WESTTHESUNFROMANOTHERSTAR, Prologue Chapter
Daotok
I looked outside where the scenery was changing with the strong wind blowing. The music in the car played softly – a familiar song because the same person always played it. I closed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion accumulated over several days; I had only slept for a few hours before this. The driver next to me glanced over briefly before speaking up.
“Did you stay up late again last night?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Even like this, you’re still going to work.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t fall asleep yet, tell me the way first.”
“Turn right at the next intersection, and you’ll see the big condo.” That was all I said before I easily dozed off in the chaotic, fully loaded pickup truck. But I barely slept for ten minutes before someone gently shook my arm. I opened my eyes with difficulty.
As soon as I opened the door and reached for the light switch next to it, I stepped inside to place my things in the middle of the room. Turning around, I noticed none of my three friends were following; they just stood there with blank expressions at the door.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
“Uh, nothing. Just feeling…strange.” Cat beamed a wry smile, looking worriedly at Ter. Everyone then entered my room and put down their things. “Sorry, Dao, but we, uh…”
“I can handle carrying my things alone, it’s okay.”
“No, no. It’s not that we won’t help carry, but, uh…” Cat furrowed his brows, looking at North who was currently pale, “North, you…”
“What, what?!”
“Why are you yelling?”
“Damn, my hands are cold, and I’m getting goosebumps. What the hell, it feels so bad, like something’s off.”
“…”
“Yeah, this room makes me feel not so good.” Ter said the same thing. I didn’t respond because I understood. I walked over to open the curtains, thinking some air might help.
“There’s nothing to it. I promise.”
“…”
“It’s just that this room has been closed for too long.”
“Uh, then let’s keep moving the stuff.” Cat said. We went downstairs to carry more things up, going back and forth between the truck and the room until everything was brought in. It seemed like everyone forgot about the initial feeling that the room was unsettling. Exhausted, we all sat or lay down, panting. “Why do you have so much stuff?” North grumbled slightly, sprawling out on the bed which even I, the room’s owner, hadn’t slept on yet.
“By the way, North.” I said, “Is that your pickup truck?”
“No, I told Phii Jo I was helping a friend move but didn’t have a vehicle. The next day, Phii Jo gave me the keys to this truck.” North explained, and Phii Jo, or Phii Johan as he’s called, is North’s boyfriend.
“Oh.” I nodded slightly, “Thanks for coming to help, it was quite a hassle, sorry for tiring you out.”
“It’s okay, honestly, this is the first time you have asked us for help.” Ter smiled broadly, “We were more than happy to do it.”
“Ask me again, ouch!”
“You’re willing, North.”
“Yeah, willing, but treating us to some hotpot would be nice. Ouch, Ter, you can hit me?” North turned to give Ter a displeased look.
“I don’t know, it’s sharp and has horns.”
“Don’t bite me, you dog face.”
“You’re the dog.”
“Don’t fight.” Cat interjected, “But Dao, this floor seems quiet, doesn’t it, or are we just imagining things?”
“Hmm. This floor only has me and the room next door, that’s all.”
“Damn, why is that? Is the rent too expensive?” North asked, frowning, even though he probably was scared out of his wits, judging by how he grabbed Ter’s arm and made that face.
“Alright, how about we go down to the coffee shop downstairs?” Ter quickly interjected, probably wanting to avoid the increasingly eerie atmosphere. Not the atmosphere between us, but the atmosphere inside the room itself.
“Okay.” Everyone agreed, and we went down to hang out at the coffee shop below the condo.
“Tell us, tell us.” North started to pester me to tell the story after we left the room. North is scared of ghosts but loves to hear and watch ghost-related stuff, but because he’s such a scaredy-cat, he didn’t ask earlier when we were still in the room.
“Hmm, my room has a history of many deaths, there are rumors it’s cursed.” I began to recount the little history I had looked up about my new room, everyone listening intently, “It probably started five years ago with a senior medical student in her fourth year who committed suicide, possibly stressed over her studies and her boyfriend; she jumped from the balcony.”
“…”
“Then two years after that, or three years ago, a working woman was killed by her boyfriend in the bathroom, caused by a drunken argument; he slit her throat right there in the bathtub.”
“…Holy shit, two bodies already.”
“North, don’t interrupt.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
“The latest was just a few months ago, a political science student was stabbed by his girlfriend while he was asleep in bed, and died without even knowing it, I guess.”
“A few months?” Ter raised his eyebrows, eyes wide in shock, “Oh, right, I remember now, there was news about it; our university was talking about it a lot.” “Oh, I remember.” North said, nodding vigorously, “Man, that’s scary, but her girlfriend is in jail, right?”
“Yeah, she got arrested.”
“So, that makes three people who died in that room.” Cat asked worriedly, “Hey, it’s not safe anymore, Dao. How could you decide to live here knowing the history?”
“Because I know.” I smiled slightly before sipping my cold cappuccino, “Everyone on the seventh floor moved out; they couldn’t stand it. They were all scared off.”
“Then the room next to yours must be pretty tough, living alone like that.” North remarked. I nodded in agreement, “Did you move in because it’s cheap? Aren’t you scared?”
“I’m not scared. At this price, it’s worth it. They want me to stay for a year to improve the condo’s reputation.”
“Oh, so like, having someone live in that room without any issues?” Ter asked. I nodded in response, “I get it, I get that you’re not scared, but…damn, I felt something off from the moment I opened the door. Are you sure you can live here,
Dao? Think again?”
“I’m sure.”
“Ugh, jeez. If it were me, I’d be dead for sure, damn.” North said, rubbing his arms as if he had goosebumps, “Since it’s already haunted, if you see anything, ask for some lottery numbers for me.”
“Sure, if they give any.”
“Wow, you’re not scared of ghosts and still kind-hearted, you’re truly a fortuneteller.” I smiled a bit at North’s comment.
“Does it relate?”
“Yeah. Can you read my fortune today?”
“Sure.” I nodded slightly before reaching into my bag to pull out a tarot deck. I always carry at least one fortune-telling tool every day because North could ask for a free reading at any time.
I’m not lying or boasting about reading fortunes; my grandma taught me. She was really good at this sort of thing.
I guided North through the process of selecting cards for today’s reading.
“Hmm…North you might experience a small twist in life soon.”
“What?”
“A small twist, something that changes you but not your whole life. Not sure if it’s good or bad, but it will have some impact.”
“…You don’t know if it’s good or bad? Can’t you just tell me if it’s good or not?”
“You never know, just be prepared, it won’t be long now.”
“I’m stressed out.” North said, rubbing his temples, “Come on, you guys try it,
Ter you should have a look.”
“Okay, let’s see.” Ter said. I proceeded to read Ter’s fortune.
“Your life will be smooth, everything’s going great, congratulations.” I smiled in happiness as the fortune reading came out perfectly well, “How about you, Cat, want to try?”
“Nah.”
“See, you always avoid it, Phoon.”
“Whatever. If it comes out ambiguous like yours, I’ll be stressed again.” Cat dismissed, “Dao, can you read your own fortune?” Cat’s question made me shake my head gently as an answer.
“Pity. If I could, I’d do it every day, damn.” North made a disappointed face, looking ready to steal Ter’s cocoa to drink, which earned him another hit from Ter. These two really like to tease each other, “Hey Phipungto.” [1] Phipungto is thai for falling meteorite or falling star, daotok literary means falling star Dao means Star Tok means to fall so Phipungto=falling star=Daotok. I am just a translator na khrap
“?”
“Can you talk to ghosts?”
“Asking again, why do we even need to talk to them?” I asked back.
“Eh. You’re supposed to have the ability.”
“Well…yeah, but why would I talk to them? I don’t see anything interesting about talking to them.”
“Yeah, right, why would anyone want to talk to ghosts?” Ter seemed to take an interest in this topic, “Why do you think ghosts can give lottery numbers when they couldn’t even win while they were alive?”
“What you said makes sense.” North started to stroke his chin, “Yeah, why indeed?”
“Sigh, forget it, thinking about it won’t do anything.” Cat said, “In a blink, it’s already four o’clock, time flies.”
“Yeah. What time do your boyfriends get off class?” I asked because all my friends’ boyfriends are friends with each other, so they all have boyfriends who are friends and study medicine like them.
“Four.”
“Then we can head back.” I smiled, “I’ll treat you to coffee as a thank you for helping move my stuff.”
“Hey, what about the hotpot?” North asked.
“Ask Ter about that.” I teased, which made Ter look puzzled.
“Dao wouldn’t lie to me, right? Dao is pretty kind-hearted.” Ter turned to ask Cat, who just shook his head slightly. It was unclear whether that meant he didn’t know or didn’t want to get involved.
“How about we go for some more hot pot next time, okay?”
“Okay.” Everyone stood up from the table together. I went to pay at the counter where Ter was waiting. While waiting for the change, I heard North shout from outside.
“Phii Arthit!”
“…”
North called out to someone passing by the coffee shop. The person turned around with a busy look, a tall figure with tanned skin, dressed in what seemed like a not-so-strict student uniform.
Phii Arthit…?
Oh.
Oh…that’s him, Phii Arthit, the friend of my friend’s boyfriends who are senior class doctors, the one who stole Cat’s snacks that day, even though Cat had bought them to court Phii Tonfah, marking his first attempt at giving someone a gift, only to have it snatched away right in front of him…
“Oh, what are you doing here?”
“Helped a friend move stuff, Phii. Do you live in this condo?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? Which room are you in?”
“701, why?” 701?
That’s the room to the left of mine.
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