Goddess Bless You From Death
Case File 38.
The sun began to set from the centre of the sky. A flock of birds flew in groups, calling out to each other as if they knew the dark clouds gathering would bring rain. The gusty wind rustled the treetops, making them screech together. Thup shifted his gaze from the sky to the road behind him, which was growing increasingly distant. He was about to return to the place where this all began. Whoever did this deliberately left that warning; they intentionally wrote 'Saturday,' so they must have known exactly where to find him.
"I wonder if this will work," Thup muttered to himself a bit.
[Talking to yourself?] A familiar voice from the earphones almost brought a smile to Thup's face. He looked left and right carefully before replying.
"It's going to rain soon."
[Why? Are you getting cold feet?]
"No, I'm not." Thup's hesitant reply made the person on the other end giggle lightly. "Otherwise, how could I fall for you?"
[What did you say?] Thup's voice was so low that Singha couldn't hear the last part.
"Nothing. Are you in the car, P'Singh? Don't get wet."
[After this case ends, what do you want to eat? I'll treat you.]
"Really? Hmm, how about we go eat pork barbecue?"
[That's it?]
"If I said I wanted to cook at home with you, you wouldn't agree, right?" Singha chuckled softly in amusement.
[Then why wouldn't I agree? Do you do anything other than eat?]
"N-No!" Thup's startled expression made Singha shake his head slightly.
[Hmm, let's go home and cook something together.]
Thup didn't know why he was surprised by his elder brother's short answer.
"Are the police following us around here?"
[Yes. Are you scared?]
"I'm afraid they'll get wet because of me. And I'm afraid they'll get hurt too."
[What do you see around you?]
"Umm, just trees. And.." Thup noticed an incense stick stuck upside down on the ground. From its new appearance, it was clear it had only been there for a short while, and whatever ritual was being performed was definitely not good for them.
"Thup.."
[Anything else?]
"If it's ghosts, I haven't seen any yet, but I can guess there's going to be a ritual here. They must have trapped other spirits because they were afraid they'd come and take the offerings."
[If anything strange happens, run back to the car.]
"How can I do that? I have to lure them to catch me."
[Alright, then. I'll cut the signal first, so the bad guys won't notice and come out.]
"Okay, thanks for staying to talk with me."
[Umm] Singha hung up the call before looking through the trees to see the young man sitting on an old tree stump.
"Inspector."
"Is everything set?"
"I've secured the first position. I'm about to go to my position, too."
"Remember, if anyone appears, find a chance to get Thup back to the car. The other team should follow me from a distance and inform Mek. The culprit might already know someone is here, so be careful."
"Understood"
After giving the orders, Singha leaned against the large tree that could hide him well. His sharp eyes watched Thup twisting around. When he saw the boy looking at his bandaged hand, moving his fingers with a proud smile, the young inspector's face lit up as well.
"I really need to smoke."
Time passed until dusk. The sky began to turn purple. The flashes of light in the sky and the roaring sounds made Thup tighten his coat. The sunlight was diminishing, no longer reaching the ground. The chill of the forest began to creep closer, just like the premonition that made Thup clench his fists.
[Did you hear that, Singh?]
"Yes."
[Why isn't there any movement yet, even though it's getting dark?]
"It must be close." Singha raised his wristwatch and saw it was half past six. "How far is the search team?"
[Four more left.]
"Alright, keep me updated on the progress." The communication was cut off. Now, Singha had to focus more on Thup because it was getting dark. Using a flashlight would alert the culprit.
Rustling!
The sound of bushes moving alerted Singha to hide. The source of the noise was about 5 meters away, which was close to Thup.
"Positions One and Three, prepare yourself." Singha put on his hood before moving closer.
Rustling!
Singha furrowed his brows and looked to the other side. The knife at his side was drawn and held in a ready position. The footsteps, running closer, showed no sign of slowing.
It's close...
It's coming…
!!!
"Inspecto-"
Suddenly, Singha lunged to cover the approaching person's mouth to keep them silent, then whispered in a tense tone.
"What's wrong? Why did you leave your post?"
"It's... Position One. Position One is dead!"
"What?!"
"I noticed it went silent while we were talking, so I left the temporary position to check. When I got there, I saw him lying in a pool of blood."
"This is bad! Get Thup back to the car, now!!" A thunderclap echoed with rain pouring down like a prank. "F*ck!!" Singha cursed before running to Thup. Seeing the young man sitting curled up on the same old tree stump made him sigh.
"P'Singh, watch out!!" Thup's eyes widened, pointing behind Singha. The big brother, feeling a shadow pass behind him, quickly dodged to the side. The man in the black raincoat slowly pulled down his hood, revealing his face. He expertly twirled the survival knife in his hand, the rain washing away the blood stains, making it clean again.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You had a well-laid plan, but it ultimately failed. Frustrated, Inspector?"
"Not much," Singha replied, stepping in front of Thup protectively while observing the others' movements. His subordinates signalled that they were stealthily approaching Bom from behind.
"Why is it that you never remember that no one can ever get me!!!"
Bom shouted in the middle of the rain. As the officer behind him was about to seize Bom, he suddenly froze as if his foot was sucked into the now muddy ground. The survival knife swung back, slicing the officer's neck down to the bone. Bright red liquid gushed from the wound, mixing with the rain and flowing into the soil. The officer tried to speak, but his voice was too faint to be heard before he collapsed to the ground, taking his last breath.
"Bom, you bastard!!"
"Whoa, whoa! If you take another step, the gun I took from the police station might go off." Singha froze instantly when a hand behind him tugged his shirt.
"Do you know how much time you made me waste watching you circle protecting that kid? Instead of this plan going smoothly like before, because of you... because of you!!! This damn plan is ruined!!!"
Bang!!!
Bom screamed, firing a shot into the sky. His free hand scratched his arm and torso, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Singha and Thup with undisguised hatred.
"I tried! I really tried to act normal, even working with those brain-dead kids who only cared about hunting ghosts. Heh, all I had to do was tell them a few ghost stories and bring a couple of spirits, and they accepted me into the team. Idiots." Bom rambled while pacing as if he couldn't control himself. Singha reached for Thup's hand, using this opportunity to whisper.
"Run to the car."
"What about you?!"
"If Dad hadn't insisted on getting that kid, we'd have finished the ritual by now!!!"
The gun barrel pointed repeatedly at Thup, making Singha move to shield him.
"Your mother's spirit. Ha! Where is it?!! What's so special about it?!"
"Where are the others?!!! Darin, Lieutenant Kem, King, and those two kids? Where are they?!" Singha shouted, trying to be heard over the rain, his hand slowly reaching behind to grab his gun.
"Huh, those? They'll be dead soon, don't worry. They're probably performing the ritual for Tuesday now. Then it'll be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and..." Bom's eyes, filled with madness, turned to Thup.
"Problematic Saturday."
"And so am I."
"Well, you were the first choice. The only problem was Dad wanted him!! So hand him over, and no one gets hurt."
"Why follow the days? Why Mae Seu?!!" Singha tried to divert Bom's attention from the boy behind him. Bom's tense and anxious behaviour-pacing, nail-biting, and scratching-revealed how stressed he was about him and his father being caught.
"You really don't know, do you?! Because Mae Seu helped me! They helped me stay alive."
"By taking others' lives?! You're a psychopath!"
"So what!! Those people hated their lives anyway. Wishing to be rich, wishing their parents would change, wishing to pass exams, wishing their businesses would thrive, wishing to be happy. Ha!! Pathetic."
"You're the pathetic one. When people pray and wish, they just want to get a little hope! Not to have someone like you steal their lives for your dumb rituals and beliefs with your crazy dad. Thup, run!!!"
Bang!! Singha fired accurately at Bom's shoulder, causing him to drop the Sparta knife.
"Damn you!!!"
Bang!!!
Bang!!!
The gunfire echoed through the forest. Singha pushed Thup out of the bullet's path. The young man started running as ordered.
"Come back!!! As Bom aimed at Thup, the young inspector reached him in time and kicked the gun out of his hand. Singha grabbed Bom's arm and threw him to the ground, straddling him and landing punches on his face without holding back.
In the rain-soaked fight, Singha seemed to have the upper hand until Bom glanced over and noticed blood seeping from Singha's waist.
"Ugh!" From blocking punches to landing one on Singha's side,
Bom changed his tactic and rolled over to escape. His frenzy numbed the pain from his shoulder wound. He grinned maniacally and kept punching Singha's wound repeatedly before searching for a gun in the muddy ground.
Bang!!!
The gunshot broke the long silence, causing Thup to look back. The worry of leaving Singha alone made him glance between the forest exit and the path back.
What if he survived but everyone else died?
What if he survived, but this ritual continued?
What if he survived but lost another loved one?
How would he live then...?
Thup decided to run back. The muddy ground clung to his feet, making each step difficult. He removed his shoes and sprinted back. When he arrived, he saw the two men exchanging punches, with Singha nearly backed up against a tree
"P'Singh!!" The familiar voice startled Singha, who turned to look.
"Why did you come ba-"
"P'Singh!!" Bom picked up a metal rod hidden in the grass and stabbed Singha's old wound. What was once a few centimetres deep now went through, pinning him to the tree. Bom's mocking laughter mixed with the rain.
"Not bad, not bad. It seems Mr Cop has the spirit of Yaksha.
No wonder my father's ghost had such trouble." Bom wiped the blood flowing from Singha's waist and licked it off his hand. "Hmm, Yaksha's blood isn't bad."
"How about tasting my boot too?" Singha smirked, leaning his head against the tree.
"Still cocky, aren't you?"
"Ugh!! You bastard!"
Bom pushed the rod deeper, causing blood to spill from Singha's mouth.
"Don't touch him!!" Thup rushed in, shoving Bom away before tending to Singha. "P-P'Singh, are you in a lot of pain? I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry."
"Why... did you come back?" Singha gently stroked Thup's cheek.
"What should I do? What should I do?" Thup removed his hoodie to press against Singha's wound, tears welling up and blurring his vision.
"Stay... calm. It's not your... fault," Singha said, caressing Thup's head to comfort him. The young man was frantic, about to lose his mind. A cold gun barrel pressed against the back of Thup's head.
"Stand up! You've wasted enough of my father's time."
"No!!" Thup yelled angrily for the first time.
"Oh, really?" The gun shifted to Singha's head. "Choose!"
"Don't... listen," Singha told Thup, looking defiantly at Bom.
"Wait! I'll go. But... let me call someone to help him first. Just a moment."
"You think you have the right to negotiate?"
"You have no choice because your father needs me!!!"
Bom, frustrated, pushed his tongue against his cheek before looking at Thup again. "Just thirty seconds."
Thup moved closer to Singha and pressed his collar. "P'Mek, can you hear me?"
[Speak up! The ambulance is coming, and I'm on my way in. Keep talking as if I'm not responding.]
"P'Mek, please come help P'Singha. Somebody, please help him!"
"Time's up! Stand up before I blow his brains out!"
"If you follow this guy, I'll really be angry," Singha croaked.
"I'd rather have you angry than lose you," Thup said, kissing Singha's cheek and giving a final smile. "I don't want to see you like this, P'Singh. So, you must survive, okay?"
Thup stood and followed Bom deeper into the forest. He glanced back at Singha with sorrowful eyes. He truly hoped he wouldn't have to see Singha in any other form. He didn't want to see the spirit of his loved one again. He really didn't.