Pantomaniac

Chapter 16

It had been two days since the visit to the bungalow. Kef was relieved that his wound was healing. Which meant he did not need to go to the hospital. Which also meant he did not need to come up with an explanation of how he got bitten in the first place. And it had been two days of never-ending brainstorming. Every time Kef thought he found a way to get inside the bungalow, his inner voice told him it would not work. It was an old property. After incident with the dog, he had tried breaking the glass window but much to his shock, it didn't work. Apparently, the glass was no ordinary glass.

So, there he was. Once again, sitting on his sofa fighting for a clue of what to do next. He was getting tired of this round-abouts. First the scares, then he almost died, then the bungalow. Then, yet another dead end.

His eyes started to get droopy. Kef laid down on his bed but his mind refused to shut down. The image of the ageing house kept playing in his mind. The dog's teeth flashed in between each scene. Why did it run? Kef was glad it did but something about the way it whimpered sent chills up Kef's spine.

At that very moment, Kef heard a ruckus from the store room below. His body went still.

Part of him felt like he wanted to roll his eyes. That wasn't the first time it happened and by the looks of it, it certainly wasn't the last. But part of him couldn't help it. He had nearly died and this might be another risk.

He slowly got up and made his way downstairs. Staring into the dark kitchen, his eyes landed on the small room at the back. The ruckus had stopped but the silence felt even worse.

As his heart pounded against his chest, his mind whispered a deathly warning. Telling him to proceed with caution, as something was lurking inside that room. Kef waited for the mime child to appear.

Minutes later, she didn't.

He took the first step forward, first pressing his heels onto the floor before letting his toes land. As he replicated the move, his heart felt like it was about to punch its way out of his chest.

Kef stood rooted in front of the store room. The door was closed. For a second, he wondered if he had always shut the door. Or did...

He stopped himself from thinking further. Unable to bear it any longer, he reached for the knob and barged into the room. His hands slammed on the switch, spraying the room with white light from the ceiling. Kef heard his own breathing. Everything else was still.

Then the door slammed shut. Kef spun. His eyes fixed on the door. That's when he smelled it. Instinctively, he looked to the corner of the room. A barrel of leftover petrol was on the floor. He faintly recalled where he got that from. Beside it, there was a box of matches, as if someone had placed it right there.

Kef stopped breathing. That wasn't his. He never used matches. The dreadful feeling crept into his veins like poison. He lunged at the door. His hands grabbed the knob and pulled.

It didn't budge. Kef heard the sound of something toppling to the floor, then the sound of liquid flowing. The smell of petrol filled the room. Eyes wide opened, he stared at the petrol barrel. It was lying on the floor, its content spilled.

Kef banged on the door. He pulled and pulled. When that didn't work, he kicked with all his might.

As if laughing at his effort, flames erupted behind him. Kef screamed. The heat was rising. His nostrils started clogging with smoke. Kef rammed his shoulders against the door, seconds before his back caught fire.

The door burst opened. Kef fell onto the kitchen floor. He rolled like a mad man, fighting to kill the flames on his back. His skin scorched. It stung to the core of his bones. He finally managed to kill the flames. He brought his head up, allowing him to see store room engulfed in flames. Ignoring the pain on his back, he got up, grabbed a pail by the sink and filled it with water.

Kef ran towards the room and poured the water. It didn't seem to be working but he didn't stop. He had no choice. Kef sprinted back and forth, coughing and choking. He. Had. To. Kill. The. Flames.

*****

The words just didn't seem to come out quite right but thankfully, Kef's neighbour understood exactly what he was trying to say. She held his shoulder and smiled, cutting him off from yet another thank you.

Kef had come out of his house in one piece and he had killed the fire even before the firefighters arrived. But the smoke had somehow escaped through the back window. His neighbour, apparently making herself some snack in the kitchen, had noticed it and dialled for help right away. Kef had his back checked. He was given some medicine and besides the constant sting, there was nothing serious. Well, except for the fact that the mime had tried to kill him again and almost succeeded.

He knew that there was no time left. If he went on playing puzzles without figuring out what the deal was, he could very well lose his life. As messed up as it was, he wasn't ready to lose it. He made a mental note to head right back to the bungalow the next day, after his scheduled visit with Maya.

*****

It was like an iron plate was glued to his back. As Kef stepped out of the car, the wind blew against his t-shirt, pressing it against his skin. He winced. So much for pain-killers.

Just as Kef was adjusting his t-shirt, he saw Rina and Maya come out.

"Mayaaaa!" Kef put on the biggest smile he could muster despite the pain. "Come here!"

Kef walked towards the gate. Maya opened it and ran towards him. He grabbed her and lifted her into the air, her giggles numbing the pain on his back for a few seconds. But soon after, he had to put her down. As he did, he prayed Rina didn't spot anything on his face. He tried to bury the wince.

"What's wrong?" Rina asked.

And there it was. "What? Nothing," Kef answered a little too fast.

Rina stood beside Maya and held her shoulder. All the while, Kef's mind raced to come up with a good explanation. He knew what was coming in the next few minutes.

"Kef, I know we're not married anymore. But for Maya's sake, I need to know. What's wrong?" Maya looked at him, waiting for an answer.

That was a loaded question, Kef thought. Looking at Maya, he knew he had to tell the truth. Surprisingly, that didn't bother him much. Because something else suddenly did. When Rina asked the question, he saw something in her eyes which he hadn't for a long time. Concern. There was a hint of worry in those eyes. And her voice almost gave away the bits of affection she probably still had for him.

"I hurt my back. I... there was a small fire last night. But I'm fine. Just a little burn.."

"What?? How did that happen?"

"The m-" Kef almost told her about the child mime but stopped himself. "Some... fuse."

From the look Rina shot him, he knew she wasn't buying it but she did not pursue. It was, after all, a time for him and Maya. He took Maya to the nearby park and about an hour later, they were back at Rina's house.

Maya was walking towards her mother when Kef felt it. The familiar darkening of his vision. The numbing of his feet and hands. His eyes were opened but nothing came into vision. His brain signalled that he was speaking but he heard no words. He searched his mind for a clue of what was happening. Nothing came up. Just...darkness.

"Kef? Kef?"

The light returned. Rina's house came back into his vision. Slowly, everything fell into perspective.

"Seriously, Kef. What's wrong with you? You were talking like a mad man..."

Kef looked at Rina. "I-I was...? What did I say?"

"Something about a house. And something else. Sounded like... nask... rask? I don't know..."

Mask. That must have been what he said, Kef thought. It was getting worse. He was speaking without even knowing it. He had to go.

"I'll see Maya again." Without waiting for aresponse, he turned around and rushed into his car, leaving Rina with a puzzledlook.