“The moon is full
The moon is bright
The time is now
To feed my spite”
Aileen coughed. She grabbed another pill from her bedside and swallowed it without any water. It had been a few days since her fever started and she hoped it would be gone by now. There was so much work she still had to do.
“Walk in her footsteps
One at a time
Gather the dirt
A victimless crime”
40 degrees. Aileen’s sister was worried. She called the hospital but the waiting was torture. She could see her baby sister cry out in pain and there was nothing she could do about it. She prayed that the ambulance would be there soon.
“Heat up the pot
Mix in the earth
She won’t suffer long
For whatever that’s worth”
No breath sounds or pulse coming from the patient. The EMT was worried. He had never seen a fever this high before, it was as if the patient was burning up from the inside. He could feel the heat through his gloves while he was giving CPR. Each compression felt like he was pressing his hands against a hot iron, but he couldn’t stop now, he had to do what he could.
“The last of the dirt
Broken and dry
One final lick of flame
And thus she will die”
The old woman smiled. This would teach that ungrateful girl what happens when you don’t respect your elders.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the Mangangamod description in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Mangangamod Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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