Whispers of the Forgotten Chapter 2

Prologue

To read the first part of Ethan’s, Jasmine’s, and Mrs. Lin’s story, Whispers of the Forgotten Chapter 1, click this link.

The tale, surrounding the Hungry Ghost Festival, picks up a few weeks after Mrs. Lin’s abrupt revelation of the curse that had befallen An Le Qu. Mei Xuan, a young woman whose powerful lover betrayed her by killing her and dumping her into the An Le River, is a helpful spirit that wishes to warn An Le Qu’s residents about her lover and influential tycoons who wish to control the town’s iron ore.

Ethan Lee, an inquisitive, altruistic young historian, and Jasmine Tan, his close friend and a truth-seeking journalist, are determined to unravel the curse and find justice for Mei Xuan. They join forces with a somewhat unexpected ally, Mrs. Lin, a wealthy resident with an interest in preserving the town’s resources and, of course, protecting its residents.

They now grapple with the curse and its unwanted effects.

Part 1

An Le Qu was not reflecting the peace befitting its name. In the fortnight that followed Mrs. Lin’s revelation, residents reported many sightings and instances of malevolence—objects moved inexplicably and flew around rooms.

Townsfolk Ethan and Jasmine interviewed spoke of harsh voices, urgent and diabolical, that echoed throughout the town at night.

“It’s mine, not yours!” They captured the unmistakable desire to get even.

Ever one to think of others, Ethan, wanting to put them to rest for everyone’s peace of mind, found himself in An Le Qu’s only library, the intrepid, teeth-gritting Jasmine and posh-yet-motherly Mrs. Lin in tow. The curse was leaving its calling card, and the pair was determined to answer with a negative response.

Part 2: Seeking Answers

Somewhat at a loss for answers, Jasmine and Ethan poured through set after set of thick books in search of information about the town’s iron ore and, or, significant people in it.

These were information gold mines, all of it irrelevant. Pursing his lips, the frustrated historian was about to signal Jasmine to make their way back to their hotel when an article caught his eye.

“Jasmine.” He crooked his finger. “You’ll want to read this.”

As usual, certainty always triggered enthusiasm in Jasmine. She looked over his shoulder.

The article did offer details about the town’s elite politicians and a little more.

In it were references to the An Le Secret Society, supposedly founded surreptitiously to protect the privacy of some of its well-known members. Though the thick reference book didn’t point to any names, Ethan had an inkling that the powerful icons Mrs. Lin had referred to before were members at some point. They must have invoked the now-often-mentioned curse to prevent any form of distribution among An Le’s people.

Mrs. Lin, from the back of one bookshelf, came over to join them. She nodded. “You now understand.”

Jasmine didn’t do badly in her attempt to uncover information, either. According to the travelogues she uncovered, iron ore had been, and still is, the primary source of livelihood for the people in the town.

“So whoever controls it…” Her voice trailed off.

“Controls the whole town.” Ethan completed her sentence for her. They looked at each other, knowing that sleep wouldn’t come easily for them as long as resolution was far away.

Part 3: Hidden Motives

Night, as expected, fell rather uncomfortably, with an ominous air enveloping the atmosphere of An Le Qu. The residents of An Le Hotel were not immune from this; the air in the rooms felt cloying and choking.

Compounding that were the fears consuming Ethan, Jasmine, and Mrs. Lin.

Ethan tossed and turned in bed, anxiety building on behalf of the residents of An Le Qu. Malevolence shrouded their hometown; failure was not an option. The spirits seeking its iron ore were simply not willing to rest. And neither could he. What made him toss and turn even further was that they hadn’t found out the curse’s true nature yet. He had to find that out before anyone came to harm.

At home, sitting on a rocking chair by her perfectly manicured lawn after a half-eaten supper, Mrs. Lin had the same worry. Failing to break the curse would mean certain death for the folk of An Le Qu; peace, after which its founders named it, would be no more. She pursed her lips in a thin line. A descendant of one of An Le’s founders, she couldn’t let them down. Further, she owed An Le Qu a duty to protect it; she was one of i’s iconic residents.

Jasmine looked at herself in the mirror as she prepared for bed. The truth-seeking journalist had a very personal stake in An Le Qu that she had, up till this time, kept to herself. She bit her lip hard, knowing that she couldn’t afford to fail. Neither could she afford to let them know what her heart held.

And it lay in her surname, Tan (Chen).

Part 4: The Mystery Deepens

Ethan eventually fell into a deep sleep after tossing and turning for what seemed like forever.

Self-satisfied laughter started softly, then quickly filled his mind. Surreptitious figures, all in well-pressed suits, entered a dark room. In its center was its only lit point, and there lay, on a flat table, Mei Xuan.

The figures surrounded Mei Xuan and started a ritual. Its malevolence, more than its words, resonated in the air. “All who know, water will douse. All who know, water will douse. All who know...”

They each splashed Mei Xuan with water before a familiar, faceless figure stepped forward with the same smirk on his face.

“Darling, I apologize for doing this. But our ancestors put rules in place that say that anyone who’s found out about our society and will compromise its interests must experience a drowning ritual.”

He promptly put a water crystal around her neck, almost choking her. They bound her feet in stone.

The rest chanted. “Shui yan, shut yan, shui yan...”

Water drowns.

With the smirking figure in the lead and carrying a struggling Mei Xuan, they trooped down to the An Le River, navigating, in a diabolical, sure-footed way, uneven rocks and boulders. In one swift movement, he tossed her body as far as it would go.

Ethan awoke, startled yet again. His browin a cold sweat, he came to a realization.

Mei Xuan had explained the curse with that vision. Whoever stood in the way of the An Le Society and the iron ore it wanted so badly to keep met its eventual fate in the An Le River.

And there were no guesses who the leader of the An Le society was.

Part 5: With a little help from a kind soul

The atmosphere of An Le Qu grew in darkness. Residents continued to report disturbing incidents of knives being lifted and lodging themselves in walls. Residents, especially those who lived near the town’s outskirts, heard resonating, possessive voices.

“It’s ours, not yours. It’s ours, not yours.”

Ethan, alone in bed, drifted off to sleep to the sound of a familiar voice.

“Zheng yi…” Again, the Chinese words for justice and integrity rang in Ethan’s ears. The female voice uttering them was all too familiar. It was ethereal and mesmerizing. And to his surprise, also comforting.

The voice faded off, leaving in its place a vision of An Le Miao, An Le’s Taoist temple. Then he flashes of himself, Jasmine, and Mrs. Lin in a run through the hallways.

Ethan drew himself up into bed. He had an answer.

Part 6: Ritual Collectibles and Angsty Deviants

And it was a visit to the An Le temple with Mrs. Lin and Jasmine, not only to pray but also to speak to its resident Taoist priest.

”Are you sure that some priest can tell us what we need to know?” Jasmine sounded incredulous.

“Ah, Jas, overcome your reporter’s skepticism and give it a chance,” Ethan nudged her playfully, happy to relieve the tension they had been under for some time. A thought occurred to him, and he looked at her in surprise. “You were the one who recommended your priest for the last ritual we performed for Mei Xuan. Why the uncertainty now?”

Jasmine avoided his gaze. “Er, well…I just don’t feel comfortable with him.”

“Give it a go. We’ve got nothing to lose. Besides,” He shuddered a little as he recalled his dream. “Mei Xuan recommended him. Aren’t you always looking for answers?”

Jasmine nodded reluctantly.

They spoke to the priest, who nodded as Ethan relayed his dream.

“It’s a drowning curse the ancestors put in place some time ago,” he confirmed, familiar with the town’s legend. “Mei Xuan’s spirit has already given you a hand. But you’ll have to search for the relic, and it’s hidden somewhere in the temple. “

“What? We don’t have time for that!” Jasmine grumbled. “Can’t we do without it?”

“Jasmine,” Mrs. Lin said, touching her shoulders gently. “You were the one who wanted this solved just a while ago. What’s happening now?”

Jasmine sighed. “Nothing. Let’s just find it.”

Ethan furrowed his brows in concern for his close friend. But he kept his questions to himself.

They set about looking in every nook and cranny of the temple without luck.

“Let’s try the garden. There are lots of potted plants, which means places to hide things.” Ethan suggested.

“But…” Jasmine began, then stopped herself. “Let’s go.”

The garden, too, offered little in the way of ancient relics at first. Then Mrs. Lin’s keen eye caught sight of a stone. It seemed out of place by itself. She ran to it eagerly. Ethan almost laughed as he looked at the otherwise posh lady holding up her skirt, trying to avoid mud. It surprised him to see her run as fast as anyone could. Perhaps it was her wanting to protect her hometown.

And she was right. Underneath the stone was a medal made with, as anyone might guess, iron ore. Intricately carved, it looked like a piece of an incomplete puzzle. One that had to be solved.

Jasmine snatched the medal from Ethan and quickly put it in her pocket. “You know how forgetful you are,” she chided him. “I’ll take care of this until we can perform the ritual.”

Part 7: The Ritual

And that day didn’t take too long to arrive. The intrepid trio had arranged with the same Taoist priest from An Le, Reverend Ma, to meet them by An Le River.

“The ritual will involve burying the ore by the river and narrating a chant for the repose of Mei Xuan’s soul.”

Jasmine gave them the ore, which he promptly buried in a sandy patch at the shore.

“Wo qi dao ni ling hun an xi (I pray for the repose of your soul).”

After repeating this a few times, he lit some incense and placed it over the spot where he buried the ore.

And that was that. All was quiet. They could only hope that the recitation would have a positive effect.

Part 8: Mei Xuan appears

The time it took was shorter than expected. Ethan trundled into the kitchen, too drained from ritual hunting to bother to turn the light on. In a month rife with other-worldly appearances, that decision proved dubious.

A fork started lifting itself off the table. And, just as abruptly, it dropped to the floor. Ethan tensed, clutching a talisman Reverend Ma provided him.

“Zheng yi…” came the familiar justice cry. Ethan didi’t flinch; he didn’t feel fear, knowing who it was.

“Mei Xuan? Shen me shi(is anything the matter)?” Ethan queried.

The shape of a demure, comely young lady with raven-colored hair started to form. Her doe-eyes glistened; her lips, otherwise well-formed, pursed together.

“Ni yao mai tie jiang”( You must bury the iron medallion).” Her voice, as always, was a whisper.

Ethan reeled in shock. Didn’t they-

“Hai mei you (not yet). Hai mei you.” The young spirit’s voice was urgent, plaintive.

And she vanished. Ethan was puzzled. Then realisation dawned. And it was a dawn he didn’t appreciate. Pacing around the room with his mobile, he placed a quick call to Mrs. Lin.

Part 9: Jasmine and the Pact

The historian, reporter, and socialite met at the temple again. Ethan Lee and Mrs. Lin faced Jasmine Tan squarely. “ First, an update on the outcome of the recent ritual. It isn’t ideal; Mei Xuan appeared.”

“But that means -” Jasmine frowned, looking about a little furtively.

“Yes,” he continued. “We have to do it over again. Do you have the iron medallion?” He asked her pointedly.

“We…I…we buried it, remember? How could I have it?” Her voice rose in protest.

“Oh, we did bury it. That’s the truth you seek, isn’t it?” He raised his eyebrows. The usually altruistic young man now looked intimidating. Mrs. Lin, on her part, looked about the room in consternation. She glanced at Ethan. “How can we protect this town with a traitor in our midst?!” She lunged forward at Jasmine.

Ethan gripped her arms, and Jasmine looked away. “Alright. I can’t get anything by you. Sit down,”She beckoned Ethan and Mrs. Lin to the nearby dining table and began her story.

“Mei Xuan’s lover’s name was Chen Guo Qiang (Tan Kok Kiang).”She paused, then continued. “I’m his great-granddaughter. Before you stone me, at least hear me out.” Mrs. Lin was still bristling but settled back in her chair.

“He and the other members of the An Le Society formed a secret pact to share An Le’s iron ore among themselves.” She paused, then looked up at them. “On his behalf, I apologize sincerely. I know he was selfish to no end, and murderous.” She went on. “I want the truth, perhaps more than you. But there is more to this curse than meets our eyes. I am a descendant, but even I don’t understand this altogether.”

Ethan looked grim. His expression gave Jasmine further pause. “So we must redo the ritual with a difference.”

“Yes.” Jasmine nodded. “A huge one.”

“How do we know whether we can trust you?” Mrs. Lin raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a vested interest in this.”

“Look.” She laid an iron ore medallion on the table. “This was the same one Reverend Ma gave us for the ritual. Bring it to him to inspect. All I know is that the curse somehow needs a proper use, not just burial, of iron ore to work.”

Ethan took the medallion and locked it in a drawer. “Ok, but no tricks, Jasmine. We will bring it to Reverend Ma tomorrow to assess and figure out what the next steps should be.”

Part 10: The Next Steps

After the ladies left, Ethan laid back on the couch, introspecting. The key to the curse was iron ore. And they had to find out what that was.