GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 28: The Beginning of a Disaster

The train staff’s announcement slowly woke Singha up. He grabbed his phone from under the pillow to check the time, seeing it was now past four in the morning. They were nearing the final station, hence the call to make the bedding. The pressure on his waist and the warm breath on his neck made him turn to look. The noise from outside grew louder as people awoke, just like Thup, who started to groan softly in his throat before waking up.

“Get up if you’re awake. They’re coming to collect the beds.”

“Are we almost there?”

“Yeah.” Singha got out of bed and stood on the floor, just as the doctor from the upper bunk opened his curtain.

“Did you sleep well?” Singha didn’t answer immediately, but instead, a kid poked his head out from the bed.

“Phii, my back hurts.”

“I told you to sleep in your own bed.” Thup stood up to his full height before glancing at the person sitting above, “Go back to your seat, I’ll walk over when we’re close.”

Thup nodded and smiled at Singha, then walked back to his own seat, simple as that. The actions of both prompted a playful smile from an onlooker.

“So, there’s really no space for me to flirt here.”

“If you’re just going to keep talking, you can come down now, so the staff can collect the bedding.” Singha ran his fingers through his jet-black hair before grabbing his toiletries from his bag and heading to the train car’s bathroom, “Hey, Thup, coming to wash up?”

“Yes.”

The young inspector looked as he greeted Thup, who was talking to an old lady in the lower berth, “Here you go, grandma. If it doesn’t open again, let me know.”

“Thank you, young man.” Thup smiled at her before following Singha to the sink, “The darling of the elderly, huh?”

“Not at all.” Thup squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, “That’s you.”

“Why me?”

“You’re everyone’s darling.” Thup mumbled to himself before stuffing the toothbrush into his mouth.

“Tell your uncle he doesn’t need to pick us up, I’ve arranged a car rental. All set, don’t want to trouble him, but we might need to crash at his place for a bit.” Thup nodded, his face contorted, “I need to check on several things. Are you going anywhere?”

“I… want to pay respects to Grand Abbott.”

“Then we’ll find time to go.”

Both finished their personal business and returned to their seats, the bunk beds now converted back to regular seats. Thup craned his neck, watching his older brother with concern until the old woman opposite couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Separated from your brother, it must be tough for you.”

“Ah, yes.”

“And you’re heading home? I just visited my daughter in Bangkok. Come on, she just had a baby boy, and he’s really cute. Look, I took a picture.”

“So cute.” Thup shifted his gaze from Singha to the grandma in front of him, who was showing off her grandson’s picture with a wide smile.

“Right? I told her to perform a ritual to appease Mae Sue’s spirits because the kid was crying a lot, but my daughter said nowadays people don’t believe in that anymore, so she didn’t do it. Sigh, I just can’t understand.”

“People still do that ritual these days?”

“Well, only old folks like me still do. The new generation doesn’t believe in it anymore.”

“Where do you live, Grandma?”

“I’m in Chantaburi. And where do you live? Are you here for a visit?”

“I live in Chantaburi too. I’m just back for some business for a few days.” Thup smiled friendly before he remembered something that was still on his mind. “Grandma, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead, young man.”

“Well, have you ever heard about… extending life through black magic?” As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on the wrinkled face slowly faded, replaced by a look of concern and confusion. “No… I mean, don’t get me wrong, Grandma. I just… just heard ghost stories, and someone mentioned this, so I got curious.”

“I almost thought you were into dark magic or something. People these days, you can’t trust appearances. And these things, you can’t play around with; they’re dangerous.”

Thup nodded in understanding; people around here knew well that these mystical arts weren’t just tales. “Actually, back in my younger days, I did hear about it, but that was a long time ago.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“As much as I remember, it was tales about dark magic. It’s a cursed art; good today, but the rest of your days are doomed. It slowly consumes the practitioner and the user until the day they die. As for extending life, I’m not sure, but if it’s about stealing life force, then maybe.”

“Can someone try to steal life span or what?”

“Young man, have you ever seen healthy, vibrant young people suddenly become thin, weak, and their faces gloomy?” Thup nodded in understanding, because his current situation was just like that, “That’s right, because they’ve been cursed, whether they know it or not, the results aren’t much different. The curse released will slowly eat away from the inside, making us feel hopeless, our luck falls, and we rely on it more. The more we rely on it, the more it consumes our life, spiraling until eventually, we die one way or another. Where else would our remaining lifespan and life energy go if not into those cursed tickets that then reverse back to the sorcerer?”

“Is there a way to prevent or cure it?”

“Even I don’t know how it is elsewhere, but at my place, we plant galangal around the house. Every month or two, we grind it, mix it with holy water from the temple, and sprinkle it all around. It’s a belief passed down through generations.” The old woman sipped her water slightly before continuing, “But tell me, young man, why do you ask? You’re asking quite deeply.”

“I’m just interested.” Thup said with a slight smile, looking out the window.

“Don’t even think about trying it.”

Asking regular villagers would yield no real answers; you inevitably need someone from this field.

Soon, the train came to a stop at the platform, the bustling noise of people in the early morning as the sun just rose above the horizon. Both Thup and Singha got off the train and immediately stretched to relieve their fatigue.

The sound of people.

“Do we need to wait for the car your brother rented?” Thup asked, coming to stand beside.

“He said to wait at the front if we arrived.”

“Hello, yes uncle, but you said you’d pick me up, so how am I supposed to get home like this?” The conversation from nearby made the two standing there turn to look, “Try to find someone named Thup? How am I supposed to know who that is? This is a train, not a bus.”

Thup quickly turned to Singha upon hearing his name in the conversation of a stranger.

“Do you know him?”

“I’m not familiar at all. He might be referring to someone else.”

“Should I try calling? Then, uncle, please give me the number.” The young doctor shook his head slowly; his journey had gone completely off-plan because the person supposed to pick him up had a car breakdown on the way. After he dialed the newly given number, a ringtone not far away caught his attention, and his eyes met those of Thup slowly before the tall young man answered the call.

“Hel… Hello.”

“Clear as day.” The thick hand ended the call that was against his ear before walking towards the pair, “Hello, do you know Uncle Chai?”

“Y… Yes.”

“My name’s Charn, I’m his nephew.”

“Hello.”

“What a coincidence.” Although the words seemed directed at Thup, Charn’s gaze was on Singha, “If it’s not too much trouble. Can I hitch a ride to uncle’s house too? It looks like we’ll be spending quite some time together.”

“Trouble.” Singha finished speaking and walked away, leaving his sentence unfinished, leaving Charn with a frozen smile.

“Uh… he’s just joking, Phii. You can come with us; I’m staying at Uncle Chai’s too.” A sleek black Toyota waited for both of them, with a driver who was smoking by the open window, looking bored.

“He doesn’t look very welcoming, does he?” Charn teased Singha, noting the reluctance in having to take him along.

“Thup, get in the car.” Thup nodded and took his seat next to the driver. The only option left for the additional passenger was to sit in the back.

The atmosphere inside the car wasn’t as silent as usual because of the ongoing conversation between Thup and Charn.

“No wonder you looked familiar; you’re the kid from the temple.”

“Sorry, I don’t really remember you, Phii.”

“It’s okay. At that time, you were probably just six years old, so it’s not strange if you don’t remember.”

“Why did you come back here, Phii?”

“I came to help with a special case here. Once I recover, I’ll go back. Besides, Uncle was complaining a lot, so I came back to check on things.” Charn answered casually after learning that Thup was the kid from the temple that the old monk had taken in. Given their ages and the times they met, it was rare for them to recognize each other, “And what about you, what are you back for?” which wasn’t surprising.

Thup glanced at Singha before turning back to Charn, hesitant to discuss the case.

“I’m back for some errands, and to pick up something from Uncle.”

“And this guy next to you, is he here for the same reason or just volunteering?” Charn looked in the rearview mirror and met sharp eyes looking back.

“Phii Singha is here for errands too.” After that, the conversation slowly faded, leaving only silence once again.

After nearly forty minutes, they stopped in front of a raised single-story wooden house. Around the house were vegetable patches and trees, making the atmosphere quite pleasant. Waving his hand to fan himself and beat the heat, Thup had to…

“Hey, you’re here! Come on in.” a hoarse voice called out as soon as the gate opened. “Oh my, haven’t seen you in a while, look how grown up you are.”

“Hello, Uncle.” Thup greeted Uncle Chai with a smile before they hugged tightly.

“You’ve become handsome, my nephew.”

“Looks like you’ve forgotten me.” a voice from behind brought laughter to the old man.

“What’s up, my beloved nephew? You are a doctor in Bangkok now, and you are really handsome. Let’s get inside, it’s hot out here.”

Even though it was a single-story house, the inside was spacious, clearly divided into a living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. The four of them walked in and sat on the wooden sofa, drinking water to relieve the fatigue from the journey.

“Uncle, this is Phii Singha, whom I told you about.”

“Hello, Uncle. Could I bother you for a couple of days?”

“Go ahead, young man, think of it as your own home. Usually, I’m not even here much. I’m mostly out helping at the temple or with the villagers.” Uncle Chai, with a white cloth draped over his shoulder, set down a box of chilled fruits on the table to welcome his guests, “Charn, you’ll sleep in the room next to mine. As for Thup and your friend, you’ll sleep in the room across. Auntie has arranged everything. There’s food on the table; she made it this morning before she left for her friend’s place.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” Singha bowed respectfully with his hands pressed together, “Then I’ll go fix the car first. If there’s anything else, just let me know.”

“Phii, shall I take your bag in for you? Do you want to take a shower first?”

“Let’s put the stuff away first, then we’ll see.” Both walked towards the room that had been prepared. It wasn’t luxurious, lacking even a proper bed, just a five-foot mattress and brightly colored floral bed sheets. Singha dropped his bag by the door before collapsing onto the doomed mattress.

“It’s hot.”

“Do you want to shower?” Thup, who had taken on the duty of organizing the older man’s things, asked in a flat tone.

“I’ll shower later; I was thinking of helping uncle with the car. Since we’re staying here.”

“Can you fix cars?”

“I know a bit about it.” Singha got up and took off his shirt, revealing well-toned muscles, “Hand me a tank top.”

“Here.” Thup handed him a black tank top without looking.

“You go shower and change. I’ll head to the police station later.”

“Are you going to get information on Uncle Khuean?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And where will you go after?”

“I’ll see. And that shaman’s house you mentioned, is anyone living there now?”

“Probably not, because back then, it was already abandoned. But I’ll check…”

Singha changed into something more practical before coming out to the front of the house and asking Uncle Chai again.

“Well, if we manage things quickly, then we can go.” Thup paused before nodding slightly in agreement and the two followed the sound of clanking followed until they found a silver pickup truck that looked well-used. The hood was open, with Uncle-Chai holding a screwdriver with a serious look on his face.

“Anything I can help with?”

“Oh, young man, do you know how to fix cars?”

“I can fix some things.”

“This truck of mine suddenly started jerking and then just died. It’s good that it still moved a bit, not far though, so I had it towed back. If it can’t be fixed, I’ll have to take it to a garage in town.” Singha nodded in understanding before going over to help, under the watchful eyes of both Thup and a young doctor standing not far away.

“It looks like the spark plug might be loose, Uncle.”

Singha worked on the car while answering some of Uncle-Chai’s questions. Although he wasn’t much for idle chatter, he wasn’t rude enough to completely ignore the conversation. After a while, the once motionless truck was up and running again, making Uncle-Chai shout with joy.

“Wow! Kids these days are really skilled. Come on, let’s wash up and have some dinner.”

“I was thinking of heading into town.” Singha said, wiping engine oil off his hands.

“And where will you go next?”

“I’ll see. And that witch doctor’s house you mentioned, is anyone living there now?”

“Probably not, it was already abandoned back then. But I’ll ask Uncle again for you.”

“Well, if you manage things quickly, then you can go.” Thup paused before nodding slightly in agreement.

Singha changed into something more practical before coming out to the front of the house, following the continuous clanking sound until he encountered a silver pickup truck, well-worn from use, with its hood open and Uncle-Chai holding a screwdriver, looking serious.

“Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, it’s you, young man. Can you fix cars?”

“I can fix them a bit.”

“My car suddenly started jerking and then just died. It’s good that it still moved, but not far. I had to get Mai to tow it back. If you can’t fix it, I’ll have to take it to a garage in the city.” Singha nodded in understanding and went over to help, watched by both Thup and the young doctor standing not far away.

“Looks like the spark plug came loose, uncle.”

Singha worked on the car while occasionally responding to Uncle Chai’s questions. Though not much of a talker, he wasn’t rude enough to completely ignore the conversation. After a while, the car that had been completely still was working again, making Uncle Chai shout with joy.

“Wow! Kids these days are really skilled. Go wash up so we can eat.”

“I was thinking about going into town.” said Singha as he wiped engine oil from his hands.

“Is it about the case? Thup told me about it.”

“Yes, I don’t have much time, so I need to hurry.”

“I don’t know how much I can help, but maybe I can be of some use. Thup himself still doesn’t know this.” Uncle Chai sat down on a wooden chair in front of the house, sighed, “There used to be a shaman here, dabbling in dark magic, Khmer black magic. He started performing rituals for the villagers, causing trouble for many. People got possessed, had bad things in their stomachs, wrongdoings against children and wives. The old abbott warned him that this magic would backfire. He didn’t listen, until one day he fell ill, but it seemed he still believed in this path…”

“And then what?”

“He thought about extending his life by taking the life force of others.”

“How?” Singha frowned deeply.

“Thup told you about the cop from the house behind the forest being rumored to practice magic, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s what the villagers are wondering about; it’s because something like this has happened before, only back then it didn’t succeed. That shaman killed all the dogs and cats in the area until there were none left, but it still wasn’t enough, and in the end, he died too.”

“So, it should have ended there, right?”

“The day he died was a holy day, the sky was overcast, the wind was howling, birds filled the sky. Do you know what that means, young man?” Singha shook his head slowly, “It means he released something from himself.”

“And what about Thup?”

“The old monk described the features of two spirits.” Uncle Chai made a troubled face because before this, during a phone call on the train, Thup had told him everything to help with the investigation as much as possible. “One is an elderly woman with completely white eyes, looking furious, her lips torn to her ears. The other is a young girl with hollow eyes, her face pale, lips torn. Do you recognize them?”

“The ghosts Thup saw…”

“Five years later, a tragic event occurred in the village…”

“….It started here.”

“Be careful, young man.”

“Is the house of that policeman who disappeared with his family still there?”

“It’s still in the same place. No one dares to go near it because as the sun sets, people hear screams, crying. The monks have performed rituals to cleanse it, made merit, but to no avail. They’ve strung up sacred threads to keep villagers out.”

“Can you give me the coordinates, uncle?”

“I can tell you, but don’t go. At least, don’t go today or tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“Today, by the time you get everything sorted, it’ll be late. And tomorrow is a holy day, so going into an area like that wouldn’t be good.”

“I don’t have that much time.” said Singha, unsure of what made him feel so anxious to conclude this case, but what was certain was that he was eager to return to the station because his gut feeling told him something was about to happen.

Something that would make this case even worse.

[Chief, I’ve received a report from the patrol that someone has entered the temple.]

   “Who?” King, who was reviewing documents at his desk, stood up immediately when his subordinate called to report the update.

[Uh, I’m not sure, sir, but it seems to be a woman.]

   “Follow her in. I’m on my way.”

[Understood.]

   King felt uneasy and had to walk over to the forensic department. Upon opening the door, he saw a young man with flaming red hair just leaving the lab.

“What are you doing here?”

“Where’s Darin?”

“He went back to shower at his condo.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah, because I’m stuck with work here.” a piece of paper was tossed carelessly towards King.

“Drugs?”

Say slumped onto the sofa before grabbing the coffee on the table and downing it in one gulp.

“The drug paraphernalia found in Khun Meen’s car, the test results show the owner is the kid named Nai.”

“The kid from the car rental company?”

“Yeah.”

“So, that means that kid drove Khun Meen’s car out of the temple and left it there.”

“The question is, who ordered it, and why did they do it?”

Say rolled his eyes at the person who had just rushed out of the room, picked up his phone, and called Darin. Before this, she had told him she was going back to shower and pack essentials, even saying she could go by herself so he could finish his work. After a long wait, the other end picked up with a tired voice.

“Where are you?”

[I’m about to leave, what’s up?]

   “Shall I come pick you up?”

[It’s fine, I can take a taxi. It’s still early.]

   “Don’t stop anywhere, okay?”

[Got it. That’s all, I’m about to get in the car.]

   After Darin hung up, the room door opened again in a hurry.

“I asked your friends during the interrogation. They all admitted to using ice together, but you were the heaviest user, to the point of gambling to fund your addiction.”

“And?”

“There was a call to Nai’s phone before he disappeared, then a sum of money was transferred into his personal account.” King showed the documents in his hand to the seated person, “Where from?”

“…From the temple, it’s the account of Santi Thamaram Temple.”

King’s expression grew more serious, making Say tense up too, “The report said a woman went into the temple. Doesn’t look like a local, where’s Darin!”

“It’s not her. Not Rin.” Say met King’s gaze meaningfully, then both spoke a name simultaneously.

“Dear.”

“Dear.”

 

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