The Headless Boogeyman | Complete

Isa

As I step outside the clubroom, my face is hit by a sudden cold breeze that made my spine quiver and skin crawl. Only a few lampposts and the moon illuminate the whole campus. I brought my hands to my face and puff warm air from my mouth.

I never thought it could be this cold in December, I whisper to myself, rubbing my bare hands together.

As soon I relax my shoulders, something heavy and cold touch my neck that made my heart roar like an accelerating tricycle.

"Whoa, you looked like you have seen the Pugot Mamu!" Pedro, my best friend, laugh like hyenas at night.

He places his cold hand on the surface of my forehead, still laughing. "You okay?"

"Fuck off, Pedro!" I swat his hand away from my face. "I sometimes wonder why you're my friend."

"Seriously though, I thought you've seen it, sorry." Pedro scratches the back of his neck.

"Seen what?" I tilted my head to the side, confused as ever.

"The Pugot Mamu," Pedro announce excitedly, his eyes gleaming with his mouth forming a small, warm smile.

"And once again, what kind of paranormal bullshit have you been reading online?" I place my left hand on my waist, giving him a discerning look.

Pedro gives off a confident smirk. "They're not bullshit this time, look!"

He pulls out his smartphone from his back pocket and presents an online thread. It seems innocent at first but became gruesome when he scroll further down. What awaits me below the thread are gory pictures of children and teens, brutally killed with their organs and heads nowhere to be seen.

"What does this have to do with the Pugot Mamu? This looks like one of those group syndicates who steal organs to sell in the black market." I snatch the phone from his hand and scroll deeper.

I freeze the moment I see one huge silhouette of a headless, humanoid beast of some sort. "What is this?"

"That's the Pugot Mamu!" Pedro exclaim, excited.

"Why do you sound so excited? If this thing is real, everyone in Porac is in danger." I click the photo and enlarge it.

Its arms were as thick as a log, its whole stature reminds me of the Hulk with one of his leg, thinner than the other. Its neck along with its head is missing.

"Arvin, this is the break we've been looking for! If we were to get evidence that this creature exists, the school paper won't have to be disbanded. We'll have our funds returned to us!" Pedro grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"If this creature does exist, we should be avoiding it as much as possible." I give his phone back and pulled my hand away. "Come on, we better get home. The jeepneys will all leave us at this rate."

"No. I won't leave until you agree to investigate this thing." Pedro stomps his feet on the ground, dust flying in every direction.

"Come on, you're not a kid. Stop with the tantrums," I sigh in annoyance.

"No. We can't graduate like this, Arvin. The school paper is the soul of the campus. We cannot let this be our legacy." Pedro throws daggers right into my eyes.

I let go of a deep sigh, "okay, okay, you win."

Pedro's face lit up just like Sampaguitas budding in each peak of the sun. He grabbed my hands and shook them excitedly. "You won't regret this decision, my dear Editor-in-Chief!"

"We'll do it under one condition," I reply sternly.

"Everything you say is okay," Pedro smiles.