Leyana picked up her schoolbag and ran to catch up with her friends. They were going to the beach next weekend and that was all they could talk about. The conversations about what they would wear and what pictures they would take took precedence over the cracking branches from the trees next to the girls.
Without warning a lanky, black creature with wobbly legs and big joints ambushed the girls. Its ugliness was amplified by its big mouth and huge penis that dangled to the ground.
The girls sighed and turned their clothes inside out, exposing their breasts. The creature’s penis erected so much it covered its vision and the girls continued with their conversation as if nothing happened.
Only Leyana commented on the incident, “I hate that we have to do that every time it comes by.”
“Well you know the tambaloslos,” Divine replied, “it’s a stupid creature, and as long as it sees us in that position, it can’t do anything.”
“Yeah I almost feel bad for the thing, it only knows how to do one thing and it fails more often than not,” Dana chimed in.
“What does it even do?” Gina asked.
“I heard it even victimizes chickens and pigs,” Divine said.
“Poor chickens.” Gina laughed.
The other girls went back to the topic of their beach trip leaving their encounter with the creature behind, but Leyana wasn’t satisfied.
“We shouldn’t have to expose ourselves every time it comes by, it’s demeaning.”
“What else can we do? Would you rather be raped?” Divine was blunt and she was known for making points that other people would like to keep quiet.
“Of course not! We should be able to defend ourselves without having to let our breasts hang out!”
“Leyana, just take the easier way out, the tambaloslos won’t harm you if it can’t see you. Why are you making things so difficult?” Gina wanted to go back to asking about what the girls were going to wear for their group shot and she was starting to get annoyed.
“I’m just saying we can find another way to defend ourselves.”
“But being exposed is defending ourselves, it’s not like we let it do anything to us.” Divine was starting to get interested with the way the conversation was going. “We don’t need to fight it if it can’t fight.”
“But it’s not right!”
“It’s not like we can reason with it anyway, it’s not human. It will never understand our point of view so we do what we need to do and run away, just like everyone else does,” Divine shot back.
“Why is this so important to you?” the exasperation in Gina’s voice was almost palpable.
“I’m just so sick of it. Do you know some of the boys wait for the tambaloslos just so that they can have a chance to look at us while we take our clothes off? It’s insulting to us as women.”
“Look if those boys want to be perverts it’s all on them, they’re disgusting in their own way and they don’t have the excuse of being a monster.” Divine could sense there was something behind this dialogue. “Leyana, what’s really bothering you?”
“Promise you won’t tell?”
All the girls nodded.
“It was when I was walking home last week from school. The tambaloslos followed me like it normally does, but there was someone else behind him. It was Rico from the higher batch. I could feel his eyes all over me when I took my blouse off.”
There was silence after Leyana’s confession. An unspoken bond of sisterhood was forged in the echo of her words.
“Don’t walk alone anymore, let’s go together, your house isn’t that far from mine anyway.” Gina smiled, trying to get Leyana’s mind off what had happened.
“He’s an asshole. You should confront him.” Divine hugged Leyana “You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”
The tears fell from both girls and they stood in silence until they were disturbed again by the black creature.
There are many kinds of anger. Some, borne from silence, take their time to reach the surface. But there are others, those that have lingered on and blanketed people’s hearts until they suddenly burst out in rage.
“Leave us alone!” Divine threw her schoolbag at the tambaloslos.
“We’ve been through enough!” Gina kicked the creature in its privates.
“Don’t you ever come near me again!” Leyana punched at the creature’s face, her small fists landing blows against its protruding lips.
The tambaloslos was shocked at the display of violence that came its way and made its way back to the trees to safety.
The girls dried their tears and picked up their things.
In the wake of the attack, they held each other’s hands and basked in the silence only they could understand.
It wasn’t easy living in a village haunted by a tambaloslos. It was even harder being a girl having to fend off that monster and boys who think they could take advantage.
Leyana knew that monsters are everywhere and you had to fight them on your terms, not anyone else’s.
*There are many depictions of the tambaloslos. In some versions of the myth the Tambaluslos chases people who wander in the woods. The only way to escape it is to take off your clothes and wear them inside out. The creature finds this act very hilarious and it will laugh so much that its wide lips would cover its face, therefore preventing it from seeing the victim who in turn will have ample time to escape.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by the Tambaloslos myths from Bicol
Tambaloslos Illustration by Michael Sean B. Talavera
Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/isaneleach13
