[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Chapter 13:
At a time when many, including Jett and Khem, were filled with faith in Master Pharan, a whisper could be heard from two young men standing at the front.
“I think the villagers are just being superstitious.”
“Right, like any ordinary person could summon rain.” ‘Kornkan’ replied, with ‘Pondit’ nodding in agreement. This was their reaction after seeing the villagers almost bowing to the man in a white shirt leading the ceremony, believing the rain was due to mere coincidence.
Both were first-year engineering students who had ended up joining the volunteer club because their preferred clubs were full. They weren't really enthusiastic about participating in this event, but they were worried about not meeting the activity points criteria in the future, and also wanted to experience a trip out of town, so they reluctantly agreed.
Upon hearing this, Jett's eyebrows furrowed sharply. Khem, who heard the same, quickly grabbed his friend's sleeve, tugging to prevent Jett from saying or doing anything, as the ceremony was still in progress.
Chan, standing quietly beside Khe, couldn't help but furrow his brows as he looked towards the two people. He himself had a rather agnostic view on religious matters. Although he had some experience, he wouldn't believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes, yet he never disrespected or spoke out in a way that made others feel uncomfortable, unlike what those two were doing.
People don't necessarily have to say everything they think, but they should think before they speak...
Jett could only seethe internally because there was nothing he could do except remember the faces of the two men in front of him. Next time if he hears them say anything offensive, he won't just stand by.
Pharan was invited by the village chief to watch the traditional dance performance accompanied by local music inside a tent, seated on a long wooden chair reserved for the chief of the ceremony. Before the performance, one of his students brought a clean cloth for him to wipe his face.
Once the performance ended, Pharan prepared to walk back home, but someone half-walked, half-ran, pushing a bicycle alongside him.
“Uh, Master, your bicycle, sir.” Khem spoke kindly, with beads of sweat on his face, fearing he might get scolded.
Pharan looked at Khem for a moment, then his gaze went over the young man's head, spotting Jett hiding behind a mango tree, using his friend as a scapegoat. Although he felt annoyed, he kept it to himself, planning to deal with it later.
Pharan placed his hand on one of the bike handles, causing Khem to let go and step back.
“What are you guys planning to do next?”
Khem, who had been looking down in fear, immediately looked up at the master, surprised he wasn't scolded and was instead being asked a question.
“Uh, after we finish installing the water purifier, the village chief will take us to plant trees in the forest, and then we'll go to the waterfall, sir.”
Pharan slightly frowned at the mention of the waterfall; this village indeed had a small one, about five hundred meters north into the forest.
At this time of year, the water wasn't swift or deep enough to be dangerous, making it possible to play safely, but with Khem, who knows...
He considered forbidding him from playing in the water but was afraid it might cause an unnecessary fuss. Pharan sighed softly, pushed down the bike stand with his foot, and said...
“Give me your arm.” Khem blinked once before quickly extending his arm to Master Pharan. The other man took a thread from his shirt pocket, tied it around Khem's wrist, and mumbled some incantations that Khem couldn't understand. Then he tapped Khem's wrist and blew on it softly.
Master Pharan's actions shocked Khem so much he almost fainted, his face growing so hot it felt like it would burn.
“Don't let it come off.” Master Pharan said with a calm voice after raising his head, and Khem felt fortunate that Master Pharan was wearing sunglasses. Otherwise, he would have seen how red his face had become.
“Yes, understood, thank you, Master.” Khem said with a bow. Master Pharan then let go of his arm and turned to mount his bicycle, cycling back to his home, leaving behind the warmth at Khem's wrist, which he absentmindedly touched while his light brown eyes followed Master Pharan until he was out of sight.
The village chief had brought the volunteer club students to plant trees in the forest because the students wanted photos of their activities to post on the university's page to promote their club. They also wanted to visit a nearby waterfall.
Seeing that the kids had worked hard for two full days and needed a break, the village chief reluctantly agreed to take them, despite not wanting to go into the forest during this time.
The volunteer students worked with zeal to finish planting the trees quickly, eager to head to the waterfall sooner rather than later, as the later it got, the less time they would have to enjoy. Except for Jett, who was already tired of playing.
It took less than an hour to finish planting. The village chief led the students deeper into the forest, about three hundred meters further. Soon they encountered a small waterfall, about waist-deep and ten meters wide, cascading from the mountain through the forest.
But before letting the students play in the water, the village chief lit incense to ask for forgiveness from the forest spirits, to prevent any disturbance or unintentional disrespect.
The villagers here had been taught from their ancestors that every part of this forest has its guardians, and one cannot do as they please without regard.
“Man, even for playing in the water, they have to light incense and pray.” Kornkan's voice remarked to Pondit, shaking his head in disgust.
“I don't know why these villagers are so blindly believing in things science can't prove. None of what they do makes any sense.” Pondit laughed under his breath, nodding in agreement.
Yet, it was Jett, Khem, and Chan who once again overheard this conversation.
However, before Jett could take a step, Chan moved in first to speak with Kornkan and Pondit.
This time, Khem didn't think to stop Jett because what those two had said was too harsh, even for him who was much calmer than Jett.
“Both of you should watch what you say. How do you think people who believe feel when they hear you talk like this?” Kornkan and Pondit, feeling embarrassed after being scolded like that, one of them even pushed Chan's chest in response.
“Who are you to lecture us, you glasses-wearing nerd? Want to get hurt? I'm already in a bad mood.” Kornkan said aggressively, but Jett stepped in front of Chan with an even more confrontational stance, pushing the other back. Khem, unable to intervene in time, could only follow and stand nearby.
“Whoever I am, it doesn't matter. You two have filthy mouths. Who could stand by and not say anything?” Kornkan nearly threw a punch at Jett's face, but Pondit held him back.
“You, you are the son of...” Hearing this, Kornkan gritted his teeth in anger but didn't dare do anything to Jett and stormed off in frustration.
Khem sighed with relief as the situation ended peacefully, without the violence he initially feared.
“Let's go clean ourselves up.” Chan said calmly after looking at his own dirt-stained hands, then started walking away. Khem tugged at Jett's shirt to stop him from glaring after Kornkan and Pondit, and Jett reluctantly followed Chan without his usual hostility.
After cleaning up, Jett and Chan stood on a large rock above a waterfall stream, watching Khe playing in the water with a girl named Phraemai. One seemed to have played until bored, the other never liked such childish activities, despite knowing how to swim.
Jett standing there watching over Khem wasn't unusual, but for Chan, who had only recently met them, it felt odd to share Jett's concern for Khem without any apparent reason, and Chan wasn't even trying to figure out why anymore.
“Thanks for earlier.” Jett said quickly, almost too fast for anyone to catch, causing Chan to turn and look at him, asking for clarification.
“What?” Jett frowned in irritation but repeated himself slowly and clearly, “I said, thank you.” Chan blinked once.
“I must have misheard, could you say that again?” Jett nodded and then kicked Chan into the water without warning.
Chan, not expecting this from Jett, fell into the water unprepared.
Thump!
“You deserve it for annoying me!”
“Hey! Chan!” Khem, seeing the incident, quickly swam over, and Phraemai, who also witnessed it, followed to check if their friend, who lived in the same house, was okay. Phraemai had met Chan when they both joined the club, but they weren't particularly close; they only started talking more frequently when they came here.
Hearing Khem's voice, Chan slowly stood up, his wet black t-shirt clinging to his body, revealing his abdominal muscles clearly. He brushed back his now disheveled, water-soaked hair that was once neat. His sharp, dark brown eyes narrowed slightly before he turned to Khem and said,
“I'm fine, Khem, please continue playing in the water.” Khem slapped his forehead in frustration.
“Chan, that's Phraemai. We're over here!” Phraemai, momentarily stunned by Chan's appearance without his thick glasses, quickly came back to her senses and burst out laughing.
“Oh my, are you short-sighted or just blind, Chan!” She exclaimed.
“Sorry, uh, where did my glasses go?” Chan tried to dive back into the water to look for his glasses. Seeing this, Khem put his hands on his hips in anger, pointing at Jett who was standing on a rock, and shouted an order,
“Jett, get down here and take responsibility right now!”
At first, Jett seemed reluctant to help search for Chan's glasses, but Khem chased him down and dragged him into the water, so he ended up helping look for the glasses anyway.
“Found it!” Phraemai, who was several meters away, shouted. Luckily, the glasses had floated to a crevice in the rocks and hadn't been swept further away. She quickly swam over to retrieve and return them to Chan.
Chan put his glasses on immediately, even though they were wet, but it was better than not having them at all.
“Thank you very much.”
“No problem, I'm off now, see you later.” Phraemai said before waving goodbye to Jett, Khem, and Chan, as another female friend called her to come out of the water.
Khem gently patted his friends on the shoulder to stop them from glaring at each other.
“Let’s stick together, the three of us.”
On the other side, Kornkan, Pondit, and another male friend named Tejathon, who had been close friends since middle school but went to different university faculties, approached the village chief who was waiting for the students to finish their water activities under a banyan tree. It was now time to head back.
“Village chief, I heard there’s a viewpoint up there. Can we go up and take some photos?” Kornkan asked, pointing towards the forest on the opposite side of the waterfall where steps had been cleared for climbing the mountain.
He had learned about this from Tejathon, who heard it from Phraemai, his girlfriend, but he lacked the courage to ask the village chief himself. Kornkan, being the bravest among them, took the initiative, partly because he also wanted to enjoy the view from the top.
However, the village chief shook his head, quickly denying the request.
“No way, young man. It's getting late. Better we all head back to the village." The village chief didn't provide the real reason for not allowing them up there, fearing it might scare them or they might think he was making up stories. He simply walked away to gather the students from the water.
Kornkan frowned in frustration, compounded by his earlier altercation with the likes of Jett. He was now even more irritated.
“Seriously, what's the big deal about just sitting up there?” Pondit was equally annoyed. Tejathon sighed in disappointment.
“I say, let's sneak up there anyway. The path isn't that complicated, we'll be back fine.” Kornkan proposed. The three hadn't gone into the water because they didn't want to get wet, so they weren't enjoying themselves like the others. They wanted to do something they liked before returning to Bangkok the next day. Otherwise, it would feel like they hadn't really been there.
“Yeah, count me in. What about you, Te?” Pondit asked Tejathon, who thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. Seeing his friends ready to join, Kornkan smirked with satisfaction.
“Great, I won't let you guys down.”
Back in the village, Kornkan arranged to meet Pondit and Tejathon at a wooden pavilion near the forest edge, a place not frequented at night. Each brought their backpacks and lanterns. Fortunately, they were staying in different homes, so they had told their hosts they would be sleeping over at a friend's place, confident they wouldn't be caught.
“Hey, Prae.” Pondit greeted Phraemai as she walked over with Tejathon, though it looked like she wasn't too keen on coming. Phraemai smiled awkwardly before greeting Pondit and Kornkan somewhat reluctantly.
“Hi, Korn, hello, Poon.” Kornkan nodded in acknowledgment. Having Phraemai here was good; if they got caught tomorrow, they'd have company for the scolding.
Phraemai didn't want to come because she was afraid of the dark and the unseen, but she couldn't resist her boyfriend's insistence. She and Techathorn had been dating for five months, and since she was the one who pursued him, she didn't want to upset him. She was willing to compromise for the person she liked a lot.
However, Phraemai didn't particularly like her boyfriend's two friends; both were troublemakers who often didn't listen to others, frequently got into fights, and liked to drag her boyfriend to bars, even introducing him to other women. Despite this, her boyfriend always returned to his room on time and never cheated on her, as per his friends' teasing.
Once everyone was there, Kornkan spoke up,
“Shall we go?” Pondit nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, lead the way.”
Kornkan used a lantern to guide everyone along the path he remembered. When they reached the waterfall, they crossed a wooden bridge to the other side, then climbed a set of stairs leading up, as Phraemai had mentioned there was a viewpoint not too far away.
But Phraemai hadn't expected to be taken to see the view at night like this.
Suddenly, she had an uneasy feeling.
“Te, I want to go back.” Phraemai said with a trembling voice. Tejathon didn't want to give in to his girlfriend's wish, not wanting to upset his other two friends.
“Why go back, Prae? We've come this far. Don't be scared, I'll hold your hand all the way.” Techathorn said. Phraemai bit her lip, and seeing Kornkan and Pondit look back at her with annoyed expressions, she was too scared to say anything more and quietly followed the three of them.
Finally, they reached the viewpoint, which was a flat area with a large rock jutting out from the cliff, well fenced with wooden railings to prevent falls. It seemed like this spot was frequently visited because there were no weeds or undergrowth, making it look neat.
Above all, the air here was much fresher than below, and looking down, you could see the village still brightly lit. The cool breeze gently blew, and the sky was full of stars, a rare sight in the urban areas of the city.
“Damn, this is how it should be.” Kornkan said with a proud smile, feeling justified in convincing his friends to come up here.
“Yeah. You three set up the tents, I'll start the fire.” Pondit said cheerfully, equally pleased. Phraemai, seeing that things weren't as bad as she had feared, felt reassured and went along with them. Soon, three tents were set up, and the fire was lit. All four sat around the campfire; Phraemai boiled water on the small stove she brought to cook instant noodles. Meanwhile, Tejathon took out his acoustic guitar to play and sing happily.
Kornkan raised his hand in a mock salute, then opened his bag and placed what he had prepared on the ground for everyone to see.
“Holy crap, Kornkan, you actually brought it?”
“Heck yeah, would I miss out?”
What Kornkan laid out were over ten cans of beer. He had bought them and stashed them in his backpack back at the rest stop, anticipating that the staff would check bags for illegal items, including alcohol, before boarding the tour bus.
Pondit burst out laughing.
“True to form, Kornkan, your life revolves around booze. You carry it everywhere.”
“Talk too much and you won't get any.”
“Hey, I was just kidding, give me one.” Pondit then distributed the cans to everyone except Phraemai, who wasn't much of a drinker and was worried about getting drunk and falling off the cliff, so she politely declined.
After finishing his first can, Kornkan habitually tossed the empty can off the cliff, which furrowed Phraemai's brows because she didn't approve of such crude behavior, but she didn't dare to say anything. She quickly picked up the can Tejathon had discarded and put it in a trash bag, fearing he might follow his friend's example.
Time passed leisurely as they relaxed until Kornkan stood up, announcing he needed to pee. Pondit and Tejathon, having consumed several cans themselves, felt the same and followed him. This left Phraemai alone by the nearly extinguished fire.
But several minutes passed, and neither her boyfriend nor his two friends returned, and the firewood they had brought was all used up. Not daring to go alone to fetch more wood, she got up and walked in the direction where the three had disappeared.
“Te, Korn, Poon, do you hear me, Phraemai!” Phraemai called out in a rather loud voice, but there was no response from anyone.
Phraemai started to feel disheartened. She lifted her lantern, looking around, seeing only trees of various sizes. But as she looked, her imagination conjured faces peering out from the darkness.
The darkness and silence gnawed at her mind until she could hardly stand it. Phraemai's mind was in turmoil as fear took root, her delicate face covered in sweat from the pressure, yet her concern for her boyfriend and the others still outweighed her fear. She forced herself to take short steps deeper into the forest to find the three of them.
“Te, can you hear me, please answer me.”
“…”
“Te, don't play around like this with me, I'm really scared, Te.” The deeper she went, the quieter it got, and Phraemai began to cry. She thought they might have left her alone up here, perhaps everyone else had gone back down.
Fear, disappointment, and anger mixed together in her heart until she burst into tears, thinking that if she made it back and found them, she would slap each one for daring to do this to her, and she would break up with her boyfriend.
Ding
Suddenly, Phraemai heard a sound like a bell from behind. With hope that her boyfriend had stopped teasing, she turned around immediately.
But what she saw was not Tejathon, Kornkan, or Pondit. Instead, it was a woman in a vibrant red Thai dress, her face pale with dark veins spread across it, her eyes completely white without pupils, her lips a dark purple, open wide as she screamed at her,
“Get out!!!”
Chapter 14:
When the light revealed something she did not want to see, Phraemai, in her utmost fright, threw the lantern away and ran for her life, not caring what lay ahead, only knowing she couldn't stay there for even a second longer.
The sound of the Thai-dressed woman in red repeatedly echoing in her ears: “Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave!”
“AAAAHHHHHH!” Phraemai's scream echoed through the forest, startling the birds into flight from their nests. Simultaneously, Pharan, who was meditating with his eyes closed in a room lit by candles, opened his eyes abruptly.
It was almost midnight. While the villagers were asleep, suddenly there was crying and loud banging coming from one of the houses.
Bang bang bang!
“Open the door! Please open the door! Help! Help! Sob!” Chan, who was sleeping in a room near the door, was startled. The voice he heard now sounded a lot like Phraemai's. Realizing this, he quickly got up to check the situation and found that Uncle-Chai, Auntie-Kaew, and Mint, Phraemai's close friend, were also rushing out of their rooms to the front door.
Knock knock knock!
“Mint, Chan, Auntie-Kaew, Uncle-Chai, help me!” Uncle-Chai, who tried to sense if it was a ghost or some other entity, realized it was truly Phraemai, not an apparition, and quickly opened the door.
“Prae!” Mint's eyes widened, and she rushed out to meet her friend. Chan was fully alert when he saw Phraemai's condition, as if she had just run through a battlefield, covered in mud, her hair disheveled, her usually sweet face marred by tears and scratches, with bits of wood and leaves stuck to her clothes.
“Help! Help! I'm scared! Help!” Phraemai, her hands clasped in a pleading gesture to Mint, cried out as she slumped to the ground, shaking her head in a panic. Auntie-Kaew and Uncle-Chai exchanged concerned glances.
This wasn't the first time they had seen someone in such a state, but they were curious about what had caused it.
“Scared! Scared! Sob!”
“Prae, calm down, try to gather yourself. What happened!?” Mint knelt down to hug Phraemai, asking gently.
The more she was asked what happened, the more the previous events replayed in Phraemai's mind, despite her attempts to forget. The image of the woman in the red Thai dress and her shrill voice still echoed in her head. The overwhelming fear caused Phraemai's eyes to roll back, her lips to twist, and her limbs to stiffen and convulse.
“Prae!!” Mint cried out in shock upon seeing her friend's condition, starting to weep out of fear.
“Oh no.” Uncle Chai exclaimed, along with several villagers and students who had come out to see what was happening. Once almost everyone had gathered, the host of Kornkan, Lah, spoke in the local Isan dialect, looking around immediately.
“AiTud, I heard that my student said he was going to sleep at your place. Where is he now?” Tud shook his head.
“No, he's not at my house. My kid also said he was going to sleep at your place.”
“Yeah, that's what mine said too.” Mek added. Hearing this, the village chief's face tensed up, a vein popping out on his temple.
“I think they sneaked into the forest to have fun. They told me they wanted to go up, but I didn't allow it; they must have not listened. This girl probably went with them.” Mint, understanding the local dialect, quickly nodded in agreement, wiping away tears.
“Yes, Prae told me she was going to sleep with Te, the one staying at Uncle Tud's house, but I didn't know they would sneak into the forest. If I had known, I would have stopped her.”
“village chief, can you take Prae to see a doctor? I'll fill up the gas.” The club president said with concern, knowing if something serious happened to Phraemai, it would become a big issue.
However, many villagers, including the village chief, shook their heads.
“By the time we get to the hospital, your friend might be dead. Besides, doctors can't help with this; only a shaman can.” The village chief said. Chai then nodded quickly, instructing his wife to bring out their sidecar motorcycle from the garage. Madam Kaew hurried to comply, as they would take this child to see Master Pharan.
“Come on, let's carry Prae up.”
When Madam-Kaew brought out the sidecar motorcycle, Chan, who was nearby, helped lift Phraemai onto the bike, with Mint holding her close. They all got on.
Chai started the motorcycle, letting his wife ride behind, and before driving off, he turned to tell the village chief,
“Village chief, go get Grandma-Si, take her to the master's house. This ghost girl is MaeYing, the master won't handle this himself.”
“Alright, alright, go go.” The village chief agreed and quickly headed towards Grandma-Si's house. Meanwhile, Chai drove the motorcycle with Phraemai towards Pharan's house. At that moment, someone else brought a pickup truck, and the students, too worried to go back to sleep, hopped on to follow the villagers.
The president of the volunteer club wasn't confident in Pharan's father's abilities at all. He didn't even know the man, but what the villagers said made some sense. The hospital was nearly a hundred kilometers away from the village, and without preliminary treatment now, she might not make it there in time.
“What should we do, Kit? Should we call her parents?” Som, a fellow staff member, asked. Kit, the club president, quickly shook his head.
“Let's not call yet. It's too late. Let's wait and see. The master might really be able to help.” Som bit her lip, hoping Kit was right, before they both followed the others to another truck heading to Pharan's house.
At that moment, the lights around Pharan's house were already on, as if anticipating the arrival of many people. Jett, sensing something was amiss, woke Khem from his sleep, and they went to find the master at the central ceremony area. They saw Pharan lighting incense and candles, paying respects to the Triple Gem, so they quickly crawled in to pay their respects as well.
Ekk and Thong stood waiting at the bottom of the house stairs, some noticed, some didn't. Soon, Phraemai was carried up by Chan, followed by Mint, Uncle-Chai, and Auntie-Kaew, along with nearly all the villagers and students present.
“Prae!” Khem couldn't help but shout, trying to get up to go see his friend, but was held back by Jett.
“Don't go near her.” Khem swallowed hard, sat back down next to Jett, but kept watching intently as Chan laid Phraemai down in front of the master, who was seated higher up, following Uncle-Chai's instructions, then sat back next to Khem.
“Chan, what happened?” Khem asked with a pale face, but Chan shook his head, having not understood the villagers' earlier conversation, so he just reported what he had seen.
“I'm not sure, but it looks like Phraemai went into the forest, and when she came back, she was like this.” Khem turned even paler. Jett, upon hearing this, could only think 'Oh no' repeatedly in his mind.
“Master, it seems this young lady and three other guys sneaked into the forest, but only she came back, and in this state.” Chai explained with his hands clasped to Master Pharan. They had brought her to see the Master first because the forest was still dangerous. It wasn't safe to go in carelessly, so they came to consult Master Pharan on what to do next.
Master Pharan looked at Phraemai, who was still twitching, and spoke calmly,
“It's good they let her return.”
The students, who had gathered in the house until it was packed, exchanged looks upon hearing this. Some, observing Phraemai's condition combined with Master's words, got goosebumps and rubbed their arms.
“Where's Grandma Si?” Master Pharan asked Chai. Before Chai could answer, Grandma Si walked into the house with a white shoulder bag and a bamboo container of sticky rice, followed by the village chief. Grandma Si sat down and raised her hands over her head to pay respects to Master Pharan, who was younger than her. Master Pharan, in return, clasped his hands in respect as he always did when meeting her.
Master Pharan considered Grandma Si as a senior relative because she was friends with his grandfather. When he was young, Grandma Si had helped raise him when his grandfather was out working. His grandfather was a shaman, and Grandma Si was a soul healer, the best in the village.
“Master, how should we proceed? Can we go up the mountain? If we don't call back her spirit, it might get worse.” Grandma Si said, having prepared everything necessary for the ritual after hearing from the village chief, ready to act if Master Pharan gave the go-ahead.
Master Pharan nodded, replying in the same dialect but with a softer tone,
“We can go. It's fine. Take many people with you to help find the other three children.”
Grandma Si raised her hands over her head once before looking around.
“Anyone close to this young lady, come with me, I'll perform the soul-calling ritual to bring her spirit back.”
The soul-calling ceremony, also known as the spirit-fetching ritual, is an ancient rite among the Isan people. It's believed to cure ailments caused by accidents or shocking events that might cause someone to lose consciousness, like Phraemai.
Mint, who had just finished crying, quickly raised her hand and crawled towards Grandma-Si. Then, the village chief explained the current situation to the students. The atmosphere grew tenser when they learned that three of their club members were missing.
“Right now, the forest is quite dangerous. I'm looking for men who are confident they have strong luck, born on Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Sunday. We're going into the forest to look for your three friends. We might be searching all night until noon.”
One of the male students raised his hand, puzzled.
“Why before noon?” The village chief hesitated, not wanting to answer, but had to tell the truth.
“If we haven't found them by noon, it means they're dead.”
A collective gulp could be heard from the back, fear and anxiety gripping the students. The club president, born on a Tuesday, quickly crawled towards the village chief to join them first, not wanting to delay any longer, followed closely by the other nine men.
Khem, seeing there were few volunteers, stood up to join, but the master was quicker. He swung a cane through the air in front of Khem, startling him back into his seat. Jett and Chan were startled as well.
The master's stern gaze seemed to tell Khem not to get involved, suggesting he would likely be more of a burden than help, as had been the case before.
Realizing this, Khem sat back down, looking dejected. Jett understood both the master's and his friend's feelings but could say nothing, only patting Khem's back to comfort him.
“You know why he can't go, and you...why aren't you going?” Pharan glanced at Jett, who was born on a Sunday and known to be quite tough-minded.
Jett quickly clasped his hands together, lying, but Pharan knew it immediately from just a look.
“Who will look after you and Khem if I go?” Jett gave a cheeky smile; the truth was he just didn't want to help. Those guys had loose tongues, they deserved whatever was coming to them!
Pharan frowned at Jett, seemingly aware of his thoughts, then turned to another bespectacled boy sitting next to Khem.
“And you, why aren't you going?” His sharp eyes locked onto the eyes of the boy, who looked slightly astonished.
Chan was born on a Wednesday night, which according to the village chief's rules, could have implications, but he was hesitant about whether to go or not. On one hand, he was worried about Phraemai, who was his housemate, especially since Mint had gone with Grandma Si. On the other hand, he also wanted to help search for the missing three.
Right now, Chan felt like a child caught hiding something by an adult, so he started to stand up to follow the village chief and the others.
However, Jett reached around Khem to pull Chan's shirt, making him sit back down.
“Master, Chan is very nearsighted and also very clumsy. If he loses his glasses in the forest, he'll just be a burden to others.” Jett said. In truth, he just didn't want Chan to go help find those three, especially since Chan shouldn't be the one to go out of his way to help them.
Master Pharan immediately sensed that Jett had issues with the group of missing kids, which explained his reaction. He was surprised that Jett had made a new friend and was now preventing this friend from helping others. This kind of extreme loyalty and dislike was something Jett had exhibited since childhood. Master Pharan sighed and nodded, not wanting to prolong the discussion.
“There's nothing more to do here. Uncle Chai, have someone take the rest back to rest. Lock the doors well, and don't go out until morning.” Uncle Chai acknowledged the order with a bow before passing it on to another student who had brought a pickup truck, to take the rest back home to wait for news, making sure to emphasize Master Pharan's instructions.
Soon, only a few people were left in the house. Master Pharan closed his eyes to meditate, sending his spirit out to check on Grandma Si's situation. From afar, he saw several lanterns slowly moving up the mountain.
Once Grandma Si reached the destination with help, she saw the scattered remains of civilization. Her heart sank, realizing why the three children were taken, but she knew she couldn't do much; this was beyond the capabilities of a soul healer like her.
Grandma Si took out her equipment from her shoulder bag: a banana, a boiled egg, a ball of sticky rice, and a garland of jasmine flowers, arranging them on a plate and lighting a candle, placing it near the extinguished campfire.
“Come, spirit.” Grandma Si said before opening the bamboo container of sticky rice, now containing Phraemai's personal items like a face cloth, a compact of powder, and lipstick, which Mint had run to get from the house. Grandma Si lifted the container and made motions as if scooping the spirit from the air, all while calling for Phraemai's spirit to return.
“Come on, Phraemai, do not stay among the crows in the fallow fields, do not stay among the chickens in the rice paddies, do not linger in the wide wilderness that is not home, come back, come back to our home.”
When Grandma-Si called out, Mint, who was kneeling nearby with her hands clasped, also helped in calling.
“Come back to me, Prae, I'll take you home to your parents.” This time, not only the village chief, but also the villagers and the male student friends started calling out. Something tried to approach the rice basket, but Grandma-Si quickly closed the lid. She frowned and shooed it away:
“Go away! I didn't call for you, leave, leave!”
The master opened his eyes at that moment, looking down at the piece of paper someone had given him with Phraemai's real name and surname written on it. He clasped his hands together and chanted incantations to ward off forest spirits, preventing them from scaring away the soul and taking its place.
“Buddhang, Vantami, Dhammang, Vantami, Sanghang, Vantami, by the power of the Triple Gem, please dispel the forest spirits, do not let them near, and call back the spirit of Phraemai, so that she may return home safe and sound.”
Not long after, Grandma-Si opened the lid of the sticky rice basket, scooped something out, and quickly closed it, then said loudly:
“She's back, Phraemai is back, let's go home.”
Chapter 15:
Uncle-Chai's sidecar motorcycle, driven by a villager who was asked by the village chief to bring Grandma-Si and Mint, stopped next to the stairs of Pharan's large Thai house. Then, Grandma-Si and Mint hurried up to the central area for the ceremony.
Pharan opened his eyes from meditation, and upon seeing Grandma-Si and Mint return, Jett, Khem, and Chan all sighed in relief, watching Phraemai who was still convulsing with her eyes rolled back, hoping for her recovery.
“She's back, Phraemai is back.” Grandma-Si announced before placing the sticky rice basket beside Phraemai. With her age-worn hands, she opened the lid, took out a sacred thread and tied it around Phraemai's wrist, all while chanting:
“Spirit of Phraemai, come back and enter the body, come to peace, come to happiness, come to purity, come to health, come to prosperity, come to serenity, come to be with the body.”
At that moment, Master Pharan saw a faint white smoke emerging from the bamboo container and entering Phraemai's mouth, causing his eyebrows to relax.
Phraemai had truly returned.
“Buddha protects, Dhamma protects, Sangha protects, do not wander, stay with this body, so be it.” Once Grandma Si finished chanting, the body that had been convulsing relaxed, the eyes that had rolled back returned to their proper position, and the twisted mouth returned to normal. Soon, her eyelids gently closed, her breathing became steady.
Khem couldn't help but smile with relief. Mint, on the other hand, wiped her tears, her skepticism about such matters instantly transformed.
Then Grandma Si called for those present to come and tie the sacred thread around Phraemai's wrist to welcome her spirit back. Master Pharan was the first to do so, followed by Uncle Chai, Auntie Kaew, Mint, Khem, Jett, and Chan in order of seniority.
Once Phraemai's situation was resolved peacefully, Master Pharan instructed everyone to return home to rest, except for Uncle Chai and Jett, who had to stay to assist him. Tonight, Master Pharan would perform an out-of-body spirit journey, leaving his physical body behind, and the house needed someone to watch over it, ensuring no disturbance.
Chan carried Phraemai down from Master Pharan's house as he had brought her up, following Grandma Si and Auntie Kaew, with Mint bringing up the rear.
Chan's sharp eyes turned to Khem before he said,
“You should also stay at Auntie Kaew's house.” Jett was left with his mouth agape, while Khem blinked, not understanding.
But thinking back to the recent events, Khem realized he would only be in the way here and wouldn't be able to help Master Pharan. He stood up with a bowed head and followed Chan.
“Master, why do you need to send Khem away to sleep elsewhere?” Jett asked with a furrowed brow, not understanding. Master Pharan, accused by his student, took a switch and tapped him on the head.
“Ow.” Jett mumbled, rubbing his head.
“And why do you want him to stay awake here with you?” The reason was simple. If Khem stayed here, he wouldn't leave his friends to sleep alone in his room, and with less rest, his body would be weak, making it easier for his spirit to leave his body.
Jett gave a sheepish grin and quickly raised his hands above his head in apology, misunderstanding Pharan.
“Ha ha, I forgot, sorry, Master.”
Then Pharan began meditating to enter a trance, with Uncle-Chai by his side to keep the oil lamp filled and ensure the candle didn't go out. Meanwhile, Jett went downstairs, untying the sacred thread and winding it around the fence of the house, then went into the kitchen under the house to make black coffee and grab some snacks, intending to stay vigilant against any wandering spirits entering the area, confirming he wouldn't sleep that night as the master had implied.
That night, Auntie-Kaew arranged for everyone to sleep together in the central hall of the house, separating the genders, with Auntie-Kaew herself sitting close by, sorting grains while keeping watch, with a lamp providing light.
Khem lay down next to Chan, his mind replaying the image of the master lifting the cane as if to strike, along with the stern look the master gave him, and being chased out of the house. These thoughts kept running through his head, causing his eyes to well up uncontrollably.
Khem couldn't understand why he felt so hurt by what the master did, even though the master hadn't done anything wrong; on the contrary, the master was right.
The more he thought, the more his heart ached until tears started to flow. Khem cried quietly by himself until he fell asleep.
At around three in the morning, Khem woke up groggily when he felt someone walk past him. Looking closely, he saw Phraemai heading towards the door to go outside.
“Prae!” Khem called out, but she didn't even turn around. Seeing this, he quickly got up and shook Chan, but Chan wouldn't wake up. He then crawled to wake Mint, but she, too, was deeply asleep. Auntie-Kaew was no longer there.
Khem was scared for himself, but he couldn't let Phraemai go out alone. He put on his shoes and ran after her.
“Prae, wait for me!” Khem tried calling out, but Phraemai seemed deaf to his voice, walking as if in a trance. Khem understood this well because he had sleepwalked almost to the point of jumping off a balcony himself. The only thing to do was to catch up to her and grab her.
“Prae!” But even as he ran, it seemed like Phraemai was still far ahead, disappearing into the forest.
Khem stopped in his tracks, looking around frantically, trying to wake Chan who wouldn't stir. All the villagers who could have helped had already gone up the mountain. Running to Master Pharan or Jett was too far, and Khem was afraid Phraemai might disappear for good this time. He decided to run after her into the forest.
Chan turned over, the light from the lantern flickering before his eyes, forcing him awake. But instead of seeing Khem's small head, he saw only emptiness beside him, and next to that, Phraemai's face, still fast asleep next to Mint.
Rising, he reached for his glasses, the clarity confirming Khem was gone.
“Auntie Kaew, have you seen Khem?” Chan asked Auntie Kaew, who was still sorting grains nearby.
“Oh, he's sleeping...Wait!” Madam Kaew was about to say that Khem was right next to Chan, but upon looking again, he was not there.
At that moment, Mek and the head of the search team were performing a ceremony, asking for forgiveness from the spirits of the land and forest to help clear the path, open their ears to hear, and their eyes to see, so they could bring the children back home.
Master Pharan sent out eight spirits in all directions to trace the children, but there was no sign of them.
While lighting incense and candles, suddenly a strong wind blew, making it impossible to light them. Everyone quickly knelt, hands clasped in prayer.
Master Pharan, observing from afar, shook his head and sighed.
It seemed like the other side which had taken Phraemai friends wasn't willing to give them up easily...
Even the students, who weren't afraid of ghosts, found themselves looking around nervously, as this was an experience they had never encountered.
Master Pharan decided to unite all eight spirits into one, soaring towards the peak of Mount Kheri, passing through the dense forest until reaching the deepest, untouched part where there appeared a medium-sized cave behind a waterfall.
The spirit in the form of a person walked through the waterfall's veil into the cave. Pharan had always been aware of the presence here, acknowledging the existence of something within, but he had never thought to disturb it.
However, this situation could not be avoided. He had to ask for help.
Pharan stopped in his tracks when he reached the end of a long pool with no further path. He bowed down on the stone floor and addressed what was observing him:
“O spirits of the land, the forest, and the mountains, if I, Pharan, Reuangdej, have inadvertently offended you in body, speech, or mind, whether intentionally or not, please forgive me.” Pharan bowed once more, then stood up and continued,
“Today, I am troubled and come to seek your help. Please show mercy and grant my request. If my merit is insufficient, I am willing to leave peacefully.”
Suddenly, the cave lit up with the light from countless fireflies, illuminating everything clearly. Pharan heard something moving through the water, approaching him. The shadow on the cave wall took the shape of a large serpent.
A black snake emerged from the water, lifting its head about two meters high, its amber eyes looking down at the young man who was bowing below. It spoke in a deep voice through the mind:
“If your merit wasn't enough, you wouldn't have made it here.” Pharan bowed in acknowledgment. The snake, named “Phuchong.” continued,
“You're here because of those three kids, right?” Pharan nodded, then looked up at the giant serpent leaning closer, peering into its large amber eyes, and he saw the sequence of events from when the three kids entered the forest.
From speaking disrespectfully, challenging, spitting, littering, making loud noises, to even urinating on a tree inhabited by a tree spirit without any apology or request for forgiveness.
It was as if it was explaining to Pharan why those children had disappeared.
“After this, I will make them atone for their actions, just release them...while they still breathe.” Phuchong observed Pharan, who met its gaze without fear, daring to bargain for the lives of those who had wronged. Puchong memories from hundreds of years ago resurfaced at this man's habits.
This man’s nature remains unchanged throughout his life.
Phuchong straightened up and retreated into the water until its head were level, then it said:
“I can make the spirit of the Takian Nang release those kids, but they must ordain as monks for at least six vassa (monastic years), live by the eight precepts for life. If they don't do this, I will retrieve them, and they'll become wandering forest spirits, never to be reborn.” Master Pharan bowed again in gratitude, but he froze when he heard the next sentence, before the other entity sank back into the water. The fireflies slowly dimmed, but the previous words still echoed.
“But I can only release three. You'll have to find the way for the last one yourself.”
Master Pharan's spirit returned to his physical body, his sharp, dark eyes opening instantly. At the same moment, Jett and another boy, Chan, ran up the stairs, and then crawled to clasp their hands in prayer to him with faces full of panic.
“Father, Khem has disappeared!” The words hit Master Pharan like a heavy object on his head, especially after hearing from Chan that Khem vanished without anyone noticing. Even Auntie Kaew, who was awake watching, hadn't seen when Khem left, which only added to his frustration.
The last words from the guardian spirit indicated that it was not involved in this matter and couldn't help further, suggesting that Khem's disappearance was due to his own personal karma.
“Uncle Chai, go help the village chief and the students. Tell everyone the children are still alive, keep searching; they'll be found.”
“Yes, Master.” Uncle Chai bowed in acknowledgment and hurried out, knowing there was nothing more he could do here.
After Uncle Chai left, Master Pharan turned to Jett and Chan.
“You two keep an eye on the candles and lanterns, don't let them go out. If I'm not back in an hour, light one incense stick to call me.” Jett immediately bowed in agreement. Though Chan was still confused, he also bowed to accept the instruction.
Master Pharan closed his eyes, recalling when he had entered the dimension of a vengeful spirit named Ramphueng. He concentrated on the memory and feeling of that time to find his way back into that dimension.
After a long search, he finally entered, but he could only reach the ancient Thai house's boat dock in this dimension, unable to go further.
What Master Pharan saw now were signs of a lightning strike; the dock area where he stood was covered with black burn marks, and several trees around the house had fallen, their branches breaking through the roof.
The lightning event from the previous night must have affected Madam Ramphueng's dimension as well.
Pharan could sense that the spirit of Madam-Ramphueng was hiding within this Thai house, as her spirit must have been injured, and thus, she had been quiet, not causing any disturbances outside for a while.
However, Khem's spirit was not here...
So where could he have gone?
Khem didn't know when he had lost consciousness, but he woke up in a bedroom that felt oddly familiar.
“Wake up, Khem?” The speaker was a tall man in a khaki uniform, with a handsome face and a voice that sounded strangely familiar, causing Khem to furrow his brow and back away as the man stepped closer.
“Who are you?” The man in front of him let out a soft laugh, but his dark eyes lacked any humor, before he sat down on the bed and leaned in close to Khem.
“We haven't seen each other in many nights, have you forgotten me?” Khem looked into the man's eyes, trying to dredge up a fading memory.
Haven't seen each other in many nights, huh...
“Take a good look at this house, Khem.” As Khem did so, he noticed that everything around him was from an old era, like a set from a Thai period drama from the 1980s he had once watched, with wooden walls that had an eggshell color...
Khem's eyes widened, and he quickly turned back to look at the man in front of him.
“You, are you the person from my dreams?” Chayot nodded, then took Khem's hand into his own.
“Khem, stay here with me, I'll take care of you from now on, okay?”
Khem pulled his hand back and shook his head vigorously.
“No way. If I stay here, that means I'm dead. I don't want to die yet.” Khem's refusal caused Chayot's expression to darken.
“When will you stop rejecting me, Khem? When will you start looking back at me!” Khem startled, quickly retreating as the man's face, which had looked normal, began to turn pale and then greenish.
Chayot slowly crawled onto the bed, bringing his now horrifying face closer to Khem, speaking with a chilling voice that Khem had heard before.
“I've cherished and protected you for centuries, do you think I'd let someone else have you? Dream on!” Khem felt like he was being electrocuted and cried out in fear before jumping off the bed and dashing out of the room, hoping to escape the house, praying to wake up from this nightmare.
“Where do you think you're going!” Chayot's voice echoed through the house. When Khem turned around, he was so shocked his legs nearly gave out.
The sight was of a man in khaki clothes with a grotesquely twisted body, as if all his bones were broken, blood everywhere, his skull caved in, neck bent against his shoulder, using his seemingly lifeless legs to chase after Khem with alarming speed.
Khem turned back and ran down the stairs, but he tripped on the last step, twisting his ankle. The pain felt real, not like it was from a dream. Despite the pain making it impossible to walk, Khem still chose to crawl away, crying silently.
The door that was left ajar was suddenly slammed shut with a loud 'bang'. Khem, whose hopes were crushed, stared wide-eyed before the closed door was replaced by the sight of the twisted, khaki-clad legs.
Khem immediately looked down, not wanting to see, fear consuming every bit of his being until he could barely breathe. He curled up, hugging himself and crying without sound.
Chayot knelt down and leaned in, just a moment away from embracing Khem.
However, someone's hand reached out, grabbed Chayot's hair tightly, and pulled him back.
What appeared before Khem was the face of Pharan, glaring at him with such anger that his black eyes seemed to shrink.