The crumpled silver pills were placed on the headboard. The empty round plastic dents showed how much anxiety its owner had consumed. Without this sleeping pills, Wit would not survive. He rushed back to the room and swallowed a handful of pills, thinking that if he did not fall into a deep sleep, he would never wake up again. Whether he was a sleeping prince or Cinderella, he did not care about finding a pillow.
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The young man got up from the bed groggily, not getting enough sleep. He took care of his personal business, took a shower, and put on his uniform. Wit did everything quickly because he did not want his mind to be empty, and then had to think back to what happened last night. In his head, he tried to think only about the bonus, the rewards from working hard, which whether absent or late, would affect the annual review. That was why he had to go to work even though he had just gone through a serious accident.
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"This is good... Don't think about it... Just think about working with Prao~"
The young man muttered to himself. Before opening the door, he ran down the stairs, not forgetting that he had to pass the guardhouse last night again.
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"Ugh!!!"
"Shit! Uncle!!!"
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If he didn't swear, he would be crazy! Wit's heart almost dropped to his ankles. His wristwatch pointed to 6:30 a.m. It was still early, everything around him was still dim and twilight. And what he saw was the plump, dark shadow of the guard standing still, covering the doorway. He stood still, his face stern, not saying anything. The young man tried to walk around slowly to get a closer look, before meeting his vacant eyes, staring straight ahead. He was as still as a statue, his eyes glazed over like someone lost in a dream, not feeling any stimuli.
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Wit tried calling him a few times, which made him feel even more guilty. It was him who made the guard become like this. By now, his mind must have gone on many adventures, even though he didn't feel the existence of that evil ghost at all. She can't do anything to anyone if that person isn't asleep. But what will Wit do? How will he solve this situation? Because in the end, even the innocent will be affected by his nightmare.
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"Crack! , Crack..k..k..k! , Crack..k..k..k"
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Uncle started to sweep the floor as usual. But do you know what? He didn't move at all. The tip of the broom didn't even touch the ground. Only his posture moved by itself. His eyes were still staring straight ahead, stiff. There was not even a shred of soul left. Only his instincts moved by themselves out of habit.
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Riding a motorcycle taxi out of the dormitory earlier than scheduled. The young dreamer just tried to escape from the nightmare as far as possible. Even though he knew it was impossible. Because the official car was smashed into a copycat until it was completely destroyed. Wit had to travel to work with this. It was unbelievably fast! , It weaved through the traffic jam miraculously! , and most importantly, the cold wind that hit his face. This gave him an indescribable relief. It was like he had been temporarily released from evil. The stress that had been blown away helped him reset himself and be more ready to work in the factory.
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Working as a production manager in a tanning factory was smooth. There was no sign of ghosts or spirits following him. It might be because it was not yet time. And of course, Wit did not try to look for her. He hated her to death. But what distracted him was a warning from an HR officer. This woman was an old woman who seemed to be around 40 years old. She came to talk to the production manager, Wit, during lunch break and said:
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"You should take a 2-3 week leave to recover, manager."
She said as she placed a plate of food in front of Wit.
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"I'm fine. My body is fine. I don't want to miss work. My part of the job needs someone to be responsible."
Wit replied with consideration, and gestured for the person he was talking to to sit down in the opposite direction.
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"But your arm is broken?! , Who works with a cast like that?!"
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"Ah.. uh.. uh.. uh."
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"Then look at your eyes..? Have you slept at all? Dark circles under your eyes like you've been punched?!"
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"Huh.. that's just.. uh."
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"Our factory has random urine tests, Mr. Wit.. Are you taking any medicine? Tell me before it's too late. I can tell you from a quick glance that you're not normal.. Have you forgotten what department I work in? I have responsibilities.. on the surface, I have more than you!"
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Finishing this cold sentence made Wit stop. How could he dare tell the truth when the person who told him the last time was in the same condition as the security guard this morning? He would never open his mouth. So he could only sit quietly, pretending to put rice in his mouth.
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"Here, go get the medical certificate. I'll handle it. Don't worry about the bonus or benefits. Our factory is not that heartless. You got hurt from an accident, it was beyond our control. All your rights will remain the same."
"And besides, it's not just you who is on sick leave. Isn't your girlfriend too? How is she? If you take time off, you can take care of each other. Let me give you some good advice. Don't worry about the work here. There's also an assistant manager. He can support you."
"Our factory has an ISO system. We rotate employees. Health insurance covers everything when you get a headache or eye injury, etc."
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The old HR lady rambled on and on, in the style of people in this department. Their whole day is spent interviewing people and talking about gossip. Imagine that Wit could barely find a way in. He just shoveled rice into his mouth and chewed it out of politeness until that woman herself spoke up.
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"What do you say? So, how is your girlfriend, Prao?"
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"Oh... um... She's in the hospital now. Her relatives are always watching over her. The doctor said that he needs to recuperate for another month. And it's probably his parents who will take him to live with him in the province."
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"Hmm... If possible, please inform me of the progress. Actually, I have all of Prao's information, but if anything happens to the staff, I have to know everything first. The help will be delivered promptly."
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"Yes, sir. We thank you very much. This place is very good to employees like us."
Wit replied with a wide smile.
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In conclusion, he stopped working by default. It would be good for a normal person, but not for a national nightmare like him. When there was no work to focus on, what else would Wit have left to think about, except for the scary things he encountered? From now on, he would see her more often. And if possible, he hoped to use the 2-3 free weeks to clear up the bad dreams and end them.
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7 days passed.
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Prao, her family and relatives moved back to recuperate in the province according to plan. Of course, Wit could only stand and watch from a distance. He was with her at the hospital and talked to her like lovers do, but they didn't have the chance to be sweet to each other because the future father-in-law was extremely protective of his eggs. Wit knew instinctively that he was being completely blocked. Whether it was his words or his actions, everything was clear that this man wanted to keep his daughter away from him. Even the other relatives agreed.
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The young couple could only accept it. They promised to call each other every day, video call each other every morning, and would not let the distance separate their relationship. Three months was a long time, but not a short time. If they waited any longer, they would have to go back to work together and live in the same apartment. They just had to be patient.
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"Prao, go ahead, Wit. When you're better, you'll come back. Take care of yourself. Don't have nightmares too often."
Prao waved as she stepped into the van that her relatives had rented to pick her up. In this van, there were her father-in-law, mother-in-law, close relatives, and friends, including Prao, probably more than 10 people.
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"Hmm.."
Wit just raised his hand to answer. He made a hand signal that he would call because behind Prao was her father-in-law, who held his daughter's shoulders tightly before pushing her into the car.
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How difficult or difficult was what Wit thought to himself. But he had to admit that he was relieved, because he definitely didn't want Prao to get caught in the crossfire again. The reason she was seriously injured and had to go to the hospital was because of him. No! It was because of that ghost. That damn female ghost who didn't say anything but kept on holding a grudge against him.
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The van rolled down the slope in front of the hospital. The exhaust fumes were billowing, a sign that now it was only him left. It was only him. And the piecing together of the dream would probably start from now on.
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The smartphone he loved was pulled out of his pocket. The young man pressed the green app to call for the Grab motorcycle service again. They say that when investigating something, they have to start from the beginning. And since everything started from a dream, where else would Wit start if he didn't pin the location to his dorm!
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"Beep!!"
The signal on the app indicated the connection point. The route map appeared on the screen. The driver was coming.
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"Wooowwww...wow...wow"
"I'm sorry, Uncle Guard."
"I have to find a way to help you first. Because yesterday, you started dancing in the guardhouse!"