*Note this story is in Tagalog
Kasalanan ko ang lahat ng ito.
Nag-aalala na si papa ngayon. Halos isang araw nang hindi nakauuwi si kuya at hindi namin alam kung nasaan siya. Kahit si papa, hindi batid kung nasaan si kuya ngunit naririnig ko siyang umiiyak sa kwarto ni mama kahit wala namang tao roon.
Kailangan ko siyang tulungan. Simula nang masaktan si mama ng sanggol na iyon, gumulo na ang lahat, ngunit sa katapangan na mayroon ako, batid kong mahahanap ko si kuya. Tinanong ko ang lahat ng nasa ospital kung may nakakita bas a kaniya, pinakita ko maging ang kanyang larawan! Hanggang sa isang babaeng guwardiya ang nagsabing may nakita siyang isang batang lalaki sa labas ng ospital na kamukha ni kuya.
Hinintay kong makatulog si Papa saka ako patakbong lumabas ng ospital. Sabi ng guwardiya, nakita niya si Kuya na naglakad papuntang kagubatan at doon ko siya hahanapin. Marami na akong narinig na kuwento ng matatanda tungkol sa nangyayari sa kakayuhan, ngunit naroon si kuya at kailangan ko siyang hanapin. Ayokong malungkot si papa at alam kong gusto siyang makita ni mama pagkadilat ng kanyang mga mata
Mas malawak ang kagubatan kaysa aking inaakala. Wala naitutulong ang sobrang kadilimang nito. Hindi ko alam kung paano mahahanap si kuya ngunit kailangan kong magpatuloy sa paglalakad hanggang sa makita ko siya. Nararamdaman kong makikita ko na siya ngunit si papa ang unang nakakita sa akin! Nakagugulat.
Niyakap niya ako at sinabing labis siyang nag-alalang hindi na ako makita at baka pati ako ay mawala rin. Sinabi ko kay papa na hindi ako mawawala, sa katunayan, hinahanap ko si kuya. Humingi ako ng tawad na sa kalungkutang naidulot ko sa kanya subalit kailangan ko rin siyang tulungan. Magwawalong taong gulang na ako at malaki na upang tulungan sila ni papa, kuya, at mama.
Muli akong niyakap ni papa ngunit kami ay napatigil nang may marinig kaming tumatawa. Hinanap namin kung saan ito nanggaling hanggang sa makita namin ang guwardiyang nagturo sa akin kung saan pumunta si kuya! Iba ang kanyang kasuotan ngayon, at ang kanyang mukha ay mas nakatatakot! Ang kanyang mga ngipin ay napakatutulis. Siguro isa siyang Aswuu—Aswii—Aswang!
Nagsimulang gumalaw nang kakaiba ang kanyang katawan, at ito ay agad na nagbago! Mas lumaki ang kanyang matutulis na mga ngipin, ang kanyang mga kamay at paa ay nagbago at naging isang malaking baboy. Isang malaking nakatatakot na baboy.
Sinabi ni papa na tumakbo. Sumigaw siya na bumalik ako sa ospital at humingi ng tulong! Takot na takot ako! Patakbong papalapit ang malaking baboy kay papa ngunit wala akong magawa.
Kasalanan ko ang lahat ng ito.
Wala akong silbi.
=———————–
English Version
This is all my fault.
Papa’s really worried now. Kuya hasn’t been back in almost a day and we don’t know where he is. Papa doesn’t know but I can hear him crying from mama’s room when he thinks no one’s around.
I have to help him. Ever since mama got hurt by that baby everything just went wrong, but I’m brave and I know I can find kuya. I asked everyone in the hospital if they saw my kuya, I even had his picture! One guard said she saw a boy that looked like my kuya walk outside the hospital.
I waited until papa was asleep then I ran outside of the hospital. The guard said that she saw him walk in the direction of the forest and I knew that’s where I had to go. I heard the adults talking about bad things happening in the trees, but kuya was there and I had to find him. I don’t want papa to be sad and I know mama will want to see him when she wakes up.
The forest is bigger than I thought it would be. It doesn’t help that it’s dark out. I don’t know how to find kuya but I’m sure if I keep walking I’ll see him eventually. I think I was about to find him but papa found me first! It was a big surprise.
He hugged me and said he was so worried when he couldn’t find me and that I shouldn’t run away. I told him that I wasn’t running away, and I was trying to find kuya. I said I was sorry that I made him sad but I need to help him out. I’m almost 8 and I’m big enough to help papa and kuya and mama.
Papa hugged me again but when stopped when we heard someone laughing. We looked behind us and we saw the guard that told me about kuya! She was wearing different clothes now, and her face got scarier! It looked like all her teeth were sharper. I think she was an Aswuu—Aswii—Aswang!
Her body started to move in a strange way, and it changed! Her teeth grew longer, her arms and legs changed and she looked like a giant pig. A giant scary pig.
Papa told me to run away. He said to go back to the hospital and find help! I was so scared! The giant pig was running after papa and I couldn’t do anything.
It’s all my fault.
I’m so useless.
=———————————–=
Story continued from the Siring’s Tale:
Inspired by the Harimodon legends from Bicol
Harimodon Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen
Watercolor by Mykee Concepcion
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