The Dark World
Cemetery House

...CEMETERY HOUSE...

...Author by: David Khanz...

Dark ..., it's always that and so every time he wakes up. Ghea moaned between the eyes. Slowly, the girl tried to get up from the bed that felt hard pressing all over the back of the body, along with a little small ringis adorning the face.

"Ah, have you shown me the time when this is?" murmured the figure was so weakly sitting with a numbing wail that enveloped almost half of the body. Maybe because he was silent for too long in his deep sleep lena? I don't know, Ghea herself doesn't fully understand. But from similar events that he often experienced since then, little by little his body condition will return to normal, some time after waking up. Then over a certain time, back again as usual. Weakened helplessly and finally chose to lie in silence.

Especially at that time, Ghea felt that there were other changes happening. Not as usual. Just jerked, then remember strongly on one figure who for 10 years is always missed. Wh who?

"Irene ...," muttered back the girl shriveled with a blank look. "Maybe my best friend will come to see me soon?" again in a question of worry. "So strong I feel, if he'll be coming here soon."

Justright. As the evening approaches, a young woman of the same age as Ghea suddenly appears in front of the house. He immediately smiled as young as he accompanied the twinkle of eyes full of longing once the door was revealed.

"Irene ….?" call Ghea surprised.

"Gheaa!" exclaimed the figure named Irene earlier while developing both hands. "Geez, Ghea! I miss you so much!" back in their warm embrace. "It's a good thing you still live here, Say! Previously, I had thought and hesitated to come here. Don't-don't .. You've moved!"

Irene's shrill voice sounded so painful the eardrum. But Ghea did not care much about it, because the most important thing at that time was the figure missed, now manifested in plain sight.

"Gue is also very confused with you, Ren," Ghea replied after their embrace was released. "Where are you moving to? I'm the same my family, from long ago .. yes, live here. This is the only house we have."

Irene's clumsily unknowingly, "Yaaa .., who knows, has moved nature, Say. Ha-ha!"

"Damn it! Could you!" timpal Ghea accompanied by a thin smile. Then invite his childhood friend to immediately enter the house. " … Outside is cold, Ren. Yuk, uh."

Irene obeyed Ghea's invitation. For a moment he noticed the state of the house that had long since been visited, then spoke between the slow swings of his footsteps. "Nothing has changed much, since I used to play here often, Eya," said Irene with amazed eyes. "Your house is still classic, but artistic."

"Yes, that's it ...," Ghea replied slowly, "so my Papa died first, Mama I just want to live off of Papa's pension. So .., there's not much my mom can do. Except, yes this is it... This house, the only inheritance from my Papa."

Irene said, "Yes, about that I still want to, Say. Sorry, huh? I didn't mean to make—"

"It's okay. Just relax, Ren," Ghea said quickly.

"Eh, by the way .. Which Marline aunt?" Irene asked suddenly. Just want to divert the conversation and change the atmosphere back like before.

Ghea replied with a bland smile, "My mom is out."

"To the outside ... to the outside of the house?" Irene asked with both eyebrows raised up.

"Out of town, Say," Ghea answered explaining. Still with the rest of a thin smile and a rotating view, focused for a moment, towards a corner of the room. "Maybe just come back in the next two or three days."

"Oohhh, so you're home alone?" irene asked in shock and immediately answered Ghea with a nod. "Barely you? Not afraid what suddenly there is a burrow in?"

Timpal Ghea in a joking style as usual, "Kalo malingnya like actress Drakor anyway, okay-okay aja, tuh."

"Who? Lee Bee Dho or Le Ho An?"

"That's it, your idol, Say," said Ghea accompanied by a restrained laugh. "My hero, dong .. Tong Ngan Joek Oey with Bhaw Mbeol Ah. Hi-hi!"

"Damn it!" Irene Keki said, then both of them laughed amusedly as they entered Ghea's room.

Inside, the two girls continued the conversation. Speaking of the past, as well as the reason Irene who had long since never came to visit again.

"After High School, I went to college abroad, Say," Irene told her life story. "Keep apprenticeship there for a few years."

"Ooohh .. pantesan," said Ghea began to understand. "Once we pass SD first, you also immediately say so, Ren."

Irene replied, "Yes, my Junior High School is staying with my aunt in Jakarta. Back again fitting high school in Bandung, follow the same Bokap-Nyokap. After that ... I list college in England and accepted, continue directly gawe."

"Oohh ...," murmured Ghea to the snarl.

"But …."

"But what, Ren?" tanya Ghea suddenly felt curious to know the continuation of the story of his childhood friend.

Irene did not answer immediately. The girl's eyes were focused, staring fixedly at Ghea's eyeballs. As if he was storing a pile of longing that had been stored and held.

"Last-lately .. I'm keeping the same you, Say. You often dream too," said Irene later. "That also makes me realize, if I .. ever had a good friend when I was a kid."

"Yes, Lord .. Irene," sighed Ghea. "Don't know, it turns out you still want the same me, Say. I thought, you've forgotten."

Irene shakes. Then chimed in with a soft voice, "No, Say. I never forget your kindness and Aunt Marline's kindness." Suddenly, she clutches Ghea's body. Tighter than the beginning of their meeting in front of the house earlier. "Sorry yes, Eya. I can come back now."

"ye-yeah, Ren. G-nothing," replied Ghea again choked. "Gue's even grateful, you still want me to my Mama."

The two girls spent their meeting late into the night. But unfortunately, Irene only has a little time to shed the longing for her best friend. Because, on the next day he had to continue his journey to Bandung.

'I had to wake Irene before sunrise ..' Ghea said in her heart, as soon as her friend had fallen asleep with fatigue. 'He cannot know my true condition now. Unshouldn't. Suffice it, this meeting of ours became the ultimate finisher of the longing and urgency of curiosity that I have been holding back.'

Ghea pensively herself without being able to close her eyelids again. Hoping for the drowsiness to come ambush and overtake Irene into the contested realm. As he often does, namely to welcome the figure of his best friend through dreams. Like in the last few days.

The question is, why Irene? Why go through dreams? Is there no other person or a different way?

This is not a mere coincidence, but the heart of Ghea who —entah on the basis of what— should refer to his friend.

Ten years ago, as Ghea remembered when she was still young at that time. Accidentally, hearing voices in the house. His instincts as a little girl, he felt that something was going wrong there.

"Acci …."

It sounded like the voice of someone who was suffering from pain. Difficulty getting the words out or it could be the middle of a pinched respiratory tract.

"Mama ...," hissed little Ghea, hesitating to get closer in fear. He recognized the owner of the voices. None other than her own mother or Mama Marline and another one is ….

"G-ghaea ….?"

One male figure looked surprised as soon as he found little Ghea hiding behind the guest chair with a deathly pale countenance.

The little girl shook her head and inched back, away from the steps of the figure that was about to approach.

The man approached with slow steps. He tried to speak softly through his large, hoarse voice, "No, Ghea. Om nakitinin will hurt you, really. Here ... Come here, Sweet Child."

Ghea again shook with fear. Then try to avoid by running to another room. Right in the direction where her mother's body lies still on the floor. He remembered very well, how Mama Marline was at that time. Large wide eyes with a wide gaping mouth.

"Mama!" the scream of the little girl, quickly hunting her mother's body. Intended to wake up and ask for protection from the figure of the creepy man earlier. But whatever the power, the reality is, Mama Marline is precisely —like— is no longer alive. "Ma, wake up, Ma! Mama! Please, Mama! Omm .. mmfft! Hmmm!"

Ghea's screams and screams suddenly sank, as the little girl's mouth was forcefully smothered from behind.

"Be quiet, Sweet Child," said the figure of the man as he held back Ghea's tone. "You shouldn't have come at this time, son. Why don't you linger playing with my son Irene, huh? Even finding out what I did to your mother!"

"Mhhh! Hmmm!" Ghea's arch was held between the pressure of the man's fingers. However, the rostrum to break away from the clutches of those muscular rough fingers, could only be done for a few moments. Until then, the fate of the girl is not much different from her mother. Dead sniffing accompanied by a swollen blue face.

'Damn it!' rutuk man who is none other than the father of Irene, Ghea's closest friend himself. 'I have to handle this child, so the future business will not cause problems for me later!'

The man threw Ghea over Mama Marline. Then think for a while to finish the rest of the problem that he had done earlier. The way is none other than by burying both in the house or precisely in their respective bedrooms.

"I'm sorry, Marline," said Irene's father in front of Ghea's mother's pusara. "Forced me to send you to nature there, where your husband first forced me to go," he added again accompanied by a cold grin and looked annoying.

Sucks? Yeah, of course it is. It was especially from the point of view of a young girl standing there. Also noticed. Not far from the man's existence. In front of the surface of the ceramic floor that still looks new, repaired.

That little guy is Ghea. He screams, screams, calls with a loud screeching sound. But no one wants to care, let alone listen. As the original form that cannot be seen by ordinary eyes.

Before the man left, he still had a few words in Ghea's room. "I'm sorry, Sweet Child ...," she said exclaimed, "Irene will definitely feel very lost to you. But take it easy, I'll make him forget and I'll make sure .. to no longer be in this city from now on."

After that, Irene's father rushed to leave the house owned by his former men first, muttering to himself in the heart, ' .. Now, you can regroup with your own wife, Wardoyo. All right, with your daughter too. He-he.'

Since the incident, Irene has never seen Ghea again. The girl was deposited at the residence of Irene's father's younger sister. Settled for three years there and returned to continue SLTA education in Bandung, following the new assignment of his parents who had first moved.

Ghea, the innocent little girl who had been a victim of the massacre, still could not accept the situation of her who —kini— has changed. Can only cry, lament fate, and hold back the longing for the presence of his best friend, Irene. To him too, the daughter of the late Mama Marline wanted to tell a story. But as time went on, it was unable to materialize.

Until finally, in the early evening, the two had just met again.

'Should I be frank about what her father did first?' ask Ghea doubtfully. Then shook his own head while staring at the figure of Irene who was rolling soundly beside him. 'Ah, no. I still can't tell you the truth. I didn't want to, Irene stayed away from me, just because of her Papa. After all, that bastard ... not long ago, was made helpless by Mama.'

When Ghea was busy pensive, Irene suddenly sounded deham while writhing favorably.

"Mhhh …."

'Yes, God .. It looks like Irene is about to wake up. I must immediately pretend to still be asleep, ' Ghea said as she hurriedly took a position, which was to lay down beside Irene. Then continue the reflection with a beautiful picture.

"Ghea, wake! Anterin me to the terminal, yuk!" exclamation Irene suddenly, —as-will— break the fabric of dreams that Ghea is enjoying.

"What, anyway?"

"Take me to the terminal, Say!"

Yes, so early, Ghea did have to deliver her best friend to return to Bandung. It must be, before dawn arrives and begins to wither.

Saddened? Sure oes. However, after meeting Irene again after a long separation, like there is a new soul that Ghea has now. Whatisit? He feels —like— can live again as it used to. No longer confined within a narrow niche, lying rigidly in there, under the ceramic floor of his own room.

"So Irene came here, Ma," said Ghea when her mother, Mama Marline, suddenly appeared after a short time passed and wondered.

"Irene …? Irene yang—"

"Yes, Irene let alone, Ma? I used to play here a lot and make friends with Eya" said Ghea. "Mama forgot?"

The old woman's pale face was suddenly confused. He looked up, looking at his daughter's face.

"The problem isn't that, son. Of course Mama still knows the boy," said Mama Marline looked confused. "But, the problem is Irene's .. Irene's …."

"What's wrong with Irene, Ma?" ask Ghea curious.

Mama Marline did not answer. He turned half his body, looking back, at a figure that was not so foreign to Ghea's eyes as a child.

"Mr ….?" Now switch the girl asked the figure earlier. None other than Wardoyo.

For a moment, the man glanced at his wife.

"Just be clear to Eya, Pa," pinta Mama Marline while turning her eyes to Ghea.

"I-this .. i-this is what exactly, Ma-Pa? What happened to Irene?" ghea wondered.

After a moment of silence, Wardoyo finally revealed honestly. The man said, "A Week ago .. Irene passed away, son."

"What?" ghea was surprised. "Who did it, didn't he?"

"Listen first, son. Papa has not finished talking," said Wardoyo as he glanced back at his wife who bowed lethargic. "Papa simply means ... do it on .. to his father Irene. B-but ... everything affected Irene and her mother as well. The three of them .. died in an accident in Cianjur. Burned with the flames that devoured their vehicles."

"You did want to kill the family on purpose, didn't you, Pa?" mama Marline asked suddenly with a cold smile.

"What do you mean, Ma? You don't try to switch the conversation, do you? My goal is only one, to the man you have chosen to betray me! Remember that! I've never had any grudges against my former boss's wife and son!" wardoyo replied with a thunderous voice. "You are too cheap, surrender yourself into the arms of that bastard! Until finally, you are pregnant and she does not want to accept demands from you to marry you immediately! Yeah, right?"

"You also possessed her soul in order to finish me off, right? And take your revenge on me!" tuding Mama Marline accompanied by pointed index finger leads to the figure of her husband.

"How could I do it, Marline! That easy way you're accusing me? Indirectly, you also think .. I too have the heart to finish off Ghea! I see, huh?" reply Wardoyo intense.

Ghea, that poor girl could only be silent. Does not want to chim, mediate, or divorce his parents. Something that he had been accustomed to since childhood and during his early life. The quarrel between his parents seemed to have been accustomed to being passed for a period of time.

The thing now that Ghea wanted to do right then and there was to step aside. Hurrying into the room, lying down, fused back together with his already shattered body melted into a lump of earth. Cold, although always covered in white cloth wrapped tightly from head to toe, and the ceiling layered in a ceramic arrangement.

Ghea no longer cared about the angry jolting sounds out there. As usual, not how much more the atmosphere will return to silence. Wardoyo, his father, will return to TPU there, while Marline, the Mother, lies — as she is now— in the next room. Then, the place will change to the beginning, which is a damaged building filled with dust and thickets rampant. Along with the appearance of yellowish gold light in the eastern horizon.

'Irene ..., so our conversation was right, Say? You and your Mama .. have moved home and nature as well as we do. Here .... this house, as well as our graves ….'

...EXPIRE...

Sukabumi, May 9, 2023