*Note this story is in Cuyonon
“Sa matod lang, indi ko dia makita bilang problima.” Makon si Angela. “Mas maite ateng magiging trabaho.”
Ikalimang bisis den naynabo na mi akaona agbuat sa andang dapat buaten. Ag sala sa angin ang maborong pangalamo ang asusunog na lawas ang mangalok. Angirit pa si Angela, mintras si Diosdado, nga pirmi ra, midyo ing gorames anang itsura. “Indi ko dia maliagan,” makon si Diosdado. Agpanaw tana paraye sa patay na lawas ang mangalok para magpaangin.
“Ara masyadong biktima na mga tao, Dio.”
“Sino man ang aga buat dia siguradong aga gamit kalayo sa pagpatay i mangalok.”
“Matod, aga abot ang timpo na ang kalayo ay nagiging karoyan ang tanan.”
“Beken dia timpo para magniloko-loko!”
“Ang matinglo, midian kita reng timpo!! Indi mo ma-bel, ara kita i pakipag-kompitinsya sa kung kikino. Ang mayad na mangalok, at patay na mangalok.”
“Indi mo gamiten akeng limeg laban kanaken.” Makikita sa mata ni Angela na beken tana pabor. Pirming kondan si Diodado. Aliag na pirming nanalaeman ang tanan.
“Selenga Dio, anono ateng bubuaten kung maelaman ta kung sino aga buat i dia? Pakigampangan sanda na magpanari sa andang ingbubuat? Na dapat kita lamang ang manigdakep mangalok digi sa Metro?”
“Pwidi sanda kataw importanting impormasyon kanaten.” Akoriseng para enged si Diosdado.
Ara ibang paagi para kalosot, sa isip ni Angela. Ara ren ibang paagi kundi magpa-oyon den lang. “Sigi. Okay. Sigi. Indi ta ren ampangan dia.”
“Selengen ta ren lang ang mga biktima.”
Midyo ag tas ang lokon ni Angela. “Dia mga mangalok, beken makokon na mga biktima.”
“Indi mo sanda ren lamang selengen na mga mangalok. Buaten ta ren lamang, ateng dapat buaten.”
“Ikaw ang madadason.”
“Ang onang biktima.”
“Ang onang biktima ay isarang kiwig, ag pwisto tana marapit sa iskwilan para magpandakep mga bata. Basi sa impormasyon, marakeng mga bata ang ag kon na kakita sanda tió na adaba-daba ang mga mata. Isara kananda ag bel pa litrato, ig agtawag kanaten ang anang mga gorang-gorang.”
“Sa timpong dia…”
“Indi mo ako istorbon, Dio. Akita amen sa atep ang sunog na lawas ang kiwig. Sa anyong tao den, ig mga kwarinta tegka sinkwinta anang idad. Ara reng ibang importanti na makikita pa sa logar ang kinaynaboan.
“Okay, ang madasong biktima.”
“Isarang wakwak na aga manman sa maternity ward. Marakeng mga aberedes ang nabelan bago kita ingtawagan.” Aka koriseng si Angela.
“Ange—” kon ni Diosdado.
“Indi kita pwidi sa ibang-ibang logar sa saka timpo, Dio.”
“Naelaman ko.”
“Mapadayon kita.”
“Basi sa footage na ateng nabel, ag kunwari ang wakwak na bisita sa maternity ward. Kada gabi na ig katatorog don tana aga-ataki. Makonkon tana sa babai. Karaekan sa mga nanay madali ag sarig sa mga babai da.”
“Makabebereng lamang na ara ta nakita anang lawas sa ospital.”
“Kung sino man ang ag patay sa wakwak, ag buat den paagi na mapadali ang paglimpyo.”
“Akita ang lawas ang wakwak sa pararadan sarakayan sa isarang asusunog na kotsi.
“Abebereng ako lamang na ara mi akakita sa naynabo, midyo lamang bomba na gulpi ag lupok.”
“Ara ra CCTV sa pararadan.”
“Maswirti sanda. Mapakon kita sa pangatlo.”
“Ang mga tiktik?”
Ag pa een si Angela.
“Midyo kaw alingling sa saka bucket ang Chickenjoy. Ang mga sigbin ay akarasunog da. Apat kabilog na tiktik, itabid pa ang andang agalin nga mangalok. Ing akes na ang saka tiktik mintras asusunog sanda.”
“Midian pang ibang impormasyon?”
“Dato ang problima, ingtawagan kita lang pagkatapos dia maynabo. Ara kita kilalang ibang biktima. Ara pasobaling agpatay, kung sino man ang ag buat dia sa mga tiktik. Midyo naelaman nang lagi na mangalok ang isarang tao o ayep.
“Midyo kita ra.”
“Indi kaw ag pabogal, Dio. Mi mga sitwasyon da na kung kaysan indi tang lagi masingot kung mangalok ang saka tao o beken.”
“Piro ang manigpatay na dia, ara palya.”
“Tama kaw, magagamit ta ang impormasyon na dan.”
“Pakon kita sa ikaapat na biktima.”
“Ang sinasa’ban, akeng paborito.” Paburit ni Angela. “Atatandan ko pa ang pangalamo.”
“Iba ang sakabilog na dia.”
“Matod. Agumpisa ang sunog sa seled anang lawas, paloa. Ang mag-abot kami, ag lopok anang lawas, ig aglagpak kanamen tanang anang mga kinaen.”
“Akakasigmi.”
“Korang pa dan imong diskripsyon sa talagang naynabo.”
“Ang pang-ori?”
“Okay, dia ang talagang makakagolpi. Maski kita naelaman ta na indi ta kaya ang asbo kung kita-kita lang.”
“Indi ta maelaman dan.”
“Ing libot ko ang logar, saka padis na marka ang lapak lamang akeng nakita.”
“Mayad para kananda.”
“Ange—?”
Okay, okay – ameng naabotan ang asbo na sa anang anyong ayep. Ig pariho sa iba, doro rang kasunog.”
“Anono andang pagkapari-pariho?”
“Poro sanda ing pangsunog.”
“Siryoso ako, selengan ta ang mga ditalyi.”
“Hmmmm..”
“Sigi, kunwari kita sanda. Pagkakita ta sa mga mangalok, anono ateng boboaten? Boboan ta gasolina, ig sindian ta gamit ang posporo?”
“Araboay. Konan dan olit.”
“Ang posporo?”
“Beken, ang gasolina. Sa mga logar kung sadin ta akita andang mga lawas, mi apangalamoan kang gasolina o lana?”
“Midian?”
“Sa akeng seleng, beken tao ang mi binoatan dia.”
“Saka mangalok pa?”
“Beken, beken toladato. Ara ako pa ababati na mangalok na kakakontrol kalayo. Mi iba pa.”
“Dapat tang padalemen ateng imbistigasyon. Anong klasing tao o ayep ang mi madalem na silag laban sa mga mangalok?”
“Liban kanaten?”
“Liban kanaten.”
“Sa akeng seleng…”
“Anono?”
“Indi mo dia maliagan.”
“Konan kanaken.”
“Dapat kitang magkonsulta sa ispiritu i ang mga puno.”
“Mi otang na leba tana kanaten.”
“Agugulpian ako sa pagpabor kanimo. Akeng kaysip asisilag kaw kanana.”
“Ang silag ay isarang emosyon na dapat i-risirba para sa giyira. Akeng isip aga kon na mi beken matringlo digi, dapat kong sarigan akeng paena-ena.”
“Apaayon ako kanimo.”
Asaraot ang alitaptap sa atobangan ang puno ang Balete, asinyas sa darwa na magseled. Midyo abububuay den da bago sanda oman kaseled sa logar ang mga ispiritu, beken sanda sanay, piro agdiritso sanda para enged i dason sa sanag, sa isip andang toyó. Sa midyo pira ka adlaw na andang pagpanaw, apapateng-pateng ni Angela ang pigura ang saka batang babai na agakapet payong.
“Agbalik akeng mga paboritong kakarawat!” Makon ang batang babai na akalogbo sa kalipay.
“Beken dadi Aura. Mi ipapakitaw akong pabor.”
“ Makarawat kita anay, pariho ang dati Mr. Diosdado.”
“Ara kami ren timpo para dyan,” makon si Angela.
Ag pa-een da si Diosdado. “Aura, mi otang na leba kaw kanamen.”
Golpi koriseng ang bata.
“Anono indong aliagan?”
Ag sabat si Angela, “Mi saka tao o ayep na agapamatay mangalok sa Metro. Agagamit sanda kalayo sa pagpatay sa mga… biktima.”
Ag dogang si Diosdado na ag kon, “Ara ra mga tao na biktima sa dadi, sa ameng pagkaelam.”
“Makabebereng, sigoro aga lemek den anang leba mintras amamalam.”
Aka-ignek si Angela mi Diosdado, “Kilala mo?”
“Pira kamo ron ka dagon pandakep mga mangalok? Abebereng ako na ara indo tana pa nababagat.”
“Baritan kanamen.” Siryoso na ag pakiman si Diosdado.
Ingtangkeb ni Aura anang payong, ag panaw papakon sa darwa.
“Pamatian indo ang kwinto.”
Mi saka lalaki (kung makokon mo tanang tao) na tedek sa tagiposon na ag mal a isarang mangalok.
Ag imbeng sanda mintras nabubui, ig kong iba lamang ang mga bagay-bagay, ara maliag ikon kananda ang “ara kataposan”.
Ang mangalok pati anang asawa, ag imbeng pira kagatos nga dagon para sa isara mi isara.
Asta saka adlaw ng odas tana ang mangalok. Adora ang mangalok, ing salan tana na dorong kasakit sa anang tagiposon.
Ig ag kalayo anang mata.
Tenged sigoradong mapamales tana ag lagted-lagted tana sa iba-ibang logar apamatay mga mangalok.
Tegka sa makita na anang “mangalok”.
“Arabuay, maliag ikonon mi saka imortal nga aga sagiap anang asawang mangalok para patayen?” pakiman ni Angela.
Ag sabat si Aura,”Mayad, mi apamati ra gali kanaken! Akeng kaysip alilimegen ako lamang sa akeng sadili digi.”
“Ig kakapaloa tana kalayo sa anang mata?”
“Matod kamong apamati kanaken? Sa matod, midyo mas agapolpol kamong mga tao kada timpo na ing kakampang ta kamo.”
“Dio, iba reng arampangen dia.” Ing kawidan ni Angela ang braso ni Dio.
“Ara ako ron alilipay, naelaman indo ang dalan paloa.” Ing abrian olit ni Aura anang payong ig aglepad paobong. Mintras adodora tana sa anadang paneleng, ag golpi linog ang logta.
Priparado ang darwa sa kondiang sitwasyon, beken dia ang onang bisis na ag palagiaw sanda sa logar ang mga ispirito.
Pag loa anda, asingot anda ren da ang maborong pangalamo i ang logar ang mga tao.
Agselengan si Diosdado pati si Angela. Si Diosdado ang ag ona limeg.
“Ano sa imong pabetang?”
“Midyo ministir kitang mag-priparar.”
“Para sadin?”
“Sa ona na ateng kalaem na tao lamang ang mi binoatan ang tanan, ayos lamang kanaken, piro ang mangalok na dia mi anang sadiling toyó. Indi ag boay na mi mga tao o bagay na madadamay.
Ag tonga-tonga si Disodado.
“Marake pa ateng dadakepen.”
=——————–=
English Versio
“I honestly don’t see how this is a problem.” Angela was beaming. “Less work for us.”
This was the fifth time they were beaten to the punch. The stench from the flaming carcass of the aswang left an acrid aftertaste in the air. Angela was still smiling while Diosdao, as usual, had his face crumpled into a grimace.
“I don’t like this,” Diosdado said. He walked away from the corpse to get some fresh air.
“There weren’t that many human victims, Dio.
“Whoever’s doing this is using fire to deal with aswang.”
“To be fair, at a certain point fire becomes everything’s weakness.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes!”
“But now we have time!! Don’t you get it, we’re not competing with whoever this is. The only good aswang is a dead aswang.”
“Don’t use my own words against me.”
Angela rolled her eyes. Diosdado was always like this. He always had to know.
“Look Dio, what do we do when we find out who this is? Tell them politely to stop? That there’s only room for one set of aswang hunters in this Metro?”
“They could be a valuable source of information.” Diosdado was still grimacing.
There was no way to escape this, Angela thought. She had no choice but to surrender. “Fine. Okay. Fine. Let’s get through this.”
“Ok let’s look at the victims.”
Angela’s eyebrow shot up. “These were aswang, not exactly what we’d call victims.”
“Ignore the fact that they were aswang. Let’s do this our way, like we always do.”
“If you say so.”
“So, the first victim.”
“The first one was a kiwig, it was attempting to hunt children near a public school. Based on what information we gathered, multiple children said that they saw a dog with fiery eyes. One of them even took a picture of it and her parents called us.”
“It was then—”
“Don’t interrupt me Dio. We found the remains of the kiwig on the roof, most of the corpse was burned to ash. It was in its human form, that of a middle-aged woman. There was nothing else in the scene that was worth noting.”
“Okay the next one.”
“A typical wakwak stalking a maternity ward. There were multiple miscarriages before we were called in.” Angela’s face contorted.
“Ange—-” Diosdado started.
“We can’t be everywhere Dio.”
“I know.”
“Let’s continue.”
“Based on the footage we were able to get, the wakwak disguised itself as a visitor in the maternity ward. It spent its nights feeding during graveyard hours. It looked like it was a woman. Most mothers would trust another woman more.”
“It was surprising that we didn’t find its body in the hospital.”
“Whoever killed it was kind enough to make things easier to clean up.”
“The wakwak was found in the parking lot in a burned-out car.”
“I’m surprised no one saw what happened. It was like a bomb that detonated suddenly.”
“There was also no CCTV in the parking lot.”
“Lucky for them. And now we go to number three.”
“The tiktiks?”
Angela nodded.
“It was like looking in a bucket of Chickenjoy. The familiars were burned as well. I counted 4 tiktik in addition to the aswang master. She was hugging one of the birds when she was burned.”
“Anything interesting there?”
“That’s the thing, we were called after the fact. There were no victims that we know of. Whoever killed the tiktiks struck without waiting. Like he was able to see that it was an aswang right away.”
“Like we do.”
“Don’t feed your ego, Dio. We’ve been in situations where we couldn’t be sure if someone was an aswang.”
“But this whoever can.”
“You’re right, that could be useful.”
“Anyway, the fourth victim.”
“The sinasa’ban, my favorite kind.” Angela was dripping with sarcasm. “I can still remember the smell.”
“This one was different though.”
“Yeah it burned from the inside out. When we got to it, it burst and showered us with all the filth it had eaten.”
“It was disgusting.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“The last one?”
“Okay this is the one that was most surprising. Even we couldn’t handle an asbo by ourselves.”
“And whoever this is they were able to do it alone.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I went through the whole site, there was only one set of footprints.”
“Well good for them.”
“Ange—”
“Okay okay – the asbo was in its beast form when we got to it. Same as the others, burned to an absolute crisp.”
“So what do they have in common?”
“They all got fried.”
“I’m serious, we have to look at the details.”
“Hmmmm..”
“Okay let’s pretend we’re them. We somehow find the aswang and then what? We pour gasoline on it and light a match?”
“Wait. Say that again.”
“The match?”
“No, the gasoline. In the sites did you ever smell gasoline or oil?”
“Did you?”
“I don’t think whoever did this is human.”
“Like another aswang?”
“No, nothing like that. I’ve never heard of an aswang that can control fire. It’s something else.”
“So, let’s expand our search. What kind of entity would hold a grudge against aswang?”
“Apart from us?”
“Apart from us.”
“I think…..”
“What?”
“You’re not going to like this.”
“Tell me.”
“We should consult with the spirits of the trees.”
“She owes us one favor.”
“I’m surprised you’re agreeing with this. I thought you hated her.”
“Hate is an emotion better saved for battle. My gut says there’s something here, I have to trust my instincts.”
“If you say so.”
=—————————————————————————————=
The fireflies danced in front of the Balete tree beckoning the two hunters in. It had been long since they have entered the realm of the spirits and they were not used to the shift in reality, but they trudged on into the light, seeking their goal.
She finally came into view in what seemed like days of walking, a small girl holding an umbrella.
“My wonderful playmates have returned!!” The little girl leaped into the air.
“Not today, Aura. I request a boon.”
“Oh no, but we had so much to play with last time Mr. Diosdado.”
“We don’t have the time for this,” Angela said.
Diosdado nodded. “Aura, you owe us.”
Suddenly the girl’s face contorted into a scowl. “What do you want party poopers?”
Angela answered, “There is an entity hunting aswang in the Metro. They prefer the use of fire when they dispatch their… victims.”
Diosdado added, “There have been no human victims for now, not directly at least.”
“That’s strange, he must have gotten soft in his old age.”
Angela and Diosdado both exclaimed, “He?!”
“You two have hunted the aswang for how long now? I’m surprised you haven’t met him sooner.”
“Tell us,” Diosdado’s eyes were stern.
Aura closed her umbrella and walked towards the two hunters.
“Let the story flow.”
=————————————————————————————————–=
There was once a man
(If you can call him that)
Completely in love
With a monster
They spent their lives together
And if things were different
Eternity would have meant nothing to them
The monster
And her husband
Had centuries
In each other’s arms
Until one night
The monster betrayed him
She vanished
Leaving him with a broken heart
And his eyes burned
For vengeance would be his
So, he travels the land
Hunting monsters
Until he finds his
=————————————————————-=
“Wait, so there’s an immortal creature looking for his aswang wife to kill her?” Angela
Aura replied with a sarcastic smile, “Wow you actually listened! And here I thought I was talking to myself.”
“And he can spew fire from his eyes?”
“Did you even listen to me? I swear you humans get dumber every time I talk to your kind.”
“Dio, this changes everything.” Angela grabbed Diosdado’s arm.
“I’m bored now, you know the way out.” Aura opened her umbrella and flew upwards. As soon as she was out of sight, tremors violently raged through the earth.
The two were prepared for this, after all it wouldn’t be their first time escaping from the engkanto’s realm.
The portal closed behind them and they savored the acrid air of the human world.
=———————————————————-=
Diosdado and Angela stared at each other. It was Dio who broke the silence.
“What do you think?”
“I think we need to prepare.”
“For what?”
“When we thought it was another human, I was fine, but this thing sounds like he has his own agenda. It won’t be too long that something or someone is going to be collateral damage.”
Diosdado nodded.
“More for us to hunt.”
=———————=
*Cuyonon is a regional Visayan language spoken on the coast of Palawan, and the Cuyo Islands in the Philippines.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Cuyonon Translation provided by Arlan Belen
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Arlan Belen
Inspired by the Bonggo description in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Illustration by Art of EDOY