(THIS is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.)
July 15, 2010. Thursday.
Miss Limery of the Star Express Daily rose from her seat when Miss Meredith emerged from the lock-up cell of the Bacolod City Police Office.
Miss Limery: Good morning Mrs Bravo. I was sent by the Boss to get your side of the story. It was all over the papers since yesterday morning.
Miss Meredith: Oh yes, finally I made it to the headlines.
Miss Limery: A group of foreign correspondents flew in to authenticate what happened as a paranormal event.
Miss Meredith: So I heard.
Miss Limery: Can you tell me Miss what is your version of the story?
Miss Limery looked for any nervous sign or awkward body movements from her fellow news writer but there was none. Miss Meredith looked at her with a steady piercing gaze.
Miss Meredith: I was at the Bishop's Palace when it happened. One moment Fr Chris and I were talking at the bridge connecting the palace to the rectory. I decided to leave via the palace grounds so I entered the back door which led into the dining hall. I found myself inside a beautiful old house which must have belonged to a rich man of the Spanish era. I looked out the window and saw the San Sebastian Cathedral from a distance. Between the cathedral and the house was a road where a procession of religious images on carrozas was slowly making its way. That's when I realized I must have entered a portal and travelled back in time.
Miss Limery: And how was this made possible Miss Meredith? Can you think of any explanation for these strange phenomena?
Miss Meredith: I went to see the Bacolod City Archives photo exhibit at the Bacolod City Library. It included some very old pictures of the Bacolod City Plaza. Monday afternoon I took some pictures of the two lion-statues beside the steps leading up the bandstand at the plaza. Then I went to the Bishop's Palace and talked to Fr Chris.
At first I was so amazed by what happened. I got out of the old house and started walking around. I saw the houses of the ilustrados and the horse-drawn carriages. Then, my amazement turned to fear when I saw the big lions...there were four of them. They were in the company of a guwardiya sibil. He was tall, dark-skinned with a moustache.
One of the lions saw me. When it began to move in my direction, I ran like hell back to the old house but it kept following me. I entered the portal and it followed. Thank God it instantly became a cold lifeless statue.
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July 14, 2010. Wednesday.
Fr Chris: I have been sent by the Rev Bishop to respectfully request the release of Miss Meredith from your custody on the grounds of humanitarian consideration.
Sr Supt Guevarra: I understand Fr. Chris. From what I've read about this girl, she is a solo parent to three children. Financial needs must have pushed her to steal the lion-statue from the bandstand.
Fr Chris: Everything is still a big puzzle. How could someone as small as Mrs Bravo haul the very heavy lion statue up the bridge of the palace? The place where the lion statue originally sat upon is also as clean as a marble slate. It's as if the lion statue magically disappeared from the bandstand and reappeared on the bridge.
Sr Supt Guevarra: What if she is really telling the truth? The implications are not lost on the Russians who seem to be obssessed with such paranormal behavior.
Fr Chris: If she is telling the truth, then it's a giant step for science. Think of the many possibilities... the opportunity to meet people from the past, the power to change the course of history. People will pay millions just to be a time traveler.
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July 16, 2010. Friday.
Grace Emily: C'mon Mama, you've got to think of everything that happened. You might have forgotten something which will make sense out of everything.
Miss Meredith: I've gone over the incident a hundred times in my mind my dear. The house and the church, they were in a dream some months ago. Wait, there was this picture of the two Luzuriaga houses beside each other on Calle Real at the exhibit. I went back to the library to get a second look but I never found it among the pictures. The thought that it was a "ghost picture" did enter my mind. I do believe that the ghost picture was my entrance ticket to the portal. Hurry, we've got to look for that picture. There are still three lions left to wreck havoc on the lives of the poor people!
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July 17, 2010. Saturday.
Miss Meredith: Doc, what would it take to sedate a lion? I mean, put it to sleep for a couple of hours?
Dr Gomez: Say, aren't you the girl who landed in the news? This lion business has really gotten inside your head girl. Tell me if you're going on a safari and I'm going with you. Ha, ha, ha.
Miss Meredith: What's it going to take to make you believe me?
Dr Gomez: A picture maybe of a big and snarling wild lion about to strike on the streets of the city.
Miss Meredith: Hmmm, we'll see about that.