One Night Only

Chapter Five: Welcoming Ritual

No, no, no.

This cannot happen. I cannot let this happen. The sudden feeling of an energy passing through me has to be a spiritual occurrence. But I cannot let it consume me.

I drop down the paper into the drawer and close it. I bang the cupboard shut and look around with scared yet curious eyes. I slowly walk around the room.

I knock on things to trigger any movements. The bed is attached to the wall and is empty. There is no mattress on it, just a wooden base and it has a handle. I pull on the handle and the base comes off, exposing an empty compartment in the bed.

There is nothing in it as well. I put it back on the bed. Later I exit the room and close the room. I look down on myself to check if anything is off. Nothing is. I am relieved and yet unjust. I still cannot explain what happened back in that room.

"Caput vivat, Miyan." I whisper but nothing happens. I try again and again but there is no real response. This house is what I thought at first, empty. I keep reminding myself that, as it is very important for me to distinguish between real energy and what is just a trick of my brain. I go to the other room and there is nothing but dust.

I close it and go back downstairs. It is probably 11ish so I think it would be great if I just call it a night. It is late but for Warin it is too late. The town feels ghosted, so silent that you feel it isn't.

I unload some boxes from my car and let the rest be in there. I will get it all out in the morning. Right now I need some thorough cleaning of the room with a bed. It's so late for this.

That's why I wanted to come here tomorrow morning. 

There seems to have no electricity in the house so I cannot vacuum. I pull out a cloth from my boxes and start dusting the bed off. It is a mistake but I keep on dusting and make it slightly better for me to lie down. The bed is almost clear when I wipe it up with a wet cloth. I have a sleeping bag, I didn't need to do this but I just wanted a clean spot to sit on.

Cleaning this house is gonna take me weeks. I sigh at the thought. But I don't have to deal with that now. All I really need is some sleep, the drive has worn me out. I change into my clothes not bothering about the open windows and brush my teeth. Surprisingly there is a water supply here. Exhaustion takes over me and I sleep into the bag..

Next morning I get up and check my phone for time. It's 7:30 and there are no messages or calls. Because there is no network. I texted Sally about reaching Warin just before my car broke down. The message was delivered but I couldn't tell if she read it. Hopefully she did or else that woman would be worried sick. It reminds me that I have to give her a call or something. Maybe a local phone might help.

I decide to get up and think about cleaning this place up. I use the bathroom for a face wash and  brushing my teeth. When I switch off the tap I hear two people talking. The words are not clear but I can tell it's a conversation. There are two voices, both women. I come out of the washroom and the sounds are a little more distant.

I tie my hair into a rubber band and straighten up my clothes. I open the door of the room and everything falls silent. They both aren't talking anymore. I take the stairs and go down, I gasp at the sight. There are two women sitting and smoking in the chairs of the kitchen. My eyes are widened and my first instinct is to get a bat and threaten them to leave.

They both are looking at me as if they were waiting for me to come. One of them is blond, a fake and the other one is a black headed woman. They both are in baggy trousers and shirts and overall look messy. "Hey, you are new here right?" The black haired one asks. 

"What are you doing in my house? How did you get in?" I ask hastily. I don't move from my place on the stairs. Standing any closer to them feels scary.

"Hey! Just here to welcome you. Nothing to worry about." She defends and looks at the other woman.

"Welcome me? By breaking into my house?" I huff.

"Honey, this is a small place, no your house my house. We are here for one another. Welcome to Warin." She says and puts out her cigarette.

"This is my house. I can show you the papers if you want." I blurt and they look as if they don't care for what I say. The brunette nods at her friend and she gets up.

The blond starts near the staircase and climbs up. My feet were numb till then but now I look at her and ask, "Hey what are you doing?" She is slim so she easily rushes past me and goes up towards my room.

"Hey! You cannot just go in!" I follow her and she disobeying me, pushes the door to my room open. "Hello! What do you want?!" I shout.

I could tell the other woman is standing on the end of the stairs waiting. When I enter my room I find the blond going through my stuff. My anger is at the peak after seeing that. She lifts the sleeping bag and lifts it upside down to empty it.

Nothing falls off and she drops it. "Excuse me! Why are you doing this?! Who do you think you are?" She turns around with a smirk and walks up to me.

"I think I am Dongabara." She then exits the room and starts to go down. "She isn't with them." She says when she sees her partner or whatever they are. I go down fast and march towards the table.

"Hey! Out of my house right now!" I click my fingers and show them the door. They both look unfazed. Nobody wants an early morning break in. Everyone's a savage here.

"Wait, wait. Just here to welcome you. We want nothing from you. See? We took nothing." The blond raises her hands to show that she is empty handed. Her friend follows.

"I am Dongabara and she is Nathier. Nice to meet you..?" She pauses, expecting a name from me.

"Miyan." I say reluctantly. It feels wrong but I guess it would be better if I don't pick fights with anyone. They really didn't rob anything. "Why were you looking into my house? What's the deal?"

"Oh, don't think so much. Just call it a welcoming ritual." Dongabara's tone is breezy as if what she calls a "welcoming ritual" isn't a crime. I am angry but her chatty nature has worn me off a bit.

Nathier just shrugs and looks a little apologetic. Probably she is saner than her friend. She finally opens her mouth. "Come to the laundry today evening we hangout there with others," she pauses. "And remember don't bring your car. If you wanna live here you will know you don't need one."

"Come!" Dongabara chirps and then leans towards me. Her finger tickles my chin as she intensifies, "Or else we will make you."