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Chapter 20 - The Clue
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Shu Wen’s call was quite a bait too much for me. I sprinted to my car. Leng had wanted to come, but I told her to complete the task that had been assigned to her. My foot was on the accelerator pedal through the journey, something uncharacteristic of me.
My mind had already raced to the forests. At the base camp, I realized an additional tentage had been set up. There were two new rolls of desks with a couple of screens.
I found ASP Wong and the Colonel standing over some monitors and quickly walked over.
“Are you feeling, okay?” Colonel asked. He had probably heard about my incident at Chris Chen’s ward. I felt sheepish as there is a prevailing impression that I am weak and overwhelmed. But they did not have a full understanding of the powers of the spirit that we are dealing with.
“The encounter zapped some of my energy, but it didn’t kill me. I am recuperating well.” I quickly replied.
“My su
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The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 21 - More Clues
I was soon distracted by a long table set up by the perimeters of the tentage. There were two powerful lamps shining over the table-top with tape formed around them. There were three officers sorting some content on the table. “What is that?” I asked as I walked over. The Colonel and ASP Wong, who was ahead of me, explained. “I asked that all rubbish found during the search be gathered here. We expect a lot of trash but there may be a piece of evidence here.“ “That’s clever. We might find something,” I said. “It was ASP’s idea.” ASP smiled proudly. “A senior officer once told me -to open a big door, you only need a small key. To crack a tough case, you only need the small details.” she declared. “Well, have you found anything interesting?” “Nothing special - the usual trash except for these,” She pointed to an area in the middle of the long table. I saw a huge pile of rubbish. Two staff sieved through th
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 22 - Exploration
“I had surveyed these grounds two years ago when the Ministry was conducting a routine reconnaissance of the terrain.”“Excellent. Do you know if there was a stream nearby?”“I am not totally familiar, but I fainly remember there is one further uphill.” He pointed to my right.I was intrigued.“Can you lead the way?”The Lieutenant gladly took the lead. It was a five-minute walk and we found it behind a row of low shrubbery. It was a clear stream no more than one meter wide.“So it was true,” I whispered. Somehow Razali heard me. “Dr Ant, what’s true?”“I heard about this stream.”“Heard? From who?”I smiled, to avert the need to address his question.I felt a sudden urge to talk to Dorothy Kwek, but it would not be easy to get a meeting with her. I decided to message Leng but realized there was no signal on my ph
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 23 - Encounter II
I was awoken by the shriek of a passing crow. I had fallen asleep on the reclining chair, and ASP Wong was seated across the table opposite me. Before I could speak, she said, “You needed the rest, so I didn’t want to wake you.” “Sorry.” “You snore badly. I truly pity your girlfriend.” “I sleep alone,” I muttered as I rubbed sleep off my eyelids. I check my watch. It was ten thirty-seven pm. It was time to prepare. “Is Leng here?” I looked around, and Shu Wen shook her head. I checked my phone, but she had not replied. Lieutenant Razali came in at this moment and brought us some earthly protection – mosquito repellents and gave each of us a torch. I remembered my tools and dug into my sling bag for a bottle of mugwort essence “For you, in case.” He smiled. “I believe in my God. He will keep me safe.” I nodded and did not want to argue. ASP Wong, who had walked up, passed me a
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 24 - Realization
She, the lady in black, descended like a foreboding dark curtain. First her feet, then her powerful arms followed by the torso and her hair-covered face. The full bloom of darkness, with streams of vibes, right in front of me. Our first face-to-face encounter. I found myself weakening. I shut my eyes and chant the Heart Sutra but it did not stem the loss of energy. Her presence, her mastery of ominous energies, was far more powerful than I anticipated. A chill enveloped me. I steadied my trembling hands and scribbled a circle of protective energy, and pulled it over me. However, it seemed to offer little protection for her extended talons that pulled me towards her with ease. I took the opportunity to study her features, but the hair was an opqaue screen, and I had little success. I tried to reinforce my shield with the Zhong Kui paintbrush to keep a distance between us. However, in a quick athletic flip, she broke my defenses and swooped
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 25 - Directionless
I was sucked back to my world, guided back by the light of our world. The energies sent me into a tailspin and I fell to the ground as ripples of pain shot up my back. I threw up.“Dr. Ant!”It was Leng, and with her was Razali, and the other men. I noticed there was an uprooted tree with broken branches. One huge, 6 foot long, was just a feet away from me.“What, what happened?” I asked feebly.“There was a strong gale, and a tree was uprooted,” Razali explained. “Totally unexpected.”“No, it was a result of the fierce fighting I had in the other dimension. It’s rare, but such things do happen.”I glanced at Leng, who wore her trademark reassuring smile. She had something in her hands, something I asked her to prepare as an insurance against another disaster - a rooster.I had asked her to get it from one of the farms in Lim Chu Kang that were managed by my frien
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 26 - A page from the past
Listening to Raja is like a meeting with a long-lost uncle. There is a sense of comfort, that comes from his experience and non-oppressive tone of authority. Respect for him grows naturally.“I admit, this is a tough case. All of you had worked hard but I didn’t deliver my part..” I said after his sharing.‘Don’t feel bad. We go through this all the time.” Raja assured.“Really?”He shook his head. “Not really, but from time to time, we do feel frustrated about lack of progress.”“ASP Wong mentioned you have some information about Bukit Pandan? Perhaps we can sit down to talk?”Raja held up a folder, and I was thrilled. He beckoned to a corner of the tentage away from the rows of screens, and we sat down together with ASP Wong, CK, and Leng.“I had to clear a few bureaucratic hurdles to get this.”He pulled out a yellowish document that has badl
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 27 - A half-lit bulb
I was glad to be home after two days of non-stop drama. I stayed alone and took care of my home chores, though there was a day-time helper that came in every other day. The first thing I thought of as I stepped into my flat was a warm r bath. In the shower, the imagery of the lady in black circulated. My thoughts revisited the sequence of our encounter as warm water rained down on my head. As the water soaked me and I maneuvered around the mental grid in my head, I sensed something in the bathroom. I opened my eyes and saw a dark mass in front of me. I looked closer and spotted a long-haired figure in the corner. My heart leaped out, and I let out a cry. I looked again, and there was nothing. I was paranoid. The encounter has disrupted my inner core of equanimity. I continued my bath, and in my heart, chanted the Heart Sutra. The sound of water beating on my body soothed the pain. The water. The stream. Suddenly, the images flooded my mi
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 28 - Hospital
Chris Chen struggled to sleep. He checked the clock on the wall. It is almost 1 am and he had his sleeping medicine an hour ago. He felt his mind was in a state of painful suspension. Hovering from sleepiness and clawing on the edges of sobriety. It was unbearable. Whenever he shut his eyes, his mind will be uncontrollably hauled back to that night when they got lost in the jungle. He remembered the night vividly. It was unusually cold unlike the 29degree Celsius as stated on his smartphone and there was moisture on the ground. One of his mates, TY had a bad fall when they were going down a slope to their second last contact spot. It was close to 10 pm and they were on time to reach their final destination before wrapping up the night topography session. He remembered it to be in the vicinity of a huge Flame Tree he saw in the day. There would be a tent with trainers and the medic and he was looking to replenish his water supply. The other inexp
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The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 42 - Restarting
Back home, I felt a fatigue in my system -that sort of exhaustion that originated from a mixture of frustration and anxiety. The two soldiers are still missing and there is a rumor on social media that they could be dead. It had disturbed the Colonel and his superiors that he communicated he would intensify the search round the jungle. Alone, I had squashed that thought and sat down in deep meditation for an hour to keep the monster called anxiety in check. After my mind is de-toxified, I made a simple dinner out of instant noodles and eggs and quickly settled myself in front of my laptop. I searched about the history and sources of the Kwek family and its related logos and symbols. The results were a revelation. I sieved through the results and was pleasantly surprised to find public sources of information on the evolution of the family emblem. Some sites were defunct, but there was one particular site owned by JJ Wong that seemed active.
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 41 - Leng's Call.
As I drove on the Sentosa Gateway, heading out of the island, I turned to the right where the Tanjong Pagar Port is. There is a neat row of containers handling equipment standing proud like a family of giraffes - a perfect picture of hustle that made up one of the busiest ports in Asia.As I marveled at the sight, my handphone buzzed. It was Leng and she is on WhatsApp call.“Hey, Dr. Ant, find somewhere to park. I have something to show you.”“Is it that earthshaking that I need to park my car first? I am getting thrilled.” I said lamely.“It’ll be worth your time,” She assured me. “Call me when you’re nicely parked.”I drove over to the nearby Tanjong Beach car park, and quickly called back Leng.“What is it?”“We found a lot of things from the Kaleidoscope App. In the past two weeks, there were three thousand items posted for sale. I had them sorted by th
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 40 - Striking a Chord
“Nai Nai is asking if you want more tea.” I returned to my seat. “I’m sorry. I just happen to like black and white photos.” Dorothy smiled nervously. “Who is the-” Dorothy coughed hard unexpectedly and then rested her head on her right hand. “Are you feeling alright, Nai Nai?” Josephine asked and threw a slight glance of reproach, which made me felt bad. I decided I had to brave the displeasure and voice my question. “I have a request that may offend you.” “Do you mind if we stop this meeting, Dr. Ant?” Josephine cut in. Before I could reply, Dorothy Kwek raised her hand. “Go ahead, Anthony.” “Can I invite you to visit the jungle again?” I knew I had touched a raw nerve when I got a glare in response. Her hands were tightly clasped. For a moment, she stayed wide-eyed and I was worried she may get a heart attack “It could help us in our investigation,” I added and she rega
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 39 - The Memories
Dorothy has shut her eyes in deep recollection. She projected such serenity that for a moment, I thought she was asleep. When I was about to interrupt her, I saw Josephine Kwek shaking her head gently. I got the hint and kept silent.Dorothy finally spoke with a genteel voice “You’re right I do know quite a bit about Bukit Pandan. It was my playground. My family's playground." She beamed "We would go for a picnic there every once in a while. In the 1960s, my father had a factory further down the road at the Dairy Farm. Whenever he was free, he and mum would drive us to the jungle for some trekking." ”My envy." I said "The landscape is conducive for walks. Earlier planters had cleared some trees and there is a nice piece of flat land by the stream. It is ideal for picnic." "I love the trees." I added "Ah, yes the trees. Those trees were huge, and there was always shade for a good camp-out. They are like guardians of o
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 38 - The Next Connection
After the call has ended, we lapsed into a long and uneasy silence. We were all trying to come to terms with the fact. It was Raja who broke the silence "Now, at least we know, Major's death is linked to an illicit affair." "Who is the other party in the relationship? Who is the lady?" "The family that travels to England to meet Christina's mother must be related to this lady." Shu Wen said. "Do you think if this family has something to do with the Major's death." I asked, with a tinge of provocation in my voice." "Think they may be angry with what the Major did to their daughter?" Raja added "I think the key is who is this lady?" I asked in deep deliberation. Shu Wen scratched her head "How can we be sure this is related to the lady spirit and the three missing boys." "I will need more information before I can answer you Madam. I need to know the identity of the missing persons."
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 37 - Nowhere
Christina stood up and walked off. My heart sank and Shu Wen lept to her feet in pleas "Madam! Madam?" Officer Daniels was at a loss but soon ran off presumably to invite Christina Holmes back to the interview. "We probably hit a raw nerve." I mumbled. "Let me try." Shu Wen spoke into the mic "Madam Christina we are sorry if we had been insensitive. However, the information you provide may save lives. Please." The emotions in her voice resonated in my mind and struck a chord. She is so genuine. No response. In the corner of the screen, we saw the figure of Officer Daniels that offered little clue to what is happening off-screen. Just when we were about to give up, Christina Holmes returned. Her eyes were red from the weeping and she was sniffing into a tissue. I felt guilty “Thanks for returning, Madam. We are very sorry if our approach has offended you." Christina waved off the comment w
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 36 - The Overseas Lead
The arrival of certain news interrupted our conversation. It has that Senior Station Inspector Rajagopal who was tasked to manage the follow-up on the John Wilkins case, has made progress. ASP Wong has earlier requested an investigation to obtain more information from the Wilkins family. After 60 years, the case has gone dead cold. It may be a futile attempt but Raja decided to try and breath life into it. As he mentioned, you never know how useful a tiny lead may be. Through Raja's efforts, the Singapore Police had managed to contact the descendants of Major John Wilkins. It was not easy but possible as the Singapore Police had a longstanding relationship with their British counterpart thanks to their Commonwealth network. It took a few calls between our Home Affairs, their Home Office, and the Ministry of Defense before they found the living descendant of John Wilkins. He was survived by his daughter, Christina Holmes, who presetnly re
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 35 - Two Objectives
As we waited for the Colonel to return, our dialogue drifted along. "Has your cases always been this tough?" “To be honest, the last 24 hours were challenging for me. I have never seen such a case.” ASP Wong added, "Initially we were clueless, then you came along, then we save someone and in less than a day, that someone is ...gone." Shu Wen blew a sigh and leaned back on the chair. "It is the same for me, Shu Wen. My past cases have been more straightforward. There was spiritual disturbances and I pacify the soul. This Bukit Pandan episode is a lot more complicated." "Three missing soldiers and one of them dead. In this age, every son counts and loss of one is devastating." Shu Wen observed I grimaced. Again the loss of Chris Chen stun my heart. “Ahhh, it was so emotional. I just hate deaths. The spirit in this case is also much more ominous and a lot more powerful. I once told myself with my powers I must achieve two th
The Supernatural Professor - The Jungle Chapter 34 - The Footages
Both of us found ASP Wong conducting a briefing in the tentage. She saw us and put two fingers. Two minutes. She sat on the table cross-legged in a pose of confidence and listened intently to the updates about the investigation. It seemed progress has been made. I was expectant when she wrapped up the session and sauntered over. We quickly pulled chairs and sat in a corner like children hungry for a story. Shu Wen looked fresh since we met at the hospital. She had her hair let down and wore a dark purplish shirt with black pants. Professional and beautiful. “Dr Ant, you are doing ok?” she asked before I could utter a word. I nodded, “I had a good sleep but dreamt about the lady spirit. I can only say any lead will be important for me now” “After you left, my men at the hospital found this, just beneath the bed. They had taken a picture. We left this out when you deployed the Mugwort powder. Take a look?” “What may that be” I was
