Chizmosas and Possessed Elevators

One bleary morning, I was on my way home, riding the LRT. I was more tired that morning because I passed by the publishing house first to pick up some magazines and cheques after the shift so my head was lolling like a grotesque puppet doll against the train's glass windows. Somewhere during the ride I was shaken out of my stupor when this Chinese family entered the train designated for women. There were four of them, the mother and father plus the two daughters that looked like they've been pulled out straight out from a Koreanovela or Asianovelas or whatever the hell you call them these days. They caught everyone's attention immediately because they started yakking in their native language and you know how loudmouthed Chinese people can be even during ordinary convo so everyone was staring at them, trying to mentally shut them up or maybe just out of plain fascination.

When they alighted at R. Papa, I knew immediately that their destination was the Chinese North Cemetery to probably visit some relatives from mainland CHina that migrated here and died or, you know, whatever. But before they went down, they were admiring the view of the kalachuchis in full bloom and the grand mausoleums from the LRT so they were chatting excitedly like monkeys and pointing and stuff. And then, some uziseras and chizmosas who were passing by, actually stood beside them to see what the ruckus was about kinda like when you're in the mall then you look up and point at something how everybody would look up too. Its so amusing yet irritating at the same time. Sheesh.

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Brace yourself for this scary mother story...

Since I started working, I hated my location from the get go because its this really old, rickety building in Makati called the Insular Building. Fortunately, we only have to stay there during the duration of the training after which, we might transfer over to RCBC plaza, or the one in Ortigas, or hopefully, the newly constructed Convergys building beside Makati Med.

Anyways, since the building is really old they are now renovating the lobby but still the building smells and looks old with stained linoleum floors and creeping elevators, hence, a sinister-like quality surrounds it.

One rainy Friday night, our trainer was nowhere around and we have been bumming around for over tow hours when we were summoned over to the 6th floor (we were staying on the 4th) to join this other class while passing around the time.

When we got up there, I realized that our batchmate we called "Mommy" went down to the bank and therefore, does not know where we are so I told Gracie the trainer that I'll fetch Mommy myself. I was waiting for the elevators, lost in thought because of the unbelievable low salary I got when the third elevator opened.

I went in, punched four, still ruminating on some trivial stuff that I cannot even remember anymore when I realized that the elevator went up and stopped on the 8th floor. I thought that part was really weird since I WAS sure the elevator was supposed to go down but what freaked me out was when the doors opened, there was only empty space and UTTER DARKNESS on the other side! I somehow managed to throw my orange shawl over my head (blocking my range of vision) and furiously punching the CLOSE button while muttering all sorts of prayer, incantation, and swear words while trying to prevent myself from collapsing in fear.

The last thing that I remember was that the door was jerking like something was trying to enter or something was stuck in the middle before it finally closed and descended to my destination. As soon as I was inside my trainingroom, I was so visibly shaken and even now that the incident happened almost a week ago, I still feel the fear. My heart still pounds a mile a minute whenever I remember the darkness that loomed before me.

Apparently,the same thing was also experience by most of my batchmates abut Ate Tess, the operator for elevator one, claimed that the elevators were programmed to go up at the 8th floor.

At first we believed her, but then we realized that if it's really programmed it should stop and open at EVERY floor but how come even if the arrow is pointing down, it still goes up to 8th floor?

We also learned from other occupants that as soon as the clock strikes 5 pm, 8th floor occupants desert the area immediately on the dot. No one EVER stays there for OT and by 6 pm all lights are shut off by then, so why should they program the elevator on an unoccupied floor?

But the most terrifying thing is this, our trainer told us that the daughter of the building's owner committed suicide during construction and when she jumped from the 12th floor, she was decapitated, where else, but on the 8th floor.

Jeepers. Just typing that gave me the shivers all over again. I'd better sign off now. Shit.