The chirp of birds from the trees, along with the smell of moisturized soil. A whistle of wind from the trees, and the sound of flowing water along the riverside. These are the characteristics of a forest, a chaotic eutopia, a home to many creatures, including Bagani Panganiban along with his twin sister Luzviminda Panganiban.
"I caught some fish," Bagani said, walking up the river shore drenched in water. "We should hurry before it gets dark."
While trying to light up fire Luz turned her head pathetically, clearly disturbed by her thoughts. "Sure." She responded.
"Why are you so down?" Bagani worriedly asked.
"I'm sick of our lifestyle Bagani! We've been traveling month by month in this endless place, sometimes we don't even have a place to sleep! Aren't you tired?! Can't we just stay here? Please... Kuya..." She wept.
"You know we can't Luz. Mama and Papa told us that we should always go from place to place." Bagani argued.
"They left us Bagani. They had no reason to set off on their own and let us travel far." Luz returned in a gloomy tone.
"It's because we are a 'de-li-ca-cy' to other creatures, whatever that means," Bagani uttered. "All I know is that they kept us safe."
Luz clenched her fists and bawled. "Why do you keep on defending them?! Ever since we were young you believed everything they said like a fool! Is this what you call safe?! They just didn't want us!
Bagani wrapped his arms around his raging sibling. "Sorry. Calm down." He stroked her head and patted her back. Bagani then placed his hands on Luz's shoulders as she soothed down. "Fine, I'll listen. Let's stay here longer."
As he wiped her tears the frown on Luz's face began to disappear. They continued on their jobs, she began to chuckle, reevaluating everything she just said. To protect his sister and keep her physically and mentally well and her enthusiasm came along as well. This was one of the duties of Bagani. He knew they were alone, he could only communicate so much on the insect and birds that he saw.
"Anak take this." His father hurriedly gave a piece of paper to Bagani. "Always move from to a different place every month, it doesn't matter if it is only a few kilometers or an extremely far away place, what matters is that you're hidden. If you find a village read that map, follow the temple to the north."
Their mother went up to them and hugged the twins. She gently enveloped the two with her warm embrace, for that was the last time she would be able to do so. "Make sure you find us again. Okay? I love both of you."
"Now go!" Their father shouted.
Bagani without any question grabbed Luz's arm and ran away.
"Where are we going?! What is happening?! Kuya?!" Luz panicked.
Bagani kept on running without response. He then tripped upon a small lump of dirt and rolled off a hill. At the end of the hill, there's a cliff. Bagani pulled on the grass attempting his best to stop, but he never came to a halt.
"Argghh!" Bagani screeched as he woke up.
The smell of burning wood and the stench of the dirty old mats they slept on scented as he woke up in agitation.
"Same dream?" Luz asked whilst sitting on a log drinking boiled water out of the old steel cup that they had. "You're both scared and lucky. Imagine taking the lead then getting saved by the one you're trying to protect afterward. How awkward." She teased.
"Stop bragging, I would've had done it too," Bagani muttered in an embarrassed face. He then grabbed the metal cup from his sister.
"Do you think we'll ever see them again?" Luz asked out the blue, staring up into the great beyond of the stars.
"I thought you already got over them. Guess I was wrong" Bagani tested. "But in all seriousness maybe they're just waiting for us somewhere."
The two ended up talking to each other a little while more and went to sleep. As Bagani promised, they stayed a little while more. They did their usual jobs as to getting food, making fire, and gathering water.
On one certain day, Bagani decided not to catch fish, but instead hunt for something better. He carried his trusty stone spear with him and tried to track an animal. With the high noon's heat, he sweated abundantly along the timid forest, his eyes gleamed as he witnessed the fattest boar he had ever encountered in the wild.
He took a deep breath and focused, observing the animal walk around, he waited for an opportunity to strike. Bagani then mightily lounged his spear to the boar, hitting and injuring its groin. Bagani swiftly ran, pulled the spear out of the wild pig's flesh, and prepared to strike it again. To his surprise the boar unnaturally died, it didn't squeal nor did it try to escape. He got confused and checked if it was still alive, it didn't have a heartbeat so he shook away the doubt that he had and carried the deceased meat.
"Mrphhh." He muffled as he tried to carry it. "So heavy."
He struggled to carry the boar, but he managed to bring it back home after using a lot of energy and determination.
"Woah! You caught a big one!" His sister cheered.
"Yeah, we're going to have full bellies tonight, smoke some of it as well so that it doesn't get spoiled," Bagani replied, tired, huffing for air.
Luz got the fire ready and they were set for the night. Bagani ordered her to chop the pig and only cook a portion of it. With a sharpened stone, she tried to cut the pig between its thighs.
"W-what?..." Luz's voice stuttered.
"Any problems?" Bagani asked. His eyes widely opened as he saw the broken stone and the boar's wound closed.
Luz turned her attention towards Bagani. "How did you caught this?" She asked, frightened.
"Get down!" Bagani shrieked. He pulled his sister to the ground along with him.
The boar's tongue elongated, it spat it as a projectile that was supposed to hit Luz on the head but it missed. Instead, the tongue stroke a tree, the force of the lashed out tongue made a deep dent on the evergreen's bark. The creature stood up and began to transform. Bagani quickly grabbed the piece of paper his father gave him and ran with Luz.
"What is that?!" Luz asked as they ran in horror
"I don't know!..." Bagani replied. "What is happening?! What is that thing?! Where do we go?!" Several queries began to fill and fog his mind. His mental block got the best of him and decided just to run straight.
A loud howl was heard in the opposite direction, tens of other chirps, screams, and other unidentified sounds followed. The twins ran to a dead end, a cliff, and under it was the bottom of a waterfall.
"Stay back!" Bagani ordered his sister. Multiple projectile tongues suddenly started shooting at them from the dark. They dodged and dodged endlessly, but as their stamina began to run out, they slowed down. Bagani's arm was shot by one of the creatures, he pulled the tongue out of his arm and began to bleed. He focused on dodging all the attacks avoiding it at all costs, but he forgot his purpose.
"Kuya..." Luz slowly muttered.
Bagani looked at his sister. His eyes lit up in fear and rage, the dread of seeing the tongue of the savage through his sister's belly. The foul beast then pulled back its tongue along with Luz's body.
"No!" Bagani yelped as he grabbed onto Luz's arm and tugged with the creature. "Don't let go!"
Another tongue then was spat at Bagani, he grabbed it with his other hand mid-air and halted it from hitting him. "You cancerous tumors..." He whispered under his breath, gripping the tougue tighter, attempting to crush it, but even anger wasn't enough. Another one was thrown and unfortunately hit the bullseye. It landed on the side of his belly leaving him severely injured, his grip then loosened and the monster pulled Luz.
"Luzviminda!" He squalled and tried to run towards his sister despite his injuries but to no avail. Another projectile was fired and hit him on the chest. Luckily it didn't go through, his ribs were strong enough to partially stop the blow but it still cut off his skin. Bagani went flying due to the force of the blow and fell into the cliff. At that moment he knew what a delicacy meant. His right eye's pupil began to change color and shined, a glimmer of an extraordinaire phenomenon latch unto him. As his body slammed into the running water his vision start to darken and became unconscious. Through his final breath, he whimpered,
"I will kill all of you..."