir .. I’m sorry, my friend scare you. It’s not Pretni .. umm.. it isn’t!” (Sir.. Sorry, my friend scared you. That's not Pretni.. Ummm Said Lim with a little stutter.

“It isn’t, right?!” (Not, ‘kan?) Ketus police mustache.

“Y-yes .. Sir .. my mistake” (I-Yes... My mistake) I had to lie to these cops.

The moustached Police face instantly turned relieved. He then spoke again with his police colleagues who continued to pray on the footprints. The mustachioed policeman seemed to be trying to seduce his partner, calming him down so as not to be afraid. I don't believe it myself

“But there are four people missing!” (But four people are missing!) Lim said firmly

“I see...” (Oh so...) The mustachioed policeman said yes to me.

He then took his smartphone and photographed all the bluish-fluorescent footprints of – that had been moistened by the Luminol-liquid. His fellow policeman seemed to have calmed down a little bit\, he got up and approached his superior. The two of them then took a break from us and headed towards the Well-head Platform. Looks like they're going to see Mr. Teigl.

“Lets go .. we follow them!” (Come.. We follow them!) Ketus Lim's

……………………………………………………………………………………

In front of Mr. Teigl's room, there were a lot of staff on guard, including the annoying fat staff. I glanced at Lim, as if he had not noticed the fat staff. He looked tense because of something.

The fat staff reprimanded the two of us, waking me up from that momentary daydream. Then I immediately asked permission to enter Mr. Teigl's room. At first the fat staff did not allow me, but I said that we were specially summoned with the two police who had just entered earlier. And with a little bit of wooing, he finally let me in. Lim seems not to help me at all, usually he will be very alert, especially when dealing with the fat staff. But it's okay, in the end we both can go in.

Mr.Teigl looked so frightened, his white skin became more pale when discussing with the mustache Police. I could see his hands shaking lightly once in a while. The faces of the two policemen were no less pale either. The three of them didn't even realize we were coming in. Mr. Teigl just looked down at his desk. Their chatter was so soft, that the atmosphere at that time was so silent. But not in Mr.Teigl's head, surely his current thoughts were so boisterous of a mess. I've been suspicious from the beginning, from the first time he told me how Mr.Brad and Mr.Dunn disappeared, Mr.Teigl must have been hiding something.

“Tell us the truth ..” (Tell us the truth ..) Lim said abruptly, breaking the silence of the moment.

Mr. Teigl and the two policemen turned their heads towards us, only to realize the presence of both of us. Mr.Teigl looked at us nanoar, full of fear. Then he threw his eyes away and looked down at the table, as if he were thinking hard.

“Sir .. how many missing person?” (Sir... How many people are missing?) Add the mustache police. He was also dissatisfied with Mr. Teigl's silence

“F-four ..” (E-four) Said Mr.Teigl quietly full of fear.

The two policemen sat with each other, then the mustache police looked at me as if they had just believed my words.

“Are you forgetting Mr.Kajam?” (Have you forgotten Mr.Kajam) my ketus.

Mr. Teigl was immediately surprised, almost willing to fall from his chair when he heard me speak. He looked at me with a horrified face, then looked back at the mustachioed policeman. Mr.Teigl was completely misbehaved.

“If it’s true than you should come with us to the office, Sir!” (If this is true, then you must come with us to the police station, sir!) Tight the mustache cop.

“Umm ... no.. Oh! YES! YES! I’ll come!” (Umm.. No.. Oh! YEP!YEP! I'm coming!)

Mr. Teigl seemed panicked, his words fickle. At first he refused to come, but a few seconds later he immediately changed his mind. It looks like sweat is pouring all over his face to wet the luxurious black coat he is wearing. We and the two policemen looked at each other confused by his behavior. Mr. Teigl stood up from his chair and took the policeman out.

“L-let’s go .. We shouldn’t waste time!” (Come on. We must not waste time).

Back, we were all confused, this time he even hurriedly wanted to be taken to the police station. He even took the two policemen out of the room immediately. The two policemen finally followed Mr. Teigl, out of the room. Not to be outdone, Lim quickly came out following Mr. Teigl and the cops, inevitably I followed them out too.

Outside I saw Mr. Teigl talking to his staff, it seemed like they would not go to the main island. Means only Mr. Teigl will go with those cops. After they left, the fat staff immediately grabbed me.

“Get back to work! Kid!” (Back to work! The boy!)

With a little grumbling I immediately invited Lim to return to our study, inside the Well-head monitor room. Lim still looks silent, he must be thinking about the awkwardness of the footprints. I actually wanted to ask him, but later on, Abeba must be furious by now.

“D-dima..”.

“H-Huh?” I looked towards Lim while continuing to walk slowly.

“Indeed! You’re sharp Lim!” (Really! You're so observant Lim!) I immediately snatched Lim's words. Finally, he thought the same thing as me.

“I really believe that we have more than four missing people! No, Five missing! With that Uncle Kajam. Calm Teigl?! Hahaha.. I’m bit confused why he deliberately follow the police, they will arrest him! I’m sure, no more hiding!*”

(I believe that there are more than four people missing! No, Five people! With Uncle Kajam... You see the frightened face of the usually calm Mr.Teigl?! Hahaha.I'm a little confused as to why he willingly wanted to join the police, they will definitely catch him! I'm sure! Nothing else is hidden!) Bitter Lim

“Just how much people did you think missing?! How many bloodstep are they!” (How many people do you think are missing?! Berepa many of their footprints!” Added.

I was so surprised “No! Lim, Not like that!” (No Lim! Not like that!)

“Huh?”

“Huh? You don’t understand? Let me ask you ..” (Huh? You don't get it? Let me ask you a question.) We both stopped walking. “When did that bloodstep appeal?” (When did the bloody footprints appear?)

“The morning after Mr.Dennis disappear.EH!” (The morning after Mr.Dennis disappeared.. EH!)  Reply Lim. At that moment he seemed to think again.

“See! The timing doesn’t match!” (Can! Timing is not right!)

“What are you talking about?” (I mean?)

“Look! There is no way someone who is missing yesterday after leaving bloodstep that sustain to the next morning! Remember the red color of that bloodstep! It’s Fresh!”

(Look! It is unlikely that someone who disappeared yesterday afternoon left a bloody footprint that lasted until the next morning! Remember how red it has been since that foot! Still Fresh!)

Lim looked at me so surprised. “S-So ... then?” (T-Continue .. how?)

“Then, that isn’t Mr.Dennis’s bloodstep of course!” (Meaning, it's not Mr. Dennis's footprints!)

“S-So .. W-Whose bloodstep?” (T-Continue.. Whose footprints?) tanya Lim got more and more scared.

“Not a single person!” (Nobody!)

“HAH?”

“Look Lim! When we saw Mr.Xoliza yesterday, we DIDN’T see bloodstep! You heard what the police say? Bloodstep!” (Look at Lim! When we saw Mr. Xoliza yesterday, we DIDN'T see any footprints at all! Did you hear what those cops were saying? No bloody footprints!) I explained to Lim with excitement.

Lim's face immediately widened in shock, as if he was beginning to understand what I meant.

“Since when we think that bloodstep are sign of missing person? A person who jumped?” (Since when do we think that bloody footprints are a sign of a missing person? Or the one who jumped?) My firmness.

“Then ... what sign is it?” (Then...what sign is it?)

“L-Listen! This is why I silence today! I pretty sure that bloodstep belong to ... Pretni ..” (D-listen! This is why I've been quiet all day! I'm pretty sure the bloody footprints belong to .. Pretni ...)

“Of Course it’s! It’s they who change to Pretni! You’re just circling my logic!” (Yes clear! It belongs to those who turned into Pretni! Your logic just goes around in circles!) Ketus Lim is upset. His face immediately turned grumbling when he heard my explanation.

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down. No one realized, even we who saw ‘They’ with our own eyes were not aware of this. That ‘they’ are all already here, in this Bridge.

“Lim .. Remember Pretni’s foot?” (Lim... Try to remember Pretni's leg?)

“Why so sudden?” (Why indeed?)

“It ‘Twisted’ Right!” (Reverse right?)

“Yea-yea twisted whatver .. like my brain now!” (Yes-yes upside down what .. Like my head now!) Lim was upset.

“Compare it with the bloodstep ..” (Try comparing with those bloody footprints.).

“Huh? What are you talking about!” (Huh? Meanin?)

“That bloodstep are directed toward sea ..” (Those bloody footprints lead directly to the sea!)

Lim looked at me nanar “SHIT!”

“T-those bloodstep means .. Pretni Jump FROM OCEAN TO THE BRIDGE, not the opposite! THEY’RE JUMP TO HERE LIM!” (Bloody footprints mean.. Pretni jumps FROM SEA TO BRIDGE, not the other way around! THEY JUMP UP HERE LIM!)