Comedor De Memória

Chapter. 3. Friendship Ring

That afternoon I watched my potential victim. Ah, are they really my victims? In fact, all this time I was the victim who was tormented by the memories of the humans whose blood I sucked. Okay, I'll change the name to potential prey. Ha, ha, just the same. 

I watched a woman I guess was about 25 years old. Her name is Kartika, according to the name tag attached to her left chest. At that time, I was in an island nation. To be precise, I was in the capital, Jakarta. Kartika is a receptionist at a hotel in Jakarta. 

The exotic-skinned woman with a sweet face was friendly to greet the guests. The smile never left his lips. However, the sweet smell of blood from the memories that the woman wanted to get rid of was very obvious among the many similar sweet scents. It seems that Kartika has a strange memory that she hopes to eliminate the memories that have haunted her all this time.

There was a time when Kartika avoided someone I thought was one of the triggers for those memories to get stronger. I watched it when a man came to talk to Kartika while she was working. He looks sorry for Kartika. Kartika looks uncomfortable with the man's presence. I sharpened my ears to see what they were talking about from a distance.

 "Please go, Sis!" Kartika said gently, "I don't want any commotion where I work. Our business is done. Please don't prolong the problem." 

"I can't, Tika. I have sacrificed for you. Please ..." whined the man who was of medium stature. 

"Sorry, I'm currently on duty. Please leave or I'll call security to kick you out." Kartika firmly threatens the man. 

The threat worked. The man wearing glasses, left with a gloomy face. However, after the man left, a sudden commotion broke out. There was a scream from the reception desk. Almost all guests and staff approached the reception desk. Including myself. I watched Kartika scream in fear. She struggled in her coworker's arms while crying hysterically.

 "Keep that thing away from me! I don't want to see it!" Kartika shouts, her body is shaking.

What scared her like that? I thought. I keep watching by keeping my distance. 

"Please stay away!" A porter who is usually on standby near the elevator looking for something that scares Kartika. 

He found a ring lying on the reception desk. I don't know who put it there. 

"This ring?" asked the porter showing a ring. 

Kartika's eyes widened. She was getting hysterical in her co-worker's arms. Then, Kartika fell unconscious in the arms of her partner. Another hotel staff helps Kartika by carrying her to another place. I was intrigued by the ring the porter was still holding. 

"Excuse me, sir. May I see the ring?" I asked politely.

 "Ah yes, sir. Take it please. The porter said yes. He gave the ring to me. 

I asked permission to bring the ring. Luckily the porter allowed it. The ring, made of titanium, rose gold in color and carved with a butterfly in the middle, turned out to consist of two layers, one ring that could be separated into two.

This thing makes Kartika hysterical in fear. Memories of what makes a ring a kind of phobia for Kartika. Then, who put it at the reception desk? I guess it was the guy with the glasses who put it there. 

Some time later Kartika returned to the reception desk. She acted like nothing had happened to knock him out until the end of his shift. Kartika walks towards the parking lot where her motorbike is kept. Special parking for staff in the basement of the hotel where he works. 

I followed her quietly. I was surprised when a woman with a proportional body always looked back. As if she realized someone was following her in the basement of the hotel. I think she noticed my presence. But it turned out that my guess was wrong. The bespectacled man who was kicked out by Kartika appears. Kartika looks gasped by the presence of a man named Pandu. I know his name, when I rebuke the man. 

"It must be your doing, Pandu!" Kartika scolded when Pandu appeared in front of her.

"I told you our business was over after I found out that you framed Nina for which she lost her life."

"I did it for you, Tika. Get rid of Nina so we can be together forever. And, yes. I put the ring on the reception desk to remind you of our promise," said Pandu. 

I sat watching two lovebirds arguing on the hood of a car. Previously I removed the air of my presence so that I could observe directly from a close distance. 

"You bastard, Pandu! I asked you to get rid of Nina as your wife, meaning that you divorce her, not kill her," Kartika shouted. 

Luckily the parking lot in the basement is very quiet of human activity so they can argue fiercely without disturbing other humans. Ha ha. It's ridiculous that I really enjoyed the debate between the two lovebirds while waiting for the right time to execute Kartika.

 "I did it so I wouldn't be burdened by Nina's presence. If she was still alive, she wouldn't let us rest in peace," said Pandu. 

"Where's your brain, Pandu? You killed Nina when she was pregnant with your child. Just end our relationship, Pandu. I'm tired of being chased by past memories that torture me." Kartika's cheeks are wet with tears. 

Pandu doesn't seem to accept Kartika's words. Suddenly, the man was about to throw a fist at Kartika. 

I move fast. Blocking the man's fist before touching my prey's body. "A real man won't throw a fist at a woman," I said, shaking Pandu's hand roughly. 

Pandu staggered for a moment. His eyes widened, he seemed surprised by my sudden appearance. Then, he threw his fists again. This time the target was me. While Kartika was standing behind me, I ordered back using hand signals without looking at her.

Pandu charged towards my face. I quickly grabbed his fist. Then, I pulled him to the side. I hit the Pandu's neck with the side of my palm. The man collapsed onto the basement floor unconscious. 

I turned around and asked Kartika, who I was sure was in shock at that time "Are you okay, Miss?" Kartika's body trembles. 

She was so frightened by what had just happened that I had to calm him down. 

“Hey, it's fine. This person won't bother you anymore." 

Kartika dropped herself in a sitting position on the basement floor. Her cries grew louder. I snickered. I've been trying to hold back my thirst because the sweet scent of memories from that woman continues to fill my nostrils.

"Wh-who are you? Why are you helping me?" Kartika asked after her crying subsided. 

"You don't need to know who I am. I'm helping you to help you," I replied. 

"I don't understand." Kartika is surprised by my answer. 

"Catch!" I throw an object at Kartika. She caught it just right. However, a few moments later, she screamed as she threw the thing back at me. I quickly caught something in the form of a ring that Pandu had placed on the reception desk earlier.

"Bastard!" cursed Kartika, "What is your purpose in throwing the ring at me!" 

"This is precisely the reason I want to help you. You have bad memories with this ring, don't you?" I asked directly to the heart of the problem that Kartika felt. 

"How do you know I have bad memories of the ring? Th-It's just an object." 

I don't know why the woman in front of me seemed to be evading. However, I made sure she agreed with what I was going to do with her memories. 

"It seems that you are trying to cover up your fear. Even though it is clear that you are afraid of this ring. You should agree to my offer. I will erase your memories forever. So that you can continue your life without being overshadowed by your bad memories of your past," I offered, hoping Kartika would agree. 

"Really? How?" Kartika is affected. 

"As long as you allow it. I'll immediately erase your memories." 

"Okay. If it can be lost, please help me get rid of my bad memories in the past." Kartika gives permission easily. 

Don't want to waste time. I immediately hugged Kartika's body. I gently brushed the hair that was blocking her neck. A blush appeared on Kartika's cheeks. Apparently she was embarrassed. 

"Calm down. I will do it quickly," I whispered in Kartika's ear.

I tighten my arms so that his body is locked to minimize the bite wound so it doesn't become a tear if Kartika struggles. With one stab at Kartika's neck, my fangs pierced straight into her veins. 

"It hurts, what did I do?" Kartika screamed as she struggled to free herself from my embrace. 

However, moments later her body went limp, she was already unconscious. I held her in my arms after I sucked the first few drops of blood gushing from the bite wound. The sweet taste of the blood of memories instantly quenched my thirst. 

I laid Kartika's body next to Pandu's unconscious body. Then, I leaned against the car parked not far from Kartika and Pandu. 

Flashes of great memories flashed. Apparently the ring engraved with butterflies was a gift from Nina. Nina has been Kartika's best friend since they were in elementary school. Nina was so confident, she gave a part of her friendship ring to Kartika. They are both inseparable. Even Nina and Kartika's closeness exceeds that of siblings. 

However, the friendship ran aground after Nina married Pandu. A simple male figure who is also loved by Kartika. Disappointed with Nina's marriage, Kartika breaks the bonds of friendship and returns her friendship ring. 

Even crazier, Kartika teases Pandu. So the man had an affair with her. Kartika's selfishness wants Pandu to be hers. She deliberately influenced Pandu to get rid of Nina. Kartika's intention here is for Pandu to divorce Nina. But Pandu had other thoughts. One day Kartika hears the news that Nina has an accident. She's in. Critical state. 

Kartika has a feeling that the accident was done by Pandu. And sure enough. Pandu sabotaged Nina's car brakes so that his wife died in an accident. Kartika is shocked to hear what Pandu did. She immediately met Nina at the hospital. 

At that time, Nina woke up from a coma. Kartika is asked by Nina's family to meet Nina in the ICU. They say if Nina wants to talk to Kartika. Nina's face is so sore. However, her eyes were so sharp when Kartika came closer to her.

"Traitor!" Nina whispered, "when you first said that you loved Pandu. I was willing to give it to you before our marriage happened." Kartika is stunned that she accepts Nina's words because it was her fault. 

"You know, Tika. An innocent life has been lost because of the two of you. The baby in my womb died because of you. I swear after my death, you will always be haunted by guilt!" Nina was so angry. 

The pacemaker attached to Nina's chest suddenly beeped loudly. The medical staff and doctors tried to help Nina. However, Nina's life was not saved. Since then Kartika has always been filled with fear. Especially if she saw the friendship ring from Nina. 

She felt guilty and regretful until she finally decided to separate from Pandu so that the guilt subsided. However, Pandu continues to chase her and even terrorizes herself by always showing a titanium ring engraved with a butterfly. 

I opened my eyes slowly. Don't know what to do. Honestly, I'm sick of Kartika's memories. The feeling of tightness watching a friend die because of his selfishness is able to stir up a feeling deep in my heart that I don't know what it is. Even though I was the same. Killing human life easily just because of the endless thirst. 

A curse from the vampire Ancestor long before the curse from Memória I received. I rubbed the bite wound on Kartika's neck. Instantly the wound disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, I'm confused with Pandu. He should have had bad memories too. However, maybe he was more accepting of those memories so he decided not to get rid of them, because I couldn't smell the scent at all.