"The Dominican Hill Retreat House was built in 1913 atop a hill in the famed Philippine City of Pines. The Japanese secret police, the Kempeitai, committed terrible acts of brutality, massacring, raping, and torturing many of the inhabitants, and even decapitating nuns and priests," our tour guide said as we continued walking to this old hotel. Some of my cousins, taking pictures and some of them taking videos as they huddle together as if they are really scared.
I kept looking around. If I’m a scary person, maybe I can say this place is creepy, because it’s so old and has some cracks in the wall.
We had a family reunion here in Baguio City. It's our second day now and my cousins want to come here, while the elders left in our hotel. Dominican hotel was one of the top 10 historical and hunted places in the Philippines because they wanted to scare themselves we came here.
But for me? I don't see anything scary in this place, for me it's just an ugly and old place that people have abandoned. I don’t know why my cousins are so scared when they talk about this place.
"Always remember that whatever you see and hear in any places like this, you need to ignore it. Many wild souls are residing in places like this, so stay together." I was stunned by what he said. Duh! As if we see something strange here, except for the old wall that you thought was covered with moss.
"Quinn, aren't you really scared?" Finley whispered to me.
"I'm getting sleepy." I lazily answer it and yawn. The boring thing here is what they want to do. I wish I had just stayed at the hotel, other than that I was just tired of following them.
I messed up my hair while lazily staring straight ahead, I didn’t know what else the tour guide was saying as long as I just wanted to go home.
I slowed down until I stopped and they turned around. Because they were all busy, they did not notice that I could no longer follow them. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing as I went back to where we had been before. It was only three o'clock in the afternoon so the road was still clear, I still remember where we had gone before, so I hurried.
I don't believe in ghosts, so I'm not afraid to walk alone in this place, only my cousins like to scare themselves with things they haven't seen before. Sometimes they even talk about ghosts and then get scared.
"Where have I been?" I whispered to myself that I no longer knew where I had ever gone.
I didn't think it would be this big, with many turns and tunnels to every side. Because the wall is so old, I feel winding and I just go back and forth here.
Because I was tired of finding a way out, I just went through the window, to land at an old fountain and sit there. I would have liked to call them, the problem is, they hold even my cellphone and used to take pictures. I sighed and bent down to think of what I could do.
I also can't find my cousins, they are probably in another part of this place. I stood up again, I was about to leave noticing a foreign object had landed on the Fountain.
I looked around even though I knew there was no one before I bent down to take a good look at it. It was still glowing in the sunlight, so I was planning to pick it up when suddenly I heard a noise from inside. I immediately looked over there and noticed a woman in a white dress running.
"Wait!" I stopped here and chased her. I saw the lady going upstairs, so I immediately followed. Maybe she knows where the way out. Due to the old age of this place, even the stairs are cracked, so it was really difficult for me to climb.
I also heard earlier that it is forbidden to climb because there is a tendency for the rocks to give up due to the fragility and old age of the hotel.
"Miss?" I call to the woman as I look at every wall here. Even the walls are cracked and it seems like just a little push. I walked slowly to look for this woman.
"Oww...you are just here." I was even happier to see her and turn her back on me and look out the window. Her clothes are white and old, she may be one of the guards in this place and her clothes are soiled with too much dust.
"Miss, do you know where the way out is?" I asked calmly as I stopped behind her. She didn't turn to me or speak, she just pointed her hand to the left. I turned there and looked back at her who was still in the distance.
Maybe if I was scared I'd think she was a ghost, so she didn't want to show her face, but it doesn't seem like she's just ashamed of me.
"Thank you," I said and bowed a little more. I was about to walk when I noticed her nail, it was still pointing, so I could see her blackened nail and her pale skin. I don't know, but I was suddenly feeling nervous. I just ignored how I was feeling and walked towards what she pointed out.
I looked around to find a way down, but there were only windows. The window was uncovered so large holes could be seen, I looked down and turned to where she had been standing, but she was gone. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, at the same time as I rolled my eyes, but I immediately cried out and closed my eyes again.
My heart was beating fast and even my knees were shaking. I recoiled in shock, causing me to fall. I immediately writhed in pain caused by my fall, I even heard the noise it caused. I slowly opened my eyes but it was blurry.
A very bright environment opened up to me, even though that I could not see clearly, I felt like I was in an expensive hotel.
The noise started around, conversations of different people, pulling luggage, walking, and laughing. Because of the dizziness, I closed my eyes again, I wanted to ask for help but I couldn't open my mouth, I couldn't move my body either.
"Is she still alive?" I heard a woman’s question and I think it’s from an old lady.
"I don't think so, but maybe–awwww! What?" A complaint of an old man.
"Call Cora right away," the woman ordered and I even heard their footsteps leaving.
I opened my eyes again and by this point, I had some glimpses around. Even though the vision was rolling, I was amazed at the beauty of this place. It felt like I was in a five-star hotel, because of the beauty of my surroundings.
I still want to look and remember what I see, but my eyes can't take it anymore, I try to open my eyelids. I still wanted to fight but my vision went dark.
