I dreamed of a man-sized rat chasing after me through the woods, scolding me, telling me I was a bad person. The rat said, “I can't wait until you're dead! I can't wait until I eat YOU!” He laughed and laughed like a crazy person. And then the damn thing started screaming.
I shook and my eyes sprung open.
Janice dangling above me. Her feet danced about and kicked me in the face. I fell back into the dead campfire, ash all over my head, some in my mouth. Three shadows held Janice high up, shaking her. Loose change jingled out from her pockets.
I jumped up and grabbed her foot. Whatever had her got mad and flung her about. I was flying round and round like a merry-go-round. It was those three aswangs Mum had tied up. Someone had cut them loose!
Mum ran out of the hut and fired off her gun, ending up blasting away chunks of Janice's back. Bad stuff got all over my face. I tried not to inhale. The aswangs threw Janice and me against a tree and flew away into the treetops. A breeze hit me in the face, and it smelled like milk gone bad. Beefy-man and all the other hunters searched the area. They were all trying to hold back tears. Their guns and nets and knives shook in their hands. Mum didn't cry.
I crawled to Janice and held her. I was crying all over her bloodied face. She was dead, staring up at the moon with her mouth all open. It looked like she was screaming on mute. I closed her eyes and mouth.
Mum jumped over the dead campfire.
“What happened! What happened!”
I couldn't speak. I just kept going, “Uhh-uh-uh”, scared that she was going to hit me. Mum went, “Blah!” and waved me away and ran off into the woods. I should also add that while she ran out of that hut earlier, she was buttoning up her shirt.
Something nasty was going down in there, I knows it.
A flock of aswangs flew down from the treetops; but these weren't the normal sort of aswang. These were kids, and they all screeched all over the place and chased after everyone, terrorizing everyone, taking bites out of everyone.
I ran into that hut and closed the door (a crude thing made up of twigs and leaves and mud). I heard Mum barking her orders, and I heard the men running here and there, confused and scared. Gunshots went off in the dark like fireworks. I could hear the treetops rustle. The aswangs were all up in them and jumping around. I heard people yelling for help and shrieking all out bloody murder. Mum screamed too, followed by gunfire, followed by demonic little yelps. An aswang was in pain.
“You better run!” Mum said. “You BETTER! I like a little game!”
More gunfire.
A man – my guess, the beefy man – said, “Boss! Boss! Look! I killed it! Come quick! I kills one! Yipee! Boss, come quick!”
And then it was all quiet-like. Beefy-man goes, “No! No! Arrrghhhh!”
Mum yells, “Fernandoooooo!” She was running and firing her gun at the same time. The monster cried out, cursing in Filipino. The gunfire sounded like toys. Pathetic. Not the big BOOMS like in the movies. Then it sounded like everyone screamed at the same time, all those voices rising together...and then silence. After a few minutes, I gathered myself up and went outside.
Mum's little army was dead. Bits of everyone lay here and there. A torso dangled upside down from high up a tree by the guts. Some guy's head was in the hole of a tree trunk, looking all surprised. A big wind rushed in between my legs and hit the camp and circled the whole place. A rain of arms and legs fell from the trees and THUMPED on the ground, all bouncing on the mud.
I saw Janice...still sitting there by that tree, like she was sleeping. Sleeping with her eyes and mouth open...with that god awful dead-look of disbelief.
Something in the woods was heading right for me.
I ran.
“Come back, girl!” said Mum. “I order you to listen to me!”
I kept running. To heck with her. I was going home – home to the great warm embrace. A few steps later, and Mum was all over me, on my back. We rolled in the mud. I kicked and punched and yelled. She pulled back on my hair and said, “Simmah down nah!”
I did, coughing and spitting mud. She yanked hard on my hair, and my chin stuck out.
“My back, my back, get off me, bitch!”
Mum whispered in my ear.
“I have plans for you,” she said. “Just you wait, girlie-girl.”
She dragged me back to the camp. There was nothing I could do. I was out-muscled. Mum searched the bodies and took their wallets, taking their monies. I'll be damned if she wasn't grinning. A horrible thought occurred: were these genes in me, too? If I got dumb one night, would I find myself disrespecting the dead like this??
As Mum kept busy, I thought of running again. Naw. It would just make her more crazy-mad. I didn't wanna guess what she'd do to me then as punishment. Might make me do a handstand in blood, or something wacky like that. She might just shoot me.
I don't know any more. I tried not to think about it. Just go along with her for a little while. Sooner or later, you'll find your opening...and you'll make your escape. Patience is key. Just a little patience.
The treetops made noise again, and Mum pulled out her gun and yelled to the moon.
“Come on out, fools! I'm right hea! I got yo meat right hea!” she said, grabbing herself. “Eat me! EAT MEEE!” She blasted her gun.
Stupid... I thought... just wasting bullets like that.
She reminded me of your typical, stupid human acting before they be thinking. It confused me. The whole time I was growing up, I thought adults were supposed to be superior. I thought they were smart. I looked up to them.
She grabbed my hand.
“Come on,” she said, stuffing her gun behind her belt, right in front of her privates. “Like I said earlier, I got a plan...and you're the star.”
Filipino Vampire Page 9