One, Two, Three, Four...there's more?

One, Two, Three , Four...there's more?

(This is for K,H and the babies of 2001)

I know some of you love ghost stories. So here is one...just not a conventional one. It is not meant to scare...but its authenticity can be vouched by the class of 4E2...

We wanted to do something special for the 35th Anniversary celebration..something memorable before we moved out of the old premises. After all, the fun fair was open to the public. So what better way to attract people to come than re-creating "The Haunted House".

We did not want a run-of-the-mill kind of attraction. The school had its 'reputation'of being visited by many an unearthly inhabitant of the 'netherworld', so it would be perfect to convert the old AVA room to engage in some good old-fashioned scare.

The kids were brilliant, creative...and made the idea come to fruit. With the yards of cloth , we turned the room into a series of maze-like paths...and at each pit stop, something was waiting to surprise the visitors. We had the full works...a mummy, the Phantom of the Opera (who sat at one corner,mask on...and just slammed the piano chords....er...who played that role?). There was The Grim Reaper (the costumes were awesome!), Count Dracula, Medusa (yes...in the dark, the snakes' eyes glowed), and ...our classic Pontianak.

I saw how...what seemed like a motley crew of people who could not get along, suddenly come together to bring the idea alive....and made the project so hush-hush, that others were intrigued. I knew a lot of people were skeptical...at what they thought was an amateurish effort to scare others.

So we charged $2.50 for a guided tour...A 'medium' holding a tap light in hand, would lead a group of 4-5 through the maze. (some people thought it would not even make money)....hahahaha...from opening our doors at 9.00am...to 4.30pm...we had no break...and earned more than $3K...(and poor 'creatures' who got kicked, poked, hit and screamed at...and could not have their food)

Where is the ghost story you may ask?
Let me describe the experience...Somehow, someone had lit some incense in the room...and in total darkness...there was an eerie, hazy...cloyingly sweet atmopshere created. My 'actors' took on their roles so much ...they did not speak...that at some point...I really could not figure who were behind the masks..

There were times...when I was not sure...for I seemed to have 'overcounted' when we did the roll call.1,2,3,4....eh...how come got extra?

And because of the cloth (or shroud?), who gave me feathery touches...or blew lightly at my nape?...and why did the aircon which always malfunctioned...made the room extra chilly? Where did the strange hums....or sudden wails come from?...so near yet so far away?

Do you know how many times the younger visitors came out in hysterics?
We had little primary school girls who were 'traumatised'...and had to conduct a 're-tour' with the lights on so that they can see the students as themselves...(but how horrified I was when they mentioned a 'ghost' that was not even on my list?)

Even the older ones...and some of my colleagues..were freaked out...by the last 'station'...at the corner of the room, was a 'nisan' (a tombstone head, a white diaper stained red...an ancient incense burner...and perched up on the ledge, before the exit..quietly, was Sara...all in white, and her long hair falling over her face...whispering "I ....see.....you..." ( hey...she did take a break...but why do people keep saying that 'how did you make her eyes so bloodshot')


There are certain things better left unasked...had we unwittingly invited other 'guests' to join in this haunting party of ours? The sombre music...the smoke...the chill...all added to an exciting day to remember.

Maybe ... someone has the answer...when the day was done, and when we all decided to take a picture...we 'found' an answer (I think)
On all of the photographs we took, there were vivid globs of light and shadows...of...what? who? Even the most cynical of teachers, our photographer, was intrigued...whose auras were they?

We cannot explain...we rather not know...