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The air was thick with humidity. I could feel sweat rolling down the back of my neck. The sun was almost setting, and although we were so close to the shore, we still could not escape the heat.

It was the perfect day to search for a ghost. Or at least, something to that effect.

I love listening to ghost stories, so much so that I listened to horror podcasts before I sleep sometimes.

For goodness sake, I grew up reading every volume of "True Singapore Ghost Stories" by Russell Lee.

There is something extremely addictive about hearing or reading about the paranormal.

But truth be told, I have always been more of a sceptic -- despite knowing many of these stories potentially derive from people's first-hand accounts or what they came to believe they encountered, I just couldn't bring myself to connect with these experiences.

So when we were invited to go for "Walk with Hantu by Supernatural Confessions", I did what any logical sceptic would do.

I agreed.

"Hantu" is "ghost" in Malay.

Stuck in the past

Our meeting point was Changi Ferry Point, just slightly before sunset on Saturday, Mar. 18.

There were boats by the still water. From across the water, I could see people enjoying their evening strolls.

Something about the slowness of the moment made me feel like I was stuck in the past, back when Singapore was made up of many kampungs surrounded by untouched vegetation.

Our hosts for the walk arrived just as the sun was about to set. Eugene and Jonathan were both wearing t-shirts that had "Walk with Hantu" words printed across them.

Eugene was holding a candle holder in his hand. It was lit with what I thought to be a fake candle, but a closer inspection showed that the flickering fire was real.

Eugene would tell us the lantern held supernatural significance, but more on that later.

There were nine people who showed up for the walk including myself.

Eugene and Jonathan were all smiles as they approached us as if they had not already prepared a night full of plans to spook us.

The three-hour walking tour was designed to be a storytelling experience bringing participants to famous haunted places in Singapore.

The tour this year brings people around creepy roads and landmarks in Changi, such as Changi Beach where the Sook Ching massacre happened during World War II, as well as the infamous Old Changi Hospital.

"The past is very close to the surface in Changi," they said.

When various people from different parts of the world came to Singapore, "they brought along their demon", as well as "their gods along with them".

So what can we find when we peel those layers? Who brought these spirits?

These were questions that were instilled in our heads as we embarked on our tour.

The trees

I was immediately immersed in the spooky tales the walking tour promised thanks to Eugene and Jonathan's good storytelling.

There were 10 checkpoints in total, and stories told at each checkpoint allegedly occurred at the very location we made our stops.

After sunset, as we were walking in near pitch dark around Changi Beach, Eugene and Jonathan shared with us the tale of Hantu Penanggal.

Legends have it that a floating head could be seen flying around Changi.

These Hantu Penanggal are not ghosts, but witches that want to live on forever.

They were able to separate their head from their bodies and would prey on pregnant women and children.

Something about hearing horror stories at locations where these hauntings supposedly happened made these stories come alive.

I was walking the same paths the people in these stories walked.

I was seeing and experiencing the same things -- and perhaps, I might also encounter the same supernatural experiences they did too.

One of my colleagues who joined me on the tour looked increasingly disturbed as we continued our walk.

He was holding the lantern Eugene brought.

"Are you scared?" I asked.

"Me? Scared? Imagine being scared," he was laughing, but his eyes were not.

He looked ready to go home.

Eugene joined our conversation. "You know what they say about the lantern?"

We gestured for him to continue.

"In some cultures, they said lanterns are used to guide spirits. So since you are carrying the lantern, the spirits will naturally follow you."

My colleague looked like he wanted to cry.

He loves the supernatural but was also easily frightened.

Our last chance

As we exposed more tales and superstitions from our pasts, one thing that Eugene emphasised throughout the walk struck me.

This will be the very last year we could walk around Changi to immerse ourselves in the haunting stories of our past.

As part of the government's master plan, the Changi Point area will be developed for recreational and tourism purposes.

A competition inviting the public to enhance the Changi Point area was held in 2021. The winning proposal suggested that the infamous Old Changi Hospital be revamped into a stargazing observatory and aviation viewing deck.

"That's why we want the public to come for 'Walk with Hantu Changi'," Eugene said. "This might be the last year members of the public can see Changi the way it is now."

Perhaps the horror stories we heard will continue to be told in the future, but we might never have the opportunity to trace back these stories to the place where they happened.

In a continuously developing Singapore, would we have space for such nostalgia?

"Come. Let's walk," Eugene said, as this phrase became the oft-repeated words for the night.

Different ghosts?

As we were walking to our next checkpoint, I chatted with Jonathan and asked him one of my most burning questions.

"Why are Western ghosts and Asian ghosts different?" I asked.

"Why do we rarely hear stories of Asians being haunted by Western ghosts? Why do we not hear tales of Westerners encountering Asian ghosts?"

Jonathan barely pondered before he answered.

"Because that's how we come to understand these beings," he said. "Our ghosts are shaped by our culture. A lot of Asian ghosts are derived from our fear of nature. Meanwhile, a lot of Western ghosts seem to deal with insecurity about homes or Christianity."

Their explanations helped provide a perspective on things many might not have spent that much time pondering on.

Later, Eugene and Jonathan also shared their theories on why abandoned buildings are always haunted.

"When these ghosts found themselves dead and they do not know where to go, they will remember that when they were alive, ghosts are almost always at abandoned houses," they said.

"Maybe that's why they go to these places. Maybe that's why abandoned buildings are always haunted."

That was a plausible-sounding explanation, if ever there was one.

Ghosts? Wind?

A haunted walk at Changi would not be perfect without a visit to the infamous Old Changi Hospital.

The Old Changi Hospital was constructed in the 1930s and started functioning in 1935 as part of the Royal Air Force Changi military base.

As it stands, it has been there for about 100 years.

During World War II, the Japanese used the hospital as a holding area for prisoners of war. It was a place that saw many tortures, sufferings, and deaths.

When the building became defunct after Changi Hospital merged with Toa Payoh Hospital to become Changi General Hospital, rumours that it was haunted spread far and wide.

I understood how the hospital gained its reputation as I stood at Halton Road.

The air smelt sweet -- a group of people had burned offerings before we came.

The burning of the offering created fine mist in the air, adding to its mystique.

Despite the lamp posts that stretched along the road, it was difficult to make out our surroundings as it was dark.

The place was so quiet that even a whisper felt a tad too loud.

We stopped at Halton Hill for another round of ghost stories before finally making our way to the infamous "haunted" hospital.

As we were walking towards the gate of the hospital, I finally understood why so many people say this building is haunted.

There was something eerie about the old hospital and its surroundings. I just cannot put a finger on it though.

The hospital itself is clearly stuck in the past. There is not many places in Singapore that you can find a building like this and with such a storied past.

As we looked at the hospital from outside its gate, someone pointed out that a white cloth inside was moving.

A part of me thought that it could be the wind, but when I looked back at the footage, I realised that the plants in the area were not moving.

I wasn't sure what to make out of that, but I will take it as you might.

It's just the wind, right?

Final thoughts

I signed up for the tour being sceptical of the supernatural. So, did this tour change my mind?

More than the supernatural, the walking tour taught me more about people -- and about Singapore.

The stories that were shared with us that night derived from other people, and we have been taught never to discount first-hand experiences of people, because everyone has their own lived experiences.

Doing so is almost like telling them that a part of their lives aren't real -- just because you weren't them.

These are stories from our past, tales of our culture, anecdotes we heard from our grandparents and will continue telling our grandchildren.

I think there is something poignant and poetic about that tradition and lineage of words and thoughts.

Because how can we share who we are if not for narratives we tell about ourselves to others?

Hey, walking around eerily spooky, dark, quiet roads with a group of people while listening to ghost stories is a unique experience, at the very least.

If you choose to be there, you have made the first step to experience.

We are what we feel.

Experience it for yourself

You can check up Supernatural Confession's website if you wish to experience the supernatural walk yourself and potentially encounter hantu.

The walk is helmed by experienced storytellers, Eugene and Jonathan.

Jonathan is a well-known theatre writer and producer. Trust me, you will be in for a treat.

The walking pace is normal, so don't worry about being exhausted mid-walk.

This will be the last year Supernatural Confessions will host Walk with Hantu at Changi before the redevelopment.

So, seize this chance and explore Changi like you've never been before.

All images by Mothership unless otherwise stated.