"I can't believe it is true. But one of the patrol guards testified that there is really a bal-bal(1) in the forest."
"Oh no! I will not let my children out at night again!"
"Hey! Stop talking about that? Did you know that talking about those creatures will summon them?"
"Wow? Are you an expert now?"
"The elders ordered to close the gates of the village. It is a very serious matter."
"Of course! There were more than 20 desecrated graves and numerous incidents in the past two years. About time."
The whole canteen was buzzling with the noise of the people who gathered to get the latest news and gossips on the village. Indeed, there were a lot of news. The latest one being that the gate was closed in a certain time of the night. It never happened in the past five years. But safety is more important now than leisure. Many don't like it, but if it for the well-being of everyone, it could be tolerated.
In the past two years, news of desecrated graves was circulating in the village. But no one wants to take action until now. The village was not weak; they can defend themselves and still freely do whatever they want. But since their opponent is not a natural being, special and strict measures should be done.
A lone and small figure in a travel coat could be seen seated alone in a corner table near the window. It is not an unusual sight to see a person like him in this part of the kingdom since this area is a common crossing area between large and small villages. He took a sip of the drink that was served before him. It tasted bitter. He took a small snack on the table; it tasted worse.
"By the way, have you seen the tall man in the square? He seems to be looking for someone."
The small figure coughed out some of his drinks. Please, make it not him. Please!
"You mean the guy with a blue eye? He is so handsome!"
BANG! The figure dropped his head. It is him… It is definitely him.
"He seemed to be a little lost though. Should I help him? Maybe I can fetch myself a husband today."
Go, ate(1)! Catch him and fast!
The small figure stood and said his thanks to the owner and waiter of the shop. After giving some silvers, he walked out. He remembered that the square is from where he came from. So, he should just walk the other way around. After one hour, he gave up. He got lost. Again… Where is his sense of direction when he needed one! He saw a corner on the street. That could be the way out!
He ran to the direction of the corner. When he crossed, he was shocked…
He was on the square!
What the h…!
He heard a noise in the square. Is there a fight? He hoped that it is not that man.
"Is that a foreigner fighting with the bar guards?" one of the onlookers observed.
"Oh no! They already pulled out their kapilan. Let's go, let's go!"
….
Seriously? He felt a part of his stomach fell off. Better run away now!
"Oh no! There are a lot of blood!" one of the onlookers shouted.
He stopped on his tracks. What if he died? Bah! They didn't know each other. HE didn't personally know that man. Why should he feel responsible? (Author-san: Lol! Someone is lying…)
"Ahh! My cabbages! My cabbages!"
Another round of clashes, sounds of objects being smashed and screaming. Correction, shrieking.
"Hey! Village police! What the hell do you think you are doing!"
Oh no! The village polices! Sigh. Why now? I just wanted to go in peace. T^T
Think, think! An idea came to him.
"Is that Teniente Gimo(2)?" he whispered, hoping others will catch the words. Tiniente Gimo is a name that many village police are looking out for. His "criminal record" is so severe that the rajah already sent a wanted poster of him all over the kingdom.
"Hey, did someone say Tiniente Gimo?"
"Is the Tiniente here?"
"Hey, have you heard that someone saw Tiniente Gimo in this village?"
"Tiniente Gimo is here? Run!"
Wow… He cannot believe the total chaos the name Tiniente Gimo brought. Everyone was running up and down, left and right. There were people who were pushing and pulling each other. Children were crying. Even animals seemed to be at lost. Is Gimo that horrible? He felt bad for Gimo, but he will tease him mercilessly when he went back to the mountain.
(Someone in the middle of the rice terraces: Achooo! Achooo! Baaahhh! You again? Begone with you! Never. Come. Back!)
He took the sudden chaos as an opportunity to pull the man out of the square and run in a random direction, hoping that this will lead him to the village gate. Since many people were running in this direction, he just ran as well. The man's cold hand is bigger than what he expected. But anyway, he just had to run away now. And fast. Because those heavy footsteps behind him does not sounds like civilian at all.
"Catch them!"
F***!!!
What to do? What to do?
He saw a clothing store ahead. There are clothes in the basket just in front of the store. Perfect!
He ran to the direction of the store. He grabbed the basket of clothes. ("Hey! Thief!") He guided a small gust of wind inside the basket, and throw its contents behind. The clothes created a sort of small barrier between him and their pursuers. He didn't look back, but based on the shouts behind him, his plan worked.
He guided stronger gust of wind to his feet and made a strong leap together with the guy he is pulling. They jumped over the roofs to get out of the village. Upon reaching the forest, he stopped the wind and continued to run. The man behind him is unusually quiet. He used to be noisy. What happened? Anyway, the priority was to run away as far as possible.
When they reached the clearing, he was already tired. Guiding the wind was still too much for him. Better not do it again in the next few days. T^T
"Are you okay?" he asked the man behind him.
….
"Are you fine? Why so quiet now?"
….
He turned to the man for the first time since the chase. He stopped mid-turning, eyes bulging, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Who are you?"
….
Meanwhile, a man with blue eyes were left standing in the village square, while his kampilan was left hanging on his right hand. What the hell happened?
Note:
(1) Ate – older sister, could be related or not.
(2) Tiniente Gimo – one of the Philippine urban legend characters. He is said to chope human bodies and selling their bodies as a meat with his hand-held basket.