Travel Stories
It's About Rayna

This memory explosion is starting to hurt. Like a thousand shales of glass slowly entering every space in my brain.2 years have passed since the letter I left on my father's reading table. But the memory of them is not the least bit weakened, especially at times like this. The echoes of the song of praise that flowed from a church, bright flickering lights that adorn the imitation of the evergreen tree, the cheerful faces of those who were following the mass began to feel like an irony.

“Later we can buy eggs huh, Bu?”

“It's Christmas, honey, the birthday of Jesus. Eggs only exist on Easter”, he replied gently with a smile.

“But if Adek wants, later after Mass, we make it at home. Adek can choose the paint color.” he continued again.

The comments were immediately greeted by a warm laugh from my father. Despite only having a limited time with family, Christmas is one of the days where Dad will close his schedule and forget every busy thing he has to live.

"There is no rabbit costume. The costume has not been washed.” said amid the laughter that spurts.

Our house is not too far from the church. The walk to the place of worship has always been a sweet memory that can never be lost from my memory. Christmas is always a great day. The day that Mom will spend all her ability to cook various types of dishes and Dad will keep everyone busy with his hobby in decorating the house. Everyone shines in the happiness and joy that he brings in a seemingly never-ending burst of energy.

Unknowingly my tears are melting...

Every joint of my mind is tormented by memories that cannot return. How then Dad destroyed himself after Mom died. Wallowing in regret and guilt that killed him slowly.

This is my eighth Christmas without them..

Only so far have I been able to get close to the building in my eyes, glowing with the collective happiness, prayer and gratitude of everyone in it. Restricted by finely paved roads decorated with rows of various types of cars that do not get a parking space. Sit away from that euphoria and excitement. Alone in the dark while lamenting the sadness and roar of anger that is always stored in the soul.

“Why not sign in, Kay?”

I don't care about questions like they're coming from the bottom of that head. I know who he is. Dumb ghosts who often claim to be ‘conscience’ku.

“I know that you want to feel the various flavors that have been lost.” Say again

“Maybe it's good if you just shut up” I replied fiercely without turning my head.

Together with the breezy wind caressing the leaves that shade me in the darkness, the air trembled in the dazzling ripples of weak colours as the presence of the supernatural entity forced itself to enter the human world.

“You know it's exhausting for me, Kay?” said a beautiful, curly-haired woman who had been sitting beside me as the ripples of light began to dissipate into the darkness, leaving behind a thin blue glow that surrounded her entire being.

“Modis is also Lu, considering that Lu is just a curious spirit who is afraid to go home to the Creator” I said ketus without trying to reply to questions that continue to come from the mouth of the bringer.

For a moment, Rayna nodded. But it didn't take long before it started to break.

You stupid ghost, I thought as I looked at the figure of a girl with a thick (usually) shoulder-length hair that framed that pale but very beautiful face. My mind flew back a few years. The time when I first encountered this stubborn yet kindly beautiful ghost, though yeah, she was dead.

I knew Rayna a few years ago.

In the grief of my parents' death, leaving was the only option. The house that was previously a palace of happiness had turned into a den of endless sadness. Equipped with a curse that grew stronger over time, my ability to grow to be able to hear and dialogue with various types of supernatural entities that are scattered on human earth.

Which also means watching my Mom and Dad, two of the most meaningful people in my life, get caught up in their grief, in the guilt that develops into the bondage of fate to the earth every day without being able to do anything to help them?

No, I chose to go...

My knowledge is far from enough to help them. And when I'm able to deal with all that, I'll definitely come back.

And on that trip, I met Rayna...

Sitting languidly in confusion and sorrow that could not be conveyed, the girl was beautiful in a perfect pale color. Clad in a thin blue light that barely caught the eye in a dim atmosphere of dark twilight. I never thought that meeting would be the start of such a shitty conversation. The beginning of various discordant tones of truth that I do not want to admit.

“Mbak, why are you so sad?”

The pale figure was still shaken in the pit of his grief regardless of the question that was thrown out. The cries that kept sounding from her, somehow lightened the burden of my own grief.

This twilight is actually beautiful if only the girl would stop crying, my mind, which apparently began to get caught in the dim atmosphere of twilight. The orange charm of the last rays of the sun that like giving a bright patch of cloud, the soft whistling wind that stroked the grass along the green area of the edge of the train tracks where I was sitting, was truly enchanting. Although the urgent-sounding cries of the mothers, calling their children home were a little heart-scratching, but it was not a problem amidst all this beauty. It's just, yeah, if only this girl would stop crying...

“Previously, this place was more vibrant with the joyful cry of children playing. Families from the village near the station love to spend their time here.”.

Shocked, jumped by the words, when I found a young man who was of my age, was by my side.

“Eh?”

Waving his long hair, the young man smiled at me. I don't know why, I'm paralyzed. That young man is not handsome. But it has pretty eyes, despite the contrast with the insulting highlight emanating from it. Skinned not too white, but with thick eyebrows that frame the beautiful eyes, with lips that do not stop to sing the ambiguous smile, his face became so dazzling. It was as if he was sculpted by a skilled craftsman without any special belief to be made to become a demon or an angel.

“Betul. All because of that wretched girl. I'm getting pretty bored here..” he continued.

Light and unable to prevent it, the young man picked up a stone the size of a hand and with all his might, threw the stone to hit the girl's head.

”Hei!!! You're crazy!!”

Shocked by what he did, my right hand punch floated profusely and landed with a slump on his lips full of disdainful grin. I couldn't see any blood spurting from him when I pulled my hand. As soon as I stood up and prepared to see the worst, I approached the girl lying down from the throw of the brainless rock.

I have to do this, I thought in a panic

Shaking, shock and bewildered as to how were the various things that existed, as I crouched down next to the crazed body lying on its side with a gaping wound on that head. But when in my trembling, the gamang tried to grab it, suddenly the girl returned in the same position, just as before her head was hit by that devastating throw. And sobbing with the same tone was again heard...

"***! Fucking demons!"

My screams blared, splitting the dusk dimmer the longer, further clarifying the thin membrane of light that framed the pesky woman. I feel cheated, annoyed, and hurt every time something like this happens.

"That cunning little girl was murdered by her boyfriend"

"You're the idiot!" sergeant fierce.

For some reason, there was a strong feeling of dislike in the long-haired figure who had previously managed to fascinate me. Maybe because he tricked me just now, or...

Ah, somehow. Anyway, I just want to beat him up again.

"Departed both, and after being raped, she was murdered. His body is still there. Behind the thick bush, across the scattered carriage." he said.

"Eh?"

"And to this day, he only regrets why he was left home and his girlfriend" he continued, throwing stones again at the figure who did not stop crying.

"STOP DOING THAT!!!"

The hand that had been raised with the stone in the hand stopped. That attractive face slowly darkened in a dense emotion until it felt terrifying. The storm of suppressing power felt like an extremely sharp wind, lacerating the night air that was screaming in silence. A terrible grin began to be attracted from those beautiful lips.

"Or do you want to do what, boy?"

Unknowingly, my steps receded. The look on his face really made me cringe.

"You, pathetic man who can only whine and complain to the Creator? Who every time weeps and curses the One who has given you grace? What can you do to me?"

Every joint in my body is squeezing rapidly. The pressure of the power coming from him began to hurt. Blood started to flow as I thought the sharp wind was slashing every skin on my body. I was silent in terrible fear. It was shaking uncontrollably, and every cell in my brain was shouting the same word, urgent and indisputable... RUN!

But I was silent in fear. The tongue refused even to give.

"Huh, I expected. You're just like everyone else, a useless cockroach." he continued, continuing his intention, again throwing the stone in his grasp.

But the sight of the hand clasped in intense force caught me. As in slow motion, every detail of the incident moved and my body reacted without being ordered.

My Maegeri exploded in a series of surging steps briefly, closing my distance to the long-haired guy who caused all kinds of feelings. His head was already within reach of a hardened heel when all of a sudden, his face that was already back in the radiance of charm turned his head and his eyes spoke a lot to me. My fear, which was lost to anger, is coming in a different form now. I don't want to hurt this guy. But Maegeri who had been released and was in this condition had no other choice but to destroy anything that was in his path.

"Brava!!!" I shouted bitterly without being able to change direction or stop my attack.

"So much better, young man"

The grin on the face did not disappear as the hardened heel descended in a crushing speed and pierced through that head, straight in its trajectory.

I was unprepared, slammed and almost fell because of my own strength.

Shit, it turns out he's a ghost too, I thought irritatedly.

The explosion of laughter that followed out of him was the one that finally made me able to control myself.

"It wouldn't work on me without energy, Young Man"

"Your Shit! I'll fucking kick you!" I cried out in emotion despite the perfect fight I took, it didn't take a genius to know that everything I was going to do to him would be in vain.

"Calm down first. My name is Arborite, I've been around since this rail was about to be installed" he said softly.

"I will teach you to use your strength on one condition, make this stupid girl know that she is dead and stop crying" she continued when I did not respond to her words.

"There are many things you can do, even reconcile the hearts of your parents. And I'd be happy to teach you, if you'd like"

Like lightning, his words struck and kindled hope in my heart.

"Are you serious about what you said just now?" I hesitated without lowering my alertness, but the smile on my face shed all my hostility.

"Originally take him away from here. That stupid chick sucks, whether she's happy or sad."

A condition that I thought would be easy to live with. But I was wrong...