I asked Adi, Mr. Hasan's son-in-law, to carry two boxes to my room. I really didn't want to go in there, even if I could avoid it forever.
The touch of that invisible creature's hand still felt frighteningly real. Even though “it” hadn't hurt me, it was still terrifying.
“I put them in front of Miss Naes's room. Next time, just ask me or Dad for help,” Adi said when we passed each other on the stairs.
“Yeah, Adi. Thanks.”
I immediately headed for my room on the second floor. Sagara's room was next to mine, while both my parents and Nalesha were downstairs.
My room was spacious, with soft cream-colored walls, gleaming wooden floors, and a large window overlooking the garden behind the house. There was a big wardrobe, a made-up bed, and a study desk in the corner.
“They're pretty heavy,” I muttered as I dragged the two boxes into my room. Dad wouldn't let the servants clean our rooms, so it was our job to do it ourselves.
I quickly unpacked the boxes full of memories, carefully setting everything on the floor in the middle of the room. I had so many things, and I thought it was time to sort through the ones I no longer used.
“I'll throw this away.”
“This one too.”
I was so absorbed in sorting through the things I wanted to throw out that I felt wind blowing throughout the room, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. When I stepped forward to close the window, a faint chill brushed my cheek and sent another shiver through me.
“Ah, it’s probably just the morning air. Besides, this house is old and sits on top of a hill.”
I brushed aside my negative thoughts and blamed it on the change of seasons. But deep down, I couldn't ignore the unease burning inside me.
“Maybe I should just leave the door open. Why do I feel like something's wrong?”
As I opened my bedroom door, I caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of my eye. Something—mist or smoke—seemed to pass across the stairs. I looked again, certain there had to be something wrong with my vision.
But when I turned around, hoping not to see anything except an empty hallway, there was nothing there. It left behind only an echo of fear in my mind.
With a heavy sigh, I pushed away my discomfort and continued unpacking. But even as I arranged my things, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me, as though their presence were drifting around in here.
“Please, don't bother me!”
“We're not bad people.”
I called out, even though I knew there was little chance that the unseen ones understood what I meant. Not wanting to feel disturbed, I grabbed my headphones and started listening to music.
“If there is goodness, let it come with all your heart, and never regret it.” (“If there is goodness, bring it forth with all your heart and never regret it.”)
“In the course of life, be careful, because even the smallest mistake can have major consequences.” (“As you go through life, always be careful, because even the smallest mistake can have major consequences.”)
I slowly opened my eyes. My brows drew together when I heard the faint sound of a woman humming somewhere in the distance. The language she was using wasn't unfamiliar to me. It was Javanese, the language I always heard Dad speak when he talked to Grandma. But that voice shouldn't have been in this house.
“Who’s humming?” I asked myself in a whisper.
I turned my head toward the bedroom door, and my body, which had initially felt comfortable, began to stiffen. I placed a hand over my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat as it gradually quickened.
“No... I’m not opening the bedroom door.”
I slowly sat on the edge of the bed, deliberately letting my feet dangle. The room felt colder than usual. I strained my ears. The humming was still there, soft but clear, as if it were coming from the hallway outside my room.
I lifted my feet off the floor, stood carefully, and walked toward the door. The air around me felt increasingly heavy. With trembling fingers, I reached for the doorknob.
“This is only a dream. There’s no one here.” I bit my lip as I whispered.
When I opened the bedroom door, the humming stopped at once. In front of the door, there was only pitch-black darkness blanketing the hallway of my house.
“This isn’t a dream. That voice was real,” I murmured.
I narrowed my eyes and stared down the empty hallway. My hand still gripped the doorknob tightly, as if trying to find something to hold on to amid my unease.
I swallowed with difficulty, trying to calm myself, but something made the back of my neck prickle. I felt as though I were being watched, even though there was no one there.
“H-Hello? Who’s there?” I called softly, my voice trembling.
There was no answer. Only the silence pressing down harder and harder.
“Please, don’t bother me.”
I gathered my courage and stepped out of the room. I could feel my shoulders tensing, and I let them hunch slightly as I prepared to back away if something suddenly appeared. But the hallway remained deserted, shrouded only in darkness and the chill of night.
Suddenly, the cold night wind touched my face. The window at the end of the hallway, which had previously been tightly shut, was now slightly open. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze. I stared at the window in confusion, but also with concern.
“Are you the other occupants of this house—the ones who opened the window?”
I slowly backed away, not wanting to approach it. My fear grew stronger.
Suddenly, the sound of small footsteps came from behind me. I flinched and spun around, but once again, I found no one there. My body trembled even harder this time.