“Kang, Kang, Kang, wake up, Kang!”
A voice reached my ears, along with someone patting my shoulder and rousing me.
“We’ve reached the border of Kabupaten Bandung.”
I immediately opened my eyes and looked to the right. I saw a truck driver who had woken me and was telling me that the truck he was driving had reached my destination.
I had only just realized that I’d been released from the prison in town today—the prison that had been my home for the past three years. Today was the day I was free, and after my release, I’d decided to return home, to my old hometown.
“Oh, we’re here already, huh, sir?” I replied.
The driver nodded. I slowly climbed down from the truck and took the bag I’d stored on the front seat beside where I’d been sitting.
“Sir, thank you so much for the ride,” I said to the driver.
After thanking him, I started walking away. But after I’d taken a few steps—
“Hey, Kang, wait a second!” the driver called, stopping me.
“Where are you going? Isn’t this a dense forest?” the truck driver asked.
“My village is in the middle of this forest, sir, so I have to walk from here and make my way through the woods,” I replied.
“Oh,” the driver said, clearly puzzled by my answer.
“All right, be careful on the road, sir. Thanks again for the ride,” I said as I started walking back along the narrow path visible ahead of me.
The driver smiled at me, then waved.
Vrooom, vrooom.
The truck drove off again, leaving me alone. I slowly followed the narrow path. Before I knew it, I was in the forest between Kabupaten Bandung and Kabupaten Cianjur. But that didn’t bother me, because this narrow path was the only way to my village—Cihalimun Village, a hard-to-reach village located in the middle of this forest.
I’d been away from the village for three years, ever since I was arrested and imprisoned after my own father accused me of stealing the gold that belonged to my mother—a crime I hadn’t committed at all.
My mother had only assigned me to sell the gold outside the village at the time, but my father accused me of running off with it so I could sell it outside the village and spend the money partying.
I’d defended myself during the hearing at the Village Hall, but the villagers trusted my father more than they trusted my defense. So I was arrested and imprisoned for three years. And today was the first day of my homecoming after being away from the village for three years.
Cihalimun Village was a hidden village located right on the border between Kabupaten Bandung and Kabupaten Cianjur. The village could only be reached by a narrow path through the forest. This path, normally used by pedestrians and trail bikes, was the only entrance to and exit from Cihalimun Village—and it had been my home since childhood.
Walking from the main road took three hours, while traveling by trail bike took only an hour.
The road was still made of dirt and rocks, and when it rained, numerous puddles formed along it, making Cihalimun Village extremely difficult to access.
It was so remote that government electricity still hadn’t reached the village. The residents had taken the initiative to buy solar panels to provide lighting through their own pooled contributions.
Despite those shortcomings, the residents provided for all their own needs. They had deliberately bought solar panels to light the village, and they had also built several structures for every village necessity.
So even though Cihalimun Village was remote, its facilities were actually quite complete.
There was everything from a market and a school to a village office. The residents didn’t need to leave the village for school or anything else. They only left through this narrow path when they were going on vacation or visiting relatives in town.
“It looks like misty rain is about to fall,” I thought as I looked up at the forest.
I felt raindrops begin to wet my head. The drizzle, accompanied by mist, started soaking everything along my route, and a chill spread through my body, forcing me to put on the thick jacket I’d stored in my bag.
As its name suggested, Cihalimun Village meant Mist Village in Indonesian, because mist frequently descended over the village and covered it entirely. But I’d lived there long enough that I was used to weather like this.
Sure enough, a cloud of white vapor suddenly descended, covering the forest trees and the narrow path I was following.
My previously broad field of vision became limited. All I could see was the white mist settling over the path.
Maybe an outsider would panic in a situation like this, but I didn’t. I knew this route by heart, so even in the thick mist, I kept walking toward the village without the slightest worry.
“Wow, it’s almost sunset. I need to reach the village soon so I won’t be stuck on the road after dark,” I thought as I looked at my watch, which read 4:45 p.m.
I finally quickened my pace and hurried through the forest, passing several muddy puddles that had collected along the path. I also crossed several streams flowing over the road, forcing me to make small jumps to avoid the water a few times.
At last, I arrived at the edge of the dense forest I’d just crossed. All that remained was to cross a bamboo bridge that served as the entrance to Cihalimun Village.
Ahead of me stood a sturdy bamboo bridge marking the boundary between the village and the dense forest. The village entrance that people commonly used was clearly visible at the far end of the bridge.
But then something strange happened.
The cold sensation I’d felt suddenly disappeared when I crossed the bridge.
All at once, my steps grew heavy. It was as if I wasn’t allowed to cross the bridge.
But I forced myself onward, thinking it might only be my imagination. After all, I’d been away from the village for three years, and I was afraid of how my father and the villagers would feel about my return.
Finally, I forced myself across the wooden bridge.
WUSSSSSSSSSS
A strange sensation washed over me as I crossed the bridge this time. It felt as though I were breaking through something, though I had no idea what it was.
Something thin seemed to envelop the village, and as I pushed through it, I felt a faint pressure against my body. But when I turned around, I didn’t feel anything at all.
“Maybe I’m just imagining things,” I thought, trying not to pay attention to what I’d felt.
But then—
Knock knock knock knock knock.
Knock knock knock knock knock.
A loud knocking sound came from the village, as if something had happened inside. I immediately ran toward the village, and when I reached the entrance—
I was startled by the panic gripping the people there. They were running as soon as the sound began. Young men carrying clubs rushed around the village, telling the residents to get inside their houses while banging the clubs.
“GET INSIDE...!! GET IN YOUR HOUSES, NOW!!!”
The peaceful atmosphere instantly turned into panic. Parents quickly scooped up children who had been playing outside and carried them into their homes. The young men gathered in front of their trail bikes abandoned the bikes and went inside the nearest houses. The older men relaxing in front of the neighborhood watch post suddenly panicked and scattered to their respective homes.
“KANGGGGGG, KANGGGGGG!!!”
Amid the panic, someone shouted to me from the middle of the village, yelling at the top of his lungs.
“GET HOME, NOW! GET INSIDE! DON’T STAY OUTSIDE—EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE IN FIVE MINUTES!!!” the young man shouted as he ran deeper into the village, carrying his club away.