As I walked toward my motorcycle, I suddenly stopped. What was I thinking, backing out of my plan? I frowned. Why didn't I go through with removing it?
I scratched my head in frustration. It's not like I felt sorry for that ghost, right?
"Of course not! Why would I feel sorry for her?" I snapped at myself. Then I froze when a familiar street appeared to my left. My eyes widened when I saw the flower shop at the end of it. This was the same one I had seen that night. Without hesitation, I went inside. A few customers were picking out flowers.
"Grandma," I called when I spotted an elderly woman with her back turned. I hurried toward her.
"Grandma!" I called again, but when she turned around, she wasn't the woman I had met before.
"Do you need something, son?" she asked.
"N-no… nothing," I replied and turned away.
I couldn't be wrong. This was the flower shop. But then why…
"Uh… excuse me. May I ask something?" I said.
"What is it?" the old woman asked.
"Is there another elderly woman here? Long hair, about your height, a little chubby, very pale, and with slightly slanted eyes?" I described. Confusion crossed her face.
"A pale old woman with slanted eyes?" she repeated. I nodded.
"No. I'm the only one who runs this flower shop. You must be mistaken," she said.
What? I couldn't be mistaken. I let out a deep breath and nodded.
"Alright. I'll go now," I said. I was about to leave when she suddenly called me.
"Wait, son."
"Yes?"
"Where… where did you get that ring?" she asked, staring at the ring on my hand.
Does she know something about it?
"Do you know—"
"Ah… I must have been mistaken. Sorry," she cut me off before turning away without another word.
Weird.
I decided to leave and went straight to someone I knew who could deal with spirits—Manong Kanor.
"Good day, Manong Kanor," I greeted. He was sitting inside his house, drinking coffee.
"Oh, it's you, Carlos. What brings you here? And you even brought someone with you," he said, which made me stiffen.
"Huh?"
I looked around, but there was no one there. When I looked back at Manong Kanor, I saw the ghost woman standing behind him, staring straight at me.
"Can you see—"
"No. But I can feel that you have someone with you. And she's definitely not human," he laughed before taking another sip of coffee. "Come on, come inside," he added.
I stepped in and was greeted by a dimly lit room with strange dried leaves hanging on the walls.
"Sit," he said. I sat on the wooden chair that creaked under my weight.
"So what's your problem?"
Before answering, I glanced around, trying to find the ghost woman, but she was gone again.
"This," I said, showing him the ring on my finger. "A ghost has been following me because of this ring." Manong Kanor took my hand and studied the ring carefully.
"A ghost marriage wedding ring? How did you get this? Where did it come from?" he asked rapidly.
Ghost marriage wedding ring? What the hell was that?