Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 25.

Singha woke up feeling cramped around his torso. The reason was close at hand: the boy who shared his bed was hugging him tightly, his face buried in Singha's chest, exhaling warm breaths. They had gone to sleep separately last night, hadn't they?

"Hey, Thup," Singha muttered, turning to look at the clock, finding it was only five in the morning. It was still dark outside.

"Mmm," came a soft moan, but Thup did not wake up, prompting Singha to sigh. He pried the boy's arm from his waist and got up to stretch and loosen his stiff body.

"You'll pay for this when you wake up," Singha snapped, flicking Thup's forehead. The boy merely furrowed his brows and buried his face deeper into the blanket.

The house owner descended to the main floor, glancing around his unusually clean house. When he opened the fridge to get some water, he noticed the neatly arranged ingredients and food. Before, there had only been beer and frozen meals. Singha took a beer from the fridge and sat on the sofa, his sharp eyes drifting to the papers stacked on the table.

Two sheets in his hand displayed the faces of two women. The mouth extends to her ears, exposing teeth and a long tongue. Her face bore an expression of fury. The second was a younger girl, likely under ten, with empty eye sockets and a hint of sadness on her face.

Her mouth also extended to her ears, but did not form a smile like the first one. It was unclear if Thup had poured his emotions into these drawings or if these were images he had actually seen. Another sheet on the table contained a half-finished sketch of a woman's face, with thread-like lines around her eyelids. The bottom half remained sketched in pencil.

"Is this what Thup saw?" Singha murmured, taking photos of the three images and sending them to Lieutenant Khem for further investigation. At least they might uncover what had happened to these two individuals. By six in the morning, the sunlight began to seep through the curtains. The sound of footsteps on the stairs made Singha turn.

"Why are you up so early?" Thup asked, still dazed as he approached the sofa.

"Because some kid was hogging the bed."

"Huh? Me?"

"Who else? A ghost?" Singha retorted, looking at the messy-haired young man sitting on the floor. Thup's innocent face was so endearing that Singha couldn't resist teasing him. "You were hugging me so tight that I couldn't breathe."

"M-me? Was I hugging you?!" Thup exclaimed in shock, wrapping his arms around Singha's leg. His face flushed, making Singha want to tease him further.

"Yeah, you even snuggled into my chest."

"-I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad. I'll sleep on the floor from now on."

Singha watched the boy holding onto his leg and resting his chin on his knee. This kid was getting bolder every day!!!

"With that attitude, will you ever get a girlfriend?"

"-I don't know," Thup replied, looking up before quickly averting his gaze. "Please forget about it. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Stir-fried basil with minced pork."

"I think we have minced pork, but I'll check if we have basil leaves." Thup got up, walked to the kitchen, and started making breakfast with familiarity as if he had been living there for a long time.

Singha observed Thup's broad back for a while. He had lived alone for so long, working, eating takeout, sleeping, and then waking up to work again. Having someone to talk to both before and after waking up wasn't that bad

After breakfast and getting ready, they headed to the station to wrap up some tasks before searching for the remaining two dolls.

"Sergeant Prom, where's Lieutenant Khem?"

"He went for breakfast, but he left these documents for you, sir," the young officer replied, handing a stack of papers to the inspector of the station.

The boy named Song has returned home, but his family reported that he went out last evening. He tracked the traffic cameras from his house and got this footage before the car disappeared.'

The note left it at that, causing Singha to bend down and read through all the papers in his hand again. The traffic CCTV images had locations marked, indicating where they were taken. His instincts told him that it would return here.

"Sergeant Prom, get the CCTV footage from the shop in front of Santidham Temple."

"Pardon?"

"Quickly. Once you get it, check if this car went in."

"Yes, sir!"

As Singha was about to head inside, King arrived at the station. They exchanged a tense glance, with Thup looking back and forth between them. King's face bore bruises and cuts, making Thup curious about what had happened between them last night.

"The boy named Song disappeared after returning home. Here's the last footage we have. You go check the temple."

"Mm-hmm," King took the documents from Singha's hand and walked away with an aloof demeanour as if they were strangers.

Singha walked to the forensics department, finding Darin curled up on the sofa and Sei following them closely behind. Sei looked like he was at home, with a white towel over his head, a black t-shirt, and sweatpants. It's a good thing he at least still had a lab coat on top.

"You're here?"

"Didn't you go home?"

"Nope, I was waiting for the lab results. And she's scared of ghosts," Sei said, casually nudging Darin's foot with his own. "Any updates? How's your seven-day birthday theory?"

"Still just a hypothesis. Waiting for confirmation."

"I heard Darin ranting about being born on a Wednesday or something."

"Are the lab results ready?"

"Yeah, from all seven victims' bodies, the clay beneath the monk's residence, and the five dolls," Sei spoke, then locked eyes with his best friend, his gaze serious. "It's all the same type of soil. The source of the soil comes from all the incident locations."

"Graveyard soil, if used in rituals, would have even stronger effects," Thup added after listening for a while.

"I think it's becoming clearer, Singh."

"Keep an eye on Rin, Thup, and those three kids. Don't let them leave the station." Singha was about to turn and leave the room, but his wrist was grabbed. "Stay here."

"No, I'm going with you."

"Don't be stubborn, Thup!"

"What day were you born?"

"Is this the time? I'm in a hurry!!"

"Answer me first! What day were you born?" Thup gripped Singha's shoulders and raised his voice for the first time, making Singha pause.

"Saturday."

"No... I can't let you go alone. If you go, we go together." Thup stared at Singha with determination. If the killer was targeting victims, he might be one of them because the ghost woman mentioned his birthday, and he feared it might switch to Singha instead. "I'll listen to everything you say, but I can't accept anything that endangers you. Please let me go with you, P'Singh."

"Then come along." Singha glanced at Sei, who nodded understandingly and then walked straight to the car.

The car was filled with silence-no music, no conversation, as usual. Although Thup felt guilty and awkward, he was relieved that Singha allowed him to tag along. Singha mentioned the three ghost hunters and Darin, clearly indicating they had found some clues.

"P'Singh," Thup gathered his courage and called out to the driver. When there was no response, he pressed his lips together in frustration.

"I know you're angry that I didn't listen. But... I have no parents, and Luang Pu, who took care of me, is no longer with us. I just... I just don't want to lose you, too." 

The rest of the journey was soundless until they arrived at the gate of a warehouse. The place was a truck rental company with its own large logistics business, equipped with warehouses, a fleet of trucks, and worker housing. Singha got out of the car and approached the security guard at the gate.

"Hello, I'm a police officer. I'd like to speak with Mr Prapat about his missing son and inspect the worker housing."

"Oh, they're not here, Officer. Both husband and wife are out. Ever since they learned about their son's death, they've been working nonstop to avoid staying home because it was too sad and depressing. They left yesterday and won't be back until tomorrow," the elderly man explained before opening the gate. "But you can go in, sir. Their house is at the very end, past the old vehicle storage."

"Thank you." After confirming the directions, Singha walked inside with Thup following at a distance, wary of getting in the way.

On the way, they passed various types of trucks, some being loaded with goods, others parked and ready for work. The deeper they went, the older and more dilapidated the vehicles became. It wouldn't have been so frightening if it weren't for the sky, once bright and clear, now shrouded in dark clouds. The ominous weather loomed, with strong gusts of wind indicating an approaching storm. Thup glanced around nervously at the occasional honk but saw no active vehicles.

'Should I just crash them?'

The eerie voice made Thup immediately look at Singha, who had stopped walking. Fearing something might happen, Thup hurriedly approached him. They stood before a small, single-story worker's house, large enough for a person to sleep in. The damp and cold atmosphere around the house confirmed Thup's suspicion that the Sia-Kaban doll was definitely inside.

Singha shook the door a few times, and it opened easily. Inside, there were few furnishings and only two separate rooms, making it convenient to search. While Singha inspected the house, Thup, standing at the door, felt a light breeze behind him. Turning, he saw the same woman with red thread sewn over her eyes and mouth, wearing a morhom shirt and a torn sarong. Her pale skin started to decay. She slowly raised her hand and pointed to the right, towards plenty of ruined cars waiting for destruction.

"I found it," Singha's voice snapped Thup back to reality. As he turned around, he saw his big brother holding the Sia-Kaban doll with a deer head. And when he looked back, the ghost woman was gone.

"P'Singh... I saw her."

"What?"

"She pointed that way," Thup said, pointing in the direction the ghost woman had shown.

"Who?"

"The ghost woman I saw as a child. She was just standing there and pointed that way."

"You're going to trust a ghost?" Singha raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"I don't know, but... she might be trying to tell us something." Thup wasn't sure about anything, relying only on his rare hunch. Singha sighed and led the way into the car junkyard, following Thup's direction.

The smell of oil stains and rust permeated the area. Here, there were both regular cars parked and awaiting destruction, as well as already dismantled vehicles, with their remnants awaiting disposal or sale to factories. The two walked along a path flanked by cars on both sides, stretching as far as the eye could see. Singha frowned deeply, realising that amidst the scents of old, rusted vehicles, there was also a faint but unmistakable hint of blood.

!!!

Thup grabbed Singha's hand, stopping him in his tracks before he stumbled back. Singha was unaware of the spirits and restless souls in various forms that loomed ahead. These cars weren't just old and abandoned; they had been involved in major accidents, rendering them beyond repair, or had been stolen and sold after tragic events. Most spirits were thus twisted, shattered, and deformed.

"You insisted we come," Singha noted Thup's trembling eyes, and he knew exactly what the other one saw.

"L-Let's keep going," Thup held Singha's hand before continuing to follow closely behind him. If he gave up now, the promises he made to both himself and Singha the previous night would be nothing but empty words. He no longer wanted to be a burden to anyone.

They continued walking until Singha noticed a familiar car. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the colour, brand, and license plate all matched the vehicle they had been desperately searching for.

"Ms Meen's car."

"M-Ms. Meen's car?"

"Yeah." Singha immediately pulled out his phone and called the station.

[Yes, Inspector?]

"Sergeant, call the forensics and evidence team to Thaveesup Company immediately."

Hooonnnk!!

The sound of a car horn made both of them turn their heads.

[What was that, Inspector?]

"Send a team to Thaveesup Company, the truck rental place." Hooonnnk!!!

[Sorry, Inspector, I can't hear you clearly.]

"Damn it!" Singha decided to end the call since they couldn't hear each other. He then turned to inspect the car and shone a light inside to examine it further.

Thud!

A sound like something falling and rolling drew Thup's attention to the ground. A round object was moving towards them, capturing his gaze. When it finally stopped at his feet, a cold shiver ran through him, paralysing him with fear. It wasn't a car tyre or any vehicle part—it was a charred human head; its burnt skin revealed raw inner flesh, eyes bulging out of their sockets, staring at Thup through a veil of tears, along with an agonising cry.

'H...Help...Me... Hot...so..hot...'

Thup tightened his grip on Singha's hand and closed his eyes, reciting prayers he remembered to calm his mind. Slowly, he turned to Singha. Despite the difficulty, he opened his eyes again and saw Singha peering through the car window. Thup's eyes widened, and he pulled Singha into his arms just as a massive metal hook swung towards them, crashing onto the car's roof.

Bang!!!

The hook smashed into the car's roof, caving in the roofline and shattering all the windows. Luckily, Singha had reacted in time, using his leather jacket to shield Thup.

"Hey! Who the hell is that? I told you not to come here today; we're demolishing cars!!" A shout came from the side, prompting Singha to stand up quickly.

"Stop! I am a police officer. I order you to stop destroying crucial evidence right now."

"Huh?!" The engine noise they should have heard from the beginning stopped, accompanied by a sigh of relief from both of them. The young inspector reached out to pull Thup off the ground. If it weren't for the kid pulling him back earlier, that metal hook would have crushed his skull. Thup looked around with a racing heart. Laughter echoed from afar, making him squint to see.

"So close... so close... Saturday... Saturday.'

A female ghost with white eyes was now standing far away. Laughing. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips hungrily before she disappeared among the wandering spirits.

"Are you okay, P'Singh?" Thup turned back to look at Singha, who had just finished speaking to the staff in an urgent tone.

"Yeah, your darn ghost deserves a broken back."

"No, the ghost that did this is tied to the doll"

“This doll is a troublemaker?”  Singha lifted the Sia-Kaban doll in his hand.  A deer's head on a human body, named Galotuk, the Thursday Mae-Seu.