The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 28's

I was meeting my end, Magisna grumbled inwardly. My life is over. I'll freeze to death unless someone opens the door now.

Agustin knocked again.

They heard footsteps from inside the log cabin. The sound grew louder, and finally the front door opened.

A man was surprised to see them. The man was tall and broad-shouldered. But her waist was so slender. His hair was long up to his waist in a shiny black and straight ruler. The man was wearing a dark-colored hoodie sweater combined with colorful cargo pants.

Not Jati, Magisna thought a little disappointed.

Teak looks like it's still the age of Ais. One or two years younger than Agustin. A few years older than Hendra and Magisna.

But the man who came out from inside the hut was clearly much older than the rest of them. About the age of Mr. Isa, maybe about 30 years, maybe less.

Hey—what did you expect? Magisna rebuked herself for not being able to stop thinking about the man she barely knew. That man is not here, stop thinking about him!

No, the voice inside her was teasing Magisna. The car's downstairs. He must be here somewhere.

The man at the door of the cottage looked at Magisna.

Magisna.

"Our car—" Agustin began to speak, but it seemed that he was also too cold to speak. "You know, hurricane—"

"Come in" said the man flatly. "Don't let you get cold."

The four teenagers stormed forward, huddling with each other with a desire to go inside.

Once they were all inside, the long-haired man slammed the door and locked it.

Magisna had been immersed in darkness for so long, that it took her eyes time to adjust to the brightly lit light in the room.

There are no other entrances or passageways. There is only one very large room with a cathedral-shaped roof and a large glass skylight on top that will provide little light during the day.

In one corner of the room was a large stone fireplace on the wall in the distance, opposite the balcony on the second floor.

Inside the fireplace were several logs that were burning, making a loud whirling and crackling sound, emitting a reddish flame.

It feels like I have never been this happy to see the fire in my life, Magisna said in her heart.

"You guys look cold" said the long-haired man earlier. "Please take off your wet shoes, put your jackets and sweaters on there." He pointed to a small room to the left of the four teenagers in front of the fireplace.

Submissively, the four teenagers followed his instructions.

"Gabe!" The man shouted. "Come here" he said. "We have guests!"

"We were on our way home, but we couldn't make it through the storm" Agustin tried to explain while taking off his shoes. "Our car has no roof and—"

"Close to the fireplace" said the man, interrupting, helping Magisna remove Hendra's oversized army jacket. "You're a sweet boy" he said. "I like sweet black girls."

Magisna gulped with difficulty, then glanced at Hendra through the corner of her eye. He saw Hendra's face suddenly sour.

What's wrong with her? thought Magisna.

"Sorry! We don't mean to bother you" Agustin said, shaking off a grain of water from his hair.

"It's okay" said the man. "Me and Gabe have enough room. This place used to be used for hunting huts before the highway was built. You can stay here until the rain subsides."

"Thank you" said Agustin, rushing to the fireplace. Magisna. "I can't imagine having to stay a few more minutes in a car that doesn't have a roof" Agustin continued.

"I'm Twilight" said the man.

And instantly the four teenagers held their breaths and glanced at each other.

"Where are you guys from?" The man named Dusk asked while kicking Ais's boots towards the wall.

The four teenagers did not answer.

The man turned his attention towards them and looked around, staring one by one at the faces of the four.

"Sa-I, I mean, we are from Gedong" replied Agustin stammeringly.

The man squinted his eyes.

Gedong is a term to mention Van Til House which is now a school of Hendra and Magisna.

But that was not what made the man squint his eyes. Agustin's stammering words made him seem suspicious that they were trying to lie to him.

The man never knew how scared they were of hearing his name.

A woman walked into the room and approached towards them, wiping her slender hand with a dish napkin.

"This is it" said Dusk, smiling. "The most important person to me, my greatest soul mate, Gabe!"

The four teenagers said their greetings almost simultaneously. It sounded more like I was relieved to see the woman.

The woman had an oval face, with long brown wave curls. His eyes are the color of his hair. Her height was above that of an average Asian woman and her skin was a pale white speckled typical of Dutch blood.

What were these two people that were in the teak car? Magisna wondered in her heart.

Uh-oh! Magisna cursed herself again. Can you stop thinking about it?!

But no, her heart. The couple in the car looked young and still the same age as Jati.

Teak again! He groaned with disgust in his heart.

"I wasn't expecting a guest today, indeed" Gabe said a little confused. He has a thin voice that seems mystical. Seeing Gabe on the side of Dusk, Magisna spontaneously thought like a male and female panther. Both are wearing black hoodie sweaters and colorful cargo pants. Their boots are like army shoes.

Somehow Magisna felt they did not look like the owner of the cottage who felt comfortable in the house. The appearance of both looks like they are preparing to leave at any time. Their suits seem wary.

Is it just my feelings?

The four teens introduced themselves, repeating their names—first to Gabe then at Dusk who seemed to insist on shaking their still frozen hands vigorously.

"These stupid kids are driving in a storm. The car has no roof," cerocos Dusk told his wife. "I've told them here it's not a five-star hotel, but we can make them comfortable until the rain subsides."

Gabe displayed a concerned expression, but did not say anything.

Magisna examined her increasingly swollen ankles. Her legs are soaked. Her feelings said, Gabe was uncomfortable with the arrival of four strangers in his cabin.

But he said, "I'll make you some coffee. You're so cold."

Magisna sat on the dark red fur carpet, leaned her back against the leather sofa, and stretched her legs towards the fire. It feels good, he said in his heart.

Magisna glanced at the others who were sitting crimped beside her along the end of the sofa. The three showed a smile on their faces, the first smile Magisna had seen since they were together on the way, before they even set off.