Love Upon a Time: Special Edition.

Chapter 2 - Suspicious.

I've never believed in fate or anything that can't be proven by science, and that certainly doesn't include ghosts or spirits, because there's still no concrete scientific evidence to suggest their existence. However, what's certain is that people's ability to see ghosts may be due to a brain malfunction. Therefore, I've never been afraid of the dark or of ghosts, and I even quite enjoy watching horror movies because I think they're just a type of fantasy film.

 

It wasn't until I travelled back in time almost four hundred years that I realised that, since I can't say for sure that fate doesn't exist, maybe ghosts and spirits do. Is it really true?

 

"It's time for dinner, Khun Klao. Let's go up to the house," Chuey told me as I sat on a bench under a large tree not far from the kitchen, about to receive dinner.

 

The role of the customer is to stop by and buy food from tiny vendors, who are actually the children and grandchildren of the household servants, playing with toy pots and pans.

 

"Okay, I'll stop by and play with you again tomorrow," I said goodbye to the children and prepared to get up, but a tiny obstacle clung to my leg.

 

"Hey, Jaem! Let go of Khun Klao now, dear!" my personal servant called out, gently prying Jaem, the young two-year-old daughter, from the hem of his loincloth. I picked up the child and carried it to its mum, who was busy arranging the table. Meanwhile, I got up and walked back up to the house, glancing back towards a small hut on the way back.

 

The servants' quarters in Phraya Phichai Phakdi's house were not far from the kitchen. There was one large sleeping quarter that housed almost twenty people, while the rest lived in huts. The houses are scattered throughout the area, and every house is inhabited except for one, which is now a storage room and is rarely used unless necessary.

 

"Rumours have been passed down that that hut...is haunted."

 

It seems that mysteries have been a part of Thai culture throughout history. The servants who have lived here a long time used to tell me that the hut in question originally belonged to someone else. The servants lived in the hut until about twenty years ago, when one of them died suddenly in the hut from a chronic illness. Since then, at night, the sound of a woman's weeping can be heard. It seems the deceased was about to be married to the man she loved, but her sudden death has left her unable to cope, and she remains lingering in the hut, refusing to move on to the afterlife.

 

This time, no servant dared to enter that hut again. Phraya Phichai Bhakdi even invited a monk to perform a ritual, but late at night, people still heard sounds. Still sobbing, the hut was thus inadvertently used as a storage area for supplies and training weapons.

 

More than twenty years have passed, and even now, the servants, young and old, still avoid that hut, especially at night. While I didn't originally believe in ghosts, I can't help but agree that the atmosphere around the hut is eerie. Perhaps it's because it's surrounded by thickets and many large trees, making it seem like it's next to the forest. And when I think of the forest, I automatically think of the supernatural.

 

"Klao, what is it, sir?" he whispered, creeping closer when he saw me staring at the hut. Judging by his frightened expression, my servant seemed scared. That ghost was so scary! Even in broad daylight, I didn't dare look towards that hut. And it was standing so close to me, it was practically possessing me!

 

"Nothing's wrong. Just don't crowd me so much."

 

"Yes, yes, let's hurry," he nudged me repeatedly, urging me to keep going. If he could, he'd probably be walking briskly ahead of me. I decided to tease him, so I just stood there motionless until he made a face like he was about to cry. Then I stopped teasing him and continued walking, but I still couldn't resist glancing back. 

 

If time travel is real, then ghosts might be possible too. But I've been here for a month, and I haven't heard any crying or anything. It's possible the servants were so scared that they developed mass hysteria.

 

I headed up to the main house to join the dinner, since the police officer, a favourite of the bride and groom, was on duty and had informed us beforehand. Since I was planning to return home late this morning, I enjoyed my meal more than usual because I didn't have to face any scrutinising stares. Even now, P’Phop is still suspicious of me. But even if he thinks I'm not the real Klao, he can't find any evidence to prove it. This feeling of winning is so sweet. Really good!

 

After finishing my meal, I spent a long time relaxing in my room, just sitting and lying around. The most boring thing about being in the Ayutthaya era for me was having nothing to do. If I were living in the present day, I would at least have games to play and Netflix to watch, and I could even go out to see late-night movies. But these days, without the internet, it's hard to read books. And if there's no temple festival at night, there's nothing to do, and it's too crowded with mosquitoes outside.

 

Since I have nothing to do, I like to open my bedroom window and count the stars, or sometimes the ylang-ylang flowers I have planted near it. Now that I'm living like this, I'm starting to understand why people in the past had so many children. Aside from the fact that there was no birth control, it was simply because they had too much free time!

 

"Please, go back to your quarters. I'm going to sleep," I told my servant, who was kneeling respectfully in the corner of the room, then lay down. There was nothing else to do anyway. Okay, then I'll go to sleep. That way, he can get back to his wife and children quickly.

 

"Then I beg your leave, sir," he said, bowing respectfully, rising and walking across the threshold of the doorway, not forgetting to close the door behind him. Although it was still early evening, I tried to force myself to sleep, and I did drift off. I'm not sure how long I slept, but I woke up to the sound of a dog. I heard a barking sound, so I sat up on the bed.

 

*Stomach rumbling*

 

My stomach rumbled loudly, making me frown. I couldn't help but feel like I was being incredibly gluttonous. I ate so much for dinner, and now I'm hungry again. But when I lived in the dorm, I ate instant noodles late at night while studying for exams... my stomach must be used to it by now. But there were no instant noodles here, so I lay down again, trying to fall asleep and thinking I'd eat them in the morning. However, my attempts to sleep on an empty stomach were too much to bear. 

 

Finally, I sat up again, threw off the blanket, grabbed my hand lamp, and opened the door. I planned to go to the kitchen to get something to eat, as Aunt Muan, the head cook, always kept some snacks there. The house was quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. I wasn't sure what time it was, but everyone in the house was probably asleep. So I took the lamp and descended quietly from the house, making my way to the kitchen, which was not far from the main house.

 

"Sobbing"

 

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard a strange, faint sound. At first, I thought it was the wind, but when I listened carefully...

 

"Ugh!"

 

The hairs on both my arms stood on end simultaneously, and it wasn't because of the cold at all. It sounded exactly like crying. More importantly, the source of the sound still seemed to be coming from that hut. Tonight is moonless; the atmosphere is incredibly eerie. The only light in this area is the lantern in my hand. I rolled my eyes and swallowed hard.

 

In my twenty years of life, this is the first time I've felt like I'm afraid of ghosts. No, there are no ghosts or anything like that. I tried to reassure myself that I might have imagined it, that it was just my imagination, that the atmosphere was contagious. It was dark and quiet like this, so my subconscious was acting up. It's somehow connected to the supernatural, or maybe it's the sound of an animal or someone secretly crying nearby. 

 

When people have problems in life, they need to vent but don't want anyone to see, so they cry quietly. That must be it. Or perhaps there's a young child, one of the servants' kids, lost somewhere around here, unable to find their way back to their quarters. That thought left me conflicted. One part of me told me to forget about it and go back inside quickly. But another part, driven by a sense of responsibility.

 

Instead, they told me to find the source of the sound. If it were a ghost, that would be fine; at best, I'd just be startled. But if it were a person or a child in distress, shouldn't I help them? I struggled fiercely with myself, but ultimately, my conscience won. I crept towards the hut, where the sobbing continued. The closer I got, the more chills I felt. It was really crying.

And to make matters worse, I also heard some rustling and low, unintelligible murmurs.  Unless I've personally experienced something incredible like time travel, I probably wouldn't think it was a ghost. But at this point, I'm genuinely scared.

 

"Is it really a ghost, Xie?" I felt uneasy, but I still mustered the courage to walk closer. Now I'm almost at the door of the hut, just two more steps away. Then I would be able to reach out and push the door open. Add...

 

"Aargh!!!"

 

My heart pounded as if it would leap out of my mouth as I hesitantly extended one hand. Before my hand could even touch the door, it slowly opened from the inside, and my reaction was...

 

"Waaah!!!"

 

My scream as my legs gave way and I collapsed to the ground echoed throughout the area, along with my loud sobs. I frantically scrambled backwards onto the dirt. I closed my eyes tightly, clasped my hands together, and chanted prayers incorrectly, almost too late, even though I didn't usually pray to Buddha or other deities. But then a familiar voice rang out.

 

"Klao! What are you doing here?"

 

"Brother Phop!"

 

I quickly opened my eyes, my hands trembling as I hastily grabbed the fallen lantern from the floor and held it out. Fortunately, the flame was still burning, its soft orange light reflecting off my handsome face. A burly man in a patrol uniform was holding a small child whom I recognised.

 

"What the heck? That's just my voice, isn't it? Oh, damn it!!!" I cursed loudly, feeling like my lifespan had been shortened by ten years. My body felt strangely weak.

 

"Nang Jaem!"

 

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, along with my personal servant's frantic voice. Upon seeing that his master, P'Phop, was carrying his own daughter, he was overcome with worry. Suddenly, his face showed relief.

 

"Forgive me, my lord! Lady Jaem-eia! She's causing more and more trouble for her parents every day!" He turned to take the daughter that his master was holding and handing to him, and tried to comfort her. Jaem, who was crying and sobbing, turned to look at me, still sitting there dazed and covered in dust, as if she had just noticed me.

 

"Oh, Mr Klao, what are you doing here?"

 

"I...I was going to the kitchen to get something to eat, but I heard crying and thought it might be a ghost..."

 

"No ghost," P'Phop interrupted, his voice calm but with a hint of amusement as he explained the situation. "I just got back and happened to hear something."

 

"A loud cry was coming from the hut, so I went to investigate and found Jaem sitting there, crying. Perhaps she had wandered, lost her way back home, and was so scared that she started crying."

 

P'Phop turned to look at Chuey, who was comforting his daughter, and said, somewhat reproachfully, "Kids at that mischievous age, you should be more careful. If I hadn't found out, Jaem wouldn't be crying."

 

"Was she in there all night? Or did she accidentally fall into the water?"

 

"P-please forgive me, sir," the servant replied with a pale face. "I will be more careful next time."

 

"Good. Take your daughter to bed now," P'Phop said in a serious tone. "As for your master, I'll take him up to the house myself later."

 

"Th-thank you, Lord," the servant bowed repeatedly and hurried his daughter back to his quarters. Meanwhile, I quickly stood up, brushing the dust off my clothes without looking at the person beside me. Why did it have to be P'Phop who saw me yelling and waking everyone up like this? How embarrassing! Hmph!

 

"Do you still want to go to the kitchen? I'll go with you."

 

"It's alright, sir. I'm not hungry anymore," I quickly replied, wanting to get back inside quickly so I wouldn't have to be near him. Besides, I was so startled just now that I forgot about being hungry.

 

"Then come with me," P'Phop said, refusing to let me go easily. Having cornered me with his words, he started walking ahead. The kitchen immediately opened, and when they saw me still standing there, they turned around and gave me a stern look.

 

'What a dictator,' I grumbled to myself, but I had no choice but to follow him.

 

At this late hour, all the servants had returned to their quarters, leaving the kitchen empty. P'Phop took two rose apples and two oranges. I wasn't going to eat anything, but when I saw some stuffed pastries left in the cupboard, I grabbed two packets. Brother Phop's eyes held a mixture of amusement and exasperation as he watched me close the door to the kitchen. He casually remarked, "Who was it just now who said they weren't hungry?"

 

"People can change their minds, you know," I retorted, unwrapping a pastry. I walked out of the kitchen with P'Phop following behind. Before I could even put the pastry in my mouth, the sound of dogs howling echoed again. I glanced towards the source of the sound, which came from the training area behind the building—a thicket of bushes, a playful smile playing on his lips.

 

"This time it might be real, sir. Let's go take a look," I glanced at the policeman, whose face remained expressionless. Brother Phop snatched the lantern from my hand and held it himself, saying in a stern voice, "There's nothing worth seeing." The sound of a dog howling rang out again. I raised my eyebrows deliberately to annoy him as I walked closer to the arrogant Lord.

 

"Or are you afraid, brother? Unbelievable! Our Lord Muenphop is afraid of ghosts, is he—"

 

Actually, if I were alone, I'd probably be scared. But now I have friends, so I'm not as scared. Besides... getting revenge on that policeman once in a while has made me even more arrogant. I want to keep teasing him. Who knows, he might reject me because he's afraid of ghosts, but he's putting on a tough, serious act to cover it up. And I want to see him terrified to the point of complete panic.

 

"I am not afraid."

 

"Alright! Then let's go take a look."

 

"Stop talking nonsense. The dew is falling heavily. Hurry up and go inside." The older man's voice took on a hint of sternness as he walked ahead. I followed him, deliberately making a mocking remark loud enough for him to hear, "Not really that tough, are you?" The saying "pride can't be eaten" certainly doesn't apply to Lord Phop, because he suddenly turned around, causing me to brake sharply before bumping into him. However, he continued to step closer. I tensed slightly as Phop leaned his face so close that I could feel his breath. The light from the lamp in his thick hand allowed me to see a strange sparkle in his eyes that made my heart beat faster.

 

"I could go back and prove it right now if I wanted to, but I'm just afraid you'll cry and whine like Jaem, needing me to comfort you." 

 

The speaker's lips curved slightly upward. Although he didn't want to admit it, he had to say he was very handsome, especially when he smiled like this. He was starting to understand the servants' feelings.

 

Wow, I'm starting to find myself a little bit charmed by him. But that was incredibly insulting! Who would cry like a child? If I saw a ghost, I'd just run away! But I was too lazy to argue anymore because suddenly I couldn't think of anything to say. His gaze was so intense it made my mind race, forcing me to look away and admit defeat.

 

I interrupted, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. I'll excuse myself and go upstairs."

 

After speaking, I strode ahead into the darkness, with the sound of footsteps following closely behind. Upon reaching the house, P'Phop returned the lamp to me. He watched me until I went into my room, then I heard him go into his own room. I slumped down on the bed, feeling frustrated. How many times have I lost to that arrogant cop now? It's so frustrating!

 

October 2022.

 

"Are you...seriously?"

 

"Really? I'm already in line," I insisted firmly, looking at my lover standing behind me with a determined expression as we lined up to enter the haunted house. Today, P’Phop and I came to see a movie together. After the movie, we walked out to the promotion area and found the mall hosting a Halloween event, transforming the middle of the mall into a haunted house. That's when I got the idea to drag P’Phop along to line up with me, because I remembered something that still bothered me from almost four hundred years ago – whether P’Phop was afraid of ghosts or not. Now that we have the chance, we might as well do it!

 

The sharp eyes behind the glasses of my conversation partner narrowed slightly in a suspicious manner. At the same time, I put on my most innocent face, pretending I really just wanted to play along. They all go to play in the haunted house, you know. Even though I told him that, P'Phop didn't seem to believe me.

 

"Or are you scared, P’?" I asked. "What should I do? I'm sorry, I forgot that before when I invited you to see what the dogs were howling about, you didn't go. Okay, I won't play anymore." I pretended to be startled.

 

He pretended to be going to walk out of the line. His strong hand tugged at my wrist, bringing me back to my original position. This time, P'Phop seemed to understand, and his eyes showed a mixture of exasperation and affection.

 

"Go ahead and play. I haven't said anything yet. But are you really sure you can handle it?" P’Phop asked, leaning in to whisper in my ear, his voice laced with laughter. "It's not that I'm scared..."

 

"Don't let the cry make you collapse to the ground as it did back then."

 

You remember that too...?

 

"Maybe you don't need to remember everything," I pushed away the older man's chest as he subtly moved closer, his breath brushing against my ear. He distanced himself and tried to explain, "I was just startled because you suddenly burst through the door. But this haunted house is nothing. Don't underestimate me! This time I'll protect you!"

 

Hmph! A fake haunted house in a mall in broad daylight, like this, who would be scared? I've already planned to scare that former police officer. Later, when we're inside the haunted house, I'd walk behind him and grab his shoulder hard to make him jump. He's bound to scream eventually. You like to tease me, huh? This time, I'm going to get my revenge!

 

"Okay, protect me then," P'Phop smiled, his eyes closing. Even so, it was clear he was confident. I could hardly wait to tease him. I couldn't resist. It was our turn, so I eagerly rushed into the haunted house, which was themed as an abandoned hospital.

 

"Aargh!!!"

 

"Aargh!!!"

 

But it seems fate is against me, or perhaps this man is simply too flawless, no matter how many lifetimes he's reborn. Not only did my plan to prank my boyfriend fail, but because P'Phop didn't show any sign of being fazed, I was the one who got scared by Sadaff, who was dressed as a ghost, until my throat was sore from screaming.

 

Well, the atmosphere and the eerie sounds were so creepy that they gave me goosebumps. The air conditioning was so cold, too. And those ghostly staff members were really worth their paycheck! Who told me to get out of bed and go for a run? Tell me more! My brother Phop just kept hugging me, holding on tight, waiting for the ghost to get closer. So who's playing tricks on whom here?!

 

"How are you? Are you okay?" As soon as we got out of the haunted house, my boyfriend asked, handing me some smelling salts with a mix of amusement and concern. I took the smelling salts, took a deep breath, and glared at him accusingly. 

 

"You intentionally played a trick on me, didn't you? I'm not sleeping with you tonight."

 

"No, I saw you were scared, so I hugged you. Why would you think I was teasing you?" The other person blinked, asking softly. At first glance, it seemed like there was nothing hidden, but there was something more. So sparkly!

 

"I've already hugged you today, so that's my quota, right?" I stood up, handing the inhaler back to him without looking at his face. P'Phop, realising I was about to go into serious sulking mode, quickly put his arm around my waist. "Let's go get some dessert instead. What would you like? Toast, or ice cream"

 

"They're clever at using food to lure people in, aren't they?"

 

"So, do you want to eat?"

 

"Eat," I replied without hesitation, eliciting a soft chuckle from my boyfriend as he reached out to take my hand.

 

"Then let's go."

 

I reluctantly followed P'Phop's lead, glaring at his broad back beneath his shirt with a look of reproach. There's always another chance; he'll get one eventually. There must be some weaknesses, right? But it's frustrating that I lost to him again today. I guess I'm going to lose to him in every lifetime.