I remembered when I was a child, my grandmother told me about the creatures of the dark. She said they were always hiding, waiting for the chance to take over the world, slowly but surely. Aswang, manananggal—Filipino myths. I also read about myths from other cultures, like Greek mythology with its Minotaur and Medusa.
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I woke up feeling dizzy and threw up on the floor. When I opened my eyes, I saw pitch-black darkness. I questioned whether I was still sleeping, if I had gone blind, or if I simply hadn't opened my eyes. Soon, fear filled that question. Suddenly, a blinding light emerged, so bright I thought I might actually go blind. Five seconds later, I saw something unbelievable: corpses. Not just two or three, but a mountain of them in the middle of nowhere. "Wait, where am I? There are no buildings or houses here, just trees and this mountain of corpses!" I muttered, panicking. As I tried to make sense of my surroundings, I saw something. A creature with a long tongue, ferocious fangs, and sharp claws emerged from the pile of corpses. I shivered at the sight of it. Slowly, I backed away, never taking my eyes off the creature. It resembled the tiktik from the Filipino myths my grandmother used to tell me about.
When I was far enough, the tiktik noticed something. It emerged from the corpses and came to the spot where I had vomited, sniffing around. It then tilted its head and looked directly at me. I was terrified but remained still. Maybe this was a prank, maybe I was on a show. But my gut told me this was all real, and danger was imminent. I needed to run if I wanted to live.
I started to run as the tiktik began moving toward me. Luckily, there were trees in this forest. I ran as fast as I could, praying to God for guidance. I was lost, in the middle of nowhere, with this terrifying creature chasing me. Adrenaline kept me alive. Suddenly, I felt a glimmer of hope. My instincts urged me to turn right. I saw a small hole, just big enough to fit through. 'The creature can't fit in here; this might keep me safe until help arrives,' I thought while running. I was almost at the hole when I fell. The tiktik's long tongue had caught me. I panicked, reaching for my gun to fire at the tongue. My first shot only grazed it, piercing its skin. I aimed at its head and fired again, hoping to save myself. I hit it, and the tiktik died. But the feeling of danger persisted. My heart pounded as if it wanted to flee. Then I heard growls all around the forest, like wild animals sensing the death of their kin. I looked at the dead tiktik and realized what was about to happen. I ran immediately to the hole. The entrance was just big enough for me but not for the monsters outside. They waited for me to come out so they could tear me apart. I went deeper into the hole, which gradually widened. Using my rudimentary detective skills, I checked the sand and my surroundings, trying to ease my mind. The loud growls and clashing sounds outside subsided. Curious, I peeked out of the hole. I saw many corpses of the tiktiks scattered around. Something was flying in the sky. It looked like a man with the wings of an eagle. Maybe it was an angel sent by God to save me. But then, the angel glared at me furiously, as if it wanted to tear me apart. Another angel, with the face of a beautiful woman, stopped him. They approached me, and the one who had glared spoke in a familiar language. "Why did you disrupt the nest of the tiktiks? You almost upset the balance of the wilderness. What are you doing here, human? Why did you come to our world at this time when war is about to break out?" the angel asked me.