The Scent of the Siren Tide

The afternoon sun at Sanur Beach was not being kind. Budi, a young man who spent his days saving up loose change for a single packet of Nasi Padang, was picking through the gaps between sharp coral rocks. His stomach growled like an old motorcycle engine that had stalled.

“Damn it, are there no edible clams here? They’re all empty shells,” Budi muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his dirty hand.

Suddenly, his eyes caught something glinting behind a jagged crevice in the rock. It was a small snail, but its color wasn’t like any ordinary shell—it pulsed with neon purple light, resembling the party lights in a nightclub.

“Whoa, is this a snail or a disco ball? That’s seriously cool. I bet I could sell it for a high price as decoration for some rich person’s aquarium,” Budi said as he moved closer.

He extended his index finger, intending to pick up the object. But faster than lightning, the snail leaped and bit Budi’s finger.

“OW! Holy crap! That hurts so much, hey! Let go, you cursed snail!”

Budi shook his hand vigorously, but the snail held on tight. A burning sensation began to spread, not just through his finger, but instantly into every vein in his body. Budi staggered. The world spun wildly around him, as if he had just downed ten cups of pure black coffee.

“Oh god, I think... I think God is coming to take me now,” Budi whispered before losing consciousness completely onto the beach sand.

When Budi opened his eyes, he felt that his body was no longer the same. He felt light, yet something was strange. He smelled a very strong sweet aroma, like a mix of honey, vanilla, and the scent of a bakery that had just opened for business. Budi struggled to sit up and brushed the sand off his pants.

Nearby stood Rocky, a muscular man who usually busy himself working out by the shore. Rocky suddenly stopped doing push-ups and turned toward Budi, his nostrils flaring.

“Budi? What perfume are you wearing, dude? You smell amazing, holy shit, like freshly cooked cheese martabak. You’re making me hungry out of nowhere,” Rocky shouted, staring at Budi with an odd intensity, as if he were looking at a buffet dish.

Budi took a step back. “What the hell, Rock? I just woke up from fainting. I’m not wearing expensive perfume. I only use two-thousand-rupiah bar soap.”

“No way! Your scent makes me want to devour something. I swear, Budi, you look... really delicious,” Rocky replied, licking his own lips.

Budi started feeling uncomfortable. People around the beach—including Gibran and Teddy, who were playing volleyball—had all stopped moving. They were all turning their heads toward Budi with the same gaze: hunger and thirst.

“Hey, why are you guys staring at me like that? I’m a human being, not free takjil snacks!” Budi yelled in panic.

“Bro, I swear, your scent is like a devilish temptation,” Gibran responded, walking closer with stiff steps. “Can I just take one little bite? Just a tiny one, seriously.”

“You guys are crazy! I swear, I’m leaving first. Don’t anyone follow me!” Budi immediately ran away frantically, fleeing from the crowd of people who had begun chasing him like zombies spotting fresh brains.

Budi ran with all his might through the crowds, breathing heavily. “What the hell is going on? Did I get cursed by a snail, or have I just become the main course at a five-star restaurant?”

Upon reaching the parking lot, Budi jumped straight onto his underbone motorcycle and floored the accelerator without a helmet. He needed to get home and lock himself inside his cramped apartment room before anything crazier happened.

“I need to shower! I need to get rid of this smell! My future is over if these weirdos like Rocky start seeing me as food,” Budi complained while driving at high speed.

Once he arrived at the apartment building, Budi rushed to the elevator, pressing the button for the fourth floor in a panic. The doors opened, he stepped in, and they closed just as Rocky appeared in the lobby, panting heavily.

“Budi! Wait, Bro! Don’t be stingy, share a little of that aroma!” Rocky shouted from behind the slowly closing elevator doors.

Budi leaned against the elevator wall, catching his breath. “Crazy. Is that guy actually trying to eat me? Is the world really about to end or what?”

Arriving at his door, Budi fumbled for his keys with trembling hands. He had just managed to unlock the door when he heard heavy footsteps approaching down the hallway corridor. Budi looked back, his eyes widening.

Rocky stood at the end of the hall, staring at him with an unnatural smile. “Found you finally, Budi. Go ahead and enter your room; I’ll come along too. We can chat casually while... umm, taking a little taste.”

Budi swallowed hard. “Is this a nightmare?” he whispered before slamming the door shut and locking it from the inside, while Rocky continued pounding on the door with a hungry rhythm.