Euclid Shellingford

CHAPTER 4: The ghost that appeared on an unlucky day

After I've received the text of uncle containing the address of the supposedly next 'case location', I immediately searched it by the use of the GPS installed in my car.

The road I'm driving now looks like some deserted road you can find in some horror movies, you know the Wrong turn or the Last House in the Left? Well, I just wish my car won't run out of gas here.

Stupid Euclid, you forgot to pass by some gas station out of excitement!

"Woahhh!!"

I immediately drift my car on one side so as to prevent it from crashing someone who has just crossed the street.

What was that?

I open the door of my car with a flashlight on one hand to check the situation.

Hmm.. creepy.. no one's here.

I get back to my car and continue driving.

As far as I remember, it looks like  a man wearing a black raincoat or the likes, I guess? But the heck! What would a man wearing a raincoat do in a middle of a dark street? And its not even raining! Jeez.. its not like I'm afraid of ghost! I actually don't believe they exist!

I parked my car as soon as I entered the big gate of the.. mansion? Or castle? Its so huge! It looks like a vampire castle for me!

I chuckled at the thought.

A maid has showed up and guided me inside the house.

"Oh you're here!" Uncle exclaimed the moment he saw me.

"Yeah right, I'm glad I'm already here," I said with a little bit of annoyance.

"Haha something have happened on your journey here?"

"Nothing in particular. Muntik lang naman akong maaksidente dahil sa kung sinumang yun na bigla na lang tumawid sa daanan ko," I said with a little sarcastic tone.

Nakarinig naman kami ng mga nabasag.

"Ayos ka lang ba Madame?"

"A-ayos lang ako, wag niyo kong intindihin. M-magpapahinga na lang muna ako sa silid ko," namumutlang sabi nito sabay talikod paakyat ng hagdan. Tahimik naman ang mga naiwan nito sa living room. Nilinis naman nung maid na naghatid sakin papasok yung basong nabagsak nung babae kanina.

"A-anong itsura nung lalaking muntik mo nang mabangga kanina hijo?" Tanong nung isang matandang lalaki, siya siguro yung asawa nung babae kanina.

"I think it's a middle aged man, mga 5'8 ang taas. He's wearing a black raincoat at--"

"It's Cleo!! I'm sure it's Cleo!!"

"Nagmumulto na naman siya!!"

"Kelan niya ba tayo titigilan?!"

"TUMIGIL NGA KAYO!! MAY MGA BISITA TAYO!!" maawtoridad na sabi nung matandang lalaki.

Hmm.. who's Cleo? At anong kinalaman niya sa dahilan kung bakit kinailangan akong tawagan ni uncle na pumunta dito nang ganitong oras?

And what's with the suspicious acts of the mistress?

Something's going on in this family.. I'm sure of that..

*** The 'Paranormal expert' ***

All the cast were introduced by Uncle Dy. The owner of the villa was an old man on his 50's with the name of Dr. Theodore Clemente, his wife, the one who has suspicious acts since I came is Mrs. Cassandra Clemente. Their children are Mr. Ian Clemente, a thirty four year-old business tycoon, Mrs. Alyssa Clemente-Padua, a 30 year-old fashion guru and the youngest Mr. Jim Clemente, a twenty years old free lance model.

It never once crossed my mind that I'll be dealing with matters here involving paranormal?

Or not?

"Dr. Clemente, this is my nephew Euclid, the one I'm telling you before..," said uncle as he introduced me with the crowd.

"Oh siya na pala yun! Hijo I''m Dr. Theodore Clemente, and your uncle here was my classmate during highschool days. Nang makwento ko sa kanya ang tungkol sa problema natin dito, he immediately referred your name!"

"Ahm... nice meeting you rin po sir. May I ask what kind of problem is that?"

"It's about Cleo's spirit..," he answered with a very serious tone.

"Spirit?" I asked.

"Every fourth day of the seveth month, nagpapakita siya! T-Tinatakot niya kami ng pamilya ko! Ayaw niya kaming tigilan!"

"At kapag nagpapakita siya.. may nangyayaring masama!" Dagdag ng anak nito.

"That's why I'm counting on you hijo! I know that you can solve this problem!," he said as he held  my both hands.

"Pero I'm not--"

"You're uncle here said that you're the best paranormal expert the world has! I can't wait to see how you're going to solve this matter up!"

I gulped.

Paranormal expert? Is he serious?

Teka parang mali yata ang napasok ko dito ah?

"Ahh sir ang totoo po niyan--"

"Kayang-kaya ng pamangkin ko yan Theo! Nothing is impossible with my boy!" Uncle Dy said while laughing confidently. Take note, he's tapping my shoulder as he said those words, as if telling me that I should just go with the flow.

***

"Dito na po ang room niyo sir," sabi nung maid na naghatid sa'kin.

"Thanks," I said as I entered the room. It was an average-sized room, pang-dalawahang tao. Naramdaman kong may pumasok sa loob. Nilingon ko siya.

"Zzup?"

I answered him with an annoyed face then went to sit down on the bed with white mattress.

I heard him chuckle.

"Care to tell me what's going on here uncle?" I asked him.

"Haha you're so boring Euclid! Kaya siguro wala ka pa ring girlfriend hanggang ngayon eh!"

Pakialaman ba naman pati lovelife ko? Tsk.

"Yeah whatever.. so ano nga?," I said, keeping my infamous poker face on him.

"You don't believe in spirits or ghosts right?"

"Yeah, as if I'd believe on those nonexistent things.."

Most of the paranormal stuffs can be explained by science so why bother scare yourself right?

"So am I, but this Clemente family believes that such things really exist.. and yun nga.. sabi ni Theo, its the ghost of Cleo."

"And who's this Cleo?"

"Sabi ni Theo, its one of their college friends na namatay sa lugar na ito kaya dito siya nagmumulto."

Nagmumulto? Pretty insane.

"Bakit naman siya nagmumulto sa kanila?" bale-wala kong tanong.

"I don't know! Nung tinanong ko si Theo kung ano sa tingin niya ang posibleng dahilan, hindi siya sumagot. Or more specifically, hindi siya nakasagot. You know I've interrogated a lot of criminals before right? And that Theo? I know that he's hiding something, and I'll be needing your help to know that."

"So there's a greater mystery behind this ghost story huh? That's nice! Oh yeah, ano-ano nga pala yung mga masasamang nangyari before na sinasabi nila?"

"Hmm..may ilang naikwento si Theo eh. Ang sabi niya, it was started 10 years ago. On the 4th day of July, mga around 1 o'clock in the afternoon nang mapuno ng usok ang kabahayan. They tried to find its origin pero di nila nakita. It lasted for 30 minutes tapos nung lumabas sila, sa may pool..." may pasuspense effect pa 'tong nalalaman sa pagpause nito saglit.

"..nakita nila yung mirage-like image ni Cleo," dugtong nito.

"How can they be so sure na it's really Cleo and not somebody else?"

Suspicious.

"Hmm.. siguro dahil sa nangyari the following year?"

There's more huh?

"Anong nangyari?"

"May unknown caller daw na na tumawag nun sa kanila, dahil nga mahina yung signal nung time na yun, lumabas sa veranda si Theo. From there, nakita niya sa pool na may nalutang na light of words? Basta ganun yung sinabi niya eh!"

"Anong nakalagay?"

"I'm back. -Cleo"

"Hmm.. eh yung mga sumunod na taon?"

"Let me see.. sabi niya puro pagpapakita nangyayari eh, seven years ago namatay yung dapat bibisita sa kanilang college professor nila. The next year, yung barkada naman nila na pinagpakitaan din daw, muntik nang maaksidente. Yun, puro ganun."

"Baka naman nagkataon lang?"

"Maybe... or it may be not. Kung ano't ano man, malalaman natin bukas," he said while smiling.

Yeah right.

Because tomorrow will be the fourth day of July.