“OK, I’ve done uninstalling them for you.”
Luc got out of his chair and headed for the sofa, joining his brother and Emma as they sat having their usual morning chit-chat. Gabriel was holding a pen and paper but Luc barely could read his handwriting. Emma was talking, blabbering. He barely could hear her too. She went like blah blah blah, yada yada yada. He groaned; hand clasped on his forehead. He was feverish.
“You’re alright, Luc?” Emma’s head turned to him from staring at the paper Gabriel held.
“I think I’m sick,” he whined.
Without another word, his brother handed him his cup of tea. “Take a sip. You’ll feel better. It’s mom’s recipe,” Gabriel insisted. “So, where were we, Em?”
“What were you talking about?” Luc interrupted.
Both Emma and Gabriel looked at him. “The abandoned house over there,” she said. Outside resting on their own lands were the neighbours’ houses. There were only a few and there was one, odd house at the edge of the row. It was built near a bamboo forest, thick, dark bamboos. It was recently renovated but it never changed. Although now coated in new paint, that house has kept a certain impression about it.
Luc retreated from the balcony. “What about it?”
“Well,” Emma began. “You know mom leads a small prayer group and we’re in the Lent season now. Last night we were at Aunt Eugene’s house – that one over there.”
Luc nodded.
“I was sitting inside while mom and the adults were talking around me. Didn’t really realized it at first but I thought I saw the kitchen lights went off. I was facing that house.”
“It must have been a blackout.” Gabriel voiced over her.
“Or a burnt bulb.” Luc echoed.
“I thought that too. But I had to ask Aunt Lola if someone was living there. Turns out that she saw what I saw too. Then Fran told us the house has a night-time occupant. The occupant is not…human.”
“Ah, one such as us?” cooed Luc.
“Err not exactly. A spirit. I don’t know. Never saw it before.”
Luc shrugged. “Gabe, what were you writing just now? A report on the house?” He teased.
“The N, Luc.” Gabriel replied in his usual, firm tone.
“What about him?”
“Emma decided to name him Dean…”
“…and I refused to bear such a name, or any other stupid names.” The N stood crossed arm, his hair messy and he was still in shorts.
“You just woke up?” Luc was teasing again.
“Beat it, kid. I like my name. Period.”
“Oh well,” said Gabriel. “We’ll forget about that then. You’re OK with that, Em?”
“Hmm. Sure.”
Emma eyed the so-called abandoned house, wondering what to believe about it. The poor owner, she thought, no wonder he failed to sell it over the years. It takes a big fool to buy a house with that condition.
