Children of the Ancients: The Seed of Lisuga

III-The Mark of Kasamaan

Matthew walk on an open field. He had a strangest feeling he's not anywhere or somewhere in Davao anymore. The place was filled with crows, big ones too. They were cawing, flying and gliding above him. Some stood on the ground, staring at him with red eyes. Matthew felt uneasy, like a cold shiver went down to his spine. The whole place had a totally different atmosphere. Red skies, cracked dry land, not even an air breeze to feel. 

Matthew felt like he's been walking for hours, then suddenly, a road appeared before him. Dark, like asphalt but harder than concrete. As he walk further on he saw withered trees and grass, bones and skulls scattered all over with scary glowing red eyes. On the withered branches, crows twice the size of normal ones, stared at him as if they wanted to peck him to death. 

Matthew felt somewhat afraid, he wanted to run. Calm yourself Matt, nothing bad's gonna happen. he said in his mind. He never felt so uneasy in his life. His popularity in school got him many girl stalkers and their boyfriend's threats, but not as scary and heart pounding as he's had this time. He continued walking and tried to ignore everything. He thought to himself if he was only dreaming, he wanted to wake up but, at that moment he wasn't sure. 

Matthew stopped walking. He found himself infront of a tall lamped signpost. It was blood stained as if like the blood was still fresh, the lamp flame was ghostly purple and it gave Matthew quite a freak out. The sign was plain and empty and two skulls were hanged in chains at each sign, with with their jaws still attached. It leveled on Matthew's head, along with glowing red eyes staring at him. 

Matthew wondered if the skulls will talk back, since things get weirder and weirder. He thinks that if he asks, the skulls might give him directions and tell him where he is. Kinda' creepy since literally, skulls never talk back but, he wants to know exactly where he is. 

He stared at the skulls, and looked closely. Matthew examined them from left to right, looking at the scalps and under the jaws. Then he stopped. 

"Ok..." he took a deep breath. "This place is really freaking me out." he said to himself. 

Unexpectedly and to his surprise, one of the skulls talked back to him. Even without a tongue and lips, the skull talked clearly. 

"What YOU'RE doing is freaking us out." 

Matthew got startled and quickly stepped back. He tripped on himself and lost his balance, falling down with his butt. Matthew's voice squeeked in horror, with his eyes wide open. 

"It... talked." he stammered. 

"What?" the skull said. "You never seen your own skull before?" 

The other skull talked. 

"You numbskull! How can he see his own with his face still intact." it said. "Stand up boy, you shouldn't be afraid of us, after all you-" 

"-Shut up Bera!" The first skull interrupts. "We're only supposed to give directions." 

Matthew stood up, patting his pants, taking the dust off his butt, and seemed to feel less afraid. 

"Who are you guys?" he asked. 

The skulls giggled, 

"My name is Kala," the first skull introduced. "And this is my partner Bera," 

Matthew find their names sounded ridiculous, very ridiculous. Kala, Bera... He could have joked asking where Bo and Nes were, but he thought they might get offended and get a bite on the nose for it so, he kept it to himself.