Tales on Gudalupe Nuevo

Guadalupe Nuevo is a place where most of my relatives grew up including me. Somewhere located in Manila. My dad said they had the place since they were very young and we still own it to this day. It's been said that there were a lot of strange encounters

 

“A battered young lady covered with stains walking slowly with chains clasped on her feet, and her hair as dirty as a used mop shadowing a dismayed look upon her once youthful face” was the one that struck me the most from my dad’s haunting stories on a forty-seven year old house that was formerly owned by a group of Spaniards back when the Philippines was still a colonial territory of Spain. The strange stories by different people fascinated me to know the reasons behind the mysteries that happened in our house on Guadalupe Nuevo. Whenever I get a chance to squeeze out any detail from my dad that would arouse my curiosity for another story from the past about our house, I would write everything he said and imagine as if I was actually there back in those tormenting times.

My grandparents decided to buy the house back when they already have five kids in the 1960s. The house was really small back then, so they made major renovations by extending the second floor turning it into a grand ballroom and putting a spiral staircase hat leads to the attic; after forty-seven years, it now looks like a rusty, dull old manor surrounded by thick cobwebs all over the edges of the ceiling and the rooms smelling like a nasty attic.

Watching up the window from outside the house will not even make you think twice if there are supernatural creatures inside. Neighbors outside reported seeing a lady figure looking at the window in the afternoon and at night just standing there gazing at them not even moving a single muscle, and then she would just fade away. My dad told me that Mang Claro, my grandfather’s cousin, was on his way to bed when he felt someone sneaking up to him. Mang Claro ignored the fact that someone was just right behind him; instead, he still went to bed. Trying to go to sleep, he was disturbed by the sound of cries and clashing of metals outside his room; he even recalled hearing screeches and footsteps outside his bedroom door; the bothering sounds of chuckles and horrific shrieks on the other side of the door that went on for years and still are heard even today.

The flickering of lights once in a while, slamming doors when no one is there, sudden coldness of the room, and the sound of clanging chains dragged by a mysterious woman, are the common things going on in our house. I even witnessed a very old lady wearing a black cloth covering her head and shoulders; she was sitting on the grand dining room just staring blankly; because I was only six and unaware, I wasn’t completely disturbed with what I saw. Later on that same day, I found out that my great grandmother Luisa had passed away. My grandmother was the only one who never believed the fact that there are lost spirits living inside our house. The spirits still haunt the house at some time, more often when there are visitors. My grandfather transformed the attic to a guest room, and so this is where all the chills and bizarre events occur. Some visitors said that they felt someone was snatching them on the neck, seeing a figure on the glass door, or the scent of roses or candles that would give them a headache.

One night, my dad and I were on our way home when he mentioned something that happened back in the 1970s in Guadalupe. My grandmother got so fed up about the ghost stories, so she decided to prove that the house was not haunted. She called an exorcist to see if there was really any spirits lurking by, to her dismay, the exorcist proved my grandma wrong. An old woman in her sixties dressed in dark layers of ravaged tapestry carrying a long golden necklace on her left hand and carefully walking up the stairs sensing for something unusual. The ambiance was gloomy and chilly; she decided to get things over with before they get worse. As the old woman enters the room on the left wing, she asked someone to get her a plate for her ritual. She stood at the center of the room and begun chanting. She lifted up her golden necklace while holding the plate below it; as she meditated, the necklace began to circle around the plate spinning faster and faster until the plate suddenly shattered to pieces. The old lady backed away as if she was pushed against the wall by a strong force, and then all of a sudden, started speaking in Spanish. Luckily, my grandfather can speak Spanish and so he understood her words, although she started sounding like an old man. “I am Father Damaso” she said, “My soul remains in this house for I guard the treasure”. “Where?” my grandfather said, “Where are you keeping the treasure?” there was silence…

“Down below” the possessed exorcist answered. “There are three of us” she continued, “me, the lady slave” she stopped. “Who else?” grandfather curiously asked, the old lady then continued, “Do not be afraid when you are awakened by a headless man”. My grandma nearly fainted, although the exorcist suddenly fell down the floor.

            It has been so many years since I heard that story which probably is the heart of every haunting tales and mysterious sounds experienced by a lot of people, including myself. The house remained standing; even I lived there for about a year, with fear and curiosity. That is the only house I can feel someone looking up to me as I go up the stairs; since I know that I can not stand the sight of terror, It’s best not to look back. The exorcist was just a way of explaining why these lost souls creep around the house waiting for someone to hear their plea for help and listen to their cries, especially the tortured woman lurking by from time to time.

 

 

Author's Note

I copied my work from an english class I previously had. I know there are a lot of run on sentences and mistakes along the way but take it easy on me I'm just learning how to write :)

Reviews

[Montilee Stormer]

Well then I'll help. Please don't take my criticisms negatively. I think you've got a nice story here and it could use some tweaking and clean up.

One thing I kept in mind as I read through this story is that sometimes we throw in information that isn't necessary to the story. Not every description is necessary or needs to be thrown in all at once. Space it out. Or leave it behind.

>>>>"A battered young lady covered with stains walking slowly with chains clasped on her feet, and her hair as dirty as a used mop shadowing a dismayed look upon her once youthful face"