The clock on my phone showed 8:47 p.m. when Bon finally stood up.
"Let's go."
Just two words.
But for some reason, the moment they left his mouth, the atmosphere around us changed.
A few minutes earlier, we'd still been sitting around casually in front of basecamp. Some of us were drinking coffee, some were checking the contents of their bags for the third time, some were busy looking for a charger, and Darma had even had time to joke about Fathur, who'd been going back and forth to the bathroom for a while.
Now everyone was silent.
One by one, we stood.
We shouldered our packs.
Checked our shoes.
Turned on our headlamps.
Tightened our waist straps.
Put on our gloves.
Zipped our jackets up to our necks.
The little things we normally did while joking around were done much more seriously that night.
I stood and lifted my pack onto my back.
Heavy.
Even though there wasn't much inside.
Maybe because my body still wasn't used to carrying a load for hours on end.
I rolled my right and left shoulders.
"Heavy?"
Darma appeared beside me.
"A little."
"If it's heavy, leave it behind."
"The contents of my pack?"
"No. The pack."
I stared at him.
He grinned.
"So I walk without a pack?"
"Yep."
"Then what about my stuff?"
"Leave it."
"You're pretty smart."
"Thank you."
I chuckled.
At least one person could still joke around.
Up ahead, Bon was making one final check.
"Water?"
"Got it."
"Rain jackets?"
"Got them."
"Power banks?"
"Got them."
"Medicine?"
"Got it."
"Flashlights?"
"Got them."
He looked at us one by one.
"Nobody walks alone. If you want to stop, say so. If you need to use the bathroom, say so."
Darma immediately cut in.
"What if I need to fart?"
Bon stared at him blankly.
"Don't say anything."
"Why not?"
"Because we don't need to know."
Fathur laughed.
Ozan joined in.
Even Alin smiled.
Eka did too.
But his smile lasted only a moment.
I watched him.
Eka stood beside Alin, staring toward the trail.
He didn't say anything.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
His gaze looked as if he were watching something far away.
I followed his line of sight.
The entrance to the forest was dark.
Very dark.
The light from basecamp illuminated only the first few yards.
After that...
black.
The trees stood close together.
A thin mist hung low.
Several large tree trunks made the trail look like a narrow corridor.
I let out a breath.
So this was where it began.
All the stories about the mountain.
All the jokes in the car.
All the strange advice from the basecamp attendant.
All the taboos Doy had talked about.
Starting tonight, none of it sounded like stories anymore.
We were really going in.
"Ka."
Eka turned.
"What?"
Alin touched his arm.
"Don't space out."
Eka nodded.
"Yeah."
Bon raised his headlamp.
"Last check."
Nine white lights switched on at once.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
I counted without realizing it.
Nine people.
Nine headlamps.
Nine lights.
Complete.
Bon was in front.
Doy right behind him.
Then Darma.
Me.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
"Don't change formation," Bon said.
We nodded.
Then that first step began.
The trailhead turned out to be easier than I'd imagined.
The ground was fairly firm.
The incline wasn't too noticeable yet.
Some sections even looked like an ordinary footpath.
If it weren't for the huge trees on either side and the darkness surrounding us, I might have forgotten we were on a mountain.
The sound of shoes striking the ground was steady.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Every so often, a twig snapped beneath someone's foot.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
I walked with my head down.
Looking for somewhere to step.
Not saying much.
Not because I was afraid.
Mostly because I needed to start regulating my breathing.
Darma, walking a few yards ahead, suddenly said,
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"Tell me if you get tired."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to carry you."
I laughed.
"Who asked you to?"
"Good."
We fell silent again.
A few minutes later, the sounds of basecamp disappeared completely.
No more motorcycles.
No voices.
No clatter of plates.
No music.
All that remained was the forest.
And us.
Nine people walking farther and farther in.
I looked back.
Basecamp was no longer visible.
All I could see was the dark trail.
I turned forward again.
Bon was still visible.
His headlamp beam moved with his steps.
Doy too.
Darma.
Everyone.
I smiled faintly.
Nine.
Complete.
We kept climbing.
About twenty minutes later, the trail began to change.
The ground became damper.
Several rocks appeared in the middle of the path.
Roots crossed the trail more and more often.
I had to be more careful.
"Slow down," Bon called from the front.
We followed his pace.
Darma nearly slipped several times.
"Damn."
I held back a laugh.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Sure?"
"If I weren't, I'd already be down there."
Ozan called from behind,
"If you fall, don't grab me."
Darma turned around.
"Who would want to grab you?"
"Good."
They chuckled.
The mood lightened again.
But the farther we walked, the less often anyone spoke.
Our bodies were doing the work now.
Our breathing grew heavier.
Sweat gathered on my back despite the cold air.
I lowered my jacket zipper a little.
Darma glanced back.
"Getting hot?"
"Yeah."
"Don't open it too much."
"Why?"
"You'll catch a chill."
I stared at him.
"On a mountain?"
"Wind is wind."
I shook my head.
"Sometimes, when you talk..."
"I'm a genius?"
"You talk nonsense."
"Close enough."
We kept walking.
The first hour passed without anything happening.
At least, nothing that could be called an event.
We simply climbed.
Stopped for a moment.
Drank.
Continued on.
There were no strange sounds.
No apparitions.
Nothing came out of the forest.
Everything was normal.
Too normal, in fact.
I started to feel that all those horror stories really were just stories.
Maybe people really did exaggerate things that happened on the mountain.
Maybe the stories about voices calling people's names were just coincidences.
Maybe footsteps behind them had only been animals.
Maybe missing hikers had simply gotten lost.
Maybe...
"Joy."
I turned.
Doy was walking beside me.
"Yeah?"
"Don't space out."
I frowned.
"I'm not spacing out."
Doy gave me a faint smile.
"It looks like you are."
I didn't answer.
A few seconds later, I asked,
"Doy."
"Hm?"
"Do you really believe all those stories you told us earlier?"
Doy didn't answer right away.
He looked at the trail.
Then he said,
"No."
I nodded.
"Good."
"I don't believe all of them either."
"Then?"
"But I believe the people who experienced them."
I turned toward him.
Doy was still looking ahead.
"What do you mean?"
"If one person tells a story, maybe they're lying."
He stepped over a root.
"If two people tell the same story, maybe it's a coincidence."
He took another step.
"If dozens of people tell the same story..."
Doy paused.
"...maybe we should stop assuming it's all coincidence."
I didn't know how to respond.
In the end, I only said,
"You're making things uncomfortable."
Doy chuckled.
"Making things comfortable was never my goal."
He started walking again.
I followed him.
We reached a slightly flat area.
Bon raised his hand.
"Break."
Everyone sat down immediately.
No one complained.
Fathur dropped his pack.
"Oh, God."
Darma laughed.
"We've barely gone anywhere."
"Shut up."
"I haven't even said anything."
"Your face already did."
Adit pulled out his camera.
"Let's take a picture first."
Ozan immediately stood.
"Don't."
"Why not?"
"In case I look ugly."
Darma stared at him.
"You are ugly."
"Shut up."
Adit laughed.
Click.
The flash went off.
I reflexively closed my eyes.
"Damn, that's bright."
Adit laughed.
"Good."
He checked the picture.
"Everyone's in it."
I moved closer.
On the camera's screen, we were sitting on the trail.
Nine people.
Bon in the middle.
Darma making a weird face.
Ozan laughing.
Fathur holding a bottle.
Adit holding his camera.
Eka sitting beside Alin.
Me on the other side.
An ordinary photo.
Nothing strange.
I smiled.
"Looks good."
Adit nodded.
"Told you."
Bon stood up.
"Ten minutes."
Everyone started drinking.
I opened my bottle.
The water tasted unbelievably good.
Maybe because it was cold.
Maybe because I was tired.
I looked up at the sky.
I couldn't see it.
The trees covered almost everything.
Only a few small gaps showed through, filled with deep black.
There were no stars.
I looked back at the trail.
Something made me stop.
"Eka."
Eka turned.
"Yeah?"
"What did you see earlier?"
He frowned.
"See what?"
"You've been staring ahead for a while."
Eka fell silent.
Alin looked too.
"What's wrong, Ka?"
Eka shook his head.
"Nothing."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
I watched his face.
He looked like he was thinking about something.
But he didn't want to talk.
I eventually let it go.
Maybe he was just tired.
We continued on.
This time, it was quieter.
I walked behind Darma.
Behind me were Ozan,
Fathur,
Adit,
Eka,
and Alin.
Everyone was still in formation.
I started paying attention to the sounds of our footsteps.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Nine.
I didn't know why I was counting.
Maybe because Doy had kept reminding us about the number.
Nine people.
No one could fall behind.
No one could walk alone.
I looked back.
Ozan was still there.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Complete.
I faced forward again.
Bon's footsteps sounded ahead.
Scrape.
Scrape.
Scrape.
I began to find the rhythm soothing.
We kept walking.
Around 10:30 p.m., the trail began to feel more difficult.
The incline increased.
In some places, we had to use our hands.
Darma grew quieter.
Fathur had stopped joking.
Ozan occasionally paused to regulate his breathing.
Adit put his camera away.
Eka walked slowly.
Alin stayed beside him.
Bon stopped several times to make sure everyone was still there.
"Everyone?"
"Good."
"All here."
"Still alive," Darma answered.
Bon nodded.
"Let's go."
I was beginning to get used to the rhythm.
Walk.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Walk.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Drink occasionally.
Walk again.
Over and over.
The forest grew darker.
Our headlamps only formed small circles in front of us.
Outside those circles...
there was nothing.
I'd seen a forest at night from a road before.
But this was different.
On a road, there were still lights.
The sounds of vehicles.
Houses.
Not here.
If my headlamp went out...
I wouldn't even be able to see my own hand.
I tried not to think about that.
"Bon."
Darma called out.
"Yeah?"
"When's the next checkpoint?"
"Still a ways."
"How far?"
"Still."
Darma sighed.
"You'd be the most hated customer service rep ever."
Bon laughed.
"If you want to know, check the map."
Darma pulled out his phone.
There was no signal.
He checked the offline map.
"This one?"
"Yeah."
"It's still far."
"That's why you walk."
Darma put his phone away.
"All right."
We continued walking.
Then something sounded.
Very faintly.
Crack.
I stopped.
Darma stopped too.
"What?"
I turned to the side.
There was nothing there.
"Probably a twig."
Darma nodded.
We started walking again.
A few steps.
Crack.
The same sound.
This time, from the right.
I aimed my headlamp over there.
Trees.
Bushes.
Leaves.
Empty.
I waited a few seconds.
Nothing.
"Joy?"
Darma called.
I started walking again.
"It's nothing."
We continued.
Fathur's voice came from behind me.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Nothing."
I said no more.
Maybe it really was a twig.
Maybe a small animal.
Mountains had plenty of sounds.
There was no need to be afraid of every one of them.
About half an hour later, we stopped again.
This time, it wasn't because we were tired.
Bon pointed at the trail.
"It's kind of slippery here."
We all became more careful.
I lowered my body slightly.
One hand held onto a tree.
One foot searched for a foothold.
The ground was wet.
The rocks were slick.
I made it across.
Darma slipped behind me.
"Damn it!"
I turned around.
He was still standing.
I laughed.
"I thought you were fine?"
"Shut up."
Fathur laughed too.
"Don't fall."
Darma pointed at him.
"Don't laugh."
I smiled.
But while I waited for them to cross, my eyes caught something on a tree to the left.
A mark.
Like a scratch.
Three vertical lines.
I moved closer.
"Bon."
Bon turned.
"What?"
I pointed at the tree.
"Is this a trail marker?"
Bon looked at it.
He rubbed the tree's surface.
"No."
Doy came closer.
He studied it for a while.
"Don't touch it."
I pulled my hand back.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Then?"
Doy shook his head.
"Better not."
I looked at the scratches.
Three lines.
Parallel.
Deep enough.
They weren't ordinary knife marks.
I didn't ask anything else.
We continued on.
Around 11:10 p.m., we stopped again.
This time, everyone was truly exhausted.
Bon opened the map.
"We'll rest for fifteen minutes."
Darma sat down immediately.
"Thank you."
Fathur opened his pack.
"Any food?"
"You just ate."
"I'm tired."
Darma handed him some bread.
"Here."
Fathur took it.
"Thanks."
We ate sitting down.
I pulled out my phone.
No signal.
The battery was at 72 percent.
Still safe.
I looked through a few old messages.
Nothing important.
I put my phone away.
Eka sat beside Alin.
The two of them spoke quietly.
I couldn't hear them.
Bon and Doy were looking at the map.
Ozan and Fathur were discussing something.
Adit took a few pictures of the surroundings.
Darma was eating.
Everything felt normal.
Until Adit suddenly said,
"Guys."
Everyone turned.
"What?"
Adit pointed at his camera.
"The picture from earlier."
"What about it?"
"There's something weird."
Bon moved closer.
So did I.
Adit opened the picture he'd just taken.
The trail.
Trees.
Mist.
Nothing else.
"What?"
Adit zoomed in on the left side of the picture.
"Here."
I looked.
There was something between two trees.
Like a shadow.
"A person?"
Ozan immediately said,
"Looks like it."
Darma moved closer.
"A hiker?"
Adit nodded.
"Maybe."
Bon took the camera.
He zoomed in.
The shadow looked like someone standing there.
Their back was to the camera.
A dark jacket.
Their head slightly bowed.
It wasn't clear.
"Did you see anyone earlier?" Bon asked.
Adit shook his head.
"No."
"When you took the picture?"
"No."
Bon handed the camera back.
"Maybe it's a tree."
Ozan nodded.
"Could be."
I wanted to believe that too.
A tree.
A shadow.
The camera angle.
End of story.
I looked at Eka.
He wasn't looking at the camera with us.
He was staring into the forest instead.
"Ka?"
Eka turned.
"What?"
"You don't want to look?"
Eka shook his head.
"No."
"Why not?"
"It doesn't matter."
Alin looked at him.
"Ka."
Eka was silent.
Doy suddenly said,
"Enough."
We turned toward him.
Doy stood up.
"Let's go."
Bon nodded.
"Right."
We began getting ready.
I put my bottle back in my pack.
Tightened the straps.
Stood up.
And when I stood...
I looked back toward the tree we'd photographed.
There was no one there.
But I had the feeling...
that something had just left.
We continued our hike.
No one mentioned the picture again.
But I knew everyone was thinking about it.
The trail felt longer and longer.
Steeper and steeper.
The air grew colder.
The sweat on my body made my skin feel cold whenever the wind touched it.
I pulled my jacket tighter.
The beam of my headlamp moved across the ground.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
I counted again.
Nine.
Weird.
Why did I keep counting?
Maybe because of Doy.
Maybe because of all those stories.
Or maybe because, somewhere deep in my mind...
I was afraid that one day the number would change.
Midnight drew closer.
We stopped in a narrower section of the trail.
Bon instructed everyone to walk closer together.
"Don't spread out here."
"Why?" Fathur asked.
"The trail's narrow."
"What if someone falls?"
"That's why you shouldn't joke around."
Fathur nodded.
We walked single file.
Bon in front.
Doy.
Darma.
Me.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
I glanced back.
Eka and Alin were still there.
Alin was even holding onto Eka's pack strap.
I smiled.
"What?"
Alin asked.
"Nothing."
I turned forward again.
A few minutes later...
I heard something.
Not a sound, exactly.
More like...
friction.
Scrape.
Scrape.
I turned around.
Nothing.
I faced forward and kept walking.
Scrape.
Scrape.
I stopped.
Darma, who was in front of me, turned around.
"What now?"
"I heard something."
"What?"
I listened.
Nothing.
"Never mind."
Darma shrugged.
"You're tired."
I nodded.
Maybe he was right.
I was paying too much attention to every sound.
I started walking again.
We finally reached a somewhat more open area.
Bon stopped.
"Let's rest."
I sat down immediately.
My feet felt hot.
I loosened my shoes a little.
Darma sprawled out.
"If there were a mattress here right now..."
Ozan laughed.
"You'd sleep?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"Hug the mattress."
Fathur laughed.
I joined in.
Even Eka smiled.
The mood lightened again.
Bon opened his bottle.
"After this, we keep going until the checkpoint."
"Which checkpoint?" Fathur asked.
"Checkpoint 2."
"Still far?"
"Not too far."
I checked the time.
11:48 p.m.
That meant we'd been walking for almost three hours.
I looked around.
The forest felt different now.
Darker.
Colder.
But maybe that was only because our bodies were tired.
Adit took out his camera again.
Click.
Click.
Click.
He took pictures of several people.
Then the sky.
Then the trail.
I stood up.
"Adit."
"Hm?"
"Don't take too many pictures."
"Why not?"
"The battery."
Adit looked at the indicator.
"There's still plenty."
"All right, then."
I sat down again.
Doy looked at Adit.
"Don't take pictures randomly."
Adit looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Just don't."
Doy didn't explain.
Adit shrugged.
"Okay."
I watched Doy.
There was something in the way he spoke.
He wasn't joking.
It wasn't just superstition.
He was genuinely worried.
12:05 a.m.
Bon stood up.
"Let's go."
We got up.
This time, no one joked.
Maybe everyone was simply too tired.
I walked while watching the ground.
The trail grew steeper.
Several times, I had to use my hands.
The trees on either side grew closer together.
I felt as if we were going deeper into a place we shouldn't have entered.
But of course, that was only a feeling.
We were climbing a mountain.
The higher we went...
the farther we got from normal life.
I tried to think of it that way.
Not long after, I began to hear water.
Faintly.
Trickling.
Bon heard it too.
"Water."
Darma immediately asked,
"Where?"
"To the left."
We walked a little farther.
He was right.
There was a small stream.
The water was clear.
We filled several bottles.
I splashed my face.
It was ice-cold.
My body instantly felt refreshed.
Fathur did the same.
"That feels good."
Darma splashed water on his face.
"Don't use too much."
"Why?"
"The water's cold."
Darma stared at him.
"Obviously."
I laughed.
Everyone started moving again.
But as we left the stream behind...
I looked back once.
I didn't know why.
I saw something on the surface of the water.
Like a reflection.
I stopped.
The water continued flowing.
The shadow disappeared.
I shook my head.
Enough.
Don't start again.
I quickened my pace.
Around 12:30 a.m., Bon started checking his watch more often.
"We've come pretty far."
Darma asked,
"The checkpoint?"
"Still a ways."
"If you keep answering 'still a ways'..."
Bon laughed.
"Any other questions?"
"Nope."
"Then let's go."
We walked on.
I began regulating my breathing.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Then, at last, I heard a voice from behind me.
Very softly.
"Joy."
I stopped.
My body went rigid.
I didn't turn around.
I simply stood there.
The voice sounded again.
"Joy..."
I knew who usually called my name like that.
Darma?
Ozan?
Bon?
Doy?
I didn't know.
I turned around.
Darma was walking ahead of me.
He wasn't speaking.
I looked behind me.
Ozan was there.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Everyone was there.
No one had called me.
I looked at them.
"What?"
Ozan asked.
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
"Why'd you stop?"
"I thought someone called me."
Darma turned around.
"Who?"
I shrugged.
"Maybe you."
"Wasn't me."
I looked at Doy.
Doy said nothing.
But his expression changed.
I moved a little closer.
"Doy."
He looked at me.
"What?"
"Did you hear it?"
He was silent for several seconds.
Then he said,
"Don't talk about it."
I swallowed.
"Why?"
"Just walk."
I nodded.
We started moving again.
But from that moment on...
I no longer felt calm.
I kept walking and listening.
There was no more sound.
Maybe I'd simply misheard.
Maybe it was the wind.
Maybe the leaves.
Maybe it was all in my head.
I wanted to believe that.
Because if it wasn't...
then someone had called my name.
And that person wasn't part of our group.
I tried to ignore it.
Until a few minutes later...
"Joy."
The voice came again.
This time, more clearly.
Right behind me.
I didn't turn around.
I remembered Doy's words.
Don't answer.
Don't respond carelessly.
I kept walking.
Darma turned around.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
I stared straight ahead.
I wasn't going to turn around.
I wasn't going to answer.
I wasn't going to tell anyone.
At least not until I was sure.
Then the voice sounded for the third time.
"Joy..."
This time, it was very close.
As if someone were walking directly behind me.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
I wanted to turn around.
But I didn't.
I bit my lip.
Kept walking.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Then...
the voice disappeared.
I let out a breath.
Safe.
Maybe.
I looked ahead.
Bon's headlamp beam moved between the trees.
Doy was still behind him.
Darma.
Me.
Everyone.
Nine.
I counted again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Complete.
I began to feel a little calmer.
Until Doy suddenly stopped.
Bon turned around.
"What is it?"
Doy didn't answer.
He was staring at the ground.
I moved closer.
"What?"
Doy pointed.
On the ground...
there were shoeprints.
One pair.
The tracks were still clear.
Bon crouched down.
"A hiker?"
Doy shook his head.
"I don't know."
Darma looked too.
"So there's someone ahead."
Bon nodded.
"Maybe."
I stared at the tracks.
The shoes were fairly large.
The footprints led in the same direction we were going.
That made sense.
Maybe there was another hiker.
Maybe we'd run into him.
I felt a little relieved.
At least the voice could be explained.
Maybe that hiker had called me.
Maybe he was just trying to pass us.
Maybe...
Doy suddenly said,
"The tracks only go one way."
I frowned.
"Yeah?"
"There aren't any tracks coming from above."
I looked.
He was right.
All the tracks led uphill.
There were no tracks coming down from above.
I didn't understand.
"So?"
Doy stood up.
"There aren't any."
He continued walking.
I followed him.
But before leaving, I looked once more.
The tracks stopped exactly where we were standing.
As if the person...
had stood there.
Waiting.
1:00 a.m.
We kept walking.
No one mentioned the tracks.
No one mentioned the voice.
Everyone seemed to agree to pretend nothing had happened.
I chose to stay quiet too.
But something had changed.
Before, I had felt like I was hiking with eight friends.
Now I felt...
as if there were someone else.
Someone invisible.
I tried counting.
Nine.
Still nine.
I looked back.
Eka and Alin.
Adit.
Fathur.
Ozan.
Darma.
Doy.
Bon.
Nine.
I let out a breath.
There was nothing there.
Nothing.
We found another flat spot.
Bon signaled for us to stop.
"Ten minutes."
Everyone sat down.
I opened my bottle.
Drank.
Darma lay down.
Fathur opened some food.
Ozan looked at the map.
Adit checked his camera.
Doy sat by himself.
Eka stared into the forest.
I watched Eka.
Something about his face was different.
He looked afraid.
"Ka."
Eka turned.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
He nodded.
I didn't believe him.
But I didn't push him.
Alin touched his shoulder.
"Tell us if you're tired."
Eka gave a faint smile.
"Yeah."
We fell silent.
Then Adit suddenly said,
"Guys."
Everyone turned.
"What now?"
Adit was holding his camera.
"This."
He showed us the picture he'd just taken.
I moved closer.
The picture showed our group walking.
Nine people.
I could see everyone.
Bon.
Doy.
Darma.
Me.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Complete.
But...
at the very back of the picture...
between two trees...
there was a tiny point of light.
Like a headlamp.
I stared at the screen.
"Where were you when you took this?"
"Behind us."
"So?"
Adit shook his head.
"There was no one behind us."
Ozan immediately said,
"Maybe it's a light from below."
I looked at the picture.
The light was too high.
As if it were at someone's head.
I looked at Doy.
Doy said nothing.
Bon took the camera.
He zoomed in on the picture.
The light was still there.
Small.
White.
Alone.
There was no body beneath it.
Bon handed the camera back.
"Enough."
Adit frowned.
"Why?"
"Don't think about it."
Doy looked at Bon.
The two of them stared at each other.
There was something they understood.
I didn't.
And that made me even more uncomfortable.
Bon stood up.
"Let's go."
We all got up.
Shouldered our packs.
Turned on our headlamps.
I was the last to stand.
Before moving, I looked back.
Darkness.
No light.
Nothing.
I smiled faintly.
Maybe it was only a reflection.
Maybe it was just the camera.
I turned around.
Then walked on.
About fifteen minutes after we started moving, the atmosphere changed.
I didn't know how to explain it.
Nothing happened.
There were no sounds.
Nothing was visible.
But the air felt different.
Colder.
Heavier.
Our steps grew slower.
Even Darma wasn't joking.
Bon looked back several times.
Doy kept scanning our surroundings.
I began noticing one thing.
There were no insect sounds.
There had been some before.
Crickets.
The rustling of leaves.
Small insects.
Now...
nothing.
Only our sounds.
Nine pairs of footsteps.
I counted again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
I let out a breath.
Complete.
Then...
there was one extra step.
Scrape.
I stopped.
The sound stopped too.
I looked back.
Everyone was still there.
I looked at Ozan.
He stared at me.
"What?"
I didn't answer.
Darma turned around.
"Joy?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
Bon called from the front,
"Don't stop."
I started walking again.
Scrape.
One step.
I turned around.
Nothing.
Scrape.
Another step.
This time, from behind me.
I quickened my pace.
Darma looked at me.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Seriously?"
I didn't answer.
I just walked.
Faster.
Faster.
Until Bon finally stopped.
"Everyone, bunch up."
We moved closer.
Bon looked at us one by one.
"Nine?"
I counted.
Bon.
Doy.
Darma.
Me.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Nine.
"Complete."
Bon nodded.
"Let's go."
We started walking again.
I didn't dare look back.
I didn't dare.
Because now I knew one thing.
Whatever was behind us...
might be walking at the same speed.
A few minutes later, the trail grew steeper.
I was busy looking for footholds.
The extra footsteps didn't sound again.
I began to relax.
Maybe it had only been a twig.
Maybe a rock.
Maybe I really was just too tired.
I looked at Bon.
He kept walking.
I looked at Doy.
He did too.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Nine.
I smiled.
Then from behind me...
came a very soft voice.
"Joy..."
I stopped immediately.
This time...
it wasn't the voice of a stranger.
Not a woman's voice.
Not a voice I didn't know.
That voice...
was mine.
"Joy..."
I froze.
It felt as if all the blood had drained into my feet.
I didn't dare move.
Darma turned around.
"Joy?"
I looked at him.
My lips didn't move.
Darma frowned.
"What?"
I pointed behind me.
He turned.
Empty.
Then...
the same voice sounded again.
Exactly my voice.
With the same tone.
From inside the darkness.
"Joy..."
Doy immediately looked at me.
His expression changed.
He raised one finger to his lips.
Quiet.
Don't answer.
I nodded slowly.
We all stood there.
Not moving.
The forest fell silent again.
I stared into the darkness behind me.
There was no one there.
But the voice sounded once more.
Closer.
Very close.
"Joy..."
The back of my neck turned cold.
Then the voice said,
"Don't walk yet."
I closed my eyes.
Because I knew exactly...
whose voice was speaking.
That voice...
was my own.
And this time...
it sounded as if it were standing right behind me.
**TO BE CONTINUED.**