THE SECRET OF DEATH

three

Alexa put the room key that read 244 into her pajama pocket. She turned and found Patter already ready. Now they both smiled at each other. "You go first." Alexa motioned for Patter to take a step.

*****

Alexa followed the steps of Patter who was in front of her. Patter's slow steps then Alexa's steps too slowly. She tried to synchronize the tapping of her feet with Patter the guide.

Corridor after corridor she passed and the school was really wide. Even though Alexa and Patter had just explored the dormitory section and hadn't entered the school yet. Along the passages, Alexa couldn't help but think that she had not yet entered the core. She remembered when Sir. Albert, the old man who escorted him to her room, She also entered room after room, he even had to pass through winding stairs and several rooms to arrive at her room.

Alexa glanced left and right for some reason she was surprised, since earlier Alexa didn't see anyone passing by. So after that she again justified his thinking that this school was not a glorified place. She was willing to bet that the rooms he passed were currently uninhabited.

"Can I ask something?" asked Alexa while walking. He counted room-by-room as he passed now the door to room 27.

"Sure.."

Alexa hesitated for a moment but she has succeeded in suppressing her doubts into a fire ready to devour the wood in front of her, "where are the other students?"

"Oh, they." He repeated, "I think they're on assignment or something. Or maybe they're in the canteen, hall, and library. At this time only a small percentage of students return to their rooms."

"Oh," replied Alexa, who was excited and still staring at door after door.

*****

Alexa couldn’t stop thinking about why this school really looked like an old castle like it first appeared. The long alleys lit only by dim neon lights, the massive pillars She couldn’t measure with a single hug would probably take two or more people to calculate the diameter of the columns. The same room as her was tightly closed as if the location he passed through was uninhabited. She even thought that the only students who were students were her and the Head of House Patter. Even though she had been told by Patter that the students were gathering somewhere not in the dormitory building but this thing still stuck in her mind.

Even so somehow Alexa had a strange feeling since earlier. It was as if someone was watching her from afar. She is not pretentious but she is very sure that his feelings are rarely wrong. The hair on his neck also stood up, she neutralized herself so that her feelings would not think of strange things. She thought has strange feeling was due to hidden CCTV surveillance or something.

But when she lifted has head left and right he could not find any CCTV. She began to be filled with strange feelings, She even pretended to enjoy and heard Patter, who had been explaining it vaguely. "The CCTV is great, I can't see where it is." she thought.

Suddenly she aligned paths with Patter. Makes Patter aware of Alexa's sudden change of movements.

"What is it?" asked Patter, stopping in his tracks. He could see Alexa's change from her suddenly pale face.

Alexa came to her senses and cleared her throat softly, "uhm, it's okay."

Then Patter continued walking and was followed by Alexa, "You know for some reason the hair on my neck has been standing up." Patter answered suddenly.

Hearing Patter’s statement, Alexa rolled her eyes. She found it hard to swallow has own saliva and there was relief in has chest because she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. “Really.?” Alexa asked quickly. “Actually I’ve been feeling it and I didn’t expect you to be like that too.”

“Really?” screamed Patter. Then he continued proposing, “you have to be careful.” The message.

Alexa suddenly vibrated, her chest thumped loudly and was covered in cold sweat on her temples. She was trying hard to Patter about how he should be careful. “You mean?” replied Alexa haltingly. She was afraid that Patter might say some strange things about what would happen in the future.

Again Patter laughed softly, “what are you doing?”

“You said I had to be careful.”

“Oh, sorry you were scared.” Patter said sorry and held his temple “not like I meant. I said that because I didn’t want you to catch a cold. You can see the wind is blowing really hard right now.” He circled a flag that was on a stone wall fixed in a brown wood. In front of the flag was a large, uncovered window.

The wind was blowing really hard and even the trees below were dancing and some dry leaves were flying.

Alexa snorted in annoyance, this situation made her look stupid and cowardly. She looked at the trees below with a straight and depressed face. She blinked then walked straight ahead and was followed by Patter.

*****

Alexa and Patter had been exploring the building for more than an hour. Alexa had also felt better after what made her feel followed was a gust of wind that made her cold, especially the clothes she was wearing were not so appropriate because they were thin and childish. She know it was because she could hear the freckled-faced girls gossiping about his strange clothes. But it doesn't matter as long as he's comfortable.

Alexa has also been introduced to other students through Patter the head of the dormitory respected by many people.

From the introduction, Alexa has now known several friends, even though the person she knows is not in the same class as her later. Most of them are club members who don't know what it is. Alexa forgot.

Calin, Kevin, Dave, Taylor, and Key. All of that was Alexa's first friend, she occasionally memorized the names and tried to create an album in her brain to remember the name along with the person. Because she knows that being a new student is the hardest thing because she has to memorize the names and faces of new people.

Even though Alexa has talked a lot, it's still difficult to distinguish between Taylor and Kevin. Not because they are twins but in Alexa's eyes the two people are almost exactly if the two don't talk then Alexa will have a headache because it's hard to tell the two. So when one of them talks, Alexa will know because taylor and Kevin have different and unique dialegs.

Callin's hand roars the fries on the plate she ordered a few minutes ago. Then the french fries were dipped in the sauce that the mayonnaise had mixed in a bowl of sauce. After that she chewed it deeply and looked at the Korean-blooded new child in front of him who was laughing, she faintly heard Patter's voice telling the beginning of meeting Alexa who sounded funny so she was giggling beside Kevin who was now stirring his orange juice.

 

"Alexa?" Taylor said then. Making Alexa aware from her short hypothesis. He stopped sucking the juice he ordered and looked at Taylor who confirmed his name. "Yes?" she retorted.

Taylor looked at Alexa closely, seeing that made Alexa feel uncomfortable and wanted to say that she didn't have to look at herself like that. "Are you really from Korea?" he asked then he sucked his juice too.

Alexa exhaled softly, and nodded in response to Taylor's question. She couldn't understand why Taylor asked like that even though it was clear that Alexa had already explained it, did she forget.

"You know." Stopping his drink. "I actually really like Korea."

"oh yeah?" Alexa responded.

"I'm a fan of MisA especially Baek Suzy. She's so beautiful in my eyes." Now Taylor's eyes were teary. He can imagine Suzy's face right now. Then smile to yourself.

Alexa laughed with Taylor's change, she couldn't understand if there were still Caucasians who were fans of Korean artists.

"I like K-drama too." Callin said he didn't want to lose. "I really like Lee Min-Hoo's acting he's so cool. It was as if Lee Min-Hoo's acting was natural like a forest and river water flowing from upstream to downstream. If only I could meet him just once."

"Have you ever met them?" Taylor asked.

“me?” Alexa pointed at herself. “Haa...Ha..” he laughed, “no. Not at all.” She shook has head firmly.

"But have you ever met a Korean artist?" Callin asked.

“I’ve attended a Super Junior concert a few years ago with my friends, I only saw them vaguely because I happened to be sitting in the farthest seat from their stage.”

“Wow... Amazing. You know my dream is to attend music concerts but somehow I’ve never done it. I don’t know what to watch either. I can’t fans with any idol at all.” Which one with a teary face and a sharp nose speaks up then. The woman who served as a secretary at the club entered by Patter.

“He got syndrome.” Kevin’s sneers who are still trying to count the orange bulbs in the glass.

Alexa glanced at Kevin’s little who still hadn’t stopped counting the orange grains. And he just smiled faintly.

“Shut up!!” Key screamed quickly while following Kevin.

“Oh, that’s right!!” Kevin raised his face and looked lazily at Key who had followed him. “I’ve been trying so hard to count those grains and you...” Kevin paused for a moment to hold back his anger, “You made me forget the next count...” Kevin groaned then drank the juice then without paying attention to the bulbs in it again, he sucked the juice half.

Patter cleared his throat softly and glanced at Alexa who was watching Kevin who might be emotional. “I think Alexa should go back to her room.” Patter stood up and looked at his friends one by one. “Come on..” Patter raised one eyebrow at Alexa.

“Uhm,,,” Alexa muttered. She had been wanting to leave and coincidentally Patter had invited him and she wouldn’t waste it.

She  eyes that were fresh and now feel heavy wanting to dig. She just smiled as she looked at has new friends. "Nice to meet you, guys!!!" Alexa stood up and bowed 90' making Callin, Kevin, Taylor, Key and the quiet Dave frown. They felt strange about what Alexa did that.

"What are you doing?" saying Dave.

Alexa quickly realized her behavior, she sighed in her heart that they were unusual with her grateful words. She tucked the hair behind her ear and showed a row of gigiputih. "Sorry, I'm too late. That one was just greetings and thanks. Hehehe.."

Dave looked deeply at Alexa who was embarrassed then turned his gaze to Patter who had been waiting for Alexa. I don't know what the two of them meant, all he could catch was a nod and Patter left taking Alexa away from the place.

*****

Alexa in brown pajamas and Patter who was still complete with his uniform walked slowly in the halls of the girls' dormitory. The hallways were only lit by dim lights and you could already see some students starting to enter their rooms. Alexa's face kept looking at the girls with different styles and races passing by. Now is the time for him to withdraw what he said if the rooms were uninhabited.

The quiet rooms sounded lively even though they were faintly visible, Alexa also received confused looks from several female students who were about to enter or close the bedroom door. She wasn't going to bother about it so he glanced at Patter who was smiling at the crowd.

"They just noticed your arrival." Patter whispered beside Alexa.

"I guess so." Alexa replied without turning around. "Maybe he didn't see me but saw you." she said again. "You know, this is the girls' dormitory and you?" Alexa glanced at Patter for a moment and then looked away.

"Oh," Patter was momentarily stunned. "Hahaha,,, maybe!" "Okay, I'll walk you to your room and then I'll head back to my dorm."

Alexa just nodded for a moment and walked slowly while putting her hands in her trouser pockets. She suddenly felt cold again but he quickly shook off the strange thought so she wouldn't be scared himself. "Just wind, okay!!" she said to himself and walked straight with the toughness he had.

*****

Alexa has now arrived at the door of her room, still accompanied by Patter, the head of the dormitory.

Alexa put her hand in her pajama pocket and reached for a silver key with a 244 label written on it. After that she inserted the silver key into the keyhole on the golden round doorknob. For a moment Alexa frowned as she turned the key 5 times, she felt something hypothetical creep back into her head but she quickly brushed it off again and the door opened, she pulled the key and turned to Patter who was waiting for her with some plastic in her arms.

"Gomawoyo." Alexa grabs the plastic bags in patter's arm, there are five of them and they contain different clothes.

"Go...maa, woyou?" added Patter with a strange pronunciation, his tongue felt sore when he repeated the word Alexa said to him.

Alexa laughed briefly at Patter's strange and wrong remark. He really liked that face, Patter's suddenly funny face. "What are you talking about?" Alexa laughed.

"What was that?" asked Patter surprised.

"Gomawoyo, no gomaawoyou !!" repeated Alexa, "means thank you in Korean and in formal expressions. Understand?"

Patter nodded in understanding, and smiled. "Saranghaeyo.." he said smoothly without any obstacles even without wrong pronunciation.

That one word made Alexa's figure, who could speak native Korean, stunned and looked straight at Patter. She wondered why the word gomawoyo was so difficult for her to say, but when he said the word,sanghaeyo it was very smooth, his accent was indeed different from the original, but that one word made him freeze for a moment and return to a strange hypothesis. Well, she must control herself. It was just a saying Patter knew maybe from someone else. Or because he often hears Callin or something. She must control herself.

"Huh?" replied Alexa.

Patter shrugged his shoulders "I often hear Taylor and Callin say that word, but I think that word has a meaning to reply to your grunt. But, I swear. I actually don't know what that word means." Patter scratched his head. "Does it mean bad? Or bad for you?"

Alexa stood awkwardly, really a strange man. Saying something he didn't know the meaning of. But what did he care, she could take it positively if Patter didn't mean what he said. She  took a deep breath, he better not tell the meaning behind that word, it's embarrassing. "Not!!" Alexa waved her hand while telling he that there was nothing wrong with him words, "not at all." she said one more time. "Thanks for today and the touring."

Patter nodded "remember the schedule and rules you have to meet." Patter asked before saying a temporary farewell. Alexa nodded and tugged at the two sheets of paper with the computer print that Patter had given her when she took her uniform. "This!!" said Alexa quickly.

"Okay, I think you're tired. Come on in!"

"Goodnight!!" Alexa waved goodbye to Patter.

Patter returned Alexa's wave behind the door that was about to be closed tightly. "goodnight!!!" said Patter and slowly Patter was out of sight because the door to room 244 was already closed.

***** 

Alexa again locked the bedroom door tightly and leaned against the door. She clutched tightly the plastic bag containing the school uniform she and Patter had taken earlier. Her chest was pounding for some reason. Her was suddenly crossed by the figure of the male Patter who served as the dormitory head with an innocent face, blond hair and green eyes earlier. Every now and then Alexa hissed out of nervousness. He wondered if he was having fun in this old school.

Alexa shook her head quickly and walked away from the door.

*****