The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 31

"You probably won't believe it when I say. The things here often move," Gabe said suddenly, as if he could read Magisna's mind.

Magisna just shut up. Just looking at him with squinted eyes.

"Well! Here it is." Gabe grabbed onto the top drawer and pulled a pack of teabags. "You like Earl Grey?"

"What can I do!" Magisna tries to force a smile, but Gabe avoids eye contact and rushes away from her. She was very shy, Magisna concluded.

Magisna took a seat on one of the benches at the kitchen table and noticed Gabe taking a kettle of water. "This cottage turned out to be quite large," he said, trying to establish a conversation.

Gabe did not turn around, only faintly shrugged his shoulders. "Too big and a little terrible" he said, his voice almost inaudible to Magisna. "As I said, things here often move by themselves…"

Magisna frowned, waiting for Gabe to continue his sentence. But the woman did not do it.

Gabe just sighed and glanced. "I know this is ridiculous" he said later.

"No," sergeant Magisna. "News!"

Gabe turned his body to face Magisna and looked at her with an unconvinced look. "Do you believe in ghosts and the like?"

"Emmm. I don't know," replied Magisna hesitatingly. He didn't believe in such things at first. But what he experienced at Doolhof is also difficult to explain.

"Forget it!" Gabe shook his head and turned back to Magisna.

"No, please—" Magisna got off the bench and approached Gabe with a limping step.

Gabe turned his head and frowned. "You—" he stammered at Magisna's feet, seeming hesitant to ask whether Magisna was injured or perhaps was indeed disabled.

"I fell this afternoon" Magisna said, pointing to her feet with a glance in her eyes, answering Gabe's doubt.

"Oh," Gabe let out a short sigh and approached. "Let's see!" He offered to lead Magisna back to the bench, then crouched down and examined her.

Magisna grimaced as the woman bent and moved her ankle.

"It's pretty bad" Gabe said. "How did you fall?"

"I was thrown into the basement of the school" Magisna said.

"School?" Gabe looked up at Magisna. "Today?"

"Ah—ya, we went to school to serve the punishment."

Gabe reacted beyond expectation. His facial expression showed immeasurable horror.

What's wrong? thought Magisna. "The penalties aren't so bad" Magisna tried to calm Gabe down. "We were actually just told to be put in class, but we even ran away and slipped into the plantation warehouse—"

"You went to school in Van Til Hogeschool?" Gabe asked interjected.

"Yes" Magisna answered, looking at Gabe's face.

Gabe instantly turned his face and bowed, returning his focus to Magisna's ankle. "Miss Pinkan never changes," sizzled Gabe with a bitter look.

Magisna frowned. "You know Miss Pinkan?" tanyakanya. Then came back grimacing as Gabe started massaging his legs.

"I used to go to school there, too" Gabe half-whispered.

"Oh, huh?" Magisna responded a little too enthusiastically.

Gabe squeezed his legs harder.

Magisna squealed stifled.

Just at that moment, Hendra came in. Magisna was happy to see it. He was not very conversational, especially with Gabe. "What's wrong?"

"Where do you think you are going" Hendra said while scratching the back of his head that actually does not feel itchy.

"Now you know where the cave is," continued Magisna.

Gabe suddenly stood up, "I have to go upstairs for a bit" he interjected.

Hendra and Magisna looked at him, then glanced at each other.

Gabe looks unsettled. "Pour the water when the kettle is boiling" he said without looking, then hurriedly left.

The woman simply waved her hand at a glance without stopping a step.

Hendra observed Gabe's back with his eyebrows clutched together. "He was shy" he said.

"He's weird" whispered Magisna.

"Yeah--I mean the cave too," Hendra chimed as he turned to Magisna and grinned.

Magisna opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. Hendra and Magisna cried out in surprise when they heard the loud sound of gunfire right behind them.

"What's that?" magisna shouted, his heart pounding.

For a moment Hendra looked as afraid as Magisna. But then he recovered soon. You're a macho sok!

"It sounds like kayak—" Hendra stared at the floor behind the kitchen counter.

Magisna looked around and followed Hendra's line of sight.

"Yes, geez!" erang Hendra's.

It was not a gunshot. The loud noise came from a mousetrap on the kitchen floor.

A small brown rat thrashed around in the trap - a piece of iron clamped his neck. His black little eyes widened, and his little legs fluttered violently, clawing at the flat, wooden part of the trap.

Then suddenly the legs fell silent.

Magishna turned. "Ish horrified!" ringice.

Hendra laughs.

"Serious cave," snorted Magisna. "Don't you know if you fall into that cake trap?"

"What the hell are you?" Hendra chuckled at Magisna among his laughter.

"I mean the cave, how does it feel to know if we enter the door of our own death…"

"Lebay you, ah!" sergeant Hendra is still grinning.

Magisna glared at him with an annoyed look on her face.

"Okay, that must be terrible!" hendras said half mockingly. Then walk into the corner, bend over and take the trap containing the pinched dead mouse. "It could be a snack for tea!"

"Scoo you!" grumbled Magisna while throwing his face. You heartless idiot, his mind is irritated.

Magisna's words made Hendra grin wider. He walked to the wash, opened the cupboard under it and threw the rat carcass into the garbage basket.

The kettle started to ring. Magisna flicked her hair behind her shoulders and moved, then walked up to the large stove to make tea. Bring the kettle over the cup and pour hot water while peering into the darkness outside through the windowpanes. The rain is still pouring. The night sky looked black behind the trees while the wind continued roaring.

When did this storm end? magisna thought she was getting anxious. "We're not getting out of here" he said.

"Tomorrow in the morning we can go home too, worried. There's nothing!" Hendra tried to convince Magisna. But the look on his face was not as sure as it sounded.

Sometimes Magisna hoped Hendra would stop acting hard and let himself face reality. But then he thought there was no point in them just sitting around and biting their nails without doing anything.

Hendra dropped himself on the chair across the table, while Magisna started sipping his tea. "You mean is there nothing?"

Hendra was about to say something, but was interrupted by another loud noise. This time it was really not the sound of gunfire or the loud sound of a mouse trap. The sound came from the sitting room, and it sounded like a collapsed roof.

Hendra and Magisna jumped from their seats and stormed into the main hall.

Dusk was standing in the middle of the room, with the look of a worried face.

Ice and Agustin stood before the fireplace, a reddish flame causing their faces to twinkle with radiance.

"What was that?" gabe shouted from upstairs.

"It sounds coming from outside" said Dusk as he walked towards the front door.

Gabe was still frozen observing his four guests with his eyebrows intertwined.