Candra Kirana
Midnight Guests

Kiran enjoyed the twilight on the clouds alone. His hope of meeting Candra is getting dashed. He can guess that Candra came down the mountain via another path.

Well, at least Kiran was not thinking about Dodi, already had no intention of screaming to curse at her ex like yesterday.

Kiran looked at the white cloud with a blank look, just with her heart feeling empty. The feeling of loneliness is now arguably the same as the situation of a mountain that is silent.

Dark began to say hello, Kiran burned the used wood she collected this afternoon in front of the tent as a heater. The wind swiped the leaves into friends in the silence of the night.

Kiran was not a coward, alone in the mountain wilderness was common. He never saw demons or felt their presence, so subtle beings did not fall into the category of something that could undermine his courage.

The only thing that could possibly make Kiran's guts shrink was the presence of an evil human.

However, his hopes and prayers, the mountain is still a safe place. In addition to the unheard of crime, Kiran's preferred camping location is included in the area guarded by mountain rangers.

They are quite numerous and always roam the climbing routes. That was the background of Kiran daring to go to extremes there alone.

Not feeling the time entering the middle of the night, Kiran had spent two glasses of milk coffee and three packs of snacks. The climber who just passed by was only two groups, and no one wanted to stop by to unwind in his place. Kiran is really lonely tonight.

"Tumben no one wants to be invited to coffee together," muttered Kiran while cleaning up her food waste. "Sleep ajah!"

After putting out the fire, Kiran went inside the tent to rest her body. The tent lights were dimmed so that his eyes were comfortable when closed. Kiran pulled the zipper of her sleeping bag up to her neck and yawned wide. His consciousness was almost drowned in a dream, but was disturbed by a strange noise on the ground.

Duk duk duk duk!

Kiran's ears caught the faint sounds. Kiran sharpened her hearing to confirm the footsteps that were starting to approach. Maybe the climber will pass.

It was just that, compared to the sound of footsteps people walking, what Kiran heard was like the sound of a leap. Every four jumps, the sound disappears. Then came four more jumps. Repeat like that up to five times.

Duk duk duk duk!

Kiran is irritated, also curious about the person or thing that is purposely working on her. The voice was getting closer, probably only ten steps away from his tent.

Kiran had to see what or who brought a little terror to her. His hair was goosebumps, probably due to the night chill, probably also because Kiran was a little tense with something that was going on.

Kiran put a headlamp on her head and held a flashlight in her left hand. In addition, Kiran prepared a small machete before exiting the tent.

The cold weather greeted as the tent zipper raised Kiran. Silent, silent and a lot of fog. Kiran was unable to see in a visibility of more than three meters.

The flashlight used to highlight the perimeter of the tent found nothing but fog. Kiran tightened the machete held in her right hand and reattached her ear. Focus more on everything around them.

No movement caught Kiran's eyes. The sound of the suspicious duk that was saying hello had already disappeared. The night was completely silent, gripping beyond the sacred grave.

Kiran's skin bristled intensely, her nose faintly smelling an unusual fragrance, similar to the aroma of incense extracted from a mixture of jasmine and ylang.

Kiran recalled for a moment, had the smell ever been inhaled? Why does it feel familiar? Kiran cursed in her heart because of the slow work of her brain. Kiran forgot to smell that strange scent when and where!

Kiran's eyes reflexively watched the former campfire that had been turned off. Could it be that the smell came from a woody mark or a burnt leaf? Is there a wood like agarwood or sandalwood between the scorched piles in front of it?

But it is very clear that there is no smoke coming out of the charcoal. So it is almost impossible if the smell of fragrance comes from the former campfire that has been extinguished.

After all, if that smell really came from there, Kiran should have kissed her from a few hours ago while warming herself in front of the fire.

"Who's there?" pekik Kiran's. He almost jumped up in shock, his vision catching a tall figure standing in the middle of the hiking trail doing nothing.

That faint figure resembled a human shadow. Kiran's watchful eyes began to recognize the black red plaid flannel jacket and the gray bandana on the owner's head despite being disguised in a thick fog.

"Candra's? Damn you .. make me afraid!" sumpat Kiran chuckled. His heart jumped unsteadily.

"Sorry, I thought you came down so I didn't dare call. Afraid of wrong people," Candra replied with a wide smile and stepped lightly towards Kiran.

"You're so lazy, what's up at the top?" Kiran lowered her vigilance by keeping her machete on the terrace of the tent.

"Not at the top of the heck, in post five to be exact, nemenin ranger patrol while coffee. Actually it was going down from this afternoon, but instead invited to go around." Candra drew closer to Kiran who was standing in front of the tent, who was looking at her with friendly eyes and a smile that never stopped being reviewed out of pleasure.

Kiran offered her kindness, "Rest in my tent, start this haze rain. You're not wet?"

Candra nodded in agreement, "Seriously I don't need to open my own tent? I don't feel good, if it's wet, it doesn't mean it hasn't …"

Kiran snickered at Candra's ambiguous reply, "So you're like anything, my tent is big but it's just logistical. Ah, come on in! Have you eaten? Want to drink warm? I have cereal."

"Have a little coffee before going to bed!" candra proposal while removing the backpack and unpacking its contents. "Are you going to sleep?"

Kiran replied still with a small laugh, "So well established, but I heard the sound of duk duk duk duk, trus lost sleepy. That's why I'm out of the tent! A curious vow, a real fad of night-night!"

"It is I who trail the ground firmly let you terrorize the tent out. If I knew for sure you were still here, I was samperin straight away" Candra said. "Are you scared?"

"Where, her name is also a girl who is alone in the forest must have a fear even though small," answered Kiran honestly. "But I'm not a coward!"

"Yes I believe, if not brave how could you be alone here." Candra spoke while preparing a set of water cookware on the terrace of the tent, as well as two plastic cups to concoct her family's flagship coffee. "Later if the sound of that voice again means I am coming. Consider it a special code, there will be no one else, right?"

Kiran chuckled, "Emang how long do you want to be here? Don't you want to come down?"

"Yes tomorrow morning I'm going downstairs to get some logistics. The ranger I helped said I needed a friend to find a rough climber on the south side. Maybe the night I ride again, I stop by here if you haven't come home!" answer Candra while explaining the location she will comb tomorrow.

"I think tomorrow I'm still here."

"Sip deh, oh yes you want a bitter coffee what use sugar like yesterday?"

"Sugar cake, Can! No coffee is bitter!"

"Eh make no mistake, this coffee is precisely delicious to drink bitterly. The sensation is very different, you try first to make an assessment. Yesterday I made it clear that my family's coffee is special." Candra raised her two eyebrows alternately to tease Kiran.

With a curious expression Kiran asked, "Your coffee doesn't use sugar either?"

"Whoa, if I drink coffee where you want to use sugar. Bitter is better, healthier too" replied Candra chuckling.

Kiran looked at Candra in disbelief, "My usual bitter coffee drink is usually old man."

"Our nation doesn't know sugar, Kiran!" sahut Candra seriously.

***