Rifki opened his eyes. The ceiling sat above him in all its bland familiarity, now without any light on it at all. Sitting up, the young man stretched out of habit, even though he didn't feel tired at all.
The last thing that he remembered before waking up was being on the ocean's shore following his surreal dance with a giant woman. Now he was awake, which meant he had been dreaming. Turning to his left for his phone, Rifki instead saw something else; a blue ribbon. For a moment, he did not make any connection with the odd object, more interested in trying to locate his phone.
After a few seconds lying on his other side, it finally clicked in his brain as to what he had been looking at, causing Rifki to quickly whip back around to look at the silky garment. Lifting it, he confirmed what he already knew; it was exactly identical to the one he had seen wrapping around the thigh of his mysterious dance partner in his dream...at least, he thought that had been a dream. Even the buckle matched perfectly, the golden star dimly visible in the dark bedroom. Rifki let his thumb rub across the silk, enjoying the feeling. He finally slipped the garment into his pocket, and got up.
Leaving his room, he began to tremble a bit in excitement as he walked down the stairs, fantasizing briefly about meeting his dance partner again, wondering if she would let him be the lucky person to reunite the glossy ribbon with her leg, perhaps as a reward for his good deed.
As he walked around the house, he quickly realized that much like that time, nobody was home. Rifki now no longer believed the events on the beach were those of a dream, but instead, that they had really taken place. If the events had actually transpired though, Rifki was clueless as to how he had gotten home, or how he had ended up in possession of the ribbon.
Heading outside, Rifki quickly walked the path he had previously taken, only this time, he had the exact place in mind for where he would walk. As he walked, he could still hear the sounds of malam takbir—distant takbir echoing, the occasional crack of petasan, voices drifting through the night air. The celebration hadn't died down yet. Much like last time, he crossed paths with no one on his walk. The occasional sound of hustle and bustle could still be heard as cars commuted to their homes and people talked indoors, but now, it was quieter, more muted.
Before too long, that all-familiar line of trees came into view, and after crossing them, Rifki realized he was exactly where he had been right before he found himself in bed. Determined to repeat history, Rifki walked towards the water's edge before stepping in.
Doing his best to retrace his steps in the dim moonlight, Rifki walked further out. As he did so, however, he could feel the fear of the unknown begin to creep in. Perhaps out of curiosity or paranoia, he decided to look back over his shoulder towards the shore when the water got to about knee-deep. The shore still sat there, devoid of anything noticeable.
Continuing to stand still, Rifki turned his attention back out to the ocean, letting the waves entertain him as each one came and went. He felt as though he could stand there for hours, none of the exhaustion from his earlier fishing excursion present in his legs. But for a perfectly understandable reason, his spirit itched from restlessness. Perhaps it was boredom, or a subconscious dislike for his strange environment. In any case, he began to think of excuses in his mind to head back to the shore. As each wave came in and out, it seemed as though his mind became more and more made up.
Finally, convinced, Rifki trudged back, finally reuniting with the shore. As the familiar grey sand appeared beneath his feet, he glanced behind himself one last time, but all that could be witnessed was the rippling waters of the ocean, the moonlight on their surface shining like silver.
Rifki neglected the path towards the coastal road, instead choosing to traverse the beach, walking in the direction of the rising moon. He convinced himself that he still needed a few minutes to clear his foggy brain, still puzzled by everything that had transpired.
Those few minutes came and went, yet his mind remained murky, his steps were unwavering, and Rifki's resolve held firm. Time continued to slip away as he walked, passing his earlier fishing spot, never encountering a soul along the way.
By the time his feet finally came to a stop, he could see the familiar moon, now towering over him in the eastern sky. Hours had passed, yet, he still couldn't make sense of it all. He let his eyes wander, his desire to roam still not satisfied. In the distance, he could see a light flickering on a faraway hill, the faint, nearly inaudible sound of music chiming.
Something about it was inviting to Rifki. The often introverted young man did not know why, but for some reason, he wanted to go explore the blip in the distance, not wanting to stand alone anymore. Putting a foot forward, he left the water's edge, making his way towards the point of intrigue...
...
Rifki could hear voices as he neared the light, finally able to recognize what the source was. The light had divided as he approached the hill. Atop a flight of stairs stood a large plaza, flanked by lush broad-leaf trees. The floor was a smattering of auburn and charcoal colored stone bricks packed tightly together.
In the middle stood a large pendhapa—an open-air pavilion with a grand roof supported by pillars. A gathering of people sat underneath the structure. The mystical sound of metallophones chimed through the nighttime air, leaving the gathering silent and spellbound.
Rifki weaved through the crowd, who were seemingly too preoccupied to pay him any heed. Underneath the pavilion's grand roof, six young women danced on a marble floor in traditional Javanese court dress, their delicate moves too quiet to be heard over the music. Rifki had never seen Javanese court dance before, nor had he ever heard gamelan music so resonate on the soul. As the dance continued, the more captivating it became. The batik cloth flew through the air, the music chimed, and the metal of the tall, flowery crowns glittered brightly in the flickering light, as if attempting to hypnotize the viewer. Each moment of enchantment seemed to surpass the previous, making the desire for the performance to continue all the more passionate. But as all good things must conclude, the music suddenly began to grow quieter, before the women slowly made their way off the stage.
The audience remained muted, as if expecting another performance to follow the previous. They wouldn't have to wait long, as the faint hum of music returned to the pavilion. A line of new young women began to appear from a poorly lit corner.
Then Rifki saw her.
In the rear of the line, a giant woman towered over the dancers in front of her. Those beautiful eyes, indigo hair, and gorgeous figure belonged to his dance partner from the ocean's edge. The star-studded cosmic dress no longer graced her elegant figure, now replaced with an outfit similar to the dancers she stood behind. As the women separated on stage, Rifki stared at her, in awe at the sight.
She was wearing a black and gold dress, a long, silky white sampur—a ceremonial scarf—held gracefully in her hands. On her head sat a magnificent gold crown. Her violet eyes traced around, gazing at the faces in the audience, stopping at him. A gentle smile spread across her face as she brought the sampur to her chest, graciously bowing in his direction.
Rifki excitedly looked at the people around him, trying to see their reactions to this amazonian. Despite her incredible height and beauty, not one person seemed to notice her presence at the center of the pendhapa.
The women began their performance as the music's loudness increased, their graceful moves captivating all that could see. Rifki approached the edge of the stage, his spirit enthralled as he gazed at the dancers. The amazonian towered over her fellow performers, the four other women looking like children beside her. In spite of this, she did not flaunt her majesticism arrogantly, mirroring the dances of her fellow performers, every move taking the young man's soul to a new height.
A man walked in front of Rifki, blocking his view for a moment. When he passed, the giantess had vanished from the stage, leaving only the other four dancers.
Rifki was stunned. He looked around, then back at the stage, but no trace of the woman remained as the other four dancers continued on, or so he thought.
Confused and disheartened, Rifki stepped a little ways back from the front of the crowd. Letting his hand glide into his pocket, he pulled the blue ribbon out, feeling as though his quickly hashed plan from earlier would never be realized.
Lowering the ribbon, he let his eyes wander, jolting when they made their way back to the stage. To his shock, the giantess had returned, exactly where she had been before, dancing rhythmically. Rifki ran to the edge of the stage, stopping at the edge. For a moment, their eyes met, but her motions remained rehearsed, letting her sampur flutter bountifully. Feeling the ribbon he was holding slipping from his fingers, Rifki looked down and swooped it up quickly before it hit the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned his attention back to the dancers.
Once again, the beautiful woman had vanished, leaving the other women to carry on. This time, however, Rifki's eyes remained focused on the stage, certain she would return. Seconds passed, and her absence remained. Suddenly, after Rifki lost focus for a moment and blinked, the familiar flutter of an orange sampur caught his eye once again. Having returned once again, the towering woman now stood near the edge of the other side of the stage, a bit away from the other performers. She was only meters, perhaps even centimeters away from the people at the front of the crowd. Yet, as she did a graceful spin in front of them, not a soul noticed. Rifki quickly moved through the crowd towards her, hoping to end this game of hide and seek. This hope was dashed as moments before he reached her location, a couple cut in front of him, obstructing his view. When Rifki finally got a clear view of the stage, the giantess had once again vanished.
Knowing her routine by now, Rifki closed his eyes for a few seconds, sure of what would be greeting him when his eyes opened. The giantess would indeed return when Rifki opened his eyes, but this time, Rifki stayed where he was, determined to simply try to enjoy the show instead of trying to get close to her. With no obstructions or distractions, the amazonian would carry out the remainder of the performance alongside the other four.
After a seeming thousand years of mysticism, the dance finally concluded with the performers gracefully gliding off the stage. And at the back of the line was the indigo-haired beauty, following the unknowing dancers into the darkness.
Rifki watched as her glittery crown slowly faded out of his line of view. She hadn't looked at him before exiting the stage, seemingly focused on following the routine of the others. Rifki wondered if she would return, perhaps with a new set of dancers. As he pondered these things, he did not notice what was approaching behind him.
Rifki suddenly felt a set of hands on his shoulders, jolting him from his thoughts. Startled, he quickly looked up, a familiar set of purple eyes kindly gazing at him. The amazonian stepped closer, Rifki feeling her body brush against his back. Releasing his shoulders, the giantess gently let her hands glide down his sides to his waist, stopping there and pulling his body towards her. Passionately. Possessively. Purposefully. Rifki didn't need a word uttered to know what the gesture meant, that the mysterious creature was claiming him for herself.
Rifki began to tremble, but this time, it was not in fear. He could not feel it, but he was certain his heart was racing. Taking his own hands, he shyly guided them to hers, clasping them tightly. Wiggling the right one a bit, he returned the indigo-haired beauty her ribbon, exhaling with relief when she accepted it.
Taking the ribbon, the beautiful woman slid her hands back up his body to his shoulders, letting her fingers tap a few times therapeutically before tightening her hold. She leaned in towards his face, pausing as if to tease him with anticipation, before finally leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Rifki shivered a bit, before smiling. He raised his hand, looking to complement her affection with a kiss of his own, but without warning, the giantess slipped away from him, walking briskly towards the stairs at the edge of the pavilion.
Though Rifki did his best to pursue the beautiful giantess, he could not keep up with her long stride, and as he meandered through the crowd, he lost sight of her head as it disappeared below the top of the stairs. Rifki left the pendhapa and strided to the stairs quickly, even though he knew he had lost sight of her for good.
Indeed, as Rifki finally reached the edge of the steps, she had vanished. Turning back to the crowd, he could hear people's voices getting louder as they assumed the show was over, discussing between themselves what they had enjoyed.
As Rifki walked back towards them, listening intently, he heard no mention of the breathtaking giantess, her stunning beauty, or her wonderful performance in the conversations.
Not knowing what to do, as he knew that the mystery woman was gone for good, Rifki closed his eyes, trying to remember how to get back home. Unfortunately, his mind was foggy, and he could not remember how to.
Taking a deep breath, Rifki prayed silently to be back in bed.