Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 17.

"Thup, if you're going to walk this close, why don't you just ride on my back?"

"It's already evening." Thup clung to Singha's arm, walking with his head down, not daring to look up. The sun was about to set, but instead of heading back to the police station, his big brother walked into the temple.

"Or would you rather wait in the car?"

"What if something happens to you?"

"You're in worse shape than I am, Thup." Singha wearily rolled his eyes at the kid who was pressing against him. The temple's twilight atmosphere was calm yet eerie. The sky, a blend of orange and purple, was Thup's least favourite. He disliked both the ambience and its name.

It was the time called 'Ghosts Hanging Their Diapers", when, according to old beliefs, the worlds of humans and spirits overlapped. This was a time when ghosts, spirits, angels, and humans coexisted, leading to the belief that sleeping at this time might allow one's soul to leave the body, only to be replaced by a wandering spirit.

The sound of a coconut broom brushing the ground echoed from behind the crematorium. The closer they got, the more anxious Thup felt.

"Hello, Uncle Keun."

"Oh, it's you, the officer from last time. What brings you here?"

Uncle Ken stopped sweeping leaves and approached them, smiling.

"Here for a meal?"

"No. I just have some questions."

"About a case again?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead. If I can help, I will."

"I'd like to know if you saw a 15-year-old boy, about 160 cm tall, wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, who entered the temple around 5 to 6 PM on Monday and didn't leave. Did you see him?"

"Monday? Monday, Monday, Monday, hmm, no. On Monday, a villager invited the monks for a funeral chant at home. The only one here was the abbot, who had been ill for several days and stayed in his quarters."

"May I see the abbot?"

"Sure, I'll take you there."

Uncle Ken leaned his broom against a nearby tree and led them to the abbot's residence. The path was lined with a mix of large and small trees, creating an atmosphere at once serene and eerily unsettling.

This area was quiet and secluded, making it ideal for rest and prayer. When they reached the elevated traditional Thai monk's residence, Thup gripped Singha's arm tightly, making his older companion glance over.

"What?"

"Nothing, just a wandering spirit." Though being near Singha kept ghosts at bay, it didn't mean he couldn't see them. He still saw spirits and ghosts at a distance-some stared with curiosity, while others lamented their passing, mourning their past lives, loved ones, and family. Some hadn't yet overcome their desires and still held attachments, lamenting over external matters with sorrow.

"Turn around," Singha said, no longer stepping forward. He took sunglasses from his shirt collar and put them on Thup, covering his beautiful eyes.

"Why put these on me? It's dark."

"Can you still see clearly?"

"Huh?" Thup looked around. He could still see, but not as clearly, because the lenses were dark enough to conceal some details. "Not really."

"Good. Now keep walking and don't cause trouble." Singha followed Uncle Keun again, with Thup walking beside him, smiling gratefully.

"Thank you, P'Singha."

"Yeah, shut up now."

They climbed the steps to the dark wooden door. Uncle Keun knocked on the door several times and called out.

"Luang Por, there's someone here to see you."

"Wait a moment, Ken," a voice inside said, indicating the abbot wasn't quite ready to receive guests.

"Luang Por has been ill recently and hasn't left the temple much."

"Have you taken him to see a doctor?"

"Yes, but the doctor said it's likely due to old age. Like the saying- you can escape many things, but not old age, sickness, or death." Uncle Keun lamented, while Singha listened quietly.

Soon, the door opened, and a weary-looking monk stepped out, sitting on a chair on the veranda. He then greeted Singha and Thup warmly.

"What brings you to me, laymen?"

"Greetings, Luang Por. I'm here to inquire about a missing child."

"A missing child? Who might that be?"

"He came here last Monday around 5-6 PM. Did you see him?"

"No, I was ill and resting in my quarters during that time, so I didn't go anywhere. But around five o'clock, I think I heard some noise outside."

"What kind of noise?"

"Something being dragged, maybe. I'm not sure. I thought it was the novices doing their chores."

"Does the temple have CCTV?"

"Yes, but it's been out of order for over a month. We haven't fixed it yet because there haven't been any major events at the temple."

Singha just nodded in acknowledgement.

"And what about others? Mr Tee, who often came here, made merit on Thursday morning, but his neighbours said he didn't return home. Do you know what he came to do at the temple?"

"Tee often comes to make merit, help with temple work, and change the flowers at his wife's ossuary. Some days, he would stay to listen to sermons, while other days, he would rush back to tend his garden," the abbot said, pausing occasionally to cough into his hand.

"But that day, he told me he was coming to see you. I told him you were resting in your quarters and saw him walk over. Didn't you see him?" Uncle Keun asked

"I heard someone calling, but I told him I was ill and couldn't talk. Then he seemed to leave."

Singha checked his watch and stood up. "I have to leave now. I might need to ask more questions later."

"Sure, come anytime."

"Thank you. I'll take my leave."

As Singha was about to descend the steps without waiting for Thup, who was still paying respects to the abbot, he noticed a pottery wheel under the house. Once he reached the ground, Singha immediately went to investigate. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he used his handkerchief to collect some dried clay scraps and wrapped them up before tucking them into his pocket. When he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he returned to stand casually at the base of the steps, as if nothing had happened.

"Let's go. I'll walk you out. Want to eat? The almshouse should have some food. Take some with you."

"No, thank you, Uncle. I don't want to burden," Thup replied with a smile.

"Don't be shy. Wait there, I'll ask aunties to pack some for you." As they walked back to the temple courtyard, Singha seemed unusually quiet and serious, making Thup worry.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Are you feeling unwell? I told you to change your wet clothes first." Thup, taking the liberty, placed his hand on Singha's cheek, his expression one of worry. "You have a slight fever."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sick. Happy? Go wait in the car." Singha pushed Thup towards the car and pulled out his phone to call his close friend.

[What?]

"Are you at the station?"

[Yeah, checking your doll. What's up?]

"The tiger head?"

[Yeah, only got one here.]

"Is Rin there?"

[No, I took her home. She said she won't come back if the doll's still here.]

"Hmm, I'll be there soon."

"Hey, Sei?"

[.]

"Can you hear me, Sei?"

[.]

"Sei?"

"Hey, young man. Take this food: green chicken curry, fried noodles, and soy milk." Uncle Ken returned with a large bag of food.

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Safe travels."

Singha got into the car and headed back to the station, feeling something was off about the earlier call.

"What's wrong with him? I keep talking, but he didn't respond."

Sei ended the call when he didn't hear anything from the other end. He assumed it might be a signal issue since the room often had poor reception. Sei was at the examination table in the forensic lab. The table was cluttered with various tools and equipment, including a clay doll with a tiger's head. He shone a flashlight and used a magnifying glass to inspect the doll once more. 

Earlier, he had only performed a cursory check because he had been called to examine the victim's house. All he knew was that it was a clay doll, shaped like a woman holding a baby. The neck had twisting marks likely made during sculpting, and those four teenagers had previously caused the fractures. At the head, it was different because it was shaped like a tiger's head. Though not delicately crafted, it was still recognisable.

"What the..." Sei murmured as he focused the magnifying glass on some tiny marks along the doll's body and back. "E.ka.lai..."

Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered without reason, causing Sei to stop and check the light switch. He turned it off and back on again, then the lights returned to normal. But as Sei was about to sit down, a noise came from the adjoining autopsy room.

"What?" He exclaimed, curious but unaware of the old belief that if you hear strange sounds at night, you shouldn't acknowledge them.

Don't mention.

Don't call out.

Don't respond

Sei entered the autopsy room to find one of the mortuary cabinets open, despite his assurance that it had been closed since it wasn't in use. He approached it without any fear and reached out to shut it. But then the lights began flickering again.

"Power outage?" Sei muttered to himself as he looked up at the light bulb above. When he bent down to look into the cabinet again, he saw a shadowy figure inside, even though it should have been empty.

Sei slowly bent down to look more closely as the light flickered more frequently. When the light was on, he saw only an empty cabinet. But as the light went out, he saw a pair of stark white eyes staring back at him.

'Cut the thread! Cut the thread! Cut the thread!'

The repeated phrase made Sei frown as he instinctively let go of the cabinet door. Slowly, he started to back away, not believing what he was seeing. Every time the lights flickered on, the cabinet was empty, but in the darkness, he saw those eyes and a sinister grin.

'Cut and die! Cut and die! Cut and die!

!!!

The lights, which had been flickering rapidly, went out completely—leaving only the faint light from outside filtering through the door. Sei stared straight ahead intently, his heart pounding like never before.

The door of the mortuary cabinet slammed shut with a deafening noise, followed by the sound of several bones breaking and the creaking noise of skin dragging across the floor.

'Hee! Hee! Hee! Cut it! Cut it! Cut the thread so it can see!"

"Holy sh*!!" In an instant, Sei felt a grip on his ankle, pulling him to the ground and dragging him towards the cabinet. The more it tried to pull him in, the more terrified he became, fearing he might never make it out alive.

As he struggled to break free from the invisible grip, the door burst open, flooding the room with light. The pressure on his leg, the stench of decay, and the chilling atmosphere all disappeared, and the lights that had been completely out came back on.

Singha rushed in and pulled out his friend, who was halfway inside the mortuary cabinet. They looked at each other in silence before collapsing onto the floor, completely exhausted.

"We need to talk," Singha began.

"Let's start with whatever the hell just happened," Sei said, lying on the floor and trying to calm down his rapid breathing.

"Call Darin. Tell her to come here. I'm going to find King."

"Don't tell me this is actually about those fucking ghost stories."

"And what do you think just happened to you?"

"Goddammit! This is giving me a massive headache."

"Yeah, me too."

Thup watched his seniors commiserating on the autopsy room floor before glancing into the open mortuary cabinet. What he saw were those eyes and grin slowly fading into the darkness at the innermost part of the cabinet.