“Magandang gabi po, Kapitan Mario! [Good evening, Captain Mario!]!”

Appearing in the living room was the Captain of the Barangay, Mario. Mario was a man in his 40s with a short but stumpy body size. He has a pronounced jawline outlined by a thick beard.

His lips were darkened, implying the man was a heavy smoker. The scattered grey hair on his head, and the heavy bags under his eyes, suggested that he had been stressed in recent days.

He was just wearing regular house clothing, sporting a fit tank top that made his already mountainous tummy bigger, and boxer shorts that revealed his hairy leg.

“Mang Ed, how’s the investigation going?” Mario uttered. The depth of his voice carried heaviness and exasperation. You could feel the exhaustion in his body by just listening to him talk.

“We already have a primary suspect for the animal killings. But there are still mysteries that we need to investigate thoroughly,” Eddy answered. “That’s why we need to ask your son a few questions.”

“Just do whatever you need to do,” Mario uttered as he took another puff from his cigarette.

Shortly after, Geraldine went downstairs.

“Just wait for Michael, ha. He’s dressing himself,” She said to the visitors.

She then looked at her husband with a stern face, “Mario! How many times should I tell you not to smoke inside the house!?”

“Oh, come on. I haven’t had a good rest for the whole week. Just let me have this one,” Mario replied with a weary voice.

“The smoke is filling up the room, Mario. At least have some consideration for your visitors!”

“Ah - eh! It’s okay, Mrs. Geraldine! We don’t mind,” Melchor said.

“Hmm, see?” Mario uttered with a slight shoulder shrug.

“Tch! Just don’t forget to spray air fresheners later. The smell of your cigarette might stick to the curtains.”

“Okay, okay, Geez…”

Geraldine walked out of the scene.

Mario let out a deep sigh. “And that, kids, is why marriage is such a drag. If you reach this point of married life, you’ll realize it’s more of a burden than a blessing,” he said half-heartedly.

“You’re right, Kapitan,” Melchor replied with a tense laugh.

Finally, Michael went down from the 2nd Floor.

Michael was a young man almost the same age as Triggs. His physical features were a combination of his mother and father.

Like his mother, Michael has fair clear skin, slightly lighter than the average Filipino complexion. His facial features were like that of Mario’s, less the beard and the signs of stress and oldness.

But unlike his father, Michael has an average height, a well-rounded healthy body, and a fresh-looking demeanor. He was sporting a faded clean-cut hairstyle, wearing a normal T-shirt and maong shorts.

“Wow, I didn’t expect him to be this good-looking,” Cassie mumbled when he saw Michael.

Arriving with a modest stance, Michael’s little gestures couldn’t hide the nervousness he was feeling. He sat on a nearby chair as he greeted the visitors.

“Magandang gabi po sa inyo [Good evening to all of you],” he uttered with a humble tone. His voice was also deep like his father's, but it had a youthful undertone.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

“Good evening, Michael,” Eddy greeted back. “I believe your mother already told you why we came here.”

“Yes po. Just tell me how I can help you.”

“Just tell us what happened to you in the forest. If you can narrate as detailed as possible, it would be better.”

“O-okay po!” Michael paused for a second, as he tried to settle his anxiousness so he could narrate clearly.

His narration started,

“It happened last week when I went to the forest. I always go there for a stroll because my grandma and I used to do it when she was alive. I was so stressed back then so I decided to unwind.

I went to the route that I usually use when I go on a hike. In the early moments of my hike, nothing unusual happened, it was like my regular traveling experience.

But when I was about to head home - the sun was out by then - that was the time I felt something strange. I felt an ominous presence following me as I walked. I didn’t have the chance to know what it was because I was deeply terrified at that time.

I tried to hurry my steps, but as I continued moving, I noticed that I was not making any progress. It was as if I was lost in the forest - I just kept running in loops and how much I moved forward, I just ended up in the same place in the forest.

I don’t know how long I went like that, all I know was I was very scared and exhausted until I finally gave up and lost consciousness. When I woke, I was already here in our house. My father told me that I was rescued.”

A short silence happened after Michael’s narration. All of the people were speechless as they tried to comprehend the story and form hypotheses inside their minds.

However, Eddy seemed unsatisfied with the narration. “Is that all?”

“Y - Yes. That’s all,” Michael replied.

“Hmm……” Eddy mumbled as he placed his hand on his sunken chin. “Did you happen to see what was following you? Can you remember feeling something strange before losing consciousness?”

“N - no, I didn’t see what was following me. And no, I didn’t feel something else, aside from the weird loop I experienced - that one was really strange, of course.”

Eddy bowed his head as he tried to analyze the information.

“So, it’s just the same with the accounts of the other victims,” Melchor uttered. “They also told us about the ‘Looping Experience’.”

Once again, Eddy spoke to give his verdict, “I’m still not satisfied.”

“Come on, Michael. Tell them everything you remember,” Mario urged.

“Pa! I already told them everything! What else do you want to hear!?” he responded with annoyance.

“No, no, it’s okay…” Eddy uttered to ease the situation. He then looked at James, “Did you record everything?”

“Yes po! Everything in my notebook.”

Eddy asked Triggs and Lae, “How about you? Do you want to say something?”

“No. I don’t think so,” Triggs replied. He then glanced at Lae.

“Just please continue what you need to do. We’ll just ask questions later,” Lae said.

Eddy nodded. He stood up and announced, “I just need to do something - just a short ritual.”

He then requested his apprentice, Cassie, to bring out the equipment needed for the ritual.

From her backpack, Cassie brought out 3 white candles, an electronic device that resembles an EMF detector, and a Tibetan Singing Bowl.

She handed the EMF detector to Jess, and the candles to Eddy.

“Michael, can you please move your chair here?” Eddy requested.

“Okay po.” As instructed, Michael pulled his chair to the wide area of the room.

“Just stay seated there and close your eyes,” Eddy instructed.

Michael followed the instructions.

Eddy began by placing the 3 candles around Michael. The candles were placed equally apart from one another, forming a triangle.

“Please turn off the lights.”

Hearing Eddy’s request, Mario went to the light switch and turned off all light sources, leaving only the moonlight passing through the glass windows.

The room was completely silent as Eddy proceeded on his ritual. One by one, he lit up the candles using a small lighter. Moving slowly and carefully, he stood in front of Michael.

“Michael, you don’t need to do anything. Just relax and clear your mind. Whatever energy you will feel, don’t resist it. Just let it be.”

“Okay po,” Michael answered with a tone of nervousness.

Eddy closed his eyes, and after a short pause, he started mumbling something, sort of a prayer, inaudible to the spectators.

After a short silence, he opened his eyes again. He moved his right arm and pointed his palm on Michael’s forehead. Slowly, he moved his palm on Michael’s belly, then the left shoulder, and lastly the right shoulder. His hand movement formed a cross.

“Cassie, the bowl.”

As instructed, Cassie handed over the Tibetan Singing Bowl and the mallet to Eddy.

After handing the items, she quickly took a seat and brought out a pen and notebook, preparing to take down notes from the ritual.

Without further ado, Eddy tapped the mallet to the alloy bowl.

TINNNGGGgggggggg!!!

The sound reverberated inside the room as Eddy rubbed the mallet around the bowl. He did it one more time.

TINNNGGGgggggggggggggggggg!!!

This time the sound lasted longer and reverberation was stronger.

Eddy moved closer to Michael and placed his hand above the young man’s head. He closed his eyes again as if he was trying to feel something from Michael’s head.

“May nararamdaman akong kakaiba [I feel something strange]….” Eddy uttered.

The spectators leaned closer as if they were watching the climax of a suspense movie.

“May nararamdaman talaga akong kakaiba [I really feel something strange],” Eddy repeated.

The solemnity of the ritual was disrupted when suddenly…

DINGDONG! DINGDONG!

“Ugh! What is it this time!?” Mario groaned. “Mang Melchor, can you please check it out?”

“O - okay po!” Melchor rushed outside to check who was ringing the doorbell.

“You can turn on the lights now,” Eddy said.

While walking to the light switch, Mario asked Eddy, “So what is it you felt, Eddy?”

Eddy didn’t answer, he just stayed silent for a while.

Suddenly, another person barged into the house: a man wearing a baggy shirt and a straw hat.

“KAPITAN! KAPITAN!” the man uttered with a worried face.

Seeing the sweat rolling on his face, and the heavy breaths coming from his mouth, they were certain that the next words from that man would be something serious.

“KAPITAN! MY PIGLETS! MY PIGLETS ARE BEING ATTACKED!”