Shelter News - The Last Dance

Another story from Milo

It was one of those days when everything is quiet and slow.  The cats had taken their lunch and were sleeping snugly.  Peter suddenly had this idea to clear out the storeroom and asked me to help.

I wasn't surprised that there is so much rubbish inside.  Peter said it belonged to  previous tenants who didn't want their stuff anymore.  There were old newspapers, old boxes and tins, old books and everything imaginable under the sun!

While I was going through the rubbish, I came across a photograph of a young couple.  It looked like a wedding photo and was very old and torn.  When I asked who they were, Peter told me that the lady was the daughter of a tin magnate. The building (now the cat shelter) once belonged to her rich, illustrious family who lived there in the 1940's.  She was his only child and he doted on her, showering her with love and affection and indulging in her every whim.

"According to what I heard," continued Peter.  "The old man gave his daughter a grand, lavish banquet when she got married.  It was during the time when the Japanese invaded this country and tragically, in the middle of the banquet, the Japanese dropped a bomb on the building and everyone was killed."

"Oh, no, how horrible," I gasped.

"Yes, it was very sad.  The ruins of the building lay there for some years and it was only about ten years ago that a wealthy contractor bought up the land and built the present building.  It was rented out to many business enterprises and about two years ago, my uncle decided to open a cat shelter here, so that was how we got started. By the way, you believe in ghosts, don't you?"

"Well, I have come across a few in my ghost busting days," I said.

Peter laughed.  "Well, then, you would be interested to hear this story. People say that on the lst and 15th night of each lunar month of the Chinese calendar, when the moon is full, the young couple will appear and dance in the grounds of the building."

"Wow, have you seen them?" I asked, my spine tingling with curiosity and awe.

Peter laughed again.  "No, I haven't.  I don't believe in all those rumours.  I prefer to have my beauty sleep rather than wait up to see some ghosts!  Incidentally, tomorrow is the first day of the 9th lunar month....you can try and see if you can spot them!"

"Gosh, I will certainly try!" I said excitedly.

"Oh, one thing I forgot to mention.  According to rumour, you can only see them if they want you to see them."

Well, I was determined to try my luck.  So there I was around midnight the next day in the grounds of the building.  After waiting for an hour, nothing happened, and after another hour, still nothing.  I was about to fall asleep when suddenly the whole building lit up.  

To my amazement, it changed into an old mansion with lighted lanterns and colorful pots of flowers surrounding it.  Then I heard girlish laughter and a lovely young girl and a young man appeared. I recognized them as the couple in the old photo. They were dressed in red ceremonial wedding costumes and as the full moon shone down brightly, they started dancing, their movements very graceful as they twirled and swirled to music only they could hear.

I couldn't believe my eyes, were they really ghosts?  I wished I had borrowed Peter's mobile phone to take a video! 

After they had danced for a while,  I was startled to hear the sound of a siren, like what you hear in the war time days warning people of an impending air raid.  The young man shouted to his bride to run, then I saw bombs exploding - the noise was deafening! I ran to hide behind some bushes, closing my eyes in terror - then suddenly all was still.  

When I opened my eyes, the old mansion had vanished and only the cat shelter stood there.  I was stunned. Everything that happened a while ago was like an illusion and for some reason or other, the ghosts had allowed me to see a reenactment of their last moments together!  

Overwhelmed, I walked slowly back to the shelter, wondering what Peter would say when I told him what I saw.  

Then something on the ground caught my eye.  I bent to pick it up - it was a red tassel.  As I looked closer, I realised with a start that it was similar to the ones in the girl's headdress!  So I wasn't dreaming, the whole episode I saw did take place!

Life sometimes brings experiences that shake us to our very core.   I hope that the young couple will be freed from their terrible trauma soon and finally rest in peace.