1 Prologue

ATTENTION!

This story is fiction based on Indonesian Folklore Horror mystic mix with my own imagination fantasy. If there are similarities in the names of characters and events it is not intentional/ just coincident.

******

17 years ago…

"Ali! Ali! Ali…!!!"

Tok tok tok…!!!

The sound of footsteps and shouts could be heard from a far. A bunch of people walking anxiously while shouting a name. Some of them even run, they held nyiru* in their hand and hit them to make sounds. They searched everywhere in the forest to find a 6 years old boy that went missing after playing with his friends a little bit after dusk.

In the middle of those chaos, there were also frustrated and sorrowful scream. The unwillingness and rage could be heard in those voice, there was also some swearing words.

"Ali! No, my Ali! Give me back my Ali!" A seemingly young woman in her early 30's screaming out begging for her child.

"Minah, calm down, Minah! We will find him!" The other women around her tried to calm this young woman who is Ali's mother, the boy that went missing.

"No, no, no!" Minah still can't accept the fact that her son was missing. She started crying and screaming again, before she went silent and threw sharp glare towards her right side.

"You!" Minah walked to where some children were gathering. "You! This is because of you! Ali is missing because of you! Give me back my son! Give him back!" Minah pointed to the other 6 years old young boy, who currently stand in front of her with his head hung down.

She began to curse and wanted to attack the boy, who was none other than me.

Yes, I'm that boy. Who could only stand still watching people anxiously searching for Ali with some guilt and fear. I can't rebuke her words. I kept quiet and look down at the ground while clenching my fist tightly.

Looking at me like that, Ali's mother's rage rose higher and higher. She almost went insane and wanted to kill me. The other tried to stop her and protect me.

"You evil! Demon! How can you do this to my son!" She curse me while crying despaired.

(No… that was not me… ) I denied in my mind. That is right that was not my fault. But who would believe me? Even if I told them the truth, they wouldn't believe me. I bit my lips making them almost bleed because of my bitterness and unwillingness.

(No.)

I deny it again and again.

(No, aunt… this is not my fault… no… that was not me… )

While I was torn apart by my own guilty and those slander, his mother continued to throw her tantrum to me.

"If not for you calling him to play hide and seek, he wouldn't went missing! My Ali wouldn't be gone! This is all because of you! You evil child!"

I can't stand this! Raise my head, there was unyielding will in my eyes.

"No! It's not me! I wasn't the one inviting him!" I tried to control my emotions and voice, tried to told his mom the truth but she's already blinded by anger. Accused me for being a liar and bad boy. And all the other parents' eyes and people around me started to look at me in disgust and bias. Even my own friends too… they avoided my eyes and hugged their parents, hid behind their parents' back and acted like victim.

That hurt my heart. They betrayed and put all the blame to me; my broken heart went cold. How dare they all do this to me?! You all accused me as demon's child, yet the real evil one was them, the other children, Ali and my friends!

But who would believe me? I'm alone while there was 5 of them with their own parents. Ali's mom despise me, she was about to hit me before my mom grabbed me and protected me in her embrace.

"Minah!" My mom yelled and roared at Ali's mother.

"Minah, stop! That's not my child's fault. You need to calm down, Minah. My son wouldn't lie. We will find Ali."

But she didn't believe my mom's words. "Aisyah, of course Adam is your child so you will protect him! We all know the 'rules' Aisyah! We all know! They shouldn't go out at dusk moreover to play hide and seek! But your son! This is your son's fault my child is missing!"

In an instant the fight and curse broke between my mom and Ali's mother. The war of words didn't stop until someone shouted.

"Found! We found him! We found Ali!"

All of us startled and ran towards that voice. His mother was the first to reach there.

"A-Ali…" She called his name with a sorrowful voice that was able to slice the heart of those who listened.

Ali was still alive, but his eyes were empty. He didn't give any reaction. Quite like a broken puppet. He's like an empty shell without soul. His mother crying miserably looking at her child's condition.

The village head came and commanded the people to escort them back to their home. All people dispersed to went back to their own place. With my head hung low and keep quiet on our way home. I was so disappointed with my friends behavior. They all even avoided me when the people disbanded.

It'll be a lie if I'm not hurt because of that. But all I can do is keep my mouth shut.

After that Ali sleep for almost 3 days. His mother almost broken down, fortunately he woke up at the third day. But I heard Ali lost his sanity. He would screamed and yelled towards empty spaces. He would be frightened suddenly and even went crazy and done insane things.

After 2 weeks, he finally calmed down and went to school. Around that time all the children on my school alienated me. There was even rumors flew around about me who almost killed Ali. I don't care. They could said whatever they wanted. They wouldn't changed their mind no matter what I told them.. Why? Because they were bent on believing I was the cause. That I broke 'the rule'.

When Ali came, he too avoided me. And just sat alone at the back. But not long after, while we were in the middle of lesson, Ali's mental breakdown recurring, he suddenly threw his book and acted like forbidding "someone" to come near him.

"Aghhh! Don't come! Don't come near me!" His conduct scared the other children and frightened everyone. He acted terrified.

His mother came and tried to calm down him. He swore he didn't lie, he saw many 'people' tried to grab him; they wanted to take him. He screamed when even his mother didn't believe him and told him it was just an illusion. He insisted there were people stand in the corner of our classroom. Teacher and his mother exchanged glances, they didn't believe him despite however many times he told them.

But…

I know…

I know it. All what he said was true…

Why?

Because me too… i can see 'them'. I can see those 'invisible' being who people called spirit and ghost.

I know 'who' Ali mean. I look towards the corner that Ali was pointing at. I closed my eyes when my gaze almost met 'them'.

Those invisible existence…

They…

They were all real…

And I can see them...

But no one would believe us. Me or Ali. Because they couldn't see them. They can't see what we can.

We would only be labeled as liar if we told these unaware people of what was around them.

Just like…

Just like at that time. They didn't believe me.

This is all my fault…

******

Nyiru : Minnowing basket, a basket made by weaving rattan to separate grain from chaff.

There some belief using nyiru will help us find the missing child. This tradition called "Bagandang Nyiru" is done to find the missing child who was supposedly hidden by the spirits. (For more info you can check the description chapter "Bagandang Nyiru")

*There was pamali that told us, specially children, to not go out at dusk else they would be missing kidnapped by spirit and there was pamali about don't play hide and seek at night. Or will be hidden away while play with 'them'.