In the heart of old Manila, where the echoes of Spanish colonial rule still linger, a chilling legend haunts the cobbled streets of Intramuros. They call her La Novia Fantasma-The Ghost Bride-a spectral figure in a tattered white gown, wandering the ruins at midnight, searching for something... or someone.
When investigative journalist Isabella "Isa" Ramirez is assigned to debunk the legend for an urban legends column, she is skeptical. Ghosts are just stories, she believes-until she sees the bride herself. Drawn deeper into the mystery, Isa uncovers a tragic tale from the 1800s: a young woman, Catalina de la Vega, was betrayed on her wedding day, her life ending in heartbreak and bloodshed.
As Isa pieces together the past, she begins experiencing eerie visions, hearing whispers in the wind, and feeling an unseen presence watching her. She soon realizes that Catalina's soul remains trapped in the ruins, bound by unfinished business. But as Isa gets closer to the truth, she attracts the attention of a dark force that wants the legend to remain buried.
With the help of Miguel Santiago, a local historian with secrets of his own, Isa races against time to uncover what really happened to the Ghost Bride. But the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the haunting becomes. As past and present collide, Isa must confront a chilling question: Is Catalina seeking justice... or revenge?
A gothic mystery infused with Filipino folklore, The Ghost Bride of Intramuros is a tale of love, betrayal, and the restless spirits of the past who refuse to be forgotten.
Always willing to put herself last, Catalina Juárez has never rocked the boat. But that all changes when her father insists she marry a man she cannot stand to be near.
Hopping into a carriage for hire, she spends the last of her money on a ride to nowhere. Because this mysterious carriage has one rule: you go where it takes you.
Well, that was a waste of money, because she isn't even to the edge of town before she's unceremoniously dumped off at a train station. With no money to buy a ticket and no time to think of another plan, Catalina pushes through the crowd and onto the train.
Marcos Caballero has never met a problem he didn't want to solve. Traveling alone on a ticket meant for him and a woman who didn't want to be with him, he's taken in by the scared, doe-eyed look of the woman in the dining carriage.
She's ticketless and alone; he's lonely and has an excess ticket.
Stepping in to save her, he claims her as his wife, not really expecting her to play along past the point of danger. But she quickly steps into the role with ease, acting as if they've known each other their whole lives. Somehow, it seems like they might have.
But being on the run from troublesome and powerful fathers isn't without its struggles, and Catalina and Marcos are going to have to decide how much they are willing to risk to put love ahead of duty.
~ * ~ * ~
This is one of the five novellas I'll be writing for this year's ONC! You can find the rest (Hang it Up, Christmas at the Cabin, Love Lies & Red Eyes, and I Don't Want to be Queen) on my profile!
For this story, I selected prompt 9. "There's an urban legend that's been circulating for years about a taxicab that doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go. One night, you stepped into this cab." Except make it pre-car-era.