Solace and Other Stories

By M. Syaipul Nasrullah

As he stared at the corpse's face, he realized an endless dark cavity beneath the dead skin. There's no one there. Even if he shouted with all his might, it was not the echo that would greet him but the silence that engulfed his voice.

- SOLACE

 

In "Good Friends," a little girl collects dolls her family can't afford from the neighbor's trash bin. But who is the ghostly figure sharing them with her? A mysterious married woman reaches out to an ojek driver in "Confide," and a young man's attempt to kill himself goes awry in "Zombie." In "The Crains" a new wife discovers her in-laws' dangerous forays into black magic, and "Solace" follows a young man with a terrifying secret in his bedroom… These are just some of the spine-tingling stories of Solace and Other Stories, a surreal collection sure to keep you up at night!

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. Syaipul Nasrullah
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201928377

M. Syaipul Nasrullah

M. Syaipul Nasrullah, born in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, May 27, 1989. When he was in elementary school, he was fascinated by the books series "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators" by Robert Arthur, Jr., "The Famous Five" by Enid Blyton, as well as "Goosebumps" by R.L. Stine. As he grew older, he fell in love with the works of Agatha Christie and was inspired by other influential writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

Book preview

HOLLOW

A MOTORCYCLE STOPPED in front of an abandoned house in a remote town—the old house with a large yard. The yard was covered in green grass and had already become wild. There was a rambutan tree on the left side. The leaves under the tree were dry and yellow, soiled with bird droppings—the house itself was surrounded by a small porch. Its windows were covered in rust from the rain.

The couple who drove the vehicle were quiet for a moment, looking at the old house in front of them. They didn’t know how old the house was but could tell it had been renovated in some parts without changes to the original model. From the looks of it, the house was ordinary, but somehow the atmosphere felt different—like the house was staring back at them.

There was a voice behind them. Good afternoon! A friendly-looking older man in his seventies was smiling at them. His stature was tall but slightly stooped.

Good afternoon! replied the couple.

Err ... who are you guys? Why did you stop by this empty house? asked the old man.

The woman, who had a round face and a slightly fat build, dismounted from the vehicle and approached the older man. I am Iin, the granddaughter of Kai Iras. And that is my husband, Aran. The woman pointed to the thin-browed man behind her, still sitting on the bike.

Oh, I understand now. So, you guys will be occupying this house since your grandfather died, huh?

That’s right! said Iin. It was our family’s decision. From now on, the two of us will live in this house.

Oh boy, then we’ll be neighbors. I am a good friend of your grandfather’s. People in this village call me Julak Ayat. My house is right across from yours. That one... He indicated a house behind him, not far from where they were standing. The house was slightly higher than the other houses in the settlement. I hope we can be good neighbors who can help each other.

After the introductions, they chatted for a while before Julak Ayat said, See you later, and went to his rice field. He passed on the path beside the couple’s house.

Aran got up from his motorcycle and walked ahead of his wife into the house. The front door opened easily, and the whole place was filled with sunlight; the blue sky shone on everything in sight. The house had two floors. The front door faced the yard in the west, where the rambutan trees were. All rooms on the ground floor were sunlit. There were no windows or doors on the east side of the house, so the pair concluded it was enclosed. After the owner died, the inside of the house was filled with dust and cobwebs. The couple immediately busied themselves, cleaning the house in silence. There was some kind of tension between them.

Night came. The couple could see lights on the other houses from the bedroom window. The cloud that had hung in the sky for a long time finally could no longer hold back the drizzle it contained. The sound of rain on the roof filled their ears. In the bedroom, Aran yawned and receded into his comforting blanket. He glanced at Iin and tried to think of something so his wife would no longer be angry with him, but he was asleep before finding a solution.

Aran’s snoring was bothersome. Not for a second was Iin free from hatred for her husband. She got out of bed, exited the room, and walked to the bathroom.

A glimmer of light from the porch lamp that slipped into the darkness was enough to guide Iin’s steps. Outside, occasional thunderbolts exploded and lightning exposed the entire room. The drizzle drowned out almost all sounds, although Iin could hear a faint noise.

Footsteps?

Did Aran follow her? She looked back, but there was no one. Could it be the echo of her footsteps? Or was it just a feeling? With slight goose bumps, Iin decided not to think about it.

After entering the bathroom and closing the door, she took a deep breath. Iin turned the sink faucet and looked at the falling water. In front of her was a mirror. She looked up. Her round face was gloomy.

The rain outside had died down a bit; then, the words escaped her mouth without permission. I want a divorce!

Iin was startled. The words echoed in the bathroom as if mocking her. Her round face turned pale; she bit her lip and closed her eyes. I want a divorce! she said again, with more determination than before. Iin was surprised by her own words. But, she began to wonder, was it that she wanted?

Outside, the lively drizzle seemed to have died down. The sounds that had previously been drowned in the rain became clearer; Iin could hear effortlessly. Then she heard footsteps again.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The sound was clear, no longer faint. Iin sharpened her hearing; the steps were heavy and slow, from their sound heading toward the bathroom. Right toward Iin.

Ah, it must be Aran.

Still, for some reason, she shivered to hear them. Frightened, Iin forced herself to wash her face and shuddered. She turned off the water and wiped her face with a towel.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The sound kept getting closer.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Now the footsteps sounded right in front of the bathroom door.

Iin couldn’t stand it anymore. Aran? Fear forced her voice to come out, but there was no answer. The sound just stopped. The place was quiet for a moment. Iin immediately opened the door. "Ar—" Her voice stopped in her throat. There was no one there.

Iin quickly ran to her room. Aran must have tricked her. But Aran was still asleep in bed, snoring.

Aran! Get up! That one was you, right? Iin shook her husband’s body.

Aran turned around. His eyes were red, and he looked at Iin in astonishment.

The next morning, after the explanation, he was no more helpful. "Haaah, at most, your grandfather became a ghost!" Aran snapped, still annoyed at being woken up last night.

Don’t talk recklessly! replied Iin.

I’m not reckless! There was a terrifying sound of footsteps. It wasn’t me who did it, much less you, and your grandfather just died! That makes sense, right?

Iin hit Aran’s shoulder. I don’t like what you’re saying!

Ah, never mind. I want to go to work.

Aran got out of bed and walked away. Iin didn’t care.

Iin never met her grandfather while he was alive. She had never heard any stories about her grandfather from her mother. There seemed to be something in the past that had strained their relationship, but her mother never taught her to disrespect her grandfather.

Even though her mother seemed to object when Iin decided to accept their extended family’s offer to occupy this house, she couldn’t say anything because it was indeed relatively close to Aran’s new workplace. Iin wasn’t sure why, but she had a strange feeling that her mother was afraid of something. Whenever Iin asked her mother about it, she’d give an evasive answer and change the subject. Iin felt that her mother was hiding something from her.

Iin stayed in the house alone after Aran went to work.

That day, Iin planned to ask Julak Ayat about what had happened last night, but no one came out when she knocked on his door. The house looked deserted. Another neighbor, Acil Midah, said the older man was out of town, at his family’s invitation.

Did he say when he will be back? Iin asked.

Acil Midah shook her head. No, not really. The small middle-aged woman with curly gray hair looked curiously at Iin.

Iin realized the woman wanted to know why she was looking for Julak Ayat, but Iin turned the conversation to another matter. It seemed Acil Midah liked to gossip. Iin did not want this matter to be known to many people.

The second night Iin and Aran occupied the house, the sky looked clear. Aran had been snoring for a long time, while Iin was still restless. Like last night, she couldn’t sleep because of her husband, and she felt like going to the restroom. But she was afraid that something like what happened last night would happen again. After holding back her urge for a long time, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and decided to face her fear.

Iin got out of bed and headed to the restroom. The floor tiles were cold on her feet; the chilly air felt good against her skin, although a bit too cold. She tried to listen for any sound, but there was no ambient noise except the sound of Aran’s snores.

Iin turned the doorknob and opened the bathroom door slowly. It creaked loudly. Her hands were sweaty because of her fear of last night’s events. Iin took a deep breath and went in.

Iin came out of the bathroom with great relief. Then her heart was frozen again by fear; in front of her lay gloomy darkness. The full moon and porch lights gave only a faint glow, and frozen shadows filled the entire room.

Iin gasped. Her eyes caught a glimpse of movement in the shadow of a cabinet beside her. The next second, a dark figure ambushed her without giving her time to comprehend what was going on. The figure locked her arms and covered her mouth, a sharp object wrapped around its neck.

In Iin’s mind, all the possibilities raged. Who is he? A thief? Is he the person who yesterday made scary footsteps in my house? One question had not been answered; another question would follow.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached in front of them. Iin’s panic subsided slightly. She thought Aran had heard a disturbance and woken up. But no. There was no one there. The sound was unmistakable, and her vision would not lie, but no one could be seen amid the darkness.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The sound of the footsteps continued to approach them. They sounded heavy and slow, just like last night. Iin’s heart was beating strongly, making her chest hurt. Her body was trembling violently with fear. She screamed as loudly as she could, but the sound was muffled by the hands of the unknown figure.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Now the footsteps sounded right in front of her. Suddenly, Iin’s scream exploded and resounded