《Mystery Village》


 1 Chapter 1

    Santiago took a glimpse of the river on his right side, driving his silver Ford Crown Victoria. The river was under the long bridge he was passing through. As he sang along with Mr. Big''s Just Take My Heart, he went by the University of Saint Thomas, then finally saw the gasoline station which served as a sign that he was nearing his destination. He was to stop at the second intersection ahead of it - a street corner for an alley of what seemed to be a small forest or woodlot. And by the looks of the narrow passageway, walking was the best option. He put his gearbox in neutral, turned the key, then removed it from the ignition.


    Santiago stepped out of his car, looking pensive in his grey khaki pants, white long sleeve polo, and his formal black oxford shoes. It was January 17, 1992, casual Friday, but he needed to look like the Department Head of Embarcadero. It wasn''t the best architectural firm, but he wanted to make it seem like it was. There was a big project at stake, and he would move heaven and earth to close that deal with his prospective client. To do that, he needed to speak to the owner of the vast land that he started to step his foot into. He was to convince the owner to sell it, so it could be turned into the first mall of Ipzagel, the capital of Yabla province.


    As he walked, there was a big sign on a post ahead, but it was unreadable. All he could see was "illage," which was obviously not a word. He walked further and saw two buildings: one was an office building and standing next to it was a three-story apartment building with a maroon gate. He looked like a brontosaurus as he tried to extend his neck to look over the gate. He was six feet and one inch tall, but it wasn''t much of a help.


    After a few seconds, the silence was deafening: no birds were chirping, no frogs were croaking, and there was no noise coming from any living presence, except for him. There should''ve been at least the whooshing sound as the wind passed through many branches and leaves surrounding the area, but there was none. On his left side were pure meadows and, on his back, there were lots and lots of trees.


    "Hello? Is there anyone here?" He felt strange, but he managed to let out his voice, loud enough for someone from the apartment building to hear. He would hurt his hand if he knocked at the metallic gate, so he took out a coin from his right pocket and started clinking.


    After two minutes of constant "Hello," where he almost slammed the gate out of frustration, all he could do was sigh. "Damn it! There is not a hint of even one living creature in here!" He mumbled to himself as quiet as he could. There was a possibility that the owner just didn''t want to welcome anyone. The owner was probably just discreetly watching him from the windows, he thought. So, he tried with all his might not to look as pissed as he was. He then used his long arms to slide between the wrought iron railheads of the gate in hope of a way to open it. To his surprise, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder. "Holy shit!" He screamed in shock as he turned to see an old woman who came out of nowhere.


    "Hello, Mr. Handsome gentleman," she said in a sweet grandmotherly voice. She had chubby rosy cheeks and was almost half his height. From her wrinkled skin with freckles, she was in her late 70s, though she didn''t look frail by the way that she stood in front of him with her hands on her waist. "I''m sorry to surprise you, dear."


    Santiago''s fright was replaced with gratitude to see a living presence in front of him. At the back of his mind, he was thinking that maybe she was the owner. "It''s okay. Sorry, I must''ve over reacted."


    "No, of course not. It was a normal reaction." She said with a nod, as if to confirm. "I''ve been looking at you from afar. I''m the caretaker of the abandoned building over there. It used to be an office space, but it hasn''t been used for many years." Her voice sounded hoarse, but she seemed like a person who loved to talk to people.


    "Are you the owner of this building?" He asked, embarrassed that he tried to break in.


    "Oh no, no. Not at all." She responded.


    He was relieved but at the same time, his hope of finally meeting the owner was crushed. "I was trying to open the gate because nobody responded when I knocked."


    "Just kick it. It''s open, just stuck. But the problem is, even if you open it, you won''t be able to get in," she said with more emphasis on the last comment, shaking her head.


    Santiago looked confused. "What do you mean?"


    "Go ahead. Try it. Just kick it."


    He did as he was told, then voila, the gate opened! He smiled, but his happiness was short-lived. As soon as he stepped to enter the premises, it was as if he was blocked by an invisible shield. He tried again with all his might, even pushing his arms to see if it will go through but to his surprise, it was no use. He was mystified by it.


    He looked at the old woman who was expressionless; it wasn''t the first time that someone had tried to enter that place, so she just stood there observing him. "Who''s the owner? Is she inside?" He asked.


    "It''s a he, and there are seven of them."


    "Seven?!"


    "Yes. Seven."


    "And none of them wanna talk?"


    "Well, even if they want to talk to you, they won''t be able to."


    Again, Santiago''s face was full of confusion. "And why would that be?"


    "I can''t say."


    His eyebrows merged. "But do you know them?"


    "Yes."


    "And you''ve seen them?"


    "Yes, of course."


    "How will I be able to see them so I can talk to them?"


    "You can''t."


    He sighed and this time, it was obvious that he was frustrated. "But I don''t understand why. Can you help me, please? They don''t have contact information and this place is not even in the yellow pages. I was just given instructions on how to get here, but I don''t even know what this place is called. I saw a sign back there," he pointed at the direction where he came from, "it says illage and¡­"


    The old woman interrupted. "Village."


    "I''m sorry what?"


    "It''s village. This place is called Mystery Village." She answered.


    "Oh wow. Well, that certainly makes a lot of sense. Can you help me meet the owners?"


    "I told you, you can''t. Only someone who has the purest heart, perhaps a virgin, will be able to pass through during the full moon. Or, if not an innocent being, a lost soul."


    Santiago laughed and had a hard time stopping himself that he had to move to a wall and rest on his side. He pressed his head to the wall as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the little tears in his eyes from laughing too hard. "You''re kidding me, right?" He sounded breathless. "This is the weirdest conversation I''ve had in my entire life. And possibly, the most inconceivable experience." He consumed the last laugh he had left while he uttered, "So tell me." He rubbed his eyes with his handkerchief again. "What''s the name of¡­" He was suddenly surprised to see no one, but still managed to finish his question as he whispered, "¡­the owner?" He surveyed around to see where the old woman went, only to realize that she was really gone.


    He stood there, contemplating everything that happened, then recalled the old woman''s words in his head. Only someone who has the purest heart, perhaps a virgin, will be able to pass through during the full moon. Or, if not an innocent being, a lost soul. "A lost soul?" His eyes widened in fear. "Holy shit!" He swiftly walked as if in a marathon race, then never looked back. He could see the hood of his car on the roadway, not so far from where he was panicking. He ran for it and by the time he reached his car, he was panting. He stepped inside, buckled up, and turned the key to start the engine, but then an image in the mirror suddenly made him scream like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, complete with the hand gesture. He only stopped after realizing that he was looking at a life-sized cardboard of their 50-year-old woman Chief Executive Officer. "Son of a¡­" He threw a box of tissue straight to the cardboard''s head out of exasperation. Then, he quickly inhaled and exhaled. After calming himself down, he turned the music on; Mr. Big''s To Be with You, one of his favorites, accompanied his journey away from Mystery Village.

 2 Chapter 2

    The project manager, senior architect, and two designers were already huddled in Santiago''s small cabin when he arrived at 7 a.m. He had an off-the-peg L-shaped desk fronting a black leather sofa set: there was a three-seater couch, and two individual sofas facing each other with a chocolate-colored tea table dividing them. The brown and black theme matched Santiago''s desk and stood out against the cream wall. He made sure his office space always had a clean and comfortable but manly aura to represent himself, but he wasn''t so sure if that would still be the case after the meeting. He placed his black duffle bag beside his desktop computer and sat on his black ergonomic chair. "I sure hope you''ve all had a good breakfast, and that you''re ready at what I am about to tell you." He rested his arms on his table. "Good morning."


    "Well, good morning, Santiago. Your introduction seems interesting. Did we get the big project?" Seated on the left side of the sofa was Senior Architect Daryl. From head to toe, he was a James Corden replica without the British accent.


    Claire and Mandy, the two middle-aged designers in Santiago''s team, were seated on the long sofa; they showed a little excitement over Daryl''s query. Linda, the project manager seated across Daryl, anticipated Santiago''s response.


    "Not yet. But I believe we can if we trust and support each other." He responded.


    "Of course, we do. We''ve nailed small residential projects over the past years. But this year, I hope we land on a big one." Daryl said.


    "Which is why instead of Linda, I took the liberty of going to that property in Siwar that Luke wanted so much for his business." From Daryl, he turned his eyes on Linda. "You were racking your brains with all the budgeting and scheduling and I know you''re a single mom, so I went ahead and checked the location myself. You''ll still be in charge though of making sure this project runs smoothly once Luke signs the contract. But for now, it''s quite a long shot to make that happen unless you''re all going to be very open to what I am going to say. I mean, I don''t exactly know how to explain it perfectly without you thinking it''s full of shit, but I do need you now more than ever." He suddenly realized his team was missing one person. "Where in the world is our new intern? Does she know she''s included in our meeting?"


    "She is? Oh shoot, sorry. I''ll go get her." Mandy responded and instantly went out of the room.


    "Just so we''re clear, there is no small position in this firm. Everyone''s role is important. We''re all busy, but I had enough time to observe that you''re all treating the new intern as if she''s not part of the team. Making coffee and cleaning your desks aren''t part of her job. She''s supposed to do clerical tasks and help you on your designs, so give her that kind of experience and don''t make her feel like she''s less important than us." Daryl, Claire, and Linda looked embarrassed. Their eyes were on the floor by the time Santiago was done with his fatherly sermon.


    Claire looked at both Daryl and Linda, then Santiago. "To be honest, I do feel guilty at times but she''s just so super nice and I guess we did kind of abuse that. I mean, she offers help on everything. We''re not the ones asking her to do things. And she never complains."


    "Yes. She never complains. Remember last week when I brought Ella with me and I couldn''t concentrate on what I was doing? The minute she started talking to my kid, she stopped throwing tantrums. It must''ve been her voice or maybe how she looks because she just looks so pure, like an angel maybe." Linda explained.


    "She looks innocent, like a virgin." Claire said with a wicked grin.


    "Oh, that''s none of our business, Claire." Linda responded then turned to Santiago. "But she does look like an angel with the purest heart."


    "Yeah. I guess, she does. I mean, she wears white all the time. Wait, why does she wear white all the time?" Daryl suddenly looked curious.


    Santiago''s brows lifted and his face went brighter. He thought, I don''t have to tell them what really happened. I only have to talk to the new intern.


    "She''s here. My gosh, I was looking for her everywhere and it turned out that she was just petting a lost white cat at the terrace." Mandy explained as she came in with Maria.


    Maria was holding a big tray with five cups of coffee and a plate of cookies that she placed on top of the tea table. She carefully held one and handed it to Santiago, then bowed politely to everyone in the room as she silently settled in between Claire and Mandy. Santiago stood up and placed the coffee in front of Maria. "You can have this; I''ve already had two cups before coming here."


    "Thank you." Maria said in a soft angelic voice.


    Santiago observed her as everyone else started munching on cookies. She had an oval-shaped face with soft jawline, a deep set of monolid eyes, and rosy-pale skin; she did have that strange but tranquil aura. And she did look like an angel with her all-white outfit.


    "So, what was it that you were going to tell us?" Daryl asked after taking a sip of his coffee.


    "Well, first, the unknown property in Siwar actually has a name. It is called Mystery Village." Santiago said with emphasis on the last statement."


    "Really?" Daryl asked.


    "Yes. Really. It doesn''t look like a real village though. It has two buildings; one is an abandoned office building then the one next to it is an apartment building. Just imagine the entire land as a small forest with two buildings. I am yet to convince the owner next week when we meet, so until then, you can all go back to your desks, except for Maria." He said, quickly ending the meeting.


    "That was it?" Daryl looked confused. "I thought you were going to say something that will blow our minds."


    "Well, I did say it''s called Mystery Village."


    "Where is the mystery in that?"


    "Oh, you have no idea, Daryl. But for now, you can all go back to your desks. After all, I did say this was a quick meeting. I just wanted to give you an update, that''s all. But hopefully, we''ll have good news by next week."


    Everyone took their coffee and headed out while munching cookies as if they were kids who just finished a talk with their dad. Maria stayed with an expressionless face. Santiago settled where Linda sat during the meeting, then pushed the plate of cookies to Maria. "Here. You can finish this. There are two more cookies."


    "Thank you." Maria responded with a slight bow, then took one cookie.


    "There''s a reason why I asked you to stay and hopefully, you''ll trust me when I say that this conversation that we''re about to have should be confidential." He said, quite nervously.


    Maria nodded, still munching on her cookies.


    Santiago noticed that she hasn''t touched her coffee. "You''re not drinking your coffee."


    "I don''t drink coffee."


    "Oh. Well, then I think I need one now. Let me have it." He took a sip and looked at Maria who was staring blankly at the window behind his desk. "Will you be able to keep a secret?"


    Maria turned to him, still with a blank expression, then nodded.


    "You look trustworthy, which is why you''re the only one who has to know this." He said with a careful tone.


    Again, Maria nodded, almost choking on the cookie she was eating.


    "Hold on a sec." Santiago stood up and went outside for a moment. When he came back, he was holding a glass of water. "Here. Drink this."


    Maria bowed as a sign of gratitude, then drank the entire glass of water.


    "Are you feeling okay, now?" Santiago felt like he was talking to a nine-year-old kid.


    Maria nodded.


    He took a deep breath then started talking. "I had the strangest experience yesterday and I didn''t know how to explain it to anyone, but I''ll explain it to you. Again, this is confidential." He paused while Maria once again confirmed by nodding her head. "There is a reason why that place is called Mystery Village. It''s literally a mysterious place. When I went there, I met an old woman who later on turned out to be a ghost. But that''s not the only strange thing that happened. I was able to open the gate to the apartment building where the owners live, but I couldn''t enter the premises. I learned through the old woman¡­or ghost, that only someone with a pure heart can enter during full moon, and that''s where you come in." He waited for a reaction from Maria, but she just listened attentively to the whole thing without disbelief. "Maria, do you believe in the supernatural?"


    She instantly nodded, this time with excitement glowing from her face.


    Santiago smiled at her reaction. "I was scared at how you would react, but now I''m glad I''m talking to you. I sure do hope that you speak from time to time."


    She nodded.


    "So, here''s what we''re going to do. Tomorrow is January 19. At exactly 10:28pm, there''s going to be a full moon. I know it''s Sunday and you''re supposed to take a rest. Heck, we all need a rest, but I really need you to be my partner on this project. We need to close this deal by talking to the owners to convince them to sell the property, and if I''m not mistaken, you''re the only one who can do this. Would you be able to partner with me on this task?"


    Maria gave out an angelic smile. "Yes."


    Santiago relaxed on the sofa with a huge hope that the old woman wasn''t lying, and that Maria could really enter the apartment building on full moon. At the back of his mind, he was thinking, Let''s see what happens tomorrow and I''d better not be a crazy man.

 3 Chapter 3

    It was January 19, Sunday, 10 p.m. Maria was seated comfortably in Santiago''s silver car. Her face was calm, while Santiago tried his best to loosen up by taking deep breaths. There was no certainty that Maria would be able to accomplish anything, but it was better to try than not know whether he was just imagining things because he has gone crazy, or there really was an old woman ghost, and seven owners of the mysterious place that he couldn''t enter. Nevertheless, he was scared to death, not only for him, but for the innocent-looking girl who rarely spoke. Will she be able to handle this supernatural assignment?


    "Are you ready?" The question was for Maria, but deep inside, he was also asking himself.


    As expected, she simply nodded.


    "Since you don''t talk much and we need to make sure we communicate everything we need to, and get a response tonight, I have recorded my voice, so all you need to do is give ''em this." He handed a small grey tape recorder. "You just have to press this button that says play. If they miss something I said, you can press rewind." He explained, pointing at the button.


    Maria nodded with the kind of smile that was meant to let him know she wasn''t dumb.


    "Also¡­" He took out a Motorola MicroTAC 9800X, the first portable phone that could fit in a jacket''s pocket. "Take this. This is a company phone and I have my personal phone as well. Do you know how to use this?"


    She nodded, feeling embarrassed that Santiago had mistaken her for a dumb girl just because she wasn''t the talkative type.


    Dear God. Please help us and keep us safe from harm, he thought. "Okay, let''s go now."


    They stepped out of the car and walked the grassy path of Mystery Village, both with flashlights. It was more eerie that he had expected because it was nighttime, but at least there were lamp posts along the way that he hadn''t noticed before. The sound of their tracks echoed until they passed by the abandoned office building and stopped in front of the metallic maroon gate. Santiago looked at Maria who didn''t seem bothered at all with the eerie atmosphere, and found it weird that he, a man, was the only one whose knees wobbled at the thought of another paranormal occurrence. He started to feel very sensitive to his surroundings as he used his peripheral vision to detect if there was an old woman''s presence; he felt relieved that there was none. He looked at Maria who was again sporting an all-white outfit: she was wearing a hooded long comfy jacket that was larger than her size, white top, white jeans, and white sneakers. Santiago didn''t want to wonder why because there was no time. He looked at his watch which said 10:27 p.m. "It''s almost time. Let me try first if I can get in."


    Maria nodded and witnessed that the illuminated part had become more visible, until it reached the full moon stage. Santiago also witnessed it and at exactly 10:28 p.m., he kicked the left part of the gate. It hung open, while the right half stayed where it was. He stepped his foot and pushed his arms, but he had the same failed experience. "Who the heck am I kidding? Of course, it wouldn''t work." He looked at Maria who was not confused, nor amazed. "See what I mean?"


    She nodded.


    "Try it. Let''s see if you can¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, he was slack jawed as Maria nonchalantly entered the premises. His eyes grew and he couldn''t stop his mouth from opening wide. He had a huge hope that it would work, but he didn''t know it would be that easy. He was thinking it would happen just like in the movies with slow motion effect and a triumphant music once she entered, but that was just all in his imagination.


    Maria didn''t give him time to further express his astonishment. She walked the grassless front yard until she reached the front door of the three-story building. She smiled at the sight of a doorbell on her left and turned to Santiago whose anxiousness had been replaced with optimism, waiving at her like a dad waiving at his daughter. Without further ado, she cheerfully pressed the doorbell.


    ~~~


    Seven Grim Reapers were playing Uno cards in the living room at the ground floor. It had an old-style fireplace, vintage furniture, upholstered set of sofa and table, and unique paintings hanging on the Victorian wall. They had the same dark eyes and black curtain hair, and they all wore black and gold modern Hanbok.


    Joony, seated on the left sofa, was the leader of the group. He had a face that was somewhere between oval and heart shape, almond-shaped eyes with puffy monolids, and deep dimples with a heartwarming smile. He was intelligent, but his brothers referred to him as the ''God of Destruction'' because he always broke things.


    Jinny, seated across him, was the oldest. He had the perfect face to match the golden ratio which is 1:618, making him the most handsome of the group. He had beautiful pumped lips, puppy eyes, and oval face. Despite his handsome look, he was a dork who loved to make corny jokes.


    From left to right, the five Grim Reapers seated at the big and long vintage upholstered sofa were Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, and Jeon. Yoon had a small round-shaped face with no prominent feature that he could''ve been easily mistaken as a girl if it weren''t for his voice. He had thick, low set brows, deep set eyes like a cat''s, gummy smile, thin lips, the palest skin amongst them, and a petite frame. He was the grumpy, inactive Grim Reaper who didn''t like to sweat, but he was genius with words, and he gave the best life quotes.


    Faith had the most perfect pointed nose, diamond face, narrow chin and forehead, and smiley eyes. He, along with Jinny and Yoon, were the most cowardly Grim Reapers, though he was the most likely to have the loudest scream. The best thing about him was his cheerful personality and that he was the cleanest Grim Reaper with the most addictive scent.


    Jimmy had a petite frame like Yoon. He also had a small face, squishy cheeks like a mochi, defined jawline, doe eyes with single eyelids, plump lips, small hands, and amazing abs. He was the sweetest, most caring and thoughtful Grim Reaper of the group.


    TaeTae had very proportionate and manly facial features; he had a tall nose, glaring eyes, and a boxy smile. He also had a four-dimensional personality and the other Grim Reapers just simply referred to him as the ''weirdo'' of the group.


    Jeon had a square-shaped face with his jawline as the most prominent feature. He had low set brows, partial monolid eyes, thin lips, and a bunny smile. He was the youngest, most playful Grim Reaper of the group, but he was also the calmest during sticky situations. He was also referred to as the ''Golden Kid'' for having the ability to do anything because of his bold personality.


    They were all enjoying their card game until Faith stopped laughing. "Shhhhhh. Did you hear that?" They looked at each other, confused. The doorbell suddenly rang and made him jumpy that he instantly lifted his feet and placed it on Yoon''s lap. He didn''t look happy with his legs'' weight, so he pushed it and gave him an annoyed expression. "Why is the doorbell ringing?" Faith asked anxiously.


    "Yeah. This is the first time someone rang the doorbell." Jeon said calmly.


    "But no one can enter our place, so how can someone ring the doorbell?" Jinny uttered with a nervous tone.


    "Should we open the door?" Jimmy asked, looking at Joony while the rest of them waited for his response.


    "Someone''s ringing the doorbell, so we have to, but who''s going to do it?" Joony responded. Clearly, he didn''t want to be the one to open it.


    "I''ll open it." Jeon, the bravest of the group offered.

 4 Chapter 4

    Santiago''s already optimistic face looked even brighter when the door opened. It felt like the second portal to a mystical shield had opened its door to modern civilization. Smiling dreamily, he could imagine the land turning to a mall ¨C the first ever mall in the city of Ipzagel. His smile suddenly faded when Maria made a 90-degree bow and stayed like that for more than 10 seconds. It seemed as if there was someone in front of her as she waited to be greeted back, but Santiago could see no one. All he could do was scratch his head.


    ~~~


    It''s been seven years since someone had touched the gold lever handle of the Victorian door, so the Grim Reapers'' mouths were gaping. As Jeon pushed the handle down, the clicking sound made their eyes widen. They took a deep breath then looked at each other as if to expect a monster waiting behind the door. Jeon stepped back as he slowly opened the door, but his brave face unexpectedly vanished at the sight of Maria when their eyes locked. Suddenly, he felt a big thump on his chest. It must be his heart, he thought, if he had one; he was completely flustered at her beautiful angelic face, until she bowed her head. Jeon was taken aback by the polite gesture and couldn''t speak for several seconds; he felt frozen.


    "For goodness'' sake, don''t let her stay like that, Jeon!" Jinny roared.


    Yoon chuckled then uttered in a low tone, "I''ve always wondered what our golden kid''s weakness is. He''s always so brave and strong, but now the deities have conspired to give him a chance to feel like a normal boy¡­weak. Is this a sign of puberty?"


    Jeon turned to Yoon. "I heard that!" He cried out.


    "Since when did he start to learn how to yell like that?" Jimmy commented, looking at the other''s baffled face.


    "I can''t believe he heard me." Yoon said, amazed, then they all laughed.


    Jeon finally responded to Maria. "Uhm. Hi." He bowed in response to Maria''s gesture. "Uhm¡­please. Please come in." Jeon''s face looked embarrassed.


    Maria finally straightened from her 90-degree bow, then gracefully stepped inside. Her normal expressionless face was suddenly full of expression; the twinkle in her eyes as she scanned the house made the Grim Reapers proud of their place. Jeon led her to where Jinny was seating; he stood beside her like a bodyguard while Jinny took his previous place and everyone else went back to their respective spots.


    "Please sit down." TaeTae said in a friendly tone. "You look surprise that the house looks entirely different from outside."


    Maria nodded as she sat. She continued surveying the house while the seven Grim Reapers observed her. After a satisfying look at the Victorian-style mansion, she looked at each of them, then let out a shy smile. Jeon almost fainted when she quickly looked up to him; he put his right hand to his chest as if to protect his heart.


    "What brings you here?" Joony asked in a casual, amicable tone.


    She took out Santiago''s tape recorder from her jacket''s left pocket, then placed it on the table. Jimmy, who was sitting at the center of the long sofa, took the recorder and handed it over to Joony. However, upon getting the recorder, he dropped it. Embarrassed, he instantly picked it up.


    "Wow, even with a human''s presence, you want to live up to your ''destroyer'' reputation." Yoon commented.


    Jeon walked to Joony and held out his hand. "Please give it to me. I can''t let you wreck such a precious looking thing." Joony handed it over without protest and Jeon examined the unfamiliar thing quickly. He pushed the ''play'' button, then placed it on the table upon hearing a man''s voice.


    Everyone listened attentively to Santiago''s voice. "Hi everyone! Kamusta, Bonjour, Hola, Anyeong haseyo, Konnichiwa, Ni hao! I just wanted to greet you in seven different languages before I start. My name is Samuel Santiago, department head and senior manager of Embarcadero Architectural Firm. I learned that only a person with a pure heart can enter your dwelling place, so I asked for Maria''s help." The Grim Reapers looked at Maria and muttered her name, then focused back at the recorded voice. "As you can see, she''s such a quiet girl, so I have opted for this mode of communication to make sure that you will understand my intention. Luke Cloudstander is our prospective client and will probably be the biggest client we''re ever going to have. He''s the richest man in the province with various types of businesses like construction, tourism, aviation, and many more. He is the CEO of the first hotel, first coffee shop, first self-service laundromat, and first salon. It would be a great honor to partner with him on his newest endeavor, which is to build the first mall in our province. That being said, I will cut to the chase. We will only earn this wonderful opportunity of handling such big project if we convince you, the owners, to sell Mystery Village for any amount you wish. The mall will benefit the economy considering the local and foreign investors that are already currently waiting for Luke''s affirmation. It will also be very advantageous for many people who are unemployed because it will open a lot of job opportunities. You can press ''stop'' now and your response to the offer can be recorded by pressing the ''record'' button. I am looking forwarded to a positive and swift response from you! Thank you. "


    The seven Grim Reapers looked at each other inquisitively then turned to Maria. "So, this is what you''re here for, Maria, that''s your name, right?" Jimmy said in a friendly voice.


    Maria nodded.


    "Can you give us a moment to talk in private? We''re just going to huddle in the living room, then we''ll be back." Joony said and everyone nodded to agree with him.


    As expected, Maria just simply nodded, and they all vanished out of thin air. Maria didn''t seem puzzled that all of them could just magically disappear like that. After a few minutes, they reappeared with a bit of white smoke leaving traces of their ability to transport.


    They all sat in the same spot as before. Joony, who was seated across her, crossed his arms. "Maria, we have decided to take the offer on one condition." He paused as Maria gave a nod. "It may not seem like it, but we''re all Grim Reapers who have been locked up in here for seven years because of a lost soul who wouldn''t cross over. He won''t cross over because he wants to protect his mom. Apparently, he knows about Grim Reapers because he won''t say our names thrice. The only way for us to control him and take him to the other side is by saying our names. All seven of us. Three times. But as long as his mom is still alive, he will never leave this place, so you have to talk to his mom so she could convince him to cross over. Once he crosses over, our mission here on earth will be complete, and we will be reincarnated. That is our reward for bringing his long-lost soul to where it should be. Help us with that missing soul, and we will give the title and deed of Mystery Village to his mom, then Luke can buy it from her."


    Maria simply nodded and Jeon handed her the tape recorder. "We''re not humans. Our voice can''t be recorded." Again, Maria nodded.

 5 Chapter 5

    TaeTae was looking through the window by the front door, while the rest were still gathered in the living room, not far from his left side. "That man in military two-block cut is Santiago, right? He has been walking back and forth. He must be too worried." Jeon had just returned the tape recorder to Maria when TaeTae suddenly commented. They all turned to him as Maria simply nodded in response.


    "Bro, can you lend your pocket watch to Maria so that Santiago can come in here?" Jeon told Joony.


    "Of course." Joony quickly took out a beautiful vintage swiss gold pocket watch and handed it to Maria, who took it without questions. "Just be careful not to break it."


    The Grim Reapers giggled at his comment. "Look who''s talking? You almost broke that watch like a hundred times." Jinny said, still giggling.


    "More like a thousand times." Faith burst out laughing at his own statement.


    "Cut it out, you guys." Joony said, though he was holding himself from laughing. When everyone was quiet, he looked at Maria. "Anyone who''s holding a precious possession from a Grim Reaper can enter our place and see us."


    "Well, not just us. He can see anything out of this world. Even that lost soul. Which will be helpful on your end because you don''t have to deal with him alone." Jimmy said.


    "She won''t be alone. We''re here and we''ll guide her." Jeon responded.


    "The boy hates us, Jeon. Except for you." Jimmy told him, then turned to Maria. "The lost soul is a teenage boy. Maybe he likes Jeon because he''s the youngest. He said he''s willing to say Jeon''s name thrice, but he will never say our names. But Jeon doesn''t want that, he wants all of us to complete our mission and be reincarnated together."


    "Yeah, for some reason, the boy always looks at us with much resentment and we''d be grateful to understand why." Yoon said, anxiously.


    "Somehow, the boy''s mom can see us from afar by the way that she''s reacting whenever we look through the window. The problem is, we''re stuck here, and she can''t enter the premises, so there''s no way to talk to her and ask. I hope that you and Santiago can help us." Joony explained.


    Maria took a deep breath then nodded.


    ~~~


    Santiago had been walking back and forth and it was already midnight. "What is taking her too long? She''s not calling my phone, so she must be alright. She should be alright. I hope she''s alright." He uttered, scratching his head. His uneasiness finally came to its halt when the door opened, and Maria came to view. "Oh, dear God. Thank you." He said while looking up, then turned his focus back to Maria who was walking towards him. "How was it? I''m glad you''re okay."


    She smiled while nodding, then gave him the pocket watch. Santiago tilted his head and looked at Maria with his questioning eyes. He got more confused when she held his left hand while he held the pocket watch on his right. Then, his eyes widened with astonishment as they both stepped on the premises and continued walking towards the front door. "Wow, is this because of this pocket watch?" Maria nodded. The door opened, but there was no one around. Santiago was flabbergasted that the three-story apartment building turned out to be a mansion inside. Mary led him to the living room and guided him to sit on the sofa where she sat before. "Well." He looked at Maria who sat across him, the spot where Joony sat previously. "Where are the owners?"


    To his surprise, white smoke filled the air as seven silhouettes started to slowly appear until the Grim Reapers became clearly visible to Santiago''s eyes. They all smiled before him, and all that Santiago managed to do was scream. This shocked the Grim Reapers and Maria quickly rose from the sofa chair when he fainted.


    After a few minutes, Santiago opened his eyes and realized that they were discussing what happened. "That was uncalled for. You could''ve just let him see us the minute he entered. Why did we need to disappear and reappear like that in front of a human?" Joony said.


    "But you said yes to the idea." Jinny retaliated.


    "It was actually quite funny, so I don''t regret it." Yoon said, giggling.


    "Me neither." Jimmy agreed without guilt and smiled wildly at the thought of what just happened.


    "Well, I think that was mean," said Jeon. "Come to think of it, we only did it because Maria wasn''t bothered by it and we just wanted a grand entrance. But then, he got really scared and fainted, so now I feel guilty that we had to do it that way."


    "I think Santiago''s reaction was very normal," said Faith.


    "And Maria''s reaction was not?" Jeon asked, confused. They all looked at Maria then turned to Santiago who had woken up. "Oh, he''s awake."


    Santiago looked embarrassed. He was lying on the long sofa with his left leg sprawled on the floor. "Hi," he said, nonchalantly. "I''m okay now. I''m not frightened at all. I''m cool."


    "Yes, but you fainted," TaeTae commented.


    "Yeah, but I''m okay now," he answered.


    "We didn''t mean any harm. It was just that Maria took it rather calmly, so we thought you would have the same reaction and would probably be amazed instead of frightened," said TaeTae.


    "Well Maria is¡­" Santiago looked at her expressionless face. "Well, she''s her. She''s different, but sweet and kind."


    Santiago was all ears as the seven Grim Reapers explained everything the same way they had explained it to Maria, with additional information about the boy''s mom. The description matched the old woman that Santiago thought was a ghost, but he hid that story to himself to save him from humiliation. It was already pass one in the morning when he checked his watch. Jinny handed his pocket watch in case the boy''s mom decided to talk to them.


    Santiago and Maria were now in front of the abandoned office building. It was two-stories of white-washed masonry surface with a sliding door. They entered without hesitation and instantly knocked on the first office room they saw. From the ''welcome'' floor mat and lighting coming from inside the room, it was no doubt the dwelling place of the old woman. They knocked. "I hope she doesn''t get mad at us for disturbing her at this time in the morning. I was thinking we could just go back later, but then we''re already here so we might as well give it a shot." He told Maria who just simply nodded.


    They suddenly heard a movement from inside, so they looked at each other with hope in their eyes. When the door opened, the old woman was holding a book with her eyeglasses on. "Hi." Santiago greeted, smiling.


    "Oh my. You''re that guy who ran faster than a speeding bullet the other day." She chuckled.


    "Because you disappeared." He responded, feeling embarrassed.


    "Well I thought I saw my son appear from behind a tree, so I followed him. But I guess I was wrong." She said in a sad tone. "Come in."


    The old woman told them the whole story about his teenage son and the seven Grim Reapers. Santiago''s heart was bruised upon hearing the tragic story that he almost let out a tear, if it weren''t for Maria''s unreadable face. He knew this girl had always been calm and kind, but he wondered if her heart was torn upon finding out the real story behind the lost soul. "I think it is best to relay this to them directly." He took out a pocket watch. "Here. You won''t just see a glimpse of them this time, you will be able to enter their place and communicate with them. You will also be able to talk to your son."


    "Oh, I have been wanting to do that for years. I''m so glad you''re both here. Let''s put an end to this mystery once and for all." She said.

 6 Chapter 6

    The tension that the seven Grim Reapers felt upon the sight of the lost soul''s mom was indescribable. They couldn''t put their finger on it, but there was guilt and anguish reverberating within their soul, if ever they had one. Their name was the only memory left, apart from knowing they had to repent for a grave sin they had no memory of. The old woman was there to bring back their memory, but instead of feeling glad, they were reluctant. They were all seated uncomfortably in the dining room; the table was a long ten-seater mahogany that matched the chairs. It was supposed to be a comfortable top-class antique set, but suspense of what was about to come didn''t pave way for any of that comfort. Joony and Jinny were across each other, occupying both ends of the table; Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, and TaeTae were facing Santiago, the old woman, Maria, and Jeon.


    "I am Teresa Mendoza and my son is Tanner, though you have always called him Tannie. I know you don''t remember anything, and you might not be aware as to why you have become Grim Reapers, so I will say this as I have read in the book. Anyone who has committed self-inflicted crime instantly becomes a Grim Reaper."


    The seven Grim Reapers had the same expression on their faces as they looked at the old woman in disbelief.


    "Mrs. Mendoza, self-inflicted crime is suicide. That''s impossible. We are the strongest brothers, so there is no way to commit such ridiculous crime. I mean, in school, we''re even known as the bulletproof boys, so I''m sorry, but I think you are mistaken. You must''ve been reading folklores or myths, not facts." Yoon explained, trying his best to be polite to the old woman.


    "I agree and I think everyone else does. There is no way that we could harm ourselves," said Joony.


    The old woman took out a photo from her purse. "Try to look at this and see if you can remember something. If not, I will tell you about what happened to my son, and what happened to all of you.


    The Grim Reapers looked concerned. They all checked the black and white group photo of all of them, including Tannie who seemed to be closest to Jeon as they were the only ones with arms around each other''s shoulders, while the rest were doing a wacky pose. The seven suddenly fell on their knees one by one, their hands over their heads as their memories came back.


    It was a Saturday afternoon, January 19, 1985. Jinny and Yoon were 19, Faith was 18, Joony was 17, Jimmy and TaeTae were 16, Jeon was 14, and Tannie was 13. They were the Bulletproof Boys of the University of Saint Thomas. Their brotherhood was envied by many because there was not a day when they weren''t together, and they excelled in sports and arts. They had very different personalities, different fashion styles, different perception on things, and different social status, but that wasn''t a hindrance to their friendship. They often gathered by the abandoned office building in Jinny''s customized navy van, which they have airbrushed with artistic designs.


    They were all gathered at the back while Jeon, the normally strongest and bravest boy of the group, was unusually feeling under the weather that day, so he was sleeping in the front''s passenger seat. Jimmy was holding a huge dice made from cardboard carton, each side had a consequence written: kiss the cheek of the person on your left, treat everyone for dinner, climb a tree and stay there for two minutes, summersault in the meadows, and get a butt slap from everyone. They were playing ''Category Game'' and anyone who failed the game three times would be punished according to their fear; their fears have been written down on a piece of paper that they kept in their pockets and would only be revealed if they lost the game three times.


    "Don''t you think kissing the cheek of the person next to you should be removed? That''s punishing two people. Who the heck wrote this?" Jimmy asked with an annoyed face.


    Jinny laughed. "That''s the easiest consequence there." He said, confirming that he wrote it.


    "If I get kissed by Faith once more, I swear I''m not playing this game anymore. It''s ridiculous." Jimmy''s ranting didn''t affect Jinny or Faith, who were both laughing crazily. The door was open widely with them sitting in a circle: Joony, Jinny, Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, and Tannie.


    "Okay, this is the last one. Jimmy, Tannie, you both have two losses, so if one of you fails, you''ll conquer your fear today." Jinny said in a relaxed tone, feeling confident because he had only lost one game. "Give me¡­" He paused. "Names of Atari games! Mine is Basketball."


    "Hangman," said Yoon.


    "Breakout," said Faith.


    "Night driver," said Jimmy, relieved that he was able to respond.


    "Football," said TaeTae.


    "Baseball," said Tannie.


    "Canyon Bomber," said Joony.


    "Battlezone," said Jinny.


    "Circus," said Yoon.


    "Bowling," said Faith.


    "Star raiders," said Jimmy, again feeling relieved.


    "Space invaders," said TaeTae.


    Tannie was still thinking, then got completely distracted when they all did a countdown. "7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! You''re it! You''re conquering your fear today!" He scratched his head and took out the piece of paper with his fear. Yoon took it from him.


    "Wow, you''re claustrophobic? We didn''t know that." Faith commented, as he looked while Yoon was holding his paper.


    "You should''ve lied. I didn''t write down my real fear, just in case." Jimmy said.


    "Me too," said Joony.


    "You cheaters!" Yoon cried out, though it didn''t have any impact on any of them.


    "What should we let him do?" Faith asked.


    They all stepped out of the van and looked at the abandoned office building. The next thing that happened, Tannie was inside a small storage room that they found in the first office space they walked into. Faith closed the door with a thumb-twist knob or interior lockset that can only be opened from outside. "We''re just right outside and will be back in two minutes," he said.


    "You can do it, Tannie. You can conquer your fear." TaeTae said.


    "Just count 120, Tannie." Joony called out as they quickly headed outside and towards the van.


    Jimmy''s face suddenly looked terrified as he checked on Jeon who was too pale and sweaty. "Jeon!" They all gathered, panicking at the sight of Jeon''s lifeless face. "What''s happening? He doesn''t look good." He took out a handkerchief to dry his clammy face, trying to hold back his tears. "Jeon, I told you not to come with us, you stubborn little kid."


    Joony checked his neck and wrist for his pulse. "Let''s take him to the hospital."


    Jinny and the rest of them scurried inside and left, not realizing that they had left Tannie.


    Jeon''s case turned out to be a simple fever, but when TaeTae remembered they had left Tannie, an hour had already passed. They all realized they overreacted to Jeon''s situation because they were all used to him being the strongest and playful one. Except for Jimmy who stayed with Jeon until his dad came, everyone went back to the abandoned office building. The minute they arrived, TaeTae called out his name from outside. "Tannie, we''re here!" They all scurried inside the office and opened the first office door on the left as they entered. "Tannie?!" TaeTae called out.


    "Why is he not responding?" Faith whispered; his eyes looked frightened.


    TaeTae immediately turned the storage room''s knob with a thumb twist and covered his mouth at Tannie''s unconscious state. He placed his ears on his chest, relieved to feel that he was breathing. "He''s breathing," he said. Everyone let out a heavy sigh. TaeTae and Faith painstakingly carried him all the way to Jinny''s van, while Yoon and Joony swung the back door and held both sides for Tannie. When everyone was settled, Jinny drove the van as swift as he could. They were all silent, feeling guilty for what happened to Tannie and in their mind, they swore they wouldn''t forgive themselves if something bad happened to him. When they got to the hospital, Jimmy and Mrs. Mendoza were outside waiting.


    It was nine in the evening when the doctor relayed what they had all been dreading to hear; Tannie died of cardiac arrest that was caused by his sudden asthma attack. Mrs. Mendoza collapsed, and everyone else was in shock. A week later, Joony, Jinny, Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, and Jeon were found dead in a customized navy van outside the abandoned office building. The death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

 7 Chapter 7

    The seven Grim Reapers mourned with much regret. They would have had puffy eyes and red nose over their snow-white pale skin, if only they were alive. The flashback had left them speechless, shocked, and grief-stricken, that everyone had been silent for a while.


    Joony broke the silence. "I know it''s too late, but we are sorry¡­truly sorry for what happened, Mrs. Mendoza. We have no idea how to move on from here. I believe, we deserve to be punished for what we have done to your son, and for what we have done to ourselves."


    "It was because of me. You wouldn''t have left¡­" Jeon''s voice trailed off. "This wouldn''t have happened if I wasn''t sick that day." He covered his face. Instantaneously, the Grim Reapers stood up and gathered beside Jeon to comfort him. Jimmy held the hands covering his face and helped him up to hug him. The rest of his brothers smothered him with their embrace.


    "We were all stupid moronic dumb imbeciles with stupid moronic dumb actions. We won''t have another shot to redeem ourselves, but let''s just keep on repenting together until Tannie forgives us for our stupidity." Yoon said, his voice hoarse but sincere.


    "I forgive you."


    Goosebumps appeared on their pale white skin when an unexpected voice from Tannie reverberated the room. They instantly felt his presence across Mrs. Mendoza.


    "My baby!" Mrs. Mendoza was full of joy upon seeing his son''s form materialize in front of her. Tannie glowed with silver lighting illuminating from his skin. She rose from her chair and hugged him tightly. "My baby, Tannie, I missed you so much."


    "I''ve always been here with you, mama." He responded. "I never left you. But today, I am leaving you under Santiago''s protection. "Will you take care of my mother for me please?"


    Santiago instantly nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course." He felt like he was about to faint, but he held himself together. He didn''t want another humiliating experience in front of Maria, who was supposed to be normal enough to be scared of a ghost''s presence in the room, except she wasn''t. There was no hint of shock in her face, and that concerned him. He thought, this girl is not normal at all.


    Tannie beaconed for the seven Grim Reapers to follow them outside, and they all did, including Mrs. Mendoza, Santiago, and Maria. The sun''s upper limb broke the horizon, and the sunlight started to disperse in the atmosphere; it was the break of dawn. The seven Grim Reapers surrounded Tannie. "Joony, Jinny, Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, Jeon." They all smiled at Tannie who looked at each of them, as he called out their names. "Joony, Jinny, Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, Jeon." They all looked at each other and let out a silent sigh of relief. Then, Tannie recited their names for the third time. "Joony, Jinny, Yoon, Faith, Jimmy, TaeTae, Jeon. Let''s see each other in our next life." He smiled.


    Santiago couldn''t believe his eyes with the next thing that happened; big black wings grew from the seven Grim Reapers, then they stepped back from Tannie and started flapping their wings. As if the sight of seven Grim Reapers who turned out to be fallen angels weren''t enough, light shone from Maria''s skin, and the next thing he knew, huge white wings were flapping beside him.


    Maria gave Santiago and Mrs. Mendoza a nod, then approached the seven Grim Reapers with a smile on her face. They were all flabbergasted, including Tannie. "I''ll guide you to your next path and help you throughout the reincarnation process." Maria said, then turned to Tannie. "And you, little boy, will come with me to where you belong." She gave out a sweet smile.


    Jeon was in awe. "Maria, you can speak?"


    "Really, Jeon? A human turn into an angel with enormous white wings and that''s the only thing you noticed? Are you kidding me?" Yoon commented with an annoyed look on his face.


    They all laughed and waved goodbye at Mrs. Mendoza and Santiago. Maria''s right wing carried Tannie and they flew away. The seven Grim Reapers flapped their wings and followed Maria. Mrs. Mendoza''s face was full of joy as she watched her son in the arms of a beautiful angel, but Santiago''s puzzled face was still. "Are you alright, dear?"


    Santiago fainted.


    The end.