At Paranoa Lake, Nick and Jess love the beautiful sunset. Relive the good times they had. Here is Nick, reaping the belief in Jess’ true love that never dies. The woman’s love only lay dormant for a while, along with the heat of an accident born of carelessness.
A small corner of Nick’s heart bloomed watching his wife’s laughter blend with the sky. A small aurora-like laugh that could make the man feel that he was the best husband. Even though in reality, the elegy incision that had been afflicted may never disappear, and the scars will continue to be etched in a memory.
“Nick!” A voice turned them away.
“Hi, Michelle!” Jess smiled as she saw the doctor standing behind them.
“Hello, Jesselyn! Em … I mean Jessy!”
“Am I disturbing you?” Michele asked hesitantly.
“Of course not!” Jess answered, then the man glanced at Nick meaningfully.
“I have a new coffee recipe.” Finally, Nick spoke, as if he understood the hint Michele was giving.
“I can’t wait to taste it.” The psychiatrist smiled awkwardly.
“Michelle, since when have you been drinking coffee? Don’t you like it?” Jess’ question suddenly made the two men look at each other.
“Of course, since Doctor Michele and I got to know each other better.” Nick suddenly answered while touching Michele’s shoulder. Trying to put on a good show.
“Oh, that’s right!” said Michele, supporting Nick’s lie.
“Jessy, can you cook food for us?” asked Nick when they got home. Jess served two cups of coffee, and several cookie jars in the main room.
“With pleasure, Mr. Nick! I will cook a special food for the two of you.”
“That is fun! Incidentally, I’ve never tasted your food,” said Michele.
“Wait, I’ll call you guys when it’s done!” The two grown men stared at Jess’ disappearing back. Sitting is their most comfortable position at this time.
“What’s up?” Nick immediately asked a question, his eyes sharp again.
“I bring good news!”
“Tell me, what good news do you mean!” Michele took a deep breath. An envelope he took from his coat pocket. Nick just raised an eyebrow.
“Open it!” said Michelle. Nick’s face turned serious as for a moment he was immersed in the characters written on the white sheet.
“What are you doing?” asked Nick.
“I found a flash disk in your inpatient room. When I opened it, I remembered what you said. You said about the case that brought you all the way to the mental hospital, didn’t you?”
“So?”
“I use it as one of the supporting evidences for the diagnosis results which have discrepancies with the data sent from the Menc. That’s the result! You’re free from criminal snares after being cleared, but I couldn’t save your comrade named Mehmet, and also general Alfonso. They needed me after the government banned the hospital from operating. All ten layover patients were transferred to Sobradinho.”
“Does that mean Mehmet ….”
“The pressure there manifests their demonic desires.” Clenching his hands, Michele’s sentence was a burst of fire that burned Nick Erhan’s chest. Mehmet’s fate is unfortunate.
“What about those demons in uniform?”
“As far as I know, lieutenant Fernando resigned and apologized.” A smirk crossed Nick’s flat face. He still couldn’t believe whether the honorable lieutenant was really clean.
“Ezhar?” Shrugging, Michele said again, “Looks like he’s just a doll! If not, he would have disappeared from the face of the earth!”
“Shit!” cursed Nick. Silence fell for some time, leaving only the aroma of coffee evaporating from the cup.
“How is Jess? Is there any progress?” asked Michele suddenly.
“Not yet!” he answered flatly.
“I forgot to say something.” Nick frowned.
“Your wife often talks about Dev.” Nick’s expression changed.
“She remembers one moment before the accident that took her memory,” said Michele.
“Tell Michele, don’t beat around the bush!”
“At that time, Jess and a young man were being chased by a man in a veil.” Michele’s last sentence suddenly made Nick feel a pain in his throat, and all over his jawbone.
***
After hearing some shocking news, much of Nick’s day was spent restlessly. Of course, the freedom returned may not have anything to do with the news of his children. Nick couldn’t stay still, he had to move on his own bones. A key tucked away in a drawer was in hand. Starting the motorbike, he was determined to cut through the streets after writing a note to Jess so that his wife wouldn’t have to look around when she found him not there.
Density was still blanketed, at exactly 04. 14 in the morning he arrived at the old residence. A place where a husband and wife cultivate mutual love. That place is also a silent witness to a painful separation. Suddenly, a knife squeezed the trough of the heart. Guilt bursts when reality suddenly jolts Nick’s consciousness. It was in this place that an affliction might become an invisible artifact, where Jess and the children spent a long day in a pool of tears. Not felt, tears rolled down with every foot movement. The chaos that is displayed makes the vibrations in the body even more disturbing.
“Oh, God!” Nick’s eyes widen at the sight of long-drying blood splatters, all scattered items, and the crumbling walls of the room.
Several rooms have been inspected, all appear tidy. He rushed into the bedroom. Starting with the front room, the room with a part of the wall crumbling down has the character of an all-pink Barbie. He guessed it was Elfara’s room. Every corner was examined, hoping for something to lead to a clue. However, there was nothing but a diary.
“Elfara, it turns out that you are a quiet child.” Nick glanced at the red diary before stowing it on his back.
Out of Elfara’s room, Nick enters Dev’s room. The cold air penetrated the pores as his feet were right in the doorway. For a moment, the sight that sailed in the eyeball stirred the contents of the brain. The room was more chaotic than all the chaos. Everything was strewn about, the metal bed was broken, and shards of glass were scattered about.
“Blood stains?” Nick looked at what was littering the shards of glass, then his eyes watered again.
“Dev!” Nick mumbled, suddenly the room reminded him of a dream from the past. About his meeting with Dev that feels very real.
“What happened to you guys?” Nick fell into a slump. Feeling sorry for what happened to his family.
“You’re right, Dev, it’s all broken!” With the back of his hand he shrank back tears, and straightened his knees again.
Decided to get out of Dev’s room, then dragging steps towards his own bedroom. Several pill bottles were found in the desk drawer, Nick held with trembling hands. As a man with an adventurous spirit, he knew very well what the function of the illicit item was. Since when? He knew his wife well. Jess didn’t know such a world. Impossible! Nick would never forgive himself, if it was proven that Jess was on the wrong path.
Nick will secure the necessary items in the two-wheeler seat. There was a flash of shadow when he was out of the room. An instinct led him to check the outside. There was nothing, but when the steps stopped right in the dog kennel, a
scream escaped from the mouth. Nick rushed to the corner of the wall. He found a dog drooping, helpless, as if waiting for the angel of death to come.
“Bulls!” The dog just stared at Nick with sad eyes, without the wailing or licking like every time they met.
“Relax, you’ll be fine!”
Nick carried the four-legged animal by carrying it on his back using a cloth just like a thief carrying stolen goods. After that, he sped off to the veterinary clinic. Bull was dehydrated so badly that he had to be hospitalized. The man left everything to the doctor. On the clinic page, he dialed someone’s number on a cell phone.
“Hello, ten minutes you should be in my old house!”
Exactly ten minutes, in the yard of the old house, the person Nick was referring to had been seen crossing the fence. A man in a black suit walked over arrogantly. Against Nick’s deadly gaze with a casually swinging leg. At a close distance, Nick’s fist tore the skin tissue of the burly beard man’s face. Red liquid seemed to flow, sweetening such a cold welcome. Shrinking the blood on his cheekbones, the man cemented his pride by continuing to stare at Nick.
“You missed this house, where are your shrimp brains playing, huh?” Casio looked uncharacteristically at the mansion in front of him, trying to penetrate the black mist that was melting there. However, Nik’s punch broke his focus.
“Are you deaf now?”
“Forgive me, Sir! I tried many times to enter, but I failed. This house looks like someone is guarding it. Some of the people I ordered had the same experience. They were intercepted by a sinister figure,” Casio said.
“Looks like this house is haunted, Sir!” he added.
“What you’re saying doesn’t make sense! I just got in there!”
“It’s up to you, Sir, believe it or not. I’ve been telling the truth, but this time I’m bringing news that might be a clue.”
“What?”