The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 37's

How now?

We were really stuck, Magisna thought. There's no car. There's no phone. There's no way to go home.

Hendra sat next to Magisna on the sofa, giving a soothing smile and pat.

But that doesn't make Magisna feel better. He still looks grim. "What else is going to happen?" raucous hissing.

"There must be a way to get to the nearest settlement" Hendra said slowly.

"What's this?" The voice in the corridor shook them.

Magisna squealed stifled and held her breath.

Gabe stood staring at them with his jaws tightened and eyes squinted.

"The phone is broken" replied Hendra. "And..the car—"

Gabe rushes to the phone table, picks up the phone and listens. "His phone was fine during the storm" he said, slamming the phone.

Magisna gulped with difficulty as Gabe turned towards them.

Hendra glanced at him full of question marks. He doesn't know the story about Gabe yet. Magisna hasn't told him.

"Where are your friends?" Gabe asked while looking at me.

Hendra and Magisna fell silent. They were also not sure where Ais and Agustin had gone.

"You don't want to tell the truth?" insist Gabe.

"We also don't know where Ais is with Agustin" Hendra said. "But our car is in the abyss!"

"What?" Gabe. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Hendra growled unhappily. "Do we look at whining again?"

Gabe let out a short sigh and thought hard. "All right," he said. "I don't want your parents to be confused. I think I'd better take you guys."

"Do you have a vehicle?" Hendra asked half-cheering.

"yeah. It's in the barn" Gabe said.

Suddenly Magisna realizes her suspicions may be mistaken. Gabe may be dangerous, but there's no way he's killing five people at once and pushing two cars alone. After all, she's just a girl.

Gabe rushed to his room and returned shortly afterwards, wearing an army jacket.

He does look dangerous, Magisna thought. But is he really a murderer?

"The cavemen may be in danger. I think we've got it" Jati said last night. And now Teak is also gone. His car fell into the ravine with Agustin's car.

What exactly is going on?

Gabe leads them to the backyard. Hendra and Magisna followed him without speaking.

Behind the hut was a shed made of weathered wood that seemed unpainted for many years.

A lump of gray cloud slowly floated down towards them from the north, but most of the sky was still bright blue.

Gabe opened the warehouse door and turned on a long fluorescent light attached to the rafters.

When the blue-gray light flashed, a Jeep appeared. Magisna was never so happy to see the vehicle.

What about Ais and Agustin? he said in his heart. Are we just going to leave them?

Inside the barn, the air was slightly warmer, but slightly stuffy and smelled sweet. The floor is hard and covered with straw.

Gabe slipped behind the wheel. Insert the key into the contact hole, place his foot on the clutch and insert the neutral gear, then turn the key.

Silent.

It doesn't sound anything.

"Any," Gabe murmured as he knitted his brows.

"What is the position neutral?" asked Hendra from the back seat.

Gabe turned to Hendra with a look of annoyance. "Certainly neutral, of course" he snorted a little.

"Try it again" said Hendra, ignoring Gabe's anger.

Magisna slipped from the other door, and landed beside her.

Gabe turned the key again while pressing the gas pedal firmly.

Still no reaction. There was no engine noise, not even the sound of a coughing machine.

Completely silent.

Gabe growled impatiently and glared at Hendra. "Listen, young man. You don't have to teach me how to drive my own car!"

"The gear must be frozen" Hendra said. "That happens often. This car may never be heated during cold weather. Try the moves."

Gabe pouted and hit the wheel angrily. But he followed Hendra's advice.

The engine is sizzling, then it dies.

"You believe?" Gabe glared at Hendra through the front rearview mirror.

Hendra shrugged his shoulders briefly and said nothing more.

Angrily, Gabe opened the door, stepped down from the car, slammed the door behind him, and rushed off towards the hut, leaving us who were just glaring inside the striking Jeep.

Outside, the wind was blowing even louder and the sky was now getting darker.

Even if we make it out of here, can we get home before it gets caught in the rain? thought Magisna.

Hendra jumped off the Jeep and looked out.

It's really raining.

We are really stuck, Magisna said in her heart. This time he could not calm himself.

.

.

.

Hendra prying fire, turning wood. Flames snatched and hissed, the light twinkling on his dark brown eyes.

After failing to start the engine, Gabe finally gave up as soon as it started raining and prepared breakfast for them.

Magisna helped him wash the dishes after breakfast. As soon as he returned to the sitting room, Gabe was gone.

Magisna joined Hendra beside the fireplace, to warm up. "Where's gabe going?" tanyanya rubbed her nose. It was not too frozen, he thought.

"To the barn," said Hendra, placing another block of wood into the fire carefully.

"Well?" ask Magisna again.

"Worky Jeep but it's times!" sahut Hendra while taking an iron stick and pushing a block of wood into the biggest flame. Before long he put the iron stick back and walked towards the window facing the front yard. "Where do you think Ais and Agustin are going?"

Magisna only stuttered in response to Hendra's question. Not sure how to answer.

"Cowok semalem.." Hendra turned to look at Magisna. "Did she have her in your room?"

Magisna blinked and gulped. "He told the cave so we could pull it out of semalem," he explained stammering. "Gua didn't know what he meant, but he said.." Magisna lowered her voice. "Gabe's dangerous?"

Hendra snorted while twirling his eyeballs. "And you believe?"

Magisna. I don't know, he said in his heart. Not sure who to believe now.

Just a moment ago, Gabe had already shown his good faith. And now he's desperately trying to fix his vehicle.

Gabe doesn't seem too evil, he said inwardly.

But is Gabe really trustworthy?

Ais and Agustin are still unaccounted for while Jati and friends are also unclear.

And those two cars…

Who pushed him into the abyss?

No, Magisna said in her heart. Gabe realizes that Ais and Agustin are missing after joining Hendra and Magisna. He doesn't know anything about the car.

"It's strange" said Hendra as he walked towards Magisna.

Yes, Magisna agrees. This is weird.

But what can they do?

"They had a big fight last night" whispered Hendra. "It never comes out again."

Magisna was stunned to hear Hendra's words. He did not know the truth about Dusk, he just remembered. Magisna hasn't told Hendra.

Magisna opened her mouth, preparing to tell the truth. But the sound of steps in the corridor choked him.

The twilight appeared while yawning, standing in a daze and propping one of his hands on the door frame.

Hendra let out a sigh of relief, while Magisna held her breath.

Lunch time hasn't even arrived yet, Magisna thought. And the ghost has appeared?