The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 24

"Ndra--slow-slow!" magisna shouted as she closed her eyes as Hendra's Jeep Agustin derailed on a slippery road that declined sharply and meandered.

"Hey—slow! The cave can handle this, okay?" Hendra turned the steering wheel and somehow the wheels of the car could be straightened again before they slipped out of the way. Then, before they got out of the road safety lane, Hendra stepped on the gas pedal and the roaring car walked again.

"Hendra—" Magisna rebuked him from the passenger bench by his side.

And in response, Hendra instead accelerated the speed of his car while grinning widely. His dark eyes revealed excitement, as if nothing had happened a few hours ago.

Hendra likes such danger. He really likes to scare people, Magisna thought annoyed. You fucking show-off!

That night Agustin and Ais drove them home in Agustin's Jeep. But the bridge to the Magisna housing estate collapsed and they were forced to turn around to find an alternative way.

Hendra said he knew of an alternative road to the Magisna housing estate and took over the wheel. But heavy rain causes slippery roads. Plus the Jeep was not equipped with a roof. The strong wind mixed with the roaring rain and howled violently on their faces like white clumps, so that they could not even see a meter ahead.

And this is where they are now in—entah where, shivering cold in open jeeps amidst oil palm plantations in a rainstorm. 

The jeep crashed forward and slipped at every narrow turn of the road. And every time the tires slid, Magisna's heart seemed to be thrown out of place.

"Emang tastes better if the person is sane," he grumbled.

"Don't you know, just sit down sweet!" sergeant Hendra slammed hard on the steering wheel when the car tire began to slip again.

"Hendra--lu made the cave afraid to know!" Magisna screamed again. His knees pressed against the small drawer on the dashboard, and his hands were tightly shut.

"Lu want to take your house?" Hendra hatch.

"The cave wants to go home" Magisna said.

"Have him speed up again" said Ais from the backseat. "Where is it even dipelanin!"

"Great idea!" dengus Magisna's.

There's nothing to see. The rain fell too hard and the air became white. At least that was what Magisna saw when she turned her face and looked out.

A few hours ago, there were still many cars and motorbikes going down the narrow, winding road. But now it seems that only Agustin's car is the only vehicle on the hill.

There was a loud swiping sound as the car wipers swept across the windshield. Windshield wipers can clean the glass well, but the rain that falls so hard constantly covers the windshield.

Magisna tried to look at the sky above their heads. It doesn't seem anything. The rain that fell was too thick and heavy.

He knew Hendra also could not see anything. But he can't drive slowly.

Wh why?

Because he's Hendra Dwi Maulana-the real fucker.

The atmosphere in the car was really tense. Partly because they were sliding down the hill on the winding slippery road without being able to see anything with the crazy person driving. And partly because they're in a car with a stranger they just met a few hours ago.

Agustin and Ais do not seem to mind this situation, but it is certainly not easy to feel comfortable being near people we just know in a tense situation like this.

Magisna looked back, towards Agustin who was looking out with his hands crossed in front of his chest, tightly hugging himself. "It feels really cold here" he murmured while shuddering.

Ais turned her head towards Magisna while pulling the hood of her jacket.

"What's the cave going to do, dong?" Hendra looked back. "Stop here, buy a new car?"

Magisna pinched her groin.

"This car is not there!" hendra's Protest on Magisna.

"You can see, right?" Agustin asked as he leaned his body forward.

Magisna pinched her thigh again.

Suddenly the Jeep skyrocketed. Really speeding up half soar.

Magisna screamed in panic and held on to whatever she was reaching for.

Through the roar of frothing rain, he could see the steep valley on the lower right, while up there was no protective fence along the side of the road.

We will never survive this storm, Magisna thought in horror. He then berated himself for being pessimistic. But he can't handle it.

Basically, Magisna was indeed a person who was always worried. He tends to worry about everything in any situation. Especially in a bad situation like this, he could worry about more things.

We'll slip to the edge, he thought. We'll be plunged into the abyss!

Quickly, Hendra flipped the steering wheel in the opposite direction from the slipping direction. He stepped on the brakes deeply, but the speed of his car did not slow down.

Magisna closed her eyes, but did not help. He could still feel the car continuing to slip and start turning. Instantly his stomach felt nauseous. Can't breathe. Speakless.

The car turned around once. Then stop.

Magisna opened her eyes.

Its front tires were mired into the mud on the side of the road.

Hendra grimacing. "Lu's looking to die, huh?" he grumbled at Magisna. 

Magisna did not understand. Not realizing what he was doing. He gripped Hendra's thigh too tight.

"Lu want to let go, huh?" hardik Hendra's.

Magisna was aghast and immediately her face was hot and red, "Ma—maaf," he said stammering. Then hurriedly pulled his hand.

Ais and Agustin chuckled on the back bench.

Magisna gulped. They laughed at me, she thought she was ashamed.

Hendra pulled the car back on the road. The car flinched and faltered, then stopped. Magisna closed her eyes again. The car moved again and started to run.

I heard a breath coming from the back seat.

Magisna opened her eyes and felt a little relieved that they were still alive. But just a little!

As far as he was concerned, they still had to travel several hundred miles, while the rain and storms were getting heavier.

"Reverse, reverse! Rotate direction!"

That's what he imagined in a roaring wind. Magisna has a real imagination when in fear. That is why he did not want to believe his own hearing when he heard the laughter of little girls when in the doolhof.

It was just the sound of a mouse squeaking, he thought. And I imagined it like a child giggling. The wind sounded like a warning.

What is the scientific explanation for this feeling? Magisna wondered in her heart.

A scientific theory can usually divert itself from anything that is troubling. 

But how do we explain the fear we have when we are not sure how scared we are? 

Feelings of fear that make us start to feel heavy overall, to seem unable to move, unable to breathe.