Little Anna's eyes met with the horrifying monster hovering on top of them. She felt a cold shiver running down her spine while nearly getting breathless just by staring at the creature. Its dark wings were enough to be a huge part of the moon.
The scary creature landed in front of them, spreading its wings as if trying to impress them with how huge or powerful it was the gust of wind it blasted on the ground. Anna froze as the bat-like creature reached out its clawed hand to her.
The monster was bald with bat ears popping on the side of its head. It had three eyes, two which were placed exactly were human eyes are positioned and the third one on the center of its head. It was uncharacteristically larger than its regular eyes and it looked like it emerged from a crack of the monster's skull. The feral red glow of the monster's eyes made it more sinister and horrifying as ever.
"C-cccomm'ere… chillddd…." It's terrifying guttural voice echoed as it commanded Anna to approach her.
But she was too terrified to move. She stared at the creature in all its grotesque glory. Suddenly, the monster's face changed, it became more rabid. Its eyes glowed brighter as it unhinged its jaw towards her mother, letting out a loud roar followed by words she couldn't discern, let alone understand.
Her mother squeezed her arm harder. Anna grimaced in pain and pleaded her mother to let her go, but just as she looked at her, she noticed a grim discovery. Her mother's eyes glowed red as her face turned into a ghastly monstrous facade. Just before she could scream, her mother lifted her and showed Anna her sharp gnarly teeth.
"Aaaagghhhh!" Anna screamed as she awakened from the dream.
To her surprise, she woke up alone in a dark cold room.
"L-l-liliaaa-n?!" The cold wasn't doing her much favor as her voice cracked. "Anyone?!" But no one answered.
A faint rancid smell of rot and formaldehyde lingered on the air. Anna's heart dropped to her stomach, knowing now where she was. She hurriedly stood up but didn't notice the hard object above her head. As she stood up, her head collided with the object, and she fell back to the floor hitting her head hard on the cold tiles.
She woke up a few moments later to the sound of chewing. A loud, unwelcomed gnawing so audible it was annoying. Anna's eyes opened wide as she came into the realization that it was her who was gnawing on something.
Suddenly, the lights came on.
"What the FUCK?!" The staff shouted as the light finally revealed what Anna was gnawing on.
Anna didn't want to look down, but her eyes moved on their own as if it was attracted to the gore of which it was about to see. As her eyes slowly moved downwards it became very clear to her what she was gnawing audible earlier.
"H-hey…miss…" The staff's voice trembled as he took a surgical knife from the table. "L-let g-go of that… f-fffoot!" He shouted.
Anna tried to follow the staff's command, but she wasn't in control of her body. The next thing she knew, her body ran into the back of the morgue where the exhaust fan was located. Using her sharp claws and extraordinary strength, she was able to rip it from the wall, and from there she slid free crawling down the hospital building and into the dark alley where she finally disappeared from the public eye.
In the darkness the monster reveled, howling as it moved stealthily on the alleyways passing some unfortunate soul, lucky enough to witness its grim presence without becoming its dinner. Somehow it was full after gnawing on a decapitated foot which she still held in her hands.
Anna could do nothing but look at herself helplessly as it navigated through the darkness, swinging her long and rancid-smelling hair like how spiderman swung into the buildings in the movie she saw a few years back.
Deep down she cried as she mourned for her humanity was finally lost in the confines of her monstrous alter ego. She pleaded with the monster to get her body back, but it wouldn't listen. She tried praying but it only did worse for her as the monster mocked and laughed at her while threatening to eat some innocent bystander, sleeping peacefully near the estero.
"Why do you want me gone?" The monster asked out of nowhere.
"I want you gone, so I can live my normal life back!" She exclaimed.
"Normal life?!" The monster repeated and laughed. "I am you NORMAL Life!" It laughed once more.
The monster continued to swing freely into the air as Anna's consciousness helplessly watched. The monster swung a few more buildings before it finally flew into the night sky, heading into the unknown. Anna remembering how it howled over the moon and then…
…everything went dark from there.
"Ms. Sanbwan?" She heard a familiar voice. "Ms. San—Oh my god!" Anna felt someone lifted her and heard a door creaked open.
"Ms. Sanbwan!" Anna opened her eyes and was welcomed by a concerned Ms. Dagondon. "Ms. Sanbwan what happened?!" She gave her a glass of warm water and some towels.
"W-where is he?" Anna grabbed the secretary's wrist. "W-where is Dr.Illustrado."
Ms. Dagondon immediately got out of her grip and proceeded to her table while carrying her trusty pet.
"As I have texted you, Dr. Illustrado had some family affairs that—" She said.
"I don't give a FUCK about that!" Anna rushed into the table and banged the decapitated foot in front of the stoic secretary. "L-last night… I… did something… unspeakable." She paused, trying to control herself from balling out.
"Unspeakable…" Ms. Dagondon nodded.
"Look, Ms. Dagondon…I know you're only doing your job but I just a fucking foot last night! FROM A CORPSE! Call me crazy what you will but I need to speak with him because my life is going in shambles now!" Anna closed her eyes trying to control the beast inside her as her anger stirred the monster once again. "So… I am going… to ask you again… W-where is Dr. Illustrado?!" Her voice trembled as she tried her best not to let IT out.
Ms. Dagondon stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "He's currently in the province with his family… but he should be in the Rehabilitation place by Wednesday." She said.
"Admit me there." Anna demanded. "I will be there later today." She took the brochure from Ms. Dagondon's table and stormed out of the place.
Just as she exited the door, she heard a little raspy voice. "Thank you for the food."
She paused but dared not to look back. She was too tired and frustrated to entertain another menacing devil in her life.
---------------------------------------
Somewhere in Southern Visayas…
"I have never seen you this brooding, Lakan." The bearded man with a long mane said.
"Ah, Lobo…" The Lakan smiled. "How fares your son? Pardon me, sons." He looked up in the sky reveling at the glow of the full moon.
"My sons are doing well, Lakan." He bowed to him. "Thank you for showing concern."
"Doing well?! Bah!" A huge muscular man spat. "I heard your prodigal son has been doing his shitty havoc over the mundane and the other kinds in the mundane world! While the other one was…oh, that's right! He's use—"
"Shut up, swine!" Lobo rebutted. "I could bite your head off if I wanted to."
"That's enough, Anselmo, Lono!" The Lakan growled. "I am in no mood for your banters tonight!"
"Then, pardon your servant's trespass." Anselmo bowed low.
Lobo also bowed low to him and remained silent for most part of their meeting.
"Friends, after over 20 years of searching for the Dayang, I have finally found her!" He exclaimed.
The rest of the small council whispered, elated after hearing the news.
"Could this be… that the prophecy will finally come true?!" Anselmo asked.
"In his Darkness' grace, it will." The Lakan answered.
"Then, tell me where to find her, and I shall retrieve her back to you!" Anselmo thumped his chest.
"That wouldn't be necessary." The Lakan answered. "She will come here when the time is ripe."
"I-is that it?!" Anselmo said. "Is that why you called us? Just to let us know that you saw your daughter and she is within reach, but you don't want us to do anything?! That's—"
"I wouldn't dare and talk to him like that, Anselmo." Lobo interjected. "Remember the prophecy? Once her daughter is her there will be an extraordinary shift in our powers! I would rather stay in his good side if I were you." He warned his other council member.
Anselmo glared at Lobo, but the old man was not backing down.
Tired with their shenanigans, the Lakan clapped his hands to get their attention and announced.
"That would be all for today!" The Lakan immediately walked away from the hall.
Lobo looked at the Lakan and bowed to him ,before hearing a telepathic message coming from his Lord.
"Lobo, I need to speak to you in private. It's about your sons and their mission." The Lakan said.
"I shall serve." Lobo replied through his mind.