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P.tll1.1P.P.INf.S

By Christian Rodzelle Baiiares

Copyright2004 PSICOM Publishing Inc.

All Rights Reserved
First Printing 2004
Printed by PSICOM Publishing Inc.
Quezon City, Philippines
 Introduction
Superstitions, as well as the belief on the supernatural, dominated our cul-
ture for centuries.
Filipinos living in both the rural and urban areas have established an array of
stories about ghosts, creatures from another world, and other paranormal occur-
rences.
Do ghosts really exist? If not, what could possibly be the basis of the prolif-
erating tales of haunted places?
Why do psychics exist? What gave them such profession?
What made us say that there are people who were gifted with sixth sense?
What do they see with their naked eyes?
Is it true that anything pertaining to the unexplained easily attracts our body
and mind, for we are also a spiritual being?
Are these stories hypothetical, fictional, or factual?
Please join us as we explore the scanest places, and compile hair-raising
stories of those who are no longer part of our world.
I would like to share with you the thrill, as we divest the shroud of mystery
that covers each ghost story in every page of this book.

Christian Rodzelle Bafiares

For comments and suggestions, txt us at 09 t 89305034.

If you want to talk about ghost experiences, join us at our
messageboard at http:!/www.psicompublishing.com/forum

ISBN 971-037207-6
 The Stories
ADVOCATUS DIABOLI ..................... 4 Ghost Students ............................. 38
Angels in the Dark .......................... 8 The Lady in Gray at the Sixth Floor 38
Different People Share their Scariest Dead Priest Showed Up ................ 39
Encounters with Ghosts ............ 12 Ghosts Distracted By Insect Spray 39
White Lady in a Pre-Need Library Blessed Because of Spirits 39
Company .................................. 12 IMMORTAL ................................... 42
Campus Ghosts ............................ 12 The Indian Mango Tree ................. 46
Haunted Highway in Bangyas ....... 13 in San Isidro ................................. 46
The Girl in the Old Cemetery .......... 14 Mother Knows Best.. ..................... 50
Lolo Nading .................................. 15 Nun in Black ................................. 54
The Woods ................................... 17 Old Man in Black Robe ................. 57
Spurned and Burned .................... 18 Old Woman in Our Dormitory ......... 62
Ghost Ball ..................................... 19 Tales from the Seminary ............... 66
The Floating Rafts on the River ..... 20 The Seminarian in the Oratory
Love Letters on the Sand .............. 21 Room ........................................ 66
Ghost Singer in Gelifios St. ........... 24 The Priest at the Dining Room ...... 69
Guidance Room in ........................ 29 The Bookworm .............................. 70
St. **** Academy ........................... 29 The Aswang Hunter in Laguna ...... 72
The Library ................................... 34 The Church .................................. 77
The Mestizo in Brown Tuxedo ........ 35 The Dog named Rafael ................. 81
Old Lady With a Dirty Dress .......... 36 The Mirror .................................... 84
A Restless Soul ............................ 36 The Policeman in Quiapo .............. 90
Electrified by Fear ......................... 37 Superstition .................................. 94
 ADVOCATUS DIABOLI
By i'v!ichae/ Vi/larica

***
Since I was young, I've been fond of watching horror movies.
I never missed viewing the "Shake, Rattle and Roll" series, "Haunted House,"
and English films like "Nightmare on Elm Street" during the 80s.
I have read the novels of Stephen King and even have a collection of horror
comics. For me, exploring mysterious places and the unexplained is part of my
passion.
It was through this inclination that I had this experience when I was studying
in one of the universities in Manila.
I've not taken up Psychology just to appreciate human behavior, nor to have
a deeper understanding of schizophrenia, endogenous depression, involutional
melancholia, manic depression, multiple personality, or paranoia.
I wanted to know about Parapsychology - the study of the paranormal that,
in my opinion, would answer the questions I have in mind.
During the first few years of being a student, I've started searching for books
about Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), commonly known as the sixth sense.
There are studies made to measure the level of ESP of a person. However,
there proved to be inconsistencies in the test results that only goes to show that
no standard test has really been developed to measure one's ESP.
I kept on wondering, "How does it feel to have the gift? Why are there some
individuals who can see the unusual?" I really would like to know.
I wanted to discover and experience how to have contact with the spirits,
because it was only through this that I could find the answers to my questions.
Out of curiosity, I invited two of my classmates, Ron and Andy, to join me.
This was just an experiment, to see how vGracious a game called Spirit of the
Glass is.
Ron and Andy are also adventurous. That is the only reason I can think of
why the three of. us stick together. We borrowed a book just to know how to play
this game. We wanted the game to be done according to the instructions on the
Book of Spirits, which I was able to find in the library.

.,
"r
 I felt like we were trying to act like spiritual gurus who are capable of produc-
ing a vortex to enable us get in touch with the dead.
First, we searched for a possible place where we could perform our experi-
ment. It had to be done in a quiet place.
Hotel? Very expensive for this activity. Besides, it lacks the element of thrill.
Motel? Not quite.
At last, we finally thought of the venue - a mausoleum!
That would make the game so horrifying, and the possibility of getting in
touch with the spirits higher since their bodies were buried in the cemetery.·
Andy's relatives have a mausoleum in one of the oldest cemeteries in Manila.
After our last subject that day, we could barely hold our excitement. Maybe,
all of us were thinking if we would still be alive after performing the game.
I, being the leader for this activity, felt nervous. Honestly, I was pretending to
be brave but deep inside, I didn't know what will be the outcome of the thing.
We ate our dinner in one of the fast food centers at the university belt, and
then tried· to pack our things.
"Are we sure with this?" Andy inquired.
"Well of course. We should be brave. We need to know if spirits are real," Ron
answered.
We arrived at the cemetery at around 7:00 p.m. Upon entering the house of
the dead, we pulled out our flashlights and placed our things on top of the tomb
of Andy's grandfather.
I lit the candle and placed it on the floor, together with the game board.
Before starting the game, I pulled out the Book Of Spirits. I scanned the
pages before placing the book on the floor.
·I looked at my two companions. I could sense that their hearts were palpitat-
ing. I felt the same.
Sign of the cross was necessary to ensure that we would be protected from
any harmful things the bad spirits may inflict upon us.
We all prayed before we started the game.
The adventure began.
I took a deep breath. Here we go ...
"Spirit. .. spirit of the glass, are you in?"
The glass never moved:We placed our index fingers together above the
inverted glass.

s
 "Are you in?" We were shaking in fear because the glass started to move
towards the letters.
The word formed was "ADSUM."
"What does it mean?" Andy asked.
"Sounds Latin," said Ron.
We were stupefied when the glass moved, forming another phrase.
"ADVOCATUS DIABOLI". We concluded. There is a spirit. But what could it be?
The glass was not yet done. Now it was moving by itself. "AD EXTREMUM."
And with the last phrase, the wind blew off the candle. The glass was broken, as
if the spirit would like to talk to us personally.
The gate of the mausoleum slammed. We all stood up, screaming. There was
something going on.
It was so baffling that we couldn't find our flashlights to think that we placed
them on the top of the tomb. We were shaking in fear, but we couldn't find our
way out.
It was very dark inside the cemetery.
 The lights were off. How could we get out?
We're trapped!
We thought that the terror had ended, but in fact, it had just begun.
A shadow of a man entered the mausoleum. All of us huddled together,
covering our faces with our hands, as we try to fit ourselves in the corner.
I was able to glance at the shadow ... the eyes were elliptical and red. I
couldn't remember exactly if he had a tail.
The most harrowing of all, the figure had horns. While we tremble, he was
laughing out loud.
I looked again. He was now moving, walking straight towards us!
"In the name of Christ, leave us ... " I whispered. He stayed for few minutes,
before the wind blew strong.
When we opened our eyes, the shadow was gone. The flashlights were there
on top of the game board. We got one and then run for our lives.
Finally, we were able to find our way out of the place.
We all stayed together that night in my dorm. We never thought that we
would encounter more than what we've expected.
I talked to Andy and Ron, and we all agreed never to reveal the story to the
class because no one would actually believe us.
The next day, we went to a bookstore and tried searching for a Latin dictio-
nary. What kind of spirit was the one we've encountered?
The dictionary gave the answer, which made the three of us promise to stop
our research for the supernatural - for the rest of our lives.

ADSUM - I am present here

ADVOCATUS DIABOLI - devil's advocate
AD EXTREMUM - to the end
 Angels in the Dark
By Christian Rodze!!e Baiiares

***
A car has arrived in one of the restaurants in Roxas Boulevard. It was
past 12:00 noon. The driver parked the vehicle and then entered the place where
a lady who was in her early 20s was waiting.
The guy who was wearing a green polo shirt pulled a chair, sat on it, and then
talked to the lady in the corner.
"How long have been here, Han?"
However, the lady did nqt answer. She sighed as she looked at the floor,
avoiding the face of her boyfriend.
"You've not eaten your lunch yet. You have to before we go," said Ryan, while
gently touching the hand of May.
"Please, Ryan. How would you expect me to build an appetite after knowing
your irresponsibility?" the lady remarked, finally.
The guy took a deep breath as he glanced at the menu and then called the
waiter.
He was able to convince the girl to eat after few minutes before they contin-
ued their conversation.
"May, I know you are nervous. I am, too. But don't think that this is irrespon-
sibility. We are not yet prepared. We are not established yet. I had just taken my
entrance exam in a law school. My parents would stop supporting my studies if
they'd find out. .. "
"Find out about this? Have you not considered that I may get killed in the
process? You are just thinking of yourself. If only I had known from the start, I
should never had trusted a guy like you ... " May was already crying.
Ryan pitied her girl. He knows that May was really scared. But does he have
a better option? The thoughts were coming to his mind. He was already confused.
May is already three months pregnant. They are not yet ready to enter a
married life. And how could they? He has yet to apply for a job. He put off seeking
employment because he plans on going to law school. He was to be supported by
his parents as he finishes law.
 An hour had passed. May was still holding her white hanky, already wet with
her tears.
"This will be the first and the last time we will do this. I promise, if this will
ever happen again, we will take our chances. But not now. May, I know how
painful it is for you. But consider the consequences. You're supposed to go to the
US and find yourself a good job there, right? Things would be quite different if we
would be married as early as ~ow. It would even be harder for you to get a visa.
Besides, you might also be deprived of the financial support from your parents.
We are not ready yet. Please understand," said Ryan, as he asked for their bill.
It was already 3:00 p.m. when they left the place. Ryan was driving, but it
was obvious that he was tensed.
They headed towards the South Expressway. May was motionless, as if she
had already felt the anesthesia which has yet to be administered to her by the
person who would "solve" their problem.
After three hours of travel, they reached a barrio in the province. Ryan learned
about this lady abortionist through one of his friends.
He turned the wheels of his box-type car, and entered a street with a verv
rough road.
It was past 6:00 in the evening when the weather suddenly changed. The
night became darker, as the nimbus clouds covered the sky.
"Are .we on the right place?" May asked, while looking out at the window.
"I guess. This is the right location, according to the address given to me. I
need to see the exact number of the house though," Ryan answered.
Raindrops started to fall which made it harder for the couple to find their way
in the darkness of the night.
The rain poured harder. Lightning struck and a thunder roared loud as if the
heavens loathed the injustice awaiting an innocent soul.
"I can hardly see the road. There was a house right there. Let's stop for a
while and then ask the name of the doctor on this address," says Ryan, while
holding a piece of paper with his right hand.
May never showed any emotion though.
Ryan parked the white car in front of the gate of the only house in that area.
Ryan got off the vehicle and approached the door.
After few minutes, he ran back to the car. The doctor was the resident of the
house where they are parked. Now, all he needed is to bring her girlfriend inside.
Ryan was already wet because of the heavy rain.
 "May, this is the place. Get off now, hurry!"
But there was no answer. ·
Ryan rapped on the left side of the door where May was sitting. It won't open
though.
"Hey, May, what's wrong with you? Can't you see? I am wet already. Open the
door now. The doctor is.waiting!"
Finally, the door opened. Ryan was stupefied by what he saw. The driver seat
was filled with blood. May was lifeless. Blood was flowing from her torso.
"May'"
Ryan didn't know what to do. He was already crying out of fright and terror.
Who could be the assailant?
He tried to run inside the house and ask for help. However, he saw that small
shadows were blocking his way. The shadows were laughing as he tried to seek
for help.
He went inside the car and then sat on the driver seat. His hands were
shaking as he started the car.
But before he was able to step on the gas, he felt hands coming from the
back seat. The hands were on his neck and he knew that those belonged to the
killer.
A struggle happened. Ryan was able to glance at the rear view mirror and
then lost his strength upon seeing the reflections!
A group of small, dark shadows were sitting at the back seat and the hands
that were trying to kill him belonged to a kid. However small the kid was, his
strength was that of a big man.
Ryan was gasping and was slowly losing consciousness.
He looked at May at his side but it was even more horrifying to see that it was
the lady doctor instead of her girlfriend. The small creatures called tiyanaks were
biting the abortionist who was. now beside him. Blood was rushing from her neck.
He was able to free himself as he went out of the car.
Ryan couldn't believe his eyes. There was a tiyanak beside the car. The small
creature was crying. Instead of tears, blood was flowing from his eyes.
The creature spoke" Da ... dad ... why do you have to kill me? Don't you think
it's not fair? l would like to see the world outside. I wanted to see life ... with you
and mom ... I deserve a birthday, too, dad ... please let me live ... "
Ryan was still rooted on the ground as the rain continued to fall. He didn't
fully understand the mystery that was happening. He shouted when he realized

1'0
that May was lifeless.
"May! May!"
All of sudden, he heard the horn of his car.
Ryan opened his eyes as he saw May who was trying to wake him up from a
nightmare.
"May ... where are we?"
"Hon, you are screaming. You said you would park the car here so you could
have a short rest. You had a nap. I never bothered to wake you up because we've
been traveling for the past three hours already and I know that you're tired."
May was surprised when.Ryan embraced her. She never felt that warm em-
brace since they started to have a conflict about her boyfriend's decision.
"May, I am sorry. I am glad you are alive."
"What are you saying? Of course I am alive, but we won't know after the ... "
Before she was able to finish, Ryan already put the car in reverse. May
thought that the guy was heading to a shortcut, but everything became clear
when the latter told her ...
"Hon, I am sorry for being weak. Forgive me for being too selfish. I admit, I
was afraid to face the real life, but not at the expense of our child."
May was delighted to hear this as she gave him a warm embrace.
Tomorrow, their parents would be angry about the thing that they will dis-
close to them.
That didn't matter to Ryan anymore. Call it a nightmare or a premonition.
Whatever.
One thing he was certain of now- he felt he was man enough for making the
right decision.

11'
 Different People Share their
Scariest Encounters with Ghosts
Compiled by Christian Rochelle Banares

***
White Lady in a Pre-Need Company
Manong Rick, Mandaluyong

I am one of the guards at the main door of a pre-need company located

near the MRT- Boni Station.
I had some horrifying experiences especially when I was new to the job.
There were noises coming from the lower ground level, especially when the clock
s1rikes 1:00 a.m.
Even the other guards cannot explain why. The noise would cease once a
guard goes down to check it and resumes right after the guard returns to his post.
One night, I went down to the lower ground level since the comfort room is
located there. When I was about to enter the CR, a lady clad in an all-white dress
pas~ed through the unopened door.
I guess my heart stopped beating for a second because of fear. I don't know
what was her business in the men's room. Whatever it was, I never dared ask.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Campus Ghosts
Noli, Manila

I am one of the security guards assigned to rove within the UST com-
pound in Dapitan.
When I was hired by our agency, my first shift was from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00
in the morning.

T2
 I started to rove from the Graduate School to the St. Raymund's Building.
When I passed by the library, I glanced at the glass window.
I screamed in fear because of the 10 to 12 feet-tall reflections' I turned
around just to find out that those are only statues. Funny, I said.
Later, when I moved to the pavilion, I felt goose bumps on my skin. I didn't
know why. I could sense that someone was watching me. I tried to step away
slowly.
Another set of footsteps came from my back. I turned around but no one was
actually there.
Until now, my hair stands on its ends each time I rove at night I just try to
whistle a happy tune to eliminate such fear.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Haunted Highway in Bangyas

Jun. Laguna

Many stories have been told about the highway in our place. T.1ere are a
lot of accidents on this area.
Most of the mishaps are really peculiar. I mean, they have the same pattern.
Most of the vehicles hit a post, as if the driver was trying to avoid someone or
something prior to the accident
I attended a party that night, as my friend celebrated his birthday. After that,
I drove all the way to my hometown in Laguna since I would be attending the
wedding of my cousin the next day.
It was already 1:00 a.m. I have never tried driving on the dreaded highway at
this late hour, and worse, I didn't have anyone with me in the car.
I started to sweat when I reached the road. There were only few cars passing.
I was really anticipating that I might also experience a spooky incident so I already
positioned the rearview mirror in such a way that I wouldn't directly see any
images reflected on it.
I recalled that once, my friend drove along the highway all by himself on a
midnight. When he glanced at the rearview mirror, he screamed when he saw that
there was a lady who was sitting at the back seat.
The lady had a wound on her forehead and was bleeding. The lady wore a
white dress. My friend was shouting and asked the lady to leave the car. However,
the lady stayed there for a few minutes.
My friend never even realized that he was already a few kilometers past his
house.
He forgot to stop in front of his house because of fear. He drove until he
reached tlie next town.
I thought that I was wise enough to position the rear mirror to avoid seeing
any reflected unpleasant passenger on it. Suddenly, I saw an image sitting just
beside me.
A boy! He was wounded and he was staring at me. I didn't know what to say,
and I was just waiting for my car to bump into something and render me uncon-
scious just to free myself from such a traumatic scene.
I blew my horn repeatedly until the child disappeared. That was really an
unforgettable experience.
If you were reading the newspapers everyday, you would read that there are
many accidents that occur on this highway.
This was also the place where a sexy actress almost lost her life when she
lost control of the four-wheel drive car she was driving.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Girl in ihe Old Cemetery

Pat1:ick ol Balanga, Bataan.

It was the first day of November 1981. The old cemetery in Bataan was
crowded. My mother asked me to carry the flowers we've bought from the town,
as we tried to pass though the narrow path.
After getting ourselves squeezed by the people from all directions, I already
saw one of my aunts sitting together with my cousins.
At last, we reached our destination-the tomb of my Lola Feliza.
The priest arrived after a few minutes and a mass was held. The sun was
high and you could see that most of the people were perspiring as they listen to
the sacred ceremony.
After the mass, the priest roamed and blessed the cemetery.
1, together with my cousins, played in front of our grandma's tomb. We were
* tiAVNTtO PH_1UPP1NfS
trying to gather the melted candles, make a ball out of it, and sell it to the vendors
outside.
We moved from one tomb to another, from the old cemetery to the memorial
park.
My mother and my aunt were the only ones guarding the tomb of Lola Feliza
that noon since some of our relatives were having their merienda at Lola's house
which was only a few blocks away from the memorial park.
While we were playing, we bumped into another kid. A girl. She was more or
less of the same age as me. My cousins and I apologized to her. "Okay lang, di
naman ninyo sadya eh ... aka nga pala si Uza." [That's okay. It's not intentional
anyway. By the way, my name is Liza]
The next thing we knew, she was already playing with us. According to her,
her mom was guarding the tomb of her sister who died two years ago.
She even told us th8.t it was easy to find their place. Once we go straight to
Teodoro St, we can see a vendor selling soft drinks near the cemetery gate.
She [nvited us to go visit the place since we could gather candles, too, from
the tomb behind her sister's.
Suddenly, she told us, "!wan ko muna kayo sandali. .. nauhaw na ako eh.
Hingi lang ako kay Mama ng pambili ng softdrinks." [I'll leave you guys for a
moment. I am thirsty. I'll just ask for a penny from my mother and buy myself a
drink] She never went back. "Nasan na si Liza?" [Where's Uza] I asked. We
continued playing. When I felt thirsty, I went past the cemetery gate to buy myself
a drink. I tried searching for Liza since I was already at the area where her sister
was buried.
I guess I won't ever forget that day.
Beside the vendor, there was a small tomb ... with Liza's picture on it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LoloNading
Erick. Tarlac

After my parents got married, they stayed at my mother's ancestral

home in Bobon, Tarlac. It was also in this is house where I was born. Lola
Nading had been a grandpa and a playmate to me.

TS
 After two years, we moved to our new house in Tarlac City, Tarlac. Every
weekend, we would visit grandpa. He had a bunch of funny stories to tell, espe-
cially his experiences during the Japanese occupation
I was in second year high school. It was around 2 a.m., December 13, 1991.
Friday the 13'n. I heard that we had a visitor.
It was Uncle Edward. We were told that Grandpa passed away.
My mom was in tears and my Dad was trying to console her. "We'll go there
now with your Uncle. How about you?" Dad asked.
"I will just go there later. I have a long test in Biology," I answered.
There was nobody home but me. When I was about to go inside the house, I
found out that the door was locked. It had two types of locks. A doorknob and a
dead bolt. "Maybe I was too 9leepy that I locked the door unconsciously before
going out" I thought. I could reach the knob since the window beside the door
was partly open. I was able to extend my right arm.
Got it. The knob turned.
To my surprise, the door was bolted from inside. That was not possible be-
cause Mom, Dad, and Uncle went out through this door. I was with them. Nobody
could lock it unless the person is inside the house.
The message was clear. Grandpa wanted me to go to his wake.
I felt someone passed in front of me. My legs were paralyzed because of fear.
I could feel goose b~mps all over my body.
I proceeded to his wake. Only few of our relatives were there, since it was
only 5:00 a.m. My parents were surprised when they saw me at the wake. "I
thought you will take your long test first?" my mother asked. "I changed my mind,"
I answered.
Granppa was lying in his coffin. No cover yet.
I was really afraid that morning because of the incident I encountered. I
closed my eyes as I touched his hand. Cold. Lifeless. "Lolo, I am sorry ... you know
I wanted to come. Isn't it that you're the one who told me to attend first to my
class especially if there's an exam?" I whispered. A tear rolled down my face. Fear
was replaced by love and respect because I know that, even for the last time, he
understood.
When I opened my eyes, he was there at the corner, beside his portrait. He
was dressed in white. He was smiling. I closed my eyes again. That was the last
time I saw his apparition.
 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Woods
Estellita, Naga

I was in my early 20s and was still residing with my husband and in-laws
in Punong Magarao, one of the remote barrios in Naga, at that time.
I was already three months pregnant with my first child. Our nipa was just
few meters from the forest.
We h_ad no gas stove during those times so we had to gather pieces of woods
for cooking. My husband went to town to buy something that day.
I decided to take a walk. It was a fair weather. Besides, I was even told by my
a
mother that taking few walks day is a good exercise for expecting ladies like I
was.
I went all by myself to the forest, carrying a sack to put firewood in. I saw a
tree with dried twigs and branches all around it.
I enjoyed myself collecting twigs and even got some dried leaves.
I was surprised when my brother-in-law appeared and said, "Julieta, what are
you doing there? Who told you to gather woods in this place? Were you not
informed that there are dwarfs here? Let's go home quickly," he said. "Dwarfs?" I
laughed.
I was sleeping that noon and was alone in the hut. Suddenly, the door
opened.
In my dream, I saw three small men. They wore hats and shoes that were
pointed. One of them carried a book. The other one said, "Your Highness, we found
her. She's the one who destroyed our kingdom. She has to be punished now!" The
third one said, "Then do what is due to her!"
With that, the other one slammed the book on my face. It was so strong that
I was awakened and screamed, because I really felt the pain.
I thought it was just a dream but actually, it was not. I had a scar which
means that everything really happened.
According to the elders, the dwarfs were able to trace me because they
followed my footsteps. My blood was "warm", as they described it, which deterred
the dwarfs from claiming the soul of the child in my belly.
\ thought that everything was finished. One day, my sister~in-law passed

1'7
through the woods. She was also six months pregnant with her second child. She
hemorrhaged that night.
Miscarriage. Old folks said that the dwarfs retaliated. I never went to the
woods since then.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Spurned and Burned

Bernadette Anne, Cagayan Valley

I have a relative named Patricia who was only 19 years old when she
became a teacher. She was assigned to a school located in a remote place in
Quezon Province. Because of her charming looks and pleasant personality, she
had a lot of suitors.
He met Jun, one of the teachers in a nearby school. At first, she never really
gave a meaning to the extra sweetness showed by this guy until the day when he
finally told Patricia about his feelings for her.
Jun was good-looking. Actually, some of the teachers in that school got a
crush on him. This was never been a secret to Jun who was full of confidence that
he would win Patricia's heart. Nothing is really impossible with love, he said.
However, Jun was disappointed when he learned that Patricia already had a
boyfriend who was working in Manila that time.
She did not fail to inform Jun about it but said that she really appreciated
his efforts and kindness. Yet, she can only love him as a friend because she and
her boyfriend were planning to get married soon. .
The.news reached others. Jun was rejected. Others even laughed at him for
being too confident that Patricia would fall for him.
One day, while Patricia was teaching, she grimaced in pa:in. The pain was
coming from her belly. She fainted. She was brought to the hospital. However,
clinical tests showed that there was nothing really wrong with her.
Two days after, Patricia was teaching when she felt the pain again. This time,
a co-teacher advised her to go to a witch doctor in their place.
The witch doctor put a knife on fire until it was hot. He rubbed a candle on
the pointed metal. The melted wax fell on the water in a basin. After which, a
figure was formed.This process was popular in the Philippines as tawas.

1'3
 The witch doctor figured out that Patricia was a victim of a kulam, a practice
wherein a person could inflict harm to another by pricking a voodoo doll.
The healer tied Patricia to a chair. He then poured boiling water on Patricia.
The lady shouted, "Que Dolor! Que Dolor (How painful! How painful!)!" The voice
that was heard was not that of Patricia's. It was coming from a man. He was
speaking Spanish. Patricia didn't know how to speak the language.
At that same day, news had it that Jun shouted the same Spanish phrase
inside the faculty room at the same time that Patricia supposedly did. He had
blisters all over his body as though boiling water was poured over· him. However,
nobody was actually harming him that time.
On the other hand, Patricia was relieved. She went .out of the witch doctor's
hut unscathed, considering that boiling water was poured all over her.
Jun, a Spanish mestizo, was never seen in that place again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ghost BaD
Regie, Bicol

My grand mother told me a story about a strange thing that happened

when they were still residing in Bicol. There was no electricity yet in the barrio
that time so all the houses were lit by gasera (lamp) at night.
It was already 10:00 p.m. Lola Una was about to go to the batalan (kitchen)
to get water from their banga Oar) to quench her thirst.
She could see the backyard from the batalan. She could not explain what she
saw from the batalan that night. It was like a ball falling from the sky. She thought
that it was just a meteor shower. She even closed her eyes and made a wish
because old folks believe that falling stars usher good luck.
After drinking the water, she turned around to enter the sa/a (living room). To
her fright and astonishment, a ball that was so bright and ethereal was floating in
the air. It was bouncing as if there was no gravity at all.
Grandma was so shocked that she ran inside the bedroom to check on her
kids, thinking that something paranormal was happening.
Grandpa had just left work and it would be at least an hour before he arrives
home. She aod her kids were the only ones present in their shanty.

T9
 To her horror, the ball followed her inside the room. "Go away! Stay away from
us'" she was already in panic, as she tried searching for her rosary. She could not
find it though.
She jumped on their bed and embraced her two kids; one of the two is my
dad. The ghost ball went around their kulambo (mosquito net) for a few minutes
before it totally vanished.
The next day, she narrated the story to the old folks in the barrio and even
asked them what could that thing brought with it when it entered their house;
"Was it a.Premonition about something?" she inquired.
She was told that it meant good luck. She should have covered it with a white
cloth, because it will turn into gold ... riches according to the elders.
Such opportunity comes only once to a person who has a good heart. she has
been told.
Even if the story about the gold and riches from the ghost ball were real, Lola
Una said, "It would still be hard to confront one's fear when faced with a super-
natural sighting ... "

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Floating Rafts on the River

Steve, Mindoro

In our barrio, there are bamboo trees that have fallen in the river. There
had been rafts that float in the river since I was a kid. There were some who tried
to remove- those but the old folks told them not to.
Mystery shrouds the river. Every year, there would always be a fatality. This
year. there was a group of high school students who went out to the river pnboard
a boat. When they failed to return from their trip, their parents tried searching for
them. They were all found floating in the river after three days. All drowned and
were bloated.
Everybody believed that such cases were caused by accident. However, the
number of people getting drowned in the river escalates every year.
There are some who say that the river has been the source of irrigation for the
farmers in our place and a good harvest is attributed to the river's unending
supply of water. However, there seemed to be a consequence. The lives taken by

20
the river were seen to be the payment the river wanted for giving the farmers a
good harvest every year.
The belief that there are really creatures living under the rafts was a fright-
ening tale·. Some even said that there are spirits guarding the river.
One time, I was asked by my mother to buy something in the store. I was only
a grade three pupil then. The· store was located in the other barrio so I took a
shortcut. I had to pass through the river just to get to the other barrio. While I was
on my way, I saw Aling Mely who was carrying her umbrella and basket while
walking at the riverbank.
She was pregnant then with her second child. It was only the two of us who
were there at the riverbank.
She even asked me to be careful. She said that my mother should not allow
me to cross the river alone. The lady was kind, as she offered to bring me to the
other barrio since she was also going to the market.
Right after we passed by on the floating rafts, the wind blew strong. It was
whistling a sound, like a small hurricane or something.
I couldn't remember exactly what had happened, but all of sudden, Aling
Mely was screaming. She was grimacing in pain. There was blood on her legs.
She was asking for my help.
The first thing I did was to help her stand, but I was young and I didn't have
enough strength to carry her. I ran as fast as I could, all the way back to our barrio.
I called the attention of the residents and narrated the condition of the lady.
They rushed to the place. Aling Mely was still there, already unconscious.
The men brought her to the hospital. The lady was safe. But she lost her child.
The harvest season was coming, and so the river had to claim the payment.
Unfortunately, it was the child of Aling Mely who was sacrificed that year. She was
at the wrong place at the wrong time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Love Letters on the Sand

Irene Joyce. Cagayan de Oro

Ted and I had been dating since we were in third year high school. First
love, as others would say, is really an intimate relationship. We both helped each

2T
other. I guess we had a perfect relationship, even at our early age, for he was my
ideal man. He was kind, gentleman, intelligent, and a man of principle.
He had been the highest officer in the CAT. He said he would like to be- a
soldier someday and would like to defend the country.
We had a quarrel though after we graduated in high school when Ted had
decided to enter the military. I pursued my college studies in Manila while my
boyfriend entered one of the military camps to fulfill his dream of becoming a
soldier.
We seldom saw each other since then but never really lost touch since we
constantly communicated through letters. I knew that that was just one of the
tests on the strength of our relationship
The time had come when we both graduated. We saw each other once again
in the province where our love for each sprouted.
He was already a soldier, and was really proud to show everybody that he
became the man that he wanted. He said that being one of the defenders of our
motherland is very fulfilling. .
Two years had gone by, and I was already working in one of the call centers
in the city. My phone rang. It was Ted on the other line. He told me that he would
meet me after office hours since he was on a vacation for few days.
When we met up, I was very happy to see him, as he gave me a small box. I
smiled, as I opened it slowly. It was a ring, and it was beautiful.
"I want to marry you ... " Ted said while giving me one of his charming smiles.
I really cried out of joy as I embraced the only man I ever loved in my life.
We announced our plan to our relatives. They were all glad to know that
finally, we will be having our own family. The wedding date was set. Ted wanted
me to be a June bride. It was only four months from when he proposed.
I was really excited, like any other woman, looking forward to the most awaited
day when I would start to call Ted my husband, and him to call me as his wife.
The call of duty was unexpected though. Ted had to stay in the Mindanao
area, as h€ was part of a battalion assigned to a very delicate mission. I was really
sad and tried begging him not to join because I know how risky his job was.
Ted won't listen though. He explained to me that he had an obligation to me
but he had a duty to fulfill for his country. He wiped away my tears and told me
that everything would be okay soon.
He made a lot of promises that day. Our wedding would be the best wedding
ever, and that I will be the prettiest girl on that day, as he takes me to the altar to

22
·be his wife.
We stayed until the sun had set on the beach, where we used to see each
other when we were younger. We were both sitting on the sand when he gave me
a warm embrace, reassuring me that he would fulfill his promise.
It was already the last week of May. I was already worried because I haven't
received any news yet about Ted. Neither did his parents. Before we could even
check on how he was doing in Mindanao, his comrade arrived at the house of
Ted's parents.
We were told about the news. Ted was killed during an encounter with rebels.
He was able to kill at least five rebels but was not fortunate to survive shrapnel
wounds and gunshots. ·
I fainted. It was very painful to lose someone who's been a part of your life
and whom you even planned to spend the rest of your life with.
June's body arrived. Instead of a wedding, a funeral was held. Sometimes,
life is not fair. It was only yesterday when Ted and I were so happy as we dreamed
of having our own family.
It's been a year now after his death but the anguish in my heart still remains.
I still cry every night as I think about the sweet things Ted had done since we were
15 years old.
One noon, I was sitting all alone in the beach where we used to stay while
planning about our future. I couldn't help but cry as I reminisced everything.
I saw a twig on the ground. I used the stick to write something on the sand.
"TED, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH."
The l.etters were as clear as our hopes but were washed away by the tragedy.
I was about to stand when all of a sudden, a cold gust of wind blew. I felt
goose bumps all over me, as if someone invisible was embracing me. I was a little
afraid because I was really anticipating that someone would sit beside me. I was
right, on the sand, there was an answer to the note I wrote:
"I LOVE YOU JOYCE"
It was hard to believe, but instead of running away, I was able to smile
because I realized that the love that Ted had offered was undying, as he continued
to show it to me on the place where we vowed to love each other for eternity.

23
Documentaries

Ghost Singer in Gellfios St.

By Christian Rodzelle BaPiares

***
June 1994. It was my first year in Manila as a college student.
I rented a boarding house in Geliflos St., Sampaloc, since it was just few
blocks away from the university. The dorm was located beside the Maria de Leon
Bus Terminal in Oapitan.
The rooms were located at the second floor. Once you enter the main door,
you would see a stairway that leads to the upper level. The dorm was quite big,
since there were around 15 rooms inside.
Althqugh there were some young professionals, majority of the boarders were
students of the same university where I studied.
My first year in the city, as I recall, was a period of adjustment. It required
familiarization with theplaces and with the kind of living I had to learn to be really
independent.
Anyway, my projection was clear. I was here to study, finish a four-year
course, then work in the corporate world.
I usually stay up late. After studying, it had been a past time for me to pluck
the strings of my guitar.
The classic sound of guitar gave me a total relaxation before alpha waves
started to run in my brain, gave me a rapid eye movement and then lull me to
sleep.
One night, I was about to use the phone which was located at the living
room. That was around·1 0:00 p.m.
As I passed by the stairs,·! noticed an image. The shadow appeared to me like
a woman. I stopped from walking towards the phone then looked again. There was
no one there.
I was confused. I know I've seen someone. If she went through the stairs, at
* +tAVNffO ~!UPP!NfS
' ,,,~

--...;~! •• !#
! ,, ~..,J ·!II "';

least the door would produce a sound.

I ignored it and proceeded to dial the number of my classmate from whom I
was going to ask about our project.
One night after the prelim exams, I noticed that most of the students were
able to sleep earlier than usual after staying up late for few nights reviewing.
I was trying to write a song that evening and was searching for a good
combination of chords to fit the lyrics.
I couldn't concentrate in my room because the boarders in the room next to
ours had visitors, and they were playing rock music in their stereo.
I was no yet sleepy so I tried to read. I was bored. I got off from my bed. I
really would like to write something.
Each time the desire to write something comes to me, I won't be able to sleep
until I let myself do what my mind dictates. After all, the mood doesn't come to me
everyday.
I carried my guitar, together with a bond paper and pen, and then proceeded
to the living room.
There was nobody at the sa/a that moment and the light was dim. I gtanced
at the round wall clock. It was already 11:00 p.m.
Well, I guess thought that was the most conducive place for the piece that I
was trying to create. I looked at the stairs. I didn't know what force it had that
~V{jning, which made me get off trom the sofa and made me sat on the stairway.

2S
 I was attracted to something that I could not fully explain. I started to write
the lyrics on the paper. Finished with the words, I needed to get a good chord
pattern.
I started to strum the six-stringed instrument and try listing the chord com-
binations. I tried reading the lyrics I wrote, and then checked if the tones were
appropriate.
Suddenly, one of my board mates approached me.
It was Mike. He told me to stop playing the guitar in that area. I asked him
why.
"There's a ghost on the stairs, and she is looking at you now, bro."
To avoid disturbing the spirit," ... it would be better for you to play your guitar
in a different area," Mike continued.
"Huh?" I was distracted because the shadow that I've seen few weeks ago
could be the lady that this guy was referring to.
I've heard a lot of ghost stories in the province. I can't believe that even in
the city, there were also stories like this.
"Are you sure? You are scaring me, pare." I said.
Mike just laughed at me and said, "I was joking, of course. I didn't know that
you do believe in ghost. If there's a white lady here, I will even kiss her for you. Ha!
Hal"
Upon hearing that, I was relieved. I thought that there was really someone
down there in the dark.
Honestly, there were some stories I've heard from the boarders at the dorm,
but they didn't really want to talk about it.
Mike had left, and proceeded to his room.
I had second thoughts whether I should get up from the stairs or just con-
tinue with what I was doing. I decided to stay since I would be finished soon.
After a few more minutes, I felt I could not keep my eyes open anymore. I
yawned, carried my things, and headed inside my room.
My roommates were already in deep sleep, so I turned off the light. I tried to
arrange my books, did some stretching before I pulled out my pillows.
Time to sleep.
Just when I was about to lie on my bed, I heard a voice.lt was a lady. She was
singing.
What was that? First, I checked the radio. It was off. I went out but there was
nobody there. The light in the living room was off, too.
 The voice
seemed to be ema-
nating from a person
beside me. She was
singing a hymn that
I could not ·under-
stand. It sounded
like a voice coming
from a choir member.
I tried to wake
up my two room-
mates. They woke up
and, while trying to
step out of their
beds, ·focused and
see if they could
hear the voice that I
was referring to.
"We can't hear
anything, buddy.
Maybe it's just your
imagination"
"Good night! You deserve a good sleep after the prelims."
They both went back to their beds.
I tried to sleep and covered myself with a blanket, hoping that the voice will
stop. It did. The voice was gone. I stood up and got a glass of water.
As soon as I hit my bed, the voice started to sing a hymn that I did not
understand.
Worse, the voice was not. only one this time. There were three of them now.
There was a blending of voices, which, as far as I could remember, sounded to me
like a Spanish hymn.
I was shaking in fear. I was trying to call the f13mes of my two roommates, but
they won't answer.
What added to the horror that I was experiencing was the voices were going
in circles around my bed. They were singing something, like a chant or an incan-
tation.
 At the count of three, I turned on the lights and then grabbed my rosary. I
started to pray.
However, it never stopped. The voices kept on singing. I stayed awake the
whole night. I thought my sanity was vanquished because of fright.
The next day, I was not able to attend my class. I went home to the province,
and narrated my experience to my grandmother, who knows a lot about the super-
natural.
She asked me how did it all begin. After telling her everything, she just
smiled and told me that I was just imagining. However, I knew that what happened
. to me that night was real.
The only thing that was best for me to do is to go to the church and pray for
their souls.
That same week, I packed my things and searched for a new dorm.
I preferred one that has no stairs at all; for fear that I might play acoustics
again with another ghost singer.
 Guidance Room in
St. *~"**Academy
By Dart Paredes

***
My cousin Janine was a sixth grader and currently studies in St. ****
Academy.
As part of the new curriculum, students are requested to join the Youth
Camp, which is being held inside the school's quadrangle once a year. It starts
from 8:00 in the evening and ends at 5:30 in the morning.
During one of these activities, Madam Melanie, a teacher and coordinator,
asked my cousin to accompany her inside the Guidance Room to get something.
Suddenly, the coordinator said, "Good morning ma'am."
My cousin was surprised as she asked her teacher, "There's no one else here
Ma'am except you and me. To whom did you address your greeting?" she asked.
"Oh, that greeting? For the spirit who visits the room ... " her teacher replied.
A lot of stories have been told about the guidance room, being a haunted
place at present.
Who could be the ghost that was causing fear to the students? How did it
happen?
Ten years ago ...
It was during the first day of classes in the year 1994 when we met Ms. Anne
Flores, our new Guidance Counselor.
All were excited and curious about the news that the new counselor was
young and pretty. Most of the seniors tried passing by at her room.
The latest member of the faculty took her time in visiting every high school
class as she introduced herself and delivered her lectures.
She would always schedule a routine where she could talk to every class
president. It was her way of checking the status of every class, by asking for a
feedback from the leaders.
Incidentally, I was the President of 41h Year St. Michael. I became close to
Ma'am Anne.
! guess the students were all glad that finally, they found someone who could
listen to a!! their problems, especially those that they could not open up with their
families
Even rude students in every class felt that they could still change their
attitude. Those who were timid and lacked self-confidence were also given an
opportunity to join different activities, making them feel that they also have an
important role in the school.
Ma'am Anne became a model of a simple, yet God-fearing and accommodat-
ing member of the faculty Even my friends became close to her.
She never ran out of good advice particularly to those who were almost losing
faith because of personal and family problems. To sum it all up, she played an
important role in changing the negative attitudes of students.
Ma'am Anne had been supportive, especially when we competed with other
schools for academic and cultural contests. "Put God first in everything that you
do and He will crown your efforts with success ... " she would tell me before I
proceed to the room for a writing competition.
My friends would always hang around at her place to sing, that's why we
would carry our guitar in her room and would start singing religious songs.
The ~ate of graduation had arrived and most of us really cried as we said
goodbye not only to the school where we grew up, but also for the teachers who
nurtured us, both intellectually and spiritually.
Ma'am Anne approached ·me, and told me that the friendship we had as well
as that with the other students would not end after the graduation day.
"The guidance will always be open for you. If there came a time that you and
your friends would need someone to listen, and need an advice about something,
I will always be here. You know where I am. I will give you spiritual counseling," I
can remember her saying after we had our pictures taken.
Three years had gone by and I am already a third year student in one of the
universities in Manila. Each time I had time, I visited Ma'am Anne in her office and
had some talks about college life. She also narrated new stories about the school
where I came from. I really found a friend in her.
One time, before going back to Manila, I passed by at her room. Ma'am Anne
was glad.
"It's nice to see you. I have great news to tell you ... " she was very excited.
"My bo}rfriend who worked five years abroad has arrived. We are planning to

30
get married. Actually, we're already on the preparation stage. It will be four months
from now!"
"Really? That's great. I am happy for you Ma'am. I know you've waited for
this day. Besides, you're not getting any younger. Ha! Ha!"
"I want you and your friends to come. Don't miss it!"
"Sure. Oops. Got to leave now. I have a class at 2:30 this afternoon. See you!"
"Okay. Be sure to drop by at my office next week. I'll treat you out as a pre-
celebration for my wedding!"
"That's really cool, I won't miss it!"
Ma'am Anne looked at me as I carried my backpack. She took a deep breath.
I never saw her stare at me that way.
"Thank you," she said. I don't know why I sensed sadness in her eyes.
"Thank you for what?" I asked.
"Thank you for being good to me, for the friendship we've had, and for your
help while I was still new here. I will never forget that." she replied.
"I think I was the one whc should say that, Ma'am. Wait. Why are you telling
me these things? Are you migrating abroad after your wedding? Don't talk like we
won't be seeing each other again. Remember, you promised to treat me next week.
Cheer up," I said, before I said goodbye.
One Saturday, I was awakened when my mother knocked on my room. She
told me that Marvin, my friend in high school, was on the phone.
I was wondering what made him call as early as 6:00a.m.
"Pare, bad news ... "
"Huh? What happened?"
"Ma'am Anne met an accident last night when she was about to get her
wedding gown"
"Then let's go and visit her. Tell me the hospital where they had her con-
fined."
"I am sorry to break the news this early ... she's dead"
I was numbed, shocked, as tears filled my eyes. How could this be possible?
Ma'am Anne was full of spirit.
She was only 26 years old. All her life, she did nothing but to lift the spirit of
the students. Cheer them up. Made them see hope, in the darkest moments of
their lives ... our lives.
She symbolized hope for many of us, and opened up the door that created

3T
gaps between different sections. We were all united because of her.
I arrived in the meeting place where Marvin and the rest of my friends were.
All of them were crying.
"Tell me that the news was wrong ... " I said, hoping that we're just dreaming
in daylight.
Nobody responded. I saw the answer in their eyes. Ma'am Anne was gone. I
asked them how did the accident take her life that easy.
All Hie teachers in the school had a retreat. They all went to Baguio. Ma'am
Anne did not go because she was busy for the preparation of her wedding.
She was on her way to get her gown, when the jeep she was riding collided
with another jeep. Her head was hit. She was still conscious, because she was
able to get out of the vehicle. She was vomiting blood though before she totally
lost consciousness.
There were many passengers but she was the only fatality. Maybe it was
really her time to go.
We went to her wake. I couldn't step forward because I was not expecting
this. Instead of wreaths, I was expecting to see a celebration as Ma'am Anne
becomes married to the guy she had loved all her life. Unfortunately, the bride ran
away in a place where only she could go.
I saw her face. She was very peaceful, while wearing her wedding gown
inside the coffin. We all prayed, because we know that God has taken care of one
of His beloved daughters.
Weeks have gone by. Until qne night, I had a dream. I saw Ma'am Anne. She
was crying while wearing a purple dress.
We were inside a glass wall. She was asking me to come with her. I said it's
not possible, because I have a mission to fulfill yet on this world.
She was really asking me to go with her. I can't do it. It was just a dream but
I knew she is dead.
Suddenly, she became violent. She tried pulling my hands. We had a struggle.
She wanted me to pass on a white line, which separates our world.
I was awakened. I stood up and got a glass of water in the kitchen. It was
already 2:00 in the morning. My parents, brothers, and sister were all sleeping in
their rooms.
I turned off the light in the kitchen, since I would be going back to my room.
I heard someone calling my name.
I looked around but no one was there. I was feeling something strange. I was

32
afraid bec.ause I was reminded about the dream I just had.
I turned on the lights. I will just leave it on. I wanted to go to my room.
"Click!" a sound came frqm my back.
I screamed when I saw that the light was suddenly off. I can sense her
presence, as the smell of flowers filled the kitchen.
I ran as fast as I can. I was already in the living room when I glanced at the
mirror. The greatest fear I ever had has arrived! Ma'am Anne was there at the
reflection, wearing her wedding gown. She was looking at me. I shouted, really
loud.
My dad was awakened. He thought that someone had broke into our house.
I was still trembling, as I pointed at the mirror.
It took days before I was able to sleep alone in my room. I knew that she was
trying to tell me something but that remains uncovered until now.
It has been a decade ago, when the experience came to me. I was just
reminded when I started asking my cousins to tell me ghost stories in the places
where they used to hang out.
WheQ Ma'am Anne died, my cousin Janine was only a kinder in that school.
I even brought her to the guidance room and introduced her to Ma'am Anne so
that the latter may look after ~er since I was already studying in Manila.
It was through Janine that I was reminded about the guidance room. I guess
she had heard stories really, like the one told to her by her teacher during Youth
Camp. I certainly know more because the spirit who was haunting their school
used to be a good friend ot mine.
"Janine, don't you have any idea who was the ghost at the guidance room?"
I asked my cousin while she was connecting the charger to her cell phone.
"No, Kuya. I don't really have an idea who she was ... " Janine answered.
I just smiled.
I can't tell my cousin about the identity of the ghost since this may fright-
ened her. Anne was even giving Janine some cookies when she was a kinder.
Janine never remembered it though ...

33
Documentaries

The Library
By Christian Rodzelle Baiiares

I was almost done editing the stories for this book when by chance, I
dropped by one of the oldest universities in the country. I entered through the
main gate and scanned the immediate vicinity inside the campus.
Vacuity of the grandstand. never surprised me since it was an ordinary week-
day. Yet, I decided to hang around for a while, roam, and see if I could find
something there to write.
I looked around. Every edifice was remarkably done. The architectural design
brings back the time, when the friars occupied most of the buildings.
I proceeded to the Library and met the guard.
"Good afternoon Manong. I am just conducting a research about the scariest
places in Manila. If it will not take much of your time, I would really appreciate it
if you could cite a story, in case you know one. Maybe, your own experience ... about
ghosts or other mysterious incidents within this building," I said as ·1 started to
pull out my pen and steno.
"Actually, I'm just new here. You can talk to the Reference Librarian and the
other staff over there, since they've been working here for quite sometime already.
Better ask them about your research," he replied.
"Gn~at," I remarked.
I was a little bit timid as I approached the librarian whom the guard pointed
to me since I just walked in the building without having any formal request for an
interview.
After introducing myself and telling her my purpose, the librarian hesitated
to talk. It took me few minutes to convince her.
I knew she got something to tell. I assured her that no names would be
mentioned, not even the school or anybody in the story.
1don't know if my mind was just being imaginative, but I had felt something
in her eyes, as if she can fathom one's soul. She has a friendly smile, and an
accommodating attitude.
She got sightings that will disclose the untold stories that made the library a
haunted place.
"Ma'am, tell me what you see, ple?se ... " I pleaded with her.
"Okay, listen ... "
"I never thought that I have the capability to see the unusual, until the day I
worked in this library. There were not only one or two ... there are a lot of them
here ... "
+++++++++++++++++++++

The Mestizo in Brown Tuxedo

When I was just new, a mestizo came inside the library. He is tall ahd
decent-looking. I even said to myself, "Ang gwapo naman nung /a/aki na 'yun."
[He's such a good-looking guy]
He mingl~d with the students and with the other people inside. All the time
I thought he was just borrowing a book.
He must be a professor in Spanish because he looked like a Spanish mestizo,
I thought. He was just walking around and looked at every student who passed by
the library.
I was walking along the hall when I saw him again. This time, he was waiting
for the elevator.

3S
 I was supposed to go up to bring some documents at the upper level. It was
just the two of us, waiting for the elevator to go down.
The man looked at me and smiled. Without saying any word, the mestizo
went through the elevator, even if the door hasn't opened yet. I screamed but no
word came from my mouth because I was shocked.
+++++++++++++++++++++

Old Lady With a Dirty Dress

Office hours. Students leave their identification cards, and retrieve them
when they're going out of the library. Procedurally, the students fall in line.
It was around 3:00 in the afternoon. It was one of the busiest days of the
week when all of a sudden, I just had a strange feeling over something. I got goose
bumps all over and I don't know why.
I felrthat someone was watching me.
When I looked at the last person on the line, I was surprised to see an old
woman. She was wearing a white dress. It had stain all over.
I wonder why she was allowed by the guard to enter the library. She never
said anything. However, she continued looking at me.
I was already terrified because my heart started to beat faster. I never knew
that another strange looking person would come into my working area.
The old woman suddenly extended her arm towards me. She was trying to
say something but she could not utter a word. She just gestured for me to hand
her an 10.
I was really terrified because I had a feeling that she was a supernatural
being, one of the ghosts who visit the library during working hours. If she were
not, she would not get past the guard considering that she was even wearing a
very dirty dress.
There was no doubt that it was only I who was seeing her.
She climbed the stairs after that and never went down. Even when the guard
checked the other floors, she was nowhere to be found.
+++++++++++++++++++++

A Restless Soul
One afternoon, a meeting was being held at the conference hall. I was
distracted because during the meeting, I sensed a shadow passing back and fort

'l'
...A..e
behind me. I ignored it though, and proceeded with the discussion.
However, the shadow was really annoying me, as if the image wanted to say
something and would wanted to take part in the discussion.
Finally, the shadow became clearer.
She was lady around 30· years old. She sat on the empty chair beside me. I
was really frightened because she turned and smiled at me. Her eyes were all
white.
Unable to withstand the horror that was sitting beside me, I stood up, ex-
cused myself, and never went back until the meeting was adjourned.
Later, my boss asked me,. "Why did you left early even if the meeting was not
over yet?"
I started narrating the reason to her. Her eyes opened wide about what she
just heard. She could not believe I was telling the truth.
- "My God, why did you not tell us?"
"If I did, the meeting would end right there. All of you would leave the meet-
ing room."
She was really terrified about the story I just told her because they never
figured out that someone who was not invited participated at their meeting.
The lady walked from one place to another. Sometimes she would pass through
the pillars and never would come out the other side.
+++++++++++++++++++++

Electrified by Fear
There were some problems with the lights at the 61h floor during a se-
mester break. We hired an :lectrician to fix the lights. After preparing all his
tools, the electrician went to the sixth floor.
Just when he was about to start, one of the lights on the ceiling swayed. It
was swaying as if someone was intentionally doing it. Nobody was there but him,
and the windows were all closed.
There was no way that the lights could be blown by the wind. Out of confu-
sion and feeling of terror in that place, he ran all the way down to the 1st level.
"There is somebody else up there! Why did you not tell me?" he said while
gasping for his breath.
"Sorry, we doubted if you would still fix the light up there if we told you about
the sixth floor, 11 we answered.
 +++++++++++++++++++++

Ghost Students
Another thing that puzzled me was that there were students here that
could hardly be distinguished from the ghosts or the living. I don't know how
they do it, but they also wear the uniforms of different colleges.
. They would walk inside the library like any ordinary people. They go from one
place to another.
If you are bookish and too engrossed with what you are reading, you can't
spot the difference.
I tried to glance at a student, unintentionally, when my pen dropped on the
floor. It was only then when I realized that the student is elevated from the ground
by 2 to 3 inches.
+++++++++++++++++++++

The Lady in Gray at the Sixth Floor

It was not only I who had the ability to see them. We were three actually.
The other one was a girl, a ~orking student. The other one was a guy. He is
currently assigned at the last floor of this building.
The ghosts have a favorite spot, and that is the sixth floor. This is the place
where the Serial Section can be found. Beside the Serial Section was the Old .·
Books Section.
T~is floor was the most quiet among the other levels because there were only
few researchers who visit this area.
If you would go to the Old Books Section, you would feel the presence of
someone or something.
Believe me, when I got there, I felt like I was on another dimension. That was
where they stay, although they also visit the other floors.
The most restless of all was the Lady In Gray. She stayed there most of the
time, near the entrance door.· She was floating with both hands raised as if she
was guarding something.
She looked at the students and other researchers but never hurt them, really.
One time, a student went there. All the while, she thought that she was just
alone there. She screamed.
She must have seen the one in gray.

33
 +++++++++++++++++++++

Dead Priest Showed Up

The World Youth Day was about to come.
There had been an instance when we found out that there were still some
abitos (robe worn by the priests) at the stock room. We asked one of the janitors to
wash all the robes.
I never even knew then that the priests who owned the abitos already died
years ago.
After the robes were washed, something spooky happened. Two of our staff
noticed that there was a priest at the mezzanine. The priest wore a distinctive
abita. He suddenly disappeared.
- Finally, we recognized who he was by looking at the album of the dead
priests who supervised the library before.
We requested the abitos to be transferred to another building, hoping that
this will alleviate the number of spirits inside.
+++++++++++++++++++++

Ghosts Distracted By Insect Spray

When the cases of dengue fever increased, the administration ensured
that all the buildings within the campus were fumigated. It was done during
summer when there were only few students at the university.
When the disinfectant was sprayed at the library, there were strange voices
coming from the upper level.
I thought that" there were some groups of students who could have forgotten
that silence is a must inside the library. I waited for them to come down since I
heard the creaking of their shoes from the stairs.
I was wrong. ,
Instead, I was able to witness a pack of ghost going down.
The spray distracted them all.
+++++++++++++++++++++

Library Blessed Because of Spirits

The staff is already being bothered about the library being such a haunted
place. More than just a mere gossip, almost all who worked there had their shar.e
of a frightening experience.
We tried to communicate this to the administration, albeit discreetly, to seek
an action and let the staff gain peace of mind in their working areas.
The one who supervised the library ignored the stories. He said that there
were no such things as ghosts. We tried convincing him that there were really
strange happenings going on, ·and the employees were all affected.
We would not want the students to know and even experience what we were
seeing before we start to do something.
He would still insist that no ghost lives in the library until it came to a point
that he was able to meet one of the ghostly figures inside the comfort room. He
narrated his story, which was affirmed by one of our staff.
Finally, the administration was convinced. A mass had been held to bless the
building. It was done during summer to avoid questions from the minds of the
students why a blessing was being held on the whole building.
The priest blessed all the floors, particularly the sixth floor. A ceremony was
held on that level, hoping to drive the spirits away and make them achieve peace.
The ceremony had brought the confidence and peace of mind to all the
employees. Days had gone by, and even I myself can attest that there had been a
total change.
I wo[jld never have the strange feeling anymore, that someone so frightening
would approach me during working hours. The thought about ghost was gone.
We thought that everythiRg had become normal. Actually, it did.
More than six weeks had gone by, and I was working once again when the
strange feeling came to me. My heart was palpitating, and I was having goose
bumps again all over. I was afraid to look at the main door.
I know that something strange was going on once again. I was getting the
signal that some of them had arrived.
I was right.
When I glanced at the ground floor, the ghosts were coming one by one.
Some approached the students. Good thing they can't be seen.
There are those who went up. I know where they were going. They missed
the sixth floor for few weeks since the mass was held up there.
Why do they keep on coming back?
Generally, I believe that all the spirits that reside, or visit, the library were
good ones.
 As for me, I'm a bit used to them but still feel the fear every time I see a new
spirit. The old ghosts in the building have been staying there for quite so long
already.
Some would even call my name and try to approach me, as if not cognizant
that they are no longer part of this world.
I really avoid them. I feel cursed sometimes, because they would appear at
the time when I least expect them to.
Sometimes, it is better to expect that you would see a ghost because they
won't appear. I don't really know if they are just doing it intentionally because
each time I am busy with my work, and have positive emotions, that is the time
that they would come to my place.
Some ghosts were just visitors in this building, and were attracted to stay
here for quite sometime because the library is one of the most peaceful places in
the campus.
Those that stayed there for a long time were authors, particularly of the Old
Books.
Until now, they guard the.ir works at the sixth floor. It could have been their
extreme attachment to the things that they've considered as their greatest trea-
sure.
Their emotions were so strong towards these material things for they have
devoted their lives in writing and contributed their works in the library.
Time flies and everything had to go on with change because everything in
this world is temporary.
The thirst for knowledge is endless. There would always be a new set of
books, new breed of authors, and new references for study. Old text had to be
replaced and had to be stored elsewhere.
In my belief, the spirits would remain that way; until such time when they
arrive on a realization that the real peace they were looking for is .far beyond the
earthbound things and any other form of materiality.
Comprehension and enlightenment of this fact are the only keys that would
help them· extricate themselves from being trapped and attached to this world.
It is only then that they would stop transforming the library into a haven for
restless souls.
 IMMORTAL
By Jonathan Lim

***
Many stories have been told about the ghost in dormitories and old
houses. Each time I hear one, I just listen and never really paid so much attention
since these tales could either b_e true or fictional. I never knew that I, myself, would
have an encounter with one of the supernatural beings.
My story began when I rented a boarding house at P. Nova! St. in Sampaloc,
Manila in the early 90s.
I moved in to this house for two reasons. First, the rent was cheap consider-
ing that the rooms were well ventilated and the entire house was newly refur-
bished. Second, my friend recommended the place to me.
He graduated last year. He said that the landlady is kind, unlike in the other
dormitories. According to him, the landlady has a seven year-old son, who hap-
pens to be so talkative and sometimes annoys the boarders.
When I moved my things to the dorm, the landlady was very helpful. From
the very first day, Isaac, her kid, amused himself by playing with my things.
Every Mondays, I could go home as early as 5:00 p.m. It was a perfect time
for me to take a nap before having my dinner and then continue studying for the
next day·~ classes.
One Monday afternoon, I took my usual nap. I forgot to close the door to my
room. That was perfectly okay. We were all boys in the dorm anyway.
When I woke up, I went to the comfort room.
Isaac blocked my way and said, "Kuya, were you not told by Mama that
bringing a girlfriend inside a room is prohibited?"
I just stared at him and replied, "Sure she did. Don't worry because I won't do
it, alright?"
"No Kuya. You just did," Isaac continued as he turned his back and proceeded
to his mother's room.
Foolish kid. How could he talk that way at his age? Well, maybe it was just
one of the movies he watched or a story he heard that made him say such things.
The next day, I was about to go to the school when Isaac confronted me
again. "Kuya, the lady went to your room last night. She was wearing a white gown
and she even smiled at me. She's very pretty," Isaac said.
He was just a kid. I was told that he would sometimes annoy the boarders
and that he was so talkative.-Yet that time, I was disturbed. He seemed to be
serious. I couldn't understand but I somehow had goose bumps.
I would have liked to ignore him. However, at the back of my mind lies a
question. What was he talking about? He seemed to be certain of what he had
said.
A lady, pretty ... a white gown ...
Wait. I remember. I had a dream last night. I saw a lady. She wanted me go
with her to a place that was so bright.
In the school, we were having a class in Philosophy. Our professor explained.
the link between rationality and argument, as well as the effect of inference from .
syllogism.
Logic was my favorite subject. However, I was not attentive that noon as if I
was suffering from mental aberration because of the haunches that were playing
in my mind.
The tittle boy's statement seemed to be so factual. The description matches
the lady that I had seen in my dream. Who was she? A ghost? A fairy?
I made up my mind. I needed to confront Isaac and I needed to talk to his
mother. He was not an ordinary kid. I knew he had the gift to see the unusual.
After the last subject, I packed up my things and went to the dorm. I looked
for the landlady and her kid. I needed to know something.
Unfortunately, I was told that they went to a relative who just arrived from
abroad and that they would stay there overnight. I was really bothered because I
was convinced that there was a mystery that shrouded my room.
I tried to read magazines and my DC comics to free my mind from the anxiety
I felt because of fear. I tried to think about having a good vacation that semester
break. Go out of town, buy a new pair of rubber shoes for the basketball league,
buy new COs for my play station ... I tried to focus on positive things to divert my
attention from the mounting fear I felt.
I looked at the alarm clock on my table. It was already 11 :45 p.m. I stood up
and turned off the light. I wanted to rest my mind.
Minutes had passed, an hour. I couldn't sleep that night. The thought of the
lady gave me the creeps. It kept on coming to me. I was really feeling strange.
All of a sudden, I saw myself again with this lady. We were wandering in a
place, somewhere in Neverland.
She was really pretty, like a Chinese mestiza. I couldn't understand, but my
fear abandoned me. Her face was angelic.
She spoke to me and said, "My name is Cheng. My great grandfather owns
the house where you live ... "
"I waited for you Lei ... 1waited for so long. Look at this ... " Cheng continued
as she showed me a picture.
I was startled. The guy in the picture looked exactly like me. He was wearing
a Chinese suit. Cheng was with me in the picture.
"But that's not me. My name is Jon Lim. You could have mistaken me for
someone else. I have a Chinese blood but I am not the guy in the picture ... " I said,
while looking at Cheng.
"How come you have forgotten me? I need to refresh your memory about
your past ... our past ... "
Suddenly, the place became dim. I saw a scenario. A Chinese guy was talking
to his parents.
"Lei, we told you. Stop seeing Cheng. She is the daughter of a rival clan. You
should end your relationship or you will be an outcast from this family," the guy's
mother said.
"Mother, I love her. I love her so much and I want to marry Cheng. Why do we
have to suffer for the feud between her family and our clan? We never wanted to
be a part of this mess ... all we want is to live with each other, have our own family
and lead a peaceful life," Lei said as tears started to roll down his face.
"No. It has been agreed since the day you were born that you should marry
Lu. She is the daughter of my best friend. This has been an agreement between
two of the most influential families. It is a disgrace not to honor the agreement,"
Lei's father said.
"Wh'at if I disobey?"
"Then I will be forced to ask somebody to kill your girl!"
The scene changed. It turned into a wedding. Lei married another woman
instead of Cheng.
The next scene was in a red background. I saw Cheng. She went in a room
and then got a bottle of medicine from her bag. She was crying while holding
Lei's picture. ·
"Why Lei? How could you?" she said, as she started to drink the liquid from
the bottle.
 I got it. She was trying to kill herself. I tried to shout to stop her but she
won't listen.
The darkness faded. I unraveled the mystery. Cheng was the ghost that was
visiting my room. She was the lady in white gown that was seen by Isaac several
times.
"l am happy because we could be together now, Lei"
I looked at Cheng. I was horrified. Her image had changed! Her face became
distorted. Her eyes were wet, not with tears but with blood. She held my hands.
"No. Stop it! Let me go!" I was screaming.
"You can't go Lei. You destroyed my life. You promised that you would fight
for me. You never fulfilled your vow. You don't know how painful it is to witness
your wedding with Lu. I died several times because of the pain you've inflicted on
me. I killed myself, but I will continue to come back to haunt you in the place
where you gave me your promise'"
"I am not Lei, let me go!" I was able to free myself from the lady's grip.
Cheng suddenly got a dagger.
"You can't leave me again. Die!"
"No!!!"
"Hey, Jon, wake up!"
"What's wrong? Open the door!"
I waq awakened by the noise created by my board mates as they banged on
my door. Thank God. It was just a dream. I thought I would be killed when Cheng
threw a dagger out of rage. Everything looked real. I was perspiring.
"Don't worry guys, I'm okay. Just a dream," I answered.
I stood up to open the door in my room. I will narrate everything to my friends
and tell them about the nightmare I just had.
I was about to turn the knob when I stepped on a blunt matter on the floor.
It was a dagger. .. and I swear it was not mine.
 The Indian Mango Tree
in San Isidro
By Christian Rodzelle BaFiares
¢¢¢

Mike was awakened by a noise coming from their 'tarangkahan (wooden

gate).
"Mike, wake up' Your cousin Paul is here'" he heard his mother. His cousin
Paul had arrived from Manila.
Mike got off from his bed. He looked out from the window and gladly wel-
comed Pad when he saw him.
"Kala:ko 'lnsan, nakalimutan mona 'tong baryo natin." [Cousin, all this time
I thought you've already forgotten our barrio.] Mike said.
"Pwede ba naman 'yun eh dito aka lumaki?" [How could that be possible? I
grew up in this place.] Paul answered.
It was then October 1985. The 2na semester had just ended.
The two cousins were the best of friends since their elementary days. Paul
and hls parents moved to Manila after they graduated from high school since a
reputable firm in Manila hired his father.
Paul and Mike were so happy that they started reminiscing their childhood
days. They talked about their other friends who mostly were already married and
have their own kids.
"Tawagin mo naman sila Jerry at Peter. !nom tayo mamaya. Sama mo rin si
Tam para may gitarista tayo. "fPiease call Jerry and Peter. We will drink later. Also,
inform Tam so we have a guitarist while we drink] Paul instructed Mike:
Paul noticed that Mike became sad when he mentioned Tam.
"Ba!(it, may problema ba kay Tam " [Why, is there something wrong with
Tam?] Paul asked.
"Dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan nang aksidenteng mahulog si Tam habang
kumukuha ng Indian Mango dun sa bakanteng late. 'Dina siya umabot sa Ospital."
flt has been two years now since Tam accidentally fell while getting Indian Man-
goes there at the vacant lot. He never made it to the hospital. .. ] said Mike, in a
gloomy tone.
It was a full moon that evening.
Jerry and Peter were there, drinking with Mike and Paul.
An hour passed by. All were already intoxicated by the serbesa (beer) that
they were drinking.
"Parang masarap kumain ng mangga habang umiinom tayo. Wala namang
may ari ng Indian Mango dun sa bakanteng tote. Kukuha aka." [I think it's better if
we have some mangoes here while we drink. Nobody owns the Indian Mango there
in the vacant lot anyway. I'll go there and get some.] Paul said.
Fright time.
"Paul, don't do it. There is a lady that guards the mango tree. She killed Tam
when he tried to get some pulutan while we're drinking just like this," it's Peter.
"That's right buddy. I've seen her myself! One evening, I passed by at the
vacant lot and saw an old woman near the tree. She was looking at me like she
was full of anguish. Her eyes were all white. I ran as fast as I can," Jerry added.
"Come on. We are no longer kids. It's just your imagination. Okay. I'll prove
you guys that ghost doesn't exist. If I can get here alive with some Indian man-
goes with me, you guys have to buy another case of beer," said Paul who was so
confident.
"Paul, don't go there. You have no idea. We don't want to talk about this story
anymore. But we opened up to prevent you from going there ... " Peter was seri-
ous.
"Look, can't you see that it is a full moon? Don't you know what this means?
It is the tir:ne when the dark forces are extremely powerful," said Jerry.
"Your stories are creepy. But I want to see it myself, okay? Just give me few
minutes, and I will tell you if t~ere 's really something out there." Paul was already
dizzy after finishing his sixth bottle of beer.
Vacant lot.
The Indian Mango tree stood there for so many years. The fruits are were
within reach yet it was surprising that nobody dared approach the tree but him.
Even dizzy, Paul took his time in getting the mangoes.
Well, ghost doesn't exist in this lot. He got the mangoes. He has proven
something. There is nothing to be feared of in the vacant lot.
He was about to leave.
"Pssm ... " suddenly, a voice called his attention.

'1/
"r.
 Paul slowly,
turned his head to
see if there was
somebody else in
the place other than
him.
He saw no one.
When he was
about to leave, he
couldn't believe his
eyes - an old lady,
around 70 years of
age, was right in
front of him! He was
petrified by the hor-
ror that was block-
ing his path.
The lady with
gray hair l!vas look-
ing at him. Her neck
was tied with a rope
and her long tongue
was out, as blood
oozed from her de-
caying mouth. Her
big round eyes were all wllite. She never said anything. She was just looking
straight at Paul.
The lady was full of anger, for after Tam, there was another guy who tried
getting the fruits from the tree that she was guarding for decades.
Paul was just staring at the ghost. He dropped all the mangoes. He never
realized that he had wet his pants. He started having asthma attack, giving him a
shortness of breath.
After being awakened from a deep slumber of terror, he ran so fast. He went
back and told his cousin and friends of what he saw.
His qescription matches the old lady being described by Peter and Jerry,
before he totally lost his consciousness.
 The three were all in panic and confused. Mike awakened her father and
mother, as they rushed Paul to the hospital.
They waited while the doctors tried to revive Paul.
Paul was gone.
Mike couldn't believe what happened and they were all shocked.
Peter was already crying. Jerry was shaking in fear.
At the morgue ... nobody anticipated the sudden death of Paul.
The story he told could be true. The lady he saw was actually there.
But how could that be possible? Peter was just playing a hoax, corroborated
by Jerry to frightened Paul.
A twist?
Ther~ is no such story about an old lady in the Indian Mango Tree!
It was just fabricated that night because Peter was just trying to test if Paul
would really get frightened.
It the middle of their intoxication, Peter remembered that there was a voice
behind him, dictating the story about the old lady. Someone was with them that
night. The story being told by Peter was not just fabricated.
This prompted him to tell a false tale to Paul.
But who could be the owner of the voice? Whose idea was it?
Was Tam with them that night?
Was he the one who whispered his friends to challenge Paul?
Did Tam wait for the moment when he could expose the real cause of his
untimely death?
No one was able to speak as they all had goose bumps.
 Mother I<nows Best
By Le Ann Locsin

***
My cousin Rio and her husband got married in Lubao, Pampanga some-·
time in 1993.
She was quite hesitant upon learning that they will live with her in-laws after
the wedding because she grew up in Manila and was not really used to rural
living.
The period of adjustment was only but normal for a new couple especially if
they would live, albeit temporarily, with other members of the family.
Rio never had any difficulty dealing with her in-laws especially when she
became close to Gina, the eldest among the three sisters of her husband.
Gina has two kids, namely Dimple and Jake. As my cousin narrated, she
adored Gina for being a responsible and a loving mother. She attended to her
children everyday and made sure that they were doing well in their classes. She
also helped her kids with their lessons every night. She would always require
them to drink their vitamins, before sending them to their beds.
"You know, Rio, I really love my kids. They are the greatest gift I ever had.
Even if I am busy with my job, I've never forgotten to allot time for my children,"
she said.
"Dimple is more frail than Jake that's why I see to it that she always takes
Vitamin C before she goes to bed," Gina continued as she pushed the cart to the
counter.
Her husband who worked in the U.S. arrived at Christmas.
After a few months, Gina excitedly announced that she was pregnant with
her third kid. My cousin Rio and all her in-laws were very glad to hear this.
As days went by, Gina and Rio became the best of friends. They would go
out to the mall to buy feeding bottles and other accessories as Gina prepared for
the coming of her new kid.
Gina gave birth to a healthy baby. All were happy to see the latest member of
the clan.
A year after, while Gina prepared dinner, she had a fever.

so
 She ignored it because she didn't even feel weak and all the time she thought
it was just common to develop a fever especially to an overworked mom like her.
She felt better the next day. She went back to work.
The day after that, Rio saw Gina shivering. She had a high fever. Blood
gushed from her nose.
Rio, in panic, called her husband to assist her as they carried Gina to the car.
Her brother rushed her to the emergency room at a nearby hospital. The
doctors took her vital signs.
Tourniquet test revealed spots on her left arm.
CBC showed that her platelet count was falling. Blood must be transfused
immediately.
Hours passed by.
Unfortunately, she never made it. Dengue fever had claimed another life in
their town.
On the first night of the wake, Gina's mother passed by the room where Gina
was found to be shivering.
The old lady saw a shadow of a woman, though blurred, lying on the bed
inside the room. She went insiae and turned on the lights to check if there was a
relative sleeping in that room. The lady was startled because no one was actually
there. Who owns the shadow she'd seen earlier?
Worse, the blanket, which was used by Gina before she was rushed to the
hospital, was on the bed!
How could that be possible?
They had kept all her things because of the traditional belief that a dead
member of the family might always come back for her things
All of a sudden, the busted electric fan in the room started whirring.
The mother immediately ran out of the room, terrified.
She never shared the incident to anyone because she knew that they would
just be frightened.
Dimple, the eldest of Gina's children, never had a good sleep since her mother
died. She was still shocked and was crying each night, as she called on her mom
saying, "Mommy, why did you leave us?"
My cousin consoled her and tried to convince her to go to bed and get some
sleep.
Finally, the child gave in but requested her Tita Rio to accompany her.

Sl
 Just when they were about to enter the room, the door opened by itself. Rio
was terrified because she sensed that someone was in the room, watching her
and Dimple.
They proceeded inside. Dimple was about to lie on her bed when she noticed
a bottle of medicine at the headboard.
My cousin took the bottle and examined it. She gasped in fright. It was
Dimples' vitamins. The bottle was still cold as if it was taken straight from the
fridge.
Who.would even think of giving Dimple her daily dose of ascorbic acid when
all were busy at the wake?
Gina's husband was yet tQ arrive. If somebody else did get the bottle from the
fridge, he or she would have had given the bottle to the child and not just leave it
in the room.
And then she recalled that Gina used to tell her that Dimple needed to be
reminded every night to take her vitamins lest she forgets to take her daily dose.
"My God!" Rio exclaimed.
She narrated the story to her husband only to find out that he had his own
frightening tale.
According to her husband, he went inside the comfort room when all of a
sudden, the scent of flowers filled the CR.
Right after, the smell of a candle suddenly filled the room.
When he went out, he saw an apparition of a lady on their backyard but
disappeared in a flash.
Rio and her husband narrated everything to Gina's mother. The latter cried,
as .she opened up her own experience that happened during the first night of the
wake.
"She was restless. Mayl;le.. she can't accept the fact that she's already dead,"
Rio's mother-in-law said.
"Let's just wait. A mass will be held. Let's all pray that Gina will be able to
accept everything after the wake," Gina's brother remarked.
Nothing strange had happened during the last day of the wake. They thought
that things would all be normal.
They were wrong.
A week after the burial, the youngest child of Gina cried every night.
Rio was about to get something when she herself witnessed that the crib
was swaying all by itself.
A shadow of a lady was there, partly covered by the long curtains. The image
was there beside the crib.
Rio cried not because she was frightened but because she felt sad for Gina.
She was close to her. She knew that there was really something wrong in the
house, which used to be the place for family gatherings and celebration, before
her sister-in-law died.
She understood the pain of a mother who did nothing all her life but to think
about the future and the welfare of her children.
Gina's mother called a priest and a mass was held in their house.
The old woman cried as she said, "I know how painful it is to leave your
children at their early age. We love you, Gina, and we love your kids. We are also
left in grief and pain because you are very dear to us. We will never stop mourning
because you haven't found peace. Rest now, my daughter. We promise you that
I, your husband Miguel, and all your brothers and sisters will never fail to look after
Dimple, Jake and Ezekiel."
A cold gust of wind blew on the curtains.
The soul could have found peace in knowing that her children were in good
hands. Gina had nothing to worry about. Like her, her mother knows what is best.
 Nun in Blacl(
By Christian Rodzelfe Banares

***
At the age of 40, Mr. De Guzman was renowned to be the best teacher in
Trigonometry. This had been a vantage point for the students in the Catholic
school in La Union where he wsed to teach.
He had earned the respect of the faculty. Students who abhor computing for
tangents and cosines with their scientific calculators felt dread when he passes
by the co~ridor.
Mr. De Guzman had been strict to students. He frowned more often than he
smiled.
It was the early 90's, a time when the issues on warring fraternities had been
alarming the campus. The administration had to take an action because the num-
ber of frat wars and rumbles were affecting the students.
Consequentially, the Madre Superiora appointed Mr. De. Guzman to be the
Prefect of Discipline starting the forthcoming school year. The teacher tried resist-
ing the offer, but since he was a man known for being strict, he was convinced by
the school administration.
The school was being renovated every summer vacation. The rooms were
being painted and the facilities were all being renovated.
T.he Catholic School is one of the most expensive schools in terms of tuition,
that most of the rich families in that town prefer their children to enroll in this
institution because of the quality teaching it has.
Vacation. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon when Mr. De Guzman dropped
by in the ~ampus after doing his groceries since the market place was only few
steps away from the school.
He wanted to check his would-be office, which was located at the second
floor. It was near the stock room which, according to rumor, was being haunted by
a spirit.
No one was there but him that afternoon. The Math teacher went all the way
to the corridor at the second level until he arrived at a room.
"This could be it," he said, while looking at the door behind the stock room.
 He turned the doorknob. The smell of the varnish was still fresh. After sneak-
ing through the opened door, he saw a pair of new table and chair. To satisfy such
curiosity, he took another step towards the room to view the entire office.
When he was there inside, about three to five steps away from the door, the
doorknob turned, and the door suddenly closed.
Mr. Qe Guzman did notice this yet tried to ignore it because he thought it was
caused by the wind.
As he tried looking around, he noticed that he was sweating. He became
uneasy and he didn't know why.
Suddenly, he felt difficulty in breathing.
The room that was newly renovated had changed.
It was newly painted with blood!
Something bizarre was going on. He tried to run, and he extended his arm to
reach the doorknob.
When he reached the door, there was an image of a woman wearing a black
veil who was blocking his path. He was feeling the horror as the stories about the
stock room flashed on his mind.
The poor teacher was almost losing hope because of the nightmare he was
experiencing in daylight. He tried to run around the room, shouting and asking for
help but his larynx seemed to be languishing out of fear.
Fortunately, the door suddenly opened so he ran as fast as he could and
never even bothered to look back.
Before he could reach the stairs, the canned goods he bought from the
market, which he had left in the room out of fright, were there on the ground.
There was something spooky going on. Someone or something was playing
tricks on him.
Few days after the incident, he spoke to the Madre Superiora and requested
his office to be relocated in an area that was far from the stock room.
Finally, confession came in. He had a red birthmark on his chest, which,
according to his grandmother, makes him prone to the supernatural. His request
was granted and so he was given an office that was near the main gate.
The new Prefect of Discipline was relieved, and as days gone by, became
oblivious of his experience.
June 1996. The classes had started. Mr. De Guzman had tried to discipline
the students who were suspected to be members of the fraternities.
 He investigated the students, and requested their parents to come to the
office.
The cases of vandalism iri the school and the number of frat members dimin-
ished which made the new Prefect of Discipline adored by many, for showing his
strong dedication to his duty.
Month of July 1996. It was around 6:30p.m. that Saturday. The Madre
Superiora was passing by the stock room. Suddenly, she heard a voice coming
from a lady.
"Sister ... " the voice was calling her.
The Mother Superior looked around but no one was there. Being a religious
lady, she never really believed in the stories about the stock room, and the room
beside it. She just gave in to the request to transfer Mr. De Guzman in a different
office, because there were no other teachers in the faculty who were qualified to
be the Prefect of Discipline. Alt the teachers were young, and that only Mr. Guzman
looked really strict.
The nun proceeded to the corridor when she felt a sudden breeze as if
someone Was blowing at her face.
She never really paid attention until she passed by the stock room. She
noticed that the door beside the stock room (which was supposedly the office of
Mr. De Guzman) opened.
She approached the door, grabbed the knob, and tried pulling at it to close
the door. She never expected that the force coming from inside the room was so
strong which kept the door opened!
The lady sudderly fainted. She regained her consciousness at the hospital
near the school. Her fellow nuns asked her about what had happened.
It took a day before she was able to speak. She was in shock.
The nun was in tears as she narrated what she actually saw that Saturday
afternoon.
"Big lang may nagbukas ng pinto sa stock room .. lsang madre na nakasuot ng
itim ... galit na galit ... nakalutang siya sa hangin." [All of a sudden, the door in the
stock room opened ... there was a nun dressed in black ... she was furious ... she
was floating in the air] she said.
"SalJi niya, bakit mo pinalipat ng kwarta yung /alaki? Pabalikin mo rita dahil
may sasabihin aka sa kanya. " {VVhy did you let the guy move to another room?
Bring him back. I have a message for him!] the lady continued.
It's been seven years now after that incident.
 The Mother Superior in the campus is new.
Mr. De Guzman is now teaching in one of the universities in Manila. He
transferred to the city right after he finished his postgraduate studies.
There are new buildings now in the campus. The old building where the
dreaded stock room used to be located has been demolished, and was replaced
with a new building where the school chapel was built.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Old Man in Blad< Robe

By Christian Rodzelle Bafiares

***
The year was 1983. That time, my mother teaches at a public elemen-
tary school of Bagong Barrio in Pandi, Bulacan.
I was only five years old.
My father was working with one of the life insurance companies in Makati so
he travels to the city everyday. I didn't have a nanny to look after me so my mother
didn't have a choice but to bring me with her to school.
She said that I should ta.miliarize myself with the classroom setup since I
would be in preschool the next year.
The school looked like any other rural public school - the roads leading to it
were packed dirt and most of the facilities were made from wood.
The school was located near the rice fields. The backyard was a picture of
forest as numerous tree and shrubs populate the place.
Naturally, the school backyard was a favorite place for kids like me. There
were just a few students who. went near the area. During class hours when my
mother was busy teaching, I would play in the school backyard.
There were a lot of dragonflies for me to catch, trees to climb, and fowls that
I would throw stones at.
One day, I was playing there when I noticed a tree that stood out from the
others. It had neither leaves nor fruits but its trunk was perfect. And I thought that
it would serve as a good target to practice my agility in throwing stones.
1picked up some stones and walked a few steps from the tree. I then started
throwing stones at the tree's big trunk.
I only stopped when I heard students calling my name.
Most of the pupils of my mother were grade six students so I regarded them
as my elder bothers and sisters since I was an only child then. I was told that
mother was looking for me.
After lunch, my mother accompanied me to a vacant room adjacent to her
classroom. There, I was ordered to take my afternoon nap. When she went back to
her class and left me sleeping, I felt that someone was in the room with me and
was whispering something in my ear.
And suddenly, I felt someone pushed me so strong that I was startled and
shouted.
I was suddenly wide-awake. I stood up and screamed at the top of my lungs
when I saw an old man inside the room. He was laughing as he watched me
screaming because of fright. After a few seconds, I heard footsteps coming from
outside the room.
The old man, apparently, heard the footsteps, too as he hastily left the room
and went through the closed door!
My mom rushed to the room with a few co-teachers in tow. They said they
were all alarmed when they heard me shouting.
"What happened?" they asked.
"May matandang /alaki ... matandang lalaki ... ginising aka!" [There was an
old man ... an old man ... he woke me up!] I cried.
"Baka panaginip lang (Maybe it was just a dream.)," my mom offered. With
that, they dismissed the incident and went back to their classes. However, they
just had to pay closer attention as the same incident happened to me the day after
that and the succeeding days.
I could recall hearing my mom and her co-teachers talking, "It's no longer
normal. The child may not be dreaming after all. Better ask the child where he was
playing. He could have disturbed a nuno (Old Man) while he was playing at the
backyard."
At that time, I was really disturbed by the things I was seeing. i would always
se:.:: <1:: old man wearing a black robe roaming the school grounds. I also saw him
near our house's gate.
As an innc:ent child, they knew that I couldn't have lied about the things I
was seeing. 1lu:~ :nv oarents and relatives about the man wearing a black robe.
Then came the time vv~en I was spitting a lot. I didn't even know that that

S3
was considered to be a sign that spirits were really haunting me.
Soon thereafter, I started seeing and hearing things. I could see so many
creatures around me, calling my name, whispering things I couldn't understand. I
had nightmares.
I was brought to an albularyo (witch doctor). She asked me about what I am
seeing. I narrated everything to her. She gave me something. I think it was a stick,
or a branch of tree.
Her instruction was clear, "Once you come face to face with the old man who
follows you, try hitting him with this."
I got the stick handed to me but I was really confused. What do I need it for?
Why can't they do it for me?
I carried the stick each time I sleep until one day, the old man attacked me
again at the school. I tried to get the stick under my pillow, but how could a little
boy like me gather enough courage to fight someone who was older and stronger?
If I would hit him with the stick, he could retaliate. I was really hesitant
because the old man was really a hideous creature.
My relatives again brougl:Jt me to another witch doctor. This time, the witch
doctor is a man.
Right after we arrived at his place, the man asked me, "How did it all begin?
Try to recall about the things you were doing before you saw the old man who
wears a black robe."
"I was just playing at the backyard on the school where my mother teaches.
I tried running from one place to another. I was just trying to catch dragonflies ... "
"Have you tried throwing stones at something?" he continued asking.
"I gathered stones and then tried to make a tree a target. Later that noon,
while I was taking a nap, I was jolted to consciousness when somebody pushed
me. He was trying to rouse me from my sleep. I saw him. He has a white beard,
and was wearing a black robe. When I shouted, he ran away from me. I just didn't
know how he did it, but he passed through the closed door," I told him.
"What happened after that? Where did you see him last?"
"Just now. He was with us. He is there at the corner now, watching us," I said,
pointing to the man who was right there near the chair.
"Just as I expected," the .witch doctor said.
He got a matchstick and then started pushing it against my index finger.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said.

S9
 He moved the matchstick to my thumb. He didn't have to ask me how I felt
since I shrieked in pain. I was crying because the matchstick was pricking my
thumb like a needle.
I started calling my Dad to stop the man from what he was doing.
The witch doctor proceeded with the activity, as I continued crying loud. I felt
that my flesh was being ripped and that a very sharp object was pricking my
finger.
However, each time I opened my eyes, the reality was it was just a matchstick.
I felt that my thumb was already bleeding but in fact, it was unscathed. I tried to
struggle with the witch doctor, but he did not let me go. He started to talk to
someone that only he could see and hear.
These were the words of ·the a/bularyo while he was pushing the matchstick
against my thumb:
"Layuan mo na ang bata, kung ayaw mo na hindi na kita pakawa/an." [Stay
away from the child. If not, I will not let you go.]
"Bakit mo pinapahirapan ang bata? Ngkatuwaan mo lang? E paano kung
nasira mo u/o niyan dahil sa mga pananakot na ginagawa mo?" [Why are you
making the child suffer? You're just making fun out of him? What if you made him
lost his sanity because of the scary things you've been doing?]
"A/am ko kung anong klaseng nilalang ka. San ka ba nakatira?" [I know what
type of creature you are. Where do you live?]
"Sa puna? Saang puna?" [On a tree? Which tree?]
"Sa eskwelahan? A/am mo ba na maraming bata doon na pwede mo pang
guluhin?" [At the school? Don't you know that there are a lot of students there
that you could harmt anytime?]
"Lumayas ka doon. Mas mataas ang kapangyarihan ng engkantong nakasapi
sa katawan ko. Kung hindi mo gaga win 'to, aka mismo ang sisira sa 'yo at sa puna
na tinirhan mo." [Vacate that .place. The power of the spirit that possesses my
body is more powerful than yours. If you would not do this, I will be the one to
destroy you and the place where you live.]
After few more minutes, the albularyo released my hands. I was really crying.
My father embraced me. I looked around the place.
The old man in black who was just around the corner was no longer there. He
was vanquished, I presumed.
It's been 20 years now since I experienced the most frightening tale that I
could ever tell to anybody who would dare listen.

1...0
 It happened at a time when I was still free from any biases of this world.
Surely, the eyes of a child has the ability to see the supernatural, even with-
out a third eye, because the spirits are fond of playing around with innocent souls.
The ~ncident I encountered would always be a part of my childhood memory,
whether I like it or not. Each time I remember this during my grade school days, I
kept on asking my mother why I was shouting out of fear when I was still young.
She would just stop me from asking such things because according to her, "those
are just nonsense" questions.
Until one day, I've heard my father telling this story to someone without him
noticing that I was listening. It was only then when everything became clear to
me, that I was able to write every detail in this book.
Perhaps, there will always be bad spirits everywhere. Yet, there will always be
good ones who are willing to counter the negative elements that stay on this
world. God will always let the good prevail.
I guess the witch doctor succeeded that day in exorcising the mischievous
spirit out from the school, for no other case of possession has been reported in
that place since then.
Old Woman in Our Dormitory
By Christine Santos

***
I was still teaching then at St. Paul Academy in San Rafael, Bulacan.
Even if I lived at the nearby town, it still took me 35 to 40 minutes just to get
to the school due to the heavy traffic caused by the cargo trucks heading to
Cabanatuan City everyday.
There had been instances when I would be stuck in a traffic jam, especially
if one of the trucks would have to change a flat tire. It caused delays and made
teachers like me arrive late for their classes.
I tried to look for an option and decided on living in a dormitory near the
school.
The house was located in front of the St. John of God Church. It has two
floors, with a total of eleven boarders. Most of them were teachers at St. Paul. I was
really glad that I won't have to get up so early and would not have to commute
daily to and from work.
The idea of a ghost is the least thing I could ever think of. All that mattered
was that I was more comfortable and more rested without the daily hassle of
congested streets.
I considered the new place as very conducive for teaching since I could finish
my lesson plans earlier and more efficiently.
It was my first day at the dorm. I had two roommates- Emi and Connie. Their
beds were parallel to each other, and mine was located horizontally across theirs
making our beds form a "U shape."
Both of them were friendly. We were able to have talks about our job, swap
stories about our families, and talk about the reason why we all landed in the same
dorm.
The first night at the old· house was uneventful. I was able to have a good
sleep.
On the second night, something strange happened. The light sudden 1y went
off. First we thought that there was a brownout.
However, when Connie took a peek at the window, she noticed that the other
houses had their lights on.
Emi had just arrived, and asked the two of us why the lights were off.
"Well, must be the fuse," I suggested
Nobody could be called to repair it since it was already late in the night.
Connie just went out to borrow a candle from the caretaker and the latter promised
to call an electrician the next day to fix whatever it was that was busted.
It wa.s around 11 :45. After our nightly chat, we decided to call it a night and
so we all get in our beds.
Emi opened the glass window a bit for fresh air and also for the moonlight to
penetrate our dark room.
Suddenly, the electric fan went on and off as if someone was playing with the
power button. I could have dismissed it as my mind playing a trick on me had it
not been for the fact that even my two roommates saw it. We were all shaking in
fear.
The next day, Connie confessed that she would frequently see an old lady in
white sitting beside Emi's bed. The old woman was caressing Emi's forehead. She
never told it to Emi for fear that she might leave her alone and move to another
dorm.
We inquired about the history why our room was being haunted. The other
teachers in St. Paul who became boarders in the same house told us the story.
According to them, the old lady was the owner of the dorm. She died in our
room at an old age.
Prior to Emi and Connie, there lived a couple in that room. Their one and only
child became sickly since they rented that place.
The child was brought to a witch doctor after the medical doctors failed to
diagnose the illness that was causing the child to incur a high fever and nausea.
The witch doctor saw an old lady in the results. The child was having nightmares
involving the lady.
First, I thought that the dorm would make my job easier. Now, I can't even go
to the room alone.
The three of us approached one of the nuns in St. Paul, and narrated to her
our ordeal. We asked for an advice since we believed that the soul inhabiting our
room had long been forgotten.
There were no other relatives left in that place. A caretaker was just manag-
ing the house over the past few years.
We thought of praying--tDgether inside the room for soul to have rest. The nun
gave us a prayer, for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
Midnight.
The three of us prayed with our rosaries. We tried reading the prayer about
the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
The light suddenly went off. The electric fan started to whirr and we did not
even have it plugged for fear that the ghost would start scaring us with it again.
We closed our eyes, Emi was already crying.
"Hold on," I said. "All together, let us pray"
"Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among woman
and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus ... "
"Holy Mary mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our
death ... "
Slag!
"What was that?" Connie was distracted.
"Oh my God! Look!" Emi was pointing at the glass window.
We were all shocked of what we saw - a hand of an old woman was rapping
at the glass window'
I felt cold as if somebody was pouring a glass of cold water on my head. The
knocking was moving from one window to another. This was more scary as our
room was in the second floor and no one could possibly move from one window to
another because there was nothing to support that person's weight.
Who was doing it?
We knew that whoever, or whatever it was, it was a supernatural being.
Nobody could rap at the windows unless that person could defy gravity.
We were all crying. We wanted to scream. But no voice would come out
because we were also being numbed out of extreme fright.
The light suddenly went on by itself. We opened up our eyes and saw what
was happening. The electric fan ceased from whirring.
We thought that everything was finished. Emi stood up and started walking
towards the door when the lights suddenly went off again.
This time, the knocking was already coming from the ceiling of the room.
There was a voice of a lady trying to say something.
The knocking was becoming louder and louder, as if the person who was up
there in the ceiling would like to get out and jumped on our beds.
Emi had already decided not to go back to her bed anymore. She wanted to
go out of the room and call the attention of the other boarders.
 "Help us!" Emi
shouted, as she was try-
ing to open the knob.
She tried turning the
doorknob but it
wouldn't budge.
"God, please
help!" Emi was crying,
while Connie and I tried
covering ourselves with
our blankets.
The door suddenly
opened, and Emi
screamed as she ran
towards my bed.
"The old woman
was there! She was
there' She opened the
door'"
I could not really
remember how we were
got through the night
after that horrifying en-
counter with the ghost in our room. The very next day, I carried all my things back
to our house.
I believe that Emi and Connie did the same because they already moved to
another school where they are currently teaching.
Well; I guess I won't really mind traveling everyday to my class as long as I
could sleep soundly at night.
 Tales from the Seminary
By Richard Medina

***
The Seminarian in the Oratory Room
My cousin has been a sacristan since he was eight years old. He was still
young then, but it was really obvious that he finds joy each time he serves in the
church. Perhaps, he was one of my favorite cousins because he was more like a
younger brother to me. He used to be my "side kick" each time I have to do
something that really requires assistance.
We were not surprised when he decided to join the seminary. He dreamed of
being a priest someday so he left us to pursue his vocation.
We seldom saw each other since then. He had only few days to visit his
family. Most of the time, he would spend a lot of time doing community service
together with the other seminarians.
One rainy evening, his mom asked if I could drive her all the way to the
seminary. "My cousin needed something that was really urgent, since there would
be an activity at the school the next day.
So off we go. After almost two hours of travel, we arrived at the seminary. It
was isolated. As the car entered the main gate, all we could see were the shadows
of the trees and the school itself. There was no one on the school ground.
My aunt and I entered the dorm where the seminarians stay. After few min-
utes, I saw my cousin. He was smiling as he gave me a high-five, before kissing
the hand of his mother. The two had some discussions as I started to walk around
for a while and familiarized myself with old building.
The hallway was dark. Only shadows of the life-size statues of saints could
be seen. I was thinking how silent the place was and even thought of how well
disciplined the students in the seminary were.
The first floor was very big and that it looked very mysterious to me. I contin-
ued to roam and never even realized that I was already walking towards the chapel.
I saw a room where there was only a dim light. I tried to sneak into the room
and saw a small altar where a mass could be held. However, instead of the usual
crucifix, there was a Holy Sacrament at the center of the altar.
I didn't exactly know what made me enter the dark room and inspected the
altar closely. All of a sudden, I felt a shadow passing on my left. I turned my head
and looked at that direction. However, I saw no one.
As I was on my way out of the room, I saw a guy wearing a white suit who
was there at the corner of the oratory. He was staring at me.
I was quite embarrassed for I thought that I was some sort of a stubborn
visitor when I entered the room without even asking for permission.
I was waiting for the guy who, in my opinion, was just older than my cousin
by two to three years, to say something and tell me that I should go out.
However, the guy never even bothered approaching me so I thought that it
was okay to stay in that room and pray.
The guy walked all the way to the altar and then genuflected before the Holy
Sacramen't. I even closed my eyes and uttered a sliort prayer. I never realized
though that it would be a frightening and a mind-boggling incident for when I
opened my eyes, the guy vanished in front of the altar. I was rattled and was
wondering where he went since he couldn't have passed through the door of the
oratory since I was standing near it.
There were no other doors in the room and so it was not possible for him to
disappear just like that without brushing into me.
Sensing that something strange was going on, I went all the way to the
visitor' area where my aunt and my cousin were still talking.
My cousin approached me and asked where I have been for the past one
hour.
"One hour? What do you mean I was gone for an hour? I just walked all the
way there to the oratory a few minutes ago," I told my cousin.
He never replied though. My aunt spoke to me and said," We've been waiting
for you for the past forty minutes. We were supposed to go home since the rain
was heavy outside. We must leave now because we might get stuck in the traffic
jam. It's g'etting late already."
l couldn't believe that I was already gone for almost an hour, since we just
arrived a few minutes ago. My cousin noticed that l was frightened.
Months later, my cousin had their semester break and went home. l wante9
to ask about that night in the oratory and found my chance after dinner. l told him
about the guy l saw at the oratory and who suddenly vanished.
 "Kuya, I know you were also surprised when we told you that you've been
gone for almost an hour that night and that you were nowhere to be found ... " my
cousin started our conversation.
"Yes, I was really annoyed by a shadow, and I never even realized that I was
already inside the room where there was a small altar. I guess that was the ora-
tory."
"You're right. The last room along the hallway at the first level was no other
than the matory," my cousin continued.
"I saw a person wearing a white suit who came from behind and then genu-
flected on the altar. I closed my. eyes and uttered a little prayer while standing near
the door. When I opened my eyes, the person was gone. I don't know how he did
it. But I guess that was strange. There is only one door and he should have
excused himself to pass through the door. I was blocking it. He just disappeared,"
I said, while scratching my forehead.
"Kuya, listen. I know about the person you saw. His name was Albert. He was
one of the seminarians and was already in his last year in the seminary four years
ago. He never told his friends though that he had an illness.
"One rainy evening, Albert had a very high fever. It was discovered when one
of his friends tried knocking at the door of his room. His friend heard him crying.
He was forced to break the lock, and then forced his way in. He found out that the
seminarian was shaking.
"He called the attention of their other classmates, and even the priest, as
they tried to bring Albert to the nearest hospital. He lost consciousness while he
was being carried to the van. He never made it. It was due to the complications. It
was found out that he was suffering from an ailment affecting his kidney.
"Doctor said he was alre.ady suffering from the ailment for quite sometime
but the poor Albert just tried ignoring it, until it claimed his life," my cousin
narrated.
The class mourned for his death since Albert was one of the most active
students in their batch. He was kind and always displays his altruism in every
reach-out activity.
Few days after he was buried, something eerie started to happen. His room
was always filled with the smell of flowers.
Some would even say that they often see a figure of a guy who was always
looking out from the window form the third level of the seminary. They said that
the guy looked familiar. He resembled Albert.
 Continued my cousin, "One night, one of our priests was walking along the
hall when· he noticed that a person carrying a candle entered the room. He fol-
lowed the student, but he saw no one inside the oratory.
"The priest was shocked· when all of a sudden, someone wearing a white
shirt genuflected at the altar and as suddenly, the image disappeared.
"Having thoughts that someone supernatural was roaming around that night,
he closed his eyes and prayed. He felt a cold gust of wind passed behind him.
"Few days after the incident, news spread out that the ghost inside the
oratory was no other than Albert. Perhaps, he was still trying to do his usual
prayers, but this time, for the own salvation of his soul."
I felt goose bumps all over my body as I listened to the tale. I imagined the
night when the ghost passed in front of me. Maybe, he was still attached to the
school, sir.ce he was not able to attend his graduation because of his untimely
death.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Priest at the Dining Room

My cousin continued his stories about the seminary. According to him,
Albert is only one of the spirits that make the seminarians' stay in school all the
more exciting.
During the 80s, one of the most famous balladeers in Philippine music had a
concert at the school. A lot of priests and students, as well as other visitors,
flocked to the seminary to support the fund-raising campaign.
After the concert, the priest and the students who organized the event ac-
companied the male singer at the dining room. Great food was served.
As the singer enjoyed the meal, he was annoyed because he saw one of the
priests walking back and forth inside the dining room. He never commented on
this though and just proceeded with his dinner as he was enjoying the conversa-
tion he was having with the organizers.
The concert ended late in the evening and the balladeer had no choice but to
spend the night at the seminary.
The next day, it was time for the singer to prepare his things before he goes
back to Manila. He was waiting for his manager and the driver, so he stayed first
at the lounge.
He tried looking at the piqtures on the wall, read some magazines, and even
tried looking at the annual pictures of graduates.
He saw a familiar picture. The priest who was walking inside the dining room
the other night was there. One of the priests greeted him and thanked him for
being a part of the successful fund-raising activity.
The singer was curious, as he asked why the priest on the picture never
joined them at dinner, and that he seemed to be looking for something because he
did nothing but to walk back and forth inside the dining area.
The priest was astonished with the singer's question. He took a deep breath
before answering.
"Are you sure you saw this guy? He was Reverend Eduard. He died two years
ago while he was having his dinner inside the dining room. He succumbed to a
stroke."
The singer couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He had goose bumps
because the priest seemed to ·be serious.
There was really a ghost inside the dining room, according to the other
students. Sometimes, they would hear the sound of spoon and fork, as if someone
was eating even during the late hours but if you would try to look inside, no one
was actually there.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Booi<Worm
My cousin had his share of a frightening experience. He told me that he
often stays late at night while studying his lessons. He has a small radio. He
listens to the music while he reads his books in Philosophy.
He noticed that one midnight, the radio automatically went off. He could not
figure out what was causing this. He checked the radio and even thought that was
a problem with the switch.
However, he was shocked when he saw fingerprints on the control buttons of
the radio appearing as if deliberately turned the radio off. How could that be
possible? There was no one else in the room but him.
He narrated everything to the other seminarians and was terrified to hear
another ghost story.
According to the senior students, there lived a student in the room where my
cousin stays. The student was the most intelligent among his class. They said that

70
the guy, who was a real genius, would get perfect score in almost all his subjects.
He did nothing but to read books all the time. He seldom would speak and he was
such a very serious person.
The student who was running for the highest honors hated noise a lot be-
cause he was a real bookworm.
It was during a Christmas vacation when he went out with his father to buy
something in the city. They met an accident when one of the containers of a cargo
truck accidentally fell, killing his father on the spot. The student was badly wounded
and was rushed to the hospitql. He died while being treated.
Many stories have been told since then that a student can be seen during
midnight at the reception area, reading a book even if the place was dark.
The student would walk all the way to the ground and then disappear into
the darkness.
My cousin was not able to sleep for few nights upon hearing the story. He
decided to buy a disc player and earphones to avoid disturbing the bookworm who
used to sleep in his room many years ago.

7l
 The AswangHunter
in Laguna
By Anthony Terue/

***
It was the mid 80s. I was only six year old and was still residing then with
my parents in one of the remote barrios in Laguna. My hometown was about 2
to 3 hours away from Manila.
Unlike in the city, almost all the residents in a barrio know each other by
name. I can still remember some familiar places and names of our neighbors from
way back then.
One of them was Mang Maning. He was around 40 years old and one of the
richest men in our place. He owns several hectares of land. Since farming was the
primary source of livelihood, naturally, the landowners have carabaos.
During that year, there were new faces in the barrio. Some said that the
strangers were originally from <1 place far from Luzon.
It was supposedly one of the usual mornings except that a lot of people
flocked to Mang Maning's place and were obviously distressed about something.
"Ano nangyari rita?" [What happened here?] a man asked the early crowd.
"Tsk, tsk! Ni/apa yung kalabaw ni Mang Maning." [Tsk, tsk' One of the cara-
baos of Mang Maning was devoured by an unknown creature.] another man an-
swered.
Indeed, one of the carabaos was slaughtered. The abdomen of the animal
was slashed. It had bite marks which looked like that of a wild animal's. It could
have been one hungry beast to take down a large animal.
"Oi 'ko malaman kung paano nangyari 'to. Sino naman ang gagawa niyan?"
[I don't have any idea how did this happen. Who could possibly do such a thing?]
Mang Maning said, still clueless about the incident that morning.
"Ma/amang nilapa yan ng asong ulof." [It could have been eaten by a mad
dog.] a lady commented.
Wild dog. It was the closest thing they could ever think of. It was impossible
that a tiger or a wild cat did this, for there was no forest near the barrio.

72
 Mang Maning just shrugged off the incident. Anyvvay, he still owns a lot of
carabaos. Besides, the animal that was slaughtered was already old.
A month had passed. One night, the people were so tired after sowing the
binhi (seeds). The weather seemed favorable. All were hoping that they would be
able to get a good harvest that year.
The next morning however was filled with terror, because that time, two more
carabaos were found dead. Just like the first one, the abdomens of the animals
were slashed.
This time, not only Mang Maning was alarmed but even the other residents.
They started to doubt their theory that the incidents were caused by a wild dog.
The carabao is a strong and has horns to protect it. Besides, it was bigger and the
skin of the carabao could not be torn that easily.
Investigation was made. It was found out that the liver of the animals were
gone. Another theory was made - drug addicts were the culprits.
They should guard their places very well since the crime happened during
nighttime. However, barrio folks started doubting their theory that drug users were
causing the crime since no traces of blood were found around the area.
Mang Maning knew that something bizarre was going on. If he would not act
quickly, all of his carabaos would be killed. The pattern of the killing was similar
from the stories he heard about a group of people who transform into a pack of
monstrous creatures at night.
He went inside his room and examined the calendar. He looked at the date
from the previous month which was marked by a pen. It was a full moon that night
and, coincidentally, the other night when two more animals were found lifeless
was also a full moon.
"Aswang ... may gumagalang aswang sa baryo na 'to." [Aswang, there's an
aswang lurking in this barrio] Mang Maning said to himself as he pulled out his
wallet. He searched for a piece of paper where a name and an address were
written.
The old man was certain about his decision. He needed to do something. He
should seek the help of a person he knew - a man who was known to be a hunter
of monstrous creatures.
"Kai/angan mapigilan ang aswang sa mga gawain niya. Kung mauubos ang
mga kalabaw, sino pa ang isusunod niya? Malamang tao naman ang sunod na
papatayin." [I need· to prevent the aswang from his actions. If he eats up all the
carabaos in this place, he could start going after humans.] Mang Maning con-
eluded.
f-,e then proceeded to a hut in another barrio and there spoke with a man who
was quite older than him. He narrated everything to Tata Emil. The latter told Mang
Maning that he already stopped haunting aswang since he is not young anymore.
"Medyo mahirap na yata para sa akin 'yang ganitong trabaho. medyo humina
na 'yung katawan ko. Taon na rin ang binilang mula noong may nahuli aka sa
bayan ng Batangas." [It's quite difficult already for me to accept this type of work.
My body has become weak. It's been years since I caught one in Batangas] Tata
Emil said.
Mang Maning told Tata Emil that he badly needed the help of the latter, and
that he would pay him just to stop such creature from pestering their place. After
hours of conversation, Tata Emil agreed.
Although the series of attacks made on the animals characterized the aswangs,
Tata Emil must see it for himself just to be sure.
Full moon. Tata Emil hid behind the mango trees. A carabao was tied on the
other tree near the river. This gave the hunter a clearer view from a distance.
It was very dark in that place. Tata Emil was surprised and his eyes opened
wide when a shadow of a man approached the animal.
He saw the disgusting look of a creature which had a dark skin and hair that
was very long. There was something more - the creature had wings.
He was waiting for the shadow to attack·the beast. He tried to move closer. To
his deepest surprise, the shadow disappeared! To his surprise, he felt something
moved behind him. There was really an aswang and it was there behind him' The
creature was able to sense his presence. Instead of the animal, the creature could
smell the warm blood of the hunter.
Tata Emil left his things near the tree. He ran as fast as he could. He could
hear the creature following him until he arrived at the riverbank.
As he looked back, the image became clearer and he saw the monstrous look
of a creature ready to devour him.
Thinking about self-preservation, he jumped to the river. The hunter stayed
under the water. He would resurface every minute to fill his lungs with air. He
searched for a stone to cling to underwater so that he wouldn't be buoyed up. He
knew that once the aswang sees him, the modern-day gargoyle would definitely
tear his viscera into pieces.
He was really frightened when he saw the aswang flying over him. Only Tata
Emil and the moon were witnesses to the existence of such creature.

7•
- """'
 Tata Emil reported what he saw to Mang Maning. They never disclosed this to
anybody though. The hunter was now convinced that the tale about the aswang
in that place was no longer just rumors. He was decided to kill it so he prepared
himself.
The next full moon arrived. The hunter hid himself again, this time behind a
different tree, which was further from the bait. Few minutes later, the silence of
the night was broken by the sound of the carabao.
He can see how strong the monster was for it was able to knock down the
beast after a short struggle. Tata Emil positioned himself to attack the aswang
while the creature was still feasting on the helpless animal.
Bang! Bang!
Silver bullets pierced the skin of the animal and the aswang. The hunter was
able to position himself clearly as he aimed his rifle at the creature and fired again.
A loud cry was heard. The sound was a mixture of a cry from a person who was
wounded and that of a wild animal hit by stray bullets.
As the creature scampered, the old man approached it. He carried his rifle
and a huge net. He threw the net on the monster as he aimed for a final shot.
However, another shadow arrived from the eastern part of the lot. Thinking
about another supernatural foe, Tata Emil directed his gun to the image, ready to
pull the trigger.
"'Wag Emil. Si Maning 'to." [Emil, don't. .. this is Maning] said Mang Maning
as he approached Tata Emil.
The creature trapped by the net was moaning of pain. The two were able to
witness that as hours pass by, the features of the aswang changed. His transfor-
mation brought his looks closer to that of a human being.
The news reached other people in the barrio. The folks rushed to the vacant
lot.
I was buying pandesal from the bakery that early morning, when I saw a
group of men running towards the place of Mang Maning.
They were shouting that the aswang had been caught already. Out of curi-
osity, I ran following the group who passed by the bakery.
I saw Mang Maning talking with the head of the barangay while Tata Emil
was still carrying a rifle on his left hand. Another carabao was dead on the grassy
lot. The abdomen was lacerated and the intestines of the animal were scattered.
I moved towards the crowd and made my way to the creature they referred to
as aswang. As I could remember, there was a naked man inside a huge net. He had

~­
.::>
dark and hairy skin. The eyes were big. I was frightened because something was
strange about his mouth. He had fangs, like that of a baboy-ramo (wild boar). His
11ails were so long, just like that of a werewolf in the movies.
I believe that the folks from our place had agreed to never disclose the thing
to the media, in order to protect our place from having a reputation that we were
infested by aswangs.
Many years had gone by. The incident would just be a part of the many
experiences I had during my childhood days. Tata Emil died years ago. Certainly,
he would be admired because of his unusual courage, as he risked his life just to
vanquish the lurking evil in such a peaceful community.
As there may be a lot of ghost stories to tell, the tale about the aswang is one
true story unless my eyes tricked me the day I saw one of the creatures dying as
the sun rGse during, that unforgettable morning.
 The Church
By Ryan Earl Bautisla

***
Most of the students of a catholic school, in my opinion, would have a
dream of being a member of the Knights of the Altar.
As most of our teachers rn Religion would say, every one shoufd always look
for an opportunity to help others who are less fortunate, or oppol}:unities to serve
God even in our own little ways.
It was through this belief that I joined the Knights of the Altar in our school.
We served in the church each time there was a mass.
In the province where I grew up, I could say that my mother and my grand-
mother were really devotees since they hardly miss a mass every Sunday.
My father was a member of the Knights of Columbus and he also served as
a lay minister.
I was in my sixth grade then. Our school was just few steps away from the
San Augustine Parish Church.
Just like in other churches, there would be masses held on an ordinary day
when a few people would be inside the church.
Our church was built centuries ago. It was one of the remnants of the Span-
ish era. o·ld folks in our barrio would even say that there are some valuable arti-
facts and gold bars buried at the church's backyard. This has not been proven
though, because excavation of a holy place is not an easy thing.
The church has a second level where the choir members would stay espe-
cially if there is a High Mass. The seats at the upper level would always be empty
during masses on ordinary days.
One rainy weekday, a mass was celebrated. After marching our way to the
altar, we faced the crowd as we sang the Song of Praise.
I glanced at the center of the second level. I saw a woman up there. She was
just alone. I wonder why she preferred to stay in such an isolated place.
The woman suddenly raised her hand. She was waving her right hand as if
she was trying to tell me something.
I ignored her. In the tirst place, how would I be sure that \ was the one she

77
 was talking to?
The ceremony con-
tinued. When the first
reading has begun, I
looked at the other sacris-
tan who was sitting on the
left side of the priest. I
would like to tell him to
look at the lady at the up-
per level.
I was shocked. In-
stead of the sacristan, it
was the lady I saw at the
upper level who was sit-
ting on his seat!
"Oh God'" I ex-
claimed.
The priest looked at
me quizzically. I tried to
hide my fear. I closed my eyes and tried looking again at the other side.
Until after the mass, I was still bothered by what I have seen. I did not exactly
know what it was. Maybe, it was just one of the horror movies I've watch on TV
just the other night. However, it was so real.
Days had gone by until! was tasked to serve at the altar during a mass on an
ordinary day. When the first reading was being done, I vowed my head, anticipat-
ing that the lady would expose herself and would try waving her hand again.
The reading was done. l was glad that it never happened. I looked at the
sacristan on the left side, only to find out that the horror was there to strike me
again.
There sat a boy was wearing the robe of my companion.
The boy certainly was the one who marched with us all the way to the altar.
The other sacristan was my friend, and his name is James. We were even discuss-
ing something few minutes before the ceremony started.
Where is my friend?
The boy, who was also looking at me, was had a peaceful aura though. Still,
it was frightening.

78
 I was seeing another apparition. I thought I would yell, but the mass would
be disturbed. I looked at the upper level, only to see another scene: James, my
friend was way up there, together with the lady who was wearing a veil. The lady
was watching me as she placed her arm on the shoulder of my friend.
I was confused and I wanted to cry. I was sweating. I would like to call the
attention of the priest, but I know that it would spoil the sacred ceremony.
I looked at the boy beside me. He was smiling, as if he was trying to laugh.
Every scene was happening so fast, just like a sequence in a movie. However,
what I was experiencing was real.
The boy beside me was suddenly gone. James was there. I looked at the lady
at the upper level. She was not there either.
Was it over?
I guess not. There came another image. This time it was the priest!
A likeness of Father Roll~, who was delivering his sermon, was there at the
second level. However, his face seemed to be distorted. He was wearing a white
robe at the altar. However, at the second level, he was wearing a dark brown robe.
I was really horrified because of what I saw. How could a person be at two
places in a given time? I knew that no one could see what I was seeing. Father
Rolly and James could not see the apparition at the upper level.
How can Father Rolly be at two different places at the same time?
I ignored what I was seeing, and proceeded with the ceremony. The priest at
the second level disappeared.
This time, the image had changed. I was seeing myself up there. I wanted to
scream. I closed my eyes and prayed hard. It was my turn to assist the priest for
the communion. I was still praying, with my eyes still closed, and my chin was still
shaking. I just opened my eyes when Father Rolly called my name and told me to
assist him in the altar.
After the mass, the priest asked me why I was not able to attend to him
immediately during the communion. I narrated the story. I knew that he was a
man of faith, and that the Holy Spirit was always at his side for he is a servant of
God. Somehow, I noticed that he was also affected when he heard my story.
I knew that what I saw was really supernatural. The thing that puzzled me
more was the fact that the ghosts came during the time of the mass.
Was it just a test of faith at my early age?
Were the evil spirits tried to sway me away from the strong belief in God that
was taught to me by my parents?

79
 Whatever their intention was, I had proven something. I never gave in even
when they tried seeding fear in my heart. I was glad I was. able to go on with the
ceremony, although I almost wet my pants.
I never ceased serving the church even after I witnessed harrowing moments
when evil spirits attempted to distract people during one of the most sacred
ceremonies.
Instead, I embraced my faith more, which made me stronger as I struggle
with the other trials I encountered for the rest of my life.
The San Augustine Parish Church was renovated over the years.
Until now, I still serve in the church as a lay minister. My eldest son Patrick
also studies on the same elementary school and was also a member of the Knights
of the Altar. He carries the faith and commitment to serve which was passed down
to me by my late parents.
Each time my son and I talk, he would ask me about how I felt when I was
also serving at the church. I told him that nothing was more fulfilling than to
devote time to serve God, even through our own littl~ ways.
Never did he know about the story I had, and I guess he never will, until the
time when his faith will be tested, in any way, as it usually happens to all of us.

30
 The Dog named Rafael
By Judy delos Reyes
¢¢¢

Once there lived a man in one of the barrios in lsabela. He did nothing
but to cause trouble in their place.
Each night. he and his peers would ride on their motorbikes, stroll on the
quiet barrio, and shout senseless words as they carry their bottles of wine.
The guy called Rafael was engaged in several robbery cases during 1960s.
However, most of his friends were influential. He was put to jail but had been
freed because of his connections.
Life was very easy for this happy-go-lucky guy. He would drink hard and
would take cough syrups until he was high.
One time, there had been a big fire in the barrio. A witness said that Rafael
and his group started the fire. The witness was never seen in that place again.
Some of their neighbors said that Rafael could have grown differently, even if
he was the only son, if not for his father's early death. The people respected
Rafael's father.
It was really ironic that Rafael became the exact opposite of his father. He
grew up with a very rude attitude. Since his father's demise, Rafael turned to
friends who abused drugs and who were sons of the most influential families in
their place.
His mother tried to discipline her son but failed. Rafael would ignore her
totally.
It was raining hard one night when Rafael arrived at their house. Her mother
was having a high fever. She was writhing in pain yet delighted to see his son.
"Rafael, where have you been? I'm glad you are here. Please take me to the
hospital. I vomited blood this noon. I can't bear the pain from my lower back, "she
said.
However, Rafael seemed to be deaf and blind. Instead, he tried searching for
dinner.
When he failed to find any food in the kitchen, he became mad. He kicked the
chairs and threw the plates outside the window.

31'
 "What kind of house do we have? We don't even have food for the cats," he
said angrily.
"Rafael, please help me," her mother pleaded.
"Why don't you go on your own? Aren't you old enough?"
"Rafael. please ... I am begging you ... "
"You never even bothered to prepare our dinner. I'll go now and feed myself
in another house," Rafael ended their conversation by throwing a glass on the
floor.
Her mother was crying, gasping for air.
"You are not worthy to live. You don't have a heart even for your own mother
who asked for your help. Curse on you. You will never be in peace. You will search
for your food, but will be ridiculed by the people. Die and suffer eternal damna-
tion!" her ·mother shouted before she totally lost her consciousness.
After few days, the neighbors··were bothered by the foul odor coming from
Rafael's house.
They lamented and pitied the decomposing remains of a helpless woman,
who was still kneeling, with her back leaning on the wall.
Rafael never even knew that her mother had already passed away.
He was nowhere to be found and since there were no other relatives who
attended the wake. the woman was just buried in one of the cemeteries.
Years had gone by, until one day, news spread out in the barrio that Rafael
was killed during a shootout when he and his friends were trying to rob a place.
Since then, the barrio became peaceful. The other members of the group
were held responsible for the felonious acts they have committed. They were all
convicted.
The residents in that place were delighted and lived peacefully, until one
rainy evening.
Mang Jun. a farmer who lived on the nearby town, was on his way home. He
had no umbrella so he needed to run and find a shed for himself.
At last, he saw a shanty, which seemed to be abandoned. He thought he
could stay there so he went to the path leading to the hut.
Before he could get there, the lighting illuminated a shadow that was block-
ing his path.
He tried to approach the shadow.
Once again, a lightning brought a temporary light on Mang Jun's path. This
time, the lightning revealed a figure - a big black dog was looking at Mang Jun.

32
 He estimated that
the beast was more than
five feet in height.
The ears were raised
and the eyes were
burning .. : furious.
"Growwrrr ... " the
dog was ready to attack
him.
Mang Jun ran as
fast as he could that he
left his slippers and never
dared to look back. He
was surprised however,
that the dog never fol-
lowed him.
The incident that
was witnessed by Mang
Jun was followed by the
testimonials coming from
the other people who
passed by the place
where Rafael and his mom used to live.
Each time it was raining hard, a figure of a big black dog can be seen,
walking around the old shanty.
Old folks say that the dog that they are seeing is searching, as if it was trying
to look for its mother to seek for forgiveness, and ask for the renunciation of the
curse that deprived him of eternal peace.

33
 The Mirror
By Rica Fortaleza

***
We were all graduating students from one of the universities in Manila.
We were just waiting for our clearance then since we were already done with our
exams and thesis defense. We were also just waiting for our graduation day to
come.
Having positive thoughts that we would be leaving the college world within
the next few weeks, my peers decided to spend our weekend in the province to
unwind.
"If you want, we could have an adventure. Let's go to my ancestral house in
Mandili, San Miguel," Tin-Tin suggested while drinking her soda.
The group looked at her. "Not bad! That's just in Bulacan right?" Noi replied.
The hometown of Tin-Tin· was just three hours away from Manila. That was
no problem since Jeff, Noi's boyfriend, has a car.
"Then let's prepare our things and then let's just meet here at the campus by
6:00 p.m.," Rita said.
The four of us went to our respective houses that noon to pack the things
needed for the two-day vacation.
I was really thinking, Bulacan was just few kilometers away from Manila. I
even thought that this would be a boring trip because I have been to this province
several times since we have some relatives in Bulacan, too.
Anyway, it was the group's decision. Besides, there was nothing really left for
me to do in the city after the exams.
It was fifteen minutes before 6:00 p.m. when I arrived in our meeting place.
Tin-tin and Rita were already there.
"We will just have to wait for Noi and her charming driver," Rita said.
"Alright. Hmm. So, you brought cool stuff with you, huh Rica?" Tin-tin in-
quired, as she started to feel the things inside my red backpack.
"Cool stuff? I guess. I brought my CD player and some fashion magazines.
I'm afraid there's no radio there," I answered jokingly to my friend.
"So you really think the place is rudimentary, city girl? We have those. Only
that we have AM stations instead of FMs. Hal Hal Hal" Tin-tin laughed while
giving Rita a high-five.
Thirty minutes had gone by.
"Gee, what's keeping the couple late?";Rita asked as she glanced at her
watch.
"I was wondering if they are having some petty quarrels again"
After fifteen more minutes, Noi and Jeff arrived.
"Sorry girls. We're late. Jeff had to do some errand first for his Dad, before he
could borrow the car keys. Anyvvays, we're here now." Noi was really apologetic.
"That's okay. We had some fun figuring out why you two were late," said Rita,
as she carried her bag and went out of the canteen.
We put our things at the compartment of the blue car parked on the left side
of the Commerce building.
It was 7:15 p.m. when we left the campus.
There was a long traffic at the North Expressway. We stayed there for almost
one and a half hours.
There was an accident. A cargo truck lost control and it rammed into one of
the buses. I guess there were some fatalities since there were ambulances and
police in that place. We had second thoughts on proceeding with our trip.
After getting off the jam, we exited through Sta. Rita. We reached the town of
Pulilan, Plaridel, San Rafael, San lldefonso. The place of Tin-tin was quite far from
Manila.
We never ran out of funny stories to tell, just to make ourselves comfortable
with our !eng trip. I glanced at my watch. We were already traveling for more that
three hours.
We reached the place, but we were not done yet with the travel. The car
entered a narrow road. Tin-tin was giving the directions. We were still 7 to 10
kilometers away from their ancestral house.
The narrow road was dark. There were posts but were very few, and distant
from each other. There were just a few houses and all we could make out in the
dark were rice fields.
The group became quiet as if all of us were trying to feel the adventure. It
was thrilling, yet frightening. We did not know what we were doing on a deserted
place.
We were all surprised when Jeff suddenly stepped on the breaks.
"What the ... "

35
 "Sorry ladies. Look ... " Jeff said as he beamed the light on a black cat pass-
ing acros~ our path.
We looked at each other. We all knew what that meant. We were not really
superstitious, but somehow, the sight of a black cat connotes something that is
not good.
"A black cat. .. it means bad luck, isn't it?" Rita was asking.
"Yes. I mean. well, that's the superstitious belief. However, I'm afraid we
don't have a choice now but to proceed. We can't sleep on the road now, can we?"
Tin-tin was trying to calm us though we could feel that she was also afraid.
Jeff started the car once again and we proceeded to Tin-tin's place.
"Patience my friends. we're almost there," Tin-tin remarked.
Finally, we reached their place.
A boy opened the green gate, as Jeff turned the wheel to the left as we enter.
The house was big. It was nice actually and stood out from the other houses in the
barrio.
We noticed the vastness of the garden.
"My grandma loves flowers. You see, she even hired someone to look after her
orchids, eyen if she and grandpa are on a vacation in L.A."
"That's cool. Any1nay, it's already 11:00 p.m.," Rita remarked.
Tin-tin got her message. ".Of course, I already asked our helper to prepare our
dinner. It is really a late dinner. She just went out to buy soft drinks from the sari-
sari store."
The backyard was really wide. However, the light on the post in front of the
gate seemed to be so dim, as one could hardly see who was coming down the
path.
"Where is the comfort room, Tin?" I asked.
"Ah ... come with me"
We all left Jeff on the terrace. He was enjoying the unpolluted air in the
province.
I went out on the terrace after arranging my things inside the guest room.
"You know Rica, this is why I want to live in a place like this after Noi and I
got married," Jeff said, as he closed his eyes.
"Of course. The atmosphere here is really different, right? In the city, the air is
polluted b.ecause of the chlorofluorocarbons from smoke belching vehicles," I re-
plied.
Noi heard us talking so she joined· us in the terrace.
 "What time are we going to eat our dinner? I am hungry and tired. It was a
long travel," Jeff said while holding his tummy.
"Tin-tin just asked the helper to buy soft drinks from the store. The dinner is
ready," Rita answered.
All of a sudden, Jeff pointed someone in the dark as he said, "Thank God. The
helper has arrived. There she is, finally ... "
Noi, Rita, and I saw a lady in white, around 5 feet 4 inches in height. She
passed by the gate. She even smiled to us and she was carrying something. Th~
night concealed her whole image but we were all hungry so we waited for her in
the terrace. The green gate was open.
However, after ten minutes, we were still waiting for her to enter the house.
"Where is she?" Jeff was puzzled.
"Just wait for her ... " Noi said.
Jeff made up his mind. He went out of the terrace and went to the gate
hoping to meet the helper.
"AAHHHHH!!!!" Jeff ran towards us, while gasping for his breath.
"Hey, what's wrong?" we all asked him.
"There was no one there. We all saw a lady rig~t?"
"Yes ... "
"She should be at the fence or at the gate. But she's nowhere to be found.
Instead, I saw the black cat we saw earlier on the road ... it was just there outside
the green gate," Jeff said.
Noi, Rita, and myself were astonished to see Auring, the helper who assisted
us in carrying our things inside the house. She was there at the terrace, and told
us that the dinner was ready.
We narrated everything to Tin-tin. She ignored us though and told us that it
could have been our imagination.
After our dinner, Auring approached the three of us. She told us that she
believes that we really saw someone at the gate.
It was only then when she opened up that she was also seeing ghosts inside
Tin-tin's house. According to her, the lady we saw used to be one of the helpers in
that house many decades ago. She had a 5 year old kid, who was killed when the
boy was ran over by a jeep when he tried saving his pet-a blaCk cat.
We were all horrified about what we heard. The place was really quiet and
yvas certainly a good place for us to spend our vacation. Only that there were
ghosts inside the house. Auring continued, "There is really a white lady in this

87
house. Do you want te know where I see her?"
Nobody answered. Jeff just nodded his head, as if he was waiting for the
young lass to tell us where the ghosts are so that we could stay away from that
area.
"They live in that corner ... " Auring continued, as she pointed out the sofa
where a mirror was located. "They always appear most of the times as a reflection,
especially at 12:00 a.m. I guess they live inside the mirror. Sometimes, the lady
goes out of the glass especialiy if there are visitors in this house. The white lady
who used to be a helper, according to Ate Tin-tin's grandparents, was very helpful.
She died of illness four years after the accident that claimed the life of his little
boy."
After that, something freaky happened. The lights went out. The scent of
candles filled the living room. Noi and Jeff embraced each other, and Rita em-
braceel me. We felt the presence
of someone with us. Tin-tin was
upstairs, preparing the room
where we would all sleep.
Auring left, and told us that
, she would get a candle.
\

The four of us covered our

faces. We did not notice that Jeff
glanced at the mirror!
He shouted "Oh God .. :who
was that? There was a boy ... a
lady in the mirror!"
We all screamed out loud
as the lights went on. Auring
came back rushing to us and
asked Jeff about the figures he
saw at the mirror.
Jeff n~rrated the boy and
the lady, matching the story re-
layed by the helper minutes be-
fore the brownout. We were all
shaking.
Noi and Rita would like to

33
confront Tin-tin, for the latter·forgot to inform us about the ghosts inside their
house. Jeff and I however stopped them. We told them that we should not be
judgmental of our friend who thought of nothing but to be hospitable and give us
a good place to relax.
Perhaps, Tin-tin does not believe in the story as she has not seen one yet.
We were looking at the mirror and we had goose bumps. We looked at the
clock, and it was already quarter to twelve.
Tin-tin went down the stairs and told us that the room where we could sleep
was ready. All of us nodded, but no one really mentioned about the lady we saw at
the gate, the black cat, and the reflections on the mirror.
We had a perfect breakfast and lunch the next day. We were enjoying our
stay that we almost forgot the mystery we experienced the previous night. Each
time we pass by the mirror at the living room, we would be uneasy.
The time had come and we all had to go back to Manila.
The white lady and his little boy with a black cat could have been looking at
us, but I'm sure they would not hurt us. It was frightening and yet, I am sure that
all they wanted to do was to serve us with all their hospitality. At least that was
what I thought, to mitigate the fear I had.
Before we left, I took a picture of the mirror with my phone.
Perhaps, the city life I am used to is really different from the life in the
province. There is no pollution in the ratter and the place not crowded. Rural life
would be more relaxing, I thought. Well, that is if the place where you would live is
free from ghosts.

89
The Poficeman in Quiapo
By Levi Villarzc

***
On an exceptionally hot evening in May, we were having dinner when
Uncle Jeremy arrived. My Morn and Dad invited him to join us but Uncle ignored
them.
"I received a telegram this noon. I am sorry to tell you the news. Our cousin
Jim was shot last night while attempting to foil a robbery try in one of the passen-
ger jeepneys in Ouiapo," he said, while getting a glass of water on the dining
table.
"Oh my God!" my father exclaimed.
"Where is Jim now? Did he survive?" my mother asked.
''He died because of a fatal wound on his chest. He died while being treated
at the hospital," Uncle Jeremy continued.
"Poor Jim ... " my father cried upon hearing the story.
I was only nine 1ears old then. The year was 1985.
Uncle Jim was a member of the Western Police District (WPD). My father told
me that he was the one who brought my mother to the hospital when the latter
was about to give birth to me since dad was out working then. Uncle Jim went to
Manila to study Criminology and later joined the national police force.
Many stories have been told about my uncle though I cannot remember his
face anymore. I was still young when he left our province.
He was very busy with his job so he was not able to visit us each time there
was an occasion. He got married in the city and decided to settle there for good.
Uncle Jim, as described by many, was a brave man.
My father would always tell us that ever since Uncle Jim was young, he
always had a script while playing with his toy guns: "I will get the perpetrators of
the crimes ... I'll put them to jail."
Sometimes, I would just hear some of my relatives saying that, "Na-promote
na naman pa/a ng ranggo si Jim. [Jim was promoted again.]
"I just hope I could have seen Uncle Jim alive and talked to him before he
died," I said to myself, as I went to the bathroom.

90
 My parents and relatives mourned, as they heard the news from Uncle Jer-
emy. Lola.Aning, the mother of Uncle Jim, went inside her room and cried in grief.
"I told Jim before that his job is extremely dangerous. I told him to look for
another job, but he was really. decided to join the police ... "
"I was afraid that this moment would come. Now it happened ... Jim is gone,"
Lola continued, as my father embraced her.
We packed our things since we would be traveling to Manila the following
day.
"Remember, there are a lot of people in Manila. It would be better if you could
just stick around with me or your mother," my father reminded me while I was
eating butong-pakwan inside the bus.
It was a long trip.
I was just awakened when my father told me that we already arrived at the
bus terminal in Manila, so we should start preparing our things.
My mother and my two brothers were already awake, but I was still sleepy.
We boarded off the bus. My Dad was looking after Lola Aning, and my mother
after my younger brothers.
Uncle Jeremy was the one watching me, but he carried our things. The
terminal was located in Std. Cruz, Manila.
So this is the city ... I thought. There were lots of people on the streets. The
sidewalks were filled with vendors.
As I remember, there were those selling cigarettes, peanuts, newspapers ...
There was one vendor on the left side of the street. He was selling toys. One
of those was a train, and the locomotive was moving.
I turned around and changed my direction. Since I was a kid, I got easily
attracted to toys.
Another bus arrived at the terminal. And before I knew it, the new sets of
passengers boarded off the bus. The crowd blocked my path!
It happened very fast. I was supposed to go to the vendor selling the toys
when I realized that my mom, dad, my brothers, as well as my uncle and Lola were
nowhere to be found. I tried running around the station trying to locate them. I was
lost'
My heart started beating faster and I was sweating. If I only listened to my
father, this would not happen to me. I looked everywhere, but instead of seeing the
familiar faces, all I could see were strangers everywhere.
"Dad ... Mom ... Uncle ... " J was calling for them as I made my way into the
crowd. I noticed a man who was sniffing something from a bottle and he was
looking at me. I was already in panic. I felt that my scalp was cold because I was
totally lost in· the crowded place
I started to call my parents and uncle, louder this time. I continued walking
from different directions, hoping to find them.
I was already tired and being a helpless kid on the city, I cried.
When I turned around, I was more frightened because the man who was
sniffing a bottle was already in front of me!
"Are you lost, kid?" the ugly man asked. He was very dirty.
I ran away from him only to find out that he was walking faster. He was
following me.
I knew that he would do something not nice so I tried running away while
calling my dad.
Unfortunately, the traffic 1ight turned green, prompting the cars to move. I
could not cross the street!
I felt a hand on my shoulder'
I was already crying. I know who he was. The man who was running after me
got me this time.
"Where do you think you are going, young man?" the voice asked me.
I turned around, slowly, hoping that the traffic lights would turn red. I was
surprised. Instead of the person I was expecting, I saw a man wearing a blue
uniform. He was smiling.
"Oh ... are you a policeman?" I asked the man.
"Yes I am. I've noticed that you are running away from someone ... "
"I was lost, Sir. We arrived from the province. I was with my parents, grand-
mother, uncle, and two younger brothers. I was lost when I tried going after a man
who was selling toys," I explained.
"Haven't you received any instructions that it is dangerous for a kid like you
to stay away from your parents in the busy streets of Manila?"
"Actually I was instructed· by my Dad· but it happened very fast. I got lost as
I headed towards a different direction. We just went here to attend the wake of my
Uncle Jim. He was a policeman just like you ... "
"Oh, you mean SP01 Jimmy Villaruz?"
"That's right. Do you know my uncle?"
Instead of answering, the policeman brought me to a canteen and bought
something for me to eat. He told me that he felt sorry for my uncle. He knows
Uncle Jim, for they were classmates before. Uncle Jim was assigned in Ouiapo,
while he was assigned in Sta, Cruz, Avenida. He said that next time, I should be
careful.
"I guess your parents are already looking for you. I will drop you off to the
place whe.re your Uncle Jim's body lies. I know where it is because we were at his
wake last night."
We just walked, until we _reached a street. The house was filled with lights.
"There you go, kid ... that's the house of your uncle. Oops ... before going
there, remember to be good, huh?" the policeman told me, while smiling broadly.
He held my shoulders and made me face the house that was just few steps
away from us.
"Just go directly to the house right there. Your Mom and Dad could have been
waiting for you. You should be careful next time so that you would not get lost on
a very crowded place ... take care'"
"Thanks! Policemen are really good. I wish I would be like you, like Uncle Jim
when I grew. Would you like to meet my parents?" I asked as I turned my back
again to invite the officer to come inside only to find out that he was already gone.
I entered through the door. My dad shouted, while my mother cried as she
embraced me.
"Good Lord, where have you been?" my Dad can't believe I was there.
"We .already reported to the Police Station that you were lost and they are
looking for you," my mother said.
"Maybe that is the reason why someone has responded so quickly," I told my
mother.
"What do you mean that they responded quickly? Did any of them find you?
If they did, then how come they never even dropped by inside," my father was
wondering who really brought me home.
I told them about the policeman who helped me, who happens to be a class-
mate of Uncle Jim.
"He helped me from the man who was running after me. He was really kind
and generous. He even brought me to a canteen and bought me sandwich and a
drink. I invited him to come inside but. .. " I was not yet finish with my stories
when I was distracted when I glanced at the picture frames on the wall.
I saw a familiar face but I could not figure exactly who he was.
Like any ordinary kid, I did not have the courage to look at a dead relative's
face especially if he was killed by gunshots.
 However, something was playing on my mind. I knew something spooky was
going on.
I took a deep breath, gathered enough courage, and then asked my Dad to
bring me nearer the coffin.
I would like to see the face of my uncle.
My father hesitated, as he asked me if I am sure about this. I said yes, I would
like to see Uncle Jim for the last time because as my father narrated, he even
brought my mother to the hospital, before she gave birth to me.
My Dad carried me in front of the white coffin, my eyes were closed.
One ... two ... three!
I opened my eyes slowly.
Nobody believed me that day when I told them that the policeman who
helped me find my way home was none other than Uncle Jim.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Superstition
"She is superstitious ... black cats and a voodoo doll ... I see, a premoni-
tion ... " This is from a Ricky Martin song which was such a big hit around the
world.
But what do we really know about superstition?
Superstition can be defined as an excessive reverence or fear. It is an igno-
rant and irrational adherence .in supernatural agency since this is a belief about
something that is absurd and has no evidence.
Superstitious beliefs have been a part of every race's culture. This is despite
the fact that we are said to be living in a modern world with technological break-
throughs left and right.
What are these beliefs? Could they really serve as a guide for everybody to
have a better life?
Please check if you know some of the famous superstitions in the Filipino
culture.
 When Building a House
The number of the stairway must be odd. Otherwise, anyone who would
climb the stairs would fall accidentally.
Money must be placed at least on one of the walls. This would make the
residents wealthy.
Never build a house when the wife is pregnant for the child inside the
belly woutd die.

In Times of Illness
If someone is sick, remove his or her earrings to lessen up the suffering.
Never take a bath during a wake because you will get sick the next day.
Put a dead rodent on the shoes of a person who was suffering from
asthma since the rodent would absorb the illness.

For Pregnancy and Marriage

A pregnant woman should not pass under a Tamarind tree. Otherwise,
the tree will wilt.
A newly wed couple should not enter their new house without rice, sugar,
and salt. Otherwise, their married life would not be blessed.
During the wedding, the veil should not be placed, even accidentally, on
the head of the groom. Otherwise, the guy would always take the wife's lead for
the rest of their married life.
A pregnant woman should not pass through a rope to avoid miscarriage.
If the candle on the side of the groom melted first during the wedding
ceremony, he would die ahead of the wife, and vice-versa.

About Life
If a black cat came across your path, go to a different direction because
something bad would happen.
Never take a bath during a Good Friday.
Never borrow nor lend money at night.
Never use the broom at night.
If you break a mirror, something bad would happen.
 Death of a Person
Three persons should not have their photograph taken together. One
would die.
Never clean the house if there's a wake. Otherwise, another member of
the family would die.
Never ride on any vehicle that has a number 13.
The memories of the past flash back to a person before he dies.
If someone sees that the person is without a head even if alive, that
person would die that day.
If there is a funeral passing in front of your house, try to wake up any
sleeping member of your family. Otherwise, someone from your family would die.
The coffin should not hit any part of the house at the day of the burial. If
this happens, another relative would die.
A black butterfly inside the house is a manifestation Df one of the rela-
tives who died.
Things that are precious to the departed relative must be thrown or be
included io the burial. If not, the dead person would come back to get his or her
things.
If there were dogs hqwling at night, some would die.
If a dog digs the ground in daytime, someone would pass away.
If the rooster makes noises at night, no one should go out the next day
because something bad might happen.
The person who just died stays on earth for 40 days.
If you lost a tooth in your dream, one of your relative·s would die.
The children should wear something red when there is a wake. If not, the
ghost of the dead family member would approach the children.
Cover your wound if you attend a wake. If not, the wound would be
infected.

SEE YOU IN BOOK 2!