The Mediums Help

23

The sound of laughter filled the narrow hallway. The yellow hallway lighting didn't help much, the light was so low that the hallway looked a little dark. Four tall boys walked in front, while the other two behind carried a boy who was looking down.

He looked distressed, his body full of bruises. Even the corners of his lips had dried blood. He didn't look okay, but the person behind kept kicking his legs when he tried to stop. He occasionally said he was tired, but no one paid any attention. Everyone just looked at him sarcastically with sickening laughter.

They reached the school swimming pool, which was already very quiet. Wildan turned on the lights as Yezra sat on one of the chairs, and a few other boys stood right behind. Meanwhile Wahyu - the boy with the bruise stood a little out of Yezra's reach. He looked scared as he cleaned his dirty school uniform.

Yezra laughed happily at the sight of Wahyu, he started to walk towards Wahyu, but the boy walked backwards little by little. With one touch on the left shoulder, Wahyu stood still without daring to look at Yezra's frightening face. "Just play, it won't take long. It's been a while since you swam, right?"

Wahyu did not dare to make a sound, but it made Yezra smile so wide while patting Wahyu's right cheek several times. He stood up straight, turned to his friends and said, "Let's go swimming!"

"Great!" exclaimed Wildan. He was the most excited to take off his school shirt before entering the pool.

Then Dodit, Ricky, and Andre followed Wildan's orders from inside the pool. They were having fun, looking like high school kids who had never sinned against anyone else.

Yezra sat back in his place, and Wahyu was now standing right beside Yezra's left with anxiety. He didn't know what else would happen, he was very worried that these people would throw a tantrum that would make him even more tormented.

It felt like leaving this place, but Wahyu couldn't do much except obey. The slightest mistake would make him get another beating along with even worse insults. Wahyu swallowed while holding back, not wanting to torture him already fragile body.

"Wahyu, let's play!" Ricky shouted, giving a smile so wide that his teeth were clearly visible.

Wahyu shook his head in response.

"It's okay, we'll play fair." Ricky walked over to Revelation, pulling on the boy's arm until they were completely in the water. Luckily Wahyu didn't drown earlier.

The other four boys were playing with loud laughter, but Wahyu stayed where he was. He just watched until one of them pulled Revelation towards the deepest part.

Wahyu had shouted not to go there, but his strength was too great. He couldn't take a breath now, couldn't swim to the surface. Everyone left for the surface, but Ricky returned. He pulled Revelation's arm until the boy could take a big breath.

"Are you okay?" asked Ricky worriedly.

Wahyu shook his head, touching the lip of the pool with a red face.

"Come on, let's play again!" Wildan forced Wahyu, who really didn't want to go underwater.

Wildan pulled Wahyu to the bottom, they stared at each other for a long time until Wildan finally kicked Wahyu in the stomach. He left the boy in pain in the water, laughing guiltlessly before rising to the surface. All his friends were upstairs, but Ricky was still in the pool. He looked very worried.

"What are you doing in there?" Wildan shouted in annoyance.

"He's not surfacing," Ricky said.

"He'll be fine, never mind! He'll surface when it's time to take a breath, it's none of your business!"

"But..."

"Come on!" Yezra said quite loudly, and that made Ricky quickly get out of the water. He felt guilty, and feared that something unexpected might happen to them.

"What are you worried about a loser for?" Andre piped up now.

Ricky just shook his head weakly as he picked up his school shirt that wasn't wet. "Poor guy."

"Do you want to take Wahyu's place?" Yezra asked. He gave him a sharp look when Ricky turned to him.

Of course Ricky shook his head and gave a wry smile. He quickly put on the shirt. "It's late, let's go home!"

***

The dark room made those eyes round so wide. The dream she had wasn't horrible, but Silva still wondered if the guy in the pool was alive or dead because there was no movement from the water. She didn't see that clearly.

"I'm dead."

The heavy, sad-sounding voice made Silva turn her head, not expecting the spirit of a man standing by the window of her room. Giving a faint smile with water dripping down little by little. His face was passively pale, his skin showing many wounds that refused to disappear.

Silva let out a faint sigh, she changed her sleeping position to sitting back. She pressed her lips together for a moment before looking back at the male ghost. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Wahyu. I was the one in your first dream, and you were the one who tried to save me in the pool earlier."

Silva frowned, he didn't expect to have a dream about a ghost who didn't even ask her for help so soon. "First dream?"

"Yes, I think there will be a second dream later," Wahyu said, full of confidence. "I came to ask for help. Only you can sense my existence, and only you can help me." He began to kneel as he put his hands together. "I couldn't bear the pain all over my body, and I couldn't bear to breathe underwater. I repeated the scene many times without ever realizing it, but I realized when I was out of breath."

Silva listened intently. The dark story made her feel sad, and she even remembered the incident where she drowned and was almost out of breath.

"I don't want to taste death many times, I want to go to the afterlife and get the punishment God wants. But not in a world like this, I really want to go home," Wahyu said again.

"I'll think about it, I still don't want to help anyone," Silva said. She lay back down and put on a blanket.

While Wahyu was sad again, he did not expect it to be difficult to get help. It was not what he expected. "Sorry for disturbing your sleep, I take my leave."