"K-Ka Pineng... it's a good thing you made it..."
This was how Josephine greeted me when she opened the door for us. She was trembling. Her eyes were darting around restlessly. I neither spoke to her nor threw her a glance.
"C-come in, Ka Pineng..." she guided me inside.
I was about to step forward when I stopped in my tracks. What kind of feeling is this? It was my first time feeling such dread. When I looked back at Cary beside me—one of my P.A.s—she was shivering. Among the three of us, including Fin who was behind her, she has the strongest intuition when it comes to situations like this. I knew she understood what I meant the moment our eyes met.
Nevertheless, we still tried our best to enter that mansion despite the nervousness we felt. A foul stench welcomed me. I could faintly hear a sound. It sounded like -
flesh being torn apart.
I could hear Josephine sobbing behind me. "K-Ka Pineng... please help my daughter. Help Joanna... she's still young..." she completely broke down in tears.
"I'll do everything I can." Then I turned to Cary. "Where is she?"
"She's over there." She pointed towards the stairs with her lips.
We followed each other up the stairs until we reached a certain room. It was entirely boarded up with wooden planks nailed close together. There were padlocks everywhere on this door. It was as if a wild beast that shouldn't escape was locked inside.
I approached it. There's the sound, I can hear it. It was more terrifying than I had expected. "Fin, the axe," I ordered.
Fin immediately brought out a large axe from the bag he was carrying. He is a big guy, so it was easy for him to swing it repeatedly to pry open the door full of nailed planks.
When he completely shattered it, a putrid smell wafted out. It stung the nose, like rotting flesh. "Cary, get the candle ready."
Cary moved quickly and lit a candle. She handed it to me and I went in first. My suspicion was right; the room was pitch black.
The two gulped before following me.
I illuminated the surroundings, it was very spacious. The floor was incredibly sticky. But where is Joanna?
I turned to Cary. "Where is Josephine?"
She didn't answer. She was staring palely behind me. I quickly spun my body around. I can feel her now. There she is! I shined the light on her.
I shined the light.
I shi ---
---My God!
Is what I'm seeing real? What kind of creature is this?
I've been in this line of work for a long time -
but this is the first time I've seen something like this! "J-Joanna?" I muttered.
Joanna didn't speak. She just looked at me. She was busy.
Fin took a slow step forward but I stopped him. Among the three of us, Fin is the bravest.
Then I took another step forward. I moved slightly closer to Joanna. "W-who are you?"
Joanna didn't answer. I could only hear her chewing. I shined the light on her some more.
Then -
I screamed!
Because what Joanna was eating - Was her own -
---FOOT!!!
I closed my eyes. I didn't realize I was already tearing up. "W-who are you?" my voice cracked. "W-what do you need from Joanna?" I was shaking. Who wouldn't be? Joanna's face was looking right at me, but her body --
-- was facing backwards!
It was horrifying!
Terrifying!
Spine-chilling!
I realized it was because she also had no lips left.
She had ripped them off - they were probably getting in the way of her eating her own leg!!! "Who are you?" I asked again.
Still no answer. "Who are you?!" I yelled.
Suddenly, someone tapped me. "What?!" I didn't look back. "U-up there..." Cary said.
I slowly looked up. I knew it, my suspicion was right. Because up there, on the ceiling.
There was a person with arms outstretched. As if they were nailed there.
It was lifeless and no longer breathing. And this person was --
-- Josephine.
From the moment she greeted us earlier, I already knew. I knew that - she was already dead.
Because of that, I let my guard down. I took my eyes off Joanna. In a split second, suddenly --
-- someone blew out the candle!!!
Blinding darkness. My knees felt weak. "W-who are you?" I asked once more.
Behind me, someone was breathing. It sounded like she was whispering something.
I could feel it, it was Joanna. But she was saying something else.
Because her whisper said, she was ---
---ARA. JAMILLE FUMAH