Gothic Story

The Devil Corona

By. Ricka Sebastian

            I am a scientist. I am Botanical Scientist. One day I got a package from the library that already broke. They sent me an old book near my house. That book quite interests me. I like to read that book in my spare time. Then I really pay attention on the page 115^th. That page writes about ‘The Devil Corona’ flower. A yellow flower, that has very unique petal. That flower found in tropical high land. They said that Devil Corona is one of the scarce plants in the world. That is such a predator plant. The granule on the petal can produce some liquid that can give long life effect for human but give other side effect for animal especially insect. To drag one piece of the petal with some liquid potion, it can give long life effect around 75 days. One flower is containing of 4 pieces of petal. So can you imagine? The flower of the Devil Corona always blooms a year a time, the single big flower.

            I really want to get the long life effect. I feel I am getting old. I find out many gray hairs in my head. Even though they said that I look more handsome and mature but the fact is my ex wife leave me with the younger man.

            I am tall, almost look skinnier and wearing glasses. Everyone said that I am handsome enough with my gray hair but I am not confidence with my own age. The age is becomes my problem. I divorces my wife because I found my wife have a date with the younger man. ‘Old’ become my traumatic.

            I keep asking until I got letter from my partner, Robert Kudi.

            “I don’t know about that flower, Al. That flower is one of scarce plant. I never use it on my experiment. Alfred Bassie, my friend, if you really want to know about that flower, maybe you can ask to ‘Good Otto’. He is hunter who lives in the jungle near the dog husbandry village. Is that making a sense? He really knows about the scarce plant. You have to ask him. But, Alfred Bassie my friend, I warn you…..please bring a silver bullet on your gun just for protecting yourself”

            “Silver bullet? Huh, I never believe with superstition!

            I decide to leave for tomorrow afternoon before the sun goes down, I have to find ‘good Otto’. I hope Otto is the one who has that flower. What about the silver bullet? Forgot it!

I walk, looking for ‘good Otto’. I enter the silent jungle. No sound of singing bird. As far as I walked, I just hear the howling wolf. I can’t find either house there. I keep walking until I lost my breath. I feel very tired. My sweat makes my white and expensive shirt wet. I sit on the big log for taking a deep breath. Then I feel something wrong. Someone or something is peeping me from the big tree in front of me that hide behind a high bush. I can see, big and sharp eyes keep watching at me. While I hear the sound of howling wolf, suddenly, a big wolf, very big wolf come out from his hiding place. I am shocking, I drop my body down to the ground. Vey big wolf is standing with his two legs right front of me.

            The wolf shows his big jaw that full of saliva. His claws out and ready to attack me. The wolf jumps over me. Attack me with his huge body, sharp claws and killing jaws. I try my best to fight it with the broken branch that I found near my feed. But the wolf is too strong for me. The wolf gets my body, ready to slaughtering me.

            On that time, I hear the gun shot. Something silver passes near my head. Then I see that wolf drops down to the ground. I keep standing near that dropping wolf until someone grabs my hand and bring me far away from that place. While we are walking in silent, I hear the sound of howling wolf that change into sound of human in pain. The sound is coming from the place I just leave for, but the man who grabs my hand gives me no chance to look behind.

            He brings me to the small house.  A beautiful small house. I like that house from my first sight. He asks me in and offers his sofa. This room looks comfortable. I clean my shirt up from the wolf’s hair.

            “Hallo. Why do you so stupid to go to this jungle alone only with your expensive shirt?”

            “I bet that you are not a hunter” he continuously criticizes about me.

            I keep staring at a young man in front of me who just interrogated me. That young man, is very handsome. He has beautiful eyes, a crystal eyes. His skin is light brown. He has black long hairs that touch with nice into his shoulder.

            “Yes you are right. I am scientist. My name is Alfred Bassie. What is the hell going on over here? What kind of creature that I have seen there?” I rub my own face while I put my body tight to the sofa.

            “Hi’ Al. Nice to meet you. What did you saw just a big wolf”

            “My name is Otto” he smile and give an eye to me. A sharp sight. I bet that I have seen that sharp eyes but I can’t remembered right now.

            I stand and shake Otto’s hand.

            “Thank God. I finally find you. I want to ask you about something. This is about……………”

            “Pst! You must be very hungry and tired. How if you take your diner, then you can take a rest. Tomorrow I will tell you everything that what Robert Kudi said to me. I think you’ll pleasant to stay here a night”

            Yes. He is absolutely correct. I am very tired and hungry.

            He serves me with a big slice of grill meat on the big plate, minced potato and a cup of orange squash.

            I eat my dinner. I left some slice of meat. I drink of my orange squash.

            After my tummy full, I falls a sleeps in the sofa next to the fire place. Around 20 minute latter, I wake up.

            I can’t find Otto everywhere in that house.

            I see around that house. In this house I haven’t seen even one mirror or Otto’s picture.

            The left of the grill meat makes me hungry for twice. I took a knife to cut off my left meat. Suddenly I found out something inside the meat. Something hard and make sound ‘ting’ to the knife. I take it out.

            This is surprising me, when I found out the silver bullet on my meat. It makes me nausea.

            There is something wrong!

            I need little time to make me calm down.

            “What kind of meat is that? I deeply think about it

            I try to find out Otto for the second time, I need to know about this.

            This house is empty. I can’t find Otto in every shapes of this house. I worried is something happen with him? Otto is my last chance to find out the Devil Corona.

            I have to find out Otto! But outside is very unwise environment.

            I need the weapon to protect myself.

            I saw some riffle hanging above the fire place. I take one and check it. Empty. Then I find some bullet boxes inside the drawer right next to the sofa. I take some and fill to the riffle while my eyes see some different bullet inside the gray box. The silver bullet.

            “….. I warn you. Please bring silver bullet just for protecting yourself………….” Robert Kudi’s word keeps running on my head.

            I take one silver bullet, and put on my pocket. I still disagree with all kind of shit superstition.

            I step on my feed to the dark jungle. All that I can hear is the howling wolf.

            The light of the moon can’t go through this jungle. The trees are huge and cover up the sky. I walk through the dark, follow my instinct.

            I go looking for Otto. This already late of night, and Otto haven’t come back yet. I hold tight the riffle. I never think that maybe i get lost over here, but I do keep walking and walking.

            I stop to the place that the tree are not to huge. I look at to the sky. The full moonlight gives a bit light to that place where I stand right row. The rest wrapped by the dark.

            My instinct asks me to go to south. The moonlight still flares on me.

            After couple of steps, I see something lying on the ground. My blood feel freezing. With my might I try to walk closer to find out.

            “Oh gosh………”

            It makes me almost unconscious when I saw the dead body is lying down to the ground. A naked death. The gun shots victim.

            I keep walking with holding tight my riffle. No choices for me either go on or back.

            I have found three naked death.

            Finally I find the light in the north. The light is come from the small café. I go in and found unfriendly sight from the people around there. I come to the bartender for asking a cup of wine.

            “I don’t have place for you, stranger!” That is what he said to me.

            “Excuse me? I am a scientist, I get lost here. I am looking for my friend. He has not come back yet. Maybe you do see him”

            “This is wild jungle man! If your friend has not come back yet, he will become memory. You should forget him forever”

            “Why?

            “I don’t want to tell you why. Better you leave us soon, before something happen to you!

            “Thank you for your attention to me. But, I better stay here. Hey, did I order a cup of wine?

            “There is no wine for you. The only thing I have is a tick coffee. If you want that damn tick coffee, I will make it for you. Then you can leave this place soon!

            “What is going on over here? I see so many death bodies outside. Can you tell me something?

            A man who sit on my opposite, come and grabs my collar.

            “What did you said? Death bodies?

            “Yeah. They are around 3 death bodies. Hey, release your hand from me!” I struggle with all my might to release from him.

            They are yelling almost in the same time.

            “The courageous Otto!

Wanna read more?
Wait for Ricka Sebastian's Gothic Book 'Dongeng Tengah Malam' (Tale of Midnight)