Chapter 8: The Mysterious Box

The sun rises up but still, Jamie is not waking up. Chris and Michelle on the other side, prepared breakfast for the three of them. It was a peace offering of Michelle and Chris for Jamie.

"Chris, can you please call Jamie upstairs. Breakfast is ready!" Michelle shouted from the kitchen. She cooked bubble and squeak, pork steak, bacons and Jamie's favorite breakfast, pancake ale mousse. "Yes!" Chris replied, running upstairs with excitement in his face.

"Jamie! Wake up! Breakfast is ready, come on, son!" Chris said while knocking the door but no one answered him. "Jamie? Michelle and I are splitting now! We can go back to your Mom as soon as you eat breakfast and take a warm bath!" Chris added but still he only heard, silence.

Chris went back to the kitchen, lonely and disappointed. Michelle saw him, "What's wrong?" She asked, carrying three plates.

"He's not answering. Let's just eat and I'll wake him up, after. Maybe, he's still sleeping and dreaming." Chris said. Michelle nodded and sit in front of him. They ate breakfast quietly, it would be Michelle's last day on that house.

"I'm sorry for everything, Chris! I hope we can be still a good friends." Michelle told him, looking at the pork she was slicing. Chris gulped and clenched his teeth, "Don't mind it, let's forget about it. We've been dating for almost eight months but I don't regret loving you, Michelle." Chris replied.

Michelle smiled bitterly because of guilt. If only she's not in vain, she will never dared hurting anyone. "I loved you too, Chris. But I know, the only person, the only woman that will stay beside you forever no matter what happen, is your ex wife. She deserves a man like you, you better start planning for a second wedding, Christopher." Michelle said to him calmly. Chris smiled like he's not certain with that thing. "I'm not certain. I don't know if Kylie would accept me again."

"She will. You have to prove it, Chris. This is your second chance. Your last chance, so you better nailed it for the sake of your son." Michelle stood up. "Before it's too late." She added.

Chris remained seating, thinking for a better plan, for a better explanation. He just watched Michelle cleaned the dinning table and wash the dishes, alone. He didn't eat well, he just lost his appetite all of a sudden.

Michelle went back to their room and bring all her things outside. Chris saw her and helped Michelle.

Everything is okay now, Michelle is ready to leave. "Chris, can you please accompany me to Jamie's room. I just want to say sorry for everything." Chris nodded and guide her upstairs.

Michelle knocked on the door, twice. But Jamie didn't open it. "Chris, can you please get the duplicate key of Jamie's room. I felt something strange!" Michelle said in panicked. She tried to open the door but it's not working. Chris, hurriedly look for the key. He's panicking too and he felt afraid.

"Where is the fucking key!" Chris cursed. He couldn't find the right key until he opened the last drawer and saw it. He went back upstairs and put it on the key hole.

Finally, the door opened. Michelle and Chris went inside and they saw Jamie's body, lying on the floor. Chris gaped and watched his son.

Michelle's eyes widened as she saw the messy room, an old box and pity body of Jamie Kurtney.

**

"Jamie!"

"Jamie!" I heard Grandma's voice calling me, I know it!

"Wake up, Jamie!" Grandma said. I slowly opened my eyes, and all I can see is darkness. I stood up and look for Grandma. "Grandma! Where are you?" I rubbed my eyes as I called her. I turned my head left and right, but still, there's no here, except me.

The place was full of smoke, and you can't see even a single building. There's no highway, it's like an open space.

"Jamie, watch out! Look behind you!" Grandma told me. I can't see clearly who's approaching but as they walk closer, I saw people wearing hoods. They walked in chorus like they're soldiers. "What I'm gonna do, Grandma? There's nothing to hide!"

I panicked. I don't have any idea what kind of place is this. "Turn your back and don't breathe." I did what Grandma said.

I tried my self not to breathe, they're near and I closed my eyes. But why they're just walked through me? Am I invisible or what? "They can't touch you, they can't harm you unless you try to look at their eyes for so long." Grandma told me. One more thing that driving me insane, thinking how Grandma ended up in this creepy and eerie place.

"Why? I don't get it Grandma!" I am still standing in the same place, in the same position. "They are not humans. You are not a human anymore, you are a spirit now, Jamie." Grandma seems disappointed at me, at everything.

I wanted to scream, I wanted to stop the time and turn it backwards. I wish I didn't tried to imitate and perform that mysterious ritual! How I wish, that no one added me into a nonsense group chat. This is all my fault! If only I trusted Sabrina, this thing will never be happened. "No! Please, Grandma! Help me to get back to my world, to my life!" I bursted into tears, with the thought that Mom will be sad and hurt if I'll die at this young age.

I'm not yet ready too. I dreamed to go to college and be able to graduate. I would look for a regular job and I'll marry Sabrina and we will be bless with five adorable babies. The two of us will take care them until they can stand with their own feet. We would watch our grandchildren, playing around.

Sabrina and I will love each other until our last breath. But, for the second time, I broke my promises. I will always do.

"Shhhh. You better out of this world, as soon as possible. Kamatayan will find wherever you are, Jamie." Kamatayan? I already encountered this word and If I'm not mistaken, it's a Filipino word which means, "death".  "Kamatayan? The ruler of the black magic?" I asked Grandma.

"Yes. You called him Jamie! You summoned the most powerful spirit that possessed black magic and he will never stop following you, until he get your spirit away." Does it mean that Kamatayan needs human spirit for him to be more powerful and superior? Maybe it's the reason why he didn't kill me that easily.

"I thought magic rituals, spirits and symbolism are not true! So, I tried it out of my boredom, Grandma! I never thought... I never thought that in my entire life I would experience this horrible shit." Now that is proven, I will believe it. There's no questions in my head, there's no more doubt in my heart but there's still hope in my soul.

"I regret not telling you the truth before I gone, Jamie. But you need to move right now!"

Grandma told me. Even if I can only hear her voice, I know that she's guiding me. I know that Grandma will be my back up and my lead going back to the real world. "I don't know the way out of here!" I told Grandma.

"Follow the smokes Jamie. It will lead you to a better hide out." I looked where the smokes blew up by the wind, and it goes to my right.

Follow the smokes? What? Literally, smokes will be gone easily because of the wind. I don't understand Grandma! "You are in the world of magic now, Jamie. All the things that you can see are alive, even the smokes."

I'm trying to sink in everything and I started to walk and to follow it. "Remember, avoid an eye to eye contact with anyone around you. Some of them are wise and will hypnotize you, Jamie. Along the way, when you see a skeleton wearing a warlock's cape with a hood, you need to say twice, "Abracadabrus! Abracadabrus! My spirit is mine". Don't you forget it Jamie, it is the only way." I shook my head like she can see me. For the last time, I looked around me and memorized even the small details. If I can come back, I would tell this to Sabrina.

"Go!" I came back to my senses when Grandma raised her voice. She's in a hurry. The smokes move so fast, that makes me hard to follow it.

"Move faster, Jamie!" Fuck! The smokes told me, like its pressuring the hell out of me. "You can speak?" I said bemused and shocked. "Yes. Everything that lives here can talk, and can take your spirit away."

I shook my head in disbelief. I've never thought that this kind of  place, really exists. From afar, I saw a burning cliff. I saw it in the movie, it looks like hell. "At the bottom of that cliff, you can hear the voices of those souls that was being punished by Kamatayan."

"I don't understand! What is the real motives of Kamatayan? Why he's doing all of this?" I asked the smokes. I know, there's a reason behind of all of this mystery. "You will know when we reach our hide out, Jamie!" The smokes told me.

I was running in the middle of nowhere, following the smokes. I looked around and I saw a crying lady wearing a white dress. Her face was covered with her hands and all I can hear is, pain and suffering. I stopped running and walked on the opposite direction.

"Hey, why are you crying?" I asked the lady from a far. She stopped crying and looked where the voice coming from. She was about to turn her gaze at me when the smokes spoke. "Jamiiie! Nooooooo!" I realized what I'm doing but it's too late now. The crying lady run towards me and keep on following us. "Run! Jamie!"

I don't know where I am, I just run and run and run. "Jamie, this way!" The smokes went through an invisible door. I looked behind me and the crying lady was gone.  I slowly stepped out into the invisible door and I fell into a familiar place.