Mystery Horror
In the Darkness
This isn't my story.
I'm a brave person—far braver than anyone in this tale.
But if you heard your name called from inside the mist one night, would you be brave enough to answer?
Sometimes night is more than darkness.
Something breathes between the folds of mist, waiting for its name to be spoken again.
This is the story of Jamilah, Julin Azie, and an entity called Temulawak.
Somewhere between fear and laughter, they learned that not everything lost wishes to be forgotten.
The rain had only just stopped when Jamilah stepped onto the wet ground at the edge of the village. Mud clung all the way up to her ankles.
“This is what happens when you trust Google Maps. It leads you straight into the spirit world,” she grumbled, dodging a puddle.
“Julin, where are you?” she shouted toward the back road.
No one answered. There was only the sound of leaves rubbing together, like a small whisper waiting nearby.
A cold wind suddenly swept past. From inside the mist came a mournful voice, husky and calm, yet uncomfortably close.
“Jamilah…”
Jamilah swallowed.
“Ya Allah, who's that… a Foodpanda rider who got lost delivering my order?”
No answer. Only a long breath followed by a gentle rustle.
“I am… Temulawak.”
“Huh? The herbal remedy?” she blurted out.
“Eh, don't play around with herb names or I'll turn you into jamu.”
The voice did not grow angry. Its gentle tone seemed to whisper inside her heart, somewhere between life and something without a name.
“You stepped onto my ground. My name is written here.”
Jamilah looked around. At the foot of an old tree, a small plaque lay half buried, its writing nearly gone.
“Alamak, if I'd known this was a grave, I wouldn't have stepped around like I had no sins. Sorry, Temulawak.”
The mist thickened.
The smell of earth changed into a strange perfume, frangipani mixed with lemongrass.
Leaves moved without any wind.
“It's all right,” the voice said, clearer now. “I've been silent a long time. I've been waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for whom?” Jamilah's voice turned hoarse, caught between fear and curiosity.
“Someone brave enough to look into the darkness without running. Someone willing to hear my voice without screaming.”
Jamilah lowered her head and gave an uneasy smile.
“Then I'm not the right candidate. My courage comes from Temu—cheap courage. Try first, and if it doesn't work, we go home.”
The entity chuckled.
Its voice echoed all around her.
The old tree behind her suddenly shuddered. A dim light emerged from between its roots.
“Temulawak… that's the name people gave me. I am an entity long bound to this place. When you speak that name, I feel as though I exist again.”
“Just don't actually appear,” Jamilah whispered, slowly stepping backwards.
But the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way.
Mud sucked her down to the knees.
“Julin!” she screamed in panic.
Julin Azie answered from far away.
“I'm taking photos. The lighting in this mist is gorgeous!”
“Lighting, my foot! I'm sinking here!”
The ground stopped swallowing her.
Jamilah gasped for breath.
Temulawak's voice sounded right beside her ear.
“If you leave, I will disappear forever. You are the only one who can still hear me.”
Jamilah trembled.
“What do you want from me?”
“One promise.”
The mist spiralled into a faint figure. Light shone softly from the earth.
“Replant the tree that fell across my ground. That's all. Then I will go.”
Jamilah swallowed.
“If I help, don't follow me home. I live with my mother. She'll recite Yasin for three nights straight.”
The wind grew still.
The voice began to fade.
“I do not chase frightened people. I only want to be remembered.”
At that moment, Julin appeared, breathless, a camera hanging from her neck.
“I saw a light just now! Did you record it?”
“Didn't have time,” Jamilah replied quietly, still staring at the ground.
The wind stopped.
The forest fell silent again.
Only a fallen tree and damp earth remained before them.
“Julin, help me replant this tree.”
“Now? In the middle of the night?”
“Yes, before it comes back.”
They dug with their bare hands.
Julin complained without pause.
“If this is a ghost prank, I'm reporting it to the supernatural police.”
When the tree stood upright again, the sky suddenly brightened.
Moonlight fell across the little plaque that had nearly disappeared into the ground.
The name Temulawak was gone, but the earth around it smelled fresh, like morning dew.
Julin wiped away her sweat.
“Do you think it's gone?”
“I don't know. But I think it's at peace.”
Suddenly, a small voice whispered behind them, gentle and playful.
“If you want to know whether I've gone, open the Temu app. Maybe there's an entity discount this week.”
Julin screamed and toppled backwards into the mud.
Jamilah laughed until her stomach hurt.
The mist slowly vanished, leaving them beneath the cold moonlight.
In the night wind, Temulawak's voice came one last time, farther away now.
“Cheap or not, it's still humans doing the laughing, isn't it?”
The sky cleared again.
In the silence, they knew something in that forest had finally found peace.
I'm a brave person—far braver than anyone in this tale.
But if you heard your name called from inside the mist one night, would you be brave enough to answer?
Sometimes night is more than darkness.
Something breathes between the folds of mist, waiting for its name to be spoken again.
This is the story of Jamilah, Julin Azie, and an entity called Temulawak.
Somewhere between fear and laughter, they learned that not everything lost wishes to be forgotten.
The rain had only just stopped when Jamilah stepped onto the wet ground at the edge of the village. Mud clung all the way up to her ankles.
“This is what happens when you trust Google Maps. It leads you straight into the spirit world,” she grumbled, dodging a puddle.
“Julin, where are you?” she shouted toward the back road.
No one answered. There was only the sound of leaves rubbing together, like a small whisper waiting nearby.
A cold wind suddenly swept past. From inside the mist came a mournful voice, husky and calm, yet uncomfortably close.
“Jamilah…”
Jamilah swallowed.
“Ya Allah, who's that… a Foodpanda rider who got lost delivering my order?”
No answer. Only a long breath followed by a gentle rustle.
“I am… Temulawak.”
“Huh? The herbal remedy?” she blurted out.
“Eh, don't play around with herb names or I'll turn you into jamu.”
The voice did not grow angry. Its gentle tone seemed to whisper inside her heart, somewhere between life and something without a name.
“You stepped onto my ground. My name is written here.”
Jamilah looked around. At the foot of an old tree, a small plaque lay half buried, its writing nearly gone.
“Alamak, if I'd known this was a grave, I wouldn't have stepped around like I had no sins. Sorry, Temulawak.”
The mist thickened.
The smell of earth changed into a strange perfume, frangipani mixed with lemongrass.
Leaves moved without any wind.
“It's all right,” the voice said, clearer now. “I've been silent a long time. I've been waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for whom?” Jamilah's voice turned hoarse, caught between fear and curiosity.
“Someone brave enough to look into the darkness without running. Someone willing to hear my voice without screaming.”
Jamilah lowered her head and gave an uneasy smile.
“Then I'm not the right candidate. My courage comes from Temu—cheap courage. Try first, and if it doesn't work, we go home.”
The entity chuckled.
Its voice echoed all around her.
The old tree behind her suddenly shuddered. A dim light emerged from between its roots.
“Temulawak… that's the name people gave me. I am an entity long bound to this place. When you speak that name, I feel as though I exist again.”
“Just don't actually appear,” Jamilah whispered, slowly stepping backwards.
But the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way.
Mud sucked her down to the knees.
“Julin!” she screamed in panic.
Julin Azie answered from far away.
“I'm taking photos. The lighting in this mist is gorgeous!”
“Lighting, my foot! I'm sinking here!”
The ground stopped swallowing her.
Jamilah gasped for breath.
Temulawak's voice sounded right beside her ear.
“If you leave, I will disappear forever. You are the only one who can still hear me.”
Jamilah trembled.
“What do you want from me?”
“One promise.”
The mist spiralled into a faint figure. Light shone softly from the earth.
“Replant the tree that fell across my ground. That's all. Then I will go.”
Jamilah swallowed.
“If I help, don't follow me home. I live with my mother. She'll recite Yasin for three nights straight.”
The wind grew still.
The voice began to fade.
“I do not chase frightened people. I only want to be remembered.”
At that moment, Julin appeared, breathless, a camera hanging from her neck.
“I saw a light just now! Did you record it?”
“Didn't have time,” Jamilah replied quietly, still staring at the ground.
The wind stopped.
The forest fell silent again.
Only a fallen tree and damp earth remained before them.
“Julin, help me replant this tree.”
“Now? In the middle of the night?”
“Yes, before it comes back.”
They dug with their bare hands.
Julin complained without pause.
“If this is a ghost prank, I'm reporting it to the supernatural police.”
When the tree stood upright again, the sky suddenly brightened.
Moonlight fell across the little plaque that had nearly disappeared into the ground.
The name Temulawak was gone, but the earth around it smelled fresh, like morning dew.
Julin wiped away her sweat.
“Do you think it's gone?”
“I don't know. But I think it's at peace.”
Suddenly, a small voice whispered behind them, gentle and playful.
“If you want to know whether I've gone, open the Temu app. Maybe there's an entity discount this week.”
Julin screamed and toppled backwards into the mud.
Jamilah laughed until her stomach hurt.
The mist slowly vanished, leaving them beneath the cold moonlight.
In the night wind, Temulawak's voice came one last time, farther away now.
“Cheap or not, it's still humans doing the laughing, isn't it?”
The sky cleared again.
In the silence, they knew something in that forest had finally found peace.
Translation
Discussion
0 commentsNo comments yet. Start the conversation.