We stopped at a small roadside stall before heading to basecamp.
The dashboard clock showed almost nine that night.
The stall wasn't big. From outside, it looked like a simple structure with plank walls and tarps hung along several sides. A white light dangled over the front, far too bright for a stall that small, to the point that tiny insects swarmed around it.
Behind the stall, it was dark.
There were no lights.
No other buildings were clearly visible.
Only the shadows of trees swaying slowly in the wind.
As soon as the car stopped, Darma opened the door.
"Get out."
I was still sitting down.
"Why?"
"Eat."
"You're hungry again?"
"It's a long trip."
Ozan turned around from the front seat.
"You ate an hour and a half ago."
Darma raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
"So you're full."
"I'm not."
Bon turned off the engine.
"Fine. Fifteen minutes."
Darma immediately got out.
"Why only fifteen?"
"Because we want to reach basecamp."
Darma stood outside, then bent down to stick his head back in.
"What if it's fifteen minutes according to me?"
Bon looked at him.
"Ten."
Darma laughed.
"The leader is never fair."
I got out after him.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I felt the cold.
It was completely different from the air when we'd stopped to eat earlier.
I pulled my jacket tighter.
The breath leaving my mouth had begun to show faintly in front of my face.
It wasn't enough to make us shiver, but it was enough to remind us that we were getting closer to the mountain.
I saw the second car stop behind us.
Doy got out first.
Then Fathur.
Alin stepped out while straightening her jacket.
Eka got out last.
He closed the door gently.
I watched him for a moment.
His face was still the same as before.
Calm.
But not truly relaxed.
I didn't say anything.
Not yet.
We went into the stall.
It was warmer inside than I expected.
There was a long wooden table with benches on both sides.
The back was used as a kitchen.
The sound of hot oil crackled from there.
The aromas of fried shallots, instant noodles, coffee, and freshly cooked rice mingled together.
I immediately felt hungry.
Darma was already sitting at the far end.
"Sir, rice."
The stall owner, who was probably used to getting hikers, merely nodded.
"What do you want?"
"Eggs and chicken."
"Something to drink?"
"Coffee."
Fathur sat beside him.
"Rice and egg."
Ozan:
"Rice and chicken."
Adit:
"Hot tea."
Bon:
"Coffee."
Me:
"Sweet tea."
Doy only said,
"Coffee."
Alin and Eka chose snacks.
I sat between Doy and Fathur.
A few minutes later, the food began to arrive.
The mood immediately changed.
Darma, who had been complaining about being hungry the whole time, was now busy eating.
There was no more conversation.
Only the sound of spoons clinking against plates.
I didn't realize how cold it had been outside until I held the glass of hot tea.
A thin wisp of steam rose from the surface.
I blew on it gently.
Doy, beside me, held his coffee with both hands.
He didn't drink it right away.
He only stared at the surface.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Doy turned to me.
"What?"
"You're spacing out."
"I'm not."
"Looks like you are."
He gave me a small smile.
"Tired."
I nodded.
That made sense.
The trip since afternoon had been pretty long.
Darma suddenly raised his head.
"Hey."
No one answered.
He looked at us one by one.
"Don't be so tense."
Ozan laughed.
"Who's tense?"
"Everyone."
"I'm relaxed."
"You've been quiet this whole time."
"Because I'm eating."
Darma nodded.
"Exactly."
He went back to eating.
I chuckled.
Maybe there really was nothing to worry about.
We were just tired.
We were just on our way to the mountain.
And the closer you got to your destination, the mood usually changed.
Not because of anything in particular.
It was just that everyone was beginning to realize the trip was actually about to begin.
After we'd nearly finished eating, conversation started up again.
Darma, who finished first, leaned back in his chair.
"If I finish first, that means I'm the strongest."
Fathur was still chewing.
"What kind of logic is that?"
"Hiker logic."
"You haven't even started hiking."
"Mental preparation."
Ozan laughed.
"You just ate the most."
"Fuel."
"Belly."
"Fuel gets stored in the belly."
I laughed.
Bon only shook his head while checking the time.
"Don't take too long."
"Yes, boss."
Darma then looked toward the window.
Outside, it was dark.
There wasn't much to see.
The light from the stall only illuminated a few yards ahead.
Beyond that, everything seemed swallowed by the night.
Darma suddenly said,
"By the way..."
His tone shifted slightly.
I already knew that whenever he started talking in that tone, it was usually going to be about something unimportant.
"What?"
"They say that if you hear someone calling from behind you in the mountains, don't answer."
Fathur stopped drinking.
"Why?"
Darma didn't answer.
He only stared at Fathur.
Then he smiled.
"Because if you answer..."
He deliberately let the sentence hang.
Fathur waited.
"Why?"
Darma leaned his face closer.
"The one calling isn't human."
Fathur immediately smacked his arm.
"Jesus!"
Darma burst out laughing.
Ozan joined in.
I shook my head.
"There you go again."
Darma was still laughing.
"It's fun."
"You trying to scare people?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"I'm giving you information."
Fathur stared at him.
"What information?"
"Important information."
"And the source is?"
Darma shrugged.
"That's what they say."
I laughed.
Darma was always like that.
Whenever he heard a story about something strange, he never knew whether to believe it or not.
But he always enjoyed telling it.
Especially when someone was starting to get scared.
Doy didn't laugh.
I only realized it after a few seconds.
He was still holding his coffee.
His gaze was lowered.
As if he were thinking about something.
Ozan, sitting across from him, noticed too.
"You believe that stuff?"
Doy raised his head.
"Believe what?"
"What he just said."
Doy looked at Darma.
Then back at Ozan.
"It's not about believing."
Ozan smiled.
"Then what is it about?"
Doy set down his glass.
"Respect."
The mood shifted slightly.
Not drastically.
But enough to make me stop smiling.
Darma still looked relaxed.
"Personally, I believe it."
Ozan leaned back.
"If someone calls my name, I'll answer."
Doy immediately said,
"Don't."
His tone was different.
Not loud.
But he wasn't joking either.
Ozan chuckled.
"Why not?"
Doy looked at him.
"Because we don't know who's calling."
Darma cut in.
"What if it's Bon calling?"
"Answer."
"What if it's Joy?"
"Answer."
Darma pointed at himself.
"What if it's me?"
Doy smiled.
"Answer."
Darma nodded in satisfaction.
"Exactly."
Then he pointed toward the darkness outside the window.
"What if it's a ghost?"
Doy didn't answer right away.
He stared at Darma for a few seconds.
"Don't."
Darma laughed.
"So first we'd have to know whether it's a ghost calling or not."
No one answered.
I looked at Doy.
His face was serious.
I didn't know whether he was joking.
Apparently not.
I straightened a little.
Then asked,
"What if we don't know who's calling?"
Doy shifted his gaze to me.
"Don't answer right away."
"Why?"
Doy was silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"If you hear a voice calling from behind you, don't turn around right away."
The back of my neck felt a little cold.
Even though I'd already been cold before.
"Why?" I asked.
Doy looked outside.
Toward the mountain, which couldn't be seen from where we were sitting.
"Because sometimes a voice can imitate someone we know."
The stall suddenly felt quieter.
Not because there were no sounds.
The oil was still sizzling in the kitchen.
Spoons were still clinking against plates.
A motorcycle passed on the road.
But for some reason, Doy's words made everything sound farther away.
I tried to smile.
"Has that ever happened to you?"
Doy looked at me.
Silence.
Then he answered,
"Not yet."
The answer came too quickly.
I didn't pursue it.
Neither did Darma.
Ozan still looked like he wanted to laugh, but in the end he only shrugged.
"All right."
Fathur finished his drink.
"Let's not talk about weird stuff."
Darma immediately chimed in.
"And we haven't even started climbing yet."
Bon looked at the time.
"Exactly."
He pointed at Darma.
"Don't ruin the mood."
Darma raised both hands.
"Got it."
We went back to eating.
But I couldn't fully relax again.
Doy's words kept echoing in my head.
**Sometimes a voice can imitate someone we know.**
I tried to find a logical explanation.
Maybe he'd heard a story like that before.
Maybe people around the mountain often gave advice like that.
Maybe it was just a common taboo.
Like not whistling at night.
Not carelessly mentioning certain things.
Not separating from the group.
Rules like that had been around for a long time.
That didn't mean they were true.
I knew that.
And I still chose to believe the simplest explanation.
We finished eating about ten minutes later.
Bon paid.
Fathur checked our gear again.
Darma bought two bottles of water.
Ozan stood in front of the stall smoking.
Adit took a few pictures.
I came out last.
The cold air greeted me immediately.
I stood beneath the stall's light.
Ahead, the road stretched into darkness.
I could occasionally hear vehicles in the distance.
Other than that, there was only the sound of the wind.
Eka stood a few yards away from me.
He was looking toward the road.
I walked closer.
"Ka."
He turned.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
He smiled.
"Why?"
"You seem quiet."
"Tired."
I nodded.
"Makes sense."
He looked back at the road.
I looked too.
"Did you hear what we were talking about?"
"Which part?"
"Darma."
"Yeah."
"Do you believe it?"
Eka didn't answer.
I turned to him.
"Ka?"
He finally looked at me.
"Sometimes..."
He stopped.
"Sometimes what?"
Eka shook his head.
"Nothing."
I waited.
He smiled.
"Don't think about it."
I chuckled.
"Everyone keeps telling me not to think about it."
"Because you don't need to."
Then Bon shouted from the car.
"Get in!"
Eka nodded.
We got in.
This time, the seating arrangement changed a little.
I was still in the same car as Bon, Darma, Ozan, and Adit.
Darma sat in the back with me.
Ozan was in front.
Bon drove.
Adit held the camera in his lap.
The second car was still following us.
As soon as the door closed, the outside world grew slightly quieter.
I fastened my seat belt.
Bon started the engine.
Darma leaned back.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
The car moved.
For the first few minutes, no one spoke.
Maybe everyone was digesting Doy's story.
Or maybe we were just tired.
I looked outside.
The stall's light slowly receded.
Then disappeared behind a bend.
The road grew dark again.
Bon turned on the cabin light briefly to check something.
Then he switched it off.
I looked outside again.
There wasn't much to see.
Only trees.
Shadows.
And the headlights sweeping across the asphalt.
Darma finally spoke.
"Hey, but seriously."
Ozan turned around.
"What now?"
"If someone calls from behind..."
He stopped.
I knew exactly where this was going.
"Don't start."
Darma laughed.
"I just want to ask something."
Bon said,
"Don't."
"I haven't said anything yet."
"I already know."
Darma laughed.
"What if we hear Bon's voice?"
Ozan answered,
"Answer."
Darma:
"What if it isn't Bon?"
Ozan:
"Then look."
Darma shook his head.
"Doy said not to look."
I cut in too.
"He said not to turn around right away."
Darma turned to me.
"Exactly."
"Why?"
"So what if we turn around slowly?"
I stared at him.
"Can't you ever stop?"
"Nope."
We chuckled.
Bon only shook his head.
Darma finally went quiet.
But a few minutes later, he spoke again.
"Joy."
"What?"
"If I call you from behind, will you answer?"
I turned around.
"If I know you're the one calling."
"What if you don't know?"
"Why wouldn't you say your name?"
"What if I just said..."
Darma changed his voice.
"Joy..."
I stared at him.
He laughed.
I elbowed him.
"Stop."
"Scared?"
"Annoyed."
"Not much difference."
I laughed.
Then looked outside again.
The road grew steeper.
Bon slowed down.
I could feel the car rocking slightly with the uneven road.
Darma finally fell completely silent.
So did Ozan.
Adit stared at the camera.
I found it harder and harder to see anything outside.
The trees looked like black walls.
Every so often, the headlights swept over a tree trunk.
Then disappeared.
I looked in the rearview mirror.
The second car was still there.
Two headlights.
Still following us.
I didn't know why I kept checking.
Maybe after that story, my mind had become more alert.
I didn't like being this way.
When your brain starts looking for something that might not even exist.
I tried to distract myself by taking out my phone.
The signal was still weak.
Messages from the group chat hadn't come through.
I opened the trip photos.
There were pictures from when we ate.
Pictures at the gas station.
A picture of Darma sleeping.
A picture of Bon driving.
I smiled at them.
Everything looked ordinary.
Everything was real.
There was nothing there.
I locked my phone.
Then a voice from the front made me turn.
"Joy."
Bon was calling me.
"Hm?"
"You still awake?"
"Yeah."
"Don't go to sleep yet."
"Why?"
"Keep me company."
I smiled.
"Sure."
Darma spoke from the back.
"I'm awake too."
Bon chuckled.
"You'll be asleep in five minutes."
"No, I won't."
Five minutes later, Darma was actually asleep.
I looked at him.
Ozan laughed.
"Didn't you say you weren't going to sleep?"
I held back a laugh.
Darma was already snoring softly.
The mood lightened again.
For a few minutes.
Then Adit suddenly said,
"Hey."
Bon glanced at him in the mirror.
"What?"
"My camera's on."
Darma opened his eyes halfway.
"So?"
"I didn't turn it on."
Ozan turned around.
"Maybe you pressed the button."
Adit checked the camera.
"The screen's on."
"Then turn it off."
"Hold on."
He pressed the button.
The screen went dark.
Adit shrugged.
"Maybe I pressed it by accident."
I didn't think much of it.
A camera could turn on by itself if the button had been pressed.
A bag.
The seating position.
The movement of the car.
It all made sense.
Darma went back to sleep.
Bon kept driving.
I watched the road.
Nothing happened.
A few minutes later, Adit spoke again.
"It's on again."
This time Bon laughed.
"Then the button's broken."
Adit nodded.
"Maybe."
He turned off the camera again.
I watched him.
Nothing seemed strange.
At least not logically.
Around 9:50, the road began to narrow.
There weren't many vehicles.
We hardly passed anyone.
Bon drove more slowly.
A few lights were visible in the distance.
Maybe houses.
Maybe buildings.
I didn't know.
I looked at the clock.
Then at the offline map on my phone.
We still had a few minutes to go.
Darma woke up.
"Are we close?"
Bon answered,
"Yeah."
Darma sat up straight.
"Basecamp?"
"Almost there."
He rubbed his face.
Then looked outside.
"It's so dark."
Ozan answered,
"It's a mountain."
Darma nodded.
"Fair point."
I looked in the rearview mirror again.
The second car was still there.
Its headlights were a little farther away.
But still clearly visible.
I picked up my phone.
Opened the group chat.
A text from Fathur:
> **Fathur:** Almost there.
Bon replied:
> **Bon:** Yep.
Doy:
> **Doy:** Stay close.
Darma:
> **Darma:** Got it.
I didn't reply.
I only read the messages.
Nine names.
Nine people.
Still complete.
I put my phone away.
Then leaned my head back.
Suddenly Darma said,
"Joy."
"What?"
"If someone calls you from behind later..."
I turned around.
"You're still on that?"
Darma smiled.
"No."
"Then what?"
He pointed behind us.
"Did you hear that?"
I turned instinctively toward the rear window.
"Hear what?"
Darma laughed.
"Nothing."
I immediately elbowed him.
"Asshole."
He laughed loudly.
Ozan joined in.
Bon shook his head.
"That's why you don't respond."
I looked forward again.
But after that, I went quiet.
For some reason, Darma's joke had left me feeling uneasy.
Not because of the joke itself.
Because for a moment, when I turned around, I really had felt like there was something behind the car.
Not someone.
Not a shadow.
Just a feeling.
The feeling that if I kept looking in the rear window, I might find something.
I knew it made no sense.
So I didn't look again.
I stared at the road.
The headlights reflected off the asphalt.
Everything was normal.
A few minutes later, we stopped again.
Not at basecamp.
Bon only pulled over for a moment because the second car had signaled us.
We got out.
Doy approached Bon.
"What is it?"
"A tire?"
Fathur checked.
"No."
They talked for a moment.
I stood beside the car.
Darma yawned.
Ozan drank some water.
Adit took a picture of the road.
Eka stood a little farther away.
I looked at him.
He was staring toward the trees.
"Ka."
He turned.
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"Why are you standing over there?"
Eka smiled.
"I wanted to look."
"At what?"
He didn't answer.
I looked too.
Darkness.
There was nothing there.
"Done?" I asked.
Eka nodded.
"Yeah."
We went back to the cars.
No one mentioned what had happened.
There was nothing to discuss.
We'd only stopped for a moment.
That was all.
As soon as the car started moving again, the inside felt quieter.
Darma wasn't joking anymore.
Ozan played with his phone without making a sound.
Adit held the camera.
Bon focused on driving.
I looked outside.
The sky was completely black.
There were no distinct stars.
Trees blocked most of the view.
I thought about Doy.
**Don't turn around right away.**
I tried to remember whether anyone had ever actually experienced something like that.
I never had.
I also didn't know who had first come up with that rule.
Maybe it was just a myth.
Maybe there was a psychological explanation.
When you're walking at night, sounds can echo.
Someone behind you might sound closer than they are.
The wind can make sounds that resemble a human voice.
A tired brain can misinterpret things.
All of that could happen.
And once someone had been told,
*"Don't turn around if someone calls you,"*
that person would become more sensitive.
More afraid.
More likely to mishear something.
I smiled to myself.
That's how people work.
We make something frightening simply because we've been given the possibility.
I felt fairly confident in that explanation.
Until Doy's voice came through from the second car in a text.
> **Doy:** Don't get too close to the back.
I read the text twice.
Then replied:
> **Joy:** What do you mean?
There was no answer.
I looked at the second car through the rearview mirror.
It was still there.
I waited for another text.
Nothing came.
I put my phone away.
Then looked back at the road.
The clock read 8:58 p.m.
Bon said,
"Almost there."
Darma nodded.
"Thank God."
I laughed.
"Tired?"
"My ass has gone numb."
Ozan answered,
"You've barely been in the car."
"Exactly."
Bon chuckled.
The mood relaxed again.
I could feel the slight tension that had appeared earlier beginning to fade.
Maybe there really was nothing there.
Maybe we were just too tired.
We began seeing more lights ahead.
A few houses.
A few stalls.
A few vehicles.
I felt relieved.
At least there were signs of life.
Darma looked ahead.
"This it?"
Bon nodded.
"We're in the basecamp area."
I looked at the clock.
9:03 p.m.
Finally.
We were almost there.
But before we actually entered the basecamp area, Bon slowed down.
I looked outside.
There was a small road to the right.
Dark.
Trees stood to the left as well.
The second car was still following us.
I opened the group chat again.
> **Bon:** Almost there.
The replies came in one by one.
> **Fathur:** Okay.
> **Adit:** Got it.
> **Alin:** Okay.
> **Darma:** Finally.
> **Ozan:** Let's go.
> **Doy:** Okay.
> **Eka:** Yeah.
I didn't know why, but Eka's reply made me pause.
Just one word.
Yeah.
No emoji.
No joke.
I looked at the second car.
Then stared ahead.
Basecamp was close.
I assumed he was just tired.
I didn't know that a few minutes later, we'd stop at the place that would become the beginning of everything I could never explain.
The car finally entered a busier area.
Several vehicles were parked there.
Lights were visible in the distance.
We could hear people talking.
Hikers walked by carrying large packs.
Some were sitting.
Others were arranging their gear.
I immediately felt calmer.
So did Darma.
"It's crowded."
Bon nodded.
"Yeah."
We looked for a place to park.
The second car came in behind us.
As soon as the engine was turned off, everyone began getting out.
I opened the door.
The cold air rushed at me.
This time, it was truly cold.
I took a deep breath.
In front of us were several simple buildings.
Lights.
People.
Large packs.
The sound of conversation.
Everything felt normal.
We had arrived.
I took my bag from the trunk.
Darma hoisted his backpack while complaining.
"It's heavy."
Fathur laughed.
"They're your own things."
"Exactly."
Adit picked up his camera.
Bon gathered us together.
"Don't wander off."
We stood close together.
Nine people.
I counted without thinking.
Bon.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Nine.
Complete.
I smiled.
Everything was fine.
At least it was then.
Then I saw Eka.
He wasn't looking at us.
Instead, he was staring toward one part of the basecamp.
As if he were looking for someone.
I followed his gaze.
Nothing seemed strange.
Just an old man sitting a little ways away.
I didn't know who he was yet.
I didn't know why Eka was watching him.
I didn't know what he was about to say.
I only knew one thing.
Eka stood still.
The old man was still too.
They looked at each other.
Then the old man slowly shifted his gaze toward the mountain.
Then he looked back at Eka.
I felt that something was off.
I was about to ask.
But Bon had already called me.
"Joy."
I turned.
"Yeah?"
"Help carry the gear."
I nodded.
"Sure."
I picked up my bag.
Then walked toward the others.
I didn't look toward the old man again.
I didn't know that a few seconds after I turned away, he would ask Bon one simple question.
**"How many of you are there?"**
And I also didn't know that when Bon answered,
**"Nine,"**
the old man wouldn't smile right away.
Instead, he would count us one by one.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Then stop precisely when his finger pointed toward Eka.
And before we could understand what he meant, he would say quietly,
**"Don't walk in the back."**