Sunday, 11:00 P.M.
Ara's P.O.V.
NUMB. All I could hear was the buzzing of flies. Hard. Cold. Foul. Sticky.
I slowly opened my eyes again. I scanned my surroundings. The ceiling. The walls. The floor. Strands of hair were scattered everywhere. My hair. Blood was everywhere! Blood that came from me, my own blood.
There was a HUMMING.
I heard a hum. BLOWFLIES, though I couldn't see them. But I knew that sound was created by those insects.
I tightened my hug around my right FOOT—the severed foot. I embraced it tightly, so very tightly, and then I cried again.
What am I going to do now? Even if I escape Uncle Roli's hands, I have to face the truth that I am now crippled and mute. No right foot and no tongue. I am disabled!
Nana! She's probably worried about me and looking for me. Nana! Please help me! In all the moments of my solitude, I did nothing but cry and sob. I didn't know what to do anymore. I felt my spirit weakening. There was no escape.
A moment later, I stopped when I heard a voice. I turned toward the bathroom door before turning back to my right leg. I was forcing myself to endure the pain I felt. I lay flat on my stomach and crawled like a soldier in a war, afraid of being hit by a bullet. With the help of the strands of hair scattered on the floor, I easily reached the door.
As I got closer to the door, I could hear a woman's voice more clearly. But it was muffled because it was enclosed. So, with all my might, I crawled further out of the doorway until I could hear the conversation.
"You still haven't thrown it away?" the woman asked. Who is this woman? The voice I'm hearing sounds familiar.
"She's just sleeping. Why would I throw her away?" Uncle Roli's voice was cold, sounding like a very kind person.
I heard the gentle footsteps of the woman. "Roli, she's dead." That voice was really familiar. I just couldn't remember because it sounded like many others.
I heard Uncle Roli sob. "She's not dead yet!" His voice was cracking.
"No one could survive that. She ran out of blood. She's young; her body wouldn't be able to—"
"No! She's not dead yet!" Uncle Roli broke down. That was the first time I heard him like that.
I drew strength to advance further from my spot. I continued to crawl. When I found a good vantage point, I tried to peek to see who the woman Uncle Roli was talking to was.
But she was elusive because, at that moment, her back was toward me, and she was hugging Uncle Roli. I couldn't see her well because it was dark. She was blocking the light coming from the candle. She was wearing a wide black cowboy hat, and her hair hid her face. Who is this woman? Uncle Roli's lover? I knew I wasn't wrong in suspecting he had another woman! But that's not important now. Even if I caught them in the act, it wouldn't matter to me anymore. I felt no more love for him. Only fear remained.
He is insane! And likely, this woman is even worse than him. She let go of the hug and...
Their lips met! SHIT!
I knew it! They have a relationship.
The woman pulled away from the kiss. Afterward, she stroked his hair. "I told you, you have no one else to love but ME. Only me, Roli, only me."
I wasn't wrong; this woman is insane too!
"Don't kill her." Pity could be heard in Uncle Roli's voice.
The woman went silent. A moment later, she stomped backward away from Uncle Roli. "Bullshit! Do you want her to end up like your wife and child, huh?!"
My heart suddenly raced. I felt a strange fear when I heard what the woman said.
What does she mean?
Uncle Roli quickly went to her to soothe her. "Don't... have mercy. I love her."
"Why, Roli?! Why her out of all the women?! What does she have that I don't, huh?! What?! I've been with you for a long time, not her!" She was seething with rage.
Uncle Roli bowed his head, sobbing. "I love you too. I told you, just give me time. I'm only asking for a little time—"
"She's dead, Roli!" She didn't let him finish what he was saying.
Uncle Roli raised his head. The woman held his face and caressed it. "She's dead, Roli... She's dead..."
"Ara..."
I recoiled at what I heard, jumping in shock!
"She's not dead yet!" Uncle Roli screamed firmly.
"Ara is dead, Roli. Since last night, after I cut off her FOOT." Huh? What?
Is what I heard true? She was the one who cut off my foot?
Uncle Roli went wild, grabbed a stool from behind him, and threw it. "Ara isn't dead! I just fed her earlier!"
Uncle Roli was right. I'm not dead yet. This woman thinks I'm dead. Here I am witnessing their conversation. This shameless woman! She was the one who cut off my fo—
"Roli!!!" She let out a loud scream. That voice was terrifying.
Meanwhile, Uncle Roli, who was like a wild beast earlier, was now like a submissive sheep. He bowed his head at the woman's voice.
"I told you that I'm the only one you can love, right? Only me, Roli! Only me!" Her voice was very dominant. Afterward, she took a deep breath. "You have no one else to love, is that clear?"
Uncle Roli was silent. He was like a child being scolded.
"Or else... they will end up like what I did... to your FAMILY and to ARA..."
Did I hear that right?! This woman killed my Aunt and my cousin?
It felt like ice-cold water was poured over me. I'm confused. I thought Uncle Roli killed them. He didn't!
This woman... She is the...
SHIT! Total SHIT!
I wept. I wanted to get up and get revenge. But I had no strength. I couldn't even speak.
"I'm taking her home," Uncle Roli said. His voice was calm. "What?!" the woman snapped.
"I'm transporting her... home."
"Don't you really understand, Roli?! Ara is DEAD. Just hide her here in this house, along with your family!"
"So what if I take her home? You already cut off her TONGUE anyway. She can't report it to anyone. She can't speak anymore." Uncle Roli's voice was trembling as he pleaded. He sounded insane. No, he really is going crazy! "Besides, we're still going to eat." He paused for a moment. "We're going to eat at our favorite tapsihan..."
No!
He can't take me home in this condition. I need to convince Uncle Roli that I am indeed dead, just as this woman says. Only then can I think of a way to escape this house and ask for help.
Instead of getting angrier, the woman burst into laughter. "All right. But she's your responsibility. You take care of her corpse."
"She's NOT dead yet! I just fed her earlier," he insisted. The woman just laughed. "Okay! Let's see."
Oh my God!
They're coming here!
I moved quickly and turned back. I crawled. I couldn't let this woman see me. She'll surely kill me if she does! I have to hide!
I heard their footsteps. Getting closer and closer. Faster, Ara! Faster!
I crawled with all my might! There they are, approaching. Damn, Ara! Faster.
Crawl, Ara! Faster. They're almost here!
When I reached the bathroom door, I looked to the right. Dead End! Only a wall was there. I looked to the left; there was a small sink. Underneath it was a cabinet with holes.
There they are! Almost here!
In front of me, the door into the bathroom. To my left, the small cabinet under the sink.
Where? Where do I go?
They're right in front of the bathroom!
The woman quickly stepped into the bathroom. I could see their every move because I was peeking through a hole. I am here now in the small cabinet under the sink. I just found myself here—shaking and terrified.
"Roli!" the woman shouted.
Uncle Roli was just about to enter when he suddenly stopped. I could see him clearly from the small hole where I was peeking.
"Roli, where is Ara?" the woman inside the bathroom asked.
I covered my own mouth when Uncle Roli slowly turned toward me. It was impossible for him to see me from where he stood. It was dark here in my spot. It can't be. I just bowed my head. My heart was pounding so hard.
Silence.
I slowly raised my head. I peeked through the hole again. I jumped at what I saw. Uncle Roli—he was looking right here!
He stepped closer to my hiding place. I could hear his footsteps approaching me. I closed my eyes in fear. I almost sobbed.
Silence.
I slowly opened my eyes. I was shaking. I peeked again even though I was crying, even though I was afraid of what I might see. Shocks!
What is this I'm seeing? My God!
Shifty. Moving. Reddish!
Uncle Roli's EYES!!! He was peeking at me too!
I recoiled even though I knew I had nowhere else to go. The fear I felt was extreme. I could hardly breathe. I couldn't stop myself from wanting to shriek and scream, but no voice came out. I had no choice but to cover my eyes.
"Roli?" the woman's voice came again. I felt the light brighten.
This is it. It's over. That woman is going to kill me.
But when I opened my eyes, Uncle Roli was gone. He had entered the bathroom. Why? Did he not see me? Because of this, I breathed a brief sigh of relief.
"Roli? Where is she?" she asked again. "She's right there. In the Bathtub," he replied.
"This bathtub has nothing in it but water. Bloody water."
Uncle Roli walked toward the bathtub; I heard his footsteps followed by the splashing of water. "Here she is..." He seemed to lift something out of the water in the bathtub.
What?! How?! I'm here! I'm not there. These people really are crazy! "Clean her up first before you transport her home," the woman ordered, as if they were talking about a toy. "What about her leg? Severed?" Uncle Roli asked.
What are these two talking about?
"Don't worry, I bought packing tape earlier when I went to town."
"Get it while I clean this." After Uncle Roli said that, I heard the woman step out. I also saw her leave.
Meanwhile, I took advantage of the opportunity. I crawled toward the door and peeked. That was when I burst into tears.
I saw Uncle Roli cleaning the body of a... WOMAN. I was frozen. I was just staring, stunned.
Behind me, I heard the woman's footsteps. I was about to hide when I noticed she just bypassed me. I noticed the shoes she was wearing.
They were the red doll shoes Nana had given me as a gift.
She approached Uncle Roli. "Here, just tape that leg. Then, just hide it in the jeans she's wearing."
But before Uncle Roli accepted it, he first took a severed foot. The woman giggled and shook her head while watching what Uncle Roli was doing.
He looked sharply at the woman. "She's not dead yet. Not yet."
After that, they wrapped the woman's leg in packing tape, as if it were just a broken cable. They put jeans on it, combed the hair, and put a black jacket on. Then Uncle Roli hoisted it onto his back as if it were just sleeping.
"Wait..." the woman stopped him. "Something is still missing." The woman took off the shoes she was wearing.
My red shoes!
She stuffed one into the chest of the corpse and the other she folded twice and stuffed into...
ITS MOUTH! Wait, that corpse is my body! I am DEAD!?
The body Uncle Roli is carrying is mine!
That HUMMING, I can still hear it. Those BLOWFLIES, I can clearly see them swarming around my ear, around my corpse. I am dead. But my ears are still responsive despite what I suffered. How did that happen?
Now, how do I accept this? I can't believe it. This woman was already with Uncle Roli that night he hit me and I lost consciousness. This woman was the one who killed me.
This woman—her clothing is familiar! Now I can observe her clearly. Her clothes. Her voice.
She kissed the forehead of my corpse carried by Uncle Roli.
That was the only chance I had to look at her face. Jesus! I was absolutely shocked by what I saw.
It can't be! How? Why? Is this real?
Of all people... why HER!? Why HER?!!! She smiled and whispered. "I love you, ARA."