The Biker Brothers and the Golden Sunset

Chapter 2: The Haunted House

The sun was already falling on the horizon, its orange and pink rays splashed on the greyish sky. Below, lovely water lilies were resting quietly on the serene river. Occasionally, dragonflies and crickets stir the waters, creating magical ripples that seem to resonate with time. The scene was lovely, like those people see on postcards and framed photos.

"The sunset is incredibly beautiful today," Tonton voiced out. His words broke the silence they shared while riding their bikes. They were exhausted but the beauty around them brought a different kind of energy.

"Yeah," Bogart agreed while arduously maneuvering his bike. "And the sky is clear, too. There will be no rain tonight."

"Hope you are right," Kiko echoed. "And I hope we can get much faster. I don't want to get caught by darkness in the road."

Instantaneously, a chilly breeze blew past them, its coldness sent shivers in them. Reflexively, the boys looked at each other with slight terror in their eyes. For a while, none of them talked; they focused on pedaling their bikes, more forceful and determined this time. After the village where their school was located, there would only be a few houses along the way to their homes. There was only grass and a silent dirt road in their path. So, when twilight cast shadows on them, they brought out a different feeling of dread.

It was October and being in a tropical country, the days were shorter at that time of the year. Hence, the watercolors of the skies gradually vanished as dusk began to take over.

"We have to hurry up!" Bogart barked, and the boys vigorously turned the wheels of their bikes. They needed to exert more effort and double their pace unless it was only alright to be taken over by darkness.

No sooner, the white roof of a dilapidated house loomed from a distance, its whiteness stark against the ashen backdrop. The presence of the house itself was strong and imposing. Despite the twilight coldness, the boys sweated profusely, not only because of their relentless biking but also due to the extreme fear they felt inside. Tonton swallowed a lump in his throat while Kiko wiped a sweat on his nose. Bogart looked at his friends and uttered a silent prayer.

Jamie slowed down his bike and the other boys followed. We must be careful, he thought. They were nearing the old house.

It was a big house, big enough to carry two floors with seemingly endless rooms. Its once varnished wooden frames and walls faded in time, leaving a termite-infested facade. Yet, the house must have been made with good lumber as it firmly withstood the fury of rain and sun. It remained standing in proud yet eerie magnificence. It must have been a beauty before. It could have been a castle fit for princes and princesses, a house made only for the prettiest in the whole kingdom. Parties must have been held inside or around the house. Petite ladies in flashy gowns must have gracefully danced through its polished floors while young boys on the benches gaped their mouths as these lovely ladies glided past them. Jazz or romantic music must have filled the air. In the kitchen, maids were busy preparing viands, cakes, bread, and other delicacies while others washed the silver plates and shining utensils. The house must have once been bustling with life and love.

For now, it was a thing of fear to the people of Subangdaku, not only to the kids but also to the adults, even the most aged in the district. Gone were possible sweet tales of romance. Instead, countless horror stories about the house had been told and passed on from generation to generation.

According to the villagers, creepy voices could be heard inside the house. These voices were varied. Several claimed to have heard weeping and shouting inside the house. They said that a faith healer once lived in the house who could drive out evil spirits from the possessed. Her power was given by the king of the devils and not by the heavens and angels, and thus, her skills were demonic and noxious. With her ability, she could even talk to the dead and cast out curses. They said that a man once won the lottery because the dead they called told him the winning number combinations. Then one day, the healer disappeared mysteriously. Nobody knew where she went because she vanished like a bubble. The lord of the underworld supposedly took her and the spirits she had communicated with were released to the human world and dwelt on the lonely rooms and nooks of the old house. And thus, the house became the home to evil creatures of different kinds.

Others also claimed that a white lady would torment, especially good-looking young men. At midnight, the lady would appear to them when they got too near the house. The recent road accident in Subangdaku was even attributed to the white lady. Rumors said that the victim, a young man drunk after a night of partying, unfortunately passed through the road at three in the morning. He was all alone, and just few moments after passing the house, a lady clod in white suddenly appeared at the backseat of his car. He was caught in an instant panic, and losing control of the steering wheel, his car crashed into an old acacia tree. It was already morning when people saw the squashed vehicle. The sight of the vehicle crumpled like paper was horrifying and heartbreaking. The young man was drenched in cold blood that flowed from his head to his arms. Everyone assumed he died already but when he was rushed to the hospital, he gained consciousness. Yet, he lost his sanity and incessantly cried and shouted since then. He always looked terrified and sickened. He was asking for the lady to leave him alone, throwing anyone that came his way. Later, the man was permanently confined in a mental institution, never regaining his sanity.

The village kids also had their fair share of horror stories about the house. For Jamie and his friends, the most terrifying tale was about the monster babies and the demonic centaur who was guarding them. It was said that a group of children, belonging to the same block in school, dared to visit the house one evening. They were working on their homework of collecting nocturnal insects and weird plants. Wanting to discover peculiar species, they went beyond their backyards and met together to go somewhere they could find exciting creatures, and hence, they ventured into the house. Once inside, the more or less twenty classmates began searching for insects all over the place, turning over every nook and secret corners. It was nothing extraordinary at first, until one of them heard a baby's mild cry.

The girl followed the voice and soon found herself inside one of the rooms on the upper level. The cry seemed to come from beneath the rickety bed. The bed frames were broken, and its thin mattress was torn and damaged. Shakily, the girl stooped and peeped below the bed, and alas, a baby was seen whimpering. She crawled through the small space and while she was nearing the baby, the latter seemed to lower down its cry, as it sensed a different presence coming to it. Much to her surprise, as when she was finally face to face with the baby, its face gradually contorted and transformed into a vile creature. Its skin crinkled immediately, and its eyes bulged out and went red. It showed some sharps fangs and suddenly shrieked. Frightened, the girl also screamed and instantly ran. Like an orchestra, the other kids also cried out in terror, as if they were all chased by the baby monster. The house was suddenly filled with echoing and frightening screams. The helpless children managed to gather in the sala. Just as they finally caught their breath, a horned centaur showed up from the upper level. While it looked at them with blazing eyes and clinched teeth, the monster baby was clutching its body, holding it firmly and tightly. With all its might, the centaur released a deafening neigh. The kids scrambled on their feet and scampered out of the house. They stumbled and fell along the way, but fortunately, they suffered only minor bruises and cuts....

Presently, the boys were finally in front of the house. They stopped their bikes and looked hard at the house. They were tiny against the large, haunted house. Jamie's hair stood up, the same way that the other boys experienced.

"I'll never set foot in that house," Kiko muttered.

"Neither would I," Bogart seconded. Everyone nodded in agreement. They had never dreamed of experiencing the horror stories. They might not be true, but they were still scary.

"Let's leave," Jamie suggested.

They looked at each other and sighed with relief. But just as they started to pedal, a loud thunder from the dark sky echoed. The boys stopped and after a split second of fear, they sped away....