Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in." "Daddy!" "Ah, Carla my baby girl. What can I do to help you?" "Daddy, can you give me some money? I want to go shopping with my friends." "Of course. Anything for my lovely daughter but please take care, Carla." "I will, you don't have to worry."
Carla closed the door and leave the room with a happy giggle. She counts the banknotes to make sure that she gets the right amount she wanted. As she walks toward the stairs, she comes across the housemaid. The housemaid is bringing a tray with a small plate of biscuits and a cup of milk tea.
"Oh, hey there, Diana! Look what I've got~" Carla showed Diana, the housemaid, the money that she got from her father. "Oh, good for you, young mistress. I wish you a happy time with your friends. Now may you excuse me, young mistress, I need to send this tea and the biscuits to master."
"Oh, I see. Well, see you later Diana~" waved Carla as she goes down the stairs. "Goodbye, young mistress. Take care," replied Diana the housemaid.
Carla smiles towards the housemaid while making the ok signal with her hand. She then opens the door and leads outside, leaving the door shut by itself.
***
"Carla~!" Carla's friends called out to her cheerfully. "Ah~! Did all of you just get here?" Carla greets them back. "No, we're waiting for you! You're the one who is late here Carla!" "Oh no~ I'm so sorry~ I didn't mean to make all of you wait for a long time~" "It's okay Carla, we waited just for 5 minutes. We are joking, don't worry~" "Hmph. That's it. I'm going shopping all by myself. Goodbye," said Carla coldly. "Wait! Carla! We are so sorry~! Don't leave us behind~ Pretty please~" beg them.
Carla walks faster without even taking a look behind her. Her friends catch up to her and apologize for the joke. Carla didn't take the apology seriously and she walks with them. Slowly but surely, she begins to smile, giggle, and laugh together with her friends as they talk, gossip, and walk together.
They enter a boutique with a lot of gorgeous outfits and fancy clothes. One by one, the clothes were picked up by them. The design, the color, the pattern, the size, and the price are being compared to each other. The chosen clothes were brought to the cashier, scanned, folded, then put into several bags, and get paid for by them.
At the café, they all are enjoying their sweet and icy drink. Carla is enjoying her hazelnut latte smoothie which is become her favorite. They talk about the latest hot topics, sensational viral news, and recent popular trends. It seems like they will go home after this, but suddenly, Carla remembered something important.
"Hey, can we go to the watch store?" "Huh? Why? Do you want to buy a new watch?" "Yes, and it is for my father."
***
A car slowly stopped in front of the majestic house. Carla paid for the driver's service and then step out of the car. The car speeds up, leaving Carla walking toward her house. She grabs the doorknob and slowly opens the door.
Creak…
"Hello~ Anyone? Why is it so dark in here?" Carla asked in confusion. The door slowly closes shut as she enters the house.
THUNK!
A sudden hit landed on the back of Carla's head. She falls onto the floor as her consciousness slowly fades away.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…," she breathes slowly, her head feels hurt so much. Carla could feel the surface of the tiles on her face skin. With the blurry sight, she could indicate that she is being dragged. "But by who?" asked herself for a second before her sight fades back to black.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!!!"
Carla immediately opens her eyes and looks directly at the source of the muffled voice. She cannot believe her eyes and the feeling of terror begins to give her shivers.
"Mommy?! Daddy?! What has happened to both of you?!" asked her with her taped mouth.
She struggles hard to get free but her wrists and ankles are all tied up. All she can do is call out to her tied-up parents with a muffled voice.
"Young mistress…, I'm so sorry…, I have to do this or otherwise…," whimpered the woman. "They will kill me…," stated that woman as crystal tears running down her cheek. "Diana?" guessed Carla about the mysterious woman behind her. "Young mistress…, I'll make sure that… it won't be painful…," guaranteed her.
She begins to wipe damp cotton on the left side of Carla's neck. Carla's parents try to stop that woman by screaming, crying, and begging.
"MMPH! MMPH! MMPH! MMPH! MMPH!!!"
They try as hard as they could even though their mouth is sealed shut. Then, the woman brings out a syringe with yellow liquid in it.
"Now…, young mistress…, please hold back for a while…, okay?"
The sharp needle of the syringe pierces through the skin and flesh. It penetrates the veins and finally enters the bloodstream. The unidentified woman pushes the plunger carefully, gently, and slowly. Little by little, the strange liquid enters Carla's bloodstream.
"Finally…, it's done…,"
The woman put dry cotton on the injection spot. She pulls out the syringe carefully from Carla's neck. She then put the syringe down on the table. Gently, she presses the dry cotton and tapes it onto Carla's neck.
"There! I've finished it!" angered her while pressing a device placed at her ear.
Carla and her parents are in complete, total confusion. They are muffling and struggling to get free and to get answers.
"What do you mean it's not finished?! I've– What?! Why should I?! I DON'T CARE ABOUT BULLCRAP!!! TAKE OUT THIS DAMNED THING THAT YOU SHOVED DOWN MY THROAT!!!" screamed her in anger.
Everyone in the room was shocked by her sudden temper. What is she angry about, they thought in fear.
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE COUNT DOWN!!! I AM SICK OF THIS! I AM SICK OF YOU–" suddenly she grabs a knife and points it toward Carla's mother.
All three of them locked their sights on the woman. Carla's mother looks directly into Diana's eyes, shock and confusion are jumbled in her head.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!"
STAB!!!
Carla and her father scream in a muffled voice. Diana screams and cries, "I'm sorry…, I'M SO SORRY!!!"
The sharp knife pierces horizontally through the mother's forehead. Carla's father falls onto the floor mourn upon his beloved wife's death. Diana cries out loud for her horrible selfish act. Tears drip down from Carla's wide eyes because she is shocked by the sudden scenario.
"SHUT UP!!! DON'T MAKE ME DO IT AGAIN!!! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!!!" shrieked Diana hysterically.
"DON'T DARE SAY ANYTHING!!! AAAHHH!!! I KNOW THAT CRAP! YOU TOLD ME EARLIER THAT IF I TAKE THIS PIECE OF CRAP OFF FROM MY EAR, YOU WILL BLOW ME TO PIECES!!! THERE'S NO TURN-OFF BUTTON EITHER! YOU ONLY FORCE ME TO DO WHAT YOU ASKED!!!"
Another knife is grabbed by Diana and is now being held up high in the air. The sharp point of the knife is targeted toward one's beloved father.
SHUCK!
"MMMPHHH!!!"
The muffled voice comes through from Carla's sealed-shut lips. She bawls with tears and questions Diana's instantaneous actions. The back of the father's neck got penetrated by the knife. The floor is puddled with her dearest father's blood.
"HAH! HAH! HARRRGGGHHH!!!" Diana groaned in pain. She begins to approach Carla with the bloody knife.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The rope that keeps Carla stay still is being cut by Diana. "I see it now…," said Diana softly after the loosened rope falls onto the ground.
"AGH! AGH! AGHHH!"
Out of the blue, Diana grabs and squeezes Carla's neck. Carla starts to struggle, gape, and gasp for air. Diana's arms are bleeding because of Carla's aggressive scratches. None of them two has any sign of stopping.
"SHUT UP! YOU MAKE ME KILL BOTH OF HER PARENTS SO NOW I'M GOING TO KILL YOUR TEST SUBJECT! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE ANYMORE! I WILL PUT AN END TO THIS!" Diana maniacally speaking.
Diana slowly lifts the struggling Carla from the chair. Carla unconsciously kicks the chair hard, making it collapse onto the floor.
"Young mistress…, don't worry… I won't let them have you…"
SLAM!
Carla could feel the impact of her getting slammed onto the table. Diana slowly releases her strong grip from the neck. Slowly and with blurry vision, Carla slides down from the table. Hurriedly, Diana takes off the devices from her ears and runs away like the wind.
Clack! Thump! Dush!
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Carla peels off the tape from her mouth tiredly. She could feel something has stabbed inside her back. Carla groaned as she pulls out the thing from her back. It is a spindle, and it's covered in orange blood.
The spindle drops onto the ground, followed by her hand. Her eyes are getting heavier and her vision is getting darker.
BOOM!!!
Carla could hear the indistinct explosion sound in her ears. She notices something with her blurry vision. The blood splattered all over the door, floors, and walls. She slowly loses consciousness and then slowly drives into blankness.
***
"Sob…, sob…, sob…," tears flow down Carla's cheeks as she finished her story. "Carla, here, tissues," Adipati offered her a box of tissue. "I'm just… I can't believe this is happening to me…, my parents are dead… It still hurts to think about it…," continued Carla with more tears flowing out from her eyes. "There, there, how about we stop right here, okay? Take a deep breath and then relax. I'll make you a cup of drink," Adipati calmly said.
Adipati stands up from the chair, "Yusuf, can I make a cup of drink for Carla?" "Oh, go on, I also wanted to make lunch for you two," said Yusuf. "Thanks, Yusuf."
Yusuf leads Adipati to the kitchen and then shows him the ingredients, utensils, and kitchenware. Without wasting any time, the two of them begin to prepare the food and drink. Yusuf starts to fill the pot with the ingredients he needed. Then, he boils all of it on the stove with medium heat.
Adipati meanwhile put a teaspoon of condensed milk into each different one of the three plastic cups. After that, he tears off a packet of instant coffee. He then pours it into plastic cups along with hot water. He stirs it up and puts some ice into the drink.
"Carla, here you go. An iced hazelnut latte," Adipati handed her a cup of drink. "Thank you so much, Adipati," she took the drink from him humbly. "Everyone, let's eat. I just boiled the instant noodles that I have but I added an egg and some mustard greens," explained Yusuf about the meals as he severed the bowls to them. "I'm so sorry if this meal doesn't satisfy you," apologized Yusuf. "It's okay Yusuf. Thank you for giving out this meal," thanked them gratefully.
All of them are enjoying their delicious meals happily together. Yusuf looked at them two consuming the homemade cook.
They went through a lot, aren't they? They suffer more than me – no – even worse than me. I wonder, how many people are going through tough times right now? How many people are suffering just by passing through the rough moments right now?
Come to think of it, these kinds of people are also good at hiding their pain. How do these people are having hard times but they hide it like it was nothing? Maybe they couldn't find the right person to talk to. They are afraid no one could help them to solve their problem.
So, they just keep silent and pretend as if nothing has happened to them. I felt pity for them, they need help. But they are afraid of getting the wrong one. How can I help them? More importantly, how can I guide them to solve their problem?
"Ah, I'm full," said Carla out of the blue after she finished her meals. "Good. Now wash your dishes Carla," ordered Adipati. "Aw, can't you do it Adipati?" "No." "Why not?" "Because anyone should not be lazy and unorganized like you." "Wha– Excuse me! I'm not lazy okay!" "You shouldn't always ask for help Carla especially when it comes to small matters." "Hmmmphhh… Hmph!" pouted Carla as she walks to the kitchen. "If you could do it, do it," said Adipati while taking a last sip from his drink.
After all of them washed their dishes, all of them sit on the couch. "I think we should take a rest today. We will talk more about those creeping creatures tomorrow," said Adipati. "Yeah, couldn't function properly without rest, right?" said Yusuf. "Do you want to play a game? I have a lot of games on my X-Station," offered Yusuf. "Sure, why not?" accepted them gladly and begin to play the game together.