TUMBLED
Dear Child

Arlan looked at Dimas who was behaving as usual, as if nothing had happened between them. However, Arlan could not behave like that. After Nanda recounts that Dimas is Larasati's biological son and is used by Larasati himself to let Arlan off guard, he feels that all his life is nothing but a lie. The attitude of his parents who loved him so much, made Arlan horrified.

He closed his eyes. Thinking about the memories he had lost from his life. 'excited... How could I forget that I have a sister?' his mind with a sense of annoyance to the crown. Not only annoyed, guilt also enveloped Arlan. She forgot Beautiful, forgot the heartbreaking incident of that night, and lived well all along.

"Where, Lan? You're following the camp too?" ask Dimas.

Arlan. Replying to the sight of Dimas and the other two people standing near Arlan's desk. "Company?" arlan muttered. His mind wasn't there a second ago.

"Lo don't hear my talk?" Dimas asked again.

"sorry. I thought of something else again," replied Arlan, sounding uninspired.

"Hhh... Dimas took a long breath. "Lo's been weird since we went to the mall last week" Dimas said. "This must be a negative effect of Manda. I was shocked when I woke up from fainting and was suddenly in the hospital!"

"What happened?" ask Edo.

"How did Lo pass out?" timpal Riko's.

"Beuuhh, you don't know, how seremnya when he met his brother Manda," said Dimas, looking enthusiastic to tell the story in the mall.

"You have a brother?"

Dimas nodded. "Twin brothers are scarier than Manda! I shake hands doang, I can faint immediately!"

"Seriously lo!?"

"Thread!"

"Ask the same Arlan. He was there at the time" Dimas insisted, unwilling to be labelled a liar. Edo and Riko's attention moves to Arlan, asking Arlan to give a statement that is true what Dimas said.

"It's not good to say that, Dim. Anywhere, Manda is my crush," Arlan replied.

"Seriously lo!?" Edo and Riko were both grumpy.

Arlan threw out a face. He had no spirit or intention to discuss this now. Arlan recalled, his seventeenth birthday was only three months away. Soon, he will meet his end. Somehow he fought Larasati.

'Or.. Will I die at Grandpa's hands?' his inner.

The boisterous sound from the classroom entrance, captured Arlan's attention for a while. How shocked he was, when he saw Manda standing there. Although it was a bit awkward, he waved a little at Arlan.

As if struck by a tickle, Arlan's mood suddenly changed. Without bothering to pay a farewell to the others, Arlan immediately approached Manda. "Not usually I nyamperin this early in the morning" said Arlan.

Manda glanced behind Arlan. Some children start to talk with them. "Find a safe place, yuk!" whisky Manda.

Arlan replied with a nod, then walked side by side looking for a place where they could talk more freely. "Lo can sleep last night?" Manda opened the conversation.

"No. After I left, I couldn't sleep. Just close your eyes for a moment, the nightmare pops up."

"So you don't sleep?"

"I'm sleeping, but I'm tired of myself?" Arlan was trying to find a justification. They walked faster towards the fish pond that adorned the back of the teacher's room. There are not many students there. Two students were busy reading a book, while three students who were sitting not far from the two men were talking while occasionally laughing. "So, what makes you nyamperin me at this hour?" ask Arlan.

"No need to feel bad" Arlan chimed in. "Gue has come so far. I know a lot of facts lately. If there's anything new, I should know. At least I wouldn't be too surprised."

Manda examined Arlan's facial water for a moment. "Related?" he's suspicious.

Arlan nodded. Actually, he himself was not sure. The reality he got in a few months, hit him just like that. Makes his head feel like it's going to break. Arlan himself is confused, why he can still walk as usual when he knows that his father has killed Indah.

"Lo know, right, if I can hear the voices in your house?"

"Yes, you know."

"It turns out that the noise of the girls being made into the same collision" Manda paused for a moment. He actually noticed the change in Arlan's facial expression.

"My parents," Arlan finished Manda's sentence.

Manda nodded small. "Their souls are trapped there. They're grounded for the devil who guards the house."

"How much?"

Manda. "Gue doesn't know. Sure, a lot of."

"Is there no trace of their bodies?"

Manda was surprised to hear Arlan's sudden question. "meaning?"

"If their souls were taken away, surely their bodies would be somewhere. Die."

"What would you do if you knew that?" ask Manda.

"Police report. At least, it'll disrupt whatever my parents do."

"Lan," Manda held Arlan's wrist. "They're so take care of you. Everything can be messed up if you act alone. I know how much your parents care about you. Even if they're wrong, they love you."

"God! Until I kill my own brother?" furious Arlan.

Manda could see tears starting to pool in Arlan's eye patch. Manda understood, whatever he was saying right now, would only be responded to with emotion by Arlan. Suddenly, Manda felt sorry for the teenage boy in front of her. All this time, he didn't talk too much about his feelings. However, right now, Manda can see how Arlan was injured.

"Gue can't believe my parents can do that."

"But, Lan. For now, your house is the safest place you have. You have to get away from your grandfather until you're ready. Meanwhile, your grandfather also did not remain silent. He must be doing something to increase his strength, until the protector in your house is destroyed."

"Gue can't possibly pretend not to know, Man!" Arlan. "Sooner or later, I'm going to tell my parents that I know they're playing tumbal. I will also tell you that I remember the incident when my father killed Beautiful!"

Manda gripped Arlan's arm tightly, warning him that his voice was too loud. He had already started to attract the attention of the two students who were reading the book earlier. "Calm down" asked Manda. The truest thing Manda did then, was to pull Arlan into her arms. Manda held Arlan firmly while patting her back.

Arlan. Amidst her overflowing emotions just a moment ago, suddenly she was already in Manda's arms. Arlan could feel how warm Manda's hand was on her back. His rhythmic claps, forcing Arlan to calm down again. In just a few seconds, Arlan had already forgotten the thing that made him angry earlier.

***