Island of Pitsavongs

During a period of sadness and sorrow, something unexpected happened on this island. I encountered things that were strange and unexpected, things I hadn't encountered for a long time, perhaps since I was 24 years old.

During a time when I decided to take a break and relax, I sold my personal belongings to fund a soul-soothing retreat. After facing some unfortunate events, I hoped to find positive experiences in life.

On a fresh morning, driving away from home, I prepared for a journey to the sea. The melancholic music played to ease my loneliness during the dark morning hours at 3 am. It took me 8 hours to reach the island, with short breaks along the way. I traveled with my close brother, and both of us were responsible for overseeing a resort on the island. Upon arrival, it was around 7:00 PM, and I decided to stay at the resort for 1-2 months.

The island was exceptionally quiet during that time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many shops were closed, creating an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of a ghost town. However, there were still some people on the island, providing a sense of community. I walked to the end of the island, where a quiet beach met a lush forest and a river flowing from the mountains. Every night, a cat would come to my room, and I felt at ease opening the door for it to sleep with me.

One peculiar night, however, I heard knocking in my room, softly at first, and then persistently. It continued throughout the night, disrupting my sleep. The next morning, I asked my brother about the disturbance, thinking it was the cat. To my surprise, the cat had slept in my brother's room all night. This made me uneasy, as I had thought the knocking might have been the cat.

After going about my daily life on the island, I developed a routine of evening runs. One day, the forest behind the resort felt unusually silent and eerie. The air was still, and even with music playing in my ears, the silence was palpable. As I returned, I felt a sense of discomfort and observed an abnormal quietness in the surroundings. It was as if someone was watching, even though I saw no one.

In the evening, during one of my runs, the forest remained eerily quiet. Around 5:30 PM, I sensed an abnormality in the forest behind the beach. The usual sounds of the forest were absent, and it was profoundly unsettling. As I opened my senses to the surroundings, I felt a chilling quietness. Despite playing music, I had to remove my earphones and cautiously look around, suspecting that something was amiss. While it was common to encounter monkeys, this time, there was an uncanny stillness.

That night, as I lay down, I dreamt of a long-haired woman in a white shirt, walking around my room. She tried to enter but couldn't. I awoke, and the room seemed normal. However, the following night, a knocking sound resumed in my room.

Knock... knock...

It persisted throughout the night, making it impossible for me to sleep. The next morning, I confided in my brother, and he suggested changing rooms, mentioning that guests in Room 305 often experienced similar disturbances. Reluctantly, I moved to Room 307, which had a view of Room 305.

From Room 307, I could sometimes hear the knocking from Room 305, but gradually, it faded away. Despite some peculiar experiences, my daily routine continued without any disturbances. One day, I ran into a terrifying dream where two men tried to harm me. I woke up, and shadows of those men lingered for a moment before disappearing. This shook me profoundly, and the fear lingered even after waking.

The next day, I shared my experiences with my brother, who suggested changing rooms again. I moved to Room 307, and surprisingly, all the unsettling sounds ceased. Whether it was due to Room 305 or not remained uncertain, but I was relieved to have changed rooms.