GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 43: The Soul-Calling Ceremony

‘The shocking incident that occurred two days ago has been widely discussed. A serial murder case involving seven bodies linked to several similar cases in the past, happening every five years, starting with the first case in a province in the Northeast. According to the investigating officers working the case, there are two perpetrators, one of whom was a highly respected former abbot who was reported to have died at the scene during the arrest. The other is a member of a ghost-hunting YouTube channel team who was severely burned. He is currently detained in the hospital. Preliminary estimates suggest there could be as many as fifty victims. Further investigation revealed that these crimes were motivated by beliefs in human sacrifice, with strange occurrences injuring several officers, including the chief inspector from the main station, Inspector Singha…’

   Thup turned off the television with the remote; he had seen these news reports repeatedly over the last two days until he was sick of them.

After Singha’s condition stabilized enough to be moved to a regular room yesterday, Thup returned home to pack some things to stay by the older man’s side day and night. He has been going back and forth between the examination room and the older man’s room so often that the nurses in the department are now familiar with him.

King, who recovered the fastest, took over handling the case, interrogating those involved, notifying the forensic team to inspect the crime scene, and coordinating with police in every area the father-son duo had visited to expedite the review of past cases. Overnight, this case became the talk of the town.

Darin, who was seriously injured, is still under treatment in the adjacent room. Fortunately, the bullet missed vital organs, and the father-son duo had staunched her bleeding because they wanted her alive for the ritual, allowing her to narrowly escape death. She woke up yesterday, crying heavily from trauma, so Say had to stay with her day and night. When Thup visited, he still saw the two arguing loudly, just like before.

Throughout this floor, there are police officers bustling about because now there are both officers recovering and the surviving serial killer. Bom, who miraculously survived the fire, but what followed would make his life like living in hell: third-degree burns all over his body, no hair left, his skin wrapped in gauze because his skin layers were destroyed, risking infection at any moment. And Thup often saw wandering spirits around Bom’s room.

He just realized now that when he met Bom that day, he also encountered the ghost of Chaba. What that ghost said was ‘Khmaoch’, which in Khmer means ‘ghost’. She wasn’t talking about herself or the spirits around but about Bom. If not for the sacrifices to increase life span, Bom would have been dead long gone too, no different from a ghost. Every day involves cutting away dead flesh and redressing the wounds in a cycle. No one knows if Bom can endure these wounds until the trial, but most victims’ relatives curse him to die repeatedly, fitting his deeds.

Relatives of the victims have now received the bodies of their loved ones back to their families. As for all the victims, in the past, authorities were searching for the second location where the father and son disposed of the bodies. It was a departure that should not have happened, a farewell too soon for many, and it’s considered urgent just like with the others from the investigation.

On the side of the temple’s caretaker, Uncle-Khuean, who had to go into hiding for quite some time, was caught while trying to cross the country border with various rare amulets, which were seized by the authorities. He confessed to embezzling money for gambling but denied any involvement in the murders and insisted he knew nothing about what the abbot was doing, as the abbot appeared frail, unlikely to commit such acts, and was seen as a good person who lived by religious principles, much like what the villagers believed.

All past cases are now being reopened for re-examination. The scapegoats previously accused will get a new trial for justice. Police officers who neglected their duties will be judged. All injustices will be addressed anew after the truth comes to light. Thup looked at the person still asleep on the bed before resting his head on the older man’s hand. In the mornings, he would go back to cook at home hoping the older man would wake up, but each day ended with him eating the meal himself.

“I miss you so much, Phii Singha.”

“Hey, Thup.” a voice called from the doorway, making Thup turn and smile.

“What about Phii Rin?”

“Asleep now, she complains a lot, gives me a headache.” Say complained with an eye roll. He walked over to stand beside the bed, looking at his friend covered in bandages. “Are you getting any sleep at all?”

“I sleep in short bursts.”

“Your eye bags are deeper than a ravine. Go get some sleep.”

“I can’t sleep well.”

“Haunted by ghosts?” Say raised an eyebrow.

“No, not since I’ve been wearing this amulet and staying in the room with Phii Singha. Except when I go back home or other areas in the hospital.” Thup said as he gently rubbed his thumb over the older man’s hand.

“How about you, Phii Say? Are you getting better, still wearing the patient gown but won’t stop walking around? Isn’t that a bit reckless?”

Thup laughed out loud, his voice clear, before shaking his head at Say in a playful manner, “Just bored in my room with nothing to do.”

“What about Phii Merk?”

“Merk went back to handle some data stuff. Even though the assistant gave a statement, and so did you, he has to investigate further.” On the first day Merk visited, Say complained until his ears burned about the sloppy wound dressing that almost killed his close friend, but compared to doing nothing at all, the result would’ve been death anyway, so Say didn’t scold too much, “He’ll recover soon.”

“Yes.” Thup turned to look at Singha again, “So, you’re courting my friend?”

“Y…Yes.” Thup’s face turned red immediately when asked directly, “Are you sure you can handle it? My friend’s pretty intense.”

“Intense?”

“Yeah, with a face as young as yours…” Say grabbed Thup’s chin to turn it towards him, squinting as he looked, “Might not be able to handle it.”

“Phii Singha doesn’t like me at all, you know. When he wakes up, he might just kick me out of the house or something.”

“If he kicks you out, just go back to your condo.”

“That’s true…” Thup sighed. Since moving in with Singha, he had kept paying the rent for his condo, not knowing when he might need to move back or if the older man would kick him out.

After chatting for a bit longer, Say excused himself back to his room, leaving only the young man and his still unconscious friend.

“I want to talk about so many things with you, Phii Singha, I really want to talk a lot.” Thup said, resting his head on Singha’s hand again before falling asleep like that. There were many things left unsaid in his heart, many things he wanted to discuss with someone, and that someone was right in front of him.

From the azure sky slowly turning into the orange hues of evening, a knock on the door woke Thup from his slumber. A nurse came in to check on Singha’s condition and dress his wounds as usual.

“How are the wounds?”

“There’s no more bleeding. There are no signs of infection anymore.”

“When will he wake up, then?”

“Within the next two or three days, he should wake up. We have to wait for the doctor and we’ll check his condition again.”

“Thank you.” Thup bowed in thanks before sitting down on the sofa so the nurse could dress Singha’s wounds and clean him easily. The young man touched the amulet around his neck before deciding to get up to call a taxi to go somewhere.

Thup stepped out of the taxi to stand in front of a meditation retreat place where Singha once took him. The young man took a deep breath before walking inside. Since the first day the older man was in the hospital, the nurse had already called Singha’s mother. But from that day until now, Thup hadn’t seen her visit even once.

“Hello, Auntie.” Thup knocked on the door before calling out. Shortly after, the door opened, and Singha’s mother came out with a calm but gentle expression.

“Hello.”

“Uh… I’m Thup, I came with Phii Singha last time.”

“I remember.”

“Well, Phii Singha… he’s in the hospital now and… he hasn’t woken up yet.” His condition is stable.

“Thup, go wait for me at the marble bench in front. I’ll follow soon.”

“Okay.” Thup bowed respectfully to her before walking to sit at the stone table, not far away. A gentle breeze helped him breathe a bit easier. Since the incident until now, Thup had hardly rested. Not just physically, but mentally too.

A Bai Sri and sacred thread were placed on the table in front of Thup. He could only look at them before picking them up to hold.

“You’ve been through a lot, you should have a soul-calling ceremony.”

“Will you do it for him, Auntie?”

“I can’t go out.”

“Excuse me?” Thup exclaimed, not understanding, “Did Singha ever tell you about Mesa, right dear?”

“…Yes.” The boy said.

“After the day Mesa left, he kept blaming himself. Didn’t attend school. Didn’t go out, didn’t eat, until he fell ill and was hospitalized. Even the doctors couldn’t find the cause of why his condition wasn’t improving.” said Singha’s mother in a calm tone. “I went to pray to Thao Vaisravaṇa himself, asking for his protection, his care, and I vowed to ordain without ever disrobing, to renounce worldly life, to live in virtue and dharma, and after that day Singha started to get better.”

“So that’s how it was.” Thup nodded in understanding.

“I think Thup, you know the soul-calling ceremony well. No need for a grand ceremony, just do it for our peace of mind.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Singha has always been a strong child, the head of the family, because he thinks he must be, must look after others, sometimes forgetting to care for the most important person.” Singha’s mother smiled gently at Thup. “Himself, Singha forgets that he is important.”

Thup nodded in agreement. Throughout his time with Singha, he had rarely seen his elder brother think of himself. Working like mad, dedicating his life to others without knowing what his own happiness is.

“Can you take care of him for me?”

“Uh… he’s still taking care of me.”

Singha’s mother laughed softly as a gentle breeze passed by, and the sky began to change colors once again. “But I will take care. I’ll look after Phii Singha on the days he doesn’t take care of himself.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Thup returned to the hospital after going back home to prepare dinner. He came into the room carrying a lunchbox and a bag with a Bai Sri tray inside.

The room remained as silent as always, with only the dim light from the head of the bed still on. A young boy walked in and stood beside the bed, pulling out a sacred Bai Sri tray from his bag. The scent of aromatic water filled the room. Thup chanted a prayer before lifting the Bai Sri tray above Singha’s head.

“Wherever your spirit wanders, where do you hide,

Come back to your body, come back to your family, come back home, return now, dear spirit.

Do not fear, do not weep, wherever your spirit is, please return.”

The invocation for the spirit was spoken as the Bai Sri tray was circled three times. In the final round, Thup leaned in close and softly kissed the older man’s forehead.

“Come back to Thup, Phii Singha.”

Thup placed the Bai Sri tray on the bedside table and held the older man’s hand for a moment, then tied a sacred string around Singha’s wrist. The boy sat, staring for several hours before he moved to sleep on the sofa.

He had done all he could. Now, it was just a waiting game. A very long night had passed, and in the early morning after waking up, Thup took a ride back home to prepare meals like he did every day. After finishing all the housework, he returned to the hospital.

Upon reaching Singha’s room, Thup halted at the sight of doctors and nurses just leaving, which gave him a bad feeling. He rushed into the room past everyone, and the scene before him made his hands weak, dropping everything to the floor.

“Hey… you little pup.” a hoarse yet distinctive voice made Thup slowly approach. The dark eyes reflecting back at him nearly made Thup collapse. A warm hand, full of IV lines, gently wiped away the tears from Thup’s face. “Such a crybaby.”

“You’re back.”

“Yeah, I’m back now.” No more words were exchanged, only the sobbing of the young boy and the soft grumbling of the newly awakened man.

It took a while for Thup to calm down, just as Say and Darin arrived to visit. The young boy let the close friends catch up, while he sat on the sofa waiting, watching Singha without blinking. The lips that had forced a smile for days now naturally curled into a full, genuine smile. The eyes that had struggled to stay alert, the restless heart, slowly eased their worries. The accumulated fatigue from restless sleep made Thup’s eyelids heavy until finally, his eyes closed completely.

“Hey Say, go get Thup to lie down properly.”

“Is that my job?”

“Go do it for me.”

“Alright, alright, it’s not even my responsibility, yet it still falls on me.”

“Can you stop complaining?” Darin grumbled at the person walking over to get Thup to lie down properly. “Our friend just went through life and death.”

“The car flipped, and I didn’t even come close to dying.”

“Such a pity, huh? All three of us are in the hospital, and King takes the credit as usual.”

“I told you, it was Singha’s work.”

“And who’s the guy showing his face to the reporters every day?”

“A ghost, probably.”

“Say, you bastard! Don’t say that word ever! When I get out of this hospital, I’m going on a tour to make merit at a hundred temples!”

“Are you sure you dare to enter a temple?” Say teased.

“…Maybe later.”

“What next, Singha?” After silencing his friend, Say turned to ask the one lying on the bed.

“Finish the work here, then head back to Sisaket.”

“Why go back?”

“To deal with the case… and handle things with Thup too.”

“About Thup’s mother’s history. Did you tell Merk to look into it?”

“Hmm.”

“Poor kid.” Darin said before turning to look at the young man sleeping soundly on the sofa. “So right now, he’s got no one, huh?”

“Hmm.” Singha responded softly.

“Make sure he’s fully recovered before he goes out, I don’t want to sit in front of the ICU again.” Say warned before wheeling Darin’s chair out of the room.

Singha adjusted the bed until he could reach the documents at the head of the bed. The documents contained statements and investigations from the past several days when he was unconscious. His sharp eyes caught sight of a holy thread on his wrist. The young man put everything down on his lap and turned to look at Thup.

He didn’t know what that kid did while he was unconscious, but judging from the lunchbox, the holy thread, and the altar at the head of the bed, it was clear this kid never gave up, even though the case was closed, he was cleared, his body almost healed. Thup could return to his life now if he wanted, but here he was, still by his side.

…Still here next to him.

 

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