Sunday 3 November 2013

Ghost In The Machine

Four school friends were on a three week tour to Europe with fifty six other students and five teachers. It was indeed a school trip of major proportions. They would be touring England, France and Italy for the sake of art. They would be visiting museums, sitting down to draw scenery and learning to appreciate what the region had to offer. It was the first day of the last week of the trip and Melissa, Cheryl, Amal and Eu Imm were sitting in a circle in Melissa And Cheryl's room. 'Yah right!' exclaimed Melissa to Eu Imm, hitting her on the shoulder. 'You were only nine and you told your teacher to...'

'I told you lah... I was only nine... I did not know what it meant... but you can be sure she called my mother that night... she barged into my room and washed my mouth with soap. I refused to talk to her for the next two days...' The other three burst into hysterical laughter. 'Hey! It was traumatising okay!' 'Wah,' started Cheryl. 'Our sweet innocent Eu Imm cursed her teacher when she was only nine... I still can't picture it.' Amal giggled wildly. 'Eh, don't play... if I tried hard enough, I could probably still blow soap bubbles with my mouth to prove it.' Eu Imm was fifteen as were the others. They were in the same class and had signed up for the tour the minute the announcement was made. Melissa and Cheryl had walked in when they were signing up. They had all been in the same sec two class and knew each other fairly well. They were amongst the oldest there since the secondary fours were not allowed to participate. The prelims were in three months and they were supposed to be using the holidays to study.

Melissa collapsed on the bed, laughing. It was already three in the morning and they were in a hostel in England. It wasn't a particularly fantastic place, with the best facilities but then again it wasn't a hotel. Besides, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Melissa got up and leaned on Eu Imm's shoulder, making puppy eyes at her. 'What?' 'Thirsty, Eu Imm.' 'The bathroom less that three metres away.' 'Do you rhink you could pop by the drink machine outside and get me a drink?' She pleaded, already reaching into her pocket, looking for change. The others immediately started fishing for change as well, as if the proporsition of Eu Imm getting drinks was one that was very good. Eu Imm rolled her eyes and got up. She 'took their orders' and opened the door. She left it slightly open, so she would not have to re-open it later... The less noise they made, the less chance the teachers would wake up to tell them all to go to sleep. 'Just don't get Coke... The Coke here tastes like melted sour kana with ice.'

She walked down the brightly lit corridor to see two vending machines; one selling snacks and one selling canned drinks. She slipped some coins in and pressed a button. A can fell into the collection compartment and she took it out. She repeated the process three more times. Somewhere in between some blond guy who was obviously drunk made his way up the stairs with much difficulty. Their eyes met for awhile as he muttered a slurred goodnight under his breath. He made his way up another flight, almost stumbling near the top. Eu Imm put the canned drinks on the floor neatly as she looked at the machine next to it, feeling hungry. Actually, she did not feel physically hungry. Her eyes were hungry. She used this phrase often when she looked at edibles that were tempting. The machine was one of those you could look into. The outer wall was made of plastic to reveal the hung up treats in their multi-colored packaging. She gazed at the chocolate and the chips and the little packets of candy, so much to choose from; so few coins.

She finally settled on a packet of M&Ms and popped the coins into the slot. She pressed the button and began to pick up the cans on the floor. But she did not hear the mechanisms moving in the machine. She did not hear any steely fingers wrapping around her chocolate and depositing it at the door of the machine. She was mildly annoyed. She put the drinks back down and hit the flap near the bottom of the machine. She squinted her eyes while looking in and saw nothing. She stood straight again and pressed the button continuously. Still, nothing happened. So she did what she always did the few times this had happened. She kicked the useless machine. She smiled as she heard the mechanisms whirring inside. She pick up the drinks ans somehow managed to hold all four by embracing them within the crook of one arm. She then bent down again, trying to keep hold of the drinks and reached into the collection compartment to collect her purchase. She did not notice it right away. In fact she only realized it when she had taken it out. This was probably because she was trying to keep hold of her drinks. Besides, when you buy chocolate, it doesn't occur to you that you will be getting anything but.

her right hand was wet and sticky when she drew it out. She looked at what she had taken out and dropped it straight away, disgusted. It had been smooth and wet and weighty when she looked at what it had been, she realized that she had taken out a severed hand. What an evil trick to play on me, she thought deliriously, directing the thought at the machine itself. She backed away slowly, her eyes fixed on the hand that lay motionless in front of the machine. Blood soaked into the carpet, creating a version of some sort of modern art. She was going to run as soon as she could connect the tube that joined her legs to her brain. Tears of shock and fear filled her eyes. She blinked them away as she clutched the drinks to herself, their cold beads of condensation giving her something material to feel. All of a sudden, a light went on within the machine, illuminating the translucent backing that blocked the store of candy behind. She swore she felt her heart stop as she dropped the drinks to the floor.

For behind the display of candy and chocolate, behind the backing and within the steel workings and wires behind, she saw the figure of a man, intertwined within them. She saw a leg bent at an angle that was not humanly possible and she saw hair hung around in a mess. At that exact moment, she felt her paralysis wearing off and she felt her body spin round and run back towards the room. She crashed through the door that had not been closed properly and fell, slamming the door behind her. Her friends, who had been wondering what had taken her so long, practically pounced on her in their concern when they heard her sobs. She just cried and cried until she finally found her voice. She told them what had happened and Melissa immediately left the room with Cheryl, leaving Eu Imm in Amal's arms. They came back a minute later. There was nothing on the floor except the scattered drinks.

Friday 1 November 2013

Holiday Blues

Caroline and Savitri were incredibly excited and blissfully happy. They were nineteen and waiting for the 'A' level results. What was so exciting was that they were doing one week of waiting in a beach resort in Cebu. Savitri laughed at her brother who always teased her for being such a 'kiasu' girl. She entered every lucky draw contest she saw. One might have called her neurotic instead of kiasu because when she saw coupons at shopping centre counters or in magazines, a little voice would tell her that there was no harm trying and that there was always a chance to win.

She had won three things through lucky draws: Half a year's supply of free soap (when she was fifteen), a charger for a mobile phone she did not have the time (when she was seventeen) and a free trip for two to Cebu at this beautiful beach resort. She had not pondered long before she decided whom to bring. Caroline had been her friend for as long as they could remember. But it did take slightly longer to convince their parents that they were responsible enough to go by themselves. Caroline's defeated mother had finally said, 'Okay, fine. But if you come back with a strange boy from over there hidden in your suitcase, just remember that I'll know.' Savitri's mother, without much thought, had just given a simple "O kay lah.' The place they were staying in was not a stereotypical hotel. It was literally a resort on the beach. There were little luxurious chalet like huts scattered all over the beach and if you were to take on step out of the door in your bare feet, you would feel sand in between your toes. Soon the fifth night of their free trip to Cebu, they had just come back from swimming all day and had rented a movie called Three of Hearts from the hotel's movies list. It wasn't very wide but then again, not many people made use to it. There were only about sixty movies in the modest collection. The movie had been okay and Caroline and Savitri had enjoyed themselves. They had both had their dinner and taken their shower before they watched the show and now it was time to turn in. (It was almost midnight by then.)

'So what do you owe me for the glorious trip?' Savitri asked, yawning. 'Well, it's not like you paid for it,' rolling her eyes in an exaggerated manner. 'Go die Caroline! yelled Savitri, playfully offended as she hit her with her pillow. Caroline could just laughed. 'Okay la, okay lah. Thank you Queen Savitri. But we should go to sleep now if we want to go jogging in the early morning.' So they said goodnight, deciding to make up in sleep what they had lost over the past few nights. Drip. Drip. Drip. Savitri opened her eyes and let them adjust to the darkness. She groaned as she turned over to look at the digital clock whose numbers glowed in the dark. It was half past two in the morning.

Drip. Drip. Drip. 'What the hell is that?' She moaned as she buried her face in her pillow. 'Huh?' Caroline answered, not really aware of what was going on. Drip. Drip. Drip. 'Argh! THAT! What is THAT?' She said in an aggravated whisper. 'That?' asked Caroline, slightly more orientated. 'The dripping you idiot!' 'Idiot yourself lah. You bathed last right? You must have left the shower dripping. Savitri groaned again and realized that she was right. She had bathed last and since the noise was coming from the bathroom, it must have been her fault. She turned to see Caroline fast asleep by the time she had realized this. So she tried to sleep too.

Drip. Drip. Drip. She turned again to try and get comfortable. DRIP. She lay flat on her back. DRIP. There was apparently no way of getting away from it and she guessed that she would just have to go and switch the shower off properly if she wasn't going to go crazy. She got up groggily, trying to remember what she had been dreaming of when she been so rudely awoken by the shower. The floor was cold and she simply could not be bothered to turn on the main light. This resulted with her almost tripping over her carry bag next to the bed. she swore as she regained her balance. She groped around for the switch next to the toilet door. Her eyes were still half closed. DRIP. Her fingers found the switch and they flicked it on. Light shone out from beneath the door and flooded the area at her feet. She instinctively narrowed her eyes as she placed her hand on the doorknob, to prepare them from the unwelcome light that would pour out at her.

She opened the door and jumped back. At first, she had simply seen a figure standing there. Her eyes had been narrowed and once she focused, she started to scream. In front of her stood a man. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He had no head. She started to hyperventilate and was paralysed for an instant. Standing there, she looked down faintly, away from in between his shoulders where his head should have been; where the clots of congealed blood were instead, where a gaping hole and severed pieces of flesh were. Then to her horror, she saw that he was carrying the head that should have been on his shoulders. He held it, blood dripping down from his cut up neck and dripping onto the floor. This had all happened within a few seconds. DRIP! She finally regained her senses but was still screaming. She turned and screamed even louder when she bumped into Caroline, trying to run. She had got up with a start when she heard her screaming. 

'RUN!' she screamed in her face. 'Wha...' 'RUN!!!' Caroline saw the look of terror in her friend's face and just obeyed. They ran to the door and unlocked it as fast as they could. Savitri ran all the way to the lobby, followed by Caroline. There, she demanded that someone come back with them to check the room. A tall, rather reserved looking man followed them back and all three of them found nothing in the toilet. There was no man and there was no blood. Caroline still did not know what was going on. Savitri told Caroline to pack up. She would explain on the way home. 'Home?' 'We're leaving a day early.' Much to the disgruntlement of the hotel staff, Savitri and Caroline checked out of the hotel that very night. After a long wait, they managed to get a taxi driver.

With their luggage packed neatly into the boot, Savitri got into the taxi with Caroline. They were headed for the nearest hotel. Just as the taxi pulled out of the hotel driveway, Savitri felt something telling her to turn back and she did. A young man was walking into the lobby of the hotel. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and white shirt. It was then that Savitri realized that what she saw was not an apparition of the past, but one of the future. Although she knew that the young man was going to die, she was too frightened to go back to the hotel and tell him. The taxi continued its drive into the dark night.