Titles of a longer length release will be marked with (LL) at the back of it’s title. (LL) titles span between 2-4 releases. The longer length allows for better character development and more detailed scenes for build up.
Grave diggers Leng and Yong, dug up something they shouldn’t have. Tingyu wakes up after a hundred years in slumber and falls for James. Join the Artefact team as they gets introduced to a new member.
The thick humidity clung to Leng and Yong like an unwanted second skin, making every breath feel as if it were inhaled through a wet towel. They had been digging for hours, their bodies glistening with sweat under the faint glow of a pair of oil lamps – an odd choice given the vast selection of modern implements of illumination available nowadays, but fitting given their chosen profession. The dense jungle-like air was alive with the sound of insects buzzing incessantly around their heads, but neither man had the energy to swat them away. They were waist-deep in the red, stubborn earth of Bukit Brown Cemetery, and every thrust of the shovel felt heavier than the last.
It was nearing 10 p.m., and the only things accompanying them were the flickering light of the lamps and the unsettling silence of the graves around them. The moon hung low, obscured by thick clouds that seemed to press down on the cemetery, amplifying the eerie stillness. The tombstones, moss-covered and worn with age, loomed like silent witnesses in the night. Somewhere deep in the underbrush, a night bird cried out, a sharp, piercing sound that sent a shiver down Yong’s spine.
Yong shook it off and then paused to light up a cigarette while Leng continued digging.
Yong: Leng ah… I…
Leng: DIAM LA (shut up)! Just continue…
Yong blew out a puff of smoke and nervously glanced around the quiet cemetery. The wind pulled at the blue and white tarp they had erected over their working area. In the distance, he could see the bright lights of a housing estate, and part of him yearned to get out of the cemetery. It was only through sheer need that he even considered this line of work, although the frequent valuable trinkets they unearthed was another motivating factor.
A loud grunt of effort had him turn towards Leng. Rivulets of sweat poured down his partner’s back, Leng’s muscles no doubt ached from the repetitive motion of digging, but he didn’t stop. He was no stranger to this kind of work, exhuming graves had become his trade, a job no one else wanted, and it paid well enough to keep him going. The weight of the task never got easier. With every shovelful of dirt, there was a sense that they were disturbing something best left alone.
Leng groaned and threw down his shovel. He clutched his lower back and straightened his posture to take a breather, his hand unconsciously moving to touch the pouch in his pocket. The corners of his lips lifted in a smile when he thought about the gold jewellery he removed from the other unclaimed graves. With gold prices at all-time high, even after he split the spoils with his partner, he was set to make a good bonus on top of his pay. And speaking of his partner, Leng looked up and smirked when he saw the way the glowing tip of Yong’s cigarette trembled.
Yong: This sucks!
Leng: Why? Want office job ah? Huh? Who will hire an ex-convict like you? Huh? Molest girls, sexual assault, take upskirt…
Yong: Fuck you… What about you? Huh? You think you a saint ah? Huh? You raped your sister-in-law, didn’t you?
Leng: Fuck you… She was a willing party…
Yong: Ya, right…
The two men stared at each other for a brief moment before they suppressed their anger and looked away. Both knew the other was speaking the truth, but neither wanted to admit it.
The tip of his cigarette glowed a bright orange as Yong took a deep drag. He flicked off the almost inch long buildup of ash and looked around at the rows of overgrown graves around him. They were deep in the cemetery, well away from any of the paths that joggers frequented. The grass here grew almost chest high at parts and, even after you hacked your way through, many of the tombstones were little more than unrecognisable slabs of weathered rock.
Neither he nor Leng were here by choice. Despite the government incentives like the Yellow Ribbon Project, the job prospects for ex-convicts were bleak. Very few employers were willing to accept – or even consider – a prospective applicant with a criminal record. There were not many jobs they could do – regardless if it was in the dead of the night or broad daylight – and get paid daily for it.
This time round, they were working illegally for the contractor that won the contract to exhume the graves for redevelopment. The work was simple; they perform some simple rites, lit some joss sticks, then they broke apart the stone slab and began digging. They collected the remains, bagged and tagged it after taking some photographs for proof, and in the morning, they collected their payment from the foreman. In a couple of months, the cemetery would be cleared, and in its place would be a new condominium. This was Singapore for you; even the dead had to give way for re-development.
Shortly after the two men resumed digging, Yong could not resist voicing his opinion.
Yong: This… this one is different…
Leng: Tsk… don’t give me that shit la… Just fucking dig!
Leng grumbled and resumed digging.
Yong: Really…! This one feels… different…
Yong gestured with his chin towards the tombstone. Like the other neglected graves, the stone was badly corroded and none of the markings could be seen. The picture on it, however, appeared clean and well-preserved, almost as if it were fitted in yesterday. It was odd, really odd. Who would maintain just the picture on a grave, but not the entirety of the grave itself? The woman in the picture looked really young, perhaps only in her twenties when she passed on.
Leng didn’t respond at first. His mind was too focused on the task at hand – on getting to the coffin buried beneath. But Yong’s unease was contagious, and eventually, he spoke, his voice rough with exhaustion.
Leng: Don’t said any shit you are not supposed to say… I’m warning you… it’s bad luck…
Another long silence stretched between them, broken only by the dull thudding of metal against dirt. Yong swallowed hard and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, smearing the sweat and grime into a thick paste. The air around them felt heavier, as if the earth itself was resisting their intrusion. It was the kind of atmosphere that made the hairs on the back of your neck prickle, a sensation of being watched by eyes unseen.
Then, Leng’s shovel struck something hard. Both men froze. Leng knelt down, hands shaking slightly as he cleared the loose dirt with his fingers. His heart raced in his chest while he uncovered the lid of the coffin – a span of sleek, polished wood that gleamed under the dim light. He blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. This coffin, despite being buried decades ago, looked as if it had just been placed in the ground. He pointed to the oil lamps for Yong to bring them closer, and there was a gasp of shock when the flickering light illuminated the coffin lid.
Yong: What the…
Leng: Shut up! Don’t say a word…
Yong: Leng…
Leng: Continue… Clear the soil on top so we can get a better look.
The duo continued digging, clearing the soil that covered the top of the coffin and digging away more soil from the sides to widen their work area. The more of the coffin they revealed, the more uneasy they felt.
The coffin was unmistakably from another era – an old-fashioned design, like something out of the eighteenth century. The coffin had a high, domed lid, with intricate carvings etched across the brass fittings along its edges – symbols and patterns that looked almost archaic. The same detailing was present on a highly polished plaque on the lid that bore the occupant’s name. The craftsmanship was delicate, the kind of detail that only someone from a long-gone time would take pride in. The entire coffin should have been worn, cracked, and weathered by decades underground. Yet here it was, still gleaming under the weak glow of the oil lamps.
Leng: Light… shine the light…
The wood was a deep, dark mahogany, polished to a shine so pristine that it reflected the light in soft, golden streaks. There were no signs of rot, no warping from the damp earth that had surrounded it for so many years. The coffin looked as if it had been placed in the ground that very evening. It was untouched by time, almost like a relic carefully preserved in a museum display rather than in an abandoned section of a graveyard.
Yong: Leng… how?
Leng: Dig more… We remove the cover and see…
Yong: You sure?
Leng: Why? You scared ah? Look at the wood. This wood is worth a lot of money too!
It took another 30 minutes for the men to clear enough space to reveal the entirety of the coffin. It was only when they attempted to pry open the lid, did they discover that the coffin was held shut by a lead seal that ran around its perimeter. There was a channel built into the body of the coffin that the lid fitted into, and someone had poured molten lead in after the lid was in place to permanently seal the coffin shut.
Yong: Leng… I think…
Leng: Shut up! Shut up! Get the crowbar!
Yong: I… I don’t think we should open…
Leng: Fuck you! Shut up! Stop talking! If this coffin is sealed like that, think of what is inside. Sure got things that are worth a lot of money, right? If not why go through the trouble to seal it like that!
Yong: Maybe it’s not to keep people out…
Leng: Diam lah! Enough! Just open it!
With the sledgehammer they used to break open the slabs that covered the graves, and the crowbar as a makeshift chisel, the two men hammered along and broke apart the lead seal. Then, like opening a giant tin can, they rigged up a pulley connected to the nearby trees to hoist up the lid of the coffin. With a deep breath, Leng nodded to Yong. Together, they slowly lifted the lid, the wood groaning softly in protest as it was prised open.
Inside, bathed in the warm light of their lamps, lay a figure. A woman, her face serene in death, her skin smooth and unblemished as if she were merely asleep. She wore a cheongsam of faded red silk, the fabric almost whispering under the cool night breeze when they deposited the lid at the side. The woman’s hands were folded over her chest, and in them she held a delicate bouquet of dried flowers.
Yong gasped in shock, taking a step back. Leng stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief. This was unlike any exhumation they had ever done. The bodies they unearthed were usually skeletons or barely recognisable remains, but here was a woman preserved in all her beauty, as if she had been laid to rest just moments ago.
When Leng finally found his voice, it was rough with awe and fear.
Leng: She… she’s…
Yong: She… she’s beautiful…
Yong picked up a stalk of dried flower from between her hands. His jaw dropped when he found it still smelled fresh like it was just delivered from the florist. Leng’s eyes were turned towards the woman’s full breasts, and it was there he noticed something peculiar – there was something sticking out from the left side of her chest. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a squarish rod made out of green jade.
From the five inches that were visible, the deep green jade had natural veins of lighter hues swirling through its surface, giving it an almost ethereal glow under dim light. It looked expensive, something any aspiring graverobber could only dream of finding. With dollar signs flashing in his eyes, Leng reached for the jade and pulled it out of the woman.
Yong: NO!
It was too late. Leng had already pulled out what he thought was merely a valuable antique.
Leng: Hahahaha… look at the quality of this jade… Do you have any idea how much this is worth…! Hahaha!
Yong looked at the object in Leng’s hand. He squinted under the dim light, trying to make out what the item was. People didn’t normally have jade objects stuck into them when they were buried. Wearing jade trinkets, yes, but having a length of jade pierced through their clothing and into their chest, was most definitely a no. It took Yong a couple of seconds before he gasped in horror. The object Leng held in his hand as a stake – yes, the kind of stake you saw in the movies except this one was made of jade. The same kind of stake that was used to stake…
Yong whirled back to the coffin, ready to bolt. He stared wide-eyed at the woman within, half expecting her to rise up from the dead, but she remained motionless. After a few tense seconds, Yong breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled to himself. Perhaps his imagination was getting the better of him. Almost unconsciously, Yong found his eyes being drawn to the woman. The more he looked at her, the more attracted he was to her striking beauty and shapely body.
While Leng busied himself with the jade stake, Yong pulled out his phone and took a picture of the woman. He felt a rush of arousal and could not stop himself when his finger reached for the woman’s cheongsam. He ran his finger along the faded red silk, marvelling at the smoothness of its texture. An instant later, something made Yong furrow his brow. He swore he could feel some warmth radiating from the woman. He brough his hand up and touched the woman’s cheek. And that was when he saw a gentle rise of her chest.
Yong: GASP! Leng… Leng!
Leng ignored him. He was already taking pictures of the jade stake and trying to get a quote from the contact he sold his loot to. Yong turned and looked at the woman again. His jaw dropped when he saw her chest rising up and down. But before he could come to terms with the fact that the dead women in front of him was breathing, he felt a rush of adrenaline as his eyes traced her hourglass figure. His hand reached forward and touched the woman’s cheek, before sliding down to feel her breasts.
Yong: Gasp… arnghhh…
Yong’s eyes widened as he dragged his hand down to the woman’s thigh. He looked at the brass plaque on the coffin lid; the woman’s name was Tingyu.
Yong: Tingyu… you… you’re so beautiful…
Yong could feel the warmth emanating from in between Tingyu’s legs, and he could not resist reaching further north to satisfying his urges. Just before his hand came into contact with Tingyu’s privates, her eyes opened.
Part 1 – 10800 words
Part 2 – 11750 words