The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 1

Van Til Hogeschool 2022.

"I can't believe I'm here" Eka Magisna muttered to herself. He rolled his motorcycle into the zinc-roofed teacher's parking lot, circling the deep puddle that had always been in front of the entrance to the Van Til Hogeschool parking lot. The zinc roof over his head rumbled in the rain.

Magisna shivered in her coat and sweater. The anti-water coat he wore was almost unhelpful.

I can't believe it, he thought. I was really here on Saturday.

He tried to convince himself that it was school day as usual. But not.

It's punishment day.

I must be a person t o l o l, he said inwardly, while a chill ran through his spine. He parked his motorcycle near the principal's car and turned off the engine. There were only two motorcycles in the parking lot. He opened the anti-water coat he was wearing, then folded it and stuffed it into a box under the seat.

He looked at Van Til Hogeschool behind the fog. The old building of the former Dutch house looks gray, cold and dead. Window's dark. 

He could not force himself to scatter from the parking lot to cross to the school terrace. A strong wind threw rain drops onto his face.

He covered his eyes with one hand, then raised his gaze towards the bell substation at the corner of the school grounds.

The bell substation is a kind of security post that is usually guarded by a Centeng who will ring a bell every hour as a reminder of the time of the locals. On the school day, the guard also rang the bells of the lesson hour beginning or ending. But today even the keeper of the bell substation is nowhere to be seen.

How am I supposed to get involved in this? ask Magisna in heart.

He remembers those moments vividly - moments of panic when he realized he had forgotten his trigonometric PR. He left it at his study table at home, having finished the final formula, folded it neatly, and was ready to go. But he forgot to put it in his math book.

His teacher, Miss Pinkan, was never sympathetic.

"That means three unworked tasks, Eka," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He saw his grade book in front of the whole class. "Yes... One, two, and three."

She smiles. He enjoyed it, Magisna thought.

"In this class, the number three is sacred. Please sort out your books and go to the principal's office."

His classmates were silent during the incident. But Magisna could feel their eyes burning on her back as she left the classroom. They may be grateful because they are not the ones who experience it. Everyone knows if you forget the three PRs in Miss Pinkan's trigonometry class, you'll be punished.

There's no second chance.

"I'm working on her PR" Magisna pleaded. "I just forgot to bring it."

"It's a pity," replied Miss Pinkan, her expression unchanged.

Magisna knows what she's here for. He has heard rumors. Their new principal, Mr. Isa, has changed the rules.

Punishment rules are the first thing to be replaced. His sentence was no longer to spend two hours after school. That's too easy. Not solving the problem. But if the disciples had to sacrifice an entire day to make up for their mistakes...

And was born punishment on Saturday ala Pak Is.

"And I'm a guinea pig" Magisna grumbled loudly, gazing at the school building that resembled a haunted house. He sighs. He can't stay here forever.

He snatched his backpack from his back, then hugged it and prepared to run.

Look on the bright side, he told himself. At least I didn't waste a good day.

He tightened his embrace on his backpack and ran. The distance was not far, but raindrops still flowed down his neck like small grains of ice cubes.

The front door of the school opened before he touched it.

Magisna came to a sudden stop so her feet squeaked on the wet marble in the corridor. At first glance he saw a pale hand holding the door of the bars from inside.

The door opened wider.

He looked up and saw the face of Mr. Isa, their principal.

His meticulous and sharp eyes pierced, framed by firm eyebrows that were no less sharp. Reminds Magisna of a panther so sadistic. The dark circles in his eye bags made the man's gaze feel as if it was penetrating into his soul.

Pak Isa has shiny black straight hair that is a little too long to pass through the jaw. And he's a little too young. All of those things were clearly an extremely rare sight for a headmaster.

Magisna did not hesitate. He flicked the water from his body, trying to stay standing on the big rubber mat inside the door. He thought perhaps Mr. Isa would scold him if he let water splatter the entire floor.

The corridor looks dark. The only light source only came from the front office at the end of the alley.

"You're the last one" Isa told me. But he looked out the open door as if waiting for someone else. He wore a black suit and tie, even on Saturdays. His shiny black long hair was allowed to unravel so he looked more like a vampire than a schoolmaster.

Who died? Magisna asked silly. But of course only in his heart.

Isa exhaled a long breath, looking once more at the rain, and letting the door slam. Finally his eyes fell on Magisna.

"Sir Is?" ask Magisna.

The headmaster raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Eh... I'm new to this" Magisna said. "What should I do?"

Isa smiled coldly. "You've never been punished?"

"Not yet."

"You are a good student, Eka," said Pak Isa. "It's weird that you get arrested, which is why I checked your files."

Uh-oh, Magisna thought.

"Your grades are good," continued Mr. Isa, plus become manager of OSIS, active in running sports and school newspapers. What was your mistake?"

Magisna's cheeks became hot. "Don't complete the three PRs in Miss Pinkan's class" he murmured.

"Oh, right." Isa sir nodded. "the PR you left at home?"

"Yeah."

Magisna knew Mr. Isa did not believe him. Why should it be so? The kids lie to him every day. Even the good students.

"I hope you won't make this a habit!" said Mr. Isa without emotion.

"No."

"good. It's a shame to ruin a good school record with punishment." He sighed again. "Even I had a hard lesson in my day. It's really heavy."

Her voice whistled.

Magisna was waiting for him to say something else, but Mr. Isa's gaze kept glaring over his head.

Magisna.

The principal turned to him. "The others are in room 111" he said. "Please go there."

The headmaster turned around and stepped towards his office.

Magisna imagined herself running out in the rain and towards the mall. Yeah. Spend time there. Calling friends. Shopped. Then tell his parents that the punishment is not too bad...

But it's impossible. There is no supermarket here.

"Sucks," he murmured.

He stepped into the gloomy corridor towards room 111. His footsteps echoed in the empty alley. The sound reminded him that he was alone in this place. No one to talk to. There was nothing but rain and PR for the whole Saturday.

I won't miss trig PR again in my life, he promised.

He tightened his jacket and tried to get rid of the cold that was reluctant to leave his body.

It will be a long day, he thought.

But he had no idea how long-or how dangerous it was.