Arifin deliberately makes it quiet for the time being. He takes Andini to one corner of the housing complex, to the furthest spot from the other residents.But that girl with the great observation skill, always finds interest in every move Arifin makes. Minda appears with her curiosity, until she sees Andini's face quite clearly from a distance.“No way!”She quickens her pace, but Arifin immediately gives a sign for her not to approach any closer.“Um, Minda! Can you prepare a few blankets and a mat?” asks Arifin.“A plastic mat would be great,” Andini says to Arifin.And so, Arifin conveys the request for a plastic mat, and then escorts Andini to a block that still has a few unoccupied houses.“You said my mom and dad are here,” says Andini.“I need to prepare something before letting them know that you are here. If I tell them now, it will be hard to prevent them from seeing you.”“I understand.”Andini voluntarily goes to the corner of that empty bedroom. Arifin opens the window,
The next day, Arifin gathers all the residents near the house where Andini stays. He just wants to make clear about Andini’s problematic situation, and gives them a warning to not go near that one house.And somehow, it leads to some heated debate after a few of them voice their concern. And the one who sparks this disunity is none other than a woman from that toxic group that Arifin let in recently.“Are you going to risk the lives of nearly 50 people for one girl?”“There’s no risk if you stay away from that house,” replies Arifin.“But, what about the kids?” asks the other woman from the same group. “You can’t always watch over them? And who can give guarantee that girl will stay in that house forever?”“The more reason for you to listen to whatever I said,” replies Arif
Arifin is silent for a moment. Prof. Irwan pats Arifin’s shoulder as he intends to take his leave.“I'll check the house next door in case you really want to use it later.”“Uh, I’ll join the professor,” says Tony as he follows the young professor out.When there are only the two of them there, Andini turns around and shows her flat face.“Did you forget about the incident when we were in fifth grade?” asks Arifin.“There’s no way I can forget that,” replies Andini curtly.“You prevented me from committing suicide. And that was the second time you did it.”“Yeah, I just found it funny to see you trying to slit your hand with a razor blade. Do you still remember what I told you at that moment?”Arifin nods once with a solemn face. “If you have the courage to hurt yourself, you should use that courage to pay them back,” Arifin quotes Andini’s words.“I said it half jokingly,” Andini continues. “But the next day, you send all 14 of the boys from grade 6 to the hospital. You even let me,
This is the first time Arifin finds evil spirits able to solidify their state that they can also inflict physical damage. And they easily turn back into spirit state to avoid incoming attack. “Tony, forget about them. Just try to make those dedemits busy!” “Oh, okay!” However, for Arifin who is currently wielding that mystical dagger in his left hand, that situation doesn’t mean anything. That dagger enables him to hurt them even if they turn into their spirit form. And their aggressiveness trying to attack him physically only makes it easy for him to target them. One thing that is different from the usual, is that these evil spirits can’t be killed with one hit like the other days. When Arifin manages to slash them, it leaves something like a burning wound. A part of their spirits are disintegrated into the thin air. But that wound will easily be closed up by other spirits from within. Despite that, they are still hurt. They keep screaming so hard every time they get slashed by t
This is the first time Arifin sees someone able to kill the evil spirits by using a kitchen machete. He himself can only do it because of that mystical kris. And he still doesn’t know why only that one dagger can hurt those spirit creatures.Looking at how tired that old man is, Arifin tries his best to not back off. There are still more than 10 dedemits there, and he has to kill them all to end.But old man Acil is not as useless as how he thinks. Despite how tired he is, that old man is still able to evade any incoming attack in the most efficient way. But Arifin is doubting the old man's ability to kill any of them.“Old man, just get back and take some rest,” Arifin issues.“You don’t need to worry about me, kid!” replies Acil as he raises the machete intending to deliver a strike to one incoming dedemit.Arifi
Acil turns away with an awry expression. He walks in a rush to get to Arifin. Tony also follows him with his own curiosity.But then they find Arifin having a good time, laughing with some of Mike’s men giving light jokes about each other.Arifin looks quite naive with his laughing, which makes Acil a bit doubtful with his worry. But Arifin already notices him, and calls the old man to join him and the others.“What’s wrong old man? Did the evil spirit hurt you somewhere?” asks Arifin as Acil approaches him.That old man just drags one plastic chair and takes a seat near Arifin. His face is still showing the anxiety, due to his worry to be influenced by that devilish item.And somehow, Arifin quite understands why that old man has been so awry to get close to him since noticing about that mystical dagger.“Did you afraid this thing would tempt you to do something?” asks Arifin.“You know?”“Of course I know. The first time I encountered this dagger, I heard a strange voice in my head.
Not getting enough with that thought, he just calls it a day and gets down from the hammock.“I’m going back to my room. Are you coming?” says Arifin to Tony as he leaves.Tony follows him, because indeed he also sleeps in the same room as Arifin, just a different bed of course. And there is a reason why Arifin lets Tony sleep in his room, and Tony quite understands that condition.Arifin always gets a nightmare every time he sleeps. He always dragged back to that ancient shrine, as if he never got away from that terror.Even tonight, he witnesses again how the zombies chew Grace’s beautiful face. But there isn’t that mystical kris. Only him running around in that closed shrine, trying to get away from the zombies who hunt him.It’s always an endless fight, and he will always be found delirious during his sleep. He retaliates so hard, with wet clothes and pale face.That nightmare will persist, at least until the little commotion he creates shakes Tony from his sleep. Only then does T
Minda’s dilemma doesn’t just end with that. The next day, Arifin even takes Andini out along with the team who are going to collect some food supplies.The thing is, when Arifin comes, Minda is already on the truck waiting for him. Now after seeing that Arifin also takes Andini too, she gets some mixed feelings.She likes to get off the truck. But she is just succumbed by her awkwardness not wanting Arifin to notice what she is feeling right now.“Um, she is coming too? Is it okay?” she asks with an unsure gesture.“She needs some changes of clothes, and she wants to choose clothes of her own choice,” Arifin explains flatly.They leave with just five people, all teenagers in Arifin’s generation. Two sitting in the front, while Arifin being the only boy sitting between two girls in the back.Andini is currently able to keep the production of that fume so low just like the other days. But the risk is still there.So, Arifin has to sit in the middle between them, just as a precaution to