This story happened just two days ago, around 10 p.m., and honestly, I still get goosebumps when I remember it. But at the same time, it’s an experience I’m strangely grateful for.

That night, my mother’s elder sister whom we lovingly call Budhe held an aqiqah ceremony for her two grandchildren, a boy and a girl. Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally), the parents of these kids or my cousins work in Cikarang and had only just been able to come home because of the Christmas and New Year holidays. So this aqiqah felt extra special, like a long-awaited family gathering mixed with religious gratitude.

Everything actually went smoothly from the morning. Around early hours, three male goats were slaughtered as part of the aqiqah requirements. I helped out too rewang, as we say here; cooking, preparing spice mixes, arranging cardboard boxes for rice meals, and basically doing anything that needed hands. From morning until around 5 p.m., I was busy moving here and there. Budhe also asked around 10–20 neighbors to help, so the house was lively, noisy, and full of laughter, chopping sounds, and the aroma of goat curry everywhere.

After all that, I went home for a bit since my house is literally only five steps away, hehe.

Later, after Isya prayer, my mom and I came back again. Even though around 120 boxed meals had already been distributed to neighbors during the day, at night the men from our area were invited to come for praying together for the children at Budhe’s house. So I, along with about ten others, helped prepare food and drinks on plates for them.

The event ended around 10 p.m. That’s when the “interesting” part began.

I and my female cousin-in-law (she’s the wife of my other cousin, so yeah… family titles are complicated 😅) were asked to deliver food; goat curry broth, goat meat, and snacks to several people who had helped during the day but couldn’t attend the night prayer. Honestly, I was happy. It felt like an amanah or a responsibility entrusted to us.

We had to deliver food to six houses. Five of them were close to Budhe’s house, nothing scary at all. But the last one… well, that one was different.

That house is a bit far, and the road leading to it is already creepy even during the day especially at night. There are streetlights, yes, but the atmosphere is just… off. The house is near an irrigation river, surrounded by many tall bamboo trees. Across the road, there’s a big empty house that has been abandoned for about five or six years. You know the type: dark, silent, windows staring back at you like empty eyes.

At first, everything was fine. We delivered the food safely. But on the way back… the vibe changed.

Even though the streetlights were quite bright, the aura felt dim and heavy. As we walked, my cousin-in-law was chatting casually. Suddenly she said,

“Strange… usually I really like goat meat, you know. But this time, I barely ate it. Only once since morning.”

I replied, “Same here, honestly.”

And then, out of nowhere, I heard a man’s voice respond,

“Ho’oh… ho’oh…”

Which basically means, “Yes… yes…”

Let me tell you, the moment I heard that voice, my entire body reacted. My back felt ice-cold, especially along my spine. My heart screamed, RUN. I wanted to shout, to sprint, to disappear from that road immediately.

But somehow, my logic kicked in.

I literally told myself in my head:

“Ratih, seriously? Running away screaming? That’s embarrassing. If you run, it means it wins. Just pretend you didn’t hear anything. Ignore it. Walk faster, but normally. Keep your face flat. Don’t look back.”

So that’s what I did.

I didn’t turn around. My eyes stayed focused straight ahead. I walked faster, but not like someone panicking. I kept talking to my cousin-in-law, even though the conversation made absolutely no sense anymore like random topics, unclear sentences, anything just to sound normal. I pressed my hand against my cold back, trying to ground myself, reminding myself to stay warm, stay logical, and not let fear take control.

And Alhamdulillah… once we walked farther away from that area and reached a place with many houses, I suddenly felt so relieved. Like a heavy weight lifted off my chest. My voice even got a bit louder, almost as if I was celebrating an inner victory. It genuinely felt like I had just won a mental battle against fear, and against that unseen voice. 😁😅

We continued walking back to Budhe’s house. At first, I didn’t say anything about what I heard or how my back felt. I stayed quiet.

Then suddenly, my cousin-in-law spoke.

She said she got goosebumps earlier. She said she noticed how fast I was walking, like I was about to run, and she was already mentally preparing herself to scream and run too. 😅😬

That’s when I finally told her everything about the man’s voice saying “ho’oh,” and about the freezing sensation on my back, which was why I walked so fast.

Honestly, I’m so grateful for this experience. Why?

Because for the first time, I experienced a direct mental confrontation with a supernatural entity and I didn’t run, I didn’t scream, I didn’t look back. I stayed calm, even though my heart felt like it was riding a roller coaster. I swear, all those horror movies I’ve watched like Annabelle, Insidious, Final Destination, IT, Hyper Knife, and The Conjuring finally paid off. I practiced in real life and won with calmness. MasyaAllah, Alhamdulillah. 🔥

When I was very little, I once saw a hand, a fleeting shadow but it didn’t feel as intense as this experience. When relatives were close to passing away, I often heard voices too, but because there was an emotional bond, I felt sadness instead of fear.

That night was different. I didn’t know who or what responded to us. There was no emotional connection, only uncertainty. So yes, I was scared. But I’m grateful I didn’t let that fear dominate me.

Entities like that often enjoy fear, just like Pennywise the clown. The more afraid you are, the more power you give them. But when you stay calm, think logically, and trust Allah, insyaAllah, you win.

As mentioned in Surah Ali ‘Imran (175)

“That ˹warning˺ was only ˹from˺ Satan, trying to prompt you to fear his followers. So do not fear them; fear Me if you are ˹true˺ believers.”

So, the moral of the story is...

Fear is real, but it doesn’t have to control you. Courage doesn’t mean you’re not scared, it means you choose calm, logic, and faith despite the fear. Stay grounded, trust Allah, and don’t let fear make decisions for you. 🤍