GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 34: Secrets from Below

Darin’s body collapsed to the ground at the same moment Bom stepped out. He shook his head, looking at Darin gasping heavily with empty, emotionless eyes. No pity. No sympathy. Only emptiness and a lack of emotion in his gaze.

“Darin!” King rushed over, knelt down, and pressed his suit jacket onto Darin’s abdominal wound to stop the bleeding.

“Th-, ugh, it…”

“What? What are you trying to say?” King was anxious seeing blood seeping from the corner of Darin’s mouth.

“It… is, ugh”

“Ah, I think he wants to say I’m the murderer.” Bom’s words made the young detective instantly aim his gun at him. “Gonna shoot again? Oh, you might end up randomly hitting someone else.”

“Step back.” King laid Darin down before aiming at the seemingly innocent young man, who raised his hands above his head as if surrendering. But the smile on his face showed no sign of guilt.

“You’re under arrest for murder, assault on an officer.”

“Huh, do you know what’s the most fun?” Bom smiled at King, without a trace of fear despite the gun pointed at him. “When everything goes according to plan.”

“I don’t care what you say, and I’m not scared of your ghost nonsense either. Now, turn your back to the wall, hands behind your head, don’t try anything funny.”

“Not scared? If you really weren’t scared, that bullet wouldn’t have missed and hit… who was it again?”

“Told you to turn around!!” King glanced at Darin, who was lying on the floor. Bom chuckled as if it was all a big joke. He followed the police officer’s instructions in front of him, turning his back against the wall.

“People born on Fridays, they say, are tough, brave, level-headed. Seems like the old man before was just like you.” King, about to handcuff him, paused.

The previous victim was born on a Friday… was Thee.

“But just seeing his dead wife made him crawl like a dog. You should’ve seen him raving like a madman, begging to bring his wife back, haha, ha!”

“Shut up.” One handcuff was securely fastened, but as he was about to secure the other, a voice behind made King stop.

‘King’

   “For that old man, his wife seemed to be what he longed for the most. And you, what about you? Job, money, position, power… or love?”

‘…Singha.’

    Singha stood before him, holding a gun. His tone was devoid of anger, disappointment, or coldness. It was Singha, who still loved and obeyed him, like in the past. Yes… it was in the past. Their relationship ended long ago. King locked the other handcuff on Bom’s wrist before turning back to look, “Go play with the ghosts in prison then.”

“Hahaha, not falling for it, huh? And do you think the others won’t fall for this too?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know where the first sacrifice took place? Summoning spirits is very hard, especially vengeful ones, so a lot of offerings are needed. My father almost didn’t make it because that place was full of evil spirits. Anyone who accidentally steps in would be in trouble, quite a sight.” Bom turned his face to look at the person behind, his eyes sparkling again with the joy of toying with others’ emotions, “I’ll give you a hint… Sisaket.”

King’s eyes widened as he realized the hint pointed to Singha. By the time he was thinking about how to contact his former lover, it was already too late.

!!!A shadow passed behind, making him turn around.

The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed around, followed by the sound of a middle-aged man falling to the ground, with red liquid flowing from his head, spreading across the floor. Lower-tier ghosts eagerly rushed in to lap it up greedily.

“Heh, dad you are still as strong as ever, aren’t you?”

“Enough playing around. Finish this quickly, the ceremony is tomorrow.”

“I know, I know, we still have to wait for that kid anyway.” A wrinkled hand picked up the handcuff key from King’s pocket before unlocking it for his son, “Why not use someone else, there are plenty of people born on Saturday.”

“That kid… he has a spirit following him. I want it.”

“It’s just a kid who can see ghosts.”

“It can extend your life, then.”

“This time, it wasn’t me at all.” Bom said, using his tongue to push against his cheek before dragging the unconscious Darin and King towards the exit leading to the parking lot, “This time, it’s about extending my father’s life.”

Thup was sitting in the car, anxious. He squinted at the road ahead, fearful of what he might see along the way but still eager to see how far he was from his destination.

“Why are you so tense, just sit still.”

“Can you drive faster, Phii?”

“There are no street lights, the road is unfamiliar, we might end up flying off a curve and sleeping outside the road.” Chan replied before slightly increasing his speed, seeing how the kid next to him couldn’t sit still all the way, “So you’re saying, that cop is in danger, danger from what?”

“From…” Thup paused, if he said that those ghosts would trick Singha into killing himself, the guy next to him would probably turn the car around and call him crazy, “A killer, there’s a killer in that house.”

“Huh!? And how do you know that?”

“I just know, turn quickly here.” along the way there were spirits everywhere, but once they turned into the forest, everything was eerily quiet. He saw no spirits or ghosts, even though this was graveyard territory. If it wasn’t because it was a peaceful place, it must be because something scarier was keeping the ghosts away, and people too.

When the car stopped in front of the house, both felt the same chilling sensation, a cold shiver down their spines, a feeling telling them to retreat and never return.

“Why the hell is it scarier than before?” Charn said, rubbing his arms.

“That’s Phii Singha’s car.” Thup pointed at the car parked in front before swallowing hard. Before he could even step out of the car, he saw white eyes staring at him with a creepy smile. It was waiting for him, it really was, “Phii, you can wait here.”

“You don’t have to tell me. I had no intention of getting out in the first place!”

Thup took a deep breath to muster his courage, though there was little left. No matter what he would face or see, his goal here was for Singha. Before Thup could open the door, Chan grabbed his shoulder.

“Well… I don’t really know what this is about, but Uncle-Chai told me to give it to you, so here you go.” A Buddha amulet was handed to Thup. It was just an ordinary amulet, with a jet-black string. No silver frame, no gold frame. Nothing expensive, just a clay Buddha in a clear frame, but Thup recognized it well because it was just like the one he always wore before it disappeared. “Uncle said that the old monk left it for you, and said you had to get it on a holy day. You forgot when you left home, so he asked me to deliver it.”

“Thank you.” Thup said, taking the Buddha amulet, reciting a chant to invite the Buddha’s presence, and then he wore it around his neck.

“All the Buddhas, all the Dhamma, all the Sangha,

Achieve enlightenment, for the lonely ones, by their own power,

For the Arahants, with their pure victory, unbind the chains, all of them

I place my faith in the Buddha, I place my faith in the Dhamma, I place my faith in the Sangha.”

Thup stepped out of the car and walked firmly into the house. Even though his heart was pounding, he couldn’t back down now. Because if he retreated this time, he would be the next ghost.

The house was quiet and filled with dust floating everywhere because no one had lived there for a long time. Thup used the light from Charn’s car to see, as he had nothing with him now.

“Phii Singha, where are you?” The young man called out to his elder, scanning around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ghostly woman with white, blank eyes smiling at him. “What have you done, what have you done to him?”

‘Dead, the giant must die.’

   “Because you can’t touch him, you want him to kill himself like that, right?”

‘Saturday.’

   “No, the Saturday you want is me. Not him.”

‘Hee Yii Sii.’

   “You’re not Mae Sue. You’re not Chaba, you’re just a vengeful ghost that was summoned. Just taking other people’s lives won’t make you a god, nor will it make you master.”

‘Screaaaaaaaam!’

   The scream was so loud that the house shook, causing Thup to cover his ears. His playful demeanor vanished, replaced by pure anger. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and the face of the middle-aged woman twisted grotesquely. A slash appeared on her face, dripping with bright red blood onto the floor, her limbs twisted unnaturally, everything was so terrifying that Thup dared not look.

‘I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!’

   She lunged at Thup immediately, at the same moment he started to run away, up the stairs. The sound of crawling followed him, forcing him to look back. Her hand, bending unnaturally, grabbed his ankle; her sharp nails dug into his flesh making the young man bite his lip from the pain. He tried to crawl up to the top floor but was held back, unable to move. He recited every prayer he knew to exorcize the ghost from her, but to no avail.

‘Mommy… can I eat now?’

   Thup looked up to see a girl sitting and swinging her feet at the top step. Her body was charred from head to toe, skin cracked revealing red flesh contrasting with the burnt black skin. Her eyes were still hollow as he remembered, but in her hand, she was tossing an eyeball like a toy.

That face leaned down to look at Thup before laughing out loud. Now, it seemed he would truly die here.

“Help, ugh, help me.” if he didn’t get free.

The pain at his ankle vanished, giving Thup freedom once more. He turned back to see another female ghost intervening between him and the ghost below.

“Th-thank you.” Thup turned to look upstairs, seeing emptiness, he quickly crawled up. “Phii Singha! Phii Singha!”

The young man tried to stand up and walked to open the nearest door, the pain in his ankle and the seeping blood from his bandaged hands made Thup want to cry out loud. He had never been hurt like this before. He had never faced a ghost like this, nor had he ever confronted her, that one, like this.

“Phii Si-, Phii Singha!” Thup hobbled to the innermost room. He saw Singha sitting on the floor, holding a rope in his hand, his sharp face expressionless, unreadable. “Phii Singha, are you okay?”

“I once had a sister.”

“Yes?”

“I once had a sister named Mesa.”

“Whatever you see, it’s not real, it doesn’t exist, Phii, do you hear me?” Thup held the older man’s face, trying to bring Singha back to his senses. Until now, Singha was not someone afraid of ghosts or the afterlife, but this time what he encountered wasn’t a ghost or a spirit, but a confrontation with memories and inner conflicts. No, it was strange for the older man to be this disoriented, “Phii Singha. We need to get out of here, can you stand up?”

“My sister died because of me.”

Thup rubbed his thumb along the sharp jawline before he remembered something. He took off his amulet from his neck and carefully put it on the person in front of him.

“If she were your sister, she wouldn’t blame you like that. She would help you, support you whether she’s alive or not.” Singha looked up into the brown eyes of the kid in front of him, from a scared child always ready to cry to someone with such determined eyes, when did that happen?

Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!

The sound of doors and windows inside the house slammed open and shut loudly, even though the iron that should have held the windows should have rusted to the point of immobility long ago.

“Why are you here?”

“If not for you, who would save me from ghosts?” Thup said before smiling, seeing that Singha’s eyes had regained their spark.

“Will you stay with me or go wait in the car? I have something to check.” Singha stood up, rolling a thick rope over his shoulder.

“Stay with you.” Thup looked at the older man before reaching out to hold his hand. Even though it hurt a bit, it was better than letting one of them disappear again.

As both stepped out of the room, the noise and screams inside the house quieted down. Thup turned to look at something before tightening his grip on the older man’s hand.

“The ghost I saw wasn’t Chaba and her daughter.”

“What do you mean? The picture you drew…”

“She and her daughter were the first victims here, killed by her husband to summon the spirit of the ghost to possess her.”

“Since she’s already a spirit, why does she need to summon another spirit?” Singha said before shining his flashlight up the stairs, where bloodstains made him look down at the wound on Thup’s leg before firmly gripping the young man’s hand.

“She has been a lingering ghost for a long time, consuming offerings and the lives of those who practice black magic. When the practitioner dies, she waits for someone to perform the ritual again, calling spirits like this repeatedly. And the reason she needs someone to summon her spirit is because she’s a ghost, a Cambodian one, where they don’t collect bones for further rituals after cremation. Without a ghost’s summoning, she wouldn’t have this much power.” Kruanoy said.

“So what now?” Once they reached the ground floor, Singha led the way to a room with a dining table set with four wooden chairs, shaking his head slightly, thinking it should have been a normal happy family.

“When investigating the shaman’s case, Aisuen must have been involved too, right? He probably touched something he shouldn’t have, and that’s why those ghosts followed him. Have you ever heard the elders say that when someone does something strange or commits murder without any prior indication or history, they say it’s because a ghost instructed them? I think those two ghosts might have ordered him to start worshiping and sacrificing to them. That’s why he started acting strangely.”

“If those were the first two bodies, it makes sense.” Singha said, pushing the dining table aside to clear the way before bending down to pull up the rug, sending dust flying all over the house.

“After that, he began studying black magic and probably came across the story of Mae Suea combined with human sacrifice, thinking it would work.” Thup looked at the floor, his lips pressed together, where red talismans were plastered all over as if to keep something from coming out. Seven victims equaled a full seven-day tribute to Mae Suea to look after her own child, but actually, he was only sacrificing to his wife and child ghosts. As time passed, their demands grew, forcing them to find a new victim every five years.”

“Sacrifice.”

“That’s crazy.” Singha walked over to open a cabinet under the sink, pulling out a hammer. “Are those wounds what you got from the cursed shaman’s house?”

Thup quickly hid his hands behind his back, though it was pointless since the older man had already seen those wounds.

“Don’t do it again. There’s no need to get hurt; there are other ways to investigate.” Singha glanced slightly at the person beside him before scanning around the house once more. “And how did you get here?”

“I had Charn drop me off; he’s waiting outside.” Thup looked outside, then back at Singha. “We’re out of time, Phii Singha, it’s just me now…”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m the last victim.” Singha looked up at Thup before using his tongue to push against his cheek in frustration.

“Stand back, far away.” Singha ordered the young man before starting to hammer down on the wooden floor in front of him. Each strike was followed by screams and the house shaking, indicating whatever was here was not pleased.

‘You all mock me!!’

   “Phii, we need to hurry.” Thup warned Singha as the ghost of the woman who had disappeared was now standing before them.

A vase flew towards them, crashing into the wall, scattering glass shards everywhere, luckily not injuring Singha.

“Damn it!!” Singha hammered down on the wood, which started to crack, revealing that beneath was not soil as one would expect. “Thup, go wait in the car!!”

“No way, how can I let you stay here alone!!” His words and actions contradicted each other, leading Singha to curse profusely. Thup stood sweating profusely, blood seeping through the bandage on his hand. Singha stopped hammering, took off his amulet, and went to put it back on the young man. “No, you need to wear it.”

“You wear it, don’t take it off, this is an order!! No matter what you see, don’t run off, stay here, get it?” Seeing Thup nod reluctantly, he returned to the floor. The wooden planks slowly broke apart, revealing a wide hole, and he was sure whatever was underneath was definitely not good.

!!!

The sound of wood scraping against each other made Thup look up, his beautiful eyes widening as he saw the wooden table moving towards Singha. Before he could help, a pale hand emerged from the hole and pulled Singha down.

“Phii Singha!!!”

 

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 33: Lord of Friday

Singha drove along a road lined with dense forest, with no houses in sight. Even the street lights flickered annoyingly, and the rugged road made his head shake, indicating that not many people come here often.

[Singha, are you still there?]

   “Yes, I am.”

[The officer, Aisuen, has served for forty years, initially stationed at Sisaket Police Station, later married Khun Panneepa, and they moved to Kantharalak District. He had two children there, a son named Anuphap, and a daughter named Phonpraphat.]

“Anuphap?”

[Yeah, the son had a frequent treatment history at the district hospital, but after age five, there’s no record anymore. It’s like the data disappeared twenty years ago, especially strange for his wife and daughter. No financial records, medical treatments, or educational history at all.]

   Singha’s car stopped in front of a house; the headlights were the only source of light now. The tall trees covered the area so much that even moonlight couldn’t reach down. The old wooden house was covered in vines, no lights, no signs of life, but it felt like someone was watching all the time.

[No, it’s weird that after Aisuen resigned, there’s no record of his family anymore. It’s like… they just vanished.]

   “Or were erased.”

[What do you mean?]

   “Before that cop disappeared, he erased his own data from the Kantharalak Police Station’s records.” Singha turned off the engine before stepping out, opening the trunk to grab a flashlight he bought from a convenience store. “Contact the local police here for me, tell them to come to the address I sent.”

[What the hell were you doing in there?]

   “This must be where it all started.”

[Singha… but that place is in a graveyard area.] His friend’s warning made Singha pause, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

“Not that surprising.”

[I think there’s something you need to know, and I haven’t been able to contact anyone at the station at all. I think m-]

   Now I can’t reach Say either, honestly.

Suddenly the line cut off, Singha looked down at his phone to find it had shut down, the red battery symbol from before was probably its last warning.

“Great.” Singha tossed the phone onto the car’s hood, his tall figure scanning the area with a flashlight to ensure no one was around. The only sounds were his footsteps crushing grass and leaves, so quiet he could almost hear his own breathing. It was too silent to be a normal situation right now.

As one of his feet stepped onto the decaying wooden porch of the house, the once calm atmosphere shifted. A sudden gust of wind whipped around as if a storm was approaching, crows and other animals started making noise, the rustling leaves sound like screams. Singha pulled out his gun, holding it at the ready. Even though he knew the real killer wouldn’t be here, something else that had been obstructing this case all along couldn’t be far.

The creaking of the wooden planks followed every step he took. Singha pushed open the ill-fitted wooden door, dust scattering everywhere, forcing him to cover his nose with his arm. The flashlight beam swept across various points in the house; it was almost a perfectly normal house, just missing occupants. Furniture was still there, even electrical appliances. Singha stepped over the threshold, the creaking floor made him think this place wasn’t built to standard. The musty smell made him frown. He explored the house cautiously, fearing he might destroy evidence if this was indeed a crime scene.

Thud, thud, thud!!

Sounds of running from the kitchen made Singha quickly turn his flashlight, but he found only emptiness.

“Good thing that kid didn’t come.” Singha muttered to himself, thinking if Thup had come, the kid would be making a fuss by now.

This was a two-story wooden house, and no matter where you walked, the creaking of wood always followed. Singha approached a glass cabinet near the television. Shining his light inside, he saw a photo of a boy and a girl. The boy sat in a wheelchair. The girl, in sports attire, held a track relay trophy, her face beaming with a smile full of joy from that moment. Unlike the boy, who looked weak and utterly displeased.

The next level down is a collection of several academic achievement certificates.

“Boy Anuphap, named like…”

‘Phii Singha’

   Singha immediately turned towards the calling voice, a voice of a girl still etched in his memory. Even though he knew it was impossible, his legs were moving towards that voice without a second thought.

‘Phii, sob’

   The calling voice and sobbing came from the house’s staircase. Following the sound, Singha lowered his gun and walked, shining his flashlight up each step until he reached the top. The sound of running made him raise his flashlight to scan around, but there was nothing but emptiness.

‘Phii, I’m scared, huh’

   Upstairs, there were four doors, only one of which was slightly ajar. Singha walked in without fear, and as his thick hand pushed the door wide open, he encountered something he never expected to see.

A musty and bloody smell assaulted him, making him wrinkle his nose. On the floor in the middle of the room, there were Khmer script carvings on the wooden floor. Blood splatters covered the floor and walls. Skulls, both animal and human, were piled up on the side. On an altar, there were offerings full of dried remains of some creatures, various clay dolls, and a bundle wrapped in red cloth with spells written on it. There was no distinction between sacred and divine here; this altar was specifically for ghost worship.

“Damn it.” Singha muttered as he shone his light to the top of the altar and saw a human skull with patches of long hair indicating the gender.

‘Because of you… I died.’

   The voice from behind made Singha press his lips together. From the moment he stepped in here, the young inspector had touched the unholy, entering the realm where the local spirit reigns supreme.

“Mesa.” What’s scattered in this room isn’t just dust but also bone ash from the red cloth bundle, floating everywhere, drifting into the sharp eyes like the intrusion of an outsider.

Singha saw a small girl, only as tall as his thigh, standing in front of the door. She was looking down at the floor, her whole body from head to toe soaked, water dripping from her hair. Her white dress made Singha’s hand tremble.

‘Phii, can you stay with me… please stay with me?’

   Her pleading voice, so pitiful, made Singha bite his lower lip hard. It was the same tone his sister used with him that day.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Mesa.”

‘Let’s stay together…let’s die together.’

   A rope dropped from the beam, falling right in front of Singha as if on purpose.

Intending for the young inspector to sacrifice himself.

“Phii Singha!” Thup jolted awake in the hospital room, drenched in sweat from the dream he had, but what made Thup hastily pull out the IV, ignoring the pain, was because he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure if it was just a dream.

The young man got off the patient bed and looked around. He tried to compose himself and picked up his phone to call the older man.

[The number you have called is currently unavailable, please-]

   Anxious, but before he could go anywhere, his shoulder was grabbed.

“Phii Singha, where are you?” Thup rushed out of the room with urgency.

“How did you get out?!”

“Where is Phii, have you seen him?”

“Phii, Phii Chan, have you seen Phii Singha?”

“That inspector? He said he had some business to attend to, but before he left, he took a map with him.”

“A map to where?!”

“To that abandoned house in the forest.” It felt like ice gripped his heart; Thup brushed off Chan’s hand and ran off without direction.

“Hey, Thup, wait, where are you going, you just woke up!”

“Phii, do you have a car?”

“What?”

“I asked if you have a car!!”

“Yes… yes, you damn kid, you’ve got me all worried now.”

“Take me, take me to Phii Singha, take me to that house.”

“Wait, wait, we can’t go now, you need to get a medical checkup first.”

“There’s no time, we need to go now, right now, Phii Singha is in danger!!”

“Alright, alright, then walk carefully to the fire escape, meet me at the parking lot, to the right, a black Mazda, don’t let any staff see you. Otherwise, they’ll carry you back here for sure.”

Thup nodded vigorously and followed the instructions by running to the fire escape. At this point, even if he saw a ghostly woman with a severed arm standing at the staircase corner or an old man at the end of the exit, he couldn’t stop.

He now understood it wasn’t a dream; what he saw of Phii Singha about to hang himself wasn’t a dream!!

The police station today looked different, the lights that should be bright were completely dark, missing the usual hustle and bustle.

King parked his car in front of the fence because it was locked. It shouldn’t be like this; the young man jumped over the side wall to get into the station area. He pulled out his shiny silver gun and held it in a standard stance. He cautiously entered, the silence and the smell of blood making King more alert. When he reached the officers’ desks, he found two policemen lying unconscious on the floor, with sharp object wounds at their legs, blood pooling around, but both were still breathing. At this late hour, there weren’t many officers on duty, and with an incident requiring a manhunt, he had called out enough men to block Uncle Khuean’s car at various points, leaving this place unguarded.

The young detective walked towards the holding cells, his flashlight sweeping the area until it landed on one cell. Inside, there was a man wearing an orange robe sitting calmly. Hadn’t Darin said the abbot escaped?

“Abbot.”

“Devotee, what’s happening here, why is it so quiet, the lights are out, devotee.”

“Show both hands above your head, let me see, now!” The abbot sighed before raising both hands as instructed.

“I heard a woman’s scream from somewhere, not to mention all the clattering, should we go check it out?”

“Stay here.” King immediately walked towards the forensic room. On his way, he saw Lieutenant Prom, unconscious and breathing heavily on the floor beside Darin, the phones here were out of order, cut off, and his mobile phone was lost when he helped Say onto the ambulance!

‘Four, four, four, now it’s Friday, Friday has come.’

   King halted abruptly upon hearing the shrill, ear-piercing laugh. He was just about to pass through the corridor leading to the forensic room, but first, he had to get past the ghost of a woman standing in the middle of the path.

Bang!!

‘Four, four, four, again, again, shoot again, ha!’

   Bang! Bang!

Two consecutive gunshots rang out, and the targets were all aimed at the ghost, the woman who was sneering with her long tongue visible to him. King wasn’t as much a believer in the supernatural as Singha.

‘Shoot again, go on, shoot!’

   Bang! Bang!

Darin jumped at the sound of gunfire from outside. She stood up, then ran to look through the small glass pane in the door but only saw an empty corridor.

“It might be King.”

“Don’t go out, it’s dangerous.” Bom grabbed Darin’s wrist, “What should we do now? We don’t know whose gun that was.”

“…I’ll go out and check for myself.”

“Wait, wait a moment. I’ll try calling him.” Darin picked up the phone and dialed the latest number, but no matter what, it seemed the other party wouldn’t answer, “Why aren’t you picking up!”

“Then, I’ll sneak out to check myself.” Bom said and immediately opened the door and left without listening to any objections.

Darin could only pace back and forth with anxiety. She looked outside repeatedly until she heard two consecutive gunshots. The room’s door was opened again with Bom panting heavily.

“Let’s, huff, let’s go, it’s really Khun King.”

“Really?”

“He, huff. He shot the abbot. We’re safe now.”

Darin felt relieved instantly. She hurried out of the room, unaware that the person once panting behind her now made no sound.

“If we can leave here, we’re safe, meaning he failed.” No one got caught then.

“The Friday guy has arrived. Just missing one day.” Darin stopped abruptly upon hearing the words from behind her, her spine chilled, and her calmed heart started pounding again.

“Wh…what do you mean?”

“It’s Khun King.” The deep voice moved closer until it was almost in her ear, “Born on a Friday, right?”

‘Ghost’

   ‘Ghost’

   ‘Ghost’

   From the corner of her eye, Darin saw a spirit slowly appearing behind Bom, its terrifying smile made her pull away and start running for her life, except…

‘Uh… uh… uh… shoot dear sister, close your eyes and shoot to hit.’

   Bang!!

The howling sound of a lullaby followed by the final gunshot, the smoke from the gun barrel slowly dissipating. The scene before me gradually became clear: the ghost tilting its head with a smile at King, revealing its teeth, one by one. When it left, what remained was a drop of blood from the last bullet.

“Darin!!!!”

 

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 32: The Help That Never Arrived

Singha was sitting beside the bed of a patient who had just come out of the emergency room minutes before. His sharp eyes watched Thup’s pale face before he sighed. After leaving that house, he came straight to the hospital, right when the young man was wheeled into the ER. He could only curse himself because he knew this would happen, yet he let it occur anyway. Singha stepped outside the hospital to smoke one of the three remaining cigarettes in his pack, nicotine filling his lungs like it was the only stress relief with no side effects. After handling various matters, he secured a recovery room for Thup and didn’t leave the patient’s bedside thereafter.

Singha quietly looked at Thup’s palms before diverting his gaze to the charming face of the sleeping man. He took out his phone and called Say, but there was no answer after a long wait.

“Why aren’t you picking up?” Singha decided to call Darin instead, thinking the two might be in contact. Not long after, the call was answered with a worried voice.

“Hello?”

“Is Say with you?”

“He said he had to check out a crime scene because they found Song’s body.”

“Where?”

“At the temple, right in his residence.”

“And where are you now, with whom?”

[Uh… I’m in the nurse’s office with the kids from before, Singha… The kid named Bom has disappeared. That kid is gone now.]

Uh… but…

“Is there a police officer guarding the front of the room?”

[Yes, there is.]

“Then stay in there, I’ll find a way to contact Say myself.”

[Uh huh.]

Before hanging up, Singha was sure he heard a knock on the door, but if he was still at the station with an officer guarding, he could feel somewhat at ease.

The situation was getting tenser by the moment. From the information he had, Song born on Sunday was dead, Dear, who was just rescued, was born on a Monday, Jump, born on Tuesday, was still locked in the nurse’s office, Darin, born on Wednesday, was also there, Lieutenant Khem who had disappeared seemed to be the Thursday victim, Bom, born on Friday, had vanished, for now. And Thup was still with him here. If the killer wasn’t looking for a new Saturday victim, there’s no way he could get to this kid if he stayed put.

The abbot who was initially a suspect was still detained in a cell. Meanwhile, Uncle-Khuean had become the main suspect because the evidence pointed clearly at him. King was chasing Uncle-Khuean, Say had disappeared, and he was stuck here without any further progress.

“Damn it!” Singha cursed as he thought about this. The young inspector stood up to his full height before walking out of the room. He walked outside, past the hospital area, pulled out a cardboard box from his pants pocket along with a lighter, but threw them on the ground because he remembered the last cigarette was used less than an hour ago.

“Would you like one of mine?” A cigarette box of the same brand but a different blend was offered to Singha. At this moment, his frustration was greater than his annoyance with the person in front of him, so he took it in his hand.

“Thanks.” Singha lit the end before inhaling the cool nicotine. White smoke drifted up into the pitch-black sky, mingling in the cool air. “Thought doctors were supposed to be health-conscious.”

Singha glanced at the person smoking next to him. His annoyance towards Thup’s companion lessened partly because Charn was in charge of the case.

“You wouldn’t want to see doctors lose their minds and do everything they tell patients not to.”

“It’s enough to drive anyone mad.”

“That kid just went into shock and lost some blood; the wound wasn’t deep. But what I want to know is what happened to that kid.”

“As you see it.”

“I think your skills that got you to this position should tell you that the wounds are unusual.” Chan said, taking a drag of her cigarette as well.

It’s not that he couldn’t see it; he noticed it from the scars on Thup’s palms at the front of the house, even then. The direction of the knife was odd; it didn’t come from someone else. The wounds were self-inflicted by that kid.

“Hmm.”

“Should I tell Uncle about this?”

“He’ll find out anyway, so you might as well tell him.”

“I heard you’re investigating a murder case from decades ago.”

“Hmm.”

“I think I have some information you’d want to know.”

Singha glanced at the person beside him.

“That house, the one in the middle of the forest.”

“Know it?”

“I’m somewhat familiar with it. As a kid, I was the curious type, I guess. I went to that house at night thinking I might see a ghost like the villagers said, but what I encountered was stranger than that.”

“What did you see?”

“I’m not sure, even now I’m not certain if what I saw was real or not.” Charn spoke with a flat tone before stubbing out her cigarette in the sand. “Someone dragged something into the house… something I’m sure looked human-like.”

“And why didn’t you say anything back then?”

“I saw a man.”

“Because when I went to look inside the house, it was gone. I only saw him playing with his son.”

“What about the others?”

“I’m not trying to mislead you, Inspector.” Charn turned to face Singha with a serious look, “But I watched there for half an hour, and I only saw the father and son. I didn’t see anyone else.” Singha returned to the room again, the tall figure stopping beside the bed, his dark eyes on Thup reflecting the bright full moon from outside. His strong hand gently stroked the soft hair, his fingers trailing down to the temple and smooth cheek, whispering close to the ear once more with a calm expression.

“It took you long enough to call, your case has been a damn headache.”

“Merk, I’ve got some information for you to look up.”

“Didn’t King already catch the culprit?”

“He did, but I’m not sure if he caught the right one.”

“Alright, tell me.” The phone was lifted.

“Before, at the Kantharalak Police Station, there was an officer named Aisuan. I need all his information, and I also want to know his son’s name, and if there’s any record of name changes.”

“Where are you?”

“Sisaket.”

“Why not just ask there?”

“It’s slow, and I have urgent things to do.”

“Hold on then.” The sound of keyboard typing came from the other end. Meanwhile, Singha gently stroked Thup’s head; waiting for Thup to wake up would take too much time for this investigation. Plus, he didn’t have much time left.

Singha left the room, got into his car, and drove towards the route given by Dr. Charn. The well-lit roads with traffic lights gradually turned into dense forest on both sides. The further he drove, the scarcer the lights became, with only the moonlight providing illumination now. And if Thup were here, he would’ve kept his eyes shut the whole way due to the road Singha was driving on, filled with wandering spirits watching the car with hungry faces.

Inside the police station’s infirmary, Darin was sitting, taking a breath…she sat on the sofa. She looked tiredly towards the doors of the two recovery rooms. The first room housed a young girl who had escaped the clutches of a murderer, just moments ago, while the other room was for a young man who had been unconscious for quite some time. Three people in one room, or in other words, three victims, were now together to survive this ordeal.

“Ugh.” Darin sighed again before leaning back on the sofa, her beautiful eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Currently, everyone was doing their own duty. She should do the same. As she was about to get up to check on the two children in the room again, the lights in the room flickered on and off before returning to normal, which was enough to make Darin’s heart race.

“Scream!!” The sudden ringing of the phone made Darin scream in shock. When she picked it up, she saw the name displayed on the screen was one of her close friends.

The conversation with Singha lasted for quite a while until they were about to hang up.

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking on the front door made Darin turn around. She placed the phone on the table and walked over to open it immediately, thinking it might be something important.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah, Dr. Rin, here’s some rice and water for you. It’s late, I thought you might be hungry.”

“Thank you, officer.” Darin said as she took the box of rice and the glass of water. Having someone looking after her like this made her feel relieved. “How is everything at the front? Earlier, I heard some commotion.”

“Oh, villagers are protesting at the station. Right now, all the officers are out there dealing with them and should sort this out soon.”

“And… What about the abbot?”

“He’s still in the cell. He seems very calm, like he’s truly innocent. Also, I heard that King’s investigation team is close to locating the temple’s caretaker. They might have to interrogate everyone again.”

“Ah, okay then. And any progress on the children who disappeared with Lieutenant Khem?”

“Nope, still haven’t found either of them.”

Darin nodded in understanding, “Thanks again.”

“If you need anything, just call me.”

Darin gave the officer a friendly smile before returning inside. But as she turned back, she was so startled that she accidentally dropped the box of rice on the floor.

“Dear! You’re awake? Why are you walking around like this? How do you feel?” Darin hurried over to support the young girl who was standing with her head bowed at her room’s door. She led Dear to sit on the sofa before quickly fetching a glass of water, “How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere? I’ll get the scanner, wait here.”

Before she could go anywhere, Darin’s wrist was grabbed, a shaky grip that made her look down at the girl who had been bowing her head all this time.

“Will…”

“What did you say?”

“Monday.”

“Dear… I’ll go call-”

“Wednesday.”

Darin recoiled. She tried to free her wrist but couldn’t; despite being smaller and just recovering from medication, where did the girl get such strength? Darin took a deep breath before shaking off Dear’s hand. She stepped back, not taking her eyes off the girl in front of her, but instead of emptiness, Darin bumped into a warm chest that shouldn’t be there.

“Ac…ka.” Dear’s voice continued. The once bright light bulbs flickered and went dark again, accompanied by a deep voice that made Darin’s legs weak.

“Tuesday.”

The lights, now completely out, started to flicker rapidly, just enough for Darin to see that in Dear’s hand was a statue of Phra Vaisravaṇa, and she was about to throw it out the window. Those lifeless eyes on that face made Darin collapse in tears; it wasn’t an expression a normal human should have, it was too vacant, like there was no soul left.

Without the deity idol to protect the station, it was as if the night of hell had broken loose at this police station. The lights throughout the station flashed briefly, giving a clear view one last time. They were so bright that Darin saw Jump standing behind her, who shouldn’t have been free from his handcuffs. Then, all light was snatched away, leaving only darkness… both in the atmosphere and in the hearts of people.

‘Ghost’

   ‘Ghost’

   ‘Heeheehee’

   ‘Ghost’

   ‘Ghost’

   ‘Heeheehee’

   The voices speaking in a language Darin didn’t understand, and the laughter made her scramble towards the front door, hoping to get out. If she could make it out, she would find the sergeant waiting there.

“Ouch!!! Ugh.” as she was about to escape, her ankle was grabbed by someone’s hand. The pain from the sharp nails digging into her flesh caused tears to stream down both her cheeks. Darin scrambled to grab her phone from the sofa, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on her leg.

“Screech!!!” Dozens of spirits were fighting to lick the blood from the wound on her leg in a horrifying manner. The clanging noises in the room came from Jump and Dear, who were hurting themselves, banging their heads against the wall until blood flowed, stabbing their hands with a knife until the flesh opened, but neither showed any sign of pain. Instead, they were smiling as if they felt nothing at all, “Namo, hic, Namo Tassa, sob, Na-mo Tassa Bhagavato Namo Namo.”

Darin prayed with mistakes while crawling her heavy, numb body towards the door. The chilling cold she could feel made her cry until her vision was blurred by tears.

‘You are chanting wrong, I’ll help chant, Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Aamma, Sambuddhasa’

   ‘Chant it’

   The mocking voice recited the chant emphasizing every syllable fearlessly. Darin bit her lip hard before trying to stand up to reach the doorknob, with spirits and ghosts still clinging to her leg like a delicious meal.

Knock, knock, knock

The rapid knocking on the door gave her the strength to pull herself up with all her might, and finally, the door opened. Darin quickly pushed herself out of the room. Once past the door, all sounds fell silent.

…too quiet

She turned around to see that all the ghosts had vanished. Both Jump and Dear were unconscious on the floor. Darin tried to move away from that room as far as possible, but the wet feeling on her palm made her stop. Her breath, which had calmed down, became rapid once again. The light from her phone slowly moved to reveal a figure lying on the floor, tracing from the feet upwards to the torso, covered in a red fluid. The smell of blood was overwhelming. When the light finally reached the softly breathing face, Darin burst into tears immediately.

“Lie… Lieutenant, hic, Lieutenant Prom.” Lieutenant Prom, his face and head drenched in blood, was breathing faintly. Fear gripped Darin’s heart until she nearly lost consciousness. Stricken by fear, Darin tried calling Say, Singha, anyone who could help, but all calls were futile, unanswered, no help forthcoming. Her chances of survival were nearly gone.

‘Hee, hee, hee, heeheehee’

   The mocking laughter from behind made Darin slowly close her eyes before angrily throwing her phone in that direction. Since she wouldn’t survive, she no longer needed to fear anything.

“What do you want!!!! What do you want, you damned ghost! You shouldn’t have been reborn!! You’re just one ghost!!” Darin yelled furiously. The ghost girl, once cheerful with a broad smile, now let her smile fade, “Angry, huh! Good!! Be angry. If I die, I’ll become a ghost, I’ll curse you!!!! Do you hear the anger in my words?!!”

“Doctor Darin!!!” A voice called from behind along with a force that supported her up, making Darin feel like she had been doused with water on her heart once more.

“Bom!”

“Get up quickly. We have to run, we must escape now!!”

“Y…You, why…”

“I went out to buy some supplies, and when I came back, the station was completely dark, with police officers lying in pools of blood out front. What on earth happened here?!!!” Bom said while helping Darin run away through the connecting path.

“The monk! Is the abbot still in the cell?”

“I didn’t see anyone there.”

“I…I need to call, need to tell someone that the killer is the abbot!” Darin muttered to himself, as her fleeting anger caused her to throw her only communication device at the ghost earlier, “A phone, I need a phone!”

“Use mine for now?” Bom offered his phone before quickly helping Darin to continue walking with a worried look, “Call Khun King right now!!”

They took shelter in the forensic department room. Bom placed Darin on the couch and then locked the front door, also hurriedly pushing a table to block it. Meanwhile, Darin was waiting for King to pick up.

[Hello]

   “King!! There’s trouble at the station, sigh, the killer got out…and there are injured officers” and…the abbot

[What? Where are you now!]

   “I…I’m at the forensic room with Bom.”

[Bom?]

   “Y…yes, come quickly, come right now.”

[I’ll hurry there.]

   “What about Say, bring Say too, there are injured officers”

[…Can’t do that]

   “What do you mean?”

[On the way back, I saw Say’s car overturned on the road. Officers are prying the car open to get him out.]

   “No… no, that can’t be true…”

[I’m on my way, stay there.] Darin was in shock, unable to do anything.

“What the hell is happening here? Where’s my friend?! Where is my friend!!”

“…We’re all going to die.”

Darin has no idea how she’s going to survive this.

   And at the same time, the thing itself was about to face something equally terrifying–

  

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 31: The Price to Pay

“Which one?” Once they were in the car, Singha immediately asked the question that was on his mind. Thup kept looking at the photo he had taken with his phone.

“Hey, Thup, which woman in this photo is the ghost you saw?”

“The one… with the stark white eyes, torn lips, the ghost full of vengeance, that’s her, but…”

“But what?”

“In this picture, she doesn’t look like when she was a ghost at all.” Thup looked up at the hospital again. The bright and cheerful face of the woman in the picture, how did it turn into that?

Singha drove following Thup’s directions until they reached a secluded house far from people. A single-story wooden house raised slightly above the ground, covered with vines and grass all around. Even though there was a faded, dilapidated white fence, it seemed like no one would want to break in. The sign at the gate had Thai letters that were starting to peel off, unreadable. The parts that could be read were not auspicious at all:

‘Ha… Ghost, Ho… l’

   The cloudy sky at four in the evening did not make the atmosphere feel any lighter. Before reaching out to open the car door, Thup looked into the house.

Both stood in front of the wooden fence; the key once there had rusted and fallen to the ground. Singha was about to walk in to open the gate but was pulled back by another hand.

“What’s with you, Thup? Let’s hurry up so we can get back soon.”

“Phii, can I ask you something? Please listen to me.”

“Go ahead, what?”

Thup looked towards the front porch with trembling eyes. His hand gripping Singha’s tightened slightly. The older man noticed when he saw an elderly man with a composed demeanor, wearing red trousers, his upper body bare, revealing various tattoo yantras clearly. He was looking at both of them with a stern face. His white mustache and hair indicated his advanced age before he would soon depart this world. He tapped a cane rhythmically on the house post, consistently. Singha, who was in a hurry, was about to step into the house again, and as his white sneaker touched the boundary of the fence, the cane’s tapping accelerated, loud and echoing throughout the area, forcing Thup to pull the older man back.

“Listen to me… I need to go in alone.”

“What? Are you mad, Thup? Are you so haunted that you’ve lost your mind?” Singha stared at the young man in front of him as if what Thup just said was completely absurd.

“He won’t let you in, so it’s only me who can go inside.”

“What the hell are you thinking? Who would let you go in there alone? If something happens, what am I supposed to say!”

“Phii, listen to me first.”

“If I’m not going in, then you’re not going in either!!” Thup, seeing that Singha was upset, quickly grabbed the older man’s shoulder to make him face him. He himself wasn’t particularly brave; in fact, he was so scared his legs were shaking.

“Phii Singha. It’s not just because he could help with your case, but I also want to know. I feel like there’s something related to me in this, so… let me go in.”

“How can you be sure you’ll come back out?” Singha asked with a serious tone. Even though he couldn’t see what the kid in front of him saw, from all that had happened, it was clear the ghost Thup encountered wasn’t just there for a scare but was out for blood.

“How could I not come back out? Otherwise, you’d be really mad at me.”

“Not funny, Thup.”

“Wait for me here, okay?” Thup smiled until his eyes nearly closed before stepping forward, passing through the gate into the house’s yard. Every step was filled with the oppressive feeling from the sharp eyes watching him, the sound of a wooden cane tapping rhythmically with his steps, sweat beads forming on his temples just like on his palms. Thup clenched his trembling hands together until he reached the stairs of the house. He turned to look at Singha, who was still standing outside the fence, watching him. Seeing the older man still there calmed his previously fearful heart.

“Ten minutes.” Singha shouted into the house, “If you’re not out, I’m coming in for sure.”

Thup nodded lightly with a smile, his little heart pounding so fast he could feel it. He took a deep breath until his lungs were full, then exhaled slowly to calm himself as much as possible. He followed the spirit of an old man dressed in red loincloth across the threshold into the house. Suddenly, a chilling cold hit him, making Thup rub his arms. Inside, the house was covered with thick dust on the remaining furniture, dark and gloomy with no light except from the doorway. Thup glanced and saw a wooden bench in the middle of the house, biting his lips together.

“Uh… hello.”

Thud!!!

Thup jolted and looked behind the slightly ajar door that was now firmly shut. He stepped back and tried to open it, but to no avail. No matter how he pushed or pulled, there was no sign it would open. A dark shadow passed behind him, making Thup slowly turn his face around. Now, he was not alone with the old shaman. Around him, sitting on wooden stools, were numerous spirits, some appearing as they did in life, others in the state of their death, both humans and animals making a cacophony of noises until Thup had to cover his ears and collapse to the ground.

‘Silence!’

   With that command, everything returned to calm. Thup slowly lifted his head, looking around fearfully. What was once an ordinary wooden stool had transformed into a ceremonial altar. Behind the shaman was a tall shelf above his head, filled not with Buddha statues or sacred items commonly seen in temples, but with offerings, enchanted dolls, and skulls whose authenticity Thup didn’t dare to ponder. The smell wafted over, making the young man press his hands tightly against his pants.

‘Why have you come here?’

   “I… I have something I need help with.” Thup never thought he’d find himself talking to ghosts and spirits like this for help.

‘Hmm, I’ve lived here for decades, and no one dared to step in here. Those who tried ended up with their heads spinning. You are quite brave.’

   The deep, hoarse voice echoed around.

‘You think bringing that young giant with you will keep you safe, huh?’

   “I… I didn’t come to mock or test. I’m just seeking answers for what I’m facing.”

‘Answers… not every question in your life needs an answer.’

   Thup bit his lip tightly; he was the one who suggested to Singha that they come here. Giving up out of fear now wasn’t an option.

“The broken-headed doll…”

‘Hmm?’

   “Someone performed a ritual… a human sacrifice ritual, with a broken-headed doll made to resemble a lion’s head according to his Mae Sue’s daily beliefs… I want to know why. What’s the purpose of this?”

As he finished speaking, the surrounding spirits shrank back behind the shaman, seeking reasons from those who chose to perform such a ritual.

The fierce eyes looked down at Thup.

‘The broken-headed doll is believed to be a substitute for taking on the ill fate of the living, whether it be misfortune, sickness, or death. It’s believed if you perform the ritual, those fates would transfer to the doll.’

   Suddenly, a clay doll rolled slowly until it bumped against Thup’s knee. Observing where it came from, he saw a pale, wet ghost child under the wooden stool, giggling at his own play.

‘As for Mae Sue, she’s believed to be either a ghost or a deity summoned to protect the child, to shield them from other spirits that might snatch the newborn’s soul. So it’s considered as a representative too.’

   “But… the murder that took seven lives doesn’t seem like protection at all, destroying others’ lives like that.”

‘That’s true. Sacrifice isn’t meant to benefit others. It’s all for personal gain. Seems like the one who did this might start again soon.’

   The old shaman spoke while stroking the head of the ghost child who had only his upper body.

“Yes.”

‘Long ago, there was a belief passed from Cambodia about a way to extend one’s life span that was effective. People tried, but all ended up dying horrifically. Do you know why?’

   “Because… the spirits didn’t accept the offerings?”

‘Because what was offered was insufficient. Welcoming a spirit, especially an ancient one, means they’re more powerful and hungrier for offerings. At first, they might trick the host into thinking their wishes are granted, but then their demands grow, and if not met, only death awaits. I’ve heard of such rituals, but there was no need for me to perform them. It’s believed that sacrificing humans to the Mae Sue spirit would be like giving her the sacrifice to extend the conjurer’s life, any ailment or misfortune would vanish, from near-death to full recovery. Do you think that’s true?’

   “Whether we live or die, we can’t escape it, right?”

‘That’s not wrong, but the person you’re looking for survived because of these rituals, didn’t they?’

   “Thank you for your help.” Thup said as he crawled backward to the door, nearly ten minutes having passed as Singha had advised. He should leave now. If he let his older brother barge in, it would surely displease the spirits here.

‘I never help anyone for free.’

   The cold voice made Thup pause. The door that should have opened remained firmly shut. The feeling of a hand gripping his ankle made Thup press his lips together briefly.

‘Everything has a price.’

   A knife fell in front of Thup, clattering to the ground. He already knew that coming here meant he wouldn’t be able to leave easily, but everything requires compensation.

‘Make a little offering. After all, you’re already marked. Saturday, right?’

   “Can I ask one more question, please?” he said, holding onto it.

‘Huh, you want to know the whole story and what’s about to happen, don’t you?’

   “If the price isn’t too high.” Thup picked up the knife by his feet before turning to face the old shaman. “I’m willing to pay.”

Outside the house, Singha was pacing back and forth like a caged rat. He cursed almost every word in the world, yet there was no sign of Thup coming out. He wondered if by now Thup had been scared to death by ghosts.

“Why hasn’t he come out yet?” Singha pulled out his phone to check the time. Less than two minutes left until the deadline, and he wouldn’t hesitate to storm into the house. His phone rang, diverting his attention from the house. “Yeah?”

[Got anything yet?] Say asked with a weary voice.

“Got it. Now we have preliminary info on the suspect, Uncle-Khuean is also on the list. The ghost Thup encountered is named Chaba, wife of one of the suspects, same name Aisuan.”

[Aisuen? Why does that name sound so familiar?]

   “Get Lieutenant Khem to check that out, and how’s it going over there?”

[Chaotic.]

   “The villagers are in uproar because they arrested the abbot, right?”

[Yeah. King made a big scene arresting the abbot right in front of the whole village still gathered at the temple.]

   “And where is he now?”

[Back at the temple, after finishing the interrogation of the abbot, we found out that before this, Uncle Khuean had been in jail. When he got out, he had to stay at the temple because his wife didn’t want him, his children didn’t want him, he had no family. Combined with the information you gave before, they went back to check on Uncle Khuean at the temple again.]

   “And what about the abbot?”

[In the holding cell. By the way, Singha, we can’t contact Lieutenant Khem at all.]

   “Have you asked Lieutenant Prom?”

[Singha, no one has seen the lieutenant since yesterday afternoon. Asked at his house, they said he didn’t return,I thought he was stuck at the station.]

   “Send people to find Lieutenant Khem, I should be able to return tomorrow, because things are getting really chaotic.”

[Okay, okay, that’s it for now. I’ll go check on the kid named Dear.]

   “Wait. Do you remember what day the lieutenant was born?”

[Huh? Can’t remember, I’ll ask Lieutenant Prom.]

   Singha waits on the line while looking into the house again; the door opens, and Thup walks out, which eases him, but as Thup gets closer, his relaxed brows furrow again, tight. Thup’s face is pale, both palms covered in bright red blood, dripping all the way down as he walks, a stark contrast from when Thup entered.

[Hey Singha, are you listening? Lieutenant Khem was born on a Thursday, Singha, Singha, it’s been seven days now!!]

   “Watch the target, I’ll rush back. That’s all for now.” Singha hangs up before throwing the phone into the car, just as the young man reaches him, his face pale as if bloodless, slowly forcing a smile.

“Sorry to come out late…” Before he can finish, Thup’s consciousness fades. He collapses into Singha’s waiting arms, his sharp face resting on the broad shoulder.

“Thup! Hey, Thup!” Singha helped the young man into the car before driving straight to the hospital. During the ride, he took Thup’s hand and noticed long cuts on both palms, with blood slowly oozing out, indicating the cuts were quite deep. He had no idea what had happened inside there. Nor did he know what Thup had just encountered.

At the police station, there was chaos due to both a protest in front demanding the release of the abbot and the disappearance of Lieutenant Khem, causing people to run around frantically. Say rushed into the medical room and sighed in relief when he saw Darin still sitting beside Dear’s bed.

“What’s going on?” she asked, noticing her friend was out of breath. “Lieutenant Khem has disappeared.”

“Huh?! Maybe he’s just taking a break with his family?”

“No one has seen him since after noon yesterday. Importantly, Lieutenant Khem was born on a Thursday.”

“It’s complete… seven days are up, right?” Darin said with a trembling voice. “Now it’s just a matter of when I’ll disappear, right, Say?” from his bed.

“Stay here, lock the room, and don’t let anyone in, get it?” Say said before he walked to open the door of another room to check on Jump, who was still sound asleep with both arms still locked as before. If the abbot was the culprit, he couldn’t commit any crimes now as he was also detained, unless the police were holding the wrong person. “I’m going to check on the kid named Bom, who should be in the resting room. Be right back.”

Say quickly left the medical room, making sure to lock it from the inside. Now, all the targets were accounted for; the only thing left was for the culprit to act. No, the culprit had already acted.

Upon reaching the temporary quarters of Bom, Say immediately opened the door to find the room in disarray, with no sign of its occupant. A piece of paper was written on with fresh red liquid, prompting him to curse before he picked up his phone to call the person handling this case second to Singha. While waiting for the call to connect, Say looked at the paper in his hand:

‘Friday, Friday’

   [What’s up?]

   “LieutenantKhem has vanished, and so has the kid named Bom.”

[That kid was a target, wasn’t he?]

   “Uh, I’m about to check the CCTV, so I hurried back.”

[Uncle-Khuean disappeared.]

   “Huh?!”

[We found some money in the wardrobe, there’s embezzlement from the temple because Uncle-Khuean was in charge of the accounts. It’s suspected he transferred money to a kid named Nai to hire him to take a car out and destroy it at the cemetery. Nai, who wanted money to buy drugs, accepted. Moreover…]

   “What moreover!”

[Song’s body was found in the bathroom, in the same condition as the first seven. Also, all seven dolls were placed in the storage room. That guy must be here.]

   …

“Damn it!” Say swore before pushing his cheek with his tongue to ease his frustration. His red hair was roughly swept up before he prepared his equipment and walked back to the infirmary. “Darin, open the door, it’s me.”

The tightly closed door opened quickly. Darin looked at his close friend through tears, making Say hesitant to inform him about finding Song’s body among the seven victims.

“Wh… where are you going?”

“King called me to check the site again. Stay here, don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll have an officer guard you, understand?”

“And… What about the kid named Bom?”

“He’s probably around here. I’ll be back soon.” Say lightly patted his friend’s head to comfort him.

After settling things with Darin, he immediately went to the station’s IT department to review the CCTV footage. Yesterday’s footage showed only Lieutenant Khem working at his desk in the morning, going out for lunch with other officers, but not returning. Today’s footage showed Bom coming to see Dear, then collapsing in the hallway before returning to his room worried. When he entered his room, the camera suddenly went off. Everything happening here made Say utterly annoyed.

“Lieutenant Prom, Singha told me to tell you to guard the front of the infirmary. No one unknown is allowed in.”

“Understood.”

Say took care of everything before driving alone to the temple. He handled everything for everyone to the point where he forgot that it’s not just living and breathing murdering people one should worry about.

While driving, Say picked up a bottle of pills. It wasn’t labeled, but by examining the shape of the pills, he might know what type they were. With one hand steering, he used the other to open the pill bottle, and a laugh began to grow louder from the back seat. Say paused and glanced at the rearview mirror. He had forgotten…

Forgotten that once he drove out of the hospital room with the statue of the deity Vaisravaṇa, the ghost would return…

Crash!!!!

  

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 29: Digging into the Past

The infirmary door burst open in a rush, both Say and King ran inside the special room only to find Jump still asleep on the patient bed.

“I’ll check the lounge.” King said when he didn’t see the two friends of the boy on the bed with him, but before he could move, the door opened again in haste, the newcomer panting heavily with a worried look, prompting King to ask:

“Where are your friends!”

“Mr… Dear, ugh, is Dear here, sir?” Bom spoke out with an anxious demeanor before coughing violently.

“Calm down.” Say, seeing the young man in distress, quickly checked on him, “Where is Dear?”

“I… I don’t know. When I woke up, I went to call her in his room, but the door was open, and… and then she was gone. I’ve searched everywhere and couldn’t find him.”

“I’m heading to the temple.” King said and immediately rushed out to gather men to head to the temple. Meanwhile, Say stayed, gently patting Bom’s back before letting the young man rest, his heavy breathing making Say walk over to get some water for him. Just then, the phone in his pants pocket rang, and he answered it.

“Hello?”

[I’m in Sisaket now. Currently at the police station here.]

   “Hurry up, Singha.”

[Why?]

   “We’ve got a situation here.”

King was driving at nearly illegal speeds towards the temple with several of his men. This time, they might just catch the killer.

Two police cars drove into the temple area, with seven officers disembarking to begin their search as instructed. King approached a group of villagers who seemed startled by the large police presence.

“Uh, he… hello, officer, is there something wrong? You’ve come in such numbers, or are you here for the food at the temple’s kitchen?” A tall, middle-aged woman greeted them with a friendly yet fearful attitude.

“Hello. I would like to ask if anyone has seen this girl. She entered the temple around eight in the morning.” King showed a picture of Dear, one of the four children who trespassed into the murder scene, to the charity kitchen cook.

“Um. I haven’t seen her, dear. I’ve been here since five because I had to prepare, and when the kitchen opened, I didn’t see anyone, just the monks doing their morning chanting.”

“Can I see the abbot, please?”

“This morning he was out chanting at the chapel, dear. I just brought him breakfast at seven-thirty.”

King glanced at the others who were starting to take notice, trying to keep a normal expression. The shocking news from before had spread widely, making everyone think the police were still chasing the murderer, better than them knowing the killer might strike again causing chaos here.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I’m just checking the temple again. Anyway, I’ll excuse myself to talk to the abbot.” After looking inside the charity kitchen and not finding Dear, King quickly walked out to head directly to the abbot’s quarters.

The sound of something hard hitting the ground made King pause; his hand swiftly grabbed the gun at his waist, holding it in a standard defensive stance. His hurried steps turned into cautious heel-to-toe walking until the dense trees disappeared from his line of sight, replaced by the image of a man in bright robes holding a hoe, digging beside a wooden hut. Next to him was a large, tightly tied black bag, which wouldn’t have caught King’s eye much if it weren’t for the wide pool of blood slowly seeping into the ground.

“Stop!! This is the police, put down what’s in your hands and raise your hands above your head, now!!”

“Wha… what’s happening here, sir?”

“Send someone to the abbot’s quarters, urgently.” King radioed his team before turning back to the abbot, who still held the hoe above his head without any intention of putting it down. Moreover, he started approaching, prompting King to raise his hand to stop him, “Put the hoe down.”

“Sir, I don’t understand at all, have I done something wrong?”

King informed the abbot of the rights he should receive according to his duties, then proceeded to use a pocket knife to slit open a black bag in front of everyone.

A foul, bloody stench spread throughout the area as the carcasses of dozens of cats and dogs spilled out onto the floor. The bodies were so mangled that it was impossible to tell which parts belonged to which animal. Some of the newer police officers at the scene froze in their tracks.

“Search this place thoroughly.”

“Yes, sir!” Upon the command, the officers began to urgently investigate the area. Given the situation, the suspect was likely not far.

“Layman, if I have done any wrong, I have no intention of fleeing. But could you tell me what I am accused of?”

“Based on the current circumstantial evidence, you’re a suspect in a recent mass murder case, and possibly in the kidnapping or confinement of this woman who has just disappeared.”

“B…but I am a monk, I uphold the precepts, and live under the robe of a monk. I would not think to harm any life, layman.”

“W…what’s happening here!!! Reverend Father! What are you all doing!!” Uncle Khuean, who ran over breathlessly, immediately went to support the abbot. “This is the abbot. How can you treat him like this!”

“Then how do you explain that?” King pointed towards the remains of the dogs and cats spilling out from the bag.

“It… it…”

“Boss!!! We found the victim, unconscious in a storage room under the monk’s quarters, with no external wounds.”

“Secure the area, call in the forensics team and the medical examiner. As for the suspect.” King turned back to face the abbot, “Take him back for questioning at the station.”

“Yes.”

Singha had just stepped into the Kantharalak Police Station, his face tense after ending a call from Say. Although most of the information came from the Sisaket Police Station, if something happened around here, the local police would have to handle it first, so he needed to gather information from here.

“What can I help you with?” asked the plump, honey-skinned police officer in a friendly manner.

“I’m an officer here to inquire about a case.” Singha said, showing his ID to the person in front of him. Upon seeing the position, the officer immediately saluted respectfully, “No worries, take it easy. Who can I speak with here, or is the station chief in?”

“The chief isn’t in yet, shall I call and ask for you?”

“How many years has he been in charge here?”

“Fifteen years.”

“May I speak with an officer who’s worked here for more than twenty years?”

“Uh… then it would have to be Lieutenant Khet, he’s been working here a long time. He’s out for lunch but should be back soon.”

“Then I’ll wait.”

“Let me invite you to wait in the reception room for now.”

Singha and Thup walked into the inner reception room. Once alone, Thup started a conversation with the older guy.

“Phii.”

“What?”

“I know Uncle Khet, but I thought he would have retired by now.”

“I think he must know something about the case that happened. Let’s just wait and see his reaction.” Thup nodded in understanding.

Half an hour later, an elderly plainclothes officer hurried into the room. His black hair streaked with white and his face beginning to show wrinkles indicated he was nearing retirement age.

“Hello, Inspector, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s alright, you must be Lieutenant Khett, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I don’t have much time, so let’s get straight to the point. I’m here about a case from twenty years ago; I presume you were stationed here at that time.”

“Yes, but which case are you referring to that requires such a revival?”

“The case of the group murder where all the victims were killed and had their eyes and mouths sewn shut with red thread.” The startled and frightened expression of the policeman in front of him made the detective lean back and cross his arms to test the waters, “I guess you remember it, right?”

“I… I remember, but…”

“I need all the information you can provide, can you help me?”

“But that case has been closed.”

“If the case was truly closed, this wouldn’t be happening, would it?” A case file was placed on the table, with pictures and information displayed clearly, making the senior policeman’s face turn pale, “The same type of case has been recurring every five years after the incident here. The latest occurred in my area, five and ten years ago it happened in the north, the culprit hasn’t been caught. Fifteen years ago, it happened in the south, but the person arrested was a scapegoat. Now the case is being reopened, and the officers there are under investigation. What do you think happened twenty, twenty-five years ago, and what will happen to those involved back then that let the culprit escape to repeat this so many times?”

The words were flat, the tone calm, yet they exerted immense pressure, even Thup dared not move. Singha now resembled a tiger carefully stalking its prey into its clutches. Not so aggressive that the prey would panic and bolt, but not gentle enough for the prey to feel safe. His sharp eyes fixed on the policeman in front of him were enough to make anyone under that gaze feel uneasy.

“You have only one year left before retirement, correct?”

“I… I…”

“If the culprit escapes again this time, who knows where they’ll strike next, perhaps not even waiting another five years. Are you sure you want to let them remain free like this?” The sweat on the lieutenant’s hands and temples made Thup feel the tension too; if he was truly innocent, Singha’s questions should have seemed harmless, unless…

“Back then!! Back then, I was just a sergeant, you know. When the case of the director happened, the previous one, he sent the police to investigate, but because there was another bigger case at the time, he redirected the manpower to that case instead…”

“So, this case was just done haphazardly because they thought it was just a commoner’s death, right?” The tone was flat but cutting, making Lieutenant Khett bow his head looking at his own toes.

“It wasn’t just that, but the more we investigated this murder case, the more strange things happened. The officers working on the case either met with accidents or were so frightened they either withdrew or resigned.”

“How many officers resigned back then?”

“Three.”

“Can I have their names, please?”

“There were two officers from here, and one from Sisaket who came to help. The first one was Lieutenant Narong, but he passed away five years ago. The other one was Lieutenant Aisuen, who suddenly disappeared. The third one is Lieutenant Montat. He resigned due to health issues.”

“Which parts of the case did Lieutenant Montat work on?” Singha asked for more information about Uncle Khuean, only basic official details because that’s all he had.

“He was the one who went to examine the body and inspect the crime scene.”

“And he just suddenly resigned?”

“Yes.”

“And the other one named Aisuan, do you know any more about him?”

“I worked with him. He was a good senior, kind-hearted, and liked to help others, but during this case, he said he encountered something strange, became very quiet, and not long after, he withdrew.”

“I’d like to have all their additional information as well.”

If possible, I’d like photos too.

“It might take some time, because the registration here wasn’t done by computer back then, we might need to dig through a lot of documents.”

“Okay, and what about the case? Did you find any information, anything different from this data?”

“Uhmm, yes. When we found the victim’s body, it was in a scattered state in the graveyard, not hanged like this.”

“How many incidents were there in total?”

“Two.”

“Phii… I saw that ghost woman before that.” Thup whispered to the person.

“Is it possible that this case might have happened before, but it was the first time the killer acted so there were still mistakes?”

“I’m not sure myself because we’ve only encountered a body like that twice, five years apart as you, inspector, mentioned.”

“And what about the rumors among the villagers, about the policeman living in the house behind the forest with his wife and two children?”

“Well… nobody wants to talk about it because they’re afraid of attracting bad spirits.”

“Spirits?”

“If you’ve heard some stories, inspector, you’d know about the chants, the foul smell, and the wailing sounds coming from that house, right? That’s why they say that that house is involved in dark magic, so no one dares to mess with it.”

“But I heard the owner is a policeman, with a nurse for a wife, right? How could it be that no one knows who they are? No neighbors at all?”

“Nobody goes to live there anymore, it used to be an old shaman’s place.”

“A shaman’s place?” There’s only that one house because

“Yes, but after the shaman there died, the house was left on the market. Ordinary villagers wouldn’t think of living there but… but the one who bought it was Lieutenant Aisuan. He started his service here and wanted to buy a house to settle down with his wife. He saw that the house was cheap so he bought it, despite many people warning him not to live there, saying it would only bring gloom. His wife was pregnant at the time too.”

“Did he ever tell you anything?”

“At first, he said it was just an ordinary house, you know, fixed up and decorated until it was comfortable. He even invited us over for dinner, but none of us dared to go. He mentioned it was good that no one lived nearby; he could make noise without arguing with anyone.”

“I need the information on Lieutenant Aisuan as quickly as possible, and also on Lieutenant Montat, please.” Singha furrowed his brows tightly because he felt this matter was somehow connected, but where was the link? Suddenly, his phone rang, drawing his attention. Seeing the number made him even more uneasy, “Lieutenant, go handle it.”

“Yes.”

After the room was left with just the two of them, Singha immediately answered the call from King.

“What’s up?”

[We’ve got the culprit.]

   “What?!”

[The culprit is the abbot.]

“How can you be sure?”

[The kid named Dear was found locked in a storage room under the monk’s quarters. I caught him trying to hide the bodies of some dogs and cats.]

   “And how is Dear now?”

[Still unconscious, probably drugged with a sedative. Say and Darin are watching him before sending him to the hospital.]

   “The abbot?”

[Yeah, he’s been brought back. We’ll proceed with the legal process.]

   “And the second case?”

[We haven’t found them yet. Might be locked up somewhere in the temple too. We’re mobilizing officers to search.]

   “And where is the abbot now?”

[Taken to the station already.]

   “I need to check something first, then I’ll hurry back.”

[What else do you want to check?]

   “Something. That’s all.” Singha hung up before hastily packing his things, “Hey, Thup, get up.”

“Where are we going, sir?”

“To the hospital.”

“Why, sir?”

“To find out who that nurse is.”

And more importantly, to find out who this Aisuan is, why does he seem so familiar

  

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   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.”

 

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 27: Train Heading to Sisaket

Say and Darin stood watching.

Seven dolls were placed on the table in the forensic room, with Singha, Thup, “These are the dolls from the case?” Say asked, pointing at the items on the table. Darin, seeing this, quickly slapped his hand.

“Mhm.”

“So, what are you going to do next? You’ve found all the dolls now.”

“The dolls are just one part to prove the killer’s victim selection method.”

“So, the killer chose victims based on their birth dates, right?”

“Yeah. From what we can see, the events from five years ago, yes, ten years ago, yes, and fifteen years ago, also yes.” Singha massaged his temples out of habit.

“The information I have now only narrows down the search. We might need to wait for the rest of the data.”

“So now all we can do is wait, huh? I’m scared, Singha.” Darin said before sighing.

“Wait, but not just sit around. I’ll go investigate the first case. Might find some new leads.”

“Where?”

“Sisaket, probably takes about three days.”

“You sure, man?”

“Uh-huh.” Singha looked up at Thup before lowering his gaze to the seven dolls on the table. “I want to check something out too.”

“Sigh, why couldn’t it just be a normal person?” Then he asked to keep an eye on the situation of the kid named

“Say, and I need you to watch Rin too, and Jump at the station. I’ll be quick.”

“Yeah, yeah, go. Jump’s condition is stable, but he can’t be released yet. What about the other two?”

“I’ve approved for them to stay in the spare rooms. Handle it.”

“Alright, alright.”

After delegating tasks to his subordinates and wrapping up other cases, Singha brought Thup back home to pack for the trip.

“Phii Singha.”

“Yeah?”

“Are we really going?”

“Do you think I was joking?”

“If… if this is bigger than we thought, what then?”

“What do you mean by ‘big’? Is it bigger than more people dying?” Thup pressed his lips together before zipping up his bag. “We need to find someone who can help with this damn occult stuff, and investigate that police house further.”

“Further? So you already have some info, Phii?”

“Uh.” Singha closed his bag before tossing it onto the sofa, then handed the documents on the table to Thup.

“Mantatch. Who’s that?”

“Uncle Khuean.”

“Sisaket Police Station, huh?!”

“Yeah, Uncle Khuean used to be a cop at Sisaket station. He resigned twenty years ago. Ring any bells?”

“That’s…” Thup frowned, this information matched what he got from Uncle Chai.

“This is also why we need to investigate.” Singha picked up both his and Thup’s bags and walked out of the house, leaving the young man with papers in hand and doubts, “We need to stop somewhere first.”

“Where to?”

“A meditation center.”

A jet-black car drove through the wooden gates of a meditation center, parked under a tree, and they got out to breathe in the fresh air. There wasn’t a large building or many amenities here, just the shade of trees and tranquility.

“Here?”

“Uh.” Thup quietly followed the older man, not far behind, as the sky was turning orange. It wasn’t the best time to be in such a place for him.

After walking for a while, they came across a row of small single-story wooden houses. Thup looked around; there were meditation bases, walking meditation lanes. It seemed to have been here for a long time. He followed the older man until they stopped in front of one house. Thup watched as Singha knocked gently on the door, which soon opened.

“How did you get here?” an elderly woman greeted with a gentle smile, her head shaved and dressed in clean white, indicating she had renounced worldly desires.

“Visiting, how are you, mom?” Thup blinked at the older man. “Shall we walk and talk then?” Singha’s mother smiled at her son before turning to smile at Thup standing behind.

The breeze blew softly, making the leaves flutter. Thup watched a mother and son chatting leisurely, their calm and serene demeanor making him feel at ease too.

“How have you been lately? Are you eating on time?”

“More or less, but I’ve been busy with a case recently, so I haven’t been able to visit. How about you, mom?”

“I’m just going with the flow.” she smiled before turning to her son, “Singha, is there something bothering you?”

“It’s just the anniversary coming up. I might not be able to make it this time.” Singha’s tone and darkened gaze made Thup pause. He didn’t think it was his place to delve into such personal matters.

“Whether you come or not, if your intentions are good, I’ll know. Don’t worry.” she gazed at the sky turning purple as night approached, “Singha… take care of yourself during this time.”

“Yes?”

“Your heart is yours, your body is yours, so believe in yourself, in your thoughts, and in your actions.” Singha looked at his mother with a puzzled look, “That young man who came with you…

“Thup?” Turning back, Singha found the boy who had been trailing them had disappeared. His brows furrowed immediately; trouble seemed to follow whenever they parted, “Where did he go?”

“He’ll be fine here.” Singha’s mother smiled faintly before sitting under a large tree, “You don’t see, but he does. You don’t hear, but he does. So, try listening to him.”

“I am listening… really listening, unlike him.”

“Mesa doesn’t blame you, and neither do I. The one you should forgive the most is yourself. It’s over, Singha, those things are over.”

Thup sat hugging his knees in front of the young inspector’s mother’s house. Strangely, he didn’t feel scared or nervous being alone in the dark. There was just a gentle breeze soothing his mind.

“Sitting here, aren’t the mosquitoes biting you?” A hoarse voice from behind startled Thup, “Ha ha, I’ve scared the boy.”

“Ex…excuse me.” Thup turned to wai an elderly monk, his face adorned with a kind smile, clad in a robe the color of ripe jackfruit made Thup kneel down, bowing just like he used to with his granduncle.

“Sigh, I’m too old for this, teasing kids isn’t fun anymore. But what are you doing here all alone, layman?”

“I’m waiting for someone.”

“Hmm, while you’re waiting for someone, someone else is waiting for you.”

“Really? What… what do you mean?”

“Sigh, life, oh life. Alright, I’ll bless you then.”

“Iti Sukato Arahang Puttho Nama Putthaya PathaviKongka Phra Phummate Wa Khamamihang.”

Thup touched between his eyebrows, bowing to receive the blessing. As the chanting ceased, the monk’s hand pressed on his head, a cool, comforting warmth spread through him, and his eyes slowly closed, the feeling gradually fading.

“What are you doing, Thup?”

“I was… paying respects to the monk.” Now, there was just empty ground before him. “Which monk?”

“Well…”

“If he came to bless you, it’s a good thing.” Singha’s mother remarked. “Aren’t you supposed to catch the train, Singha?”

“Yes, I’ll go now. I’ll visit when I’m back, mom.” She gazed at her son for a long moment before resting her hand on his soft hair.

“Go safely, return unharmed.”

Singha and Thup walked to the vehicle, preparing to board the train scheduled to depart in an hour and a half. As the vehicle moved towards the wooden gate, Thup caught sight of an image on a stone slab.

“Phii Singha, hold on a moment.” He squinted, biting his lips. The monk he encountered earlier was the one who restored this temple here, and importantly…

That monk had been deceased for nearly twenty years.

“Is there something wrong?” Singha asked, noticing the child beside him had gone silent. “I…” Thup turned to his elder brother and smiled, his face relaxing.

“I just received a blessing for a safe journey,” said Thup.

The sound of machinery resonated throughout the station, filled with people almost ready to depart from the platform. The noise of voices, the hustle of boarding, farewells, and even vendors selling goods made the atmosphere far from quiet. Singha and Thup boarded the special sleeper train heading directly from Bangkok to Sisaket. They searched for their seats and found them, but what caught Thup off guard was that their seats were five places apart.

“It’s okay, we’ll be sleeping soon.” Singha gently ruffled the young man’s soft hair. “If you need anything, just walk over.”

“Alright.” Thup reluctantly walked to his seat, just as the train’s whistle blew, signaling departure.

The station lights transitioned into the dimmer trackside lights, the slight rocking and sound of the train moving along the rails excited Thup. He didn’t know what awaited them, but returning home after a long time warmed his heart.

“Is he your brother?”

“Hmm? Oh, no.” Singha replied to the man sitting opposite him. “Would you like some water?”

“No, thank you.” Singha answered, picking up some documents as if to end the conversation with the robust young man, whose sharp features contrasted with his delicate white skin and square glasses.

“Going home or traveling?”

“Business.” The young inspector glanced up, sensing the other’s eagerness for conversation.

“Judging by your constant serious demeanor… I’d guess you’re a policeman, right?”

“Are you a policeman too?”

“No, I’m actually a doctor. Do I really look the part?” The young man across the table chuckled softly before resting his arms on the table.

“I thought you were when you started interrogating me.” came the soft yet incisive reply, making the other laugh lightly in amusement. Just as he was about to continue the conversation, a water bottle was thrust towards the young inspector.

“Phii, I can’t open it.” Singha took the bottle and opened it, and upon receiving it, Thup returned to his seat without a word. It wouldn’t be strange if it weren’t for…

“Phii, I’m going to brush my teeth, but I forgot my toothpaste. Can I borrow some?”

“Phii, shall we go wash our faces?”

“Phii, can you help me open this?”

“Phii…”

“Phii…”

“Phii…”

The young doctor’s conversation was interrupted almost every time, until the officials came to set up the beds, signaling the end of his chance to bond.

“If you need anything, just call me.” said the upper bunk owner, opening the curtain to speak to Singha, who was preparing to sleep on the lower bunk.

“I doubt I’ll need anything.”

“Do you reject me because you don’t like me, or for some other reason?”

“I dislike anything annoying, and if you don’t shut up and go to sleep, I’ll throw you into the supply closet to sleep.”

The young doctor gaped as he saw the fierce look from the corner of the inspector’s eye. He chose to close the curtain, giving up on wooing the policeman.

As Singha was packing up, time passed until 9 PM. He was about to put his documents in his bag to go to sleep when he felt someone standing in front of his bed’s curtain. Upon opening it, he found the kid who had been pestering him all evening.

“What now?” Singha glanced at the pillow Thup was clutching, “I heard some strange noises.”

“It’s a train, of course, it’s noisy.”

…”The top bunk is small, my legs are too long to fit.” Thup crouched down on the floor in front of Singha’s bed.

“The lower and upper bunks are the same size.”

“I’m scared of ghosts.”

“You’re using that excuse now?”

“Well, there is an old man who is walking back and forth.” Thup pointed to an empty aisle, Singha didn’t see anything but in Thup’s view, there was an old man with a cane walking through the door, only to reappear a few minutes later to walk back and forth as usual.

“If you can point him out that clearly, you’re not scared, Thup, you little brat.”

“…but usually, I sleep with you.” Thup said quietly, yet clearly enough for Singha to hear, making the older sigh.

“It’s small here too, and now I have to squeeze in with you? Move inside!”

Thup grinned widely, almost closing his eyes as the older man allowed him to join him.

A space comfortable for one was now tightly packed with two men lying on their backs, barely able to move.

“I’m going crazy.” Singha turned to his side facing the aisle, unable to bear the crowding.

“Phii?”

“What now? You’re so problematic, I might kick you to the floor.”

“That gentleman above… is he hitting on you?” Thup poked towards the upper bunk.

“Just asking?”

“Well… it’s nothing.”

Singha rolled his eyes before turning back towards Thup, “Yeah, he is, we just started dating.”

“What!!” Thud!!

“Ouch!” Everything happened so quickly, Thup was startled by the older man’s words. He jolted up, banging his head loudly against the upper bunk, then collapsed onto Singha’s stomach with a groan.

“Serves you right, always making a fuss.”

“It hurts.”

“Your head’s not broken. You’re not dead, so go to sleep.” Singha turned back to his original position, closing his eyes, ignoring Thup, who was left rubbing his head repeatedly and looking at the older man with a hurt expression.

Almost two hours had passed, past midnight into a new day. Singha slowly opened his eyes and turned towards the boy who was breathing steadily behind him. His thick hand caressed Thup’s head where he had bumped it earlier, finding it slightly swollen but with no serious injury.

“You’re quite the troublemaker, aren’t you?”

“Mmm.” Thup mumbled in his throat before turning to hug Singha’s waist, as he usually did.

And strangely, the young inspector felt accustomed to this action too.

  

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 26: Yaknongyao

The forensic unit, police, and forensic doctor arrived at the scene after Singha was able to make contact. In less than twenty minutes, the place was crawling with people. Say and Darin had to investigate themselves, leading to widespread complaints and groans, reducing the eerie atmosphere significantly.

“How the hell did you find this car, man? King’s team has been looking for days and still hasn’t found it.”

“A ghost told me.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, the ghost of Thup told me.” Say looked towards a young man being treated by the medical team. “Found anything?”

“Fingerprints and drug paraphernalia.” Say held up the evidence bag for Singha to see. “We can definitely identify who it belongs to.”

“Alright, keep me updated. I need to find the last remaining doll.”

“Just looking for a doll gets you this battered. If you had to find a criminal, you’d probably die on the spot.”

Singha didn’t respond; he just watched Thup thanking the nurse.

“I think I’ll visit mom.”

“Today?”

“Yeah.”

“Should I tell you that last night when Rin was sleeping, she was sleep-talking?” Singha turned his gaze to his friend who was looking at Darin.

“What did she say?” Singha then looked at Darin, who was taking photos around the site. Say didn’t answer the question; he just took out his phone and handed it to the person next to him.

‘Ji, Jerunee, Chiittang… Nibbhanang… Akachami’

   Preennnn!!

The sound of a car horn echoed loudly around the area, making everyone look around for the source, but they couldn’t find which car it came from. Say and Singha looked at each other before silencing the recording on the phone.

“She was sleep-talking two or three times around 3 AM, so if you do anything or can carry something for protection, get something for Rin too.”

“And what else happened?”

“Nothing, but when I heard it, I was near her, with the handsome figure of Thao Vaisravaṇa and Suwannak too. If that’s what you wanted to know.”

“After finding the last doll, I’ll be away for a couple of days.”

“Where are you going?”

“Sisaket.”

“What for?” Say turned to look at Singha who was digging both hands into his pockets, then looked up at the sky, his sharp face showing a rarely seen seriousness, the last time he saw him like this was probably during the disciplinary hearing.

“To find the root of the problem, I think it started there.”

“Should me and Rin come with you?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t know what I’ll encounter. It wouldn’t be good to drag you guys into danger.”

“But you can risk yourself like this?”

“Yeah.”

The two close friends chuckled softly; their job already had their lives hanging by a thread. At worst, it’s just death. When they had talked enough, Singha walked over and stopped in front of Thup who was looking at his right hand wrapped in white gauze.

“How’s the wound?”

“The nurse said it’s just a scrape, probably from when I fell.”

“Thanks.” The simple word, yet it made Thup’s eyes sparkle. The young man looked up to meet the older man’s eyes before standing up to his full height.

“Why are you thanking me, sir?”

“For pulling me back earlier.”

“Thank you too, Phii.”

“For what?”

“…for being safe.” Thup smiled widely until his eyes nearly closed. In his life, he had never managed to protect anyone because he was always too scared. This was the first time he didn’t just stand still, cry, or run away after seeing a ghost, but instead, he turned, faced it, and stepped forward to protect someone.

“I’m going to find the last doll.” Singha placed his hand on Thup’s soft hair. His deep black eyes met Thup’s brown eyes of different shades. “Want to come with me?”

“Yes, I’ll go.” Thup replied with a firm voice, without any hesitation.

It was almost noon before they could leave the first location. Singha stopped by a small roadside eatery to get something to eat; an empty stomach would be quite irritating, especially when being chased by ghosts.

“Order whatever you want.” Thup nodded vigorously and turned to order food from the staff. Once done, the young man started asking about the case, “Now that we’ve found Kun Meen’s car like this, what do we do next?”

“From the condition of Khun Meen’s house and her neighbors’ accounts, she doesn’t seem like someone who would use drugs. Otherwise, there would’ve been some evidence left at home. I guess the stuff we found might belong to the perpetrator who wanted to destroy evidence.”

“So, does that mean Khun Meen might have disappeared at the temple too?”

“It’s possible. Right now, the most suspicious place is that temple, and the most suspicious person would be the abbot.”

“Instead of being a true spiritual refuge.”

“And it’s also a good hiding place.”

“Each victim has their own troubles and worries.” Thup sighed before sipping some soup.

“Hmm.” Within Singha’s file, he had just added reports about what they found at the houses, various things. Each victim had life problems. It’s unclear what they did to become victims because it doesn’t seem like they just went into the temple and vanished. There were several days of coming and going before anything happened.

James is worried about the university entrance exam. When his older sister suggested he try praying, he might go to the only temple around there.

Jom has financial problems.

Orn has issues with pregnancy but hasn’t told her parents.

Meen probably has life problems too.

Nai likely has issues with the family of the staff here and his own parents, from what’s been told.

Thee is probably still grieving his deceased wife, but what about Kaew, a fourteen-year-old, what problems could she have when her family seems perfectly fine? There are no apparent issues.

“After finishing things here, I’ll go to Sisaket. Are you coming?”

“Are we going to investigate that policeman’s house and the murder case?”

“Yeah.”

“So, how are we getting there?”

“By train maybe, I’m too lazy to drive.”

“Then, can I ask my uncle to pick us up at the train station? He said we could stay at his place.”

“I’d feel bad. Let’s just rent a car and book a hotel.”

“But there aren’t many hotels around there, you know.”

“Let’s talk about it later. For now, hurry up and eat so we can move on to the next place.” Both of them managed to finish off the chicken rice in their hands and started their journey to the next victim’s garden home.

Singha’s car parked in front of the fence of the garden home, which spanned several square meters. The elevated wooden house inside made the atmosphere here seem eerie, sending chills down their spines.

“Should we just go in, sir?”

“Hmm, I’ve already called and asked his kids. They’ll arrive in Thailand tomorrow morning, but this matter is urgent, so we can’t wait.”

“Uh… then let’s go in, I guess.”

“If you see anything, call out. Don’t go wandering off on your own.”

“Yes.” The two entered the house without needing to pick the lock as before, because Thee’s children had told them where their father usually kept the keys.

The cool atmosphere after the rain, combined with the shade of the trees, made Thup rub his arms for warmth. After scanning the area, he didn’t see any ghosts, spirits, or wandering souls around, probably because this place hadn’t seen many deaths. It wasn’t a crossroads or a junction.

The underfloor area was nicely tiled, with a hammock and a storage cabinet for gardening tools neatly arranged. From the decorative flower pots and the thriving garden vegetables, it was clear the homeowner was quite diligent.

The creaking of the stairs with each step made Thup reach out to grab the hem of the older man’s shirt.

“What’s the head on a Friday?” Singha started a conversation to break the silence, knowing the kid behind him was trembling.

“It’s an ox head, named Yaknangyao, the Mae Sue for Fridays.”

“What else do you know?”

“I know the general legends about these guardian spirits, from tales and myths. They’re just deities protecting infants. Why someone would use this for evil, I don’t know.”

“You’re saying these spirits protect newborns, right?”

“Yes.” Thup replied while watching the older man unlock the house door.

“One Mae Sue for a specific day, how much can she take care of all the kids born on that day alone?” And if there are seven Mae Sue…

“Yes?” Singha hadn’t responded yet when the wooden door slowly opened. Inside, the room was neat with furniture and appliances well-organized. Light streamed in through an open window, probably left open by Uncle Thee before he went to the temple every day, but who would’ve thought he wouldn’t return.

“Let’s search slowly.” said Singha before he started looking around, just like Thup who walked towards the cabinet beside the television. A family photo full of happiness made Thup smile, but then he remembered the two sitting in the photo would never see their children again. His smile faded; after all, he himself had neither father nor mother.

Meow~

The sound of a cat and a cold touch on his leg made Thup look down.

“Here’s a cat.” The young man crouched down and stroked the black cat that was rubbing against him. “Is this Uncle Thee’s cat?”

The golden eyes sparkled as they stared at Thup before leading him to a room on the right. He got up and followed it, the black paws scratching at the door as if wanting to enter. Thup reached out, turned the doorknob, and pushed in.

“It’s the prayer room.” Thup stepped over the threshold and sat down in front of the altar. The wilted flowers in the vase indicated no one had been here for quite some time. The black cat from before comfortably lay down in front of Thup.

Meanwhile, Singha started by searching the bedroom, as it was the most private place. Often, when you find dolls, it’s in places like this. He carefully inspected the room to avoid damaging anything. A foul stench led him to stop beside the bed before he slowly pulled back the blanket.

The remains of a dried black cat stuck to the mattress made Singha sigh. It didn’t look like what Darin had secretly photographed from the temple; it had either died from starvation or old age.

“Phii?”

“What’s up?”

“I found it.”

“Where did you find it?”

“In the storage room.” he seemed to have died.

“How did you find it?” The boy’s expression at the door made Singha put the blanket back down.

“That cat led me there.” Thup stared at the bed before noticing the spirit of the black cat that was previously weaving around his legs, “The cat was very old. Usually, the old man would feed it, but when he didn’t come back, it went to lie in there… because that place smelled most like him.”

“Hmm, bring it here.” Singha took the broken doll from Thup, put it in a bag, “Let’s go back.”

“Can I bury it? Just a moment is enough.”

“Bring it down, I’ll dig a hole.”

“Thank you.” Singha walked outside but not before glancing back at Thup, who was wrapping the cat’s remains in his arms. The young man was talking to his feet as if speaking to the cat itself. Who knows what he’s been through, but from his expression, though normal, his dull eyes suggested he’s been dealing with death all his life.

Singha used a shovel under the house to dig a small hole under a tree within minutes. Once done, Thup, who was waiting, gently placed the white cloth bundle into the hole. The young man raised his hands in prayer before smiling at the air.

“Next life, be born as a human, there’s lots of fun stuff to do. If you think that it might be a bit tough, then you can go find the old man, there is no need for you to stay here now.” Thup reached out to stroke the adorable cat spirit before it meowed gratefully, licking his hand, then its spirit faded away, “It’s done.”

“Then let’s go back.” Singha watched the young man quietly walk back to the car.

On the way back to the station, Thup seemed more subdued than usual. This time, he was the one to initiate the conversation.

“Do you encounter this often?”

“What?”

“Things like this…”

“…happens often, you know. The first time was probably when I was around six years old. I had a puppy I used to play with regularly at the temple, but one day, it just wasn’t warm anymore. I kept playing with it like that until the old monk told me it was just its spirit because it had been poisoned a month before. It wouldn’t go on to the rebirth cycle because of me. I wouldn’t let it go. After that, I encountered this kind of thing often.” Thup spoke while looking at his own palms; it was something he had experienced many times, but he never quite got used to it. “I guess I’m not that scared of animals.”

“If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to force a smile. I won’t say anything.” Singha gently ruffled his soft hair.

“I’m really scared, you know. Scared that one day, the spirit I see will be someone I know. I’m more terrified of that than all the ghosts I’ve seen so far.”

“At least you get to say goodbye.”

“Saying goodbye isn’t that easy.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Saying goodbye is really not easy.

  

GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH CHAPTERS HOME

  

   GODDESSBLESSYOUFROMDEATH, Case File 25: Every Suffering

Singha woke up feeling constricted around his torso, not for any other reason but because the kid sharing his bed was hugging his waist tightly. Moreover, the kid’s face was buried in his chest, so he could feel the warm breath indicating both were asleep last night.

“Oi, Thup.” Singha turned to check the clock and saw it was only five in the morning, still dark outside.

“Mmm…” A soft groan came from the kid’s throat, but he didn’t wake up, making Singha sigh. He gently removed the young man’s arm from his waist before getting up to stretch out the stiffness.

“You wake up, and I’ll deal with you for sure.” Singha flicked the sleeping figure on the forehead. The person just frowned slightly before snuggling deeper into the blanket.

The homeowner walked downstairs, looking around his house, which was cleaner than ever before. Upon opening the fridge to grab some water, he noticed ingredients and food neatly organized, unlike before when it only contained beer and frozen meals. Singha took out a chilled beer and sat on the sofa, his sharp eyes glancing at some papers stacked on the table.

The two sheets in his hand were portraits of two women. The first was an older woman with messy hair, white eyes devoid of pupils, her lips torn wide to her ears revealing molar teeth and a long tongue, her face contorted in anger. The other sheet showed a young girl, probably not over ten years old. Both her eyes were missing, leaving only hollow sockets, her face hinted at sorrow, her lips also torn to her ears but not in a smile like the first. Whether it was Thup projecting his emotions into the drawings or these were visions he actually saw was unclear. Another sheet on the table, with just pencil outlines, depicted half a woman’s face; her eyelids seemed stitched with thread-like lines. The lower half was just unfinished pencil strokes.

“Is this the ghost that Thup saw?” Singha muttered softly before taking photos of the three and sending them to Lieutenant Khem for further investigation. At least this should help figure out what happened to these two.

Time passed until six in the morning when the light started to filter through the curtains, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs made Singha turn around.

“Why are you up so early?” Thup approached his older brother on the sofa, still groggy. “Because some kid I don’t know was crowding me in sleep.”

“Hmm? Me?”

“Not you, then who? A ghost?” Singha looked at the disheveled young man sitting on the floor in front of him, his youthful face still not fully awake, making him want to tease, “You hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe.”

“Wh… what? I hugged you?!” Thup exclaimed in surprise, his face starting to blush, prompting Singha to continue teasing by hugging Thup’s leg, unable to help himself.

“Yeah, you even snuggled into my chest.”

“S… sorry, please don’t be mad. I’ll move to sleep downstairs. On the floor, if that’s okay.” Singha watched as the young man hugged his leg and rested his chin on his knee, noting how increasingly bold he was becoming each day!

“Will you ever get a wife, acting so clingy?”

“I… don’t know.” Thup looked up before having to turn away from the older man, too shy to meet his eyes. “Let’s not talk about this. What do you want for breakfast?”

“Stir-fried pork with basil.”

“Seems like we have some pork mince, but let me check if there’s any basil.” Thup stood up and walked into the kitchen, beginning to prepare breakfast as if he’d been living there for a long time.

Singha watched his broad back for a while. He had lived alone for so long, working every day, eating takeout, sleeping, and then going back to work. Having someone to talk to both before bed and upon waking wasn’t so bad. After breakfast, a shower, and getting dressed, he left the house to go to the station to handle various matters before heading out to find the remaining two dolls.

“Lieutenant Prom, where is Lieutenant Khem?”

“Lieutenant went to eat, Inspector, but Lieutenant left some documents for you, Inspector.” The young policeman handed a document to the station’s inspector.

‘The kid named Song has returned home, but his family reported back that he went out again last evening. I followed the CCTV from home and traffic cameras until here before the car disappeared.’

   The note was written only this much until Singha had to bend down to read all the papers in his hand again. The traffic CCTV footage has the location written on it, indicating where it was, and his instincts told him it would come back here.

“Lieutenant Prom, go get the CCTV footage from the shop in front of Santithamaram Temple.”

“Yes?”

“Urgent. If you get it, come back and check if this car entered.”

“Understood, Inspector.”

As he was about to walk inside, King walked into the station. Beforehand, both stared at each other quietly, similar to how Thup was looking back and forth between the two. King’s face had both bruises and cracks, making him want to know what happened last night between them.

“Song has gone missing after returning home. Here’s the footage from the traffic camera. The last known location isn’t far from here, so let’s check the temple.”

“Hmm.” King took the documents from Singha’s hand and walked away with a stiff demeanor as if they didn’t know each other.

Singha walked to the forensic department room and found Darin curled up on the sofa. Say had just walked in behind them. The young forensic doctor looked like he was at home, with a white towel over his head, a t-shirt, and black track pants, good thing he still wore his lab coat over them.

“You’re here?”

“Didn’t you guys go home?”

“Yeah, I’m waiting for lab results. And she’s scared of ghosts.” Say said, nudging the tip of Darin’s foot with his own without any courtesy. “Got anything? About that seven-day birthday thing of yours?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm, it’s still just speculation, gotta wait for the answer first.”

“That Rin, always fussing about being born on a Wednesday or whatever.”

“Has the lab result come out yet?”

“It’s out. From the bodies of all seven victims, from the pottery under the monk’s quarters, and from all five dolls.” Say said, locking eyes with his close friend with a serious look, “It’s all the same type of soil. The source of the soil is from all the crime scenes.”

“Cemetery soil. If used in a ritual, it’ll have even more effect.” Thup added after listening for a while.

“I think it’s getting clear, Singha.”

“I need you to watch Rin, Thup, and those three kids. Don’t let them leave the station at all.” Singha was about to turn and leave the room but was grabbed by the wrist.

“You stay here.”

“No way. I’m going with you, Phii.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Thup!!”

“What day were you born?”

“Is now the time? I’m in a hurry!!”

“Tell me what day you were born first!” Thup grabbed both shoulders of Singha, insisting loudly for the first time, making Singha pause.

“Saturday.”

“No… I can’t let you go alone. If we go, we go together.” Thup looked into Singha’s eyes with determination. If the killer was choosing victims, he might be one because the ghost lady mentioned his birthday, and he was genuinely afraid it might shift to Singha instead, “I obey you in everything, but anything that puts you in danger, I won’t have it. Let me come with you, Phii.”

“…Then follow me.” Singha turned to look at Say, and upon seeing his friend nod in understanding, he immediately walked out to the car.

On the bus, there was only silence, no music, no conversation, just like always. Even though Thup felt guilty and uncomfortable, he was relieved that this older guy allowed him to come along. The fact that Singha mentioned the names of the three ghost-hunting gang members, including Darin, clearly indicated they must have gotten some leads.

“Phii Singha.” Thup gathered his courage before calling out to the person driving, but when there was no response, he pursed his lips in frustration. “I know you’re angry because I didn’t listen, but… I have no parents, and even the monk who took care of me has passed away. I just… I just don’t want to lose you too.”

Throughout the journey, there was no response from the young inspector until they arrived at the gate of a warehouse. This place operated as a truck rental company and also had its own large-scale shipping business that required such vehicles. Inside, there were dozens of storage warehouses and trucks, as well as workers’ quarters. Singha stepped out of the car to speak with the guard at the front.

“Hello. I’m a police officer. I’d like to meet Praphat about his son’s disappearance case, and also to inspect something inside the quarters.”

“Oh, they’re not here, officer, neither him nor his wife. After learning about their son’s death, they’ve been working like mad. They said they didn’t want to stay at home because it made them sad and depressed. They left yesterday; they won’t be back until tomorrow.” The elderly man told Singha before opening the gate. “But you can go in, officer. Their house is right at the back, past where the old trucks are stored.”

“Thank you.” After confirming the directions, Singha walked in, with Thup following at a distance, not wanting to intrude.

As they walked deeper, they passed various trucks, some being loaded, others parked and ready to go. The deeper they went, the more dilapidated and old the trucks became. It wouldn’t have been so eerie if the sky hadn’t turned dark with gray shadow, making it gloomy with the threat of rain, the wind gusting like a storm was approaching. Thup quickly looked left and right when he heard intermittent honking but saw no truck that was running or ready to move.

‘Should I crash into it?’

   The faint voice made Thup look up at Singha immediately. Seeing the older man stop, he rushed over, fearing something might happen. In front of them was a small single-story workers’ quarters, just enough for sleeping. The dampness and the chilling atmosphere around the house told Thup that the cursed doll must definitely be inside this house.

Singha shook the door a few times, and it opened easily. Inside, the house had few belongings. There were only two separate rooms, making it easy to search. While the older brother went inside to check, Thup, standing at the door, felt a gentle breeze pass behind him. Turning around, he saw a young woman with red threads sewn at her eyes and mouth, wearing a tattered traditional outfit, her skin pale and starting to decay. She slowly raised her hand and pointed to the right where a wrecked car was parked.

“Found it.” Singha’s voice startled Thup back to reality. Turning back, he saw in Singha’s hand a doll with a deer’s head, severed. But when he looked back for the ghost woman, she had vanished.

“Phii… I saw…”

“What?”

“She pointed over there.” Thup pointed in the same direction the ghost woman had indicated.

“Who?”

“The ghost of the woman I saw as a kid, just now she was standing there and pointed.” Thup said, still in disbelief.

“You believe in ghosts?” Singha raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

“I don’t know, but… maybe she wanted to tell us something.” Thup replied. He had nothing but a faint intuition, something he rarely felt. Singha sighed before leading the way into the car graveyard as directed by the young man.

The smell of oil and rust filled the air. This place had both cars parked for dismantling and those already dismantled, waiting to have their scraps removed or sold. They walked down a path lined with cars on both sides as far as the eye could see. Singha frowned deeply, sensing not just the smell of old, rusty cars but also a hint of blood!

Thup grabbed Singha’s hand to stop him, stepping back in horror. What Singha couldn’t see were numerous spirits and wandering souls in various distorted forms. These cars weren’t just abandoned due to age; they were involved in severe accidents or stolen and sold from crime scenes, explaining the twisted, broken forms of the spirits attached to them.

“You asked to come in here.” Singha noted, seeing the trembling fear in Thup’s eyes, immediately understanding that his companion was seeing something supernatural.

“Let’s keep going…” Thup said, holding Singha’s hand before following behind the older man. Because if he gave up now, the promise he made last night to himself and Singha would just be empty words. He didn’t want to be just a burden to anyone anymore.

As they walked further, Singha noticed a familiar car. Upon closer inspection, he found that the color, make, and license plate all matched the target vehicle they were currently searching for.

“Khun Meen’s car.”

“Is… is that Khun Meen’s car?”

“Hmm.” The young inspector took out his phone to call someone at the station immediately.

[Yes, Inspector?]

   “Lieutenant, send the forensic team and evidence collection to Thawirat Company.”

Honk!!

The sound of a car horn made both of them turn around instantly.

[What was that, Inspector?]

   “Send someone to the Thawirat Truck Rental Company.”

Honk!!!

“Damn it.” Singha decided to hang up because talking now wouldn’t be productive. Turning around, he inspected the car’s condition and shone a light inside to check.

Thud!

The sound of something falling and rolling made Thup look down. A round object rolling towards him caught his eye, stopping almost at his feet. A chilling cold gripped his body, preventing him from moving away, because what lay at his feet wasn’t a tire or any car part, but a charred human head, its inner skin visible, with a moaning sound of agony. Its eyes, protruding from their sockets, stared at Thup through a veil of tears.

‘Help… hot… so hot…’

   Thup tightened his grip on Singha’s palm before closing his eyes. Any prayers he could remember were recited to calm his mind. Thup slowly turned towards Singha. No matter how difficult it was, when he opened his eyes, he saw that the older man was looking down through the car window, but what made Thup’s eyes widen was a large iron hook swinging towards him, Thup rushed and before it crashing onto the car roof, he managed to pull Singha into an embrace.

Bang!!!

The roof caved in down to the seats, all the glass shattered. Luckily, Singha reacted in time and used his leather coat to shield Thup.

“Hey!! Who’s that? I told you not to come here today because they’re wrecking cars!!” A shout came from the side, causing Singha to quickly stand up.

“Stop. I’m a police officer, I order you to cease damaging this important piece of evidence now.”

“Huh!!!” The sound of the engine they should have heard from the start stopped, along with a sigh of relief from both.

The young inspector reached out to pull Thup up from the ground; if the kid hadn’t pulled him back, that iron hook would’ve smashed his head. Thup looked around with a pounding heart, hearing laughter from afar, making him focus his gaze.

‘Almost got you on a Saturday, on a Saturday.’

   A ghost girl with stark white eyes was now standing far away, laughing. Her tongue flicked out, licking her lips hungrily before she vanished among the wandering spirits.

“Are you okay, Phii?” Thup turned back to look at Singha, who had just finished talking heatedly with an employee.

“Yeah, that ghost of yours deserves a good thrashing.”

“No, sir, the ghost doing this is the doll ghost.”

“Then this doll is the troublemaker.” Singha lifted the doll with a head like a deer and a human body, named Kalothuk, a mae Sue for Thursday—

 

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