*Note this story is in Tagalog

Bumibilis ang pagtibok ng kaniyang puso habang nakatingin sa isang babae sa bar. Ngumiti ba siya kay Sam?

Nag-iisip siya ng maaari niyang gawin: Ang pinakaposibleng mangyari ay hindi siya pansinin kapag niyaya niya itong makipag-usap. Kapag naman tumagal ang usapan, kinatatakutan niya na hindi maging interesado ang babae dahil wala siya gaanong maikukuwento. Palaisipan naman sa kakayahan niya na makausap at makuha ang numero nito dahil nangangailangan ng lakas ng loob para magawa iyon.

Lumugok si Sam ng alak para magkaroon siya ng tapang at hinahanda ang sarili sa mga sasabihin: “Gaano ka kadalas dito?” Pangit, gamitin na. “Naglalaro ka ba ng soccer? Nasalo mo kasi ang puso ko.” Masyadong korni, baka iwanan ako bago ko pa matapos. Paano kaya kung, “Ang hirap hindi mapansin ang iyong kagandahan mula sa aking kinauupuan.” Tuwid ang gustong ipaalam, baka gumana.

Naglalakad siya papunta sa babae hanggang sa nakalimutan niya ang kaniyang sasabihin. Naantig siya sa kagandahan nito sa malapitan. Nauutal si Sam at nagmamadali kung ano ang sasabihin, at naisipan niya na lang na magpakilala “Kumusta, ako si Sam.”

Ngumiti ang babae sa kaniya at tumawa, “Nakakatawa ka, ayos lang naman ako, ako pala si Samantha.”

“Ibang klase, Sam din ang pangalan mo?” Sabay siyang naguguluhan sa kung ano ang pag-uusapan nila at napapaisip dahil sa ganda ng boses ni Samantha.

“Gusto mo ba akong samahan? Kikitain ko dapat yung mga kaibigan ko pero hindi sila makakapunta, kaya nandito lang ako mag-isa. Ngumiti ulit si Samantha at nahuli niya si Sam sa kaniyang pakay.

“…sige, walang problema!” Nilakasan ni Sam ang kaniyang loob at nagtanong, “Gaano ka kadalas dito?”

“Hindi gaano, hindi talaga ako mahilig sa lugar na ito. Gusto ko ng lugar na puwedeng sumayaw. Nandito lang talaga ako dahil sa mga kaibigan ko.”

“Ano yung nangyari sa kanila?”

“Bigla silang kinailangan sa mga bahay nila, ngayon nakabihis na ako at hindi alam ang gagawin.”

“Alam ko naman na makakahanap tayo ng lugar na magugustuhan mo.” Ngumiti si Sam, pero sa totoo lang nagdarasal na sana gumana ang kaniyang linyahan.

“Ano ang gusto mong gawin?” Tanong ni Samantha.

“Mayroon akong alam na lugar na matitipuhan mo. Malaki ang sayawan, at magaling din ang DJ magsama-sama ng mga kanta. Kung papayag ka na kasama mo ako.

“Ayos lang sa akin. Para naman hindi sayang yung lakad.” Inabot niya ang kamay ni Sam, habang siya naman ay tuwang-tuwa dahil napapayag niya si Samantha.

Hindi inaasahan ang mga pangyayari sa gabing iyon.

Paano napunta si Sam doon?

Ang naaalala niya sumasayaw lang sila. Baka sumobra siya ng inom at iniwan niya lang ang kaniyang sasakyan sa labas ng bar dulot ng sobrang kalasingan, at ngayon…

Nasa bahay siya kasama ang isang magandang babae. Nasa sahig ang kanilang mga damit at magkadikit ang kanilang mga labi.

Hindi siya makapaniwala na totoo ang nangyayari. Pumunta lang siya ng bar, para makalimutan ang kaniyang lungkot dahil nawalan siya ng trabaho, hindi niya inaasahan mapupunta siya sa kalagayan niya ngayon. Inisantabi niya muna ang lungkot at pinili niyang magsaya kapiling ni Samantha.

Ayaw muna niyang pansinin ang mga pagdududa sa kadahilanan na hindi ito kailangan sa ngayon.

Nararamdaman ni Sam ang init ng balat at hininga ni Samantha sa kaniyang leeg. Gusto niyang hawakan ang buong katawan nito. Kumapit siya sa likuran ni Sam, kaso nasugatan niya ito. Mukha itong masakit pero hindi niya nararamdaman dahil parehas silang nasasabik sa isa’t isa.

Tumingin siya sa mga mata ni Samantha at nagtanong, Ano iyon? Kinalimutan niya ang kaniyang napansin at nagpatuloy na lamang sa kaniyang ginagawa.

Nagpakasakop siya sa kagandahan ni Samantha. Pinaulit-ulit niya sa kaniyang sarili, “Totoo itong nararanasan ko. Ito ang mahalaga sa ngayon.”

Kung pinagtuonan lang niya ng pansin, makikita niya na humaba ang kuko at patalim nang patalim ang mga ngipin ni Samantha.

=—————————–=

Nagbihis na siya dahil tapos na ang kaniyang hapunan.

Kailangan ulit maglinis ngayon gabi, pero ang mahalaga sulit ang kaniyang pagkain.

Hindi siya makapaniwala na gumagana pa rin ang kaniyang galawan.

Tunay na kapang-kapa niya ang mga lalaki.

=————————-———=

English Version

Sam stares at her from across the bar and his heart skips a beat. Did she really smile at him?

His mind tries to go through all the possibilities: He talks to her and she turns him down, that was the most likely scenario. He talks to her and she finds out how boring he is, that was what he was afraid of, he was never the best conversationalist. He talks to her and he gets her number, that would be incredibly unlikely but fortune favors the bold.

Sam downs his liquid courage and prepares himself. “Do you come here often?” No, that was too cliché. “Do you play soccer, ‘cause you’re a keeper?” Too corny, she would probably walk away before he finished. “I can’t help but notice how beautiful you were from across the room.” Direct and straight to the point, maybe that will work.

He walks towards her and his mind draws a blank. She’s even lovelier up close. Sam stutters and his mind races to find words of any kind to start with, finally it settles with “Hello, I’m Sam.”

She smiles back and giggles. “That’s funny, my name’s Samantha. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re name’s also Sam? What a coincidence.” The inside of his head is a mess alternating between finding topics to talk about and thinking about how melodic her voice is.

“Do you mind keeping me company? I was supposed to meet my friends here but they aren’t coming so I’m just here all alone.” She smiles again and Sam is caught offguard.

“…sure, that’s no problem.” He gulps and hopes that he can do this. “Do you come here often?”

“Not really, I’m not into bars like this. I like any place with a dance floor. I was just here for a friend.”

“What happened to them?”

“Some emergency at home, now I’m all dressed up with nothing to do.”

“I’m sure we can find something you’re interested in.” Sam smiled, but in his head he was praying that line would work.

“What do you have in mind?” She asked.

“I know a place that you might be interested in. The dance floor’s pretty big and the DJ’s supposed to be amazing. I mean, if you don’t mind going with me.”

“Why not? Might as well salvage this night.” She takes his hand and his mind is filled with fireworks.

Tonight was a welcome surprise.

=————————-———————–=

How did he end up here?

They went dancing, that much he knew. Maybe had one too many drinks. He remembered leaving his car at the club because he was too tipsy to drink, and now…

Now he was with a beautiful girl in her apartment. Their clothes were on the floor and their lips were locked.

He couldn’t believe this was happening to someone like him. He was at the bar to drown his sorrows after losing his job, he never expected to end up like this. Sadness could wait, now was his time to enjoy.

Sam pushed away all the doubts that usually plagued his mind, they were unwelcome in this moment.

He can feel the heat from her skin, and the warmth of her breath on his neck. He wanted to caress every crevice of her body. She dug her nails on his back, it may have hurt but there was too much adrenaline between them for him to notice.

He looked into her eyes and saw something, what was it? His mind brushed that thought away, he wanted to focus on what was happening.

He leaned back and basked in her beauty. This was real. This was the moment. This was all that mattered.

If he paid attention he would have noticed when her nails grew longer and her teeth became sharper.

=————————-————-=

Sam finished her midnight meal and put on her clothes.

It was another night of cleaning up, but at least she had a good meal out of it.

She still couldn’t believe her game still worked.

Men were so predictable.

=————————-————=

*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

Inspired by the Mandarangkal aswang legends

Mandarangkal Illustration by Julius Arboleda

Sam stares at her from across the bar and his heart skips a beat. Did she really smile at him?

His mind tries to go through all the possibilities: He talks to her and she turns him down, that was the most likely scenario. He talks to her and she finds out how boring he is, that was what he was afraid of, he was never the best conversationalist. He talks to her and he gets her number, that would be incredibly unlikely but fortune favors the bold.

Sam downs his liquid courage and prepares himself. “Do you come here often?” No, that was too cliché. “Do you play soccer, ‘cause you’re a keeper?” Too corny, she would probably walk away before he finished. “I can’t help but notice how beautiful you were from across the room.” Direct and straight to the point, maybe that will work.

He walks towards her and his mind draws a blank. She’s even lovelier up close. Sam stutters and his mind races to find words of any kind to start with, finally it settles with “Hello, I’m Sam.”

She smiles back and giggles. “That’s funny, my name’s Samantha. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You’re name’s also Sam? What a coincidence.” The inside of his head is a mess alternating between finding topics to talk about and thinking about how melodic her voice is.

“Do you mind keeping me company? I was supposed to meet my friends here but they aren’t coming so I’m just here all alone.” She smiles again and Sam is caught offguard.

“…sure, that’s no problem.” He gulps and hopes that he can do this. “Do you come here often?”

“Not really, I’m not into bars like this. I like any place with a dance floor. I was just here for a friend.”

“What happened to them?”

“Some emergency at home, now I’m all dressed up with nothing to do.”

“I’m sure we can find something you’re interested in.” Sam smiled, but in his head he was praying that line would work.

“What do you have in mind?” She asked.

“I know a place that you might be interested in. The dance floor’s pretty big and the DJ’s supposed to be amazing. I mean, if you don’t mind going with me.”

“Why not? Might as well salvage this night.” She takes his hand and his mind is filled with fireworks.

Tonight was a welcome surprise.

How did he end up here?

They went dancing, that much he knew. Maybe had one too many drinks. He remembered leaving his car at the club because he was too tipsy to drink, and now…

Now he was with a beautiful girl in her apartment. Their clothes were on the floor and their lips were locked.

He couldn’t believe this was happening to someone like him. He was at the bar to drown his sorrows after losing his job, he never expected to end up like this. Sadness could wait, now was his time to enjoy.

Sam pushed away all the doubts that usually plagued his mind, they were unwelcome in this moment.

He can feel the heat from her skin, and the warmth of her breath on his neck. He wanted to caress every crevice of her body. She dug her nails on his back, it may have hurt but there was too much adrenaline between them for him to notice.

He looked into her eyes and saw something, what was it? His mind brushed that thought away, he wanted to focus on what was happening.

He leaned back and basked in her beauty. This was real. This was the moment. This was all that mattered.

If he paid attention he would have noticed when her nails grew longer and her teeth became sharper.

Sam finished her midnight meal and put on her clothes.

It was another night of cleaning up, but at least she had a good meal out of it.

She still couldn’t believe her game still worked.

Men were so predictable.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Mandarangkal myths

Mandarangkal Illustration by Julius Arboleda

The heat is tantalizing. Her breath slowly moves down his neck as she kisses him. It is a game that has been played since time immemorial, a story of a man and a woman. The rule of passion in the ever changing pulse of emotion. The end and the beginning.

She kisses him on the lips and bites down. He feels the heat build up inside, this is more than he bargained for, but he is past the point of caring. There is only them now, two becoming one.

Her teeth don’t stray from his mouth but the script has turned. She does not let go. He does not take the lead. Her hands explore his body with their smoothness, moving through it as if both their lives depended on it. But that is only true for one of them.

The moment is approaching its peak.

Her lips taste sweet, and then he tastes something else. A red stream makes its way down his mouth. The dress she is wearing is stained with the life giving fluid, the crimson blot growing steadily.

His scream dies in its infancy.

In an instant, the beautiful dream turns into an unimaginable nightmare. Arms twist into impossible configurations, teeth grow to disproportionate sizes and the woman he believed to be his salvation becomes damnation.

Thus begins his descent into hell.

Reason dictates he shouldn’t be alive, but reason has fled to safer pastures. His eyes cannot shift away from the brutality that unfolds. She cups her hands, gathers his blood and drinks her fill. The twisted limbs move in a concert of carnage.

Too long passes before she is finally finished.

Her twisted form shifts to the beautiful shell that lures her prey. She licks the last drops of blood from her mouth and thinks about the dress she will have to replace. The meal wasn’t as satisfying as it should have been, but hunger plays games with her standards.

The heat finally dies as the final breath escapes the man. This is a game that has been played since time immemorial. The story of a monster and a man. The rule of death in a landscape of life. The beginning and the end.

————————–————————–———————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Mandarangkal myths

Mandarangkal Illustration by emirajuju
IG: https://www.instagram.com/emirajuju/

Watercolor by Yanna Gemora
FB: Yannami