UNPSYCHIC.

Case 02 :: Chapter 02

It was barely 6AM the next day and still dark when I reached our meeting place. Noelle was nowhere to be seen. With a shiver, I hugged myself tighter as the morning wind gushed right through me. I took a seat at one of the vacant benches that lined up the side of St. Gabriel’s Wing and grumbled under my breath. No one in their right minds would want to pass up the opportunity to stay in bed all morning in this weather.

But we’re talking about Noelle here, and so far, she was unpredictable.

I looked up and down the path, the whole campus practically empty of any (living) people; those students who were residing in the dormitories opted to sleep in as well. A heavy mist blanketed the dull morning, giving off a weird vibe to the surrounding balete trees, with its veins draped low and heavy like nooses awaiting to wring someone's neck. Ignoring the shot of creepiness from it, I turned my attention back to the building. 

Just when I almost nodded off to dreamland from the lull of the rustling leaves against the wind, sudden footfalls had me jolting upright on my seat. Another guy, I guessed a student as well, halted in his tracks when he saw me. Eyes bulged out as though he was just as surprised to see someone else out in this cold. 

“U-uh, sorry to bother you,” he stuttered, his shaky breath became visible and fogged the glasses he wore. He spun around to leave—

“Hey, Rei!” 

Both of us turned our attention towards the voice behind us. Noelle emerged from the side entrance of the school building, donned in the same gray shirt and black jeans from the night before. Her shoulder-length hair was tossed into loose curls as though having just climbed out of bed. Did she sleep here? I'd figured she was dorming, but the dormitories were a separate building entirely at another block. But before I could even question her, the guy backtracked and spoke.

“Noelle! I-I thought you canceled.” He pushed up his glasses further up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger, before casting me a curious look. “He’s with you?”

“Meet my apprentice, he’ll be tagging along.” She did a quick introduction as she shrugged on her baggy jacket and signaled us to follow her to the school parking lot. 

We decided to take my battered 1960 Chevy truck to Rei's uncle's house. Since the built-in bench was made to seat two instead of three grown ups, it was a tight squeeze hroughout the drive downtown. It was during the ride when Rei explained to us the situation. 

Apparently unknown to him, his uncle was a repeat client of Noelle, having helped him with some poltergeist activity at his home a few months back. But now, things seem to have worsened. 

Just two days ago, the poltergeist activity returned. At first it appeared so innocent and small that made Rei think that his uncle may have just been absent-minded on things; misplaced objects, cupboards and drawers left open. Then there was the sound of the piano playing by itself. But it soon escalated when the scratches and bruises appeared on his uncle's body and I couldn't help remembering the same thing that happened with Danni. But the last straw was when Rei's uncle was pushed down a staircase last night, breaking his leg. 

"What made him think it was an evil spirit who pushed him?" I asked as I parked the truck in front of a large wooden gate that closed off the property from any lingering eyes. Its brick walls which enclosed the perimeter were aged with greenish moss and exposed roots as though being slowly consumed by the Earth. 

"Well…" he began slowly as if searching for the right words, "he said he felt…two large hands behind him before he fell. I didn't believe him at first. But…" he gulped, "there were bruise marks on his back, in the shape of hands. Two large hands." Rei visibly shuddered at the memory.