The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
The Chapiter 69

"Well!" Isa sir called.

"Here!" Magisna.

No one cares which call is right for the moment.

Dika has disappeared into the darkness. Only the sound of his shoes was still heard, thumping on the floor surface, then echoing into the walls. It sounded a little crowded as if it was not just Dika who was running in the darkness.

Everyone was running in a hurry, jostling in a narrow alley.

The flame from Pak Isa's lantern and Papa Tibi's flashlight glow shimmered and swayed, leaving a strange shadow on the gloomy wall.

Finding the intersection, Papa Tibi broke away. No one noticed it except Ice. Then without a second thought, Ais followed him.

A shrill scream echoed from the darkness.

"Diniiii!!!" Magisna screamed in panic.

"Well!" Isa called almost simultaneously.

Then everyone hastened their steps.

The screams instantly disappeared, changing the stifled shrieks behind them.

Everyone turned their heads.

Orange suddenly falls.

"Novi!" Isa walked up to him, put a lantern on the floor, and caught Dika's body.

Novi fell to his knees with his head bowed, thick blood dripping from his nostrils.

"That's!" Magisna lunged towards Novi, then knelt beside him. "Lu why?" his screams panicked as he shook Novi's shoulder.

The girl raised her head, her eyes twitched, then held the back of her head. "There was a cave hit from behind" he said gasping.

Everyone turned to and fro, looking for the assailant who had disappeared.

Not far behind Novi, there is an intersection with two aisles on the left-right.

Whoever attacked Novi must have escaped through one of those passageways.

But which one?

"This is not a good idea" said Mr. Isa. "We'd better go back and get help. The situation is too dangerous."

"It's late!" shouts Magisna to Pak Isa. "It's in danger now!"

"You don't see your friend getting hurt?" Pak Isa rebukes Magisna while pointing at Novi.

"I'm not pa-pa!" Novi cut fast.

"You all go back" said Isa. "I'll find Dika!"

Magisna shook her head quickly. "I still have business here!" sergeant.

"I'm coming, '" chimpal Orange.

Kiddo and Agustin just exchanged glances.

Isa groaned impatiently. "You guys are so stubborn!"

"Just like you were at school" said Jingga as she raised her eyebrows towards Pak Isa. "Don't forget it could be a good thing!" he added.

Isa tightened his jaw, but said nothing more.

The orange rose from the floor while frowning, shaking for a while, trying to get rid of the feeling of dizziness, then massaging his neck.

Magisna froze with clutched eyebrows. "Wait," he said. "Someone is saying!"

Everyone simultaneously glanced.

"Aise! Papa Tibi!" They realize.

Instantly everyone turned his body in unison, turned to and fro and searched.

"I think they're after the man who attacked Novi" Agustin concluded.

The orange and the Magisna look uncertain. But eventually everyone agreed to continue the Early search.

Isa again led them.

Passing through another junction, Magisna caught a shadow through the corner of her eye. Someone, or something, flashed, sneaking into the darkness.

Magisna spontaneously stopped her steps and listened.

Kiddo and Agustin watched him with their eyes squinted. Then join the Magisna.

Orang and Isa walked in front of them. Not yet aware of what happened.

Magisna stepped hesitantly closer to the passageway she suspected was a hiding place of someone or something-perhaps a ghost. He turned his head further into the darkness.

Kiddo ambushed Magisna's shoulder and held her back.

The bloke shook his head hinting Magisna not to act rashly.

"Look, I once gave you a flashlight" said Agustin. "You didn't bring it?"

Magisna gave a short sigh. "Gua didn't think he'd come back here again" he said.

Agustin opened his waist bag and checked the contents. Then take out a plastic lighter equipped with a flashlight and give it to Magisna.

"What kind of matches?" claw the Magisna while accepting the lighter and testing it. Turn on the flashlight and direct it into the hallway.

There's no one. The hallway was completely empty.

I must have seen it wrong, Magisna thought.

Kiddo extended his hand towards Agustin and moved his fingers, hinting that he also needed a flashlight.

Agustin scratched his temple, then checked his waist bag again. "It looks like you haven't been lucky yet" he said later.

Kiddo groaned while twirling his eyeballs with a lopsided look.

Then the three continued their steps following Jingga and Pak Isa.

"Beware of any intersections" Agustin warned them.

The hallway in front of them looked dark. The light of Mr. Isa is no longer visible. Orang and Pak Isa have walked far enough, or turn.

Magisna turned on her flashlight and aimed it far ahead without reducing her stride speed.

Not far in front of them, they again found the intersection. Magisna saw a glowing red light at the end of the hall to the right. Then he turned to the right.

"Gis.." Agustin stuttered. He picked the wrong hallway, he thought. As he remembered Orange and Pak Isa did not turn earlier.

Magisna had already run into the hallway. And inevitably, Kiddo and Agustin followed suit.

"Giss!" Agustin tried to summon Magisna. "Wait!"

There's no answer.

The sound of Magisna's shoes thumped in a fast tempo in front of them. The girl was running in a hurry.

Kiddo and Agustin accelerated.

Magisna also accelerated his pace.

Not far in front of him, Magisna found another turn. He saw the light on his right. Magisna continues to chase him until he sees Novi's back. "That's!" Magisna called out to him when the girl turned again and disappeared.

Kiddo and Agustin lagged far behind Magisna.

"He didn't even turn on his flashlight" Agustin muttered beginning to worry. Then he started running.

Kiddo followed him without speaking.

"Giss!" Agustin called again.

Magisna. But he didn't even try to slow his pace. They're not far behind me, he thought. So he wasn't too worried about them being separated.

Orang and Pak Isa were already quite close in front of Magisna. He could see Novi's back just a few meters from where he was.

Magisna accelerated her pace again.

The red light from Pak Isa's lamp shimmered weakly and darkly. Like it's going to go out.

Magisna suddenly felt astonished. Pak Isa's lantern looked quite bright just a moment ago, he thought. Is the fuel running out?

Why did Isa not prepare him well?

Magisna squinted her eyes and watched the lantern in the hands of Mr. Isa. But then I looked.

The light was not on the side of Mr. Isa's body, but was above his head. Like not carrying a lantern, but a torch.

Isa sir doesn't carry a torch!

Magisna stomped both of her legs, accelerating her pace with all her might.

Just a few more steps, and he can catch up with Novi.

Magisna extended her hand forward and grabbed onto Novi's shoulder.

Novi was aghast and turned his head with a surprised expression, as if Magisna should not be in that place.

Magisna was flabbergasted and jerked her hand away from Novi, and jumped back with a stern expression.

Not Isa sir! Magisna.

There were four people lined up in front of Novi. One of them was not Isa.

They're…

Hendra, Dika, Alexza, and…

Magisna!