April 5, 2016 – Indonesia
Five vocational high school students had just finished their classes.
Joko, Ridho, Asep, Fajar, and Anwar planned to gather and hang out together.
After changing their clothes, they met at Fajar's house to discuss what they would do.
"So, what's the plan? Are we just gonna sit around doing nothing?" Joko asked.
"Let's play badminton," Ridho suggested.
"We don't have rackets," someone pointed out.
"How about fishing? There's a pond nearby," Asep proposed.
"No fishing rods," Fajar replied.
"We can make some."
"And when will we even start fishing if we make them now?"
"So, we're just gonna do nothing? Who even suggested this meetup?" Joko complained.
"That was you," Fajar said flatly.
"Was it? Well then, let's just go for a walk."
"Walk where?" Ridho asked.
"Anywhere, as long as we do something."
"But we are doing something—we're talking," Asep countered.
"There's no point in walking without a destination," Fajar added.
"How about we walk around the campus? It's nearby," Joko suggested.
"You guys wanna go there?" Fajar asked.
"I'm down."
"Yeah, let's go. Better than sitting around."
After agreeing, the five of them set off for the campus.
As they walked, Joko and the others kept chatting about their classes—how things were when the teachers were there and how different it was when they weren't.
Though they were in different classes, they were in the same program, so they never ran out of topics to talk about. Occasionally, they reminisced about their childhood, like when they used to swim in the river near Ridho's house.
After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at the campus.
The campus was vast, with a lake and a well-preserved forest. The forest was also a favorite spot for cyclists who wanted to experience off-road biking.
"It's gotten bigger, huh? Not like before," Anwar commented.
"Yeah, it has," Fajar agreed.
"Wait, you live nearby. How do you not know this?"
"I live near it, but I don't pay attention. I never planned on going to college anyway."
"Bullshit," Asep cut in.
"What? Don't accuse me of lying."
"Dude, you told me before that you wanted to study here."
"When did I say that?"
"Back in middle school."
"Hey, watch out! Someone's trying to pass," Joko interrupted, pointing out a person walking past them.
"Yeah, stop arguing and keep moving," Ridho added.
Asep and Fajar stopped bickering, and the group continued their walk.
When they reached the lake, they started talking about how many fish they could catch if they went fishing there. They even planned to come back and try it someday.
As they kept walking, they eventually reached the forest entrance.
Before reaching the forest, Joko had been feeling unwell since entering the campus, even though he was fine back at Fajar's house. Not wanting to worry his friends, he slowed his pace, pretending to admire the scenery.
Fajar noticed that Joko was lagging behind and decided to check on him.
"Ko, are you feeling sick?" he asked.
"I think I caught a cold," Joko admitted.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier? We could've gone back."
"I only started feeling it when we got here."
"Are you okay to keep walking?"
"Yeah, don't worry. I've had this happen before."
"Alright, but if it gets worse, tell me."
"Got it."
They continued walking until they reached the forest entrance, which was also a designated cycling path.
"Where does this trail lead?" Joko asked.
"It goes to Kamli, near the Kopaja bus stop," Anwar replied.
"No, it leads somewhere else," Ridho corrected.
"Are you sure?" Anwar questioned.
"Yeah, it comes out over there," Ridho said, pointing toward the road.
Suddenly, Joko stepped into the forest.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Fajar shouted.
"I wanna try this path! You guys wait for me at the exit!"
It was too late to stop him. The rest of the group continued walking and waited for Joko at the trail's exit.
After a while, Joko finally emerged, holding a branch shaped like a sword.
"What took you so long?" Asep asked, his stomach growling.
"Sorry, the path split in different directions, so I explored a bit. Found this cool branch. Looks awesome, right?"
"Alright, let's head back. It's getting late," Ridho said.
They started walking home.
Fajar had a bad feeling but ignored it when he saw how happy Joko was with his find, despite still looking pale.
As they walked through the campus, an ambulance passed by, but they didn't think much of it and kept chatting.
On their way home, they stopped at a small shop to buy drinks before continuing to Fajar's house.
They hung out there until the sun was about to set.
"Jar, where's Joko? I haven't heard his voice in a while," Fajar's mom asked as she stepped outside.
"He's right…" Fajar trailed off, looking around.
"Where's Joko?"
"He was with us on the way back, right?" Asep asked.
"I thought he was with you," Anwar said.
"He was, but only until we left the campus," Fajar replied.
"I saw him walking behind us alone. He looked kinda pale," Ridho added.
"Don't tell me…" Asep said nervously.
"Don't jump to conclusions," Fajar cut in. "Joko told me he wasn't feeling well, that's why he looked pale. Let me text him."
They waited, and a few minutes later, Joko replied.
"What did he say?" Fajar's mom asked.
"He went home early because he wasn't feeling well."
"That's good. At least he's resting," she said with relief.
Anwar, Asep, and Ridho decided to head home after knowing Joko had left earlier.
That night, they all felt something was off when Joko stopped responding to their texts.
At the same time, their mothers all shared an eerie feeling about Joko, making them even more uneasy.
After discussing their concerns, they went to bed, deciding to check on Joko in the morning.
---
The Next Day
Fajar was woken up early by his mother.
"Fajar! Wake up!" she shouted.
"Ugh… it's still early… what's wrong?"
"I just got a call from Joko's mom… Joko passed away!"
"What?! How?!"
"I don't know. She didn't say. You should go to his house now."
Fajar jumped out of bed, quickly dressed, and rushed to Joko's house.
A crowd had already gathered. Anwar, Asep, and Ridho were already there.
Fajar greeted them before heading inside to pay his respects.
After praying for Joko, he stepped outside to talk to his friends.
Ridho explained that Joko had died of a heart attack. His body was found in the forest trail by a passing cyclist. The cyclist called an ambulance, but it was too late.
"But… he left the campus with us yesterday. He was fine," Fajar said.
Everyone turned to him.
Fajar's face went pale.
Then, he woke up.
It was just a dream.
He checked the calendar—April 5, 2016.
When he stepped outside, Joko and Ridho were waiting to go to school together.
Relieved, Fajar smiled.
But as they walked, he dropped some money.
When he bent down to pick it up, he noticed—
Joko had no shadow.