I am not alone! Even when I feel alone here, apparently there is always something watching me. The rain is quite heavy tonight, and I am holed up in my room.
Mother told me she would come home quite late. Ah, that's normal. After all, our family has worked as morticians for generations.
I huddled in my own blanket, reading a book I brought. It's a lousy story, in my opinion, a tale about a headless ghost that is said to wander every night.
The crispy skin crackers I was enjoying were starting to run low because I was eating them. The sound of rainwater dripping into my room.
I'd placed a basin in that area so the water wouldn't spread everywhere.
This room is dim; our house lighting is always dim at night.
We have always used yellow lamps. Mother doesn't allow me to replace them with bright ones.
She says dim lighting is better because the dead relatives will enjoy coming here later. Yes, that's what she says! Those who live in the darkness come here almost every night.
Mother loves collecting ghosts. I'm quite puzzled as her child here. Then again, I've been used to it since I was a baby. I feel like my mental strength is as tough as steel.
Whether it's just them passing by with their signature loud cackles and dangling hair, or just startling me while drawing water from the well—a piece of a head with missing eyes.
Or maybe, some of them are running through every area of my house, crashing into walls, penetrating them, without worrying that their bodies will be crushed and hurt. I wish I could be like that too; it would be kind of cool!
It's always noisy every night! Night should be quiet, right? But this is always noisy. Even though I try to cover both my ears, it can still be heard.
Imagine, I hear two voices simultaneously in my ears. Their voices—the shameless ghosts. And then the voices of humans, whether it's my mother or maybe a visiting neighbor.
"Hey...," a faint voice from a small blonde boy came to me.
This boy came again. Even though I had told him to leave several times. I remained silent, focusing on my book.
"Hey!" he said, greeting me again, this time his head popping out from inside my book.
I immediately threw my book forward, and it fell. And he was standing in front of me, laughing instead.
My startled expression apparently made him happy. My furious face focused on him, which made him look down.
"Sorry! I just want to be friends! This has been going on for quite a while, you know! And you're still ignoring me!" he said, playing with his fingers.
Honestly, no matter how you look at him, this boy is very cute.
There is no blood staining his face. But the characteristics of the dead are still there: his face is deathly pale, his lips are blue, and yes, both of his eyes are black.
I understand this is his appearance before he died. After death, it usually gets very creepy. He has been approaching me for quite a long time, maybe five years, and I still remain silent.
He also often plays with my Mother. My Mother always gives him a big cotton candy. The cotton candy will be placed every Friday in the corner of the kitchen.
Then the next morning, the cotton candy will be thrown away just like that. Even though it's still whole.
Curious, I once tried it when I was about to throw it away. Apparently, the candy was no longer sweet. The taste was gone. Mother said that the essence of the candy had been taken by him.
Well, that's it! It seems he is indeed good. I sat cross-legged facing him. He was still smiling at me. My house has three floors, and my room is on the second floor. The third floor of our house is where heirlooms are kept.
There is a great-grandfather there, a great-grandfather whose age is quite old. That wrinkled body died a very long time ago, and he is still residing there as a wong medi (a term for ghosts from the Javanese people).
"Why are you laughing? What are you laughing at?" I asked him.
He just covered his mouth while holding back his laughter.
"I'm happy to see you so startled!" he said to me again.
"Your energy source, huh?" I mocked him.
Then he just nodded and reached out his hand to me. I was only fixated on looking at it. That handshake felt useless. Because we wouldn't be able to touch.
"Shake my hand! Let's be friends, Rachel!" he said to me again.
I reached out to shake his hand. Right, wasn't it? His hand was intangible, transparent, and couldn't be touched.
"Your hand is gone! Go buy another one that I can touch!" I answered him while playing my hand through his, which was transparent when I touched it.
He wrinkled his face; look at this boy! Maybe he will cry soon because of what I did. Let him, I intentionally made him that way.
"You're so mean!" he said while crying.
This is funny; he can't even shed a single tear. His face becomes adorable here. If only I could touch him, I would probably cover his whole face with my hands right now.
"Alright, what's your name?" I asked him.
He lifted his head and found his happiness again.
"I'm Barend, Barend Van Deiderick!" he answered so cheerfully.
Ah, of course! Apparently, he is Dutch. That's why Mother loves him so much. I don't know where Mother got him from.
Did she perhaps explore a former Dutch person's house? Ah, well, that's not important either!
"Where did Mother pick you up?" I asked him while thinking and trying to guess the answer.
"Certainly not in the trash, right?" he answered me, still smiling.
"Why do you like dim rooms so much? You are not one of us, but you really like the dark, huh?" he asked me again while his eyes watched the ceiling of my house.
I just let out a rough sigh. That's right, I'm not an ethereal being, but their handler. Why should I dim all the lighting here? Maybe when Mother comes home, I will protest it.
"The old man upstairs is always silent! He never chases away the negative ghosts here, does he? Even though he is the owner of this house!" Barend spoke to me regarding the negative ghost.
"Do you mean Great-Grandfather?" I asked him about the old man he meant.
"Yes, yes, yes! There is a large man with long claws in your kitchen every night. His eyes are red with anger, and his fangs are so long! Mother gave me a gift there, but I don't dare to reach for it. Will you help me?" Barend asked me.
I knew this would happen. That's why I close off the scope of my ability to creatures like him. Because they will definitely ask for my help, and I hate that.
"No!" I answered briefly, then pulled my blanket up, ignoring him.
"Ahhhh... Help me, I'll help you later!" he said, floating next to me, trying to look at me again.
I closed both my eyes. Even so, I still couldn't sleep. Damn this stupid boy! His voice wouldn't stop, still whining like a baby!
"Fine! You, follow me now!" I snapped, taking off my blanket and sitting up.
"Thank you!" he said gleefully, floating in the air.
I took something from inside the drawer. Ah, here it is, Grandfather's amulet.
The point is, if I wear this, any ghost will definitely be afraid. They will definitely run away terrified. The amulet is a necklace with a red garnet stone in the middle. My family's inheritance.
The amulet was on, and Barend and I started to descend the stairs. Only the sound of my footsteps was there. It was quiet indeed, there was no one, only myself alive and breathing here tonight.
As my feet reached the kitchen door, I paused for a moment. Dancuk! I thought, the aura is insane and gloomy. However, if I don't finish it now, the baby ghost behind me will keep crying.
I have to finish it tonight! I'm sleepy! I thought again, then dared my hand to open the kitchen door.
A pair of red eyes stared intently at me. Its body was pitch black, covered in fur. Its tongue was sticking out with fangs in its mouth.
The figure stared at me with hatred, and I only gave a growl in return. But that figure didn't dare to step forward and approach me.
I felt like a hero here. My brave feet stepped forward toward it, even though honestly, my heart felt like it wanted to flee.
"That's a Genderuwo! That spirit is the one who likes to bother women in the forest, child! That child went missing, hidden by the Genderuwo!" said a voice from one of my guardian spirits.
I just nodded, understanding. As I got closer, its roar got louder too. But I still advanced. In the end, the large Genderuwo disappeared.
"Wow, thank you, Rachel!" Barend shouted, appearing in front of me.