in college, i was part of a literary organization that had its own writing workshop once a year. that’s putting it very simply, but since i’m not actually writing about the literary organization, i’ll leave it at that.

the writing workshop, during the year i was involved in its execution, was held at a local monastery: sacred heart; a place full of ghost stories from different people. no two stories i’ve heard are the same. everyone i’ve talked to, who has stayed there, have a different story to tell. i have more than one.

on my first day in sacred heart, i had one goal: to arrive early and prepare the rooms for our fellows and mentors. i had everything i needed for the set-up except my partner—who decided to leave a little later. not a problem, since i didn’t really need any help for setting up. it was mostly spraying freshener and leaving a box of goodies per room. and then setting up shop in one of the rooms with the extra groceries and the first aid kit.

easy.

i overestimated the travel time and arrived too early. again, not a problem for me or the venue. the people there were very accommodating. but i couldn’t help but get freaked out by the place. it was very quiet.

i started with setting up shop, and then i went to the rooms assigned to us. one by one, i went inside the rooms, sprayed air freshener under the beds, inside closets, and left the box of gifts our arts editor prepared. it was the same for all rooms except one.

i made a habit of leaving the door open, because it was too quiet. but for one room, the door wouldn’t stay open. so i pulled up a chair and jammed the door. it stayed open. until i came in the room, and then the door started closing again. by this time, goosebumps were already running up my arms. so i just placed the box for the room on the bed, sprayed the air freshener haphazardly and ran the hell out.

freaked out, i decided not to return to where i set up shop and just go out for a walk. where there would be people.

ten minutes later, i ran out of places to go. so i made my way back to the rooms where we would be staying. on my way there, i met this nice maintenance lady who had just come from where i was going. i smiled and said hello, and she asked:

”kayong dalawa pa lang ang nandito?”
(is it just the two of you who has arrived?)

initially i thought my partner had arrived, but when i came to the rooms, there was no one there. just me. i sent a text message to my partner, and he replied he was still at school, waiting for the fellows who will be riding with him.

after that, i locked myself inside the brightest, most open room, and didn’t come out until my colleagues have arrived. and i decided not to stay the night there.

a few nights later, i would have another freaky experience in that place. but that one isn’t as scary, because i wasn’t alone, and because it wasn’t a supernatural experience. but i’ll save that story for another day.