Dullahan [ COMPLETED ]

First Encounter

Chapter 3: First Encounter

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There were no more words about that, just a nod, and we bid goodbye. I stood by the side of the road, smiling to myself while waiting for a jeepney. It was already quarter to g, and beyond the distance, I could see the darkening of the skies as dusk approaches. I yawned. Wow, thinking about 5 things at a time could be a work out for the brain.

"Two days before Friday," I hummed, shifting my weight from one leg to the other, "What to do, what to do.."

The wait for a jeepney got longer, and I curse myself for not being time-aware. This always happens. I really need to bring my watch all the time.

Just then, I heard the roar of an engine from the distance and I saw light. Probably headlights from a car. 'Finally!' I thought while I heaved a sigh of relief and stretched my arm to signal it. But as it approached, I felt a chill run through my spine when I made out a different silhouette.

Human and a horse.

And those weren't headlights! They were the horse's red eyes!

I stood there, breathing heavily, slowly retreating my arm in hopes that it wouldn't notice me. The horse's neigh echoed in the thin air, and it seemed so dark.  So black. It was a shadow. The rider itself was a shadow as well. I stepped back, but I didn't tear my eyes of it. The rider was bulky, and the outlines were giving me the impression that it was wearing armor from the medieval times. Something was amiss with its form. Lacking something.  And I watched it come closer, realizing how true it was. 

It was headless.

The headless rider swooned past me, and the stench of something metallic filled the atmosphere, but I didn't bother with it. Instead, I kept watching, even as it stopped. Even as it swiveled around and glared at me with non-existent eyes. Even as it approached with small strides and I came face to face with its very being. Even when its cold hands touched my chin and tipped it up, as if staring.

“Du..llahan…” I managed to whisper through dry lips.

            There was utter silence save for the sound of my heartbeat through my ears.  And then, it moved, raising his other hand, and I had to squint through the darkness to make out what it was holding. Instincts kicked in the moment it swung its arm at me, and I ducked. The crack of a whip resounded and I scampered across the road to escape.

‘Idiot! Idiot! How could I have forgotten!’ I thought wildly as I ran blindly, knowing full well that a car won’t come passing by any moment, ‘Dullahans whip out the eyes of those who sees them!!’

I made a quick turn, nearly twisting my ankle in the process, and slammed myself on the wall. I slid down, hands clutching my chest at so much adrenaline for a day, and looked back. It was gone. No signs of it. The road also seemed much lighter and there was actually an oncoming car. A jeepney.

“Wait!!” I shouted as I stood on shaky legs, waving my arms at it. The jeepney stopped, I got on it and it drove off. The driver gave me a worried look, but I smiled, “I’m fine.”

TBC----------------