Guei Shang Shen (Possesed)

Chun Mei and her sister, Chun Yin, were two beautiful girls who worked on a farm. Many people on the farm were envious of the sister's beauty. One of them was Lianhua.

Every time they see one another, they would argue over small matters, and sometimes, these petty quarrels would escalate into a full-scale fight. The Chinese believed that if two people could not get along, it was due to a mismatch of their ba zhi (8 characters).

One day, the shortsighted Lian Hua accidentally saw Chun Mei talking to someone who looked familiar. Going closer, she realised that the tall familiar 'someone' was her boyfriend. Both Chun Mei and Lian Hua's boyfriend were chatting away excitedly, oblivious to Lian Hua looking on from the background.

Jealousy was eating at her from the insides, and Lian Hua did have a thought that Chun Mei might be more attractive to her boyfriend.

*   *   *   

"Chun Mei, here. I've bought some durians for you. I think its time we made peace. We cannot keep fighting like this all the time, right?" Lian Hua decided to be friendly.

"Why, Lian Hua, thank you so much. So nice of you," Chun Mei thank Lian Hua. "Chun Yin! Look what Lian Hua had bought for us. Lian Hua, come in and join us!"

"I can't take durians now because I've got a sore throat, but I'll sit with you for a while."

Lian Hua sat down with the two sisters. The durians were thick and succulent, and the flesh was sweet to the taste.

With that, relations between Lian Hua, Chun Mei and Chun Yin improved tremendously. The villagers were puzzled to see them shopping together. Little did they know that something ws brewing up Lian Hua's sleeve.

*   *   *   

One week later, the fishes under Chun Mei's care died suddenly. As a result, Chun Mei was nearly sacked by her boss. Seeing Chun Mei so depressed, Lian Hua was secretly happy.

However, that was not enough for her as she wanted Chun Mei to suffer even more. Deep in her heart, she knew that things were far from over. It happened over two days after the dead fish's incident.

As normal, Chun Mei and Chun Yin left their house for work at around nine in the morning. The bright morning rays dissipated suddenly as dark storm clouds moved in to block the sun.

"Chun Mei, bring an umbrella. I think its going to rain." Her sister told her.

"Why are these people burning paper this time of the month?" Chun Mei asked her sister curiously, as she saw a lot of people burning hellnotes.

"Maybe they are just burning 'money' for their relatives." Chun Yin replied.

When they reached the outskirt of their village, an old lady burning joss papers was burning a big pile of incense papers there. The wind, brought in by the incoming storm, brew in and sent the ashes all over the place.

"Chun Yin! Watch out!" Chun Mei shoved the pre-occupied Chun Yin aside as her sister was about to step on a large clump of burnt ashes that was blown into their path. The Chinese believed that bad luck would befall those who stepped on the ashes.

Unfortunately, Chun Mei had also accidentally knocked over the old lady and slipped. While falling, Chun Mei fell against the burner, tipping the burning papers inside all over her body.

Chun Mei let out an agonising scream of pain as she felt her body on fire. The burning paper offerings were all over her, setting fire to her garments. With the hungry flames licking at her tender skin, the stunned Chun Mei could only scream in terror.

"Help! Help!" Chun Yin looked around, trying to look for help.

Strangely, the old woman whom Chun Mei had knocked into was nowhere in sight. Quickly, she grabbed a large fallen palm leaf, and tried to put out the flames on Chun Mei. After a moment of futile effort, she quickly rolled Chun Mei around in the dirt, hoping to put out more fire.

In the meantime, the storm had broken. Large drops of rain began to fall, striking the ground with impact. In no time, there was a steady downpour.

When the flames were put out completely, Chun Mei had fainted and she laid motionless in the mud. Chun Yin, seeing that her sister was safe now, ran back into the village to call for help.

*   *   *   

Lian Hua who has been following them secretly were so delighted. She was laughing when she saw Chun Mei fell. As Chun Mei laid there motionless on the ground, she was overwhelmed by her own glee. The 'spell' has worked, and had disfigured Chun Mei. Walking off, she went back to work.

Hearing that a preist in the neighbouring state was known for providing black magic solutions for a fee, Lian Hua had gone in search of him. After she had told him of her intention, the priest warned Lian Hua that such powerful magic would be expensive.

Set on punishing Chun Mei and her sister, Lian Hua insisted anyway, without even bothering to find out what the price was.

The evil plan was soon set into motion.

*   *   *   

Meanwhile, Chun Yin had returned with help. A few men picked the unconscious Chun Mei up and brought her home. Knowing that Chun Mei was safe at home, Chun Yin left her alone and went off to seek the help of the village doctor.

The village doctor knew something was wrong the moment he saw Chun Yin. He could read from the aura of the person. After hearing Chun Yin's story, he took his medicine bag together with some talismans, and followed Chun Yin home.

Reaching home, Chun Yin found that the door was locked. Remembering that she did not lock the door earlier, Chun Yin knocked frantically, yelling for Chun Mei to let her in. She knew that Chun Mei was unconscious but then who else could have bolted the door from inside.

In the meantime, the village doctor, a deeply spiritual man, had spotted the aura of devil and took out a few talismans. Giving one to Chun Yin for protection, he muttered some powerful incantations. Strangely, the door to the hut flew open.

The hut was dark inside, and as she entered, Chun Yin realised that Chun Mei was not in her bed. Instead, to her horror, Chun Mei was suspended like a rag doll, hanging in a corner of the room. Chun Mei's head rested at an awkward angle around her shoulders, and some strange words were coming from her unmoving lips. Her burnt clothing hung loosely on her.

As the village doctor and Chun Yin entered the room, Chun Mei's head snapped up suddenly.

"Yin, where were you? I was in so much pain, and you abandoned me!" a shrill voice spoke. It was not her sister's voice.

"Mei, I'm so sorry. I went to get the doctor. Oh, are you alright? I was so worried." Guilt was eating into Chun Yin, as she was trying to appease her sister.

"You worried? Oh please, spare me that." Chun Mei's body turned to face the doctor. "Ah yes, the doctor. Hello, doctor. What can you do to make me go to hell?"

"Get out of her immediately! And you shall reincarnate!" The village doctor thundered in a booming voice.

Laughter. "Reincarnate? Into what? When I have this beautiful shell? NO!" Chunmei shrieked at the village doctor. Suddenly, like a crazy woman, she flew at the doctor with her outstretched hands clawing at him. Chun Yin realised that her nails were long and red.

Prepared, the doctor fished out a talisman. Holding it to his lips, he started to chant.

Chun Mei, who was trying to attack the doctor, was hurled backwards as she hit an invisible barrier surrounding the doctor.

Strangely, enough to Chun Yin, the doctor's chant seemed to be getting louder. In no time, it sounded like many people were chanting together. The village doctor and Chun Yin were the only ones in the room but the vibration of the harmonious voices made the room calmer.

Chun Mei started to scream in terrible pain, as the boils began to appear on her raw flesh. Growing and growing, they eventually erupted into bloody pus. "NO! I'm not leaving! Noooo!"

*   *   *   

Chun Yin couldn't bear to see her sister in such terrible pain, and tried to stop the village doctor.

"This is not your sister speaking! It's the demon in her playing with your emotions! Don't get tricked by him. If you do, we will lose, and he will kill us!"

Chun Mei reached out her bloody hand towards her Chun Yin. "Sister, please help me! Don't let him do this to me. Help me please!" The pleading showed the fear in Chun Mei's eyes.

Involuntarily, Chun Yin made a step towards her sister, but found that she was blocked by the doctor. He looked at her sternly and said, "Remember! She is not your sister now! Close your eyes and chant with me!"

Frightened, Chun YIn closed her eyes and chanted the same incantation with the village doctor. Around her, Chun Mei kept screaming at her sister's betrayal, promising vengeance.

All the while, Chun Yin kept telling herself that Chun Mei was a sweet-tempered girl, and not his demon shrieking obscenities. AS the screams got louder and louder, Chun Yin started to chant louder and more fervently, clinging on to the image of her sister.

The village doctor knew that the demon could not hurt Chun Yin, not as long as she had the talisman on her. In the meantime, the doctor had pasted the talismans in a circle around Chun Mei, who has started babbling in tongue.

Her body had contorted into an inhuman form, and only the whites of her eyes were showing, as she shrieked and babbled away. Taking an octagonal-shaped mirror from his bag, the doctor lit a talisman in front of it and directed the light into Chun Mei's face.

Unable to take the torment any further, the demon shrieked and materialised in the area above Chun Mei's head, he glared at the village doctor with hatred in his eyes. Snaring at the village doctor once, he vanished into thin air.

"Thud." The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of Chun Mei's limp body hitting the ground.

*   *   *   

Chun Yin opened her yees, and noticed that the room looked brighter. The oppresive atmosphere was gone. Looking around, she noticed that Chun Mei was lying on the floor. She was shivering profusely.

Together, they moved Chun Mei to the bed. After examination, the doctor assured Chun Yin that her sister's injuries were not serious, and she would be fine after a few weeks of care. He gave Chun Yin some medicinal herbs and a salve for the burns, and also two talismans for the two sisters to wear. Before he left, he also hung the octagonal-shaped mirror above the door.

*   *   *   

Elsewhere, Lian Hua was having the day of her life. She was still gloating about what happened to her neighbours that morning, especially Chun Mei, when a shadow fell in front of her at home.

"Hi Lian Hua."

Lian Hua looked up, but found no one in her room.

"Do you like what I did to Chun Mei and Chun Yin? Well, anyway, it's payback time. Did the priest tell you that once a black magic spell is broken, the demon would collect payment from his patron?"

"Shouldn't you be looking for the priest instead?" Lian Hua asked, feeling very hot suddenly.

"No, you are my patron, not the priest. Now pay the price."

Lian Hua could only scream, for in front of her eyes, her garments were already beginning to catch fire on their own. «»

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