The Cursed Abandoned Mansion: Echoes of the Abyss

Chapter 10

Elijiah POV

"Whoa, you made quite a scene today. I'm surprised you're still alive after that," Kylees suddenly appeared.

"..." I just look at him not wanting to speak.

"W-What are you glaring at... me!" I'm not glaring...

"..."

"What?! Did you get mute dahil sa nangyari kanina, ha! Deserve!

"... Go away."

"Did I hear correctly that the infamous Elijiah said that?"

"..."

"You're really amazing! First with a picture, now you're stalking. That's why Ms. Loren has gone mad, right? Hahahahaha."

"Gosh, he's really noisy, he doesn't change, ugh!" Suddenly the ghost came back.

"Hey, Have you really become mute? Hm... Hindi naman siguro diba? Nakapag 'go away' ka pa nga eh."

"Sigh... Kylees, if you want to sleep peacefully, I'm telling you don't bother, not right now."

"Eek! F-Fine! Hmph!" As he goes away.

"But oh, that bitch...! I wish I could grab her hair! And why did you stop me, huh?! You really don't... W-What?! What are you looking at me... You... Look..."

"I look what?" I said innocently. I smiled at her. "Hey?"

"Y-Yes...? Why are you suddenly acting weird?" She said while shaking, I just laughed.

"I just want to thank you... Even though you're a ghost you get mad in my place, no... You're not just a ghost... You're a friend." I said while smiling.

"L-Lah! Are you sure you're okay...? Are you gonna die? I am gonna die?" She said shaking and looking at me skeptical. "Oh, wait I'm already dead..." I just laughed.

"I'm not haha look at this." Napailing-iling nalang ako. "I'm going to sleep," I said and closed my eyes.

"Hey...! You said a friend, right? You said we're friends! Wala ng bawian!"

"... Hm." Tumango nalang ako at tuluyan ng matulog.

•
•
•

Morning

I was sitting in bed, gazing out the window, and blinking.

"I..." I didn't have nightmares... It was just a normal dream...

Then I looked at my hand, I saw the black handkerchief, it looked like it was customized and handmade, a real expensive one... But why...

Why would he give me this? Why would he... Stand up for me? For the first time, someone stands for me... I know it's nothing for him, but looking at the back of his standing up for me, it feels familiar... Deja vu...

"Oi! Tulala yan! Daydreaming?"

"Again..."

"Look at this being grumpy again, tsk, tsk, tsk!" Napailing-iling nalang ako.

"Oh, right, I haven't asked your name, right? Can you tell me? So I know how to address you?"

"Heh! We've been together for a long time, and you just ask now?"

"What did you mean 'we've been together for a long time?'" Kunot-noo kong tanong dito. It has just been 3 weeks since we met...

"Ah! Don't give me that look!" She pouts. "I..." A sad expression briefly appeared in her eyes. "Hahahaha I don't remember my name." She said while laughing.

"..."

"What? What? Hmph! Ngayon ka lang ba nakarinig nang hindi alam ang pangalan niya! Hmph!"

"... No..."

"Duh..."

"Pft..."

"Hey! Are you laughing at me?!"

"No, no, no..." I stop and look at her... "If you want... I will give you a name... Of course only if you want..." I said, somehow feeling embarrassed because I had never done this before.

"Ha? Ha? A-Are you serious?"

"O-Of course..." I was stunned when I saw that she was about to cry... "You..."

"Please... Don't mind it's just..." Oh... It must be really hard and lonely being alone when you already know you're dead yet can't do anything about it... Not having peace... "I... Hic* want it..."

"Then Ausha, from now on your name is Ausha..." Until you remember your name... Suddenly, she shines for a second, or was I imagining?

"T-Thank you... Thank you, Elijiah..." She said and cried... "You said we're friends and you already named me, wala ng bawian, ha?"

I smiled, "Yes, wala ng bawian."

"Promise? Pinky promise?" Then she does pinky finger (🤙), I laugh and smile saka tinanggap iyon.

"Yes, I promise."

"Hmph! You better be kung hindi mumultuhin talaga kita..."

"You are already doing that..."

"Hmph!" I just smiled, I saw hundreds, thousands of ghosts, and now I even have a friend, but why can't I see you, Ma...? I saw almost every ghost and element here, pero bakit hindi kita makita... Ma... "Elijiah? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yes... Yes, I'm okay. Ah, kailangan ko na pala mag asikaso..."

"If I were you I wouldn't go to class today..."

"?"

"It's chaotic, uh-huh alam ko na sasabihin mo, you don't care? Hays... Ewan ko ba naman sayo... Tsk. Sabagay kakausapin ka rin ni ano yieee hehehehe!"

"..."

"Oi, oi! Looking forward?" Sabi nito na animoy kinikilig.

"... No..."

"Asus..."

"... Sigh* it's nothing like that... By the way, Ausha, I... I didn't have nightmares..." I said, then looked at my hand that was still holding the handkerchief.

"Was it because...?"

"Hm." I nodded. "There's something about him... I have to find out..." And that dream, luckily I didn't dream that again but... Something's telling that something bad is about to happen...

"Elijiah? Hello? What are you thinking?"

"Ausha... have you believed in superstition? How about Precognitive phenomena? Hm? Or not?"

"Hmm...? Superstition? Precognitive phenomena? Probably, when I was still alive, I guess I'm not the type to believe in something like that; well, as you can see, I only have a few of my memories; I'm not even sure if it's true, haha... But since becoming like this, I think in superstition, yes? I'm not sure about Precognitive phenomena but maybe yes? Who knows? Life is unpredictable; I didn't believe in ghosts, yet here I am... Becoming a ghost that doesn't know my own name, my family, and my cause of death..." Well, that's true...

Sigh heavily*

"But wait! Why did you ask? It's there something going on? Perhaps you're having a dream, and you're afraid that it might come true?"

"..." I was silent, then after a while, I nodded.

"No way? I was just guessing but really?" I nodded again.

"Yes..."

"What is it, though?"

"It's... It's hard to explain but I have been having a dream about a certain house..."

"Certain house?"

"... It feels familiar yet I can't remember... But that place, that house..."

"What about that place?"

"It's..."