Gael Pascual's eyebrows met as he read about the case of Ethan Rodriguez's death. The case had been closed that day, and the police still hadn't caught the culprit after all this time. He shrugged and continued scrolling through his Facebook feed, but his mind was occupied by the case, so he put down his phone. The case had happened seven years ago, and in that time, there had been no leads; the murderer left no trace, making it difficult for the police to investigate. He couldn't deny the pang of sadness he felt. He knew the man mentioned in the news headline very well.
Justice was all Ethan’s family wanted, but it was deprived of them. Various difficulties in tracing the killer, no DNA left at the crime scene, and no leads available had all contributed to the failures of the investigation. It wasn’t the first murder case in their Sitio, but it was the first brutal murder that no one could imagine. For seven years, people from his hometown started seeing shadows lurking in the darkness, at the entrance of the forest. Rumors spread that Ethan was making his presence felt because justice hadn't been served.
It had been almost seven years since Gael last went home to Sitio Tanglaw, his province. He had been living in Manila City for seven years; he studied there and, after graduating, worked for an American firm as a civil engineer. Besides being an engineer, he was also an internationally published author. He didn’t know why Ethan Rodriguez's case caught his attention earlier. He heaved profoundly.
He missed his mom and dad, promising himself that he would visit their graves first when he went home. His dad died when he was fifteen due to cardiac arrest, and his mom died when he was eighteen. He shrugged his shoulders. He despised allowing past memories to flash in his mind. His memories were painful, and he wanted them to stay in the past.
Gael was an only child. His mom had a ovary condition that prevented her from having more children. It was difficult for Gael not having siblings, but over time, he learned to accept it. It was fate, and there was nothing he could do about it. That’s why he treated his best friend, Matteo, like a brother. Leaving Sitio Tanglaw seven years ago wasn’t easy for him, nor was leaving his best friend. But eventually, he got used to it. For those eight years, he and Matteo had no communication. He didn’t know if Matteo was angry with him.
When he tried to search for Matteo on social media, not a single account appeared. How strange. He was very close to Matteo, having been classmates from elementary to high school and always sitting next to each other. Matteo often slept over at his house. He had no idea what Matteo was doing for work or how his life was. Gael was excited to reunite with Matteo. They were still best friends, and he was sure that the eight years of separation would feel like only a day when they rebuilt their memories.
Gael was startled when someone suddenly knocked on his room door. He lived in a condominium. “Wait,” he said, thinking the person outside could hear him. He checked his wristwatch; it was almost past nine in the evening. He thought it might be Xinc and Eir inviting him out.
“H-hey…” He smiled when he opened the door wide but was disappointed. No one was outside the door. “Damn,” he muttered softly. But he was sure it was Eir and Xinc, or they had pranked him. If it was a prank, where did the two hide? If it wasn’t them, who the hell knocked on his door loudly three times? He shook his head and closed the door.
He checked his phone and was about to message Eir and Xinc, but he noticed Eir's story; he and Xinc were at a bar. He was even more shocked when a glass fell and shattered in the kitchen. He suddenly pulled out his gun and held it firmly, concluding that someone had entered his room—a thief or a criminal. But he assured himself he wouldn’t pull the trigger unless the target attacked him. However, it was not a thief or a criminal he had imagined; what he found in the kitchen was a stray black cat.
But his attention was caught by a shadow on the curtain. That part of the room was dark. It was a figure, its face a realm of darkness, standing as if staring at him. But when he rubbed his eyes, that part was empty. He released a deep sigh. It was his first time seeing things distorted from reality in that room. Was there something eerie about that room? If so, why was it only making itself known now?
“The sick ghost trying to play an overacting role because it knows I’ll soon leave this room for a month.” Gael chuckled. “Have some ghost decency, silly ghost.” He dropped himself on the couch. He felt tired and hungry. He had just finished his duty. He wanted to open his laptop and finish his fifth mystery novel, but his body was too exhausted, so he fell asleep instead.