Episode 2

The next day, Dimas woke up precisely at four in the morning. It was as if an internal alarm had been set; he always awoke at that hour.

Upon opening his eyes wide and gathering as much spirit as he could, Dimas promptly walked to the bathroom for ablution and to cleanse himself with a shower.

While dousing himself under the showerhead, Dimas felt a presence watching him from every direction.

Dimas turned off the shower and looked around.

Nothing.

He saw no one.

Dimas paused to think.

"Maybe this is just my imagination," Dimas mused to himself.

He decided to continue his showering ritual until finished.

Once done, Dimas wrapped a towel around his waist.

He moved to the sink to brush his teeth.

Reaching for the toothpaste on the edge of the sink, it suddenly moved on its own.

Dimas tried to stay positive. He reached for his toothpaste again, and once more, it shifted by itself.

Dimas glanced around to see if there was someone else in the bathroom.

After a deep breath, Dimas attempted to grab the toothpaste again.

As his hand touched it, at that same moment, Dimas felt another hand on the back of his.

He recoiled and stepped back a few paces.

His breathing quickened. Dimas couldn't believe what had just happened.

He pressed himself against the wall, scanning the room.

No one was there but him.

Dimas realized he was being disturbed by an unseen entity.

When his gaze fell on the mirror, Dimas's eyes widened in disbelief, his body trembling with fear, for he saw a long-haired figure in white standing right above his head.

The figure was creeping like a gecko.

Then an eerie laughter echoed through the bathroom.

Hahahaha!!

The creature crawled about, eventually stopping on the ceiling, staring down at Dimas.

Dimas could see the ghastly face, damaged, with one eye hanging out in front of it.

He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly.

As it's forbidden to pray in the bathroom—a directive from Allah SWT—Dimas chose to recite prayers internally.

He silently uttered every exorcism prayer he knew, his body shaking violently.

Slowly, the laughter turned into a wailing cry that sliced through his heart.

Dimas continued with the prayers he remembered. "Allahu laa ilaaha illaa huwal hayyul qoyyuum, laa ta’khudzuhuu sinatuw walaa naum. Lahuu maa fissamaawaati wa maa fil ardli man dzal ladzii yasyfa’u ‘indahuu illaa biidznih, ya’lamu maa baina aidiihim wamaa kholfahum wa laa yuhiithuuna bisyai’im min ‘ilmihii illaa bimaa syaa’ wasi’a kursiyyuhus samaawaati wal ardlo walaa ya’uuduhuu hifdhuhumaa wahuwal ‘aliyyul ‘adhiim."

After finishing the verse, the sounds that had been there disappeared.

Simultaneously, the call to dawn prayer began to sound from the mosque's loudspeaker.

Finally, Dimas opened his teary eyes, having been stricken with fear. Yes, Dimas had cried.

He wasn't supposed to be afraid, but this was the first time Dimas had seen and heard the supernatural himself.

Regaining composure, Dimas performed ablution and left the bathroom.

Dressed completely, he went on to fulfill his morning duty as a Muslim.

"Good morning, Satrio, Riko," Dimas greeted for the first time at the breakfast table.

"Good morning, Dimas. Did you sleep well? Soundly?" Satrio inquired, making sure.

"Soundly," replied Dimas, who wasn't lying.

After breakfast, they headed to the government office together, driving a car especially prepared for the employees.

As they passed the banyan tree, Dimas felt a shiver run through him.

He always shivered passing that particular tree.

Dimas glanced at the banyan tree once more before leaving.

Nothing seemed unusual, but Dimas always sensed something about that tree.

"What's the matter, Dimas? You're daydreaming?" Riko said, snapping Dimas out of his fixation on the mysterious tree.

"Eh! Let's just get going now!" Dimas suggested, and his two friends nodded in agreement.

Upon arrival at the office, Dimas greeted everyone he passed cheerfully.

Satrio showed Dimas to his desk, which wasn't too far from theirs, allowing for easy socializing as Dimas didn't yet know any of the other workers.

"New employee from out of town, right?" a woman with shoulder-length hair greeted.

Dimas nodded and smiled warmly in response.

"Hi, I'm Clarissa," the woman said, extending her hand for a shake.

Dimas smiled and returned the gesture.

"I'm Dimas. Pleasure meeting you," said Dimas graciously.

She smiled and excused herself to return to her desk, which, it turned out, was next to Dimas's.

While still focusing on Clarissa, a whispered voice reached Dimas's ear again.

"Kill her!" said the whisper.

Dimas recognized this voice wasn't that of any of his friends.

Dimas closed his eyes briefly and exhaled roughly.

Intent on refocusing, Dimas turned to Satrio beside him, but "Aargh!" he yelped, startled, collapsing to the floor. It was not Satrio that Dimas saw.

Dimas became the center of attention among the employees in the room. "What's the matter, Dim? You look like you've just seen a ghost," Satrio asked, offering to help Dimas stand.

Dimas was silent, processing yet another bizarre experience.

"Why do 'they' appear so often here? I've never seen them before," Dimas thought to himself.

"You okay, Dim? Dimas? Hey!?" Satrio snapped again, awaiting a response.

Dimas jolted out of his reverie and weakly shook his head 'no'.

Dimas saw the entity from this morning's bathroom encounter.

Its mangled face and dangling eye caused Dimas to tremble fearfully.

Especially terrifying was how close the disfigured face came to his own, the hanging eye nearly touching Dimas's face.

Suddenly, Dimas touched his face fearfully, expecting to feel blood, but found none.

"What's wrong, Dimas? There's nothing on your face," said a puzzled Satrio as he watched Dimas wipe at his face.

Dimas shook his head again and remained hesitant to share his experiences.

Dimas wondered if he was the only one haunted by this unseen specter.

Were Satrio and Riko not experiencing what he endured?