The Walking Mannequin [Shaw Towers]

​Confessions by Madam Ong

​In the 60s, there used to be a shop selling malay outfits and perfumes on Hoi How Road near the bus interchange. It was on the plot of land where Shaw Tower currently is, and one of the few Malay shops in an otherwise Chinese dominated area. I remember that when I was a child, walking by that shop always made me cry. I didn’t know why I behaved that way until I was a little older and realized that I could see things people can’t.
 
I’m quite certain that the shop kept “barang” - black magic things - and as a child, the sight or maybe the energy of the place affected me. One of the objects in the shop that really freaked me out was the mannequin. It would be on display in front of the store wearing different outfits. So I made it a habit to take a detour to avoid that shop for years. When I talked to my mom about the place later on in life, she said she couldn’t even remember a shop of that description.
 
We moved out of that place sometime in the late 60s, early 70s when the whole place was leveled, and the housing area and shops had to be relocated. Shaw Towers took over and during that time, it was the most hip place to be.
 
The thing about having the third eye is that I sometimes can’t tell real people from ghosts. To me they all look alike. And unlike the ghosts in stories and movies, the ones I see behave just like you and me. They walk amongst people, the only time I know when it’s a ghost and not a person is when it stares at me or when it walks through walls.
 
The only entity that was different from all the rest is the mannequin. It would walk the mall in a very odd, jerky manner. Seeing it as a teenager frightened me as much as it did when I was a child. When the mannequin was around, there would be no other spirits around the area. I saw it on many occasions and sometimes it would move towards me, and I would always run away. My friends who knew I had the sight knew better than to question me. If I’m running away, so will they.
 
Years later, I went back again. There was a stall selling crabs and we would frequent that place quite regularly. Thankfully I didn’t see her again.