Leaping backward as the female pinned her to the ground, Kira fumbled underneath them, struggling to unlatch the sheath. Andy rushed her, pocketknife in hand. One of his haphazard slashes must have connected, because the Aswang let out a shriek, releasing Kira and dashing to the windows. Shoving one open, she unfurled huge leathery wings before she jumped out of sight. All that was left was the sound of furiously beating wings as she headed to another hiding spot.
"Shit!" Kira's curse echoed in the room. When would she learn that not everyone who looked trustworthy or hurt actually was? Grabbing the flashlight from the floor, she turned it on Andy, who was white as a ghost and shaking.
"Hey, you're okay. We're okay. Good news, at least now we know what she looks like in human form. We won't be caught unawares again. You still in this with me? We flushed her out of here, only place she'd go in this area quickly would be the trees. Plan is to get in, stab the bitch in the heart before she chooses another victim, and then get the hell out. Easy, yeah?"
Andy recovered slightly, bending to pick up the camera he'd dropped. "Oh yeah, this is a brilliant long-term plan. It has all the wit and wisdom of a Kardashian tweet." He scoffed, holding out his arm to help her up from the floor. "Why I let you drag me into these harebrained, insane schemes, I'll never know. But hey, maybe if I get a neat scar, it'll be a talking point and I'll seem more interesting. Chicks will dig me."
Rolling her eyes, she let him help her up, brushing the dust off of her clothes. "First thing, you probably shouldn't call women chicks. That might help your chances, buddy."
Checking to make sure they hadn't lost anything inside, especially the knife, they left the same way they'd come in. Without a word, they headed for the small nature preserve that bordered the city, leading into the more mountainous areas. Andy, true to form, had fiddled with the camera to get it to turn back on. He kept it carefully trained on her as she picked her way through the overgrown foliage.
"I swear, if you're secretly aiming that at my ass to post on Youtube, I will stab you after I stab her, Andy."
"Hey uh, Kira? What's the odds that she's already found her next victim, you think?" Brow creasing, she turned towards Andy, who pointed to their right. At the edge of the straggly tree line, there was a row of simple two-story houses. "Damn! It's possible. Alright. We split up. I'll take the end of the block, you start here. If someone's pregnant, they may have boxes sitting next to the garbage can of baby items. It's a long shot, but it's all we got. We see anything, we use the walkies."
Andy didn't look utterly thrilled with the twist the plan had taken, but he didn't say a word as she took off at a run, reaching the end of the housing block within mere minutes. Breathing hard, she stole a moment to catch her breath before she stood on tiptoes to see over the privacy fences that had been installed. Some had swing sets and sandboxes already, but nothing that would suggest another baby was on the way.
She'd made it halfway down her side when her walkie crackled to life, the sudden sound nearly sending her jumping out of her skin. "Hey Kira? Might have something. Blue house with the awning over it, the cans are overflowing with wrapping paper. Looks like it's baby shower themed from where I'm standing. I don't see anything hinkey though, at least not yet. So hurry."
"Keep an eye on it Andy, I'm coming to you. I'll quickly check the other houses just in case, we'll meet up there." None of the houses appeared to be in imminent baby arrival mode, so if the Aswang was here, this had to be the house that had attracted her attention. Spotting Andy hiding under a few broken branches, she crouched next to him.
"Any movement since you radioed?" He shook his head in the negative, eyes wide with terror. Truthfully, she couldn't blame him. This wasn't exactly what either had signed on for.
"Okay. We'll wait here, we're relatively hidden from sight. She couldn't have gone far. We'll keep an eye out for her or any movement from the house. We hear anything, we'll bust in somehow. Breaking and entering really is a lot better than accessory to murder." Settling down to the ground next to him, she wrapped her arm around him, giving him a quick hug.
"You were great back there, you know. I froze. You didn't. You probably saved my life. Just don't remind me about it every hour from now on." His wane smile made her release a slow breath. If she could count on anyone in this world to stay at her side no matter what, it'd be Andy. He was steadfastly loyal, even when he really shouldn't be. No matter how shitty things got, he wouldn't leave her. That could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you looked at it, really.
They must have started to nod off slightly because the sudden noise of flapping wings made them jerk to attention. Once those went silent, an eerie "tik tik tik tik" began echoing, almost like a bug or some sort of monster echolocation. Her fingers curled tight around the hilt of the blade, the edges of the vines digging into her skin. Shifting backwards into the brush a little bit more, she glanced to Andy, meeting his gaze.
"Showtime."
Chapter Seven
A dark shadow emerged from the top of the trees, skirting the rooftops. The wings were almost silent now, just a whisper on the wind. It fit the legends... if the Aswang was further away, the wings were louder. Once it was hunting, it went on something like stealth mode, becoming almost impossible to track. Thankfully, they were already here, watching it cling to the rooftop shingles in order to peer in the windows, searching for the victim it'd previously chosen.
It was unnerving. In the plant, the creature had remained mostly human until it had gone to fly away, and when it had shifted, they'd only seen her from behind. The vertebrae were elongated, forming a ridged spine that stretched the skin. That was weird, but not nearly as creepy as seeing the front of this thing.
Now, bathed in the light from the back porch and the streetlights, they could see her in full Aswang form. Her face had flattened, appearing more like a bat's, with a squashed in nose. The wings draped to scratch along the surface of the roof as she used her arms and legs to dart quickly over the surface from one window to another. Her jawline appeared misshapen, and from the legends, Kira knew it was likely due to the large needle-like tongue encased within it.
Swallowing hard, Kira forced the macabre vision from her head. There was a woman in there. Someone expecting the joy of a birth, waiting for a healthy baby boy, judging by the blue footprints on the wrapping paper. This thing had no right to steal that chance for life away.
No right to kill humans for nourishment that it could get from animals. Knowing she would soon be face to face with the creature was terrifying, but the hilt in her hand was comforting. If this blade did as the woman said it would, she just needed one opening, one shot.
That, more than anything, strengthened her resolve. She hated the hunters that were just trophy killers, not utilizing every part of an animal that they could. This monster took what it wanted and left the rest to be mourned by those that had loved them. Worse, if the legends were true, normal Aswang hid their crimes by replacing the victim with a substitute body, so it sickened and died a few days later.
As awful as it was, at least it gave the family time to say goodbye in their own minds and acknowledge the death. This Aswang didn't seem to care about niceties and left bodies lying around for family members to find in cold blood. For all intents and purposes, they were dealing with basically a "rogue" Aswang, who simply didn't care about hiding itself.
As they watched the monster searching for the pregnant woman inside and a way to gain entrance, Kira found herself silently praying. Praying that the woman had gone out for the night, that she'd been late from work or something. Hoping for a miracle, one where the Aswang couldn't find an easy entrance into the house, leaving it stranded outside as the full moon began to wane.
"Andy...?"
The creature had turned from the back of the house to the side where they didn't have a direct line of sight. Shifting a bit to the left, Kira cursed under her breath. The damn awning hid the lower windows, they couldn't see if she was still outs
ide or if she'd made her way into the house. "Remind me to never buy a damn house with one of those obnoxious awnings wrapped around it."
Giving it a few moments, Kira was just about ready to sneak into the yard to investigate, when they heard a terrified scream. The noise quickly cut off, the night air seeming to go still as Kira and Andy jumped to their feet, heading towards the back door. "Tell me you have experience with lock-picking or something." Giving him a glare at his words, she frowned.
"What exactly do you think I do in my time off work and school? I've seen it in movies. It can't be that difficult. Though I'm going to go ahead and bet on an open window. If there isn't one and it got in some other way, we'll break a damn window. I'm not wasting time figuring out how to bust a lock."
Scurrying through the yard, their luck held, if you could call it that. One of the windows had been opened, the screen split down the middle like the Aswang had sliced it with a claw. They didn't have time to do the song and dance where she let him in, so this time Andy took the lead, scrambling over the windowsill to the room beyond, helping to pull her up once he'd gotten to his feet.
The house was eerily quiet now. There was only one plate and cup in the sink, so either she lived alone or the baby's father was away. There was no one to save her. The Aswang had been concentrating on the upper floors, so she was figuring the bedrooms were up there.
Taking the stairs as fast as they dared while still remaining quiet, they peeked into the first two rooms at the top. One was made out as a home office, the other was the new nursery, decked out in blue and yellow. Kira was determined to make sure that nursery was a source of joy, and not one of grief.
At the far end of the hall, a bedroom door was left ajar, muted light filtering into the hallway. It was likely the master, and inside lay... well, they weren't exactly sure what they were going to find. She'd read the stories, but stories never conveyed the true horror of a situation.
The windows here were too small for the Aswang to get out of them easily, especially in her current form. Kira wasn't sure how fast they could shift, but hopefully not fast enough. It'd mean the only way out was through the door. Nudging it open, she tightened her grip on the knife, heart kicking up a faster beat as she came face to face with a beast that would likely cause new nightmares to be born.
It lay straddled over the woman's legs, wings drawn tight over her back. Her sinewy tongue traced the woman's extended navel in barely concealed glee, even as her gaze latched onto Andy and Kira. Kira kept her attention on the pregnant woman. Her eyes were wide open. She was still awake and alert. She realized everything that was happening.
Her eyes were terrified, you could tell she was attempting to fight back, but the Valerian rendered her immobile. Kira knew all too well what that felt like, the utter helplessness that swept over you as you were watching your life slip away. "Get away from her. Now." Kira's tone was cold, harsh. Forcing herself to take a step further into the room, she turned her head slightly to speak to Andy.
"If I fail, you're up. Don't let her leave this room. This knife may be super-powered, but the lore said to stab them in the heart, didn't say it had to be anything special."
The beast snorted, pulling back slightly, eyeing them with clear malice. It took a moment for Kira to realize why the creature hadn't pulled back. She had already started setting the woman up to be fed on, and likely couldn't pull away yet.
It was an opening, and she took it.
Chapter Eight
Darting forward, she went to embed the blade in her heart, but the Aswang lashed out with a viciously clawed hand, causing Kira to have to duck quickly. It still caught her on her shoulder, ripping her flesh open like it was nothing more than tissue paper. Blood immediately poured down her arm, making her fingers slick on the knife's hilt.
Slashing downward in a desperate attempt to cause some kind of damage, the Aswang screeched, the sound worse than nails on a chalkboard. Wrenching backward, Kira panted as white hot pain nearly blinded her, taking her breath away. She could see the slimy appendage laying across the woman's stomach, separated from the Aswang itself. She'd cut its tongue. Did that mean the infant and mother were safe, at least? She truly didn't know.
Dragging herself to her feet quickly, she kept the blade in front of her, angled for easy penetration the moment she had a chance. Each time the Aswang lashed out, she jabbed the knife the other direction, a continuing cat-and-mouse game that was leaving them both bleeding and in pain, neither advancing over the other.
Finally, the Aswang appeared tired of it. Swatting out with both hands, she caught Kira in her grip, dragging her in. This close, the Aswang smelled terrible, like rotting meat and decay. Gagging in revulsion, Kira struggled, feeling the creature's nails sinking into her rib cage.
She froze. Not again. Never again. She would not lay down and allow herself to be a victim. Everything blanked in her mind except the single goal of ridding the world of this monstrosity once and for all.
Forcing herself forward, she knocked the Aswang off balance, exactly what she'd intended the motion to do. Using the momentum, Kira kicked out with her leg, connecting solidly with its knee. The Aswang went down with another screech, scrambling towards the door.
All Kira saw was a monster going towards her best friend, a monster well on its way to escape. Without thinking, she lunged, leaping on its back. The wings fluttered underneath her weight, the muscles shuddering under the strain.
When she'd jumped, the knife had sunk into the Aswang's shoulder. Close, but not close enough. Yanking it free, Kira cursed when she was thrown off balance as the Aswang staggered to its feet. Clutching the leathery textured neck, her eyes met Andy's over its shoulder as the creature reached back, nails raking across Kira's side, doing its best to dislodge her. He had his pocket knife held in front of him, stance widened in preparation if the Aswang made it that far.
Kira wouldn't let it.
With the last remaining reserves of strength she had, she pried her arm from its grip, impaling the area where its heart should be with the engraved steel. The Aswang made a sound like a wounded elephant, its steps faltering. Unable to hang on any longer with her entire side torn to ribbons, Kira fell to the ground. The creature let out another bellow before it dropped to its knees, wings flapping halfheartedly as blood pooled beneath it.
Crawling the few feet to Andy's side, Kira winced, one hand curled around herself in an effort to put pressure on the wounds to slow the bleeding. The Aswang fell forward, face- planting on the deep maroon carpet. They could see its chest rising and falling in a frantic pace before it began to slow.
A sizzling noise started low and rose higher. It took them a few moments to realize it was the Aswang itself. The single symbol on the knife that showed above the surface of its skin was burning, glowing a brilliant reddish-orange. Right before their eyes, the Aswang started to disintegrate, skin and bones crackling as unseen embers ate at its corpse.
Breathing ragged, Kira motioned to the woman who still lay on the bed, silent tears tracking down her cheeks. "Call Noni." The elderly woman had told them that if they found a victim alive, to call her immediately, no matter the time of night. Kira hoped she meant it. She remained unmoving on the floor, somewhere between sitting and kneeling. Everything hurt. It even hurt to breathe.
"Help's coming, lady. Just hold tight."
It was ten excruciating moments before a sharp knock sounded. Andy had been trying to console the woman as best as he could, but he hurriedly made his escape to go to the door. Noni immediately went to the female laying prone on the bed, mixing up some powdered herbs and oils into a paste.
"What's that?" Kira couldn't help her interest, plus it gave her something else to focus on. The woman still lived and practiced the old ways, healing with herbs and what some considered magic. Kira had always been fascinated by it.
"This, binibini, is passionflower blended with Kava Kava and Wood Betony. The passionflower is for relaxation in the body. The others, relax
muscle spasms. Since the tongue is a muscle, my hope is that applying them to it will cause it to contract, so we can get this unholy remnant off of her."
As she spoke, she took a wooden spoon, ladling some of the concoction onto the woman's swollen belly, using her fingers to massage it in circles near where the tongue had made its incision. They watched with bated breath, each fervently praying that it worked.
To Kira's shock and considerable awe, it did. The tongue began to spasm slightly, the herbs causing it to want to retract away from them. After several long minutes, Noni had carefully gripped the severed end of it, tugging it free. Dropping it into a plastic bag, she secured it tightly after bending to scoop a little of the ash from the floor, all that remained of the Aswang who'd caused such heartache and turmoil.
"Now child, let me look at you. Andy, see to her, try to get the infant to kick by pressing along her stomach to wake him. If he kicks, it's great news. She'll be sedated for a bit longer, I'm afraid. Valerian has no known antidote except time. All we can do is keep her awake and responsive."
Kira Malone Chronicles: Vol 1 (Slaughter USA) Page 7