The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 44

Ais and Agustin froze in their respective places. And so is Magisna. Nobody moved until the two dark-colored beast figures drowned in the bushes.

The weeds on the left-right they still quiver and rumble. From the direction of the two creatures that appeared also still heard a loud crunching noise.

There's more? magisna thought scared.

No one's making a sound. All gulped and stuttered with paled faces. Unconsciously holding his breath.

How many more similar creatures will come out of the bushes?

Magisna tried to move. But his entire body suddenly felt like a stone statue.

As the movement of the bushes drew closer, he screamed with all his might as he smothered his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"It's okay!" A man's voice boomed from the bushes. "It's me!"

Ais and Agustin turned their heads.

Magisna lowered her hand and found that Papa Tibi was already standing on the path near her feet.

Magisna screeched while pointing at Papa Tibi. The middle-aged man was covered in blood.

"Don't worry" said Papa Tibi quickly. "It's not my blood."

Ice and Augustine moved from the ground, then approached Magishna and Papa Tibi.

"Who's blood then?" Agustin asked gasping. His breathing was still unstable due to fear.

Magisna could see the two men standing trembling near Papa Tibi. They both looked as frightened as Magisna.

Papa Tibi extended his hand towards Magisna to help her stand up. While the other hand was still holding a sickle that was also covered in blood. "This shit hit one of them."

"They're who?" Magisna asked almost suffocated.

"Curl!" answer Papa Tibi.

"How much?" Ais asked interjected.

"Four tails."

Magisna pulled the weeds off her sweater sleeve after she stood up. "What is a cow?" ask Papa Tibi.

"The beetle," Papa Tibi answered briefly. His eyes glared at the middle of the thatch fields closest to the school building. The bushes in that section were still shaking and wobbling. "We'd better go home now" he said.

"But my friend said, sir!" magisna Protest.

Papa Tibi turned his gaze to Magisna with a frown.

"The guy's friend at the time" said Magisna.

"She may be mired," interrupted Agustin, bending over to uncover the weeds at the place where Hendra disappeared. "Ndra!" call him into the bushes.

Then everyone shut up. Scrutinise.

Silent.

Papa Tibi let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

Magisna bowed with a bitter face.

"That's it," said Papa Tibi. "I and Agustin will seek help from the locals and find your friend. While you and Ais go home."

Magisna blinked looking at the old man hesitantly, then glanced at Ais.

The ice just shrugged with a childish attitude. Plain and annoying.

Magisna was still doubtful.

"Listen, Gisna!" Agustin finally opened his voice. He drew near to Magisna and touched his shoulder. "Hendra must be in one of the tunnels under Van Til's house right now. You've been there, haven't you? You should still remember how dangerous it is."

Magisna gulped. Right, said. He won't forget his experience at Doolhof.

"All the holes in this field are connected to the basement of Van Til's house, that's why I said we knew another way to get there." Agustine explained. Whether it will affect Magisna's decision or not. "But now Hendra is also missing. Without Hendra, I'm not sure if I and Ais can keep you down there." Then suddenly Augustine brought his mouth closer to Magisna's ear. "Ais is still like a baby" he whispered. "He also needs a babysitter. Do you understand?"

Magisna hissed holding back laughter. Then glanced at Ais who was staring at them with an innocent face.

Magisna finally shrugged with a surrender attitude. Helpless to look at her innocent face that was like. "Baby". Baby demon maybe. With a heavy heart, he sighed his feet away from the fields, following the footsteps of Ais who walked in front of him.

Alexza is still unaccounted for, Magisna recalled bitterly. And now Hendra is gone too.

I drove him to the school parking lot. He offered to take her home. But Magisna refused. "No pa-pa" he said, smiling faintly. After all, the bridge has been repaired, although not completely, but the bridge can be passed by vehicles. So he didn't have to turn around to find an alternative path.

The parking lot is almost empty. The whole place around him also looked lonely. Everyone has been home since except for school. His car is still parked next to Magisna's motorcycle.

The school building looked bleak and dead. It really is like a haunted house, Magisna thought shuddered.

The sounds of steps thumped from the front porch towards the parking lot.

Ais and Magisna looked back.

Magisna finds Novi and Dika through the corner of her eye. They hurriedly followed their principal to his car.

Magisna twisted her body backwards and narrowed her eyes-supervising Novi.

Novi's sweater sleeves are torn and bleeding. His blood flowed to his fingertips, then dripped down on the surface of the ground.

Magisna was stunned and moved back a few steps until her back hit Ais.

The ice looked pale and was just as afraid.

For a moment Novi's face stiffened realizing their sight, then turned away as it passed them. Dika turned to Magisna with a reproachful look, then stared intently at Ais as she wrapped her arms around Novi-shoulder covering the wound on her arm.

Instantly Magisna shuddered. For a moment he thought that Novi was one of the creatures he found in the fields.

"This shit hit one of them."

Papa Tibi's words in the field ring in his ear. Makes his head wither.

What was I thinking? he scolded himself. Papa Tibi said the kerud was a panther. Why would I think Novi was one of them?

Novi does turn out to be weird, but it doesn't turn into a panther!

Magisna then turned to Ais who was still frozen staring at Novi with her eyebrows intertwined. His facial expression showed that he was trying to remember something. "Curl," his his hiss was a little choked.

The feathers of Magisna back bristling. It's too coincidental, he thought. These coincidences made my stomach feel nauseous.

Novi and Dika sneak into the back door of Mr. Isa's car. Isa sir slammed hard on the steering door.

Magisna. Then it gulped with difficulty as the car roared and rolled back, twisted and passed leaving the parking lot.

The ice and Magisna still had no voice when Pak Isa's car started to disappear at a curve, until Ais suddenly slapped her own forehead. "I forgot something" he said half-screaming.

Magisna turned to Ais with her eyebrows intertwined.

"Go home, Magisna!" Suddenly, ice looks grown. "I have to ring a warning bell to call the residents" he said.

Magisna gave a short sigh. What is it, he said in his heart. Then smiled at Ais and patted her shoulder. "Thank you, yeah!"

Ais pointed her thumb. Back to childish mode.