ROGER's POV
Is what I'm seeing real? Just moments ago, he was talking to me. Am I dreaming? Or is this just a nightmare?
I shone the light on his face again.
His face was covered in blood. And his skull was shattered.
His forehead seemed caved in.
He wasn't breathing anymore!
Fin was dead.
I blinked my eyes several times. He was still there in front of me. I was trembling. I couldn't move from where I stood. I wanted to run out of fear, but I was paralyzed. I couldn't move, couldn't even look away.
It felt like everything happened so fast. I looked away for just a moment and then this. How many seconds was I gone? Minutes? Hours? Oh, crap! I still couldn't believe it.
Should I scream? Yes! I'll call Cary. I'll call Ka Pineng.
But no! Ka Pineng strictly warned me not to make any noise. But damn, what am I supposed to do?
"Ka Pineng..." I lost myself. I uttered his name. But it wasn't enough. My voice was weak.
"Ka Pineng," I said. But it was just a whisper.
"Ka Pineng!" I screamed. I couldn't contain it anymore; I shouted.
Moments later, the threads. The threads around me. They were moving. All of them. Moving. These threads connected to Fin. They were moving.
What does this mean? Why is everything moving?
These threads. They were all moving.
Then, everything stopped.
Silence.
Then I heard something.
Then I heard someone running. From below, someone was running. Toward the stairs, someone was running.
Up the stairs, someone was running.
The running seemed to be getting closer to me.
But what is this? I can't move—how is this possible?!
So I just dropped to the floor. Trembling, I turned off my flashlight. I forced myself to move; I crawled.
the running was getting closer.
I crawled. I crawled fast.
The running was very near.
Crawl more! I crawled further.
The runner was there.
As for me, I made my crawling even faster.
Here was the runner.
So I crawled with everything I had.
It was dark. I just kept crawling.
Then I felt something. What was this? It felt like human skin.
Standing. Cold. Like a person's foot.
But it was dark. I couldn't see whose foot it was.
It just took a step. Entering the door. Inside a room.
I crawled. I followed it. I realized I was indeed inside a room. With all my strength, I sat up and slowly closed the door. After that, I crawled some more. I didn't even know what I was crawling on anymore. As I crawled, I felt a hole. A hole in the wall, a large hole. Probably big enough for a person.
I entered it; I crawled through. I think it led to the other room. I crawled further until I felt something. What could this be? It felt like a book. I took it. I shone a bit of light on it. Oh! It's a photo album. I wonder who this belongs to? I tucked it into my coat pocket for now.
I felt the sweat pouring down me. I looked around. Dark. I couldn't see anything. So I turned on my flashlight. And there, I was inside another room. I shone the light on the hole I came through; I could see the door I entered from the previous room.
Who was that running? The one running toward me? Whose foot did I touch? The one that entered this room? Who was that child I saw earlier?
Suddenly, the door creaked. The door I was shining my light on.
The dread returned!
The door was slowly opening.
I swallowed hard.
The door—it was opening. I backed away. The door was almost fully open.
I was panting.
And there it was, the door was open.
My flashlight was still aimed at it.
But no one entered. It opened, but there was no one there.
I waited longer. But no one actually entered from outside.
Should I stand up? And close it?
I was about to go to it when someone entered.
I recoiled at what I saw.
A woman entered. Her head was tilted slightly back, her body arched!
She was in white, with long hair—damn it!
She was walking, but she had no feet.
I wanted to scream, but I was speechless. This woman even looked at me. Jesus! What is this, a ghost? The child I saw earlier? A ghost? The foot I touched?
A ghost? I lost my mind; I just ran.
I didn't know where I ended up. My feet just wouldn't stop running. All I remember is tripping. Here I am now, under a table. Bullshit! I thought I left my flashlight behind! It's not lighting up anymore.
I tapped it. It still wouldn't light.
Then I heard footsteps.
Walking.
I saw from under the table.
Walking.
It was slow, like they were looking for something.
The walking stopped.
I jolted when they whispered. "Roger..."
My eyes widened.
It was Cary!
I was about to stand up when I heard something. Ugh!
Damn! What was that?
Ugh! Ugh!
Then there was a thud.
Cary? What happened?
I couldn't see anything. It was too dark.
I tapped my flashlight again. It really wouldn't light. I tapped it harder. There! It lit up! Along with that—I almost shrieked!
Oh, God! Cary!
Cary.
What do I do? Cary.
It's Cary. Cary.
I burst into tears. Saliva almost dripped from my mouth.
Cary was lying there.
My shoulders shook. I bowed my head.
Cary was looking at me.
I was prone. Under this table.
Cary's eyes were open.
But he wasn't breathing anymore.
His face was bloody.
His jaw was shattered.
The world started spinning. I ran again. I didn't know where I was anymore. I realized I was in the bathroom. On the ground floor of this house.
What is really happening? What is it with this house? Earlier, I saw a ghost. And now, a dead person! No! Cary should still be alive, but someone killed him. I just wasn't sure who!
I was about to leave the bathroom when I froze. I suddenly spotted a person.
By the moonlight from outside—I could see it clearly.
They were wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a hammer.
Who is this? Who is this woman?
"Roger..." I jumped when someone whispered behind me.
"W-Who's there?" I whispered.
"Ka Pineng..."
I couldn't see him. It was dark. But my spirit was lifted when I heard him. "Oh, thank God..."
"Don't make a sound, they might hear us..." he said.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"I'm right behind you."
"So you see them too." I peered out the door again.
"Yes..."
"Who is it?" I was still peering.
"That's the one—who killed Ara."
My eyes grew wide. "I'm going to kill her, Ka Pineng... I'm going to kill her..." I said with conviction.
"Wait, Roger. Observe them," he held me back.
I watched the killer's movements.
"Look closely at how they move."
"What's about the movement?" My eyes were fixed on them.
"She's a woman, but her eyes seem used to the dark," I heard Ka Pineng swallow. "I know we can take her down. But we're at a disadvantage against someone used to killing."
"Huh?"
"We're in danger, Roger. She sees us, but we can't see her. And besides, from that stance alone, that person looks like they've killed many. That person is insane." Ka Pineng sounded like he was on the verge of tears from fear.
Ka Pineng was right. It's possible this woman's eyes are adapted to the dark. She won't hesitate to kill us once she sees us. Meanwhile, I didn't know how I would kill her. "So what do we do?"
"What we should do is find Ara, get out of this house, and get help."
Ka Pineng told us we needed to find Ara because we were still hoping she would cooperate with us. And this house was the most likely place to find her because this is where she was killed. That was the purpose of this activity.
"We need to find Ara before she kills us." Even if I couldn't see him, I knew he was watching the killer.
What?! How many more ghosts do I have to see before I see Ara? "W-What's our plan?" I got nervous again.
"I'll look for Ara down here; you look upstairs."
"How can I do that? The moment I step out of this door, that bastard might kill me. I might not even reach the stairs because it's so dark." I was sweating again.
"Use your phone's flashlight."
I took my phone out of my pocket. It was still the same—no signal. I had been planning to call and ask for help for a while now.
"Listen," he pulled out his phone too. That was the only time I saw him. "I'll set an alarm on this phone in a minute so that when it rings here, we'll get her attention." He was already pressing buttons on his phone. "Run upstairs. When you see Ara, open this jar." He handed me a jar.
"And then?"
"And then we'll have Ara. I'll talk to her somewhere else." He placed the phone on the floor.
"You mean, she'll voluntarily enter this jar?"
"Just do it, Roger. And let's go! My phone's alarm will go off any moment."
I took a deep breath first. I prepared myself to run. To the left corridor upon exiting this bathroom, there's an entry toward the kitchen.
If we go that way, we'll avoid the killer in the living room. Here I am. Ready to run.
One.
Two.
Run!
I just ran and ran.
I realized I was already in the kitchen.
Beside me, I could hear Ka Pineng panting too. In a minute, his phone's alarm went off. The killer is probably heading toward the bathroom.
"Roger, run upstairs!" he ordered.
"Where are you going?" I was breathing heavily.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, Roger! Did you listen to our plan earlier?"
"I know! But how will we meet? How will I know if you've found Ara? How will I tell you if I see Ara?" We looked like fools. We were both panicking.
"Damn it, whatever! Just try to get out and go to our car." Then I felt him run off.
As for me, I also ran upstairs. I could still hear the sound of the phone's alarm. I could barely move from exhaustion. Here I am again. Beside—
Fin!
Whatever! I just hope I find Ara.
Then here it was again. Because of the alarm's noise, the threads were moving.
Damn! Among these threads, where could Ara be?
Then, one by one, they stopped moving. These threads, one by one, ceased their motion.
Until only one was moving.
Yes! Only one was still moving!
I followed where it was connected with my eyes.
There. At the—
Behind me! That's where it was connected!
It was still moving!
This thread—I followed it with my gaze! My eyes were heading—behind me—I was going to look!
I slowly turned around.
Using my phone, I shone the light.
And there.
Behind me, it was there.
There was a woman there.
My God! Who was that?!
The one behind me.
She was plucking the thread.
That's why it was moving.
I recoiled! I almost jumped.
Because... that woman—
She was standing on the ceiling!
Then I blinked; my phone's flashlight went out.
When it turned back on, I couldn't find her anymore.
The alarm sound stopped.
Silence.
She was gone from my sight.
Silence.
How many more ghosts will I see? And who are those ghosts? Where is my daughter?! It's only my daughter's ghost I want to see!
Silence.
I moved slowly; I was going to run.
Silence.
But, someone was panting behind me.
Damn it, who is this?
I burst into tears.
This jar, I'll use it. I'll strike with it.
But just as I was about to do it, they suddenly spoke. "Roger..." Oh Lord! They startled me. It was just Ka Pineng.
"Damn it, you scared me!" I shouted in a whisper.
"Roger..."
"What?!" I shone the light on his face.
"Is there any other way out of here?" He was looking to my left.
"There is," I also looked at what he was staring at.
"Where?" He was trembling.
To our left. There was the stairs leading down. But, someone was standing there. Wearing a cowboy hat and holding a hammer. I couldn't see clearly. But I could make out the silhouette.
I responded to his question. "The—window."
Then he slowly turned to me. "Roger..."
I also faced him. "What..."
"Run!"
We ran together! I immediately opened the window and didn't think twice about jumping. When I hit the ground, I also heard Ka Pineng land. We both could barely stand from the pain in our feet.
But we were numb to the feeling. We quickly stood up and headed for our car.
"Roger! The keys!" He was shaking.
"I don't know! You were the one driving earlier!" I was drenched in sweat.
"Shine the light on the car!" He frantically searched for them.
I glanced at the rearview mirror. "Ka Pineng..."
"Help me look!"
I was just stunned. "K-Ka Pineng..." I stammered.
"What!?"
Now, in the rearview mirror, we were both looking.
The killer was coming toward us.
Shit! We almost bumped heads searching for the key. "My God! My God! My God!" Until I finally felt the key. "Oh, thank God!"
Ka Pineng immediately put it in the ignition. But then. Why was it like that?
"Why, Ka Pineng?"
He looked at me, pale. "It needs a push."
In the rearview mirror, I looked again. There was the killer. Getting closer, shit!
"Go on, Roger! Push it!"
I didn't respond. I quickly got out of the car and pushed it with all my might.
Then I looked back.
I looked back.
I pushed even harder.
Because this killer—was running!
They were close!
So I pushed with everything I had!
Please start, please!
If not—I'm going to die!
Then here they were.
Right beside me!
Only then did my car start!
"Roger, run!"
Too late. Because the killer—
was right here behind me!!!