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| As the lights went off, Kaye gasped at her reflection--- "That's not me!" |
This particular story is of my friends' account. I can attest its truthfulness because I was there when it happened. It was not a firsthand experience on my part, but after hearing Kaye's first words after she had lost consciousness and seeing the horrid look on her face, I was convinced that everything she had said did happen.
I would not say that it was a mental glitch that had occurred to her, since Kaye was one of the most sane and 'straight' students we know. Her strange story happened right after we had heard mass. The entire class was tired from the previous days' affairs--- listening to long sermons, exchanging thoughts after every passage from the Bible, seeking penance for past sins committed--- we were looking forward to a nice conclusion to what we then considered a 'spiritual camp.'
The place where we held our retreat was a secluded spot in the far reaches of Antipolo. It gave the impression of being derelict--- probably due mostly to the lack of maintenance funding, and not because of deliberate neglect. Nevertheless, the place had a rustic feel to it. It held a strong history for being witness to the lives and deaths of its former and present occupants--- tenants and transients such as we were. It seemed to have been built during the Spanish times because the building exuded a Hispanic touch to its romantic architecture--- white washed walls-, brick- and terracota finish, large antique wooden doors that doubled as some sort of sound barrier, high ceilings and arched windows, which were wide and open to wind and breeze, and very long bathrooms. I was drawn particularly to the latter. It was where Kaye's travails had begun.
The bathrooms had several functions--- maybe that was why they were built to be quite roomy. The girls' bathroom, particularly, had ten individual cubicles for the toilets alone, a locker room and showers that could accommodate twenty bathers all at one time. The walls were tiled but there was nothing special about them. In the anteroom, there was a wide mirror.
It was this mirror that's to change Kaye's perceptions, for life.
***
Stepping out of the shower room, Kaye was glad to have finished ahead of the others; she would dry her hair while waiting for everyone else, as promised. Being in a place that was older than any of their great-grandparents, the girls knew that it harbored spirits. They did not care whether or not the spirits were friendly; they had to stick together so nobody's left behind.
Grabbing hold of the towel, Kaye stood in front of the mirror that was strategically placed in the entrance of the bathroom. She would know if everybody had already finished; she was blocking the only exit.
The room with its high ceilings echoed the conversations.
"Keep it down, ladies, the whole building can hear us," Kaye smiled to herself while saying.
More giggles.
Then without warning, the Kaye's towel, being loosely knotted, slipped down to the floor. While bending down to pick the towel, Kaye gasped when the lights went out.
Something may have caused the power surge for the entire hall to lose electricity. As the lights went off, Kaye suddenly felt alone! The shrieks that were supposed to come after did not. It was dead quiet.
Turning toward the mirror, Kaye was to see what would trouble her many times hence.
Despite the pitch black darkness, the mirror showed her face--- luminescent as if light was coming from within! It was staring at her with utmost cruelty--- it did not twitch when she did. The face was hers yet not seemingly in so many ways. It seemed to be thinner with perfectly unblemished skin.
She had no time to scream because the lights went back on. Kaye would have felt relieved but there was something amiss.
"Where was I taken?"
She knew she was still inside the same room, although it looked awfully different, as if someone had come in to rearrange it while it was dark.
"But it had only been seconds!"
She went to look for the others.
"The shower room!"
It was not there! She turned to the left, "I have to warn the girls!"
When she went inside, there was no one. The floor was dry. No water dripped from the shower heads.
"Did I hit my head?"
As the towel dropped again, Kaye ran out of the bathroom, stark naked. She didn't care. There were more important things to think about.
"What time is it? I know it was seven."
She passed by the clock in the lobby. "Eight-seven!"
"Had it been an hour?"
She continued to run--- across the courtyard, to the other building.
"The cafeteria!"
***
Everybody was in their high spirits. It was the last night.
Our table sat ten people, five young men and five girls. We sat by the entrance so we could sneak out for a smoke.
Suddenly, the cafeteria doors opened. We were met by a disheartening sight. Kaye, naked and soaking wet, was in tears and in no condition to care whether or not everybody saw her like that.
She was raving mad. Angry at the company who had left her. Turning her head toward their table, she had almost lost it. Her friends were all open-mouthed, looking at her in disbelief, their hairs dry.
Someone from the other table heard one of the girls whisper, "She left us, first. I checked; she was not there! She could not have been, lest we would have bumped into her."
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| The seminary now |
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| The bathroom now torn down |
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| Kaye was looking at someone else's face in the mirror! |
It was this mirror that's to change Kaye's perceptions, for life.
***
Stepping out of the shower room, Kaye was glad to have finished ahead of the others; she would dry her hair while waiting for everyone else, as promised. Being in a place that was older than any of their great-grandparents, the girls knew that it harbored spirits. They did not care whether or not the spirits were friendly; they had to stick together so nobody's left behind.
Grabbing hold of the towel, Kaye stood in front of the mirror that was strategically placed in the entrance of the bathroom. She would know if everybody had already finished; she was blocking the only exit.
The room with its high ceilings echoed the conversations.
"Keep it down, ladies, the whole building can hear us," Kaye smiled to herself while saying.
More giggles.
Then without warning, the Kaye's towel, being loosely knotted, slipped down to the floor. While bending down to pick the towel, Kaye gasped when the lights went out.
Something may have caused the power surge for the entire hall to lose electricity. As the lights went off, Kaye suddenly felt alone! The shrieks that were supposed to come after did not. It was dead quiet.
Turning toward the mirror, Kaye was to see what would trouble her many times hence.
Despite the pitch black darkness, the mirror showed her face--- luminescent as if light was coming from within! It was staring at her with utmost cruelty--- it did not twitch when she did. The face was hers yet not seemingly in so many ways. It seemed to be thinner with perfectly unblemished skin.
She had no time to scream because the lights went back on. Kaye would have felt relieved but there was something amiss.
"Where was I taken?"
She knew she was still inside the same room, although it looked awfully different, as if someone had come in to rearrange it while it was dark.
"But it had only been seconds!"
She went to look for the others.
"The shower room!"
It was not there! She turned to the left, "I have to warn the girls!"
When she went inside, there was no one. The floor was dry. No water dripped from the shower heads.
"Did I hit my head?"
As the towel dropped again, Kaye ran out of the bathroom, stark naked. She didn't care. There were more important things to think about.
"What time is it? I know it was seven."
She passed by the clock in the lobby. "Eight-seven!"
"Had it been an hour?"
She continued to run--- across the courtyard, to the other building.
"The cafeteria!"
***
Everybody was in their high spirits. It was the last night.
Our table sat ten people, five young men and five girls. We sat by the entrance so we could sneak out for a smoke.
Suddenly, the cafeteria doors opened. We were met by a disheartening sight. Kaye, naked and soaking wet, was in tears and in no condition to care whether or not everybody saw her like that.
She was raving mad. Angry at the company who had left her. Turning her head toward their table, she had almost lost it. Her friends were all open-mouthed, looking at her in disbelief, their hairs dry.
Someone from the other table heard one of the girls whisper, "She left us, first. I checked; she was not there! She could not have been, lest we would have bumped into her."
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