QUATRO
The Other Side
I
was shivering when we reached the other side. I stood up straight and looked at
Ryan, “You ok?”, he responded with a very delicate stare while clenching my shirt
as he was getting himself out of the large ice box. Ryan, as strong and bold as
he appeared, was staring at me, like he was about to cry…I saw no traces of his
trade mark killer smile at that moment, he moved closer to me, I stepped my one
foot back, startled of what he was about to do…he caught my arms and hugged me
like a little kid missing his Dad. I was surprised, but didn’t think of
objecting his deed, I was shivering and cold, and he was warm and soft, Ryan
always had that effect on me, his presence, even without him saying a single
word, comforts me… until I woke up to reality…
“Ryan!
You’ve got some serious issues man…” I pushed his body away from me and
retrieved my dry shirt. And we moved on to find the chapel. It wasn’t hard to
find it at all, as candlelight flicker its surroundings; it was in the middle
of the woods, not far from the river bank.
“dominiiiiiiiii…..
patri….benedictum………” we heard the monks singing gibberish hymns and praises,
then I realized that the camp masters weren’t joking at all, we’re really in
for some supernatural circumstances that night, and I was with an almost
useless giant. But I guess I shouldn’t be afraid, they were monks, what’s to
fear? And there really was a wake…”remember, we shouldn’t get caught, let’s go
around the chapel” Ryan said. He took my cold hands, blew it with his warm
breath first, and dragged me. I couldn’t say a word, I was just staring at him
entirely until we arrived at the backdoor of the chapel. “Wait, look at that”
he said, “It’s a whole monastery at the back…”Go figure, where do you think the
monks would sleep at night?” I sarcastically responded. He smiled. We sneaked ourselves in the candle
lit corridors of a small yet brick-old chapel. Religious statues and artefacts
filled the entire chapel, which really freaked the both of us. But what could
go wrong, we’re Catholics.
“Hey
Ry, maybe I should be the one to get the rosary from the dead monk…I’m smaller”
“Alright,
but isn’t it bad luck to take something from a dead person?”
“Maybe,
but it is our first task…”
“Alright,
I’ll watch out for you, be careful.”
It
wasn’t really challenging to enter the altar, I assumed the monks were praying
with closed eyes so I was able to crouch towards the back of the coffin. I
slowly stood up to see the rosary in his chest, when I turned back and saw Ryan
signalling…”eh” I didn’t quite understood him, so I looked at the corpse again
with my body almost upright. When I looked up, I saw two big eyes in front of
me, so I startled and stumbled on my buttocks.
“Another
camper I guess” the bearded man approached me, Ryan came running to help me
stand up. “What are you up to now? Don’t you know the other side of the river
is forbidden?”
“We
are sorry sir, ummmmm father, but we were tasked to do something” I clarified.
“Give
me that boy” He noticed Ryan holding the map, grasped it and started reading
it. “Hmmmm…brave souls are you…the abandoned school, there are entities there
we are trying to avoid boys” he said. “Come with me”…he lead us at the back of
the altar. “Did you know that this forest was once the town centre? Everyone
used to come here…until…” he paused…”yes father?” I asked…”Until the rebels
invaded…they killed anyone they come across with, and even attacked the school
killing hundreds innocent children…it forced all of the remaining town folks to
move down the valley, leaving us monks isolated in this now dark forest.” “I
see, tragic” I nodded pitifully.
“I
also see that you’re here for Father Mercius’ rosary…”
“Yes
father, we need to give it to the school librarian” I told him.
“Hahahahahahaha,
the school librarian eh?” He laughed.
“Boy,
you’re going to see things you haven’t seen before once you enter that ruins,
and you’re right, you badly need a dead monks’ rosary”
“What’s
the reason behind that?” Ryan asked.
“
You see, father Mercius used to run that school, and after that tragedy he
usually tried to go back there, but he couldn’t…none of us could, the gates
wouldn’t open…and our noses and ears would bleed, that is, unfortunately, what
happened to Father Mercius.” The monk explained tearfully.
“Why
is that father?” I asked.
“Some
souls hated us for leaving them behind, we were praying when that happened, we
are deeply sorry, we didn’t do anything”
“But
the possibility of you going in is huge…because they do not recognize you…they
might just let you in. But please bring his rosary, blessed and used by him, it
might enable holiness and forgiveness to enter their dark realm, and finally
showing them the light.”
“But
would it be ok to you father” I asked him.
“Please,
do it…”
So the monk told us to wait for
him outside the chapel, and he’ll be the one to get the rosary from Father
Mercius’ chest.
We did what the monk has said…we
were relieved by the unexpected and eerie events that happened. Outside, the wind
became thick and frosty, and the night creatures became louder. We were
crossing our hands around our chests, we were trying to warm ourselves when the
monk arrived at the entrance aisle, he called us, and we approached him.
“Please, give this to her, and tell her Father Mercius treasured this dearly”
the monk said and gave us a comforting smile and blessing before he turned
around.
“Wait
father, we forgot to ask your name!” I called him back…
“It’s
Mercius”
GOOSEBUMPS! . “What a night”
Ryan said, “Oooooh, I think it’s just beginning, look!” I pointed at an old
grey cat approaching us, if anything could get any weirder. I noticed it has different colours on each
eye, the left eye’s yellow, the right was blue. Peculiar.
The cat passed right through us
to the darker side of the woods. “The instruction is to follow him…should we?”
Ryan asked, I nodded and agreed to follow the cat. So we walked again towards
our next task, to give the rosary to the librarian. Ryan was always silent, I
know it was quite normal, since we weren’t really that close, but I always feel
awkward walking with him, specially alone in the dark, just like the times we
walked together after a session with Mrs. Strum along the unlit paths toward
the school’s exit gate…
”Another
awkward moment” I whispered.
“What
was that?” He responded.
“Nothing,
I was just saying…”
“Hey
Ryan…can I ask you something?”
“Yeah
what is it?”
“Do
you feel awkward whenever the two of us walk in the dark…alone?”
I
tactlessly asked him, since I thought it was about time to “bond” with my
“classmate” and camp partner, and besides, we’ve known each other for some time
already, and we never had this kind of talk.
He
just replied with another one of his chilling grin and giggled a bit. “What’s
wrong with this child” I thought. Both
my hands were locked in my jacket’s pocket, so was Ryan. Somehow I felt secure
and needed at the same time. With his well-built body, I know I’ll be safe,
with his reserved attitude, I know he needs me.
We
were already walking along a muddy path, when…
I slipped.
“Careful”
Ryan was fast enough to grab me, and again he drew me close to his caressing
chest. Then suddenly…the winds grew heavier and turned colder, as Ryan helped
me get up, flashes of dark figures passed by the sinister sky. “What was
that?” I asked…”crows?” Ryan said…I remembered the task, it said “don’t show
any fear, they can smell it, however I couldn’t help but to stumble with fear,
after all it was an eerie ambiance to be in the middle of the abandoned woods,
and the slip made me more nervous. We stood there for awhile, until I could get
my balance, but he didn’t let go, I was safe…in his arms…under the moonlight.
It
was about a half an hour walk when we reached the massive gates covered in
thick vines of the abandoned school. The grey cat stopped walking.
“We’re
here” Ryan said…
“Should
we go inside?” I whispered.
I
followed him to call out for someone. We were expecting for the caretaker.
“I wasn’t going anywhere, but rather I was pushing myself back to you.
If it was a dream, then I don’t want to see the sun rise, because I
know I’m going to wake up alone”
-Excerpt
from the Emo Book
