2018, August

It was always the same dark tunnel. The same shrieks of the dead and the claws of death chasing behind me. I was always running and running with death at my ass and finally, I will wake up with sweat pasting my clothes to my body. I jolt awake as usual, with sweat soaking into my clothes and the sofa that I was crashing on.

I sat up and rubbed my sweaty face with shaky hands before I went to the small toilet where a face almost like a zombie stared back at me from the mirror. I splashed water over my face, my eyes red and haunting from the constant lack of sleep due to the nightmares.

I returned to my office and filled the water boiler with water from the sink and waited for the electric boiler to boil the water and made myself some three in one instant coffee. I sat down on my desk and stretched out my left leg out and placed it on top of a pile of old case files, wincing as a shot of pain stabbed at my bad knee.

I sat back on my chair and took a sip of coffee, letting the cheap tasting and overly sweet hot drink go down my throat and let the warmth spread throughout my body. I popped some aspirin and washed it down with more coffee when the bell buzzed.

I frowned and glanced at the clock, which showed the time at 1011 am and realized I had woken up later than usual. I limped over to the intercom asked, "Yes?"

"Hello? Is this the Para Detective Service?" A female voice said.

"Yea, who's asking?" I replied in my best grouchy voice while eyeing the camera. "What do you want?"

"Ahh... I was recommended by a friend... She says you can help me..."

I sighed, "Wait..."

I buzzed the female in and unlatched the door before I limped back to my chair. The steel reinforced door swung open and petite female stood shyly behind it while peering in.

"Come in and don't break the line on the floor!" I mumbled as I closed my eyes, waiting for the painkillers to kick in. "And close the door."

The female timidly made her way in, carefully stepping over the line of salt and she shut the heavy door close before she looked around my office curiously.

I admit that I haven't taken much time to clean or pack my office. Piles and piles of old cardboard boxes filled with paperwork and files were placed haphazardly all over the small room. A sofa which doubled as my bed occupied one side of the room with a coffee table filled with old newspapers and books.

My work desk with my computer took up the window side of the office while a door opposite the sofa led to the office mini pantry and toilet. Next to the pantry door were metal cabinets and a small safe and cupboard with some of my clothes and luggage shoved in.

The girl had an expression of helplessness as she looked around for a place to sit before she settled on the grimy sofa, using two fingers to pluck away the clothes and blankets. She sat upright and perched her self at the edge of the sofa before clearing her throat. "Erm... are you Mr. Neo?"

"Yes," I gave a wave in her direction while rubbing my temples. "What do you want?"

"I was introduced to you... I was told that you can help with matters of..." She hesitated for a moment. "the other nature..."

"You mean ghosts and demons?" I opened my eyes and stared at her. "So what is it?"

The girl was taken back, "I... we... we think my brother was possessed!"

I sighed, possession was troublesome work. "Twenty K. Non negitoable. Subjected to price increases should there be any unforeseen circumstances!"

"Ahh..." The girl frowned at the cost. "But can you guarantee to take care of it?"

"We tried many ways and means but... it was unsuccessful..." She said. "We had our family priest to try to chase it away... but... it did not work..."

"Five thousand if I am unsuccessful," I replied. "For consultation fees."

"A- Alright..." She nodded slowly after a moment of hesitation.

"Name?" I asked while keeping my eyes close, feeling the meds starting to take effect as the pain in my head and knee started ebbing away.

"Sara," The girl replied. "Sara Tam."

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"Alright, Sara," I said. "Tell me everything. How and when did it start?"

"It all started when my brother, Dave went on a trip to Indonesia, last month," Sara said. "At first when he returned he seemed normal, except that he had a mild fever. We did not think there was anything wrong as he took some medicine and went to sleep."

"But the next few nights, we heard shouting from his room in the middle of the night and when we went in to check on him," Sara said. "We found him curled up under the blankets and screaming. He was saying there was a woman in red that was trying to take him away."

"It happened almost every night," Sara sighed. "We took him to the hospital for a checkup but there was no use. In the end, we asked our church pastor for help but it was useless. Once our pastor left, the nightmares returned."

I nodded, "Did he say where he went to in Indonesia?"

"Bali," Sara said. "It was for his friend's bachelor party."

"Alright, let's go," I stood up and picked up my go bag.

"Go where?" She asked.

"To see you brother."

-----

I drove my old Toyota which was reaching its end of the certificate of entitlement. The girl sat in silence beside me as I navigated with google maps on my phone. Finally, we pulled up to a posh looking neighborhood and drove past all the gated property before she pointed to one particular residence.

I parked the car at the roadside and took my bag from the rear seat before taking a look around me. Rows and rows of two storied bungalows lined the streets with many having potted plants and trees outside their gates. Sara gave me a curious look as she stood there at the gate of her house waiting for me while I remained in place. "Mr?"

I nodded and followed her through the gate, noting the large glided number '53' on the fake stone wall. Once through the gates, I stepped into the pebbled car pouch. There was a small patch of grass on both sides of the covered car porch and further back along the side of the wall was the usual garden filled with potted plants and fruit trees.

"This way," Sara led me into the house where the rest of her family sat nervously in the living room. The house decor was clearly Scandinavian in design from the amount of white and brown wood. Real classy kind of place. Upon seeing me, it was like they saw their Lord and Savior from the way they gripped my hands.

"Please help my son!" Mrs. Tam cried as she gripped my arm with a force that could break bricks. "I can pay you whatever you asked for! As long as you can save him!"

A humph came from the back and I looked over the shoulder of the mother and saw a black jacketed priest with a balding head and gold rim glasses. He held a cross in one hand and the bible in the other while wearing a face of displeasure.

"Trust in the Lord!" He said as he eyed me with hostility. "You must have faith! Not some... charlatan!"

I seen enough of these kinds of a priest during my line of work last time, thou there were some pretty good priests who supported me previously.

"I am sorry, Father!" The mother spoke up for me. "But we tried everything!"

"The Lord shall save your son!" The priest declared. "Not som-"

I ignored his words and instead turned to the parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Tam? Can I see your son?"

"Yes, yes!" The mother pulled me along and gave an apologetic look to the priest whose face turned black from anger. She led me upstairs together with the rest and came to a closed door. She hesitated before knocking gently at the door, "Ah boy? Dave? Are you awake?"

We could hear a muffled thump and then silence. The mother raised her hand to knock on the door again but me being impatient, I just went straight for the doorknob and found the door locked. I gave a raised eyebrow at the mother who blushed in embarrassment before she dug out a key from her pocket.

Once the door was unlocked, I unceremoniously opened the door and stepped in. A wave of sourness and unwashed body odor oozed out, but I was used to that smell. The rest, on the other hand, covered their noses and peeked over my shoulder into the dark and gloomy room.

I could see once, the room decor probably looked really cool and girls would be impressed. But now, pieces of art dangled off the walls or laid shattered on the floor while the thick curtains blocked off all light into the room.

Dave laid curled up under his bed covers on his bed set in the middle of the room. I frowned and the first thing I did was that I went n pulled the curtains away, allowing the sun rays to enter the room. Instantly, the gloominess of the room dissipated.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A scream came out from the bundle of blankets. "CLOSE THE CURTAINS!!! SHE IS OUT THERE!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

I looked out of the window and could only see the next residence. I ignored his cries and screams and walked around the room while Dave's family tried to calm him down. The priest wasn't really helping much with his mumbling of the bible.

I paused at a piece of luggage that was thrown haphazardly on the floor and slipped on a pair of thick yellow gloves from my go bag. Yup, you read it right, those thick ugly yellow gloves you normally see cleaners use. Use them if you go about trying to poke at supernatural stuff! Those thin latex gloves are too thin to keep your hands safe.

I pointed to the luggage and asked, "Is this the luggage he brought to Bali?"

Sara came over and nodded, "Yes, I think so..."

"Can I open it?" I asked but my hands were already opening the luggage.

"S- sure..." Sara sighed and she squatted down next to me and observed me. "What are you trying to find?"

"Well, possession normally comes in a few... flavors..." I explained while I tossed the carefully folded clothing to the side. "Either he touched or disturb something he shouldn't... Or he picked up something that he shouldn't..."

"That's two..." Sara frowned.

"Yes..." I replied. "Those two are more than enough."

"Did he buy any gifts back?" I asked as I cleared the entire suite of luggage. "like idols or keepsakes?"

"No..." Sara thought for a moment before she answered. "He only brought some snacks back."

"Hmmm..." I stood up carefully, giving my weak knee a rub before I turned to eye the shivering bundle. "His friends, did you contact them? Are they affected?"

"Yes, we called them and asked if they were alright," Sara replied. "None of them is affected, Dave is the only one!"

"Did you asked them what happened there?" I asked as I walked back to the window and opened it.

"Yes, they said they had a beach party and that's all!" Sara said. "They have no idea why my brother turned out this way!"

"Hmmm..." I frowned. "Well, since we found nothing in his luggage and he didn't buy anything weird back..."

"He mostly likely disturbed something that he shouldn't have!"