"According to its definition, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may result when a person suffers an event or situation that is outside the range of normal experience, exceeds the individual’s perceived ability to meet its demands, and poses a serious threat to the loss of life."
"People with PTSD suffer from a range of symptoms that interfere with their capacities to enjoy normal life."
"Problems with memory. Persistent, intrusive, and vivid memories concerning the traumatic situation. Events of daily life may trigger distressing memories related to the trauma. Memory lapses for parts of the traumatic situation."
"A feeling of being powerless over the traumatic event. Anger and frustration over being powerless."
"Left with unexpressed rage against those who were indifferent to their situation and who failed to help them."
"In personal relationships there are problems of dependency and trust. A fear of being abandoned, betrayed, let down. A belief that people will be hurtful if given a chance. Feelings of self-hatred and humiliation for being needy, weak, and vulnerable."
"Alternating between isolation and anxious clinging."
"People who suffered traumatic experiences as children, teenagers, or young adults may simultaneously become prematurely aged and developmentally arrested. A part of them 'feels old'. Another part feels stuck at the age they had when the trauma occurred."
Caffeinated Mood
Skipping breakfast is really a bad thing. I treated myself with a big mug of coffee and a bar of Snickers as soon as I settled down in the office. The effect is an entire morning filled with rapid chest palpitations and a day's work cut in half. Moreover, I added a loud dose of Japanese punk rock to keep me up and thinking, creatively all afternoon. Hence, finishing my TIP presentation. And just when I thought I was beat, my head kept racing and streams of thought kept running. For weeks I've nothing but sleep in mind but now, all these stories are pouring in once again, too fast and too soon for me to even make the attempt to put them all in writing. Then I doze off a bit. And at this late hour, in a weird way, everything seem to disappear in my head as fast as it came. Now I feel blank, and yet my mind is fully awake. Worse, I don't think sleep will come soon.
A Night with the Questors
I wrote this piece sometime in March of 2001. Rightafter I got home from spending a night with the Spirit Questors.
==============================================
It’s a Saturday night. I usually hang out with friends in a bar or be out watching a movie. But tonight, I’m making it different. I joined up with a group of young people, some 20somethings crowd at Dunkin Donuts. I came there with my officemate Sheila and her friend Eloisa. I was introduced to Marlon, Victor, Neil, CJ, Jay, Judith, Sam and Jaime.
From the outside you’d think that they’re just a group of friends getting together for some clean fun. But I should know better. Behind their stories and laughter lies a more serious reason why they’re all there.
Three quests were scheduled for tonight. Eloisa divided us into three groups. Jay and Judith went with Neil for a murder case in Parañaque. Jaime and Sam were teamed up with Marlon to check on this restaurant in Makati. The rest, including me, were to handle a haunted house in Muntinlupa. Eloisa was worried about the gravity of our case. The five of us may not be enough.
Our agent arrived at around 9pm. We all hopped into his maroon Tamaraw FX. On the way, he briefed us on what has been happening inside the house. The house had a reputation of being haunted, which was unknown to them since they came. It’s been a year since they moved and unnatural incidents have been taking place. Noises, apparitions and nightmares have become common. The kids would always get sick. The couple’s morale has gone low to the point of almost giving up the house and their life here in the metro.
We were the 6th group to check on the agent’s house. He was desperate since these things never leave them in peace.
Their nine-year-old daughter opened the white gate for us. As the FX pulled in, this more than a year old toddler came running naked towards his Dad. When he saw a bunch of strangers inside the passenger’s seat, he ran back inside the house to his Mom. A round of laughter came from the group, as we were welcomed inside. An 8month old baby was sleeping by the crib near the dining table. Our maternal instincts were provoked at the sight of these lovely kids. After refreshments, we began to do our work.
I moved around with them looking at all the rooms including the view of the rooftop from the gate below. Despite the fact that the summer heat has already set in, it became unusually hot as we climbed towards the third floor. We settled downstairs by the garage where it was more breathable. We didn’t make any circle nor were any candles lit. There were plenty of these entities around but the most powerful seem to be connected to the third floor. They’re like pawns, according to Victor and the rest agreed. Sheila was filtering the situation, backed up by Eloisa who was facilitating the quest. The rest of us, the agents, CJ and I just sat there listening, questioning and confirming.
To treat the situation right, we have to find the root of the problem. It turns out that we’re dealing with fire elementals, thus explains the unusual heat inside the house. An aggressor, who virtually rapes and beats the agent’s wife in her dreams, is being controlled by a female elemental. This female who has attached herself on the bed inside the third floor room, seems to fancy the husband, our agent. We have also recognized the presence of a gargoyle-like being by the rooftop. His skin was all burnt up. He was responsible for all the negativities that weigh on the family and was guarding some sort of a vortex, located by the full-length mirror in the second floor. He was more powerful and of a higher rank than the female. He’s not the person-in-charge, according to Sheila, who continued to do her scanning.
Finally, she saw a small, skinny, burnt creature that sits by a throne wearing a crown. He’s our guy and he was actually glad to be finally recognized. He’s the same creature who’s revealed his name to our agent’s wife. His kingdom guards some kind of a highway to other kingdoms. What was initially thought of, as a vortex was actually a multi-dimensional highway. Whenever someone finds it, the gatekeeper moves it somewhere else inside the house. This explains the presence of creatures inside the house that happen to be just passing by.
Eloisa explained to the couple why these elementals are here and what can be done to find mutual co-existence. To respect each one’s home, it was suggested that an electrical pipe be placed from the rooftop to the ground. Not only will this prevent or reduce the chance of creatures that pass by the highway to disturb the people living inside the house, but will also prevent people to disturb them and their highway.
Spirit Questors do not drive non-human beings out. Instead, they introduce neighbors to one another and teach them how to co-exist. Respect for all creatures in all planes is still their main thrust.
A breath of cool air finally rushed inside the house. The atmosphere suddenly felt light and for the first time, a sign of hope was seen in the couple’s eyes.
The agent told us about their plan on cutting down the Cypress Tree. Earth elementals, cheery ones, and an entire kingdom of them live by the garden. Hence, tree cutting was discouraged. We’ve told the couple that they can actually get financial support from them. We supported this from the series of dreams that the agent’s wife has been experiencing. In the dream, a trunkfull of gold coins was last seen half-buried by the garden.
Watering the garden regularly and perhaps adding a few more pots by the driveway would help. But before these elementals can throw their blessings to them, our agents must first clear out the negative residue that got stuck by the walls and floors of the house. A final rinse of water with rocksalt would do. Plus, ringing a bell inside the house, all with the intention of clearing the air should do the trick. These elementals should also be reminded that the insides of the house should be left to the family. They should respect their domain and vice-versa.
There is a water elemental that resides within the first floor bathroom explains why the wife gets this funny feeling of someone looking at her while she bathes. Nothing malicious actually but, she simply has to get used to it. She can either talk to it or simply ignore it. Having opened her third eye just recently, she is witness to more of these than the rest of her family.
What often bothers her is the spirit of this big man by the kitchen. There are many transient souls and lost spirits that are within the first floor. This man, who was merely transient, became attached to her. She happens to look like his daughter to whom he never got the chance to ask for forgiveness. No wonder she finds a father figure in him. His emotions were channeled to her, as the pain that the father has been carrying all this time struck her. She fell into crying and at the same time comforted him as she helped him move into the light.
The toddler continued running around, the baby kept moving to and from our agent to his wife’s arms while the little girl behaved herself by the floor mattress, watching over her little brother every now and then. The kids were with us and the light has been kept on the whole night. As the agent reiterated the use of a bell, the wife brought up the topic on how her dishes are easily broken. The figure of a five-year-old servant girl came to our attention.
She was made a servant when she was five and died at the age of eleven. She doesn’t know that she’s dead and we have to help her move on. It was the 1800’s; she was raped and she didn’t even know it. For them, it was normal but her body couldn’t bear it so she died. She never even knew her mother and we don’t have to heart to explain to her what happened. We told her to go into the light, where her mother is waiting for her. So she went.
There were more transient spirits coming to us but since it has already been an exhausting night, we stopped. We told our agents to light a tall pink candle and allow it to burn to the tip. This will be for all the souls within the house to help them move on.
We gathered back inside the house where we were treated for some homemade spaghetti. As we sat there enjoying my favorite pasta, the agent’s wife began to read Eloisa. She was really good at this and can even do mental telepathy. Then she read CJ, Victor and me. Funny how each of us began to sink in our seats while she did her scanning. It’s only now that she’s exploring her gifts and she seems to handle it well. Actually, she reminds me of Sheila.
It seems like this won’t be the last time that we’ll hear from her. The house is fine but it’s rare that you’d find an agent who can read the questors. As her husband drove us to Alabang Town Center to meet with the others in Starbucks, we were up on our seats eager to tell the others about her.
Despite the fact that we have handled more that one case in a single quest, we felt light and happy. Or at least that’s how I see it.
