By Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz
A loving couple’s Mediterranean-inspired, nine-bedroom dream home turned into the stuff of nightmares really quick, as they found out that they, indeed, were never alone in it.
It was Dec. 8, 2015 when Michael and Theo acquired a 480-sq.m property in one of the most popular subdivisions in the south. The two were ecstatic with their purchase: a nine-bedroom, 12-bath Mediterranean home, which even came with a 36-sq.m. pool.
“It was offered at a very reasonable price,” said Theo, a banker by profession. “The construction is really good, with thick reinforced walls and detailed interiors. My partner, Michael, thought that a little bit of de-cluttering, as well as turning the dark green walls off-white, will give the house a new look.”
Soon enough, the couple began to renovate the two-story house. But not everyone was very happy with the construction work. Or the new residents, for that matter.
“Michael started feeling something weird about the house when the renovation started in January 2016. He noticed that the old wallpaper and wall paint in various parts of the house had different Hebrew-like inscriptions,” said Theo.
Michael, who works in the events industry, added that it was only a matter of time before their construction team started telling them that there were “spirits” in the house. The more of these inscriptions they peeled off, the more reports they’d get.
Still, the couple forged on and moved in with their young son in July 2017. It was their house, after all.
Rooms to share
A month after the renovation was completed, Michael had the house blessed, sometime around the Chinese New Year. During the house blessing, his cousins heard someone crying inside one of the bathrooms. They checked and saw no one.
Frazzled by the numerous paranormal reports, Michael finally confronted the house’s previous owner to ask if someone had, indeed, died in the house. The former owner then burst into tears and confirmed that it was her son’s death anniversary the day before the housewarming.
She also confessed that her son, a young boy, had also hung himself inside one of the closets of their former home.
Shocked by the revelation, the couple hired a spiritist and a medium to resolve the situation. While nothing anomalous happened initially, they eventually heard the then-empty master bedroom’s doorknob click open, and the door creak before slamming shut – scaring the living daylights out of everyone present.
“The spiritist then recommended that we leave the house because ‘they,’ never will. Some of the spirits and elements have been living there, long before the house was built,” Michael said.
House of horrors
For almost a year, the couple would try to understand their house – and the secrets it kept. For starters, more than a few spiritists told them that the house hosted not just the spirit of the boy who committed suicide, but a number of other earthbound spirits, elemento in the vernacular. Some of them were more vicious than others.
They also learned that the Hebrew inscriptions on the old wallpapers served as a seal of sorts for many of the restless spirits – and that the protection they offered was broken the moment they peeled them off the walls.
Still, Michael and Theo stood their ground as the house’s new owners. They, however, kept the lights on all over the place – even as they slept, for fear of the supernatural. They also had to resort to various rituals and ceremonies to make sure that they and their young son, were left undisturbed. For the most part, they were.
Since Michael’s name appeared on the title, the spiritists confirmed that the unwanted spirits could not harm him as as an “owner.” Theo, on the other hand, was a different story.
Not the owner
During their stay in the house, Theo, whom the spirits regarded as an unwelcome guest, felt unusually tired and groggy. He would doze off in the middle of conversations, even after a full night’s sleep. Soon, they found out that he was lethargic because of the various paranormal elements that followed him around.
Eventually, Theo learned to ward off these spirits by lighting incense, and playing Buddhist chimes and bells all the time. The couple also filled the house with chimes after learning that their unwanted housemates disliked such sounds. And while these worked to a certain extent, the paranormal forces most certainly pushed back.
“Imagine, our house was full of wind chimes but they rarely made a sound. It was as if they’re being held still,” shared Michael.
Apparitions and shadows, such as the silhouette of a bony pair of hands, would also show themselves in the CCTV footage, which, in turn, would mysteriously get corrupted the following day.
In Halloween of 2017, Theo’s sister, who had visited him in the house for the first time, mostly stayed outside of the home. Gifted with certain abilShe also left in a hurry when she noticed more than 10 spirits peering down on them in the living room, from the second floor railings.
Even Michael, whom the spirits held in higher esteem due to his status as the owner, did not go away scot-free. When they moved in, the first spiritist they consulted had warned that four people who were dear to them would perish. True enough, four people who visited the home passed away within the year. They were Michael’s adoptive grandfather and three close friends, one of whom was the spiritist himself.
“Our stay took a toll on Michael’s life, too – loss of loved ones, failed business deals and ventures. When we sought the advise of some members of a famous church, we were also immediately advised to leave. They said too much death was depleting our chi,” said Theo.
Their seven year-old son had also grown sickly.
Time to leave
Eventually, the couple decided to move out. Their intentions were made clear on the seventh birthday of their son; the same day that Michael formally proposed to Theo with balloons and flowers at hand.
Theo’s sister had arrived late for the celebrations and had to be seated on the second floor, with her ‘friends.’ There, they let her in on a little secret.
“My sister told me that the spirits were also festive because we were leaving. However, there was one more thing that they wanted to do – with passion – still,” narrated Theo. “They wanted to either push me down the stairs or possess me.”
Apparently, the spirits had taken much offense in his use of incense and spiritual music that they wanted to at least get even before he had left. Good thing Theo was a fairly spiritual person, and according to his sister, was not as easily penetrated.
In the last weekend of May 2018, the couple left their home with heavy yet hopeful hearts. Michael and Theo rang brass bells on their way out, as they sent a powerful message of safety and protection.
Two years later, Michael has recovered from his business slump. Their son, now nine, has also grown healthier and jollier. “As you can see, we are now living in a smaller, homey abode with Latin chants still playing in the air; and a small pocket garden that a plantito can manage,” shared Theo, as he showed us around their new residence.
As for their former address, the house is now back to its unyielding owners – and the new residents who bought it from the once terrified couple.
Editor’s note: The names of the subjects and some details about the home have been changed to protect their privacy.
