Fear Is My Company

Don't Look Back

I found myself breathing hard as I slowly open my eyes. I felt a small trickle of sweat fall from my forehead. I started clenching my fists to see if I can still move.

My hands moved and so did the rest of my body. As I fully became conscious, I saw myself lying on the ground surrounded by dry fallen leaves.

The sun was already setting down making the trees around me glow eerily. I slowly pulled myself up, steadying myself so that I won't collapse.

I looked around me. I was alone. That's when I remembered. I was on a camping trip with my classmates in college.

I felt myself start panicking. There were twenty-five of us including our professor. We took this trip to unwind and bond with our classmates as Christmas is coming 10 days from now. This was supposed to be a seven-day retreat. However, everything has become completely messed up.

I started walking forward, not knowing where to go. All I want to do is to get out of this place fast. I want to go home. I felt myself trying to hold back my tears as I remember what happened.

Travelling for four hours from Cagayan de Oro, we arrived yesterday at around 2:00 in the afternoon. This place is located in the outskirts of Baylan near the edge of what the local people called the "forbidden forest of Baylan". It used to be a resthouse owned by one of our classmate's family named Lily.

Lily said she was born in Baylan but when she was just a year old her parents moved to Cagayan de Oro where she grew up just like the rest of us. This was the first time she would step foot in this place ever since she was a baby. I remember her being excited to be there and meet her grandparents who stayed behind to take care of the place.

As we arrived, we were greeted by Lily's grandmother. I saw them hug each other. As they parted, Lily introduced our professor to her. She then introduced us afterwards.

Lily's grandmother was good-natured. She had this sweet and gracious smile plastered on her face. She may have looked old but she certainly didn't act like it as she tried to help us settle down in our rooms.

The house was big. It was already what one would call a mansion. It had the same style as the old houses during the Spanish era in the Philippines. Its wooden walls have been well-maintained. As you walk through what seemed like a grand hall, its walls are filled with portraits of different men and women wearing old clothing. I figured they were probably the past owners of this house and Lily's ancestors.

As we have been told earlier, there were 6 bedrooms on the second floor and two bedrooms downstairs. I stayed in a room at the far end corner on the second floor together with four other classmates of mine. Our room was facing the forest which was a few meters away from the mansion.

We were unpacking and settling down when we were called by one of our classmate to head downstairs and have some refreshments and snacks. As we all head out the room, I noticed something outside the window. There seemed to be a black dog standing guard at the forest's edge. As I stare more, it looked like it had bright red eyes.

I wanted to look further but then one of my classmate, her name was Rhea, came back and asked me to hurry up. When I looked back outside, the dog was gone.

A few hours passed by like it was nothing. We were all engrossed with chatting with each other at the mansion's patio when we finally noticed the sun had gone down. Lily's grandmother told us to go inside the house and have dinner. Tomorrow we will depart toward a cabin built by Lily's grandfather deep in the woods. Her grandmother told us that we need to follow the small path lined with red leaves in order to get there.

We helped in the dinner preparation. It consisted of simple but delicious foods like 'kare-kare', 'kinilaw', grilled pork and fish and 'sinigang na bangus'. There were also fresh fruits laid on the table. It was like a feast.