08: House of Aunt Aura (Part 2)

~𖥔☾𖤓☽𖥔~

TALAGANG HINAHAMON AKO ni Alfa. Puwes, hindi ko siya uurungan.

Hindi pinayagang makapag-undertime si Joshua Trinidad. Kaya pag-uwi niya na may dalang pagkain ay inaya na niya kaming tatlo nina Holland at Dani na sabayan ang pamilya niya para sa isang maagang hapunan.

We were thankful for the treat and didn't want to turn down his kindness, so we added a few foods to dinner and ate with them.

Pagkatapos ng hapunan ay naghanda na kaming lahat para sa exorcism. There was no doubt the house was haunted. Alfa didn't even try to deny my feeling that something strange was plaguing the property and its owners. The real challenge, though, was figuring out what was causing it all, and how to make it stop.

Iyon ang hamon na ibinigay sa akin ni Alfa kaya hindi ko siya uurungan. Akala niya ha! Girl scout ata ako!

Nagulat si Holland nang hugutin ko mula sa likurang compartment ng sasakyan namin ang isa pang bag na hindi niya namalayang isinilid ko kanina.

“Para saan ‘yan, Ate?” he asked as he helped me carry it.

“I managed to borrow a few things from our parents' massive collection of exorcism items.”

“Nagpaalam ka ba kina Mama?”

“Of course, I did!” giit ko pa.

“Pumayag ba?”

“I'm a real exorcist now. This thing is a standard operating procedure, and these items really come in handy,” I reasoned out as we headed back inside the house.

“But that's not what I asked.”

Pagbalik namin ay agad kong inihanda ang mga paraphernalia na kakailanganin ko sa paghahanap ng source ng lahat ng mga kababalaghan sa bahay na ‘to.

Inilabas ko ang isang garapon ng asin at binuksan iyon saka ibinuhos iyon pabilog sa sahig. Pumuwesto ako at naupo sa gitna saka ko kinuha ang lighter at ang blessed incense sticks sa bag. Sinindihan ko rin kaagad ang mga iyon at ipinikit ang aking mga mata upang mag-concentrate.

Now that I'm already an exorcist, I have to utilize all the knowledge and training I received from my parents.

I closed my eyes and focused on what I wanted, which was to find the source of the hauntings. After a few minutes, I blew out the incense then opened my eyes and relied on my third eye to guide me in seeing the smoke's direction.

I stood up and followed the incense smoke as it drifted. Everyone else followed suit, and we all halted before the wall with its faded and tattered wallpaper bearing Joshua's scratch marks from the second night of haunting. The smoke vanished at that exact spot.

“Ito na ba ‘yon?” Dani asked.

“That I wasn't sure until we found what was inside.” Nilingon ko muna ang kapatid bago ako nagpatuloy, “Can you break it?”

“Gaano ba kalakas ang dapat kong ibigay? Iyong sobrang lakas ba na matitibag itong buong pader? O iyong sakto lang para sa isang butas?” tanong naman niya pabalik.

“Kahit ano, basta huwag mo lang sirain iyong buong bahay.”

“Okay, Ate!” aniya at hinanda na ang kanyang kamao saka winasak ang buong pader na iyon.

Tumunog nang malakas nang matibag iyon subalit ang mas nakapagpagulat sa aming lahat ay hindi ang lakas ni Holland kundi ang tatlong kalansay na nandoon. The tattered remains of dresses clung to the skeletons revealed their identities: these were Joshua's Tiya Aura and her daughters, apparently murdered and sealed within these walls.

“Dalawang babae po ba ang anak ng Tiya Aura niyo?” I asked Sir Joshua.

Though clearly still in shock from our discovery, he nodded in response to my question.

Out of the blue, Alfa asked, “How many of Aura's family members have lived here before?” I was taken aback but felt compelled to relay the question to Joshua, who was unaware of Alfa's presence.

“Ilang miyembro po ba ng pamilya mayro’n ang Tiya Aura niyo na nakatira rito noon bago po sila maglaho?”

“Apat. Si Tiya, ang dalawang babaeng anak niya, at ang kinakasama nitong si Tiyo Omel.”

“So, totoo ngang sinasaniban siya?” I asked Alfa, almost under my breath. “Your Tiya Aura might have wanted you to find their remains.”

“Pero... pero bakit pati iyong aso namin, gagalawin niya?” pabulong na tanong din ni Sir Joshua sa akin upang hindi siya marinig ng kanyang mga anak.

“She didn't kill your dog. She saved him,” ani Alfa.

He looked at Sir Joshua, then back at me, with a nod that suggested I should relay the message.

“She saved your dog and didn't kill him,” I repeated and glanced at Alfa again.

Hello, I need more explanation here, you know!

Mukhang nabasa naman niya agad ang iniisip ko. He instructed me to, “No questions. Just relay to them everything I'm about to tell you.”

Tumango naman ako at sinimulan nang ibahagi sa mga kasama ko ang paliwanag ni Alfa. Ginamit niya ako bilang spokesperson niya dahil nga hindi siya nakikita ng iba.

“It was your Tiya Aura who possessed your body. She used it to locate the remains of her daughters, as is evident on the wall.”

“Pero bakit pati sa bakuran, naghukay din siya? Ganoon din si Papa noong gabing namatay siya!” Sir Joshua pointed out. “Bakit?”

“Your aunt didn't mean you any harm by possessing you. She simply wanted to find her family so they could finally rest. As for the digging in your backyard, she was searching for another body,” I repeated Alfa's words.

“She was looking for the culprit whom she believed was buried there. You said there were four in her family, right? She was looking for her live-in partner, the one who possessed your mother and was responsible for your parents' deaths.”

Natigilan si Sir Joshua sa narinig. Maging ako man ay nagulat din dahil hindi ko alam iyon. Sinusunod ko lang lahat ng sabihin ni Alfa sa akin. But he knew about it.

“N-Naguguluhan ako. Anong... anong ibig mong sabihin?”

Lilingunin ko na sana si Alfa para sa sagot subalit hinawakan niya ang mga balikat ko upang pigilan ako. Naramdaman ko na lamang na inilapit niya sa tenga ko ang mga labi niya upang ibulong ang mga kasagutan sa tanong ng ginoo.

“That Omel [bastard] killed your Aunt Aura's entire family. Even as a [fucking] soul, he continued his killing spree to prevent your aunt's soul from finding his [fucking] remains and bringing his wrathful soul to rest. He's also the one who [fucking] drowned your dog,” I repeated Alfa's words, minus the profanities.

Hindi naman masyadong palamura si Alfa. Hindi ko ma-explain pero pakiramdam ko ay talagang inaasar niya lang ako.

Nagulat na lang akong muli nang maramdaman kong pumadausdos ang kamay ni Alfa mula sa braso ko papunta sa may palapulsuhan ko.

Nakuha ko kaagad ang gustong gawin ni Alfa pero kasabay nang pagtanggal ko sa pulseras ko ay ang malakas na kalabog sa sahig na sinundan naman ng mga sigawan...

~𖥔☾𖤓☽𖥔~

A VIOLENT FORCE suddenly threw Joshua's second daughter, Holly, to the floor. Her screams echoed as she was dragged toward the kitchen.

Kumaripas naman ng takbo ang kanyang ama at ina kasama ni Holland upang habulin ito. Subalit kaagad na sumara nang malakas ang pinto ng kusina pagkalabas nang nagsisisigaw nilang anak sa madilim na bakuran.

Sinubukan ng padre de pamilya na buksan ang pinto subalit nabigo ito kahit na sa makailang ulit nito.

“Ako na po.” Holland stepped in and broke the door open with his superhuman strength.

But before they could rush to Holly's rescue, someone incredibly fast sped past them.

“Ate Hon—” Holland attempted to call his sister’s name, but he stopped mid-sentence as she glanced at him, and her double-pupiled eyes became visible.

It was not her sister anymore. Alfa had already taken control.

"Keep everyone safe inside. I'll take care of this," she told Holland, who immediately grabbed Joshua's arm and retreated into the house.

Sa gitna nang madilim at mahamog na bakuran, huminto si Alfa. Holly suddenly emerged from behind him while wielding an axe.  It wasn't a shock to Alfa that such a small and young girl could wield such power. His spirit vision revealed she was possessed by the vengeful spirit of Omel.

He swiftly dodged the attack and pushed her, which sent her staggering backward. Alfa straightened Honolu's blazer and stepped forward fearlessly. The spirit, sensing his presence, immediately recoiled and fled to its haunting ground—the lake in the backyard.

Just before disappearing beneath the surface of the lake, Alfa caught a glimpse of the vengeful eyes of the spirit possessing Holly. He knew what it was doing. It was drowning its current host, just as it had with the others before her, just as it had with Joshua's mother.

Mabilis na kumilos si Alfa at pinalitaw ang kanyang katana, ang Kurikara. Lumapit siya sa dulo ng boardwalk. He raised his katana. Moonlight shone on the blade, and it glowed blue.

"By God's grace, I send you to rest in His loving arms!" Alfa chanted. He then struck the lake's surface with the Kurikara to bless and cleanse it.

The Kurikara's light radiated through the rippling water that night. All the souls trapped in the lake, including Joshua's mother, were freed. Even the vengeful spirit of the screaming Omel was released. But because of his countless evil deeds and murders, he was beyond redemption. He didn't ascend like the others. He simply vanished, which was a clear sign that he had been sent to a place even demons feared—hell.

Nang maglaho ang kulay asul na ilaw sa lawa ay naglaho na rin ang Kurikara na hawak ni Alfa kanina. Kaagad naman siyang tumalon sa tubig saka sinagip si Holly. He brought her to the surface and performed CPR to resuscitate her.

Nang mapaubo ang bata ng tubig ay saka pa lamang nakahinga nang maluwag si Alfa. Humupa na rin ang mga hamog sa paligid ng bakuran at lawa. Nanumbalik na ang lahat sa dati kaya hinayaan na ni Holland na lumabas ang Pamilya Trinidad upang lapitan at saklolohan si Holly.

Alfa also saw the souls of Aura and her two daughters appear behind the family. The mother smiled gratefully at him, and he responded with a silent nod.

Before ascending to their rest, Aura showed Alfa a vision of the past, specifically the day of their murder and disappearance.

That night, Aura discovered Omel sexually assaulting her daughters, resulting in the eldest becoming pregnant. She confronted him at dinner. Instead of remorse or apology, he turned violent. Her daughters, crying, tried to help her fight him off, but they were no match for his strength.  He killed them all.

To conceal his crime, he walled up their bodies. He spent the entire night cementing the wall, then covered it with wallpaper to hide the evidence.

Later, he thought he saw a figure in the backyard. Paranoid that his murders had been discovered, he chased the figure from the house and into the lake with an axe in hand.

Masyadong madilim at mahamog din doon sa bandang iyon. Dahilan upang mahirap si Omel sa paghahanap ng kung sinuman iyon. He swung his axe wildly and frantically, as if his sanity was slipping away. Guilt and fear of the consequences of his actions overwhelmed him and clouded
his judgment. The truth was, no one had witnessed the murders that night. His mind was simply conjuring the images because his guilt wouldn't let him rest.

Then, he slipped from the wet boardwalk, his head hitting the axe before he fell into the lake, which later on became his haunting ground.

Ibinunyag din nito kung sino ang sumapi sa Papa ni Joshua at kay Joshua noong unang linggo ng paglipat nila sa bahay—it was Aura. Gusto ng kaluluwa niyang hindi rin matahimik na tapusin na ang kasamaan ni Omel kahit na sa kabilang buhay. Kaya siya naghuhukay sa bakuran ay dahil hinahanap niya ang bangkay ng kanyang killer. She didn't know that his body was in the lake.

Nang mabigo siyang hanapin ito ay sinaniban niyang muli si Joshua sa sumunod na linggo at sinubukang mag-iwan ng bakas sa mismong pader kung saan nakahimlay ang mga bangkay nila ng kanyang mga anak at nang sa ganoon ay tuluyan na siyang mamayapa.

Sa pangatlong linggo ay doon niya nasaksihan kung paano binuksan ng kaluluwa ni Omel ang pintuan ng kusina at  nilinlang ang aso ng Pamilya Trinidad saka ito nilunod sa lawa.

Kaagad na sinaniban ni Aura si Joshua upang iligtas ang aso nito subalit pagsagip niya rito ay huli na ang lahat. Nang lumabas siya sa katawan ng pamangkin ay kaagad nitong napansin ang basang-basa at wala nang buhay na alaga sa kanyang mga bisig. Nahabag si Aura habang pinagmamasdan ang pamangkin na yakap-yakap ang aso at umiiyak. Katulad na katulad ito ng gabing namatay din ang kanyang kapatid na si April na sinaniban naman ni Omel.

Hindi maiwasan ni Aura na sisihin ang sarili niya sa lahat ng mga trahedyang nangyari sa buhay ng kanyang nag-iisang pamangkin na si Joshua.

Kaya sa huling bahagi ng bisyon na nakita ni Alfa ay nakisuyo si Aura sa primordial being na ihingi siya ng tawad sa kanyang pamangkin para sa lahat ng mga nangyari. Muli rin siyang nagpasalamat sa tulong nito. Pagkatapos no'n ay nilapitan na niya ang mga anak na nakangiti habang naghihintay na sa kanya. Hinawakan niya ang mga ito sa mga kamay at saka sabay na silang naglakad palayo hanggang sa tuluyan na silang naglaho upang mamayapa.

Nang makaalis na ang mga kaluluwang nananahan sa haunted property na iyon ay  alam ni Alfa na tapos na ang trabaho niya. Binagsak niya ang basang katawan ni Honolu sa lupa saka pumikit at lumabas na roon. Kaagad naman nilapitan ni Holland ang kanyang kapatid na mahimbing nang natutulog saka ito binuhat.

Dani, who had called for backup and a cleanup crew, arrived in the backyard with the supernatural crime division team. They began retrieving the corpses from the lake. The property was now cleansed and no longer haunted, thanks to Alfa and Honolu.

Successful ang naging unang misyon ni Agent Honolu Magalona.

⭑𖤓☽| 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 |☾𖤓⭑

NAPAKUNOT NG NOO si Holland na nagsusuklay ng buhok ni Shannon paglapag ko ng pink kong maleta sa may sala namin. Kahit si Mama ay ganoon din ang reaksyon. Nandoon silang lahat at nanonood ng palabas sa telebisyon.

“Ano ‘yan?” he asked.

“Mga gamit ko para sa susunod nating field,” sagot ko naman.

“Ate, tatlong araw lang tayo roon. Pero bakit pang-sampung araw iyang dala mo?”

“Mabuti nang handa. Nand‘yan lahat ng mga kailangan ko mula sa skincare hanggang sa exorcism items—este important items. May dala rin akong medicine kit, extra batteries, extra towels. Actually, may dala akong ekstra ng lahat in case of emergency...” ang paliwanag ko.

“Sana dinala mo na lang ‘yong buong bahay natin, anak. Nahiya ka pa,” ani Mama na nagpahagikhik naman kay Papa.

“Oy, teka, Ma! Saan mo dadalhin ‘yan?”

Hinabol ko si Mama na ngayon ay bitbit na pabalik ng kwarto ko ang maleta ko.

“Ako na ang mag-iimpake para sa ‘yo. Hay naku! Ano na lang ang gagawin niyo kapag nawala ako?”

Pagkatapos akong tulungan ni Mama na mag-impake nang angkop lang sa tatlong araw naming field ay naging isang duffel bag at backpack na lamang ang malaking maleta ko kanina. Bumaba na rin siya upang kumustahin naman si Holland.

I remained in my room, waiting for Alfa to return from wherever he'd gone. Nang marinig ko ang yapak ng mga paa niya ay kaagad kong inangat ang ulo ko mula sa pagkakasubsob sa bedside table ko saka tumayo at nilapitan siya dala-dala iyong meryendang ginawa ko. Naupo na rin ako sa tabi niya sa sofa.

“Mango graham cake. Ginawa ko,” I smilingly offered.

Tiningnan niya saglit iyong platitong naglalaman no’n bago kinuha sa akin. I know he couldn't resist it, just like all the other home-cooked meals.

Hindi niya nga lang ginalaw agad iyon na siyang ipinagtaka ko naman.

“Bakit? May problema ba?”

“Why are you doing all this?” he asked, his gaze fixed on the plate. “I'm a spirit residing within you. You don't need to go out of your way and be so accommodating. I already benefit from this arrangement. You're my host, after all.”

“And I owe you my life. Not only do you constantly protect me, but you also reveal wonders I would never have seen otherwise if I hadn't met you,” ang sagot ko naman sa kanya.

He looked at me this time. I also smiled at him while saying, “Hayaan mo akong bumawi sa ‘yo sa paraang alam at kaya ko. Let me take care of you.”

Hindi niya ako sinagot. Nanatili lang siyang nakatitig sa akin sa kabila ng salaming namamagitan sa mga mata namin. Kinuha ko ang maliit na kutsara sa platito niya. I scooped a piece of the mango graham cake and gently guided it towards his mouth. Mabuti na lang talaga at binuksan niya rin ang bibig niya saka sinubo ang inaalok ko.

“Masarap ba?” excited na tanong ko sa kanya.

Nilunok niya muna ang nasa bibig bago sumagot ng, “I think all mango graham cakes taste the same.”

“Mas masarap kaya ‘yong sa akin,” giit ko pa sa kanya.

“If you say so.”

Kinuha naman niya sa akin ang kutsara bago nilantakan nang tuluyan ang meryendang ginawa ko. Napangiti naman ako nang marinig ang huling ibinulong niya.

“By the way... thank you.”

°˖ 𔓘 𝓛𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓪 𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓸 𔓘 ˖°

Please vote and comment your thoughts. It will help me a lot. Thank you!