EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU A MODEL?

            I will always remember that accident. No doubt. That accident that will always haunts my whole life. Even I can erase that memories, but that astonish feeling will never be stranded from my life. Never….

            My name is Alicia, Alicia Ermine. I live at long, long way at the end of Butterworth, Latin. Since I am in seventeen years old, but people often thinks that my appearance is like twenty-years old because of my long feet, my thick eyelashes and also my sexy lip, look like an expert model. I do not blame them, instead I proud with that entire compliment as I am the hottest model. No expectation. My friends, Luciana André, the nerdy one and Pauper Merino, the sports one are my truly and only friends that always hanging out with me. We share foods, drinks, makeup tips, homework’s answer and almost everything that exist in our life. But, one of us conceal the most horrifying secret that will make two of three of our life become horrible, creepy and may cause….. Death.

            Indeed. Let me tell that story, before the Reaper invite me. It all start on that peaceful day, yet hid some specious circumstances. Pauper and I were walking down the pavement to Luciana’s house. Her house is too far, that locates at the end of our hometown. We went there by different transports. First, we had to get a taxi. Then, Pauper would lend her strength to use the trishaw to pull me to next location. Thirdly, we had to find a man to take us down the river. Lastly, we walked there and reached her house. Seriously, that were so tiring. But, for my weirdo and warm helping hand’s buddy, we well went there no matter how far that journey should be. Luciana’s house not so skyscraper, not so hut. Just normal house, but surely been covered with all plants that spiralling around the house. Like wizard or sorcerer that wait for it prey. Luciana’s mother, Jasmine André is kind person. Every time we stop by, she will often prepares us with some special meals. No urban chef can cooks that meals, but the looks are so different from others foods that I know. It is like that she is cooking from other side of dimensions. Who cares? As long as our stomach full with tasty meals, that will be enough, even their looks are not so my cup of tea. But, one thing that makes me awkward when I am around of Luciana and her mother. They always looked at me, almost like want to do something with me. Like want to TAKE something from me, but I do not knew well. They often asked me how I can afford this modelling body. I sensed something that quite not right. How can the abandoned peoples like them who lives almost no one knows want to know something that like fashion? Are they try to get famous? Well, officially none of them are my business. I tried to explain to them explicit about model’s life one by one, over day by day until they stop gazing at me like a lions wants to eat it meals. I thought that were good ideas, but that were the beginning for all of the disaster. I meant, the horror beginning.

            When normally things happened, I do not give a single care. If extraordinary things occurred, surely made my bone shivered. Luciana was gone! Pauper and I really did not know where and why she had been missing. We tried to search her and her mother. Things gone too far. As we reached her house, we scared. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF HOUSE BUILT THERE! It was liked a stranded place where no one knew and no one had been there before. So, who is Luciana André? Ghost? No answers available. So, Pauper and I made a decision, which was leaving this type of mysterious questions with no specific answers to choose. Still, the mystery is always come round and round in my head.

            10 years apart, and now I am a model. An expert and well known one. My career now was at the top of mountain that no can beat me. Yet. As I am given lime light, there were always something weird things still happened. I always receive a bundle of rose. The red in colour. Like the roses been painted by somebody’s blood! There also a note. It written like this: “Are you a model now? “. Is this a prank, or someone is trying to do something with my career? Or even worse, with me?! I left that ridiculous prank with no answer. As cameras and lights flashed around me, my fears also got burst. Now, the pranks were getting annoying. There was a rabbit’s leg that had been waxed on my table. Old folks said that rabbit’s leg had been trust to make someone’s day full with grief. That was so old stuff! No one believed that anymore. Plus, a note with the same type of handwriting, but new phrase:” Happy with new things?” .We are living in urban life, people! This pranks need to stop. So, I had ordered my manager to ensure the security of my room. Nobody, include my circle’s friends were available to enter this room. Not anymore. I felt safe now. I will find that irresponsible person who tried to frighten innocence lady like me. Back to work.

            My thought had wrong. The pranks still went on. This time, my rooms was upside down. My clothes been tore apart, my makeups splatted everywhere and my mirror’s had cracked. Something had written there, with red lipstick. It said: “Now, it is my turn! “. My heart beat was faster. The beat was so fast even my I could not found the rhythm. I asked the guards, but they said no one had passed by to the room. They did not even heard any sounds of cluster or chaotic sounds! That place was quiet. No single of cracked things. My hands now shaking. There was something tried to haunt my life! I thought who, why and the most importantly, why me?! I scared. I grabbed my pink cell phone as fast as lighting to call Pauper. Then, my memories were arranged and flashed back about Luciana André! Is she tried to haunt me, again? But, why now? All the curiosity that killed the cat. Pauper said that probably just jokes. I heard giggled at the end of the line. I annoyed. I explained to her one by one of the pranks. She then stopped giggling and started to get serious with her voice. She then encourage me to try the “Spirit Coin”. It sounded crazy, but I should try. That maybe the only way to find out this strange situations. So, we decided to try it this night. I really wish we could try it, but not this night. The night where the dog started to howl…..

            As I promised, both of us would gathered at the old house near the cemetery. Pauper said, the abandoned the house, the higher chances that the spirits wandered around. Sounds insane, but the opportunity to snatch the culprit was near now. Till the end, I will strike the one that had done many pranks and had been made mess in my career. How rude! Pauper prepared all the stuffs, such as mah-jong paper, the large one and some coins, but not ordinary. Pauper’s great grandparents once shamans back then. They jobs were telling someone fortune, get rid of spirit or demons and make something that have connection about Yin and Yang. Her great grandparents did not do them by some kind of their power, supernatural or something. They actually made a contract with demons to help them with that. That was the reason all of their ritual or shaman’s thingy always worked. Demons helped them. I guessed that concluded why Pauper always at the top of everything, but she hate that. She wanted to live like a normal teenager girl. Why she hesitated? She hesitate it because, after her twenty-eight’s birthday past, she, no matter like or not, has to inherit all her great grandparents’ job. Well, that should be enough of Pauper’s story. Let us put an end to this bizarre evening. The temperature here already reached as you are in the refrigerator. Pauper had already sat on top one of the grave. She definitely was insane. So brave, yet too inconsiderate about circumstances. I hurried my steps. I cannot take any longer with this disturbance. Tomorrow was a big day for me. HNM offered me to become their next model for newest magazine cover. That an honour. As I moved closely to Pauper, something odd happened. I felt like someone breathed heavily near us. Umm, I should correct it. Someone breathed heavily behind me! Gosh, this is crazy! I tried to scream, but something stuck at my throat. Like someone choked me. Pauper did not notice that I needed help. She was too busy reading some kind of spell, shaman’s spell. Now, I am in the middle of death’s door! Why can Pauper stopped for a while and look at me? I really need a backup now! Pauper!

            What my fate will be? Why everything looked white? Am I now in heaven? Is heaven having bed stroller now? Oh, I am in hospital. Thank goodness. A nurse smiled at me. I smiled back. Wait a minute. That nurse! She reminded me to somebody that almost never extinct in my teenagers ages, Luciana André! Is she alive, now? No. Just I had daydreaming. I guessed, until I had wrong. I tried to talk with the nurse, but within a minute, my personal assistant came. I explained briefly to her. You should saw her wrinkle face as I explained that I went to the cemetery at the night. As I finished muttering with my assistant, I turned around to get the nurse, but the nurse had already gone like a mist. Strange, but that is a fact.

            Oh, almost forget about Pauper. I assumed she had already left earlier. I had asked my P.A about her, but she said that Pauper never had reached this hospital! God blessed me! I talked to my P.A, about how she could even searched me there. She said someone messaged her about me. Is Pauper is trying to make fun of me? Explanation needed to be detail here. 

            Somewhere, on the other hand, a silhouette near the cemetery was going inside the house. A rusted machine worked inside there. Then, that silhouette came out, but different figure. Some bizarre happened.

            With the speed of lighting, I turned on my car and tried to drive to the same cemetery. I shall saw some clues, or maybe Pauper herself there lay there, unconscious. Oh, Pauper, I am coming. Never be left behind. That is our motto. Together, with you, Luciana and me.