"Grabe, Ed Sheeran is officially my favorite singer now," Raffy said ecstatically while listening to the radio.
It was breakfast time and I have just eaten my fill of bacon, so I'm in the mood for having a crack argument with the lady.
"Really now? Sige nga, how would you pronounce his first album, then?" I say while downing my mug of hot chocolate in one gulp.
"Like the letter X, of course," Raffy replied without batting an eye. "Come on, Fred, what am I, a fake fan for not knowing?"
Outside, I just kept a straight face, but on the inside, I'm already roaring with laughter. I'm no fan of Ed Sheeran, but I know for a fact that his album X is actually a multiplication sign, and this lady right in front of me has no idea whatsoever how much it makes her look like a fake fan for not knowing that. I wouldn't be surprised if she calls that person Ron Weasley just because they are both gingers, considering that it is to be expected from a person who thinks his album is pronounced like the letter X.
I then notice Gus enter the dining room.
"What's up, Baby Aerodactyls?" Gus greeted, holding his mug of coffee on his right hand and a newspaper under his right armpit.
"What's with the newspaper?" Raffy asked him, turning down the volume of the radio, muffling Ed Sheeran's singing voice. "And lemme guess, that's what you call your YouTube subscribers?"
I saw Gus roll his eyes before answering, "Firstly, it's refreshing to be able to read some news without blue light radiation messing up your sleeping patterns for once. And second, AerodactylScreams isn't my YouTube handle for nothing, you know."
I merely shrugged at Gus' answer while getting a few more slices of bacon.
Raffy finally stuffed the small radio in her drawstring bag, tied her hair in a ponytail, and said, "Well, gotta go, gonna be late for my Zumba class. Bye daddy, bye gramps!"
"Take care, unica hija," Gus replied, waving at Raffy as she left the dining room.
I let a few moments of silence pass before I spoke. "So, I see that you are planning to stay home playing video games again for an entire day. What else is new?"
"Ohoho, no, unico hijo, it's a Pokémon GO kind of day for me today," Gus answered. "Today's the first day of the second Ultra Bonus Week, and I'm rearing to hatch some shiny regionals and raid some Deoxys. This is the first time Deoxys is gonna be available outside of EX raids," he then leaned towards me, made a wide grin, and spoke through gritted teeth, "and I'm excited."
"Well then," I spoke after gobbling up the rest of the bacon, "I do hope you manage to film your YouTube content without a hitch. I shall be going now."
"Unico hijo, I don't manage," Gus disagreed. "I simply do, and there's a big difference."
"Same difference," I nonchalantly replied, standing up, and giving Gus a pat on the shoulder. "I will be getting home early tonight, as it is going to be a full moon."
Gus merely nodded as I exited the dining room and went straight to the garage, passing by the covered-up Hindustan Ambassador, which we don't really use anymore, before finally unlocking my Land Rover. I started up the engine, got out of the driveway, and played Africa by Toto on the radio as soon as I was on the road.
I let out a sigh of serenity as the song's intro played inside the vehicle. The gentle rays of the 7 o'clock sun illuminating the surroundings contributed to my good mood.
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in, 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
Several more seconds into the song, I already found myself singing along in giddiness, especially that the roads along San Carlos are not packed with other vehicles as of yet.
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
I was so into singing that by the time the song was over, I've only realized that I was already nearing Calasiao. God knows how fast I was driving to be able to reach this far in a matter of minutes. I decided to lower the volume and let another song play so I could concentrate on the road. It is a Tuesday morning, and children will be walking to school during this time, so I would have to remain careful.
I believe this is a good time for me to tell you that I do not normally use my Land Rover when I make my way to Dagupan, let alone make my way to Dagupan on a normal day. I usually leave San Carlos way earlier than Gus and Raffy to arrive just in time at my shipping company located in Batangas. When everything in my company has already been accounted for, I make my way to Dagupan through a different and, as you Withins might call it, unconventional manner. Once there, I do my duties as the lone janitor of Winchester University Foundation... or at least, that is what my fake job description says. By the end of the day, I go back to Batangas to fetch my ride, and drive back to San Carlos. It might sound inconvenient to you, and honestly, it can be, at times. It just takes some getting used to, not to mention a few renditions of Africa by Toto and a few other songs from the 80s.
Today will be slightly different. Since Evelyn decided to resign from her post as a Science teacher in Winchester, I saw it fit to personally be there when she leaves and I would just have to go to Batangas later. Not only that she is an excellent teacher, but I had to make sure to give my full moral support on her last day in the university. Manananggals already are having a hard time finding companionship in the world that is dominated mostly by Withins, and the least I could do is to be personally there for her. Besides, the high school students are starting to grow on me, and it would be a pity if I do not try to socialize with them every now and then. I myself have quite a lot to learn from them, I must admit, and I would not mind giving them a few of my cents if they ever need it.
I drove into a driveway behind a mall and in front of a shabby looking shop which is actually owned by a licensed distributor of guns and ammunition. Since I am just a 'school janitor,' it would be weird for someone like me to drive a Land Rover to the university, so I would need to leave my ride somewhere inauspicious.
I just got out of the vehicle and started to open my trunk when I suddenly sensed something behind me. Out of reflex, I caught something that was shot towards me and saw that it was an arrow.
"After ages of not visiting Dagupan personally, I honestly thought you have gone rusty," I heard the voice of a woman speak from behind me. "But as expected, you're still as sharp as ever."
I turned around to see a woman with black hair in a pixie cut, a white t-shirt, and faded jeans holding a bow with a quiverful of arrows on her shoulder. I took another look at the arrow that I caught and saw that a rubber suction cup replaced what was supposed to be an arrowhead. The words 'Thank you for your patronage' was etched on the shaft of the arrow.
"I am not going to lie, you almost caught me off-guard, Marlene," I chuckled as I walked towards her then slowly slid the arrow back in its quiver. "Looks like I have a bit of catching up to do."
"M-hm-hm," Marlene laughed breathily, "yeah, you do that. Anyway, business as usual in Winchester? I mean, the janitor's jumpsuit kinda gives it away, but still, I'd like to ask."
"No, it is not a usual business," I replied, "but yes, it is in Winchester. Remember Ms. Faltado, the manananggal who wanted to have a normal life after Pinatubo's eruption? She decided to resign from her post in Winchester after last night's incident when she had gone rabid and inadvertently revealed what she truly is to two of the students."
Marlene cast me a disappointed look.
"Don't get me wrong, this disappointment isn't directed to you," Marlene clarified, "but yeah, it's too bad she has to hide what she truly is just because those Muggles can't accept the fact that manananggals exist in a way they did not expect."
I rolled my eyes and replied, "Will you stop calling the Withins Muggles? It makes you sound like a Harry Potter nerd."
She burst out laughing, "Why not? It's more fun to call the ordinary mortals Muggles. Besides, I prefer the term 'intellectual badass' instead of nerd."
I let out one last chuckle and waved at Marlene. "Well, I have to go to Winchester and pick up Evelyn. By now, she would have finished saying goodbye to her advisory class. I would not want to delay her arrival in Laguna later."
"I'd still love to chat, but yeah, I guess we'll have plenty of time to do that another day," Marlene nonchalantly replied, setting down her bow behind her shop's door. "In the meantime, you can rest assured that your ride will be in good hands while it's here."
"As usual," I breathed, turning back and walking out of the vicinity and gave her one final wave.
It was already somewhat difficult to hail a jeepney by the time I'm back in downtown Dagupan, for hundreds upon hundreds of students and workers are already bustling up and down the sidewalks and also waiting for a ride to their schools or work. I probably would not say the same for the trip itself, because it so happened that everyone who rode the jeepney had the same destination as me.
By the time I got down in front of Winchester, the flag ceremony was over and from the university gate, I could already see Evelyn finish what I could only judge as her farewell speech to the students. Nit wanting to draw attention to myself, I lingered by the gates until everyone was already inside. It was this time when I finally went to the faculty room and met up with Ms. Faltado.
"Ah, good morning, Manong Fred," she greeted after placing one last textbook inside a cardboard box. "Sakto ang dating mo, nakapagpaalam na ako kay Mrs. Argos at sa mga estudyante. Pwedeng pakidala na lang ang mga ito? Tutulungan na sana kita kaso... alam mo naman 'yung nangyari kagabi."
"Yes, I understand completely," I replied, returning her greeting with a nod and picked up the two cardboard boxes she was referring to. "You can leave everything to me. Uh, are these all of your stuff?"
"Oo, lahat na 'yan," she replied. "Hindi naman ako gaanong mahilig magtago ng maraming gamit. Tsaka isa pa, marami rin naman akong mga kailangang iwan dito para magamit pa ng iba."
"If you say so," I sighed, carrying the boxes and made our way out of the faculty room and through the corridor.
It was there where two voices called to us.
"Ms. Faltado!" I heard the voice of a boy whom I recognized as the student council president, followed by the voice of a girl who squealed, "Ma'am!"
We both turned around and saw the two students who were with us last night are running towards us.
"O, Mr. Torrunueva, Ms. San Andres, bakit nandito pa kayo?" Evelyn asked. "Hindi pa ba nagsisimula ang lectures niyo?"
"Ah, eh, Ma'am, kasi excused po kaming mga student council members at mga club leaders para sa paghahanda ng foundation week natin, pero naisipan namin ni Chalisa na ihatid namin kayo palabas ng building," Mr. Torrunueva answered. At the very least, he introduced himself to me yesterday and asked me to call him Alvin, though I insisted that I call him Lazarus. It has a better ring to it, not going to lie.
"At tsaka, kwan," I can hear the girl having second thoughts by her tone, as if she is trying to think of how to say what she needs to day, but ultimately said, "gusto rin po naming magpasalamat kay Manong Fred sa pagprotekta sa amin kagabi. At pati na rin sa paglilinaw sa lahat ng kailangan naming malaman."
"You do not have to thank me for anything... hmm, I believe I still do not know your name," I dolefully replied.
"Ako po pala si Chalisa Mae San Andres, vice president po ng student council," the girl introduced herself.
"Chalisa Mae San Andres," I repeated. "It is nice to meet you, Chalisa."
"Uh, Ma'am, Manong Fred, sabayan na po namin kayong bumaba," Lazarus offered.
I was about to decline his offer when I realized that they still wanted to ask us something. It was only a good thing that Evelyn spoke before I could, "O sige, sabayan niyo na lang ako. Pero alam niyo naman ang tunay na dahilan king bakit ko kailangang umalis dito, 'diba? At least wala nang mapapahamak sa inyo dito."
"Pero 'diba po, sabi niyo, nagkataon lang na may rabies kayo?" Mae insisted on asking. "Kung hindi na kayo magkakaroon ng rabies ulit, hindi niyo na po kami masasaktan kahit na... ayun."
Ms. Faltado fell silent as we walked down the grand staircase of the school building. I can sense that she doesn't have the heart to tell them the reason why she needed to leave, so I decided to chime in.
"She would also need a lot of time healing from last night's incident," I said. "Her kind originated in Zambales, where Mt. Pinatubo is located. That was the place where manananggals go to replenish their health. But since its eruption in 1991, her entire clan has moved to Mt. Makiling, where I shall be taking her today. So please understand. She is going to need a long time in Laguna if she wants a full recovery."
Both Lazarus and Chalisa could only nod in understanding.
"In any case, salamat din po sa pagbukas ng Damayan Building para sa foundation week," Lazarus piped up afterwards.
"Lazarus, we are already nearing the gate," I stated. "We are in no hurry, but you might want to tell us what you came with us for already, not meaning to be demanding or anything of that sort, of course."
I figured that they are not going to accompany Ms. Faltado out of the school just to say their final goodbyes. There is something that they are itching to tell or ask me, and it is evident when the two students exchanged gazes as of to ask whether they should ask it or not.
Ultimately, it was Chalisa who asked the question. "Manong Fred, sinabi po ni Kuya Argus kagabi na... ano, hindi lang po mga manananggal ang namumuhay dito sa lupa. Something about na tip of the iceberg pa lang ang malaman namin na manananggal si Ms. Faltado."
Evelyn looked at me with a questioning expression. I merely gazed at Lazarus and Chalisa for a long time before setting the two boxes I am carrying to the ground and stood straight, towering over them.
"Ang lupang tinatapakan natin kung saan lumaaki ang mga puno na naglilinis ng hanging ating hinihinga," I began, looking at the ground, then looking up. "Ang hangin na nagbibigay sa mga ibon ng himpapawid upang liparan at pinanggagalingan ng ulap upang maging ulan na bubuo sa mga lawa, ilog, at karagatan. Ang karagatan kung saan tumitira ang iba't ibang lamang-dagat na bumubuhay sa atin. At ang liwanag na pinanggagaingan ng apoy na nagsisilbing tagapagligtas mula sa sobrang lamig. Ang lahat ng ito, ang mga ito ang pinagtataguan ng mga nilalang na kayo ay interesado."
At this point, I started speaking faster.
"Sa tuwing makakakita kayo ng anino sa gilid ng inyong mga paningin na nawawala kapag inyo na itong lilingunin, sa tuwing makakarinig kayo ng hindi-maipaliwanag na ingay na kung itutuloy niyo pang abangan ay hindi niyo na ulit ito maririnig, sa tuwing makakaramdam kayo na para bang may nanonood sa inyo ngunit hindi niyo makita kung nasaan ang nagmamatiyag sa inyo, sa tuwing aakalain niyo na paikut-ikot lang kayo sa kalalakad at hindi na kayo nakakarating sa inyong paroroonan, sa tuwig makakakita kayo ng usok na nakapalibot sa mga puno samantalang hindi niyo naman mahanap kung sino ang nagsisiga, ang lahat ng ito ay makapagsasabi sa inyo na nariyan lamang sila sa tabi-tabi, sa bawat sulok ng mundo, kahit pa dito sa mismong paaralan ninyo, lahat sila ay nagbabantay sa inyong paligid, sa kalikasan."
By the end of my speech, both of their mouths gaped in awe.
"So where should we start?" I asked the two students. "I may have to drop Ms. Faltado off to Laguna, but I have all the time in the world for explanations."
To my surprise, Chalisa started to open her mouth to ask a question, but as I expected, Lazarus held Chalisa's hand to stop her from talking.
"Thank you po, Manong Fred, for being open to us," Lazarus thanked me, "pero sa ngayon tama na po muna lahat ng sinabi niyo sa amin. Kahit papaano, alam na namin na nandiyan lang sila sa paligid. That's a start. We only have to ask kung papaano namin malalaman kung malapit sila sa amin. Ayaw po naming makasagi or makatapak ng mga dwende o... kung ano pang mga engkanto."
I merely smiled as I picked up the boxes I set on the ground. "They are not blind, you are. If they see you walking about, they will get out of your way. There is no need for you to excuse yourselves."
Finally standing straight and joining Evelyn, I spoke to the two students. "Well, we will be on our way. I have unlocked everything in Damayan Building so I believe you will be able to take everything from here. I shall be back tomorrow."
Evelyn gave the two one last wave before we took a jeepney in front of the school to go downtown.
During the trip, I could see Evelyn looking at me, impressed. I just told her, "If you want people to stop hounding you, give them overloaded sentences. You can see it work quite well with the boy. Though I am impressed by the girl. She is an inquisitive one, to say the least."
"Ah, oo, si Ms. San Andres," Evelyn responded. "She does ask a lot of questions during my lectures, so you can expect her to hound you more these coming days."
"There is nothing to worry about," I replied. "If either or both of them do want the truth, I can probably give it to them. They are quite open-minded for their age."
"Oo, tama ka," Evelyn agreed, then let a few moments of silence pass before adding, "Best students in their respective classes, I daresay."
The rest of the roundtrip back to Marlene's shop was spent in silence between the two of us. By the time we got back, it was already nine in the morning. Marlene is now fully dressed and was just opening her shop.
"Hey, you got back somewhat late," Marlene greeted me, then turned to Evelyn. "Good morning, Ms. Faltado."
"Good morning," Evelyn greeted back. "Please, just call me Evelyn. You have to forgive Fred right here. Even as a school janitor, malapit siya sa mga bata kaya medyo natagalan kami kanina."
I would not exactly say that I am good with kids, but I am particularly proud of my conversation skills when I am sober, so I would take credit for that.
"Ah, ganon po ba?" Marlene laughed. "Well, I do feel bad that you have to leave Winchester, but I'm happy that you'll be going back to your homeland."
"Yes, I'll definitely need all the time I can to completely recover from that ordeal last night," Evelyn answered.
"I hate to break the good conversation, but we still have a trip to Laguna, and we are already somewhat behind schedule," I told the two ladies.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand," said Marlene, waving a nonchalant hand. "Well, happy trip."
I just realized that Evelyn was already seated in the passenger's seat of my vehicle when I felt something with Marlene was off.
Making sure that Evelyn was out of earshot, I approached Marlene and whispered, "It is strange, Marlene, that on the duration that I was here, there were countless opportunities that you could have asked me for sex, and yet you took none of them."
Marlene could not answer. She only looked at me in confusion so I took this opportunity to ask her the security question, "Why was P!nk named P!nk?"
"U-um, because she used to have pink hair?" Marlene immediately answered.
I glowered at her for a few seconds before saying, "Wrong answer, but at least I made sure it was really you and not some impostor. But why the lack of libido? You would always ask for it unless there is someone you..."
At this, Marlene's cheeks started to flush and he tried to suppress a shy smile.
"So there is someone!" I chuckled. "Who is the lucky person? Share naman diyan!"
Giggling while averting my gaze in bashfulness, she answered, "Well, I met her at a friend's party a couple of months ago. She's a freelance writer who occasionally writes for a few lifestyle magazines and tabloid newspapers. Since I have been seeing her since, I felt it was wrong for us to do it while -"
"Say no more," I assured her, smiling. "I would say it should be the first thing you should say because people might think you are an impostor, but that is a personal matter, and you can say it in your discretion. I just want you to know that I am indeed happy for you, and there are no hard feelings."
"Oh great, now I feel kinda guilty," said Marlene, her shoulders slouching.
"Do not be," I told her. "We both know it is only a matter of time before this relationship comes to an end."
"Can we still stay as friends, though?" Marlene asked.
"Of course," I assured her again. "It does not make sense to cut our friendship just because you already are in a relationship."
Marlene smiled, then looked at my Land Rover. "I still have loads to tell you about her, but you shouldn't keep Evelyn waiting. It's still a long way to Laguna."
"Yes, you are right," I said, turning to walk to my ride and gave her one last wave. "I shall see you around, then."
"I'll see you," I heard Marlene call to me while I sat on the driver's seat and finally closed the door.
It was already nine-thirty in the morning by the time we passed Dagupan's welcome arc on our way to Binmaley. It was at that time when Evelyn finally spoke.
"So, why was P!nk named P!nk?"
I froze for a moment before muttering, "Y-you heard my conversation with Marlene?"
"Every single word," Evelyn answered. "We manananggals are not associated with bats for nothing, you know. Matalas ang pandinig namin. So, you and Marlene, are you two like... friends with benefits? Not that I want to pry, of course, so pwede mong hindi na sagutin."
"Friends with benefits?" I chuckled. "More like friends with awkward sexual tension." I gave it a bit more thought before answering properly. "You may not approve of what we are doing, but Marlene and I merely do it for fun. There are no special feelings between us, but for the record, our friendship is real."
"Hmm, I can't say I wholly approve of this, kung opinyon ko na rin lang ang tatanungin mo, pero what's important is wala kayong nasasaktang iba," Evelyn stated. "And I'm also happy for her for getting in a relationship, pero paano ka na niyan?"
I merely shrugged and said, "Eh, I shall manage. Besides, you are right. What we are doing is frowned upon by most people, so I think I shall need a break from it."
Evelyn nodded, then asked, "So why was P!nk named P!nk?"
Instead of answering, I merely chuckled as if to tell her that I am not going to answer her question today.
We arrived at the foot of Mt. Makiling ahead of time. Had it been any other person driving, we would have taken a lot longer, but I must admit, I am not a defensive driver. In fact, we would have arrived even sooner if Evelyn did not mind me driving for more than 110 kilometers per hour on the entire duration of the trip.
"Why don't you stay for lunch?" Evelyn offered after I brought her stuff out of my ride. "Magugutom ka niyan mamaya sa daan."
"I am afraid I must decline," I answered. "You know how much the goddess hates foreigners. I would not want to risk getting struck by her wrath. Besides, I would need to go home before the moon rises. I only barely have enough time to make it home."
"In that case, mag-ingat ka sa daan," Evelyn replied, holding my hands. "At salamat sa paghatid sa akin dito. Have a safe trip."
"I shall, thank you," I said finally before getting back inside my ride and driving away.
While I was driving home, I honestly thought that this would be another one of those mundane drives I have each day. I could not have been more wrong.
I was just about to put on Africa by Toto again when I realized that there was a black Ford Everest blocking the deserted highway. If I were to define the word suspicious, this would be it. Three women and a man dressed up all in black stood by the Everest, as if waiting for someone to pass by. Not wanting to draw suspicion myself, I stepped on the brakes and pressed the horn a couple of times.
Just then, the man started walking towards my vehicle. I would be lying if I say I am not on edge because of this, but just kept it cool and rolled down my window to hear what he had to say.
His face fell when he saw me.
"We've got the wrong car," he called to his companions. "Amy, move our ride so he may pass through."
He then turned to me and said, "Sorry about that. We are on an official business here, so do us a favor and forget that this happened, alright?"
"No problem," I nonchalantly answered, but still with my guard up.
I was just about to drive away when a car suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran over the guy that was just talking to me. As a result, I saw the guy get thrown several meters from where my Rover stopped.
As if it was not shocking enough, the guy who was just ran over staggered towards where the car sped off to and roared, "Don't let him get away!"
The guy and two of the women rushed inside their Everest with one of them calling, "We'll go on ahead, Evanna! You wipe that guy's memory of him meeting us here!"
"What the -"
As the Everest sped off, a woman, who I assume is Evanna started walking towards me and said, "It's okay, this will not hurt a..."
But as she got nearer to my ride, she trailed off as she took a huge sniff from the air. She then looked at me as if she recognized someone from long ago.
"Wait, you're not..." the woman named Evanna tripped on her words as she started backing away, but before she could completely do so, she wiped her hand on my Rover's bonnet, then ran off at the same speed as a car.
In confusion, I got out of my vehicle and went in front of it as if I could still see where the woman ran off to. I then looked at the spot on the bonnet where the woman rubbed her hand. There is only one type of Exceed that would do such a thing as far as I know.
I ran my fingers on the spot then took a whiff. I could feel both my pupils dilate completely as I mutter, "That woman is also a werewolf."
***** It is already seven in the evening and I was still driving through a narrow highway in Urbiztondo.
"Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!" I growled as I slammed on the brakes amd hurriedly took off all my clothes. I perfectly knew that it was going to be a full moon tonight, but had no idea that the moon would rise as early as seven in the evening tonight.
I have just barely removed my last sock when...
*BOOF!*
I sat motionless on the now cramped driver's seat as the surroundings became illuminated by the bright moonlight. I could feel my claws hit my scalp as I buried my face on my paws.
"Urgh! Whatever," I muttered as I adjusted the driver's seat to my current size. It was only a good thing that I had my Rover's windshield and windows heavily tinted so I would not have to waste precious magical energy on concealment charms. Before long, I had already resumed driving through the winding Urbiztondo road, albeit crouched down on my seat so I could still see where I was driving.
I only had to let a few minutes pass before I finally arrived at our mansion in San Carlos. As soon as I parked the Rover in the garage, I had no time to catch my breath because I could swear I saw Raffy emerging from the backyard all covered in sweat.
When I got near her, there was another click at the gate and Gus entered with his cosplay gloves on one hand and a wild expression on his face.
If this reunion was not weird enough, all three of us then chorused, "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!"
It was breakfast time and I have just eaten my fill of bacon, so I'm in the mood for having a crack argument with the lady.
"Really now? Sige nga, how would you pronounce his first album, then?" I say while downing my mug of hot chocolate in one gulp.
"Like the letter X, of course," Raffy replied without batting an eye. "Come on, Fred, what am I, a fake fan for not knowing?"
Outside, I just kept a straight face, but on the inside, I'm already roaring with laughter. I'm no fan of Ed Sheeran, but I know for a fact that his album X is actually a multiplication sign, and this lady right in front of me has no idea whatsoever how much it makes her look like a fake fan for not knowing that. I wouldn't be surprised if she calls that person Ron Weasley just because they are both gingers, considering that it is to be expected from a person who thinks his album is pronounced like the letter X.
I then notice Gus enter the dining room.
"What's up, Baby Aerodactyls?" Gus greeted, holding his mug of coffee on his right hand and a newspaper under his right armpit.
"What's with the newspaper?" Raffy asked him, turning down the volume of the radio, muffling Ed Sheeran's singing voice. "And lemme guess, that's what you call your YouTube subscribers?"
I saw Gus roll his eyes before answering, "Firstly, it's refreshing to be able to read some news without blue light radiation messing up your sleeping patterns for once. And second, AerodactylScreams isn't my YouTube handle for nothing, you know."
I merely shrugged at Gus' answer while getting a few more slices of bacon.
Raffy finally stuffed the small radio in her drawstring bag, tied her hair in a ponytail, and said, "Well, gotta go, gonna be late for my Zumba class. Bye daddy, bye gramps!"
"Take care, unica hija," Gus replied, waving at Raffy as she left the dining room.
I let a few moments of silence pass before I spoke. "So, I see that you are planning to stay home playing video games again for an entire day. What else is new?"
"Ohoho, no, unico hijo, it's a Pokémon GO kind of day for me today," Gus answered. "Today's the first day of the second Ultra Bonus Week, and I'm rearing to hatch some shiny regionals and raid some Deoxys. This is the first time Deoxys is gonna be available outside of EX raids," he then leaned towards me, made a wide grin, and spoke through gritted teeth, "and I'm excited."
"Well then," I spoke after gobbling up the rest of the bacon, "I do hope you manage to film your YouTube content without a hitch. I shall be going now."
"Unico hijo, I don't manage," Gus disagreed. "I simply do, and there's a big difference."
"Same difference," I nonchalantly replied, standing up, and giving Gus a pat on the shoulder. "I will be getting home early tonight, as it is going to be a full moon."
Gus merely nodded as I exited the dining room and went straight to the garage, passing by the covered-up Hindustan Ambassador, which we don't really use anymore, before finally unlocking my Land Rover. I started up the engine, got out of the driveway, and played Africa by Toto on the radio as soon as I was on the road.
I let out a sigh of serenity as the song's intro played inside the vehicle. The gentle rays of the 7 o'clock sun illuminating the surroundings contributed to my good mood.
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in, 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
Several more seconds into the song, I already found myself singing along in giddiness, especially that the roads along San Carlos are not packed with other vehicles as of yet.
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
I was so into singing that by the time the song was over, I've only realized that I was already nearing Calasiao. God knows how fast I was driving to be able to reach this far in a matter of minutes. I decided to lower the volume and let another song play so I could concentrate on the road. It is a Tuesday morning, and children will be walking to school during this time, so I would have to remain careful.
I believe this is a good time for me to tell you that I do not normally use my Land Rover when I make my way to Dagupan, let alone make my way to Dagupan on a normal day. I usually leave San Carlos way earlier than Gus and Raffy to arrive just in time at my shipping company located in Batangas. When everything in my company has already been accounted for, I make my way to Dagupan through a different and, as you Withins might call it, unconventional manner. Once there, I do my duties as the lone janitor of Winchester University Foundation... or at least, that is what my fake job description says. By the end of the day, I go back to Batangas to fetch my ride, and drive back to San Carlos. It might sound inconvenient to you, and honestly, it can be, at times. It just takes some getting used to, not to mention a few renditions of Africa by Toto and a few other songs from the 80s.
Today will be slightly different. Since Evelyn decided to resign from her post as a Science teacher in Winchester, I saw it fit to personally be there when she leaves and I would just have to go to Batangas later. Not only that she is an excellent teacher, but I had to make sure to give my full moral support on her last day in the university. Manananggals already are having a hard time finding companionship in the world that is dominated mostly by Withins, and the least I could do is to be personally there for her. Besides, the high school students are starting to grow on me, and it would be a pity if I do not try to socialize with them every now and then. I myself have quite a lot to learn from them, I must admit, and I would not mind giving them a few of my cents if they ever need it.
I drove into a driveway behind a mall and in front of a shabby looking shop which is actually owned by a licensed distributor of guns and ammunition. Since I am just a 'school janitor,' it would be weird for someone like me to drive a Land Rover to the university, so I would need to leave my ride somewhere inauspicious.
I just got out of the vehicle and started to open my trunk when I suddenly sensed something behind me. Out of reflex, I caught something that was shot towards me and saw that it was an arrow.
"After ages of not visiting Dagupan personally, I honestly thought you have gone rusty," I heard the voice of a woman speak from behind me. "But as expected, you're still as sharp as ever."
I turned around to see a woman with black hair in a pixie cut, a white t-shirt, and faded jeans holding a bow with a quiverful of arrows on her shoulder. I took another look at the arrow that I caught and saw that a rubber suction cup replaced what was supposed to be an arrowhead. The words 'Thank you for your patronage' was etched on the shaft of the arrow.
"I am not going to lie, you almost caught me off-guard, Marlene," I chuckled as I walked towards her then slowly slid the arrow back in its quiver. "Looks like I have a bit of catching up to do."
"M-hm-hm," Marlene laughed breathily, "yeah, you do that. Anyway, business as usual in Winchester? I mean, the janitor's jumpsuit kinda gives it away, but still, I'd like to ask."
"No, it is not a usual business," I replied, "but yes, it is in Winchester. Remember Ms. Faltado, the manananggal who wanted to have a normal life after Pinatubo's eruption? She decided to resign from her post in Winchester after last night's incident when she had gone rabid and inadvertently revealed what she truly is to two of the students."
Marlene cast me a disappointed look.
"Don't get me wrong, this disappointment isn't directed to you," Marlene clarified, "but yeah, it's too bad she has to hide what she truly is just because those Muggles can't accept the fact that manananggals exist in a way they did not expect."
I rolled my eyes and replied, "Will you stop calling the Withins Muggles? It makes you sound like a Harry Potter nerd."
She burst out laughing, "Why not? It's more fun to call the ordinary mortals Muggles. Besides, I prefer the term 'intellectual badass' instead of nerd."
I let out one last chuckle and waved at Marlene. "Well, I have to go to Winchester and pick up Evelyn. By now, she would have finished saying goodbye to her advisory class. I would not want to delay her arrival in Laguna later."
"I'd still love to chat, but yeah, I guess we'll have plenty of time to do that another day," Marlene nonchalantly replied, setting down her bow behind her shop's door. "In the meantime, you can rest assured that your ride will be in good hands while it's here."
"As usual," I breathed, turning back and walking out of the vicinity and gave her one final wave.
It was already somewhat difficult to hail a jeepney by the time I'm back in downtown Dagupan, for hundreds upon hundreds of students and workers are already bustling up and down the sidewalks and also waiting for a ride to their schools or work. I probably would not say the same for the trip itself, because it so happened that everyone who rode the jeepney had the same destination as me.
By the time I got down in front of Winchester, the flag ceremony was over and from the university gate, I could already see Evelyn finish what I could only judge as her farewell speech to the students. Nit wanting to draw attention to myself, I lingered by the gates until everyone was already inside. It was this time when I finally went to the faculty room and met up with Ms. Faltado.
"Ah, good morning, Manong Fred," she greeted after placing one last textbook inside a cardboard box. "Sakto ang dating mo, nakapagpaalam na ako kay Mrs. Argos at sa mga estudyante. Pwedeng pakidala na lang ang mga ito? Tutulungan na sana kita kaso... alam mo naman 'yung nangyari kagabi."
"Yes, I understand completely," I replied, returning her greeting with a nod and picked up the two cardboard boxes she was referring to. "You can leave everything to me. Uh, are these all of your stuff?"
"Oo, lahat na 'yan," she replied. "Hindi naman ako gaanong mahilig magtago ng maraming gamit. Tsaka isa pa, marami rin naman akong mga kailangang iwan dito para magamit pa ng iba."
"If you say so," I sighed, carrying the boxes and made our way out of the faculty room and through the corridor.
It was there where two voices called to us.
"Ms. Faltado!" I heard the voice of a boy whom I recognized as the student council president, followed by the voice of a girl who squealed, "Ma'am!"
We both turned around and saw the two students who were with us last night are running towards us.
"O, Mr. Torrunueva, Ms. San Andres, bakit nandito pa kayo?" Evelyn asked. "Hindi pa ba nagsisimula ang lectures niyo?"
"Ah, eh, Ma'am, kasi excused po kaming mga student council members at mga club leaders para sa paghahanda ng foundation week natin, pero naisipan namin ni Chalisa na ihatid namin kayo palabas ng building," Mr. Torrunueva answered. At the very least, he introduced himself to me yesterday and asked me to call him Alvin, though I insisted that I call him Lazarus. It has a better ring to it, not going to lie.
"At tsaka, kwan," I can hear the girl having second thoughts by her tone, as if she is trying to think of how to say what she needs to day, but ultimately said, "gusto rin po naming magpasalamat kay Manong Fred sa pagprotekta sa amin kagabi. At pati na rin sa paglilinaw sa lahat ng kailangan naming malaman."
"You do not have to thank me for anything... hmm, I believe I still do not know your name," I dolefully replied.
"Ako po pala si Chalisa Mae San Andres, vice president po ng student council," the girl introduced herself.
"Chalisa Mae San Andres," I repeated. "It is nice to meet you, Chalisa."
"Uh, Ma'am, Manong Fred, sabayan na po namin kayong bumaba," Lazarus offered.
I was about to decline his offer when I realized that they still wanted to ask us something. It was only a good thing that Evelyn spoke before I could, "O sige, sabayan niyo na lang ako. Pero alam niyo naman ang tunay na dahilan king bakit ko kailangang umalis dito, 'diba? At least wala nang mapapahamak sa inyo dito."
"Pero 'diba po, sabi niyo, nagkataon lang na may rabies kayo?" Mae insisted on asking. "Kung hindi na kayo magkakaroon ng rabies ulit, hindi niyo na po kami masasaktan kahit na... ayun."
Ms. Faltado fell silent as we walked down the grand staircase of the school building. I can sense that she doesn't have the heart to tell them the reason why she needed to leave, so I decided to chime in.
"She would also need a lot of time healing from last night's incident," I said. "Her kind originated in Zambales, where Mt. Pinatubo is located. That was the place where manananggals go to replenish their health. But since its eruption in 1991, her entire clan has moved to Mt. Makiling, where I shall be taking her today. So please understand. She is going to need a long time in Laguna if she wants a full recovery."
Both Lazarus and Chalisa could only nod in understanding.
"In any case, salamat din po sa pagbukas ng Damayan Building para sa foundation week," Lazarus piped up afterwards.
"Lazarus, we are already nearing the gate," I stated. "We are in no hurry, but you might want to tell us what you came with us for already, not meaning to be demanding or anything of that sort, of course."
I figured that they are not going to accompany Ms. Faltado out of the school just to say their final goodbyes. There is something that they are itching to tell or ask me, and it is evident when the two students exchanged gazes as of to ask whether they should ask it or not.
Ultimately, it was Chalisa who asked the question. "Manong Fred, sinabi po ni Kuya Argus kagabi na... ano, hindi lang po mga manananggal ang namumuhay dito sa lupa. Something about na tip of the iceberg pa lang ang malaman namin na manananggal si Ms. Faltado."
Evelyn looked at me with a questioning expression. I merely gazed at Lazarus and Chalisa for a long time before setting the two boxes I am carrying to the ground and stood straight, towering over them.
"Ang lupang tinatapakan natin kung saan lumaaki ang mga puno na naglilinis ng hanging ating hinihinga," I began, looking at the ground, then looking up. "Ang hangin na nagbibigay sa mga ibon ng himpapawid upang liparan at pinanggagalingan ng ulap upang maging ulan na bubuo sa mga lawa, ilog, at karagatan. Ang karagatan kung saan tumitira ang iba't ibang lamang-dagat na bumubuhay sa atin. At ang liwanag na pinanggagaingan ng apoy na nagsisilbing tagapagligtas mula sa sobrang lamig. Ang lahat ng ito, ang mga ito ang pinagtataguan ng mga nilalang na kayo ay interesado."
At this point, I started speaking faster.
"Sa tuwing makakakita kayo ng anino sa gilid ng inyong mga paningin na nawawala kapag inyo na itong lilingunin, sa tuwing makakarinig kayo ng hindi-maipaliwanag na ingay na kung itutuloy niyo pang abangan ay hindi niyo na ulit ito maririnig, sa tuwing makakaramdam kayo na para bang may nanonood sa inyo ngunit hindi niyo makita kung nasaan ang nagmamatiyag sa inyo, sa tuwing aakalain niyo na paikut-ikot lang kayo sa kalalakad at hindi na kayo nakakarating sa inyong paroroonan, sa tuwig makakakita kayo ng usok na nakapalibot sa mga puno samantalang hindi niyo naman mahanap kung sino ang nagsisiga, ang lahat ng ito ay makapagsasabi sa inyo na nariyan lamang sila sa tabi-tabi, sa bawat sulok ng mundo, kahit pa dito sa mismong paaralan ninyo, lahat sila ay nagbabantay sa inyong paligid, sa kalikasan."
By the end of my speech, both of their mouths gaped in awe.
"So where should we start?" I asked the two students. "I may have to drop Ms. Faltado off to Laguna, but I have all the time in the world for explanations."
To my surprise, Chalisa started to open her mouth to ask a question, but as I expected, Lazarus held Chalisa's hand to stop her from talking.
"Thank you po, Manong Fred, for being open to us," Lazarus thanked me, "pero sa ngayon tama na po muna lahat ng sinabi niyo sa amin. Kahit papaano, alam na namin na nandiyan lang sila sa paligid. That's a start. We only have to ask kung papaano namin malalaman kung malapit sila sa amin. Ayaw po naming makasagi or makatapak ng mga dwende o... kung ano pang mga engkanto."
I merely smiled as I picked up the boxes I set on the ground. "They are not blind, you are. If they see you walking about, they will get out of your way. There is no need for you to excuse yourselves."
Finally standing straight and joining Evelyn, I spoke to the two students. "Well, we will be on our way. I have unlocked everything in Damayan Building so I believe you will be able to take everything from here. I shall be back tomorrow."
Evelyn gave the two one last wave before we took a jeepney in front of the school to go downtown.
During the trip, I could see Evelyn looking at me, impressed. I just told her, "If you want people to stop hounding you, give them overloaded sentences. You can see it work quite well with the boy. Though I am impressed by the girl. She is an inquisitive one, to say the least."
"Ah, oo, si Ms. San Andres," Evelyn responded. "She does ask a lot of questions during my lectures, so you can expect her to hound you more these coming days."
"There is nothing to worry about," I replied. "If either or both of them do want the truth, I can probably give it to them. They are quite open-minded for their age."
"Oo, tama ka," Evelyn agreed, then let a few moments of silence pass before adding, "Best students in their respective classes, I daresay."
The rest of the roundtrip back to Marlene's shop was spent in silence between the two of us. By the time we got back, it was already nine in the morning. Marlene is now fully dressed and was just opening her shop.
"Hey, you got back somewhat late," Marlene greeted me, then turned to Evelyn. "Good morning, Ms. Faltado."
"Good morning," Evelyn greeted back. "Please, just call me Evelyn. You have to forgive Fred right here. Even as a school janitor, malapit siya sa mga bata kaya medyo natagalan kami kanina."
I would not exactly say that I am good with kids, but I am particularly proud of my conversation skills when I am sober, so I would take credit for that.
"Ah, ganon po ba?" Marlene laughed. "Well, I do feel bad that you have to leave Winchester, but I'm happy that you'll be going back to your homeland."
"Yes, I'll definitely need all the time I can to completely recover from that ordeal last night," Evelyn answered.
"I hate to break the good conversation, but we still have a trip to Laguna, and we are already somewhat behind schedule," I told the two ladies.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand," said Marlene, waving a nonchalant hand. "Well, happy trip."
I just realized that Evelyn was already seated in the passenger's seat of my vehicle when I felt something with Marlene was off.
Making sure that Evelyn was out of earshot, I approached Marlene and whispered, "It is strange, Marlene, that on the duration that I was here, there were countless opportunities that you could have asked me for sex, and yet you took none of them."
Marlene could not answer. She only looked at me in confusion so I took this opportunity to ask her the security question, "Why was P!nk named P!nk?"
"U-um, because she used to have pink hair?" Marlene immediately answered.
I glowered at her for a few seconds before saying, "Wrong answer, but at least I made sure it was really you and not some impostor. But why the lack of libido? You would always ask for it unless there is someone you..."
At this, Marlene's cheeks started to flush and he tried to suppress a shy smile.
"So there is someone!" I chuckled. "Who is the lucky person? Share naman diyan!"
Giggling while averting my gaze in bashfulness, she answered, "Well, I met her at a friend's party a couple of months ago. She's a freelance writer who occasionally writes for a few lifestyle magazines and tabloid newspapers. Since I have been seeing her since, I felt it was wrong for us to do it while -"
"Say no more," I assured her, smiling. "I would say it should be the first thing you should say because people might think you are an impostor, but that is a personal matter, and you can say it in your discretion. I just want you to know that I am indeed happy for you, and there are no hard feelings."
"Oh great, now I feel kinda guilty," said Marlene, her shoulders slouching.
"Do not be," I told her. "We both know it is only a matter of time before this relationship comes to an end."
"Can we still stay as friends, though?" Marlene asked.
"Of course," I assured her again. "It does not make sense to cut our friendship just because you already are in a relationship."
Marlene smiled, then looked at my Land Rover. "I still have loads to tell you about her, but you shouldn't keep Evelyn waiting. It's still a long way to Laguna."
"Yes, you are right," I said, turning to walk to my ride and gave her one last wave. "I shall see you around, then."
"I'll see you," I heard Marlene call to me while I sat on the driver's seat and finally closed the door.
It was already nine-thirty in the morning by the time we passed Dagupan's welcome arc on our way to Binmaley. It was at that time when Evelyn finally spoke.
"So, why was P!nk named P!nk?"
I froze for a moment before muttering, "Y-you heard my conversation with Marlene?"
"Every single word," Evelyn answered. "We manananggals are not associated with bats for nothing, you know. Matalas ang pandinig namin. So, you and Marlene, are you two like... friends with benefits? Not that I want to pry, of course, so pwede mong hindi na sagutin."
"Friends with benefits?" I chuckled. "More like friends with awkward sexual tension." I gave it a bit more thought before answering properly. "You may not approve of what we are doing, but Marlene and I merely do it for fun. There are no special feelings between us, but for the record, our friendship is real."
"Hmm, I can't say I wholly approve of this, kung opinyon ko na rin lang ang tatanungin mo, pero what's important is wala kayong nasasaktang iba," Evelyn stated. "And I'm also happy for her for getting in a relationship, pero paano ka na niyan?"
I merely shrugged and said, "Eh, I shall manage. Besides, you are right. What we are doing is frowned upon by most people, so I think I shall need a break from it."
Evelyn nodded, then asked, "So why was P!nk named P!nk?"
Instead of answering, I merely chuckled as if to tell her that I am not going to answer her question today.
We arrived at the foot of Mt. Makiling ahead of time. Had it been any other person driving, we would have taken a lot longer, but I must admit, I am not a defensive driver. In fact, we would have arrived even sooner if Evelyn did not mind me driving for more than 110 kilometers per hour on the entire duration of the trip.
"Why don't you stay for lunch?" Evelyn offered after I brought her stuff out of my ride. "Magugutom ka niyan mamaya sa daan."
"I am afraid I must decline," I answered. "You know how much the goddess hates foreigners. I would not want to risk getting struck by her wrath. Besides, I would need to go home before the moon rises. I only barely have enough time to make it home."
"In that case, mag-ingat ka sa daan," Evelyn replied, holding my hands. "At salamat sa paghatid sa akin dito. Have a safe trip."
"I shall, thank you," I said finally before getting back inside my ride and driving away.
While I was driving home, I honestly thought that this would be another one of those mundane drives I have each day. I could not have been more wrong.
I was just about to put on Africa by Toto again when I realized that there was a black Ford Everest blocking the deserted highway. If I were to define the word suspicious, this would be it. Three women and a man dressed up all in black stood by the Everest, as if waiting for someone to pass by. Not wanting to draw suspicion myself, I stepped on the brakes and pressed the horn a couple of times.
Just then, the man started walking towards my vehicle. I would be lying if I say I am not on edge because of this, but just kept it cool and rolled down my window to hear what he had to say.
His face fell when he saw me.
"We've got the wrong car," he called to his companions. "Amy, move our ride so he may pass through."
He then turned to me and said, "Sorry about that. We are on an official business here, so do us a favor and forget that this happened, alright?"
"No problem," I nonchalantly answered, but still with my guard up.
I was just about to drive away when a car suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran over the guy that was just talking to me. As a result, I saw the guy get thrown several meters from where my Rover stopped.
As if it was not shocking enough, the guy who was just ran over staggered towards where the car sped off to and roared, "Don't let him get away!"
The guy and two of the women rushed inside their Everest with one of them calling, "We'll go on ahead, Evanna! You wipe that guy's memory of him meeting us here!"
"What the -"
As the Everest sped off, a woman, who I assume is Evanna started walking towards me and said, "It's okay, this will not hurt a..."
But as she got nearer to my ride, she trailed off as she took a huge sniff from the air. She then looked at me as if she recognized someone from long ago.
"Wait, you're not..." the woman named Evanna tripped on her words as she started backing away, but before she could completely do so, she wiped her hand on my Rover's bonnet, then ran off at the same speed as a car.
In confusion, I got out of my vehicle and went in front of it as if I could still see where the woman ran off to. I then looked at the spot on the bonnet where the woman rubbed her hand. There is only one type of Exceed that would do such a thing as far as I know.
I ran my fingers on the spot then took a whiff. I could feel both my pupils dilate completely as I mutter, "That woman is also a werewolf."
***** It is already seven in the evening and I was still driving through a narrow highway in Urbiztondo.
"Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!" I growled as I slammed on the brakes amd hurriedly took off all my clothes. I perfectly knew that it was going to be a full moon tonight, but had no idea that the moon would rise as early as seven in the evening tonight.
I have just barely removed my last sock when...
*BOOF!*
I sat motionless on the now cramped driver's seat as the surroundings became illuminated by the bright moonlight. I could feel my claws hit my scalp as I buried my face on my paws.
"Urgh! Whatever," I muttered as I adjusted the driver's seat to my current size. It was only a good thing that I had my Rover's windshield and windows heavily tinted so I would not have to waste precious magical energy on concealment charms. Before long, I had already resumed driving through the winding Urbiztondo road, albeit crouched down on my seat so I could still see where I was driving.
I only had to let a few minutes pass before I finally arrived at our mansion in San Carlos. As soon as I parked the Rover in the garage, I had no time to catch my breath because I could swear I saw Raffy emerging from the backyard all covered in sweat.
When I got near her, there was another click at the gate and Gus entered with his cosplay gloves on one hand and a wild expression on his face.
If this reunion was not weird enough, all three of us then chorused, "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!"
BattlePyramid Creator