Werewolf

As a kid, I have always loved my December holidays since it will be the longest one in the school's annual calendar. This year end holiday will be a total break from school. No school, no teachers and no holiday assignments. However, something happened when I was fifteen that marred my fond memories of these holidays. It all began when we went to Thailand for a holiday tour. Seeing that I had performed well in my secondary three final examinations, my father wanted to give me a treat. It was my first trip overseas. Things were a lot cheaper in Thailand and everyone in my family shopped to our hearts content. I was no exception. Among the things that I bought was a small statue of a wolf.

I remembered that shortly after I had bought the wolf statue, I ran into a monk. An elderly man with piercing eyes and dark eyebrows, he took a look at my wolf statue, and spoke to me urgently in Thai. I looked at him puzzlement, as I did not understand a word he said. Seeing my confusion, he said in halting English, 'Boy, that wolf statue is evil. Get rid of it, or it will bring disaster upon your family!' Looking at my newly acquired possession, the wolf statue looked innocuous enough. Thinking that he must be mad, I ignored his advice. However, as I was about to walk off, he pressed something into my hand. 'Here, if you want to keep the statue, keep this amulet. It will protect you from harm.' Not wanting to offend the monk, I accepted the amulet, with every intention to throw it away later.

Happily, I went back to the hotel and gave the wolf statue to my sister. Shortly after, we all left for the airport to catch a plane home. By then, I had already forgotten about the amulet in my pant's pocket. Indeed, strange things started to happen to my family when we got back to Singapore. First, my eight year old sister started to have nightmares every night. She would dream that an old lady covered in blood was chasing her. Strangely, we would find stains of blood marking my sister's neck! Shortly after, my mother got fired by her company for no apparent reason, and my father lost a large sum of money in the stock market crash. Under a lot of stress, both my parents fought almost every night. Things would have gotten worse, if not for my mother's vigilance. Used to waking up at night to find my sister's crying, my mother woke up suddenly one night. On her way to the kitchen for some water, she decided to check in on my sister. Opening the door to my sister's room, she saw a wolf over my little sister's sleeping form. The wolf, upon noticing my mother, snared at her once. It then leaped off the bed and disappeared into the cupboard. When my mother opened the cupboard, what greeted her was the wolf statue. She claimed that the statue's eyes were staring at her. Unable to take the shock, she fainted.

The next morning, my grandmother went to the Chinese temple to seek help. She managed to engage the help of a priest there, and brought him home to see the statue. The priest took a look at the statue and told us that an old lady's spirit was trapped inside it. Imprisoned inside the statue, the old lady could not rest in peace, and thus vent her anger it on my family. The blood markings on my sister's neck happened because the wolf was feeding on my sister, the most vulnerable one in the family. Wondering why i was not affected, the priest asked me if I was wearing any amulet. It was then that I remembered the old monk and the amulet he had given to me. I did not throw it away because on second look, I thought the amulet looked quite nice and hung it in my room for decoration. 

Showing the priest the amulet, I told him about my encounter with the monk. Later, we were told that the old lady's spirit could only released in the middle of the sea. As a kind deed, the priest agreed to release the old lady's spirit for us. Before he left, he gave my grandmother a fu (talisman) to stick on the door, saying that it will keep any unclean things out. After the incident, none of my family members ever bought any statues of animals ever again to the house. Up till today, the events of that period still haunts us.

Spine Chillers

'Cheers, everyone! A toast to your health! Cheers!' I raised the beer to all at the party. All of us participants of a joint military exercise, and had spent the past few months cooped up in a remote place in the deep jungles. It was our 'Rest & Recreation' night, a night where we could get away from the monotony of camp life, after being isolated up for so long, and get back into the hustle and bustle of city living. We were having a great celebration at the local pub. 'Guys, why don't we visit a haunted house? Scared or not?' Deng, a local soldier, asked us suddenly.

'We Singaporean guys are brave men! Right everyone?' Ming said to growling laughter and cheers. 'So, we go to the haunted house tonight, okay? I know a place!' 'On!' Everyone else chorused. High on alcohol, four of us hopped into Deng's car and drove off immediately, singing drunken bawdy songs to the dead of the night. Lamp post lined both sides of the narrow and bumpy road. Looking around, I can see the farming countryside, bathed in the wan moon's glow. It occurred me that most of the houses were dark. Glancing at my watch, It was already eleven fifteen pm. Looking down the road, I saw a jungle coming up. We would have missed the track completely, if not for John spotting the tiny road sign as we came up to the dense forest. Looking in, the track was totally dark; we could see nothing as there were no lamp posts. The dense treetops also prevented moonlight from reaching the ground. Turning up the car's headlights, we braced ourselves and entered.

As we drove in, a chill passed through me. The trees had suddenly came alive around us, the leaves rustling in the otherwise breezeless night. The giant branches loomed over us. Darkness stretched out far beyond the ground illuminated by the car's headlights. All of us had stopped singing, we were beginning to get sober. We had only just begun to realize what we were doing. After driving like this for ten minutes, we reached the house at around ten minutes to midnight. A blanket of thick clouds covered the sky above. The moon, which was shining earlier, had mysteriously disappeared together with the stars. We parked the car nearby and then walked up to the gates. Looking at the whole house, there was something inside me warning me to leave. I took a deep breath and brushed the thought away. Rusty from disuse, the gate was flanked by two pillars. Two statues of lions were perched on top, starring at us with accusing eyes. There was also a large sign hanging at the gate stating that trespassers would be prosecuted.

We stood there looking at each other. The gauntlet had already been thrown. None of us could back out now. 'So, are we going in? Or are we chickens?' John looked at the rest of us, as he pushed open the rusty gate, to reveal a large house within. If any of us had any reservations then, we hid it well. Ignoring the warning sign, everyone stepped in. As I was about to follow, I felt the lion's eyes on me. I looked up. What I saw were two pairs of angry red eyes and the lion's mouths opened in a silent snare. Ming shouted something to me then, distracting me. When I looked back again, the snaring lions were back to their original position. A dreaded sense of foreboding came upon me. 'Guys? Err, guys?' 'What? Why are you still standing there? Scared, is it?' Ming said. 'No, the lion's eyes were red a while ago.' 'Waah, he sees red so easily. You got a good imagination man! you drank too much earlier!' John replied, and everyone laughed. I had a good laugh too, for I wanted to believed that what I saw earlier was just a fragment of my imagination.

The surroundings within the boundaries of the gate were desolate. The cracked walls of the main house were covered by overgrown weeds and peeling paints. An aura of neglect surrounded the house that was abandoned to years of disuse. On our left were the side houses, and tall grass surrounded us on every side. 'Let's check out this one!' Deng said, headed towards one of the side houses. taking our torches, we opened the half rotted door to the first side house. Inside the house, three old coffins covered with dust and cobwebs were suspended from the ceiling by ropes along the hallway. One of the coffins had fallen and the lid had fallen off, revealing an empty coffin. behind the coffins was an altar lined with numerous tablets. 'This must be the ancestral hall. Look at all those tablets!' Ming remarked to himself. As I gazed around me, I was at a loss for words. Suddenly, a gush of wind swept past us. Afraid to disturb the dead any further, my friends and I quickly scampered out.

Then I suggested that we proceed on to the big house, which I had been eager to explore. Built in a distinctive oriental style, the house had two porcelain lions at the front door. A red banner hung on top of the door, with two tattered lanterns hanging at the sides. Above it, there was a wooden plaque with Chinese inscriptions, probably the previous occupants family surname. What reservations we had earlier from the ancestral hall were forgotten as curiosity came over all of us. Cobwebs hung from every corner of the hallway and all the rosewood furniture looked grey under a thick layer of dust. The wall by the stairway was lined with faded, yellowish portraits. We walked up the wooden creaky steps. There were five bedrooms on that storey, and we stuck together, exploring one room at a time. In every room, Deng and John ransacked the furniture, hoping to find something valuable, but to no avail. Looking out one of the bedroom's window, I realized that it had started to drizzle. It was puzzling because I remembered that it was a clear and starry night when we set out. however, the rain probably explained the cold and chill inside the house. After looking and exploring five bedrooms, we then went down to the ground floor.

The ground floor was equally vast, with two big halls and a backyard at the rear of the house. John and Deng both gave a cry of delight as they came upon the antiques. The rest of us were just too engrossed with our environment, studying the antiques and the old furniture. Deng had ventured to the backyard alone. Suddenly, we heard shrill screams coming from the backyard. Then we saw Deng running towards us. With a terrified look on his face, he told us about the living skeleton he spotted at the back of the house. Thinking that he was trying to frighten us, the others just laughed at his tale. However, our laughter was soon drowned by a loud and sinister laughter coming from the backyard. Dumbfounded, we just stood there, starring at each other. Fear struck deep in our hearts, as the sound of the laughter seemed to be getting nearer and nearer.

It had started to pour heavily outside with the angry thunder roaring. I knew that we were in trouble at that moment. Then I felt someone tapping on my shoulder. With dread, I turned around only to find a red eyed skeleton standing right in front of me. Without much thinking, my friends pulled me right out of the house, knocking over some furniture in our way. To our dismay, the laughter followed us. When we passed the cookhouse, we saw something moving. in the heavy rain, we can only see a blurry image. The thing had seen us, and was moving in our direction. Slowly, we could make out the outline of another skeleton as it came near. Screaming with terror, we scampered out of the big gate and rushed for Deng's car. The rain came down in torrents on us, but we were only too aware of the thing catching up with us from behind. Upon reaching the car, we drove off.

Funeral Wake

Have you ever attended a Taoist funeral before? There are different types of funeral procedures among the different dialect groups. But for the Taoist, the funeral usually lasts from three to seven days. I am currently a polytechnic student aged twenty. In my life, I have attended two funerals, both of my close relatives. One involved my grandfather that happened when I was too young to understand anything. The other funeral was my beloved grandmother's that happened when I was sixteen. It turned out to be my first brush with the supernatural. 

I remembered that dreadful day when my father received the call from the hospital. Being close to my doting grandmother, I was overwhelmed with extreme sadness. The doctor told us that she had died due to the failure of her internal organs. Immediately my parents and my relatives head for the hospital to collect her body. As we were still considered too young, we had to wait at home and were not allowed to follow the adults to the hospital. By the time they reached back home, the make shift tent had been set up in the void deck below our HDB flat. The body, brought home in an undertaker van, was being brought out and was then dressed up. My aunts applied make up for my deceased grandmother while the rest were putting jewelry on her. I did not know why, but the children were told by the adults to turn our face and body back as the body was being carried into the coffin. The first ritual chanting was performed that evening. We were asked to kneel down and to hold one joss stick each between our fingers throughout the ceremony. As my grandmother was the figure of benevolence in the family, she was deeply respected and sorely missed by everyone in the family, her neighbors and of course, her circle of friends. naturally, a large crowd gathered that night to pay their last respects.

The first night passed relatively peacefully. I burned some incense paper while my father played Mahjong with my other relatives. Together, we guarded my grandmother's coffin. However, strange things began to happen during the second night. After the ritual was performed by the monk, the offerings such as paper bungalow, paper car, a pair of maids and others were carried out to be burnt. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a pregnant black cat appeared an jumped over the coffin. In Chinese superstitions, it was believed that if a black cat were to jump over a dead corpse or coffin, the dead would rise and would not be able to rest in peace. Quickly, I chased it away, cursing it to leave my grandmother alone. Late in the night, I decided to take a break when I heard a distant yet distinctively familiar female voice coming from the coffin. The voice was speaking in Cantonese. It wanted me to tell my relatives that it loved the 'bungalow' very much.

I was frightened and could not sleep the whole night. I dared not moved at all. I informed my relatives of the incident the very next morning. To my disappointment, none believed me and dismissed it as my hallucination. As unbelievable as they would have me know, I saw them buying 4D with the bungalow's unit number. Strangely enough, the number won a consolation prize in the draw on that Saturday and brought a minor windfall to all my relatives. On the last day of the funeral, my mother was chatting away with my aunts. She was recalling how my grandfather died and how pitiful he was. Suddenly, a vacant chair started to move towards the talking group. The shrill screech of metal against concrete attracted those who were present at that time. Striking immerse fear into each of them. They immediately stooped talking and went straight to the altar to offer my grandmother some incense. Some of them told me later that they thought that it was my grandmother's spirit sitting on that particular chair and the issue of my grandfather caught her attention. That was why they could see the chair dragging itself towards them.

The last day of the funeral was a sorrowful one. We prayed to my grandmother for the last time, before leaving for Mount Vernon Crematorium to have her cremated. A number of my relatives, their emotions overpowering them, began to wail at the point when the body was being pushed into the fireplace. As the cremation would take some time, we arranged to collect her ashes the next day. There was another incident, which happened on the seventh day after the cremation. The Taoists believe that seven days after the death of a person, his soul would come back to his favorite haunts. We offered sacrifices to my grandmother before splashing the 'flour' all over the house. The 'flour' was supposed to retain my grandmother's footprints should she return. That night, all of us stayed up to keep vigil, except for my five years old cousin who was sleeping like a log. Suddenly, my youngest cousin screamed out loud.

By the time all of us reached the room, he told us that grandmother had visited him in his dreams. upon reaching back at the altar, I realized that the bishop nose (my grandmother's favorite) was missing from the chicken we offered to her. On the floor were small footprint marks that were identical to my grandmother's footprints.

Possessed

Chunmei and her sister, Chunyin, were two beautiful girls who worked on a farm in Malaysia. Many people on the farm were envious of the sister's beauty. One of them was Lianhua. Every time they see one another, they would argue over small matters, and sometimes, these petty quarrels would escalate into a full scale fight. The Chinese believed that if two people could not get along, it was due to a mismatch in their ba zhi (8 characters). One day, the shortsighted Lianhua accidentally saw Chunmei talking to someone who looked familiar. Going closer, she realized that the tall familiar 'someone' was her boyfriend. Both Chunmei and Lianhua's boyfriend were chatting away excitedly, oblivious to Lianhua looking on from the background.

Jealousy was eating at her from the insides, and Lianhua did have a thought that Chunmei might be more attractive to her boyfriend. 'Chunmei, here. I've bought some durians for you. I think its time we made peace. We cannot keep fighting like this all the time, right?' Lianhua said, apparently deciding to be friendly. 'Why, Lianhua, thank you so much. So nice of you,' Chunmei thanked Lianhua. 'Chunyin! Look what Lianhua had bought for us. Lianhua, come in and join us!' 'I can't take durians now because I've got a sore throat, but I'll sit with you for a while.' Lianhua sat down with the two sisters. The durians were thick and succulent, and the flesh was sweet to the taste. With that, relations between Lianhua, Chunmei and Cunyin improved tremendously. The villagers were puzzled to see them shopping together. Little did they know that Lianhua had something up her sleeves.

One week later, the fishes under Chunmei's care died suddenly. As a result, Chunmei was nearly sacked by her boss. Seeing Chunmei so depressed, Lianhua was secretly happy. However, that was not enough for her as she wanted Chunmei to suffer even more. Deep in her heart, she knew that things were far from over. It happened two days after the dead fish's incident. As usual Chunmei and Chunyin left their house for work at around nine in the morning. The bright morning rays dissipated suddenly as dark storm clouds moved in to block the sun. 'Chunmei, bring an umbrella. I think its going to rain.' Her sister told her. 'Why are these people burning paper this time of the month?' Chunmei asked her sister curiously, as she saw a lot of people burning hellnotes. 'Maybe they are just burning 'money' for their relatives.' Chunyin replied. When they reached the outskirts of their village, an old lady burning hose papers was burning a big pile of incense papers there. The wind, brought in by the incoming storm, blew in and sent the ashes all over the place.

'Chunyin! Watch out!' Chunmei shoved the preoccupied Chunyin aside as her sister was about to step on a large clump of burnt ashes that was blown into their path. The Chinese believed that bad luck would befall those who stepped on the ashes. Unfortunately, Chunmei had also accidentally knocked over the old lady and slipped. While falling, Chunmei fell against the burner, tipping the burning paper onto her body. Chunmei let out an agonizing scream of pain as she felt her body on fire. The burning paper offerings were all over her, setting fire to her garments. With the hungry flames licking at her tender skin, the stunned Chunmei could only scream in terror. 'Help! Help!' Chunyin looked around, trying to look for help. Strangely, the old woman whom Chunmei had knocked into was nowhere in sight. Quickly, she grabbed a large fallen palm leaf, and tried to put out the flames on Chunmei. After a moment of futile effort, she quickly rolled Chunmei around in the dirt, hoping to put out more fire.

In the meantime, the storm had broken. Large drops of rain began to fall, striking the ground with impact. In no time, there was a steady downpour. When the flames had been put out completely, Chunmei fainted and laid motionless in the mud. Chunyin, seeing that her sister was safe now, ran back into the village to call for help. Lianhua who has been following them secretly was so delighted. She was laughing when she saw Chunmei fall. As Chunmei laid there motionless on the ground, Lianhua was overwhelmed with glee. The 'spell' has worked, and had disfigured Chunmei. Walking off, she went back to work. Hearing that a priest in the neighboring state was known for providing black magic solutions for a fee, Lianhua had gone in search for him. After she had told him of her intention, the priest warned Lianhua that such powerful magic would be expensive.

Set on punishing Chunmei and her sister, Lianhua insisted anyway, without even bothering to find out what the price was. The evil plan was set into motion. Meanwhile, Chunyin had returned with help. A few men picked the unconscious Chunmei up and brought her home, Chunyin left her alone and went off to seek the help of the village doctor. The village doctor knew something was wrong the moment he saw Chunyin. He could tell from the aura of the person. After hearing Chunyin's story, he took his medicine bag together with some talismans, and followed Chunyin home. Reaching home, Chunyin found that the door was locked. Remembering that she did not lock the door earlier, Chunyin knocked frantically, yelling for Chunmei to let her in. She knew that Chunmei was unconscious but then who else could have bolted the door from inside. In the meantime, the village doctor, a deeply spiritual man, had spotted the aura of evil and took out a few talismans. Giving one to Chunyin for protection, he muttered some powerful incantations. Strangely, the door to the hut flew open.

The hut was dark inside, and as she entered, Chunyin realized that Chunmei was not in her bed. Instead, to her horror, Chunmei was suspended like a rag doll, hanging in a corner of the room. Chunmei's head rested at an awkward angle around her shoulders, and some strange words were coming from her unmoving lips. Her burnt clothing hung loosely on her. As the village doctor and Chunyin entered the room, Chunmei's head snapped up suddenly. 'Yin, where were you? I was in so much pain, and you abandoned me!; a shrill voice spoke. It was not her sister's voice. 'Mei, I'm so sorry. I went to get the doctor. Oh, are you alright? I was so worried.' Guilt was eating into Chunyin, as she was trying to appease her sister. 'You worried? Oh please, spare me that.' Chunmei's body turned to face the doctor. 'Ah yes, the doctor. Hello, doctor. What can you do to make me go to hell?'

'Get out of her immediately! And you shall reincarnate!' The village doctor thundered in a booming voice. Laughter. 'Reincarnate? Into what? When I have this beautiful shell? NO!' Chunmei shrieked at the village doctor. Suddenly, like a berserk woman, she flew at the doctor with her outstretched hands charging at him. Chunyin realized that her nails were long and red. Prepared, the doctor fished out a talisman. Holding it to his lips, he started to chant. Chunmei who was trying to attack the doctor, was hurled backwards as she hit an invisible barrier surrounding the doctor. Strangely enough to Chunyin, the doctor's chant seemed to be getting louder. In no time, it sounded like many people were chanting together. The village doctor and chunyin were the only ones in the room but the vibration of the harmonious voices made the room calmer. Chunmei started to scream in terrible pain, as the boils began to appear on her flesh. growing and growing, they eventually erupted into bloody pus. 'No! I'm not leaving! Noooo!'

Chunyin couldn't bear to see her sister in such terrible pain, and tried to stop the village doctor. 'This is not your sister speaking! It's the demon in her playing with your emotions! Don't get tricked by him. If you do, we will lose, and he will kill us!' Chunmei reached out her bloody hand towards her Chunyin. 'Sister, please help me! Don't let him do this to me. Help me please!' The pleading showed the fear in Chunmei's eyes. Involuntarily, Chunyin made a step towards her sister, but found that she was blocked by the doctor. He looked at her sternly and said, 'Remember! She in not your sister now! Close your eyes and chant with me!' Frightened, Chunyin closed her eyes and chanted the same incantation with the village doctor. Chunmei kept screaming at her sister's betrayal, promising vengeance. All the while, Chunyin kept telling herself that Chunmei was a sweet tempered girl, and not this demon shrieking obscenities. As the screams got louder and louder, Chunyin started to chant louder and more fervently, clinging on to the image of her sister.

 The village doctor knew that the demon could not hurt Chunyin, not as long as she had the talisman on her. In the meantime, the doctor had pasted the talisman in a circle around Chunmei, who had started babbling in tongue. Her body had contorted into an inhuman form, and only the whites of her eyes were showing, as she shrieked and babbled away. Taking a octagonal shaped mirror from his bag, the doctor lit a talisman in front of it and directed the light into Chunmei's face. Unable to take the torment any further, the demon shrieked and materialized in the area above Chunmei's head, he glared at the village doctor with hatred in his eyes. Snaring at the village doctor, he vanished into thin air. 'Thud.' The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of Chunmei's limp body hitting the ground. Chunyin opened her eyes, and noticed that that room looked brighter. The oppressive atmosphere was gone. Looking around, she noticed that Chunmei was lying on the floor. She was shivering profusely.

Together, they moved Chunmei to the bed. After examination, the doctor assured Chunyin that her sister's injuries were not serious, and she would be fine after a few weeks of care. he gave Chunyin some medicinal herbs and salve for the burns, and also two talismans for the two sisters to wear. Before he left, he also hung the octagonal shaped mirror above the door. Elsewhere, Lianhua was having the day of her life. She was still gloating about what happened to her neighbors that morning, especially Chunmei, when a shadow fell in front of her at home. 'Hi Lianhua.' Lianhua looked up, but found no one in her room. 'Do you like what I did to Chunmei and Chunyin? Well, anyway, it's payback time. Did the priest tell you that once a black magic spell is broken, the demon would collect payment from his patron?' 'Shouldn't you be looking for the priest instead?' Linhua asked, feeling very hot suddenly. 'No, you are my patron, not the priest. Now pay the price.' Lianhua could only scream, for in front of her eyes, her garments started bursting into flames.

Hungry Ghosts Festival

Every Chinese knows that the seventh month of the lunar calendar is the 'Hungry Ghosts Festival', a time where the gates of hell open and spirits roam the earth freely. To the older generation, this festival is a very important one in the Chinese calendar, coming second in its importance to the Chinese New Year. It is a time where respects were paid to the dead. On the fifteenth day, many families will be busy cooking their specialty dishes for their ancestors. After offering food to their ancestors, these families will then make a great feast of the food.

Things are no different in my family.The fifteenth day will be an occasion for all relatives to gather at my house and all grown ups will be busy helping my grandmother. It will be different matter for us the kids altogether; we will get to play and make mischief since the grown ups will be busy. This is how I spend my childhood, year after year. The Hungry Ghosts Festival this year  however, was different. A series of peculiar incidents had happened which claimed the life of one of my family members. 'Ah Wayne, can you bring the plate of vegetables from the table?' My grandmother yelled as she dug the wok with gusto, browning the garlic in the hot oil. 'Yes, grandma.' My youngest cousin came in with a hefty plate of leafy 'kangkong', and handed it to my grandmother. My grandmother was cooking for the big feast. There were already dishes of fried chicken, braised duck and roast pork prepared and set on the dining table, as offerings to our ancestors.

'Why are the vegetables covered in sand? I have just washed them. Ah Wayne, did you dirty the vegetables when you fetch it to me earlier?' 'No, grandma. I took it from the table, like you told me to.' Everyone was silent and looked at each other, wondering who was the culprit. Just then, at that moment, more sand was thrown in the wok from outside the window. 'Hey! Stop throwing sand in here! We are cooking food in here!' My grandmother yelled as she looked out the window. To her surprise, there was no one out there. 'Ma, close the window. That way, the kids cannot dirty the kitchen,' My mother suggested. My grandmother took my mother's advice and closed the window. Everyone soon went back to their chores. Occasionally, we could hear someone knocking on the window pane, but everyone ignored it thinking that it was one of our mischievous cousins. 'You all better don't be naughty, or else I'll sell you to the garang guni (rag-and-bone) man.' My grandmother threatened as she opened the window. She had clearly lost her patience with all the pranks. To her surprise, there was no one outside again. With an uneasy feeling, she closed the window and mumbled something to herself.

'Ma! The knife's moving on its own!' One of my aunt's screamed as the knife on the chopping board began to chop on its own. My grandmother and aunts started shouting and screaming hysterically, drawing my grandfather and uncles into the kitchen. My grandfather was a devoted Taoist. Knowing that he was up against the unseen, he went to the altar immediately, and inscribed some Chinese characters in red cinnabar on yellow paper. Holding the fu (talisman) to his forehead, he muttered some incantations before burning it. He told me later that this ritual is necessary to open his third eye, so that he could communicate with the spirit that were creating the disturbance. In the meantime, the situation in the kitchen was getting out of hand. Knives and other kitchen utensils were moving on their own and food was flying all across the kitchen. By the time my grandfather got there, the kitchen was in a total mess.

With his third eye opened, my grandfather could see the poltergeists, and he started chanting some incantations in a thunderous voice. We then saw the knives and utensils dropping to the ground. The flying array of food missiles had also ceased. All this time, the kitchen window flapped open and closed as the sound of childish giggles died away into the distance. My grandfather then told us that it was only the spirits of small little children trying to get attention. He told me that the spirits ran away upon hearing my grandfather's thunderous voice and the murmurs of the prayers. he was wrong. 'Come, everyone, come and pay your respects to your ancestors,' my grandmother gathered everyone shortly after she had finished cooking. As if on instinct, everyone stopped what they were doing, and gathered in front of the ancestral altar, everyone except for Ah Wayne, my little cousin. He was still sitting before the television. 'Come, Ah Wayne, be a good boy. Come and pay your respects.' My grandmother coaxed. 'Aiyah, grandma, I don't want. I want to watch cartoon.' Wayne yelled back, reluctant to peel his eyes from the television.

'Wayne! Come here now! Don't disobey your grandma!' My uncle's booming voice rang out over my head as he ordered his son away from the television. Sulking, Wayne finally left the television and came to the altar. 'Okay, all the grandchildren stand in a straight line. Mei Ying, you start first,' my grandmother gestured to me, 'followed by Yang Chang, then Li Ling, and finally Wayne, okay?' While all the grandchildren chorused their understanding, Wayne had to be different. 'I don't believe in any of this. This is so stupid. Why would anyone want to offer food to dead people? Some more, must bow to them. So dumb,' he complained. 'Wayne, this is not the way to talk to your ancestors. They are listening to you and will be angered by what you say. Apologize now!' Turning around, she held her hands together in a prayer and I could hear her say, 'Please forgive Wayne. he is still a young boy and has a lot to learn.'

Reproached, my cousin had started to sulk and refused to talk to anyone else. It was not a real pity because all of us there never liked the spoiled brat, and not many enjoyed a conversation with him. 'Wayne, come and help grandma burn all these things,' my grandmother called. Wayne looked about to refuse when he saw the look on his father's face. Without saying anything, he followed my grandmother out to burn the incense papers. Outside, he did not really help in burning the papers, but instead stood around complaining. 'It's so hot. I don't know why you call me out to smell the smoke.' 'Wayne, its not that grandma here wants to pick on you, but you really have no manners. Today is a day that we pay our respects to our ancestors, and thank them for looking over us. How can you be so ungrateful?' The expression on Wayne's face soured. After that, he kept quiet because he knew that anything he say would earn him another scolding. He stood there still, looking at us as we tossed the incense papers into the burner. After a while, he lost his patience, and he started to look around.

 A white truck happened to pass by my house. My cousin looked at it and his mouth dropped wide open. I looked at the truck, but did not see anything amiss. 'Wayne? Wayne, are you alright?' My grandmother then tapped on his shoulder upon seeing the sudden fear in his face. 'I... I... saaaww somethhhingg on the truck,' he could only stammer as tears welled in his eyes. Without any reason, he hugged my grandmother tightly and cried. When we got back into the house, my cousin was still sobbing and he was hugging my grandmother tightly. It took a lot of consoling before he could finally open up and tell us. Apparently, he had seen a lady in white suspended in mid air above the lorry and she was waving at him. Knowing that we did not see it, he was convinced he saw an apparition. Totally contrite, he apologized to my grandmother for being rude and disrespectful to the dead earlier. Worried that the earlier apparition might come back and haunt him, my grandfather made my cousin wear a fu around his neck. This time, my cousin took it without any objection.

One of my uncles owned a restaurant business, and the work would always cause him to be late for the gathering. That day, it was nearly six in the evening when he left his restaurant. He park his car far away from the other cars, in the isolated basement because he did not want his precious Mercedes Benz scratched. Just as he was about to open the car door, a gust of chilly wind swept past him. Stunned, he scanned the enclosed basement for the source, but saw only empty parking lots, with only a few parked cars. However, from a corner of the car park, he saw a glaring light shining on him. A lady in white seated in the rear passenger seat caught his attention. Thinking that it might be a lady having car troubles, he approached the car, trying to help. Strangely enough, the nearer he was to the car, the brighter the headlights become. Mu uncle's eyes were half closed, trying to shield from the powerful headlights when he was almost reaching the lady's car.

Suddenly, the headlights went off. It took mu uncle some time to get used to the dim light of the car park. When he could finally see, he saw a lady dressed in white walking past him. Being a curious man, he decided to follow that lady. However, when he reached the other end of the parking lot, he was horrified as to what he saw. There was an undertaker's van with a coffin inside. Without much thought, he turned back and ran straight to his car. Before driving off, he made sure that his car was empty right from the front seat, to the back of the car. He was worried that the lady might decide to harass him and follow him back home. it was dark when he reached my house. We were almost done with dinner. He told my grandparents about the incident. My grandfather prescribed my uncle two fus to ward off evil spirits, one to be worn at all times and the other to be pasted on the front door of his house. He warned that harm might befall my uncle if he should take it off. He also scolded him for missing the ceremony.

'Papa, you all prayed enough... I don't need ancestral protection.' My uncle was too practical to take my grandfather's word seriously. He did accept the fus from my grandfather and put one on to pacify the elder. He forgot to stick the other one on his front door. Later, I heard that my uncle was found dead in his bathroom the next morning. Apparently, he took the fu off while taking a shower. The autopsy report later revealed that he died of a cardiac arrest while bathing. We knew differently of course, having found the two fus, in the paper basket of his bedroom. It was in fact a tragic day for our family. However from that day onwards, we realized the important role our ancestors played in watching over us, and respected every advice our grandfather has to give.

Revenge

Kang Fei was happy working as a journalist in Singapore, he was originally from Suzhou, China. He and I were colleagues and very often, he would ask me out for a round of drinks. We could talk about almost anything under the sun, as if we were friends for a long time. Kang Fei had been in Singapore for over a year, and naturally, he missed his home a lot. Our conversations were largely centered on his village in Suzhou. During one of our chats, we started exchanging ghost stories, and he gave me a true account of this incident that happened to his village during his father's time.

A wizard used to stay in the wilderness in the outskirts of Suzhou. He was believed to be over a century old, and was regarded as a wise man. Drought, famine, flood and even epidemic pests were problems that the farmers would bring to the wizard for help. They believed that the old man had supernatural powers, and could perform miracles. He solved many problems mysteriously on a full moon sight. The wizard died. Nobody knew what caused his death. The farmers were upset, knowing that from then onwards, they had to solve their problems without any divine help. However, to show their gratitude to the wizard, the villagers built a temple in his memory. Every year, on the twelfth of December, they would pay a tribute to the wizard, offering a portion from their harvests that year in the form of food and 'hell notes'. The harvests improved year after year, bringing wealth and prosperity to the farmers. Believing that their tribute had pleased the wizard's spirit, the farmers continued the practice. Their faith was strong.

As years passed, their prosperity grew and the farmers gradually forgot about the wizard. The size of their tribute diminished year after year, as well as their faith. Finally on one year, the farmer were so busy harvesting their bumper crop that they forgot about the tribute completely. This act of decadence greatly provoked the spirit of the wizard. he was not expecting the token but was angered that the villagers had lost faith in him. After all, he had worked hard the whole year to bring about their bumper harvest. having received nothing and forgotten by all, he was devastated and furious. At that moment of anger, he decided to teach those greedy farmers a lesson. The wizard began to disturb the farmers in their sleep notoriously by coming into their dreams. One by one, the farmers would be jolted from their sleep, only to be shocked by a horrible sight. The wizard's rotten corpse would be lying next to them, body filled with maggots and giving out a foul stench that filled the house. Screams started to shatter the nights in the village. At their weekly meetings, the farmers realized that the wizard had visited them all, and began to worry about the whole situation. Something must be terribly wrong for the wizard to approach them in that manner. However, none could figure out a solution to appease the wizard.

During that year, they were faced with a lot of problems. It rained non stop for a month. Soon enough, the floods ruined their midyear harvest. That was not the end of the disasters. Drought came shortly following the floods, and there was an outbreak of locusts everywhere, destroying what was left of their crops. As a result, there was not enough food for the people, and a famine followed, claiming hundreds of lives. It was a troubled year for the people of Kang Fei's village. One of the farmers heard about a powerful Taoist priest in another village, powerful enough the change one's destiny. Hoping that the priest could shed some light on the matter, the farmers went to seek his help. Looking at them, the priest could tell that the farmers were down on their luck. He performed some rites and discovered that they were harassed by the wizard's spirit. An attempt was then made to communicate with the wizard.

The wizard's spirit was enraged. The farmers were going to someone else for help when they should be offering, tributes to him. He wanted to show these people who was more powerful, and thus he attacked the priest. Fortunately, the priest had taken precautions when he tried to communicate with the wizard. Standing inside a protective circle of talismans, the priest exuded an aura of peace. The wizard had set his minions, the weaker spirits, onto the priest who shrouded him in darkness. The frightened villagers heard some chanting, and the dark shell shattered into a million shards. Seeing this, the wizard called up a massive swarm of bees. While several farmers were stung by stray bees, the priest stood untouched in his circle. The wizard knew by then that his opponent was a worthy one. After a brief struggle, the wizard gave up. When all had calmed, the priest stepped out of his protective circle and told the farmers that the vengeful wizard had caused all the disasters. He reminded them about the forgotten tribute, citing it as the reason for the wizard's wrath.

The farmers were taken aback by the news. Fearful for their lives, they begged the priest for his help. The priest told them that the wizard would probably be resting inside his temple. If they burned the temple, his power would be greatly reduced. Hearing this, the farmers hurried back to their village by sunset, and set the temple ablaze. The wizard's spirit overheard their plans and had fled into the wilderness for safety, vowing to make them suffer for their disrespect. Raising a brood of vampires, the wizard sent them into the village every night. The vampires attacked everyone who were not home after dark. In no time, Suzhou became a ghost town by night. The teenage girls in the village started to act strangely. Screaming out, these girls would suddenly go into fits of hysterical laughter and sobbing. It was as if these girls had gone mad. Their families devastated, and all were at a loss as to what to do.

After a while, the girls got worse. They got more violent, screaming and breaking things in the house. Blood began to ooze from their heads, through the eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears. These girls were dying from internal bleeding. The troubled farmers had no choice but to approach the priest for help for the second time. He blamed the vengeful wizard once more. This time, he told the villagers that they had to vanquish the wizard once and for all. Together with a handful of the farmers, the priest set up an altar in the middle of the harvest field. After everything was arranged, they had only to wait for night to descend upon them. The wizard's spirit, thinking that the people had learnt their lesson, went to the village to collect his tribute. When he saw the priest, his fury knew no bounds. It was night, and the wizard's evil powers were at their peak, matching him to the priest in strength. he sent his army of vampires upon the priest.

Fortunately, the priest had anticipated this and together with some talismans and a peachwood sword, he vanquished the vampires easily. Seeing this, the wizard made a call to all the teenage girls in the village. Like zombies, these girls appeared from their homes and headed into the field. Moving towards the priest, they started to scratch at him. The farmers were very scared, seeing their teenage daughters possessed. The priest then shouted to them to restrain the girls while he went around chanting, and using talismans to calm the girls down. Summoning so much magic, the wizard had grown tired. The priest however, was unperturbed. The two circled one another warily. The wizard was the first to strike, lunging at the priest who dodged his blows easily.The fight only lasted a short while. The wizard had got careless, and gave the priest an opportunity to slide the blessed peachwood sword through him. Sticking a talismans on the sword quickly, the priest chanted rapidly.

Kang Fei's father was out there in the field. He recalled the expression of disbelief on this wizard's face, just before his soul dispersed into oblivion. The farmers were overjoyed by what the priest had done. They were saved from the revengeful wizard's ordeal.

Sue Goes To Hell

'Hey Sue! Let's go and watch a late night movie to celebrate! My parents wouldn't mind if I go back late tonight. After all, who goes home immediately after an examination without celebrating?' The exuberant Min asked her friend shortly after their last preliminary paper. 'Well, I'm not sure...' Sue replied hesitantly. 'It's the Hungry Ghosts Festival now, and my mother doesn't like me to stay out late. She's afraid that I might run into unclean things.' 'Come on, stop being so superstitious! Ghosts don't exist. It will be so fun to have you around.' cajoled Min.

Not wanting to disappoint her friend, Sue relented. When Sue called home, her mother was reluctant to let her go. However, knowing her daughter needed a break from studying hard for the last few weeks, she agreed to extend her curfew. The evening proceeded enjoyable for Sue and Min. After dinner, they went to a movie theater near Sue's house to catch the late night show. It was already two thirty am in the morning when the movie ended. Min took a cab home since she lived in another town. As Sue's home was near the theater, she decided to save on the cab fare and walk home instead. Stepping out into the cool night, Sue walked silently, keeping to a leisurely pace. The crickets were bothering her with their sounds. Lit by the amber lamps, the street and the surrounding shrubs looked drained of all colors. Except for the occasional cab passing by, she was alone on the street. That was what she thought. Left alone to her thoughts, Sue started to miss he deceased grandmother. before the elderly lady passed away in April that year, She was Sue's best friend. All the relatives knew that Sue was her grandmother's favorite among all her grandchildren. Sue liked listening to her grandmother's stories of her younger days, reflecting a rich and fulfilling life. What Sue enjoyed most were stories of the supernatural that her grandmother would tell her.

Caught up in her reverie, Sue did not notice the pile of paper ashes ahead, nor the big rock on it. Sue stepped right on top of the ashes and the rock, and fell. Picking herself up from the ground, Sue noticed a large white circle drawn around the pile of ashes. her grandmother once told her that the white circle reserves the offerings for a particular spirit, and prevents other spirits from getting it. Her grandmother also told her to avoid stepping on paper offerings at all costs, especially during the Hungry Ghosts Festival, because it might offend the spirits. Realizing that she had accidentally removed part of the chalk drawn circle when she fell, Sue suddenly felt frightened. Muttering a hasty apology to the spirits under her breath, Sue quickly resumed walking. However, as she walked, she noticed that the crickets had quietened and an unnatural silence had descended around her. Sue picked up hr pace. Her footsteps became louder as she walked faster and faster.

A bell rang out in the middle of the night. It broke the silence and then she began to hear strains of Chinese Opera coming from the distance. The eerie voice singing became louder and louder, as if the opera was just for her. It was 3 am and it was very dark. Sue strained her eyes but saw nothing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The wind had begun to pick up. Terrified, Sue ran all the way home. Upon reaching the safety of home, Sue went instinctively to her grandmother's ancestral altar. Offering some incense, Sue prayed to her grandmother. Gazing upon her grandmother;s picture, Sue suddenly felt a sense of peace sweeping over her. In her mind, she chided herself for being so cowardly. Exhausted from the day's examination and a traumatic night, she went to her room and dozed off quickly. Sue found herself awake in a different room.

The room was filled with burning candles, and the walls were lined with skulls. The stench was unbearable. Instinctively, she sat up. Getting off the bed and walking to the door, Sue found out that it opened into an elevator. There is someone waiting for her inside. 'Hi, I've been waiting for you.' The person inside said, smiling sinisterly at Sue. 'I am Pey Yin. I've been sent by your grandmother to get you. Come with me.' 'My grandmother? Where is she?' Sue asked eagerly, as she stepped into the elevator. She was in a daze. She noticed that Pey Yin was dressed in a red Chinese cheongsam, buttoned right up to her neck. Her complexion was pale, and that made the crimson lips stand out, lips as red as blood. She smelled rich of jasmine, so thick so that Sue was almost choking it. 'Just follow me and you will see your grandmother.' Pey Yin replied as the elevator door closed before them and the elevator descended. 'And remember, do not tell anyone about me in there. Not a word. Some people are trying to stop you from meeting your grandmother, so follow me quietly if you want me to bring you to your grandmother.'

The elevator door opened before Sue with a creaking sound, revealing a crowded room. Pey Yin gripped Sue's arm hard and led her into the crowd. Sue felt that Pey Yin's hand was icy cold. The coldness made Sue frightened but she decided to keep it to herself and not to show her weakness. As they meandered through the crowd, Sue took a closer look at the occupants of the room and realized that they all looked pale. As Pey Yin lead her towards the door at the end of the room, Sue also noticed that they are all icy to the touch, as she had to squeeze past some of them in the crowded room. Suddenly, two fearsome looking creatures appeared in front of her. It did not take Sue long to know that they were Niu-Tou (Ox-head) and Ma-Mein (Horse-face), the internal law enforces of hell. They were holding halberds as their weapons. ;How did you get here?' asked Niu-Tou. Sue kept in mind what Pey Yin has just told her earlier in the elevator, so she shook her head and shrugged.

'Do you want to tour the place?' Niu-Tou asked. Since Pey Yin was nowhere in sight, Sue nodded in response and went off with Niu-Tou and Ma-Mein, hoping to find her grandmother somehow. They crossed a bridge before coming to an old lady whose name was Wan-Qing Po (Forgotten-Past Granny). She was busily scooping some soup for the people who had stopped on the way. 'This soup would enable these souls to forget their past.' Ma-Mein told Sue. Suddenly out of nowhere, two figures materialized in front of them. One was wearing an all black suit while the other one was in white. With long lolling tongues that touched the floor, the duo were known as Hei Bai Wu Chang (Messengers of Hell). On their hats were inscribed two Chinese verses. One was 'Yin Jian Fa Cai' (one who looks prosperous) while the other was Tian Xia Tai Ping (Peace in the world). They were the 'Police' in Hell who had to catch ghosts committing bad deeds in the mortal world. They then continued the tour and came before a large weighing balance. There was a 'judge' standing by it, taking down the 'readings'.

'Those souls were supposed to be weighed here. Those who are light weight would mean that they have sinned lightly while they were alive and the heavy ones would mean that they have sinned heavily and that they would be sent to hell for their punishment,' Ma-Mein said. Then, further down, Sue saw a red robed fierce looking guy with beard like the whiskers of a tiger busily slaughtering some imps. 'He is a local 'hero'. His name is Zhong Kui, head of the 'Ghostbusting' department. His job is to capture spirits committing crimes in Hell and even earth.' Niu-Tou then introduced her to him. Despite his fearsome expression, Sue found Zhong Kui quite friendly. As they walked along that particular path, Sue could hear howls and sobbing. Then Sue saw this man who resembled a King sitting on a throne in the middle of the path. 'He is Yanluo Wang (King Hades). He is a merciful lord who tries to mete the least punishment on all spirits.' Niu-Tuo explained.

They continued walking and soon, they came to two doors. Niu-Tuo and Ma-Mein turned and said to Sue, 'We have to go back to work soon. Take the left door on your left to return to the mortal world. Do not take the right door, okay?' Sue nodded and waved farewell to her kind guides until they were out of sight. She was walking towards the left door when Yin suddenly materialized in front of her. 'Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you.' Pey Yin said impatiently. 'Hurry up, your grandmother is waiting.' She laughed menacingly and led Sue through the right door, which opens into another elevator. Stepping inside, Pey Yin hit the button '18' and the elevator began the downward descent. As the elevator moved down from level to level, Sue heard all kinds of strange noises. There were heavy sighs of regret at first. Slowly, they grew into moans and sobs. By the time the elevator stopped, the noises had escalated into screams of pain and suffering. The elevator had become very hot, with the smell of sulfur hanging oppressively in the air.

The elevator door opened to a red hell. It was like another world altogether. The sky was stained red; the color was reflected everywhere, in the barren surroundings and the burning fires. Inside the elevator, Pey Yin's cheongsam, and her lips never looked redder. Sue can't get her eyes off Pey Yin's lips, when she said, 'Your grandmother is waiting for you out there. Hurry along now.' Pey Yin smiled evilly at Sue. Suddenly, Pey Yin with all her might pushed Sue out of the elevator. Something inside Sue warned her. Sensing that something was wrong, Sue resisted. There was no platform for her to step on when she got out of the elevator. Looking down, Sue realized that the elevator was suspended over a huge cauldron of melted fire. Looking closely, she saw figures swimming and writhing in it. The screams were also coming from there. 'Aren't you coming with me?' Sue asked suspiciously. 'I'm not needed. Besides, I wouldn't want to disturb your 'happy reunion.' Pey Yin said as she shrugged her shoulders.

'How am I going to find my grandmother if you don't lead me there?' Sue rebuked, getting frustrated at Pey Yin's unwillingness to accompany her. 'Just get out, and you'll find her.' Pey Yin frowned. 'No.' It took Sue a bit of effort to say it. No matter how badly she missed her grandmother, she knew that spirits don't usually volunteer without any ulterior motive. 'No/' Pey Yin asked, her eyes glowing with menace. 'No!' The urge to give in was overwhelming by now. 'Fine! Still, you have to die anyway!' Pey Yin took a step back and laughed, as she metamorphosed into an evil creature. The reddish glow from her lips had spread to her eyes. Now they were looking like burning coals in hollowed sockets. No matter how Sue tried, she could not look away from them. The eyes were magnetic and evil.

Against her will, Sue found her feet stepping towards the edge of the elevator. Looking back, Pey Yin had transformed into a hideous beast. With her skin peeling from her face, the only feature faintly resembling Pey Yin was her lips. But even it was marred with blood dripping from the side of the mouth. 'Curse you! Die!' Pey Yin snared, as she raised her claws in Sue's face. 'Join your grandmother in hell!' Unable to stop herself, Sue was caught between a devil's creature and a boiling cauldron. In the meantime, it seemed the figures in the boiling cauldron below were screaming more shrilly to welcome a new companion in their eternal swim. Sue stood at the door of the elevator, ready to plunge to eternal hell. Her mouth opened in a voiceless scream as she made that final step... Someone appeared all of a sudden into the elevator. It was her grandmother who silently held her hand and floated up, out of the elevator. As they were floating up, her grandmother told her that it was only a dream. It was time to go back home to the real world.

A moment later, Sue's mother came into the room with a glass of water containing the ashes of a burnt talisman. 'Are you alright? I heard you screaming in your sleep. Here, drink this.' She gave Sue the glass of blessed water. 'I'm fine. It was only a nightmare. I thought I went to hell.' Sue reassured her mother. 'Don't talk nonsense. That's why I tell you not to wonder at night during the Hungry Ghost Festival.' Sue could only stare at her mother in shock as the realization dawned on her.