Guardian Evil

CHAPTER 22: The Man in the Garden

“HEY, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE RUMORS?”

Romina and Marivic looked at their classmates who just sat beside them. They’re currently working on a project and decided to meet each other at a convenience store. Luciel is not one of their groupmates but the guy sent a tiny demon which was also a part of him to watch over Romina which at first, she finds annoying but strangely, she finds the tiny demon cute because it looked like a steam bun with a cute expression on its face but it was colored black and has tiny wings like a bat. It was invisible so only Romina can see it.

“What rumors?” Romina couldn’t help but ask.

“Let me guess, it’s another paranormal rumor around our school again,” one of their groupmates named Fred said.

Their classmate grinned. “Yes. You’re correct.”

“Ikaw talaga, Selena. Tigilan mo na kaka-drugs mo,” one of their classmate named Ronnie joined the conversation. “Ghosts are not real.”

“Hey! Just listen to me first because most of our schoolmates and even our school guards experienced it and saw it with their own eyes!” Selena said, motioning her fingers on her both eyes.

“Oh-kay. So what’s that rumor all about?” one of their classmate named Marie asked.

“So there’s this rumor spreading around that during five or six in the evening, there’s this man standing on our school’s garden as if he’s waiting about something. He’s not even a student in our school but he’s there every five or six in the evening. One of our school guards saw this man and he even managed to talk to this man. He told this man to go home because no one’s around that time and all of the students already went home. And this man turned to him and you have no idea what he looked like…”

“What does he looked like?” Fred couldn’t help but ask.

“He was wearing a Barong Tagalog. You know, our national clothing. They said he looked like he was living during Jose Rizal’s year and his clothing were soaked in blood and mud and his face was like it got burned or something. The school guard was so terrified about it that he didn’t work for a week,” Selena said. “People thought that the school guard was insane but it was proven that’s it true since some of our schoolmates saw that ghost in their own eyes.”

“Wow, that’s indeed… creepy,” Ronnie commented. “But nah, I still don’t believe in ghosts. You shouldn’t be afraid of them. You should be afraid of the bad people living in this world.

A man haunting in a garden, huh. Romina muttered inside her head as she sipped on her orange juice.

“Oh, so there’s a man haunting the school garden, huh?” Luciel asked as he kept levitating in front of Romina. When the latter tapped him to sit down, he immediately sat on her gamer’s chair.

“Yes. They said he was wearing a Barong Tagalog… the Filipino national clothing. They said he looked like he was living during Jose Rizal’s year and his clothing were soaked in blood and mud and his face was like it got burned or something. The school guard and even our schoolmates saw that man which proves that this man really haunting the school garden,” she responded.

“I also heard about that rumor since our nosy classmates kept on talking about it since one of our classmates actually saw that ghost yesterday. Good thing, she didn’t approach it because she thought it’s one of the school staff monitoring the premises,” he told her as he kept on playing on her bunny plushie. “They said that ghost just gave them jumpscares, but he didn’t actually touch nor hurt them, unlike the poltergeist that we encountered the other week.”

“I wonder what made him haunt the school garden. I wonder why some ghosts couldn’t go to heaven after they died…”

“It actually takes days or a week for a ghost to accept that he or she is already dead. Some of them are seeking justice or revenge to the ones who caused their deaths just like that kid named Trisha and some of them have unfinished business here in this world that’s why they couldn’t pass the afterlife yet… prolly that’s the man in the school garden’s case.”

“I wonder what made him still stuck in the school garden that he couldn’t pass the afterlife…”

Luciel immediately turned his head to her. “I’ll tell you in advance, I won’t help anymore.”

Romina looked at him in utter surprise. “What—I didn’t say anything yet. I haven’t even met that ghost yet.”

“I know what’s on that mind of yours so I’m telling you, we won’t meddle with apparitions and ghosts anymore,” he told her. “Yes, I told you that you should ready yourself for more encounters with ghosts and apparitions since your third eye was already opened but I didn’t tell you to meddle yourself with them. Apparitions are not the same as Trisha the poltergeist that you can easily deal with without having yourself caught in danger or trouble. You almost did when you confronted the reapers which are a huge no. We can’t really interfere with their destiny if they’re going to heaven or hell. What you should focus on is how you live your life.”

That made Romina paused. Thoughts were rushing inside her mind but she couldn’t help but feel concerned about the man haunting the garden.

“Okay guys, work on your assigned topics for our report tomorrow. Be sure to put some visual aids and don’t forget to research more about your topics so you can answer the questions,” Romina told them. Marivic went home earlier than them because she’s working some errands her mother gave her and Romina was understanding enough since she knew that Marivic is already working on her topic as well since she’s the group’s leader. And as the assistant leader, she assisted and reminded their groupmates what to do.

“Yes, ma’am!” her groupmates responded in such enthusiasm—which she knew that they’re just enthusiastic to go home.

“And Fred and Ronnie, please, work on the topic, okay? No Mobile Legend for tonight. You can actually do that when we’re already done with our tasks,” Romina told the two boys in their group.

The two boys made a salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

“Well, then. See you tomorrow, guys,” Romina smiled at them.

“Eh? What about you, Romina? You can actually come with us.”

“And it’s almost five as well. We can actually escort you home since Luciel is not here.”

“Umm,” Romina looked at the tiny demon on her head then to her classmates and smile. “I’ll just get some reference book and do some readings before I’ll go home. Luciel will fetch me so no need to worry, guys. You can actually rest and go home.”

“Okay. Just be careful, okay? Don’t go out if no one’s going to fetch you and escort you home,” her classmates reminded her which she responded with a nod and smile and waved her hands to them.

“Oh shoot, why I didn’t notice it’s already six in the evening!” Romina facepalmed as she kept running out of the building to reach the school gate. “I still haven’t done my visual aids! Ugh!”

“I told you it’s getting dark~” the tiny demon on her head muttered. She actually wanted to squish it because of how cute its voice is but she’s already in a hurry so she might do it later.

“I’m sorry about it, tiny demon—”

“My name is L,” the tiny demon interrupted in a tiny voice.

“Oh yeah, sorry about it, L. It’s just that, I find that novel interesting that’s why. I’m so sorry, can you call Lu—” she stopped when she saw the standing figure in the garden.

She didn’t hear the tiny demon trying to stop her (as Luciel commanded it to do) so before she could even stop herself, she approached the guy.

“Sir, are you looking for something?”

The man slowly turned his whole body to her and Romina was beyond shock at what she saw.

“He was wearing a Barong Tagalog. They said he looked like he was living during Jose Rizal’s year and his clothing were soaked in blood and mud and his face was like it got burned or something.”

It was him.

The man haunting their school garden.