“AAAH!!!!”
Tim and Sunset screamed as they lunged out of the cupboard, landing onto the welcoming floor of the house.
“Oh, I thought I was a goner that time,” Tim panted heavily. “Are you okay, Sunset?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sunset panted.
She turned her head and noticed the man’s arm. She could see the cuts he received from the ghost that attacked them with the box cutter.
“Tim! Your arm! It’s--:
But before she can express her concern further, Sunset was perplexed as the cuts appeared to glow in a magic aura. An aura of which matched the glow surrounding the bracelet on Tim’s wrist. Before long, the cuts slowly vanished off the surface of the man’s skin.
“Uh…”
“Huh! How about that?” Tim asked in amazement. “Guess this thing really comes in handy after all.”
Both man and girl turned toward the cupboard they emerged from. They checked inside slowly… only to find nothing in there but old boxes.
“But… we just…” Sunset stumbled her words.
The two slowly turned to exchange looks of bewilderment with one another. Eventually, they shook heads thinking it was better they don’t ask. As the two got up, they looked around and noticed it was still nighttime. But all the lighting in the house made it feel less scary.
“Ah, home sweet home,” Tim sighed.
“This is your home?” Sunset asked, as she looked around. “Nice spread you’ve got here. I got to say Tim, you have a nice house.”
“Thanks Sunset,” Tim smiled before frowning. “But it’ll be very lonely if I don’t find Jane soon.”
This sparked Sunset’s interest as she turned toward the man.
“Who’s Jane?”
“She’s my wife,” Tim answered. “But she’s gone, went missing. It’s been weeks now, and…”
RING-RING! RING-RING!
The phone rang loudly, startling Tim and Sunset out of their wits. After a moment of composing themselves, Tim approached the phone. He was just about to pick up and answer when the caller went straight to voicemail.
“Hey Tim!” A young man’s voice spoke. “It’s Dew. What’s up with you, man? Haven’t seen you in ages! Hope you’re doing well. Call me back so I know you’re not dead!”
By the end of the message, the phone beep signified the end of the call.
“Friend of yours?” Sunset asked.
“Good ol’ Dew,” Tim nodded in confirmation. “He’s one of my best friends. He and I go way bak. He’s always looking out for me and everyone else. What would I do without him?”
Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle, smiling in sympathy.
“I know how you feel,” The fiery girl replied. “He reminds me of some friends of mine…”
Sunset stopped, as the memory of her friends suddenly made her feel sad. If all else, she grew worried about how they are doing back home.
“I’m sure they’re probably worried about me now.”
“Hmm… in that case, I think I’d better give your friends a call,” Tim suggests.
He picks up the phone, his hands ready to dial the numbers.
“Should probably let them know you’re here. No, wait… I should call your parents, so they can come pick you up.”
“Uh, you can’t!”
Tim turned toward the girl with a look of bewilderment.
“I mean, they’re all out of… the country?” Sunset smiled sheepishly.
“Oh?” Tim raised an eyebrow.
“Uh… I’m on a school trip!” Sunset quickly lied.
“Oh… a study abroad student huh?”
“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded, scratching her head. “I was… uh… I was staying at a hotel, playing some video games as usual… but I must’ve stayed up so late I blacked out. That’s when I met you.”
“Hmm… I see…”
As Tim sets his phone down, he noticed a piece of paper beneath the phone.
“Huh, what’s this?”
“What is it?” Sunset asked.
The girl approached the man’s side for a closer look at the paper. There were words written in pencil, in the same Thai language.
“What does it say?”
“It’s in Jane’s handwriting!” Tim exclaimed. “It says:”
April 29, 2013
[Front]
I had a quite unsettling dream last night...so strange that I thought it was real...something or someone was chasing after me all night long...it came to me and pulled me hard...the pain that I felt was so real as if it wanted to take my "life"...but I managed to escape and saw the light at the end of the path...I couldn't remember anything else.
[Back]
There was nothing scarier than that...what was it that I saw? How are things? Hello? Jane??
"Hmmm," Sunset pondered, after Tim had read the whole paper. "Call me crazy, but it sounds similar to what we just experienced with the ghost from..."
Sunset turned to look at the empty cupboard.
"From back there..."
“Yeah…” Tim nodded quietly.
Shaking his head, Time released a sigh as he ushered Sunset to a couch.
“I need to get my thoughts together,” He declared. “In the meantime, why don’t you make yourself at home?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Tim,” Sunset replied.
As she made herself comfy on the couch, the troubled man decided to walk around the house with the paper in his hand. It was at that moment he remembered the notebook he found earlier… back in the room he was in… before meeting Sunset Shimmer… and WAY before the ghost chased him.
Tim looks down toward the notebook he had been carrying with him, tucked underneath his right arm.
<“Wow, I can’t believe I forgot I was carrying this,”> He spoke in Thai. <”Hey, this gives me an idea!”>
Looking toward the notebook, under a tag, he labeled it “Jane’s diary”, before clipping the page to the notebook’s page, under the tag.
<”Hopefully this could be our clue and a lead to where we can find Jane,”> Tim said to himself.
Turning to his left, he opened a door and stepped into an office. Tim approached the desk at the edge of the room, where a laptop rested, next to a lamp, and a stack of paper. Walking toward the desk, he picks up one sheet of paper.
<”A contact list of people that Jane would probably go to,”> Tim muttered.
The man quickly read the names before setting them back on the desk.
<”Like they’re of any help. They don’t even know where Jane is.”>
Tim turned his attention to another sheet of paper, which translates in English:
Royal Thai Police
Daily Report File
Police Station Samut Prakan
Division/Provincial Police Station...
Headquarter/ Region...
Order 4
Date: November 29, 2013
Time: 09:26 AMRecord
Mr. Chadchai Tubloy (Tim), 34 years old, resides at number 12 moo 6, Paknam, Muang, Samut Prakan, came to the police station and reported on November 29, 2013, at 3:30 AM, he found out that Ms. Nitharinya went missing and hasn't been found yet. What he found in Ms. Nitharinya's room led him to believe that an assault had taken place. This report will be used as evidence of his presence at the scene.
Pol. Capt. Metta Suebwongsa, Sub-Investigator, signed as informant.
Name: Chadchai Tubloy Informer.
Name: Pol. Capt. Metta Suebwongsa Informant
Name: Pol. L/C Kanchai Pradpruang Documentation OfficerCertified True Copy
Pol. Capt. Metta Suebwongsa (Pol. Capt. Metta Suebwongsa)
SubInvestigator, Samut Prakan Police Station
<”What I found in Jane’s room?”> Tim asked himself.
Deciding that’s where he needed to investigate, Tim was about to approach the stairs when Sunset happened to be walking his way.
“Excuse me, Mr. Tim,” Sunset politely apologized. “I was just going to use the restroom for a bit.
“That’s okay, Sunset,” Tim nodded, pointing to the stairs. “I’ll be upstairs.”
With that settled, the man was on his way up carrying his notebook with him. Tim couldn’t help but smile to himself. Even with his wife gone, having Sunset made his house feel less lonely. It was almost like raising a child, or in this case, a teenager. In a way, it was almost like being a father.
In the meantime, Tim reached the top of the stairs and turned left to see the door to a room was closed. He reached out for the knob to turn it open. However, he was perplexed to find the knob was locked and remained firm.
<”Locked?”> Tim asked. <”Where’s the key…? Maybe I left it in my room.”>
Turning his attention to the next door, he opens it up before stepping inside a large room. A huge flat screen TV was mounted on the wall to the right, while a double king-sized bed sat along the left.
There, hanging above the bed along the wall, are three large art boards, forming a picture of a peaceful farm. Tucked beneath the last art board, on the right, Tim spotted a single piece of paper. He walked over to pick up the sheet, examining it to see it was a drawing of an overview shot of a room.
<”Hmmm… looks like a drawing of the living room downstairs,”> Tim commented.
The man looks down toward the bottom-left corner of the drawing, spotting a small drawing of a key with the letter ‘J’ next to it.
<”That must be where the key to Jane’s room is!”>
Tim sets the paper down and raced out of his room, down the stairs just as Sunset Shimmer was on her way up.
“Oh!” They both exclaimed.
“Sunset!”
“Mr. Tim! Sorry I…” The girl apologized.
“Oh no, no need to apologize,” Mr. Tim waved his hand. “You need anything?”
“Actually, I was looking for you. I think I’ve found something that might give us a clue on where Jane is.”
“Really? What is it?”
Sunset reached into the pocket of her jacket, revealing a piece of a photograph.
“Interesting…” Tim muttered, examining the piece. “Wh-Where did you find it?”
“I found it in the bathroom,” Sunset confirmed. “It looks like a photograph… but I don’t know why there’s a piece of it. I think it could be a trail to where your wife, Jane, is…”
“Hmmm… maybe.”
Tim tucks the piece of the photograph into his notebook before continuing his way towards a bookshelf, where the key on the drawing was marked. Sunset Shimmer followed the man with a look of concern, when she noticed something out of the ordinary. Up ahead, she spots a web of red string, covering two glass-sliding doors from top to bottom.
“What’s with all these strings?” Sunset asked.
“Hmmm?”
Tim turned toward the strings, looking just as confused as Sunset.
“I don’t know. This wasn’t here before…”
“Do you think it means something?”
“Well, it does remind me of a thing called the ‘Red Thread of Fate,’” Tim spoke, before shaking his head. “But let’s not worry about it now.”
Turning his attention back to the books, Tim found what he was looking for.
<”A-ha!”>
Tim pulls out a spare set of keys from the books.
“Keys?” Sunset questioned. “Are we going out for a late-night drive or something?”
“No, these aren’t car keys,” Tim chuckled. “These are the spare keys to Jane’s room.”
Tim walked back upstairs with Sunset following close behind. With the spare keys in hand, Tim inserted the keys into the door, turning them to the side, and they clicked the door open. Gaping inside, Sunset marveled at the interior of the room.
“Wow… cozy!”
Holding each other’s hands, both Tim and Sunset walked in. All of a sudden, Sunset Shimmer’s hands glowed a shimmering aura of light. At first, all Sunset could see was light till her visions adjusted to see a woman, possibly in her 20s, sitting a desk. In appearance, she has long curly brown hair and wears a white sleeveless shirt, short jeans, and sandals.
At first, the woman appears to be writing something, when she suddenly stood up, as if she felt Sunset’s presence.
“Oh Tim!” She greeted in surprise.
It was then Sunset realized she was looking through Tim’s eyes, that this woman was talking to him.
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing up so late?” Tim asked.
“Oh, I’m just writing,” Jane replied hesitantly.
Sunset couldn’t help but notice that Jane was holding a little blue book behind her back.
“Can I take a look?” Tim asked in his memory.
“No, it’s private!” Jane said, shooing him away. “Get outta here!”
“Okay,” Tim pouted. “Welp, it’s time for bed.”
The memory ended just as quickly, as Sunset found herself back into the world with Tim. The man looks sadly towards the desk, where Jane once sat.
“That was her, wasn’t it?” Sunset gasped.
“What?” Tim asked, facing Sunset.
“Her! Jane!” Sunset replied.
She points to the very same woman in the framed pictures on the desk.
“That’s her, isn’t it? That’s your wife?”
“Oh, yes,” Tim nodded, turning back to the picture. “That’s her…”
A heavy sigh escapes as Tim took a seat in her chair. He shakes his head, clasping his hands together.
“She… is amazing. She’s my whole world and… I’ve got to find her…”
Sunset approached the man, placing a hand upon his shoulder.
“Correction,” Sunset began. “We will find her.”
“We?” Tim asked, looking toward the girl.
“Yes, we,” Sunset repeated. “Look, Tim. I don’t know why I’m here, but maybe it’s for a reason. Maybe it’s to help you find Jane. If that’s what it is, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
Tim gave a light chuckle before brushing Sunset’s hand off.
“That’s sweet of you, Sunset. But this is something I have to do by myself.”
“You don’t have to,” Sunset continued. “Let’s not forget we just had a near death experience from a crazy ghost with a boxcutter knife. You would’ve been minced to death if I hadn’t saved your sorry butt!”
“Hey! Watch your mouth, Sunset,” Tim pointed a finger at her.
“You’re missing the point, Mr. Tim! If we’re going to find Jane, we have to work together!”
“You’re just a kid,” Tim shook his head.
“I’m 16 years old!” Sunset scowled. “I’m not a child!”
Still shaking his head, Tim turned away when he happened to spot a familiar little blue book, enwrapped in the center of the web of red string.
“Hey!” He gasped. “Is that Jane’s diary?”
This drew Sunset to follow his attention, as he pulled the book away from the strings, looking at the title which reads: “My Little Book of Happiness.”
“It’s definitely a diary,” Sunset commented.
She soon noticed some more loose pages around the room, all of them written in Thai. Sunset picked up a page on the desk, giving it to Tim to read…
Front
April 28, 2013
I felt like I was getting worse... I kept seeing things that weren't there! It kept happening one time and one time I thought someone was in the house. Sometimes I felt like I was being watched somewhere...It felt creepy around the stair cupboard as well. Jeez, you're not doing any better Jane ...take great care of yourself and Tim...did I just talked to myself in my diary? Hahah weird me...
“We just came from the stair cupboard!” Sunset gasped in shock.
They start to flip the page to continue reading what’s on the back.
Back
Tim hasn't come home yet...We don't hangout anymore...not to mention go out together...we should pray a little and make some good karma...who knows, things might get better.
“Is she always that superstitious?” Sunset asked. “I’m not judging or anything, I mean, we did have our first encounter with a…”
“I know, I know,” Tim replied, shaking his head. “Jane was always trying to tell me about the hauntings that have plagued her mind… I just didn’t believe her or take her seriously… until now…”
He turns back toward the web of red strings, discovering another page was caught. He took the paper and translated it for Sunset:
Front
April 25, 2013
I've been feeling so forgetful recently. I thought that the phone was in the kitchen... I was looking everywhere but then I found it in the bedroom...I knew that I remembered ... or maybe it was just me...Come on Jane...maybe I was little stressed out huh? Get yourself together, Jane.
Back
One more thing, I kinda knew I haven't fully rested lately, that was what I thought though...I thought I saw something strange around the house...the television was broken maybe...the signal was hardly there...there was one time that got me so freaked out though, because I was sure I heard a funeral prayer through that static sound...that totally gave me the chills.
Sunset and Tim turned toward each other, exchanging looks of uncertainty. Both man and girl were on their way out of the room when Sunset looked down and saw another of the diary’s pages. But this one had a cute drawing of a smiling woman, with a cozy looking house drawn in the daylight at the top right corner.
“Mr. Tim?”
Sunset holds up the paper to the man, who politely took it and read:
Front
October 27, 2012
There is something that I want to share! Today is simply one of the happiest days of my life so far! Why? Because we finally had our own house! It's Tim's to be exact! He worked so hard and saved up for this house.
Back
Tim also said that the house was our first anniversary gift since we married. Isn't that the sweetest thing ever? Thank you a million times Tim, I love you more than anything.
“Aw!” Sunset cooed teasingly. “How romantic.”
Tim simply smiled sheepishly, blushing a shade of pink before his face turned to shame.
“How could I forget that day?” He asked sadly. “That was the happiest day of my life as well. I had everything. A loving wife and a beautiful home to go with her…”
Once again, Sunset placed her hand on Tim’s shoulder for comfort, to which the man reached out and touched the teenage girl’s hand, gently caressing it. Even though he knew the comforting hands aren’t of his wife’s, they’re still enough for comfort… even just a little.
“Jane also wanted to have kids,” Tim sighed.
“I’m sure she would’ve made a really good mom,” Sunset commented, before she looked perplexed. “But why are you bringing that up?”
“Uh, just… I’m just saying, Jane ‘did’ want to have kids,” Tim stammered, trying to compose himself. “That’s why I work hard… to be… to be a good father…”
Sunset nodded, as she comforted the man with a pat on the back.
“Well, my dad’s a great father,” Sunset told Tim. “And he works hard for both me and my mom. I’m sure you’d make a great father too.”
Tim could only smile sadly at Sunset’s words. He wouldn’t admit it, but he thinks of Sunset as if she was his daughter. Just then, Tim looked down at the floor and saw the familiar red strings, leading from the web in the room, outside in the loft, and down the stairs.
“Hey! That wasn’t there before!” Tim said, perplexed.
Tim and Sunset cautiously follow the trail. Just as they climbed toward the bottom of the stairs, a woman’s scream was heard.
"AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!"
“Jane!!” Tim exclaimed.
The man turned to the right and discovered the scream from the cupboard he and Sunset emerged from earlier.
“In there?!” Sunset shivered.
She could feel the goosebumps crawling up her skin, remembering the boxcutter girl who tried to kill them. Tim simply handed his notebook to Sunset, before he took out his flashlight, shining its light into the dark cupboard to reveal more red string, hanging from the ceiling.
“Jane’s in there,” Tim Muttered. “She could be in trouble! She needs help!”
At the mention of the woman’s name, Sunset put on a brave face.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s save her!”
Tim turned back toward the girl, then back at the darkness in front of them. The man shook his head, the thought of bringing a teenager with him concerning him so. A teenager, he might add, who hardly graduated from high school. But with his wife’s life on the line, he knew for a fact he needs all the help he can get.
“C’mon, let’s go!” Tim said, leading the way as Sunset followed.