This haunting is hereditary. Your grandfather's second wife resides alone in his old flat. Your entire family does not visit her, even during Chinese New Year. No one will tell you why. One day at the wet market you smell the same floral perfume that always filled your grandfather’s flat. You see her looking exactly as she had during your grandfather's funeral twenty years ago. She calls your name. Do you go to her?
This haunting is a child whose offerings you had kicked. At night, you hear marbles rolling through the walls. The plumbers will tell you there is nothing wrong with the pipes. Do you leave stuffed toys in the living room hoping it will play more quietly?
This haunting is a tree spirit. Last Friday you went out drinking with your friends and urinated on it without even a ‘sorry’. Can you remember the tree?
This haunting is the cat that you fed at your HDB estate for two years until the day it would not respond to your calls. In the week that your family holidayed in Japan, the cat curled near an idling car to keep warm and was run over. It wants to know when it can come home with you. Do you let it?
This haunting is a gift. You signed for the lilies meant for your sister. Now, the curse that came with them is yours. You lie in bed sweating and dreaming of a man you have never met but whose name you call out again and again. Your sister saw the card and threw out the flowers. The effigy at its base lies in the trash undiscovered. After your death, do you return?
This haunting is the statue of an unidentifiable animal that your friend bought at a market in Thailand. It was cute at first. The scratching noises began after a week. Your friend will be hurt if you throw it away, and even when you do, it always comes back. Every night it sounds a little closer. Do you now return to the childhood temple you told your mother you would never visit again to ask for help?
This haunting is you. You squatted over the rice and gave it to your lover when the fear that they would leave would not stop twisting your chest. Every night, you feed them more rice by hand. It is all they will eat. Their ribs shrink, their hair goes grey, but they lick your hand, slack-jawed and glassy-eyed. Now they can never be rid of you. Will you ever be rid of them?