You know, young people have the most fun traveling. Me too. Introducing, my name is Diah, a 21-year-old student who has a passion for no-plan-traveling with my friend, Ajeng.

We went to Purwokerto from Jakarta by train. The plan is to explore Central Java only by using public transportation. The target for a week must have been reached at least 5 districts, for lodging we usually look for cheap lodging or at least in resident homes.

After a day in Purwokerto, Ajeng and I started looking for a place to stay to continue tomorrow’s agenda. But what happened we actually entered a village that felt very strange to us, for some reason. Ajeng and I also felt the atmosphere was very uncomfortable, we thought that maybe because it was getting late.

I met a lady who greeted us, then we introduced ourselves and where we came from and where we were looking for lodging. Unexpectedly, the mother very politely offered her house for us to stay. She understood that nowadays young traveler usually need cheap lodging. The lady had a room that was rarely filled so we could occupy it. Actually it was her son’s room, but her son rarely came home from the downtown so the lady always felt lonely.

We immediately accepted the offer with great pleasure. But we feel like there was something uncomfortable since entering this village, we didn’t know what it is, we didn’t have a good feeling. Well, the important thing was that now we had a place to stay so we didn’t worry too much.

That night when we wanted to sleep, we were surprised by something that fell from outside. Ajeng peeked a little from the window curtain, then I saw it from above her head. Seen under the street lamp there is a mysterious old man who is also staring at us. We were obviously terrified and immediately closed the window blinds again. How did he know we were going to peek at him?

Then in the middle of the night I woke up. At that moment I didn’t know what prompted me to peek back at something through the window blinds, and I did. I was surprised when I still saw the figure of the same old man looking back at me with a strange look and standing in the same place since the first time we saw him.

I immediately closed the window and went back to sleep.

The next day I told Ajeng about what happened last night. Ajeng also apparently woke up that night and experienced the same thing that I experienced. We actually felt strange and scared ourselves, but it can be used as an experience. Not long after, we rushed to say thanks and goodbye to the lady and started running the agenda.

When we were just a few steps away from her house, someone tapped Ajeng’s shoulder.

We turned around, and were shocked to death.

The one who patted us was the old man from last night, and we seemed unable to do anything when he saw him. The old man then asked us,

“What are you doing here.”

We fearfully answered,

“We are from Jakarta, on an adventure. We just got the house to stay.”

The old man replied, “Which house?”

We turned back to point at the house but the our hearts almost exploded.

Now all we saw around us was just the rubble of buildings.

The old man said, “This village was hit by an earthquake several years ago, destroying entire houses and killing almost all the residents.”

The old man then continued, “I am one of them…”