The Aswang

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was sitting up in bed, pillows supporting my back. I closed my eyes and tried to think. My book lay open to a random page. I was scared. I could feel something’s presence, whether it was an animal, or rather another worldly creature, I did not know.

            Deciding I had to find out what it was, I mustered up the courage to get out of my bed and look.

It was really dark; I grabbed a flash light that stood up on its tip on my bed side table. As I clicked it on, light illuminated the room, casting a bright glow on this strange creature. It had light blue wings, dappled with black spots and had bright crimson eyes that sparkled underneath the beam of light that shone down at it. There were scrapes and cuts decorating the things face, making the creature look like it had stuffed it’s head in a food processor.

The thing leapt at me, claws and hands preparing to attack. I lunged to the side in order to dodge the frightening attack to my body. I think my heart skipped a beat as the sharp, gruesome fingernails came so close to taking a small chunk from my arm. It slammed against the wall and I took the opportunity dash through my door and down the stairs; my hand only grazing the railing.

My parents lay on the ground, their fingers linked together. I ran over to them and checked their pulses. They weren’t dead, but were out cold. I only then realized I had been holding my breath in fear as well as shock, and let it go in a long, cool sigh.

I stood up, know that there was nothing I could do to help them, they could get through it themselves. Slowly I walked to the door, when I turned around one last time I saw the creatures head poking out the door frame of my room. I reached my hand towards the door knob, turned it to the right and walked out.

People ran, darting in every which direction. The creatures had taken to the sky, their huge wings flapping, causing strange disturbances in the air. I gathered myself, knowing what I had to do. Elders had told tales about things like these in stories, but that’s what everyone believed they were, just stories. Nobody prepared for anything like this. People said that in order to look into the future, recall the past, no one had done this, no one ever imagined something like this would ever happen. The elders also said that when the creatures invaded, you must go underground. That was exactly what I planned to do.

There was a huge branch of tunnels and caverns located underneath my city. All I had to do, was find an entrance. I admit it, I was very afraid... though not as afraid as the other people were.

I tried not to be seen as I ducked behind a smashed car. I covered my head with my spindly arms, not wanting to get hit by falling debris. I moved quickly, dashing behind and under things that could act as a shield to protect me from the creatures. I think the only one thing I wasn’t concentrating on – which I should have been – was the fact that I had no idea where this entrance was... Or if it even existed. Right now I was relying on my gut to lead me in the ‘right’ direction, and so far I think it was doing an okay job.

Traffic lights hung on hinges, tilting in different directions. Rain started to fall, making murky puddles appear on the edges of streets. Car horns honked loudly, they all wanted to get away from this disaster but the chaos proved it difficult. Through all of this pandemonium, I kept running, I felt as if I would be impossible to stop, even if I had to.

I ran and ran and ran, never pausing to take a breath, never slowing to ponder what was happening right at that moment. And then I stopped. It was abrupt, and I even surprised myself. It was like some unknown voice was telling me where this so called entrance was.

I hadn’t been aware of my surroundings since I had gotten away from most of the commotion. I now stood breathless in the middle of nowhere. Flat prairie as far as the eye could see. Apart from behind me, there the city loomed like a dark cloud on a spooky night. A tumble weed rolled past me and I could almost imagine western music playing in the back ground.

I took a closer look at the ground, trying to find any hint of a hole leading underground. I slowly walked foreword, placing every step precisely where I wanted it to go when suddenly something appeared in front of me. It was a large oval shaped door rimmed with a lace like wire. I was awe struck, this was something out of a science fiction movie rather than real life. I had been expecting a large hole or tunnel into the ground, not a door that appear from what it seemed out of nowhere. Being very careful, I moved towards the door.

I then stepped inside.