Bebegigs
Chapter 19's

Yasa slammed from the branch of the tree and slumped on its trunk.

The bark scratched his hands and tore the front of his shirt.

He landed hard on the ground, and fell to his knees.

Bloody hands.

Yasa removed the dust and bark attached to his shirt, then shook off a pinch of leaves from his hair.

While walking hobbled, Yasa came home alone along the grill of the rice field with a torch left by his friends.

As he burst out among the weeds bushes as tall as an adult-tall chest for Yasa, something caught his attention.

The crackling sound made him jump. Though only the sound of a scarecrow tilting at the pole.

The scarecrow was creaking, in the middle of a field of weeds near the cliff wall. His arms twitched as if waving at Yasa.

That scarecrow is really weird. His arms are made of tree branches. One arm extended to the side, while the other was raised upwards. Each tree branch has three branches as fingers. His head was made of coconut shells wrapped around a sheath cloth forming a hood like a hoodie sweater. His clothes were like a long Indian loose robe. Part of his face was covered with charcoal, knocking eyes and mouth made slightly extended to one side like a scar, until impressed as if he was sneering.

Why is it that looks made? think Yasa.

And why was the scarecrow planted in the middle of the weed field at the foot of the cliff and not in the middle of the rice field?

The feathers immediately bristled. Yasa held onto his nape while stepping away from the place and continued on his way home.

But after a while, Yasa again found the same scarecrow in the middle of the weed field at the foot of the cliff.

Why does it feel like dejavu? think Yasa.

Why does it feel like I'm back in the middle of thatch at the foot of a cliff?

Is it just my feelings?

Yasa watched the scarecrow as he walked slowly down the familiar path.

As a local, Yasa knew exactly the area around here.

But somehow that day he felt a little foreign.

Was it because the thick fog that descended was more dense than usual?

Yes, Yasa concluded. Must be because of that!

Then he went on his way, and returned to the same place.

This is clearly not right! he realized.

Yasa stopped and looked around while covering his eyes with his palm, glaring around with squinted eyes.

The thick fog covered the entire place.

Lothawat! thought. Time may be late at night and he hasn't come out of the field.

His hair bristled again and he immediately ran out of the field, but his foot caught the root and he fell to his knees. The torch was blown out of his hand, but it was lucky it didn't go out.

Yasa groaned in frustration and blinked his eyes, after his eyes could adjust to the fog he pulled up his body by resting on his two hands.

That was when he found the paper!

The tear of the poem book that was thrown from the top of the mountain and scattered swept in the wind.

The paper stuck to his palm as he tried to get up.

Yasa picked up the paper and read it:

"Sanggeus raat cihujan.. mangsana halimun midang. Kade Bebegig, Anaking! Kade Bebegig's!"

Whatisthis? thought.

The grass bushes around him swirled around forming a dark mist vortex that encompassed Yasa and then sucked into his body.

Yasa screamed with a shrill voice that grew louder and louder until it sounded like the roar of roar and howl of a wolf.

His roar echoed on the cliff wall and stopped as the roar of wind subsided.

Yasa fell silent and looked around. Then he looked down at the paper in his hand with his eyebrows interlocked. A second later he laughed out loud as he threw the paper away, then pulled his body up and hurried away.

.

.

.

A climber walks while tightening his carrier rope, his feet sinking among the grass on the wet ground surface. He observed the light slowly dissipating over the top of the mountain as the clouds drifted across the moon. His friend, a female climber, leaned over to fix his loose shoelaces.

"I was cold," the female climber complained, as he ran quickly to catch up with the male climber, his knees raised high as if thus his body would remain warm.

"It's good" said the climber, closing his eyes. A drizzle stuck to her long, pigtailed curly hair back.

The woman looked up at her friend and walked back. The wind flapped his long jacket. "Aren't you cold?"

The man shook his head, taking a step, enjoying the sound of his feet stirring on the grass. Suddenly it stopped.

The woman stopped as well, and followed her friend's gaze upwards into the dark blue sky. "Oh!" screech, grabbing the man's arm. "Whatis that? The bats?" he let out a shriek as a black creature floated above him. His pair of wings flapped like sheets on a clothesline.

"Run!" exclaimed the man, pulling the woman's arm.

The woman stopped her steps. "This place turns out to be a lot of bats" he said, while his eyes remained staring at the hovering creature.

"They live in a cave on top of that. You see, right?" The man pointed to the top of the dark forested mountain above the river where they were passing by, the boundary appearing on the purple horizon. But the cave is invisible.

"Is there a occupant there?" ask the woman. "It's so dark."

"Of course, they say it's a sacred cave. But if it's not wrong there is a house," said the man. "Tomorrow morning you see for yourself. I think we can just get there in the morning."

"But it seems like the place is really interesting, there can be no one who wants to live there. It's just a bat" said the woman, as she approached the man, her eyes fixed on the bat that was flying in circles over their heads. "Why does it feel like the bat is just muters on top of our heads?" he said in a slow murmur.

"Don't worry" said the man. "Bats are usually harmless." As he spoke, one of the bats swooped towards the woman.

The woman could neither move nor shout. She saw a glittering red eye. Hearing the whir of the wind, the whistling shriek, the screeching of the attack. He felt the bat pull his hair. Snatched his face. Hot and wet. Hairy Sticky. la clawed. His cheek was slapped on the wing. "Please!" his screams.

"It's too big for a bat!" muttered the man in a stifled screech.

"BANG—PLEASE!" While shaking her arm in panic, the woman tried to get rid of her attacker.

The man hesitated for a moment, suddenly afraid of the attack, then quickly came forward to help his friend.

When the man approached the woman, the bat turned away.

The woman screamed and raised her hand to protect herself.she could feel the cold air as the creature passed by the man quickly.

Still covering their faces, the two climbers were stunned to see the bat flying high into the darkness and disappearing above the mountain peak.

"Are you okay?" asked the man, hurriedly hugging his friend.

The woman's whole body was shaking. His skin was cold and his hair was standing. "It feels so," he whispered unsure.

"Let's unplug it" said the man. They began to run back down the mountain, down the road following their original footsteps.

They are determined to continue the climb.

The entire attack lasted less than ten seconds, the man thought. But it was ten seconds that he would not forget.

It's not a bat! he said in his heart. He ran while observing the dark black sky.