Haunteds

Chapter 23

"Remember," Major Coleman said. "Not one word."

Major Coleman was taking extra precaution but honestly, I think this is a bit of an overkill. We were all dressed in matching uniforms from my school. Even driving here on our school's minibus, just to make it more believable. It's a sixteen seater so we have room for the two soldiers Major Coleman brought along. (He really didn't explain why. Must be standard procedure.) They were supposed to be our teachers supervising us on our field trip so they were in casual clothing. The influences that Major Coleman must have, to be able to provide all these on such short notice.

The museum Major Coleman mentioned was not far from our hotel so we made a quick visit. Our class actually had our field trip here last month but I don't remember anything that might help us. Then again, a month ago, I wasn't really paying attention.

We were in line for the reception inside the lobby of what seemed like the living room of a modest house. The queue was long. Apparently, two other schools are actually having their field trip today. The entrance was free but we have to write down our name, occupation and current address before we can enter.

I brought Cana's pen knife with me, securing it in my pants pocket. I know it's useless against the Shade, but somehow, having it with me makes me feel a bit better. Good thing this place didn't have metal detectors. The guard who inspected it just warned me not to write on the exhibits, obviously not aware that my black, metal pen has a hidden knife inside it.

There was a huge statue of the Shade made from black stone standing in the center. Of course, all the old features. No red eyes. No gaping jaw. Especially no legs and arms that can transform.

"They might need a new statue of the Shade," Darius said.

"Shhh," Scarlet warned. "Not so loud."

Under the statue, a tour guide was giving a tour to a group of Koreans about the history of the museum. We were given the same tour last time I was here. At the time, even though I really wasn't taking this whole Shade-killing seriously, the history was really interesting as it explains the house-like entrance so I guess that's why the story sticks. It goes like this:

The museum was the home of the boy, Francis Martinez, which is why the museum resembles a two-story residential house. He died forty years ago. His parents, devastated by the loss of their only son, turned his room into a shrine of sorts. All of his pictures, newspaper clippings, articles downloaded from the internet, and their own theories of the Shade when the phenomenon was still fresh can still be seen inside the galleries.

First, it was just neighbors and friends who know about it. But the word spread and soon the place became another place for hungry journalists to prey upon. But thanks to the publicity, it attracted the attention of other parents and relatives of haunteds who've lost their lives. These people became frequent visitors. Soon, an official support group had been set up for families who suffered through the same loss.

It became a tradition to bring the picture of their lost, loved ones over during the meetings. Some brought their own sketches of the Shade. I always thought it was weird why this place didn't have a single photo or video recording of the Shade but now I understand because of Shade Rule 5, The Shade doesn't bear any reflection on the mirror or its image captured by any devices. A father wrote his own book about his research on the shadow monster and donated it to the place. The shrine grew more and more as the contributions poured in. Soon, the house became the place to go to for first-hand knowledge about the Shade.

Eventually, they got so many visitors and even tourists that they could no longer accommodate all at once. They decided to turn the old house into a proper museum. They started a crowdfunding campaign through social media. It was a huge success. The campaign went viral, both domestically and internationally. They were making good money from anonymous donors all over the world. Renovations after renovations, the house grew more rooms and equipped with the latest facilities one might see inside a museum. And then the government stepped in.