Mirror name

Chapter 3— Red Door

The night changes too fast. The sky was still filled with dark clouds when Raka's car stopped at the end of the narrow alley in the Kalijaten area.

The engine was turned off, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet, only the sound of residual rain dripping from the power cables and the roofs of the old houses around them.

Alena stared out the window without saying a word.

At the end of the alley stood Mira's house, the condition was still the same as seven years ago.

The wall paint peeled off, the iron fence was rusty, the second floor windows were dark like empty eyes and the house looked dead, but somehow Alena felt that the house was watching her.

"We can still go back,"

Alena didn't answer. Tangannta has been cold ever since. He didn't know why he finally came to this place.

Maybe because of fear or precisely because of curiosity that is greater than his own fear.

The last message kept ringing in his head.

I'm still waiting downstairs.

Even though the house clearly doesn't have a basement.

At least in Alena's belief the house should not have that basement.

Raka took the flashlight from the dashboard.

"Let's just check for a moment." said Alena.

"It always sounds like a bad idea in horror movies." Raka attacked with a little joke.

"This is not a movie."

"That's the problem."

Raka chuckled a little.

But his laughter quickly disappeared when they got out of the car.

The night air feels cold and humid, the alley is empty.

There is no sound of TV from residents' houses, no motorbikes passing by, not even dogs barking in that area.

As if the whole environment was holding its breath.

Their steps stopped in front of the fence of Mira's house.

The door is slightly open.

KREEEKKK...

The sound of the fence squeaked long as Raka pushed it.

Alena immediately got goosebumps.

"Weird,"

"What?"

"In the past, the fence was always locked."

Raka turned his head.

"Did you often come here when you were a kid?"

Alena was silent for a few seconds.

"Not bad."

He lied, actually he was in that house almost every day. He often spends his time there playing, studying and staying overnight.

But strangely he had difficulty remembering certain details. The harder I try to remember, the more everything goes away.

As if his brain deliberately erased something.

They climbed the weathered wooden terrace, the main door was slightly open.

Darkness covered the inside of the house.

Raka flashed in, dust was flying in the air there was still an old sofa, a broken cabinet, slanted photos on the wall.

The house looks abandoned for years.

But strangely,

"This floor is clean," said Raka slowly.

Alena looked down.

And sure enough, among the thick dust, there were faint footprints, looking still new.

Someone entered this house not long ago.

Raka pushed the door slowly.

BRAKK.

The sound of the door made Alena flinch.

They went much deeper, the humid air immediately ambushed.

A mixture of old wood and something faint like rust or blood.

The flashlight moves down the room.

The family photo hung on the wall, Alena approached slowly.

The photo shows little Mira with her mother, but Mira's father's face is scratched with black ink, the lines are rough, repeated as if it was done when he was angry.

"Where did Mira's father go?"

Alena shook her head.

"I've never seen him." Answered Alena as far as she knew.

"Weird."

"What?"

"In police data, Mira's father was declared dead twenty years ago."

Alena looked at him confused.

"That was before Mira was born."

Silently, Raka slowly flashed the photo again.

"There's something wrong with this family."

Suddenly a voice was heard,

DUKK.

A heavy sound was heard from upstairs.

Both of them immediately froze, Raka lifted the flashlight towards the stairs.

It was dark, there was nothing but the sound sounded very clear like footsteps.

Alena immediately took half a step back.

"Let's just go." Invite Alena to be scared.

Raka didn't answer.

DUKk.

Once again.

This time it sounded closer than before.

The wood upstairs creaked softly, someone walked there.

Raka looked at Alena.

"You wait here."

"Don't leave me alone!" Alena pulled Raka's hand.

"Okay. Together."

They climbed the stairs slowly.

Every step made the old wood complain.

Alena's breathing is getting faster.

He hates this house.

Not more precisely his body hates this house because the longer he stays here, the more pieces of memory appear.

Mira laughed, red light, crying and someone's voice said,

"If they remember everything, we're done."

They arrived at the second floor.

A long hallway spread out in front, three doors closed, one window at the end of the hallway opened slightly, making the curtains move slowly in the wind.

Raka approached the first door.

Empty.

Second room.

Empty.

When opening the third room Alena immediately stopped breathing.

The room is still intact different from the rest of the house.

The room was neat, clean as if it was still inhabited.

On the table there is a glass of warm tea that still emits thin steam.

Raka immediately stiffened.

"Impossible."

Alena stared at the bed.

The white stuffed rabbit sat there, just like Mira's before, then his eyes slowly moved to the wall and his blood felt frozen.

Large writings fill the wall using black ink.

RUN BEFORE HE REMEMBERS.

Raka approached slowly.

"What does it mean?"

Alena didn't answer because her head suddenly felt very painful.

It hurt so much that his vision blurred and suddenly he saw something.

Not a shadow, not an imagination, but like a memory of his little self standing in this room.

Mira was crying in the corner of the room and there was a tall man wearing a white suit standing in front of them.

The man smiled while holding the injection.

"A good boy won't remember the pain."

BRAKKK!

The door of the room suddenly closed by itself.

Raka's flashlight went out and the situation turned completely dark.

Alena immediately panicked.

"RAKA!" Alena shouted.

Someone's breath sounded very close right behind him, then a female voice whispered softly in his ear,

“You're finally back, Evelyn.”

Dark, thick, Alena couldn't see anything.

His breath caught as his hand touched the empty air.

"Raka!"

There is no answer.

Only the faint sound of rain from outside the house and the breath of someone behind him.

The voice sounded like a plate but it felt heavy and warm in his neck. At that moment Alena's body froze completely.

Then, CLICK.

The flashlight is back on.

The light flickered a few times before it stabilized. But the room was empty, there was no one behind Alena.

Raka stood near the door with a tense face.

"What happened?" Asked Raka.

Alena retreated quickly until she hit the table.

"A-there are people."

"Where?"

"Just now... someone was talking," said Alena intermittently. He pointed to the wall because now the writing on the wall had changed.

What was written,

RUN BEFORE HE REMEMBERS

Now become,

Late

Alena's blood immediately cooled.

"Someone is playing us."

"This is not funny."

Raka approached the writing.

Still wet.

Black ink dripped slowly down the wall, it looked like it was just written a few seconds ago.

"Impossible," he muttered.

"We're going out now."

Alena immediately nodded, but when Raka tried to open the door, the door didn't move. The door was suddenly locked.

Raka pushed harder.

BRAK.

BRAK.

Still not open.

"Don't joke," he said softly.

Alena started to panic.

"RAKA."

"Wait."

He tried to turn the handle once again, but still couldn't open it.

Suddenly, the sound of soft music sounded from the corner of the room.

Kring...

Kring...

Alena turned her head slowly.

A small music box on top of the cabinet rotates by itself. The little ballerina doll moves slowly.

The song immediately made Alena's head hurt because she knew the melody.

Another piece of memory hit his head.

The room was white, the lights were bright, he sat on a chair while crying, then the music was played over and over again, until a voice said,

"Listen carefully, Evelyn. Your name is now Alena."

Alena immediately held her head.

"No!" Alena shouted.

"Lena?" Raka touched his hand.

"TURY OFF THAT MUSIC!" Pinta Alena

Raka hurriedly took the music box and slammed it to the floor.

PRACTICE.

The song stops.

The atmosphere is quiet again.

Alena sat down trembling.

His breathing sounded chaotic.

"What are you looking at?" Raka asked slowly.

Alena raised her face slowly, her eyes started to water.

"I've been here." Alena explained.

"Of course, because you are Mira's best friend."

"That's not it."

Alena's voice drank.

“I've been locked up here.”

Raka was silent.

Before he could speak, a voice was heard,

KREEKK.

The door of the room finally opened by itself.

Slowly.

A dark hallway can be seen outside, the cold wind comes in with a damp smell.

Raka immediately pulled Alena to stand up.

"Let's go out."

They walked quickly through the hallway but Alena's steps suddenly stopped.

It was seen that there was someone standing at the end of the hallway.

Woman, her long wet hair is wearing a shabby white dress but her face is not clear because it is covered in darkness.

Raka quickly picked up the flashlight and the figure immediately disappeared.

Empty.

Alena felt her heart almost breaking.

"Did you see that?"

Raka didn't immediately answer, his jaw hardened.

"Yes."

They went down the stairs faster.

The old wood creaked loudly under their feet but just when they reached the living room,

TOK.

TOK.

TOK.

Three knocks came from under the floor.

Both of them froze.

The voice came again.

Alena slowly lowered her head.

The wooden floor of the living room is right under the old carpet.

Raka removed the carpet quickly.

Dust flew and there, there was a faint square line on the wooden floor like a hidden door.

Alena's breath hitched.

"This house does have a basement," said Raka slowly.

"But it's not on the house plan."

Raka squatted down to check the small rusty iron handle on the floor as if it had been hidden for a long time.

TOK.

TOK.

TOK.

The knock was heard again but this time it was louder and clearly coming from down there.

Alena retreated slowly.

"Don't open it!" Alena restrained Raka.

Raka looked at him.

"There's someone down there or something, we have to know."

"RAKA!"

But the man had pulled the handle of the basement door.

Dust and cold air immediately gushed out.

A strange smell beckons.

Damp, rotten and faint like hospital medicine.

The narrow stairs descend into the darkness.

It was so dark that the flashlight seemed to be swallowed.

Raka shines down.

The old concrete wall looks covered with black stains and writings.

Hundreds of engraved names filled the walls.

Alena slowly approached.

His hands trembled as he read one name.

MIRA ADISTY

Below ALENA PRAMESTI and right below Alena's name there is another name.

A name that made his blood feel like it stopped flowing.

EVELYN

Suddenly, DUKKK!

A loud noise was heard from the bottom of the basement like someone hitting an iron door.

Once then heard again.

DUKKK!

Raka raised the flashlight further.

At the bottom of the stairs there was a big red door and something was hitting from the inside.

Alena retreated tremblingly.

"Don't come down."

But that's when Raka's flashlight highlighted something on the basement floor.

Old photo.

Raka went down to take it slowly, then his face immediately turned pale.

"Oh my god..."

"What?"

He showed the photo to Alena.

Photo of small children standing lined up in a white room. Everyone is wearing a number bracelet and in the middle of the photo there is little Mira and little Alena.

But behind them stood a man in a white suit smiling at the camera he was doctor Sena.