The Tiyanak

The Redemption

She cleaned herself up as best she could and then fired up her laptop. She made sure the camera was fixed solely on her at all times, then moved her fingers across the mouse cursor towards Record.

Her finger hovered over the right button. She knew that, once this was done, there would be no going back. It would be the end of her. She had to think about this, did she really need to destroy her own life this way? Maybe there was a way out of here where she could still-

What was she thinking?

Her life had already been destroyed. It was destroyed from the first lie that she had typed on her keyboard. If anything, she was doing herself a favour.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled her doubt and pressed record.

"Hi, guys. It's me again. I... er... haven't uploaded in a while... but... I'm just going to get straight to the point. It's time I came clean with you all."

Alicia told the camera everything – every lie she told, every sin she committed, every person she hurt, nothing was left out. It wasn't easy, and she nearly broke down in tears more than once – but it had to be done. She pressed on with her confession.

"...I know, I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I am not asking for any. But... if you can take just one thing away, I would ask this. I know, I am not the best role model for this, but... please." She took a breath. "No accusation should be ignored – real victims – need to heard. But – at the same time, don't automatically condemn someone until you have all the evidence. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, never forget that. People all deserve a right to have their story told, and we have an obligation to listen. Don't destroy someone's life until you know for sure. Because every time you lie, you break the trust that is so badly needed..."

With nothing more to say, Alicia moved a shaky hand to the button and stopped the recording, uploading it seconds later.

She waited up, reading the comment section of her video. Where she once received praise for her bravery, now she was condemned. Her comment section, once so full of love, turned to hate. There were one or two who applauded her for doing the right thing – but there were few and far between. Some comments refused to believe it, believing that she had been forced to say these words. They were even fewer and far between.

Alicia didn't care. The poison had now been routed out, and hopefully cleansed for good.

Her bladder ached. Sighing hard, she stood up on tired legs, stumbling across the ice-cold floor towards the bathroom.

After Alicia did what needed to be done, she washed her hands. The perfumed soap once again failed to hide the deeper horror underneath her skin. She looked at the mirror – not able to recognise her own reflection. Her skin had paled, her hair starting to show signs of grey, her eyes bloody and raw, her lips dry and cracked. Where was the beautiful girl that people once said could light up the room with her smile? Where was the young, naïve party-goer that would spend hours in front of a mirror just to perfect her look? Even her beauty seemed to abandon her once it saw the true ugliness beneath.

She was tired of it all, tired of carrying this burden. Her shoulders ached from being weighed down for so long. She wanted to be rid of it. She wanted the pain to disappear. She wanted... to sleep.

She opened the medicine cabinet and took out the pack of pills, seeing how many where left. She removed one and placed the tablet in her hand. Amazing that one pill was supposed to help her with the horror she lived with. Alicia placed it in her mouth and swallowed hard, her throat dry from lack of lubrication. Luckily this one was easy to swallow.

She removed the rest of the packet, placing them in her mouth.

Her throat dry, she went downstairs to the kitchen. Though it was black, her eyes had never been more open. Arriving at the kitchen, she opened the fridge door, the light from inside bathing the darkness around Alicia. She grabbed a can, opened it, and downed the liquid in several gulps, not stopping until the can was emptied. The taste was bitter and nearly burned her throat, but at the same time, it was refreshing.

Alicia felt her body becoming laconic, her head swimming with dizziness. She smiled, knowing she'll soon have the sleep she so craved.

The screams echoed through her brain, though she thought they would vanish. Only this time, something was different. Where once they were piercing and crushing, now Alicia felt no fear in them. Instead, she sensed sadness – loneliness.

Knowing that she had to stay conscious for just a little longer, she walked into the living room. Where, just as before, the pram stood, illuminated like a fireplace. The light around it was stronger, begging Alicia to come closer. She took several steps forward, the screaming becoming louder with each step. Only now, instead of instilling terror, the screams emboldened her. Even the stench of blood didn't seem to worry her anymore.

The Tiyanak lay in the middle of the cot, flailing around, wailing with all it's tiny lungs. Alicia couldn't help but smile, a small tear falling down the side of her face. She didn't think she could create something so beautiful – so perfect.

But the poor thing needed it's mother.

"Shhhh."

Alicia reached in and pulled the Tiyanak from the cot, coddling her into her arms. The screams continued, even as Alicia gently rocked the Tiyanak back and forth.

"It's okay," she whispered, "it's okay."

Her legs were starting to become wobbly, so she sat down, holding the Tiyanak with all the strength her arms could muster. Her smile never left the Tiyanak, and she stroked the bloody forehead with a finger.

The Tiyanak's screams gradually died down with each breath – until they were replaced by light cooing.

"It's all right," Alicia said, "I'm here."

The Tiyanak was so beautiful – a perfect child born in an imperfect world. All Alicia knew when she looked at it was that she would never want to be apart from it. The Tiyanak, in turn, looked back at her with tiny little eyes, gargling lightly. It pulled it's arms in around it's chest, as if trying to keep it warm.

"Are you cold?" Alicia asked, pulling the Tiyanak closer to her. She allowed herself a light giggle. "Is that better?"

Alicia sensed another presence in the room, she looked up, her eyes struggling to focus. At the end of the room, she saw the Aswang. It growled, arching it's back like it was about to pounce. Alicia narrowed her eyes at it, like a bear threatening danger to those who try to attack it. The Aswang whined and backed away, disappearing into the darkness.

She then looked ahead, seeing her mirror. And in the middle of it was her dressed in her golden bikini – a false reflection, an illusion of strength that she didn't need anymore. Alicia gathered what little breath she could and blew gently at it. The mirror cracked, the bad reflection disappeared.

Finally, she looked to her far side, where the Bloody Surgeon stood upright, gazing at her with his dark eyes. He lifted up a bloodied hand, where the most expensive watch Alicia had ever seen rested. He looked at the watch, looked back at Alicia and said in a low growl:

"6:16."

Alicia couldn't tell, but she was sure she saw a tear fall dribble down the side of his face, before he also disappeared into the darkness.

The Tiyanak's sounds were barely audible now, only light breathing could be heard. Alicia's eyelids felt heavy, she was too tired to even yawn.

"Come on, baby," Alicia sighed, "let's sleep."

Her eyes closed, her head pressed gently on the Tiyanak's forehead. It was the most relaxing feeling Alicia had ever felt and she kept her smile as she drifted off into a deep sleep. The Tiyanak reached out and placed a tiny hand on the side of her cheek, until it too, was struck by a small fatigue. It closed it's eyes and also drifted off; curled up in the arms of it's mother.

The End