"Sorry, this got to end up like these…" said Jaka Hardiman to Lev when they're lay down inside the bedroll after dinner.
"You don't have to say that. We both know, failure could be the end of what we do. One thing for sure, we've manage to make everything's clear…"
"I'm glad you've say that."
"Especially for the program...we've got a lot of it, haven't we?"
"Yes, we do. One thing I liked from you is your spirit…you never giving up hoping she's alive. That kind of spirit influenced me."
"When we're kid, daddy took us to visit grandpa in the village. We're happy to see a place that we haven't seen before. The country is quite different from big city where we're lived. So many trees, plants, animals, and we were excited to see the river. The stream it's not wide, calm, and tempting anyone to jump into the cold fresh water and enjoying it, including me and Vianka."
"Without permission from daddy or grandpa, we went to the river. Vianka who's very excited at the beginning began uncertain about our decision. You know, we were new to learned to swim so we were not a good swimmer yet. She refused because she thought is very different to swim in the river compares to the pool. But I insisted her so hard and she finally gave up."
"Apparently Vianka is right. The water's runs deep and it was deeper than I thought. Vianka ain't that lucky because some flow path trapping and dragging her further to the river midst. She panicked. Scream for help. I told him to swim but she's not able to do that. How could I stand that? Getting rid of all my fears, I decide to swim to help her..." said Lev. "Can you imagine? A boy who just able to swim had to drag someone who almost drowned? Strangely, I can do that…with some weird technique which I think wasn't approved by any life guard, but it works that time. I also do the CPR because Vianka's face began to turn blue from water she'd swallowed…too much of it perhaps…"
"She makes me scared to death when she's not breathing. Thanks God the effort going well, Vianka spewing all the water in her stomach and after resting for a while we go back to grandpa's house. The incident became a secret for both of us. We have never told anyone until now….and now I tell it to you."
"Sounds like you're so protective to her. You are her protectors from your youth."
"Now you know I'm shocked when I hear her death."
"Is because you can't do anything to protect her?"
"Precisely."
"But coming here to prove your hunch was something to show her that you've care… that you still want to protect her no matter what the world said. I think that's enough to make her rest in peace in heaven."
"And maybe she should stay there, instead of living. I don't know how I feel if I find her in different situation from now."
"I'm one of the most regret persons. It's me who train her to become a good reporter. It was the time of her early days when she's entered CHANNEL 7. Right on that moment I could feel her energy, her ambition, and her wills to work hard…some points that drives her to become great anchor…and I'm not mistaken when she mandated to guide Evening Report programs."
"Rating of the show climbs up since she sits on that chair. People not only love to see her beautiful face and her ability to speak English but there's something in her brain that can't be replace by others. That's what makes a lot of viewer crazy for her."
"Especially men, after she famous as MORNING NEWS anchor phone in our home kept ringing to look for her. Just want to talk or chit-chat. I don't know how they've got our phone numbers but I'm sure someone gave them all. It bothers my parent..."
"Don't look at me..." Jaka raised arms and laughing."...I didn't do that."
"I'm not accusing...just asked..."
"They've should contact Vianka's number instead of the phone of your house, huh?"
"That's what made me wonder."
"Yeah, that's Vianka…with her sensation…and if you want to know, phone for her not only ring at your house. It came to our office, many times and as your saying, just wanted to talk or chit-chat to her. Drive us crazy, bro. That's why company gives special channel for her later on."
"Yeah, that's really crazy…" Lev grinned as he glad to hear Vianka's work rewarded.
"She got her charm because she's fast learner. And you know what? I saw that talent on you also."
"You're not asking me to replace Vianka at MORNING NEWS, are you?" Lev smiled.
"Just want to give it a shoot," Jaka Hardiman grinned.
"No, thanks! And please, don't cajole me with that."
Jaka Hardiman laugh, together they're pulling blanket higher to resisted cold that chills their bones. Half an hour later, Lev heard Jaka snoring but it's not loud as last night. Lev's mind continues to raged, he can't accept his premonition are wrong but he couldn't deny what he saw down there. The place was horrible, impossible for man to escape from such disaster and he also had sought the place on his own but there's nothing there. Zero…zip…none. He keep thinking about it…again and again…until he reach the part where he realized he's been watched by someone at the crash site. Who's the fourth guy anyway?
He forgot to discuss it with Jaka Hardiman at dinner because he's still thinking about Khisima. Maybe it's just a figment but if there's tiger on this mountain he's glad Vianka already dead. He's not willing to see his sister turn out to be some meals to the beast if she escaped from accident. Wild animal doesn't eat corpse but they're not refused to prey dying people. He's remembering image of Khisima that described by Samsudin. The profile's so real…so alive…he barely even hear its roar…some roar that following by ferocious growl…like that…yeah something like that…
But something weird tickling his sense...it sounds real…it sounds close…the growl changed suddenly to some ferocious roar that could shake the eardrum. From the tent upfront he heard frustration cries. Lev recognized Samsudin's voice, then Ridwan, followed by fighting noise and tent's fabric that torn. For the last time, desperate yell from someone at the next tent echoed then overlaid by ferocious roar...
"For God's sake...what's that?" says Jaka who woke up because of the roars.
"I don't know. Looks like something attacks the other tent," Lev responds while searching for flashlight in his backpack.
At that time he heard rustled sound over the heath, it moving toward to front door of their tent. Jaka also hear it. They looked at each other in the darkness. The crawling object sounds rushing…get closer every minute…only few inches away from their tent's door until it open from outside. Jaka Hardiman immediately takes position behind the tent's door, ready to knock whatever it might be. His flashlight was made from solid iron and he's sure anything can't stand within a minutes if he punched that thing with it. Until they hear shutter voice called their name, "Jaka....Lev...."
"Oh, gosh...what's happened?" Jaka asked, almost in hysterical when he sees Ridwan's face covered with dirt and…blood all over it.
"Run…"he hissed.
Jaka handed the flashlight to Lev because he needed both hands to pull Ridwan's extra body to enter their tent. He screams when Ridwan's body came inside...something tore his leg apart so both of it hanging in pathetic position. Strong bones have been split asunder and became a troublesome to carries. The separate connector was spurting unstoppable blood.
"SHIT !" he loosen the grip spontaneously.
"RUUUUUNNNNN…" Ridwan yell in frustration.
The fatty can't finish his sentence because something pulled him out. With one quick and powerful jolt, as if his weight has no mass at all, that made Ridwan screams in agony. But his scream was short and it's replaced by the sound of crushing bones and great roars.
"Tiger ?" Jaka hissed. "It can't be!"
The next thing happened so fast. Something big, black, and has four legs bursting into the tent. The creature hit Jaka who stand closer to the entrance, made him bounce into. Jaka hasn't fully realized, when the creature was on top of him and sunk its teeth to his neck…made him screaming which also made Lev yelled in fear.
Cornered, Lev knows he will be dead if he stays there. But if he tries foolishly to go through the front entrance condition remains the same because that thing might block him and its strength will defeat him easily. He took Jaka's flashlight that fell near his feet and stretching down side of the tent behind him in order to make a space for his body to get through. Five minutes late on doing that and he'll be dead, after escaping his feet from that space the tiger ran into the back wall and hit it.
Tarpaulin tent was knocked by pressure from inside, just for a few second, but the materials, which so elastic and strong, limber the creature back into it…made it angry and lunged for a second time. The tent wall pushed further forward. The young man got up on his legs. He had to run away for sure. At first glance he saw Ridwan's figure lying in appropriate position, then at the piles of tent that occupied Samsudin and Ridwan. Samsudin definitely can't survive the attack…he probably the first prey and end up like Ridwan beneath the piles.
Lev instinctively ran away from the tent. He had to do something or his life will end up like the other three. The thing inside the tent roared in anger for failing to pass through and start to do something crazy to destroy the tent as he did at the first one. Fight that thing is the craziest idea he had thinking of…there's only one chance and that was....
Lev relieved to find marks and ropes was still near the cliff. Samsudin has clean all equipment before dinner but he didn't pull out the stakes yet. Perhaps he intends to finish it first thing in the morning before they return. The guy put a rope systematically, luckily he still remember the procedure that taught by Samsudin in the previous morning. Lev had just finished tightening the belt when the roars echoed. He looked up and saw the creature was out, leaving a view of destroyed tent behind him.
Khisima !!!
He looks exactly like Samsudin told...
Strapping, strong, muscular, jet-skinned, with the extra-ordinary body size, the yellow-brown eyes of him so drug and his dominant reinforced by arrogant beam of the champion which said that he was invincible. His tongue licked the snout which soaked with blood. The creature growls...he's got the last victim...he knew Lev was depressed. There's cliff behind him, and a wild hunter in front of him. He sandwiched by danger position like rats in a trap.
"You want to eat me? Come here…" Lev said in razzle-dazzle."Come over here you son of a bitch!"
Khisima waits...grouch…not provoked by frenzy cries from Lev. That thing's really a natural hunter. He's able to read psychological condition of his prey. Otherwise, Lev wasn't lost his mind to see the creature just standing there. He picked up a stone, the large one, and threw it to the head of the tiger. He missed an inches, the stone only hit right ears of Khisima, but it's more than enough to ruin the tiger's pride. He roared and running toward Lev to lunge …
The young man take out his flashlight in a hurry, waiting for a right time, and when the moment come…just when the tiger jumped with his pair of claw reach forward and his hind legs stands strongly to the ground to push his body up…Lev immediately turned on the flashlight to blind the tiger's eyes. Apparently he's not affected by the light attack. His yellow-brown eyes hold on fury…still crashing…but Lev already prepares backup plan, so when Khisima position stay an inch from him, suddenly the young man throw himself backward.
Khisima's claw which almost grasped Lev's shoulder meets the empty space. His prey had slid down the cliff in supine position. Hang in the air like a loose kite. The tiger who's already directing whole power to pounce its target flies into the abyss. Lev's eye widened…this is very unordinary situation…with blood-thirsty supernatural tiger thereon and the dark valley below…both of them are dangerous…they could taken his life in no matter.
The hunter roared, his paw reaching…still trying to grab the prey, but he couldn't do that. He opens his snout, showing his sharp teeth, and moving down to bite Lev's feet that close to him. Fortunately safety ropes on Lev's waist reached its maximum length so it holds him from falling down further. The pegs withstand his weight and make the rope swung him to stay clear from Khisima.
The supernatural tiger roar in madness because he failed to catch his target once again, and continues to fall into the bottom of the valley. The swing makes Lev bumped on the wall of rocky cliff. The first collide hurts him surely because his unawares to it. Loud cracked made him thinks that there were broken ribs but he's relieved that everything on his body still normal. On a moment he thinks he couldn't bear the pain in a second collision, the ropes get slowed and stopped completely.
"Thanks God ..." sighed Lev with trembling voice. "Thanks Animal Planet."
Although Khisima from another world, he's still a tiger, with the instinct to attack and do the same way as regular tiger did. From Animal Planet he had seen some program that shows how tiger attacked and he used that knowledge to brought Khisima down to abyss. Hopefully the monster destroyed when he fallen to the ground of the cliff.
Lev gasping in breathes. He's wonder not to hear the roars of that wild creature anymore. It shouldn't be this soon…he should have more time to see the tiger's body fallen… but it feels wrong…it's too fast…could it be Khisima already landed on the ground right now?
Suddenly he hears a familiar scream from the valley down there. It echoes so hard and filled whole inches of the valley…
"LLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVV ...."