*Note this story is in Tagalog
“May naririnig ka ba?”
“Oo, parang malutong. Baka may kumakain lang na hayop.”
“Iwasan na lang natin kung saan nanggagaling yung tunog. Bilisan natin, nauna na silang lahat.”
“Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano mo ako nakumbinsing sumali sa walang kwentang Scavenger Hunt. Hindi naman sa wala akong pakialam sa mga tao rito.”
“Gamitin mo iyang galit mo para manalo tayo. Tara dalian natin kasi nandoon sa burol yung susunod na palatandaan.”
“Sige, pero kapag nanalo tayo ililibre mo ako ng dalawang manok sa Jollibee.”
“Seryoso ka!”
“Sige, isang manok lang.”
“Hala! Tumingin ka rito. Ano ito, ano ito?!”
“Ano—-Ga–”
“Patay na tao!”
“Alam ko!”
“Anong gagawin natin?”
“Kailangan muna nating huminga at kumalma!”
“Dios Mio!”
“SABI KO HINGA! Sabayan mo ako, isa, dalawa, tatlo.”
“Isa. Dalawa. Tatlo.”
“Gumana ‘di ba? Kailangan lang nating kumalma at—- ANO IYON?!”
“GUMAGALAW! DIOS MIO!
“Hindi ko alam kung ano ka, pero lumayo ka sa amin! Hindi ka namin sasaktan.”
“Grabe, mayroon siyang dugo sa leeg niya.”
“Ang gusto lang sabihin ng kaibigan ko ay wala kaming gagawing masama sa iyo.”
“Huwag mo kaming sasaktan.”
“Diyan ka lang!”
“AAAHHHGHGH!”
“……teka.”
“……buhay ka pa ba tayo?”
“Ano yung ginagawa niya?”
“Sa tingin ko tinatawanan niya tayo.”
“Nakikita mo ba wala siyang bibig.”
“Kung hindi siya tumatawa, ano yung ginagawa niya?”
“Sa tingin ko namamaalam siya sa atin.”
“A…..Anong nangyari?”
=—————————————————————-=
English version
“What’s that sound?”
“I don’t know, sounds like crunching. Maybe a wild animal’s having lunch.”
“Let’s avoid the path where it’s coming from then. Come on we need to hurry, the rest of them are already ahead.”
“I don’t know how you talked me into going on this stupid scavenger hunt, it’s not like I even like these people.”
“Exactly, you can use that hatred to fuel our victory, now let’s go, I think the next clue is over this hill.”
“Fine, but if we win you owe me a 2 piece chicken from Jollibee.”
“OH MY GOD!”
“Ok, ok, fine, a 1 piece.”
“No! Look over here. Oh my god, oh my god!”
“What’s—– HOLY—–“
“It’s a dead body!”
“I can see that!”
“What do we do?!”
“Okay, calm down, just breathe!”
“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.”
“I SAID BREATHE! Count with me, one. Two. Three.”
“One. Two. Three.”
“See? We just need to stay calm and—– WHAT THE HELL”
“It’s moving! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod”
“I don’t know what you are but stay away! We don’t want any trouble.”
“Ohymygodthere’sbloodonits
“What my friend is trying to say is we don’t mean you any harm.”
“Pleasedon’thurtus.”
“Stay back!”
“AAAHHHGHGH!”
“……wait.”
“…..are we still alive?”
“What’s it doing?”
“I think it’s laughing at us.”
“It doesn’t have a mouth.”
“Well what else do you think it’s doing?”
“I think it’s waving goodbye now.”
“I…..What just happened?”
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*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Emman Bernardino
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Emman Bernardino
Story inspired by Numputul entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Numputul (Sambal) Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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