Kisah Masyitah Rukyah

Chapter 8 - Silaturahim/Relations

My vision settles on the mouldy ceiling of my new room. Latest to bed, earliest to rise.

The bed I was sleeping on isn't the cleanest thing in the world, but it beats lying down on the ground. The frame also creaks every time I switch positions. The paint on the walls has been chipped away, leaving large grey areas of concrete peeking out from the flaky thin white coating. The room smelled of nothing the first time I stepped into it, but it's now filled with the fresh scent of citrus thanks to my favourite air freshener.

After a yawn and a stretch, I exit my room and walk along the dusty hall. On one side, there are the rooms for myself, Harmony and Casey (both still fast asleep). On the other side are the rooms for Ramya, Xiao and Al-Makira. Since the condition of the Highland Towers doesn't exactly warrant luxury, there are no doors separating the inside from the outside. Xiao and Ramya also haven't woken up, so I walk a bit further to check on Al-Makira. 

She's not there. The room's empty. She must be downstairs.

Her mattress is fashioned with a dark purple bedsheet and two pillows piled on top of it. On the relatively dust-free floor lies stacks and stacks of thick books. They almost look like dictionaries. I look behind to make sure Al-Makira doesn't have her eye on me, and I enter.

I crouch down and pick a random book from the floor, taking care as to not step on one. Most of the spines have been torn and damaged. The book that I picked up doesn't have a title, author or anything at all on its cover. I flip it to the side and see something written on by a marker pen.

'POCONG, KUNTILANAK, ORANG BUNIAN etc. PART 1'

I check the book next to it.

'RASUKAN, HYSTERIA, etc. PART 4'

I turn a few pages in. I didn't expect to be greeted by lines of handwriting instead of a uniform font. If my assumptions are correct, these must be Al-Makira's notes on paranormal creatures and cases.

I hear a footstep. A raspy cough and a raspy voice greets me.

"Selamat pagi, Kiah. Best duduk dalam bilik ambo?" / "Good morning, Kiah. You enjoying staying in my room?"

"Oh, um–" I set Makira's notes down with a thud too loud and cross my arms–"was just... wondering where you were. Where were you anyway?"

She leans against the doorframe and smiles. There's that distinct smile of Makira I pegged from the second she showed it. 

Arrogant, yet humble. Sad, yet joyful. Preoccupied, yet more than happy to make time.

She picks up the book I was holding before I dropped it like an idiot trying to not blow my cover.

"You're a very curious girl. It's obvious to me that you want to know even more about the paranormal. Am I correct?"

I nod.

"These are all my works. I've went through many libraries, haunted places, hermits and even more pens to write all this down." She opens the book and smells the old paper. "I'll lend you a few of these books later if you want. You can read it in your own time so you don't have to snoop around next to my bed."

"Really? That would be great, thanks so much."

"Don't mention it, dear. Why don't you come along with me?" She wiggles a finger in my direction. "Ramya, Xiao and I consider Sundays to be rest days. In the meantime, I want to learn more about your abilities."

"Huh, my abilities? Surely you must have something about telepathy in all of these books," I joke.

"Well, nothing beats first hand experience."