Detrimental Creatures

Chalava

Sorry for not having this up months ago.  I was extremely busy.  Dealing with family issues, and my issues also.  Here's "Chalava", All the credit goes to "Snarled", or "Sapphire."  I am a huge fan, and I felt like this would fit well with this book.  Thank you, and enjoy! 

     This happened when I was about 11 years old and lived with my 17-year-old sister Manaca, and my Grandmother. 

 I was sitting at the table eating dinner with my grandma when Manaca quickly rushed inside.  "You're home late,"  Grandma commented.  But, Manaca didn't respond.  Grandma called over to her to join us for dinner, but she walked right past us and straight to her room.  "Teenagers... Some moody."  Grandma said.

     I was pretty close to my sister.  We weren't that far apart in age, and we could usually talk about anything.  She did have a tendency to be moody but, I could feel that something was different about tonight.  So after dinner, I gently knocked on her door and asked if everything was okay.  "I just need to be along right now."  

I shrugged and headed to my own room, followed by our family dog, Snoopy. 

     I layed in bed, I was having a hard time falling asleep.  I felt really anxious and restless for some reason.  I didn't understand why.  Hours had gone by, and I had given up on trying to fall asleep.  I decided to take Snoopy out on a 3:00 a.m. walk.  

The neighborhood was quiet and calm.  Snoopy was happily sniffing around.  Then I heard a rustling, from a bush a couple of meters in from of us.  

     From the bushes, emerged what looked like a mangy black dog.  There were a lot of strays in this part of town, so I wasn't too surprised and continued forward.  But Snoopy wasn't moving.  I looked and was shocked to see him low on the ground, sneering.  "It's just a dog snoop,"  I said as I yanked on his leash.  But Snoopy was not budging.  His sneering turned into growling.

     I looked back towards the stray dog and watched as the dark creature stood up, reaching its full height.  That was no dog.

At this point, snooping was barking wildly at the creature.  I pulled his leash and ran in the opposite direction.  I could hear the booming footsteps of "that thing" chasing after us!  "Why won't you play with me?!"   It asked tauntingly.  I refused to turn around or speak to it.  My grandmother was a very spiritual person and she had always told me to never engage with a spirit that's trying to get your attention...  That's how you invite them into your life!

So I just kept running.  Snoopy following closely by my side.  Luckily, my neighborhood had a lot of temples, almost one every 200 meters.

     I ran towards one of them and slammed it shut behind me.

I waited...

And listened...

 The footsteps outside seemed to have slowed down.  The footsteps came to a halt.

"I'll come back for you."

I fell to the ground and caught my breath.  Snoopy and I, stayed there until the sun rose. 

When we got back to our house, my grandmother and my sister were already at the dining room table.  Eating breakfast.

"I saw something last night! I-it was this thing! It was chasing us!"  I was struggling to describe the words of what I saw.  But even then, my grandmother knew what it was.

"You didn't talk t it did you?"

"NO! Of course not! But, grandma what was that?"

     ~"It was most likely a 'Chalava.'" 

"It means 'Illusionist or Shapeshifter...  They are created when an unborn child dies and the respected ceremonies aren't performed.  And since the child's spirit couldn't take a good earthly form, they inhabit whatever form the can. Usually, a malicious one."

Manica covered her mouth, this seemed to really be upsetting her.

"Where did you see the Chalava?"  Grandma asked.

"Out by that field where the stray dogs usually are," I responded.

"Ah, that makes sense. There used to be a hospital over there.  It was shut down when they discovered that a Doctor was performing unauthorized abortions."

Manica burst into tears.  "What's wrong Manica? You've been acting so strangely lately."

"The Chalava... It's my fault!  I'm so sorry Gorov!"

     Manica ran back to her room.  My grandma told me she was just being moody.  But, It was til a few years later, that I fully understood what had happened that night...