Singapore
I hate to speed on the roads. It is dangerous and in the past, I had too many brushes with death when driving on the streets. As an exorcist - Spirit Master or an Onmyoji, my work requires me to communicate and quell dark spirits, which involves unpleasant encounters with spirits that may translate into accidents.
However, just an hour ago, I received a call from my fellow Onmyoji, Kelly Nishimura. The sense of urgency in her voice hit me like a lightning bolt. Instinctively, I dropped everything I was doing, mobilized every cell in me, and rushed to her rescue.
Honestly, despite my willing spirit, my body protested.
I was exhausted after a week of intensive action on an exorcism assignment which is a demanding endeavor that requires focus and powers. Each contact with the spirits of the supernatural realm saps my energy
I needed a rest to nourish my soul and replenish my energy. The stuff that a human body needs - supper, warm food, sleep, and quiet meditation.
I had plans to take a short break, looking forward to the beaches of Phuket or the mountains of Indonesia. In a flash of the mind, I guess all these will have to be rescheduled now.
Kelly's call was intriguing. Never in my memory, has she behaved in such an abnormal manner. Something is wrong.
As I stepped on the car's accelerator, my mind oscillated back to our earlier conversation.
"Adam?"
"Kelly, what's up? I had two missed calls from you…"
"Where are you, Adam?" Kelly sounded urgent.
"Wrapping up my exorcism assignment and was about…"
"Come and look for me now! Now!"
"Are you joking?"
"No, I am serious. I...."
"You, are you alright?"
"I am not but….Adam."
'What? Are you running?"
"Come and get," Her voice tailed off, and then she returned " me. Come…" She was breaking off.
"I can't hear you clearly!" I heard background noises - footsteps and men speaking.
"Where are you?"
The line went dead. Just when I was at a loss, she called again.
"Kelly?"
"Adam"
"Where are you?"
"Sending my position." She said.
"Fine. You want to have supper?" I asked.
"Supper?" There was a long pause as I felt silly having said those words.
"Adam, I need help. Seriously."
"Seriously!" I repeated.
In my twenty years of knowing Kelly, she has never been the distressed damsel who asked others for help. A knight on a white horse will be redundant in her world.
She is the epitome of independence and strength. By character, she is self-assured and independent with high competency in her powers. Physically she is powerfully attractive, long-legged and broad-shouldered, and highly nimble in her moves.
She has established herself to be the best from my cohort of Onmyoji apprentices being well-trained in the art of exorcism. As fellows, we had trained together since I was 13 and she, 11. From meditation, to armed combat, Onmyodo craft and divination and exorcism, she had excelled.
To her credit, she had dealt with the toughest demons in our realm.
To me, she is always my sister, family. Her final line switched on the Klaxons in my senses.
"Come and get me! "
When the line went dead, my heart missed a beat.
I bade farewell to my client forgetting my fatigue and soon fell behind the wheel.
She had sent coordinates, and I wasted no time checking again on the Google map and quickly confirmed the precise location.
Queenstown Street 9. It was a location that was alien to me as I had never visited this part of Singapore. I was also trying to figure out why Kelly was in this location.
Drove by anxiety, I rammed on my accelerator but had to maneuver seven more traffic lights before I finally reached the estate. It took me a good fifteen minutes to reach the spot, on a meandering one-way lane. I parked in a car park slot by the side of the road
When I got out, I realized the road surface was wet. There has been a drizzle before my arrival.
The street was a narrow one-way lane that looped around a public housing precinct, with blocks of flats dotting the landscape. Both sides of the road were lined with huge trees, and a bus stop was just ahead of me. Just fifty meters from where I parked is a construction site with a dumping ground adjacent to it.
I looked up and down the road which carried a sense of melancholy from the illumination from the rows of street lights and the silence of the night.
It was the most unlikely place to find Kelly. She has only visited Singapore three times and I sensed she was not fully familiar with the roads and landscape of Singapore to travel to this part of the island.
Why was she here?"