Chapter 7: Sent back to Phetchaburi

"We will help you go home! But, you just have to release us!" I pleaded.

Yong shook his head. "You lie, sorcerer! You lie and now will all die."

I tried to lunge with all my might, but the more I struggled, the thicker the air became, like water freezing. Suddenly, Li popped out of the bedroom holding himself up with the wall. I shouted at him with all my strength. "Come help us! Quick!" Yong, who had not yet seen Li cocked his head in confusion.

Li dropped to the ground, breathing loudly, which caught Yong's attention. As he spun around, I felt the icy grip waver. The spell! Yes, the spell! I began the incantation. Yong jolted as if he had been shocked by electricity, running up to Li and kicking as he lay on the ground. He turned to me, terror emanating from every inch of his being. He lunged towards me, sprung off the ground, landing with his feet against my chest and his hands wrapped around my neck. "Die Die Die Die!" he screamed.

My hands were still numb. I had no strength. I felt blood pooling in my face. I couldn't continue with the spell. Suddenly Fang Gang, who must have been released when Yong put his full focus on me, wretched himself away from where he had been standing and grabbed Yong with both hands. Yong spun and put his hands around Fang Gang in return. Fang Gang screamed, "Li, the amulet! Tian Qi, put the amulet on! Finish the spell!"

Li, coming out of his haze on the floor, lurched up pulling the amulet from Yong's neck, throwing it towards me before he crashed like a rock onto the hard floor. Yong screeched and scratched at Fang Gang's face, but Fang Gang did budge. I put the amulet around my neck and continued the spell, a blinding light rippled through the room and I felt the amulet pulling me. As I continued the spell, the rope dug into the back of my neck, and I shot towards Yong like a magnet to metal.

Yong froze, put his hands around his ears, and screamed, "No! No! I don't want to go back! I want to go to Phetchaburi!" He twisted away from Fang Gang and scratched at my face, but Fang Gang held on, wrestling Yong closer, and putting him in a headlock. Yong's scream became louder and more high pitched, unil I thought all the glass in the room would shatter.

With the last of my energy, I shouted the final words of the incantation.Yong wretched from Fang Gang who had passed out and fallen to the floor. Yong smashed his head into mine and then dropped his weight onto my chest. We fell together to the floor, crashing into a lump of limbs in the middle of the kitchen. The room fell absolutely silent. I couldn't move, but I saw Li crawling toward the phone, perhaps to call the police, but that was the last image I remember. Then black. Just black.

I woke up in the hospital room. My cousin who was sitting next to my bed, stood up as he saw me drift back into consciousness. He smiled, and seeing the confusion in my eyes told me what happened after I had passed out. The Li's, Fang Gang and I were taken to the ER where some tests revealed we had been drugged with Dormicum. The police had taken evidence from the house, and the same drug was found in the juice from the kitchen. Dormicum is a drug with psychoactive and sedative effects. Nobody knew how Yong, a six years old boy, was able to get this drug, but we could find no other explanation for how the drug could have been put in the juice.

With the doctors, no one mentioned anything about the amulet, but the earnest Li couple had told the police the full story. Obviously, they didn't believe a word. They put Li's experiences down to the effects of the drug, and for a while suspicion was placed on Fang Gang and I. The cops instead suspected the poisoning was our attempt to extort the Li's, but they dropped the investigation after they found no evidence.

Outside the hospital as we all prepared to go home, Li fell on his knees, crying, showering gratitude, and insisted that he would pay back the seventy thousand baht to my cousin as soon as possible. His pleas were genuine and touching. Even Fang Gang seemed to warm to him.

The next day, Fang Gang drove me to the achan's house to return the amulet. The achan said he would sell it to someone else in need until the bride had saved enough karma, and only then would she be sent home to Phetchaburi. Doing so earlier would accomplish nothing but to have her drift around distorting the energy of the town. As for how long it would take, only God would know. Despite the horrific experiences the spirit put me through, I felt a pang of sadness for her as the anchan placed the amulet into a red bag and strung it closed, chanting a soothing, rhythmic spell.

Returning back to my cousin's house, I thought about the business I now found myself in. How strange. How distant my ordinary life back in China was. How exciting, but also terrifying. The risks seemed daunting. Fang Gang coerced my cousin to give me another ten thousand baht after harping about how dangerous the gig was. I didn't know it at the time, but this was the beginning of a long, winding, wonderful and, yes, weird path of the world of amulets and spirits I would travel for many, many years.

After staying in Thailand for another two weeks, my parents pleaded with me to come back home. They wanted me to have a family, and that meant they wanted me to find a good Chinese girl to date and marry. My parents set me up on a date, but of course she didn't stay with me. I am not that great looking, have little money, and to top it off, I'm short.

A few days later, we had another student reunion. At dinner, Lu kept telling stories with dramatic gestures on how her life had changed since getting the amulet from me and how much her luck had improved. One of our classmates was named Wang Ming. Even though we were in the same class, he was two years older than us because he repeated grade 8 twice. Everyone jokingly called him Older Brother Ming. Brother Ming now ran a business at a steel market. One day, we had lunch together at a barbeque shop near his work. During lunch, he asked me about amulets. "Tian Qi, please tell me the truth. Did the amulet really save Lu Wen's life in Yunnan?"

I thought, I don't really know? But then I thought again. It is quite rare for this kind of accident to happen and as long as you are safe, you can say it was the amulet's effect. What a wonderful advertisement, I thought, so I replied with a smile, "What do you think?"

"I don't know! That's why I wanted to ask you!" He replied, straining his eyebrows.

"I think… I guess I don't think so. It's just too much of a coincidence to get in a life and death accident after buying an amulet."

He shot me an incredulous look, then said, "I know, I didn't believe in spirits and demons before, but this is just too weird. Let me tell you something strange, my business has been bad lately, and I lose at poker everyday. I have to do something… "

"Well, you won't lose any money if you just don't play." I advised.

"Life is short and everyone has a few hobbies. Food, drinks, sex, and gambling. If you don't touch those, even if you can live to a hundred years old, what's the point? I'd rather die."

"Fine." I said. "I will get you a Light amulet to bring safety and protect your fortune and luck, but you have to work with it to get the effect. Work hard at your job and do more good things every day. Think of the amulet as an amplifier, not a panacea for foolishness or laziness.

Ming looked around and lowered his voice. "Actually, I was thinking about getting a Dark one."

I froze for a brief moment. "What do you know of Dark amulets?"

Ming chuckled. "I did some research, little brother. I heard that Dark Amulets are strong, but I don't know any dealers beside you and I wouldn't trust anyone I don't know well. So, why don't you get me a Dark one? You know? The kind that brings... money any way it can?"

I didn't really know much about Dark amulets at that point in time but, Fang Gang always said that you should get every single deal you can get, so I agreed. Ming's phone couldn't call internationally. So, we went to a Telephone Cafe, a common business at that time, to make a call to Fang Gang. On the other end of the line, we heard a man's musky moans and the giggling of a woman. Fang Gang paused and shouted, "I am busy! Send a text!" I told him that I was in China and my phone couldn't make international texts, so he told me to call back in an hour. After a few more giggles, he said, "Make that two." and hung up.

Ming was very annoyed. "What kind of jackass thinks he's so good he can make us wait for two hours for a business deal?"

I explained that Fang Gang is, well, Fang Gang, and he's the best there is. He had connections with many high monks and sorcerers in Thailand. He may be a jackass, but he's an incredibly effective jackass. Some amulets can only be obtained through him, so Ming had to endure the wait.

After two awkward hours, I called Fang Gang again who scolded, "Why do you have to call me when I am busy with work?"

"I'm sorry. If I knew you were… working… I wouldn't have called," I said.

Changing the subject, I asked about the dark amulets. "Told you all the price before.." he snapped, "Unless there are special requirements, just tell them the price. I have basically everything in Thailand. As long as you are brave enough to wear it, I can get it. He wants illegitimate wealth eh? Fifteen thousand Baht. Pay first, no bartering."

Baht to RMB was around five to one at the time, so that was three thousand RMB. I hardened my heart and told Ming that it cost ten thousand. Ming's head dropped and tensed, clearly thinking that it was too expensive. I added, "Good things cost good money. You want to become a millionaire with a thousand rmb? Then who in the world would work hard anymore? Everyone can be a millionaire with just one amulet." Ming nodded, looking at me with a more earnest respect. We went back to his Steel Market and handed over the payment, cash.

He pointed at what was now a small lump of bills in his safe. "You see that? After paying you ten thousand, I only have five thousand left. Can't even play mahjong tonight. You better get me something that works!"

I let his rant hang there without reply. On the way home, I was sweating with excitement. If this worked out, I would make seven thousand rmb. I hurried to call Fang Gang, telling him that I got the money. Fang Gang chucked, "Your customer is so straightforward! Things that bring illegitimate wealth are easy. There is a local achan called Achan Nueng who makes amulets that seek illegitimate fortune. He can finish it by tomorrow. By the way? Care to tell me how much you made on this?"

Note: In the early 2000s most chinese people did not have phones that can call internationally, in fact most people still don't. Back then, there were cafes whose whole purpose was to let people make international calls while drinking alcohol or soda.