The Cryptid Keeper

by Lija Fisher

  “And you found it?” Clivo asked.

  “I did,” Amelia said. “I found two other creatures in the Philippines who are often called manananggals. One is the wakwak, which looks similar to the Manananggal; the only difference is that the Manananggal can split itself in half so only the top part of it takes flight to catch its prey.”

  “Gross,” Charles said, “and amazing.”

  “Agreed,” Amelia said. “The other creature is known as the aswang.”

  Amelia turned the computer screen so everyone could see it. They crowded around and Jerry groaned. “That’s not good.”

  Clivo looked at the drawing on the screen. It was a horrid-looking creature with a human body and face, but with long claws and teeth like a saber-toothed tiger and impossibly long bat wings. Blood dripped from its teeth and claws, and its mouth was open in a terrifying roar.

  “Please tell me that’s not who you think the immortal is,” Clivo said, his stomach flip-flopping at the prospect of having to catch it.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Amelia said apologetically. “There haven’t been any verified sightings of the wakwak, but there have been plenty of the aswang, and it’s known as an ‘eater of the dead.’ It’s also been confused for a vampire, witch, werebeast, and shape-shifter—basically, all of the immortal myths.”

  Clivo looked at the picture again. “But it looks human.”

  Amelia hesitated, as if she didn’t want to say the last part. “It does look human, because that’s what it shape-shifts to.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Adam said, jumping up. “We deal with cryptids, which are hidden animals, not hidden humans disguised as bats! There’s no such thing!”

  “But there is,” Stephanie said, nervously picking at a fingernail. “When we got back from the library, we checked and double-checked. There have been enough sightings and there’s enough data on this thing that it has to be real. And keep in mind, humans are animals, so it’s completely possible that a shape-shifting human is our immortal cryptid.”

  “And it makes total sense,” Amelia added. “What creature could live forever and truly never be discovered unless it’s simply an ordinary-looking person or animal who blends in among us? It’s been around at least since the fourth century B.C. That’s over two thousand four hundred years.”

  “How do you know that?” Clivo asked, although he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

  Amelia hesitated again before saying the next part. “The word ‘aswang’ comes from the Sanskrit language. It translates to ‘demon.’”

  Clivo hung his head. Of all the creatures that could possibly be the immortal, why couldn’t it be a nice furry koala bear instead of a flesh-eating demon?

  Jerry put his hand on Clivo’s shoulder. “Remember, you’re not alone in this. Not even a demon stands a chance against the Cooper-Wren team.”

  Clivo tried to smile, but his whole body felt frozen with fear.

  “Here’s the thing,” Amelia said, taking a seat across from Clivo. “The aswang is only dangerous once it’s shape-shifted. When it’s in human form, it’s harmless, and it has lived for millennia doing its best not to draw attention to itself. Apparently, it lives a rather normal, boring life.”

  “Boring except that it turns into a vampire witch and eats people,” Clivo said dryly.

  Amelia nodded. “But only on the full moon.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good,” Clivo said. He rubbed his hand across his forehead. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be sarcastic. It’s just that there’s really no good news with this thing.”

  Stephanie’s face lit up with reassurance. “But there is! If you can find this aswang when it’s in human form, it’s not dangerous. And it’s not even in hiding! It’s just walking around somewhere, going to work.”

  Charles raised his hand. “But how is Clivo supposed to identify demon dude when it’s not a demon?”

  “Now, that’s the cool thing,” Amelia said, raising a finger. “When the aswang is in human form, there’s one thing that sets it apart from the rest of us.”

  “Please tell me it’s something obvious that I can see from afar,” Clivo said.

  Amelia grimaced. “Not exactly. But it is obvious. When you stare into its eyes, your reflection is upside down.”

  Charles grabbed Adam and pulled him face-to-face, staring intently into his eyes. “Yeah, dude, you gotta be at least this close to see your reflection.”

  Clivo suddenly felt exhausted, even though he had just woken up. “Okay, so I just have to go to the Philippines, find an immortal human who is harmless until it shape-shifts to a man-eating demon, get close enough to it that I can see my reflection, and then convince it to willingly give me a sample of its blood?”

  “It could be worse, dude,” Adam encouraged. “I’m not really sure how, though, ’cause this scenario is pretty bad.”

  “I’ll be right by your side, Wren, all the way,” Jerry said.

  Clivo rubbed his eyes, taking in the information. He didn’t like any of it, not one bit.

  “Do you need a pep talk, captain?” Hernando finally asked quietly.

  Clivo smiled. “I’m okay, Hernando, thanks.” He stared at the carpet, his mind a blur. Apart from the immortal cryptid, something else had been bothering him. “Listen, guys, you didn’t sign up to be in this much danger. Douglas knows your faces, but not your names or where you live. If you want to go back home to Maine where you’re safe and forget about all of this, I won’t hold it against you.”

  The Blasters looked at each other in shock, obviously not having expected Clivo to say that.

  Adam was the first to speak. “You see, the thing about us Blasters is that once we become a team, we stay a team. To the end.”

  “All the way to the end,” Charles agreed.

  “Never a question,” Amelia said.

  “Ever,” Stephanie added.

  Clivo looked at Hernando. “Hernando?”

  “Remember, boss, trying isn’t good enough. We don’t stop until we win,” he replied, his voice sure.

  “Coops?” Clivo asked, glancing at his friend.

  Jerry blew through his lips. “As if you even have to check with me.”

  Clivo stood up, renewed energy coming into his bones. “Okay, if that’s the way it’s going to be, let’s do this. Amelia, can you narrow down where the aswang might be, exactly?”

  Amelia perked up, her mind going into its thinking mode. “There’s over seven thousand islands that make up the Philippines. It’ll take me a day or two, but I’ve got you covered.”

  “Great. Stephanie, any chance you can find out if my Diamond Card is still working?”

  Stephanie cracked her fingers and took over the laptop. After a few clicks, her face fell. “Rats, it looks like Douglas has already canceled it.”

  “That’s okay, I still have some petty cash left,” Clivo said. “But after this catch I’ll be out of money, so keep your fingers crossed that this is the last one.” He looked at the rest of his team. “While I’m gone, can you come up with some ideas for how we deal with Douglas and return the cryptids back to their homes?”

  Adam rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Attack plan number two, coming right up!”

  Clivo exhaled, feeling like a little bit of the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. “And remember, in the meantime make sure you help Mrs. Cooper with the dishes.”

  * * *

  Clivo spent the day in town, looking for supplies that he would need for his trek with Jerry to the Philippines. He wasn’t even sure exactly what he should buy, seeing as how he was catching a person and not a wild animal in the rugged wilderness. He couldn’t walk through a town with a tranquilizer gun, binoculars, and other catching supplies strapped on without drawing attention to himself. After staying hidden in plain sight for thousands of years, the aswang was probably pretty good at noticing if someone was looking for it. The best thing Clivo could do was blend in as much as possible and not carry a
nything except the blood sampler. He’d feel naked without his gun, but he had a feeling that this catch was going to come down to brains and not muscle.

  Speaking of muscle, he was still uncomfortable with the thought of Jerry joining him. Jerry was strong and most definitely brave, but he didn’t know how to fight. Clivo figured it would be nice to have Jerry around for company, but was it worth risking Jerry’s safety just to have a buddy there?

  For the first time since Clivo discovered his dad was a cryptid catcher, he finally understood the choices his father had made. Clivo had been so angry at his dad for never telling him everything. Sure, his dad had trained him, but he had done it secretly, without telling him why. Clivo hadn’t been sure if his father just hadn’t trusted him, or if he had been waiting, judging if Clivo was good enough to be a catcher.

  But now he understood that his father had wanted to protect him the way that Clivo now wanted to protect Jerry and the Blasters. Not because they weren’t good enough, but because they were too good. The world needed people like them, good-hearted people who fought for what was right, no matter the risks. The least Clivo could do was limit the amount of danger to them, the way his dad had with him.

  Keeping everything a secret had been the only way his dad could make sure Clivo was safe, and he understood that now. His father had trained him well, and Clivo felt ready for the task ahead. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.

  He returned to Jerry’s house that afternoon, his arms full of bags of clothes that would help him blend in on his trip. As he entered the house, he was greeted by a lovely, yet shocking sight. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were in the living room with Aunt Pearl, and loud salsa music was blaring through the speakers. Hercules was in the corner, his usually mournful eyes looking rather contented, with the cats snuggled against his pudgy body.

  Mrs. Cooper was laughing hysterically as Pearl twirled her around, teaching her a few dance moves.

  “That’s it, Dolores!” Aunt Pearl encouraged. “You have to roll your hips! Roll your hips!”

  Mr. Cooper clapped his hands in time to the rhythm. “Come on, Pumpernickel! Let out your inner cha-cha!”

  Mrs. Cooper squealed with delight as she swiveled her round body in a circle, accidentally knocking over a lamp with her backside. “Hee-hee! I’m moving body parts I didn’t even know I had!”

  Clivo put down the bags and leaned against the doorway, enjoying the scene and wishing it could go on forever.

  Aunt Pearl noticed him. “Hi, sweetie! You wanna learn the rumba?”

  “No thanks, Aunt Pearl. I think you ladies should have the dance floor all to yourselves,” Clivo replied with a smile.

  Aunt Pearl stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him. “Party pooper! Come on, Dolores, let’s pick up the tempo a bit!”

  Mr. Cooper eyed Clivo. “Ladies, Clivo and I are going to step out onto the porch and enjoy the sunset.”

  “You boys have fun!” Mrs. Cooper said, laughing hysterically as she almost fell into a potted plant.

  Mr. Cooper put his hand on Clivo’s shoulder and led him outside, where they sat down on the porch swing. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, flashes of lightning occasionally bursting from a bank of dark clouds hovering above the mountains. Clivo had always loved the summer afternoon thunderstorms that rolled in because they made him feel like something exciting was about to happen. Now, they just felt like an omen of the dangers ahead.

  Clivo and Mr. Cooper silently rocked on the swing, the only sounds the chirping of crickets and the occasional scurrying of a raccoon underneath a bush. Eventually, Mr. Cooper cleared his throat. “Now, son, I don’t claim to know everything, but being a scientist has given me certain powers of observation, and I can tell that something is amiss with you kids. Something big.”

  Clivo was about to say something, but Mr. Cooper held his hand up.

  “Now, don’t worry, I’m not going to ask what it is. I know far better than to pry secrets out of a teenager. The only thing I want to know is—are you okay?”

  Clivo almost burst. He wanted nothing more than to tell Mr. Cooper everything, just to have some support. But he and the Blasters had decided to trust no one. They had to keep their circle small, they just had to. Besides, if he told Mr. Cooper everything, there was no way he would let Clivo and Jerry fly to the Philippines to confront the aswang.

  Still, Clivo didn’t like the feeling of keeping secrets from Mr. Cooper, so he proceeded slowly.

  “I’m okay, but I do have some questions. You know, about life,” Clivo said.

  “I’m happy to lend an ear, son,” Mr. Cooper said.

  Clivo spoke the next part carefully. “Well, your work at SETL deals with really important secrets, like, major secrets.”

  Mr. Cooper chuckled. “I guess you could say that. The search for intelligent life in the universe is a tricky one because everyone has their own ideas about what we should do with said life when we find it.”

  “And are all of those ideas good ones?” Clivo asked.

  Mr. Cooper let out a full-blown laugh. “Not at all, son! One guy we interviewed for a position on the team believed that if we found four aliens, it’d be ‘nifty’ to turn them into a touring barbershop quartet. He said it would be a sensation.”

  “So, what have you decided to do with the aliens, if you ever find them?” Clivo knew from Jerry that Mr. Cooper had already found at least three UFOs, but he figured it was best not to let on.

  “Well, that took a while to figure out,” Mr. Cooper said, adjusting the large glasses on his face. “The first thing my team discussed was how much the study of alien life and its spacecraft could help the human race. Imagine how much our technology could advance if we studied a ship that had the ability to travel light-years. Think how much our understanding of the human body could increase if we had an alien life form to dissect. The possibilities for how this information could benefit us are astounding.”

  “So, is that what you decided to do? Capture aliens and dissect them?” Clivo’s belief that Mr. Cooper was one of the good guys had suddenly begun to wane.

  Fortunately, Mr. Cooper shook his head emphatically. “No, no. Me and a small group of folks decided that in this grand universe of ours, we didn’t want to confine ourselves to just watching out for the human race. We wanted to protect all races, even alien ones. We’re in this marvelous area of space together—why not make sure it’s a good place for everyone?”

  “So, what did you do when you found the aliens? I mean, if you ever happened to find one,” Clivo corrected himself.

  Mr. Cooper looked at the sunset, which was reflected in an orange glow on his glasses. “We’d communicate. We’d figure out a way that we could help if they were in distress. We’d make it known, somehow, that we meant no harm. Hopefully, we’d go from being strangers to being allies.” Mr. Cooper let out a little chuckle. “And then we’d ask if they’d share how they travel at light-speed, ’cause we are having a heckuva time figuring that out.”

  Clivo looked up as a flash of lightning lit up the clouds. He’d been wondering what to do if he actually found the aswang. It felt weird to just let an immortal man who could turn into a people-eating bat at the full moon wander the Earth. But he had committed to protecting all the cryptids, and that had to stand even if the cryptid was a demon person. “Thanks, Mr. Cooper, that actually helps a lot.”

  Mr. Cooper looked at him in surprise. “I’m not sure how discussing dealing with alien life could have helped you. Unless we’re actually talking about girls in some weird kind of metaphor?”

  Clivo laughed. “No, I’m not talking about girls. It’s just, life sometimes gets confusing, and knowing what’s right and what’s wrong can get all jumbled up.”

  Mr. Cooper put his hand on Clivo’s shoulder. “I understand. And all that stuff can be even harder to figure out when you don’t have the guidance of your folks around.” Mr. Cooper cleared his throat. “Now, I know I’m not your father, but I hope you know that y
ou can always come to me—about anything—and I’ll do my best to help you. It doesn’t matter what it is, good or bad. I’m always here for you.”

  Clivo smiled. “Thanks, Mr. Cooper. I know I’ll definitely be taking you up on that offer.”

  Mr. Cooper scratched his belly and wiped a tear from his eye. “Okay, let’s get back inside. My eyes have started leaking, and we should probably make sure Mrs. Cooper hasn’t destroyed the whole living room with her rolling hips.”

  XIV

  Clivo walked back inside and was instantly accosted by Jerry. “Wren, come upstairs, I gotta show you something. And why are you hogging my friends, Dad? We need our man space!”

  “Take all the man space you boys need,” Mr. Cooper said, giving Clivo a wink. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Cooper,” Clivo replied.

  They ran upstairs to Jerry’s room, where his bed was covered with an assortment of items. “Okay, so I’ve been using my own personal genius to put together a few tricks that will help us catch the bat thing.”

  “Nice. What are they?” Clivo asked, reaching for what looked like a metal coil attached to a battery.

  “Whoa, not that one!” Jerry said, gently moving the contraption out of Clivo’s reach. “That belongs in the ‘Definitely Not a Good Idea’ pile.” He picked up a can with a plastic lid. “Here, open this.”

  Clivo eyed his friend warily as he slowly opened the lid. A loud springing noise sounded and a green snakelike thing flew out of the can and straight into Clivo’s face, causing him to jump back with a cry of surprise. Jerry laughed hysterically as Clivo shot him a glare. “That’s hilarious, really funny. What are you going to do, scare the aswang to death?”

  Jerry wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. “That just never gets old!” He picked up another can and handed it to Clivo. “Open this one.”