ROTTEN

Chapter 1

“Kick the ball, Audrey!”

The evening sky glowed orange, adorned with pink clouds as birds chirped overhead. In a field behind a row of houses, near a teak forest that people rarely entered except to cut down trees, children shouted to one another as they played soccer. Their little feet sent the ball rolling back and forth across the field, aiming for makeshift goals marked by two sandals placed a few feet apart. Among them, a girl in a karate uniform ran forward and kicked the ball toward the opposing goal.

“Go, Audrey!!”

The girl named Audrey kicked the ball with all her might. It soared high over the goalpost and disappeared into the teak forest.

“Awwww …” The children groaned in disappointment, followed by a flurry of confused chatter.

“Oh, no! What are we going to do? The ball went into the forest!”

“I’m not going in there! It’s creepy!”

“Dhan, why don’t you go get it? You’re brave, aren’t you? You’re not even scared of horror movies!”

“But I’m scared of going into that forest!!”

Suddenly, the distant voices of their parents rang out, calling them home. The sky was growing darker, which meant they had to hurry back before the buto came out to devour them. One of the children, the owner of the ball, began to cry and demanded that someone retrieve it. His shrill wailing grated on everyone's ears until Audrey could no longer stand it.

“Fine! If none of you will get it, I will!”

Reluctantly, Audrey ran toward the teak forest without a hint of fear.

Truthfully, she didn’t believe in the buto. To her, they were nothing more than fictional creatures invented to frighten children into staying indoors after dark—which, as it happened, was precisely their purpose.

Her father hadn’t returned from work yet, so she had no reason to worry about being scolded for coming home late. Besides, there was no one else in the house to scold her. It was just the two of them. Her mother had died shortly after giving birth to her, leaving Audrey to grow up alone with her stern and disciplined father.

As she reached the edge of the forest, the howling evening wind made her hesitate. Still, she tried to ignore her unease. “Buto aren't real.” She ventured into the forest in search of the soccer ball, unaware that she was gradually wandering deeper into the woods. The teak forest wasn’t as dense as most forests, but to a child her age, it was still frightening enough, especially with nightfall approaching.

The sky grew darker, yet Audrey still hadn’t found the ball.

Thud!

Her foot struck something on the ground. She glanced down. It looked like a root, but she couldn’t quite tell. It was slightly larger than an ordinary tree root. Audrey shook her head, trying not to think about it, and continued searching.

Before long, she spotted the ball beneath a tree.

“Found it!” She picked up the ball with one hand and turned toward the way home. “Time to hea—”

Shhhrrrk!

The sound of leaves and grass rustling startled her.

Audrey glanced around, but there was nothing in sight. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She quickened her pace, clutching the ball as she hurried home in fear. Cold sweat trickled down her temples.

That wasn't a buto. That wasn't a buto. Maybe it's a snake. Or maybe it's just the wind, she thought.

Rustle! Sssshhhh!!

The sounds only grew louder, as though whatever was making them was following her. Panic began to overwhelm her. Audrey broke into a run, terrified that whatever was behind her might be a dangerous animal.

She had barely run for a few seconds when something suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path.

It was a half-human, half-snake creature.

Its long hair hung around a face that was part human and part serpent. Below its torso stretched a long, dark-colored snake’s tail. Its eyes glowed in the darkness, and a long tongue flicked repeatedly from its slightly protruding mouth.

Audrey’s eyes widened. What stood before her was neither human nor animal.

It was a monster!

SSHHHAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

“KYAAAAA!!!”

Audrey spun around just as the monster lunged at her. She ran in the opposite direction, away from the way home. The half-snake monster pursued her, moving so quickly that it soon cut off her escape again. The little girl ran wildly in every direction, desperately searching for a way out. But she didn’t get far.

A protruding teak root caught her foot, sending her sprawling to the ground.

CRASH!

Scrambling frantically, Audrey forced herself to crawl away while clutching the soccer ball. Fortunately, it was made of plastic, so even though it had been dented, it wasn't too difficult to carry.

The monster slowed its movements, preparing to pounce on the distracted girl. And then—

WHOOOOSHHH!!

A stream of blue fire surged toward the monster. Its piercing shriek echoed through the forest as it recoiled from the flames.

Still stunned by the sight of the blue fire, Audrey’s eyes slowly adjusted to its brilliant glow. She watched as the flames spread among the teak trees, surrounding the area where the monster had been standing.

Then her gaze fell upon a man standing not far away. He wore a black uniform that looked military, though it wasn’t quite like any military uniform she had seen before. Bright blue flames—the hottest kind of fire—emanated from his left hand. He looked perfectly ordinary, just like any other human being.

But … How could he produce fire from his hand?

“Run, kid! Get out of here!” the man shouted at Audrey.

Audrey had no idea what was happening. Nevertheless, she obeyed and ran toward home. Fortunately, the spreading flames illuminated the path, allowing her to see where she was going.

But her curiosity soon got the better of her. She glanced back briefly and saw the man fighting the monster. They were fighting just like characters in a superhero action movie. The monster bared its claws and fangs as it lunged at the man, while he dodged its attacks and hurled flames from his hand.

The incredible sight left Audrey spellbound. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was as though she had stumbled into a scene straight out of a movie.

The sound of falling branches suddenly snapped her out of her daze. She turned and ran again, not stopping until the blazing fire had disappeared from view.

By the time Audrey reached the back door of her house, she was gasping for breath. Her heart pounded so violently that she pressed both hands against her chest, desperately trying to calm herself down. Sweat drenched her body and hair. Dirt smeared her face, legs, hands, and clothes, while leaves clung to her braided hair. She was an absolute mess. Still, she was grateful to have escaped death.

Audrey slumped against the back door, supporting her head with both hands while still holding the soccer ball. Heavy footsteps echoed from the dining room. To her surprise, her father, Rendra, had returned home earlier than expected.

“Audrey! Where have you been?! You went out to play again, didn’t you?!”

Audrey didn't answer. She was nearly out of breath. Instead, she peered through the window and watched as the flames crept closer to the teak trees behind their house.

“Dad ...” she called. “I was chased by a buto when I went to get Tegar’s ball, but ...” She swallowed nervously. “There was a guy wearing black clothes, and blue fire came out of his hand. How did he do that, Dad ...? Can people actually make fire come out of their hands?”

“...”

Rendra didn’t answer her innocent question.

He pulled back the window curtain, staring in disbelief at the sight outside. The blue flames had spread across almost the entire teak forest. Several villagers were panicking, carrying buckets of water in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fire. Others were calling the fire department, while some hurriedly ushered their children back inside their homes. Chaos had erupted in an instant.

Rendra slammed his fist against the wall in frustration, startling his daughter standing beneath him.

“Damn sidra...” he muttered. “They never take responsibility when things like this happen.”

Audrey didn’t understand what he meant. Yet those words remained etched in her memory long after she entered her teenage years. One question continued to haunt her.

What is a sidra?