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for the complete story of the episode, click the link below..
http://timelessmovieclassics.blogspot.com/2009/07/jennifers-secret-after-i-stepped-out-of.htmlnote: Sentences typed in red are part of the alternative ending
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At this point, I felt a draft of cold wind blowing on me and touching my hair softly..
"From where I am I saw the man take something out. The man was talking to Florante. Jenny looked very agitated. I stood up, rushed towards them. But it happened so fast!. I saw Jenny step between the man and Flor. In a split second, Iheard a gunshot. Jenny took the bullet intended for Flor. It entered her heart and she fell on the auditorium floor..Then there was another gunshot"
"There was screaming and the orchestra stopped the music.."
I felt tears rushing down my cheeks at this point. The images of the incident came vividly to my imagination..
I felt tears rushing down my cheeks at this point. The images of the incident came vividly to my imagination..
"I knelt beside Jenny. She was whispering..' Dad, that was Marlon..I am sorry..He wanted to kill Flor. I did not know he would be coming here..' She started to cough blood.
I could hear several men shouting and footsteps were heard all over the place. I did not look behind me. Just focused my attention to Jenny. .But I think I heard the sound of a body fall to the cement floor and some shouts and sickening sounds.There was a brief scuffle. Then silence...My ears were listening to my daughter whispering over and over.." Dad, my soul won't rest until I will finish this dance with Flor.." She must have said this sentence three times, then she became very quiet..."
At this point, I felt dizzy, recollecting Jenny's countenance, her sweet smile after I ended the dance with her that night and we walked back to our seat.."I love you, Jenny, I am so sorry..!!!!" I said aloud. I remember the harsh hateful words I said about her. There was a soft sensation of a gentle cool air brushing by my ear, Then as sudden as it appeared, the smell of the perfume and the very cold draft vanished..
I brushed my eyes and cheeks with my hands.
"What happened to Marlon?.." I asked.
"The guy did not have any chance. Many of my relatives were at the Auditorium that night," he answered.. "Two were policemen. One of them told me not to worry, just look after Jenny.. They will take care of Marlon.. Florante died with a second bullet from the gunman..
It was 20 minutes to 12:00 noon.
"Who was the woman I danced with?.. Was it Jenny's spirit ?.."I asked
"That was her all right. Now, I have to tell you more secrets, not just her but about our family. In every generation since we heard and remember from our family lore, there is always a member gifted with life longevity and a skill for white magic..
"Did you hear that one of our great, great grand father had lived for almost 600 years? Similar to the people during the biblical times. Only an accident that would destroy some vital parts of our bodies would cut our life short. They say that long before the arrival of the Spaniards, there existed a village of people in Santa Ana whose life span was almost limitless. This community was burned by the conquistadores and some missionaries tried to brainwash them from believing in things which are not taught by the church.
“I am one of those gifted as such. During a drowning accident, my wife died after a few minutes but I was only in a coma after I was pulled out of the water for 15 minutes. The doctors were amazed how I survived that 15 minutes under water.. Only fishes could do that, but remember that man’s ancestors once upon a time lived in the ocean until one tried to walk out of the water into land..
“When I survived, I asked the doctors to keep my escape from death a secret. During my supposed to be ’ funeral’ with my wife, a cadaver from the morgue took my place inside a closed casket. I attended my wife’s funeral from a distance and protected by a disguise.
My brother from Sacramento arrived to attend my "funeral" He brought with him a large amount of money from Jenny's Life Insurance. Plus he endowed Jenny with a large sum of money, deposited in a Swiss bank and accessible with a number.. He would just phone in Jenny’s new name so she can access the money in the near future.
Jenny's heart was smashed by a bullet. But her very strong spirit survived and would not leave until she finishes her last wish.
I went back to this house as a caretaker, I kept the life insurance money safe somewhere here. It so easy to spread tales about the house being haunted, especially it is located in a very secluded area in Asingan. The reputation kept nosy people away. I was the caretaker looking after the house, the garden and the stash of money inside. Mine was not a very lonely existence. Jenny and her Mom too always visited and talked with me in my dreams …
" A few days before the town fiesta, Jenny asked from me a very BIG favour..I know she knows I can do that, but I was hesitant to give it to her.."
“What favour was that?”
“I will not tell you the actual name, only what happens if I use some incantations from a small book of oracles, incantations and spells we have upstairs. It is an old, handwritten book written on several pages of thin animal skin bound with leather thongs. I am gifted with this “white magic“, and I am the only one who could make the incantations work.. By saying the incantation at the right time of the day, I can exchange my soul with another bodiless soul or spirit...
“I exchanged my soul with Jenny's for the first time that day when you saw her at the resort. But the exchange was only good for 12 hours. Even for this brief of time, she agreed. She disappeared exactly midnight that time. My body changed its physical properties when Jenny entered it. And will change again when my soul returns to it…
“This kind of spirit exchange in a body has certain risks..
"What is the risk, sir?” I asked with a trembling voice.
“It is very possible that the evil souls lurking about in the invisible world around us would enter my body, instead of Jenny's.. Then both of us will be imprisoned in a nameless abyss in the other world as a sort of punishment…
“But you were able to do it that time !” I said.
"Yes..the best time to do it is when the clock strikes mid day because that is when, all the evil spirits nearby become powerless until the bell finishes its 12th toll. It is the time of the Angelus and the evil spirits have no power against the Mother of God..
“I must get out of my body and she must get in very precisely: no distraction, otherwise Jenny and I will both be thrown into that deep pit.....
“Jenny visited me last night She knows you are coming today. She wants us to do the exchange again, this time permanently..”
I glanced at my watch, it was already 5 minutes to 12 noon..
The old man took my hand..
"Goodbye, my son! You are now my son and I am happy to be a free spirit again for Jenny's sake because we have found you who will take care of Jenny in her second life...
“Promise me to love her deeply and strongly. And be brave enough to do something in case something goes wrong....After the exchanging of souls had taken place, and you find out it is not Jenny who took possession of my body, , take this long bolo and pierce it in its heart,,,"
He took out a very long and sharp bolo, together with a silver crucifix..
“The moment you see whoever comes down, even if it looks like Jenny, show this crucifix immediately. The creature will collapse in fear. Then you must bury this knife in its heart.. Promise me you will do this!”
The clock showed 11:58..
“I will, my Father..”
“Farewell my son, take care of my beloved Jenny!"
As he walked away towards a stair case, I heard a low murmuring sound upstairs..There seem to be many people whispering and mumbling in weird tones...
As the clock struck twelve, the voices stopped. There was an opening and closing of a door upstairs. I waited tensely for the clock to finish its 12th chime...On its 11th chime, a piercing cry echoed in the whole house..There came hideous noises. As the 12th chime tolled, there was a fluttering of wings like several bats. Then silence..
Then the door opened slowly, shut itself and I heard footsteps. The slow footsteps started to descend down the staircase...
The sound continued and then I saw a lady in white coming down...Reaching the bottom of the stair case, she walked towards me.It looked like Jenny, , but her face was very solemn, unsmiling.
IS IT REALLY JENNY?
I opened the drawer of the table before me..I gripped the cross with my left hand, the bolo with my right..
The figure stopped about four feet away. Still it did not talk or smile..
I took out the crucifix and flashed it towards her with outstretched arm.
After 2 seconds the figure smiled slowly. I did not put the cross down yet, waiting for the fangs to be bared if she opens her mouth...
Then she laughed in her characterstic fashion and shouted: "Fred, you idiot!! Couldn't you recognize me??" Then she laughed so loud that I really felt like an idiot..” I am sorry for this dirty trick.” she said apologizing sincerely…
"Did you hear that one of our great, great grand father had lived for almost 600 years? Similar to the people during the biblical times. Only an accident that would destroy some vital parts of our bodies would cut our life short. They say that long before the arrival of the Spaniards, there existed a village of people in Santa Ana whose life span was almost limitless. This community was burned by the conquistadores and some missionaries tried to brainwash them from believing in things which are not taught by the church.
“I am one of those gifted as such. During a drowning accident, my wife died after a few minutes but I was only in a coma after I was pulled out of the water for 15 minutes. The doctors were amazed how I survived that 15 minutes under water.. Only fishes could do that, but remember that man’s ancestors once upon a time lived in the ocean until one tried to walk out of the water into land..
“When I survived, I asked the doctors to keep my escape from death a secret. During my supposed to be ’ funeral’ with my wife, a cadaver from the morgue took my place inside a closed casket. I attended my wife’s funeral from a distance and protected by a disguise.
My brother from Sacramento arrived to attend my "funeral" He brought with him a large amount of money from Jenny's Life Insurance. Plus he endowed Jenny with a large sum of money, deposited in a Swiss bank and accessible with a number.. He would just phone in Jenny’s new name so she can access the money in the near future.
Jenny's heart was smashed by a bullet. But her very strong spirit survived and would not leave until she finishes her last wish.
I went back to this house as a caretaker, I kept the life insurance money safe somewhere here. It so easy to spread tales about the house being haunted, especially it is located in a very secluded area in Asingan. The reputation kept nosy people away. I was the caretaker looking after the house, the garden and the stash of money inside. Mine was not a very lonely existence. Jenny and her Mom too always visited and talked with me in my dreams …
" A few days before the town fiesta, Jenny asked from me a very BIG favour..I know she knows I can do that, but I was hesitant to give it to her.."
“What favour was that?”
“I will not tell you the actual name, only what happens if I use some incantations from a small book of oracles, incantations and spells we have upstairs. It is an old, handwritten book written on several pages of thin animal skin bound with leather thongs. I am gifted with this “white magic“, and I am the only one who could make the incantations work.. By saying the incantation at the right time of the day, I can exchange my soul with another bodiless soul or spirit...
“I exchanged my soul with Jenny's for the first time that day when you saw her at the resort. But the exchange was only good for 12 hours. Even for this brief of time, she agreed. She disappeared exactly midnight that time. My body changed its physical properties when Jenny entered it. And will change again when my soul returns to it…
“This kind of spirit exchange in a body has certain risks..
"What is the risk, sir?” I asked with a trembling voice.
“It is very possible that the evil souls lurking about in the invisible world around us would enter my body, instead of Jenny's.. Then both of us will be imprisoned in a nameless abyss in the other world as a sort of punishment…
“But you were able to do it that time !” I said.
"Yes..the best time to do it is when the clock strikes mid day because that is when, all the evil spirits nearby become powerless until the bell finishes its 12th toll. It is the time of the Angelus and the evil spirits have no power against the Mother of God..
“I must get out of my body and she must get in very precisely: no distraction, otherwise Jenny and I will both be thrown into that deep pit.....
“Jenny visited me last night She knows you are coming today. She wants us to do the exchange again, this time permanently..”
I glanced at my watch, it was already 5 minutes to 12 noon..
The old man took my hand..
"Goodbye, my son! You are now my son and I am happy to be a free spirit again for Jenny's sake because we have found you who will take care of Jenny in her second life...
“Promise me to love her deeply and strongly. And be brave enough to do something in case something goes wrong....After the exchanging of souls had taken place, and you find out it is not Jenny who took possession of my body, , take this long bolo and pierce it in its heart,,,"
He took out a very long and sharp bolo, together with a silver crucifix..
“The moment you see whoever comes down, even if it looks like Jenny, show this crucifix immediately. The creature will collapse in fear. Then you must bury this knife in its heart.. Promise me you will do this!”
The clock showed 11:58..
“I will, my Father..”
“Farewell my son, take care of my beloved Jenny!"
As he walked away towards a stair case, I heard a low murmuring sound upstairs..There seem to be many people whispering and mumbling in weird tones...
As the clock struck twelve, the voices stopped. There was an opening and closing of a door upstairs. I waited tensely for the clock to finish its 12th chime...On its 11th chime, a piercing cry echoed in the whole house..There came hideous noises. As the 12th chime tolled, there was a fluttering of wings like several bats. Then silence..
Then the door opened slowly, shut itself and I heard footsteps. The slow footsteps started to descend down the staircase...
The sound continued and then I saw a lady in white coming down...Reaching the bottom of the stair case, she walked towards me.It looked like Jenny, , but her face was very solemn, unsmiling.
IS IT REALLY JENNY?
I opened the drawer of the table before me..I gripped the cross with my left hand, the bolo with my right..
The figure stopped about four feet away. Still it did not talk or smile..
I took out the crucifix and flashed it towards her with outstretched arm.
After 2 seconds the figure smiled slowly. I did not put the cross down yet, waiting for the fangs to be bared if she opens her mouth...
Then she laughed in her characterstic fashion and shouted: "Fred, you idiot!! Couldn't you recognize me??" Then she laughed so loud that I really felt like an idiot..” I am sorry for this dirty trick.” she said apologizing sincerely…
His dad was able to make it and he is already a free spirit..
She rushed towards me and I hugged her very tight. Jenny said: "Hey what are you trying to do: kill me??"
She rushed towards me and I hugged her very tight. Jenny said: "Hey what are you trying to do: kill me??"
We both laughed again without releasing each other.. Oh. I missed her and I thought I would never see her again…
I whispered: "Smile.. Show me your whole set of teeth! I want to check for fangs..”
She smiled, closed her eyes and I kissed her open mouth passionately.
First kiss, quite a long one.. Then she said, "There is a small room down there in the hall.."
***
She smiled, closed her eyes and I kissed her open mouth passionately.
First kiss, quite a long one.. Then she said, "There is a small room down there in the hall.."
***
Half an hour later, Jenny and I went out into the front yard which was bathed with an unbelievably bright light...Jenny was wearing a pair of big sunglasses, a light coloured summer dress and a wide brimmed summer hat. She was also carrying a purse full of US $ in big denominations. ..
She told me while we were still inside the house that she must get a new passport under a new name since Jenny Acierto is already officially dead. There are many people in the city who are good in producing these kinds of papers, she said..
“How do you know? I asked her..
“Did you forget that I was a free and invisible spirit for quite a while and I could travel like the wind?” she laughed again. “And I went all over the place. Could not stay in Asingan all the time. Sometimes the town gets boring..”
When Pastor saw us, he waved his hand and shouted: "Sir!! is everything okay?.."
"Yes,” I said. Pastor saw my lady companion. "Good afternoon, Madam.. I did not know there is a beautiful lady in that house.."
"Hello Pastor..I am a cousin of the late Jenny Acierto. I just arrived last night. I missed the town fiesta because I had to finish some papers in Manila yesterday.."
"Yes,” I said. Pastor saw my lady companion. "Good afternoon, Madam.. I did not know there is a beautiful lady in that house.."
"Hello Pastor..I am a cousin of the late Jenny Acierto. I just arrived last night. I missed the town fiesta because I had to finish some papers in Manila yesterday.."
Pastor replied: "Wow! You look like her all right!. Your family must have lots of beauties.. “
I cut in saying: "Too bad, Pastor, you are already married. Besides you are a Pastor, remember? Setting a good example to your flock?.
“But I have good news for you, my man. I said. "Nelly here wants to hire you as a caretaker of this house. You can bring in your family and some relatives to live with you..And you can hold some Gospel meetings in the backyard. Maybe even build a chapel . We will pay you well so you won’t have to drive your motor bike again.“
Pastor broke into a grin and cried: "Oh thank you, thank you Madam?…”
"Dardanella Acierto..Just call me Nelly!"
"Thank you Madam Nelly.."
"We are going to Manila today, Pastor." I said. “But first, let us go to Crystal Glades for some Arroz Caldo con Corazon“…#
Copyright by VICTORIO COSTES, 2009..
Copyright by VICTORIO COSTES, 2009..
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