There was no electricity, so what little light they had came from a small kerosene lamp, which Tatang put out as soon as he could, because fuel was expensive. Alon risked checking his cellphone for messages, conscious of conserving energy so he didn’t have to use the lone power bank that he had brought with him. He needn’t have worried though. There was no signal. Alon thought he heard someone call his name from outside, a female voice, one that seemed to pull at something deep inside him. This time, he knew he was hearing things. He was so bored, his imagination was playing tricks on him.
Tatang laid out a thin mattress beside his bed. It was a small hut, so this was the only space available. He was handed a mosquito net, which he draped over him like a transparent blanket. Alon laid his
