The Aswang

Prologue

There was not a star in the sky and the moon was nowhere to be seen. I was surrounded by darkness and nothing else. I closed my eyes, as it comforted me and made no difference to the picture in my eyes. It was like being lost, like not being anywhere, like being stuck on the edge of existence, I’m just not quite there yet.

I heard something. It somewhat reminded me of a growl from a dog, or a purr from a cat. But I knew what it was. The sound was something that I have heard many times before, a sound that sent chills up everyone’s spine, except for mine. I am not afraid of it anymore. I don’t try to avoid it, and I don’t try to attack it. This thing, it was a Aswang*.

My memories of these things, they were not good memories. They didn’t make me smile, and it most certainly didn’t make me laugh. Most of the time I grimace, but I never regret one minute, or even one second of that terrible experience. Those things, those things are what shape people, what make us who we are today. And this, well this is the story of how I became the person I am today.

*An Aswang is a mythical creature referred to in Filipino folklore. It is a cross between a vampire and a witch. They are able to transform into either a black dog or boar, and during the day a shy, quite, and peaceful human.