*Note this story is in Tagalog
Kahit na masakit ang kaniyang likod, sinabayan pa ng pamamaga ng kaniyang paa ay nakapagbalik-balik pa rin siya sa banyo. Sa lahat ng kaniyang naranasan, ni hindi siya kailan man nagreklamo.
Nasa ikapitong buwan na si Clara sa kaniyang pagbubuntis at ngayon ay naka-bed rest. Ang kaniyang asawa na si Angelo, hindi muna pumasok sa trabaho, pinaghahanda siya ng kaniyang almusal.
Sa tabi ng kaniyang higaan, tumunog bigla ang kaniyang telepono.
“Hello?”
Sa kabilang linya narinig niya ang namamaos na boses ng isang babaeng matanda.
“Hello, si Clara Campos po ito, sino po sila?”
“Ikaw ba yung buntis na nakatira sa Zaragosa Street?”
“Sino po sila? Pa’no niyo po nakuha ang numerong ito?”
“Huwag kang lalabas ng inyong bahay! Nasa peligro ka!”
“Prank call ba ‘to? Hindi nakakatuwa ah!”
“Para ito sa kapakanan ng nasa iyong sinapupunan! Kailangan mong makinig sa akin!
Maari namang ibaba ni Clara ang telepono. Maari naman niyang hindi na pansinin ang pinagsasabi ng nasa kabilang linya at magpatuloy sa pangkaraniwan niyang ginagawa araw-araw. Pero nagbabago ang mga bagay-bagay kapag ikaw ay magiging isang ina. Kahit gaano pa ito kakaiba, kung may dulot naman ito sa iyong anak, gagawin mo ito. Walang kahit na anong tanong.
“Ano po bang nais mong sabihin?” Tumataas na ang tono ng boses ni Clara. “Ano pong koneksyon nito sa aking baby?”
“Makinig ka!”
Sa kalagitnaan ng sasabihin nito, ay yumakap ang katahimikan. Ramdam ni Clara ang pintig ng kaniyang puso dulot ng kaba.
“May dumadating tuwing gabi. Kapag may narinig kang tunog na palapit sa inyo. Magtaklob ka. Magtabi ka ng patalim at kalamansi bilang proteksyon sa kasamaan nito. Huwag magpakasigurado na ligtas ka dahil nasa bahay ka. Kaya nitong pumasok sa mga naiwang bukas na bintana kahit pa sa mga kasulok-sulukan ng inyong mga dinging para lamang sa iyong nasa sinapupunan.
“Ano po ito?” Saka darating para sa aking baby?”
Sa isang saglit ay nagkaroon ng mahabang katahimikan. Yinakap ng kaba si Clara na nagdulot ng kakaibang pakiramdam.
“Maghanda kayo. Darating ang tiktik!”
At biglang binaba nito ang tawag.
Matapos ang ilang minuto, pumasok si Angelo para bigyan ng almusal si Clara. Ngunit napansin nito ang ekspresyon ng kaniyang asawa. “Ayos ka lang ba, sweetheart? Para kang nakakita ng multo ah!”
“Wala, wala ito.”
Hindi niya maisip kung bakit siya nagsinungaling sa kaniyang asawa. Siguro ay nahiya siya sa kaniyang sarili na may bahagi sa kaniyang puso na naniniwala sa sinabi ng tumawag na matanda. Pero kahit ayaw niyang aminin, napansin niya ang pagyakap ng kaniyang mga kamay sa kaniyang tyan.
“Darating daw mamayang gabi.”
“Huh? Ano ‘yon, sweetheart?”
“Wala, Gelo. May naisip lang ako bigla.”
“Ahh, pero huwag ka ngang masyadong mag-aalala. Nakasasama ‘yan sa ating baby.”
“Oo, alam ko. Susubukan kong hindi masyadong mag-alala. Salamat pala sa almusal.”
“Sige na, kumain ka na. Maglilinis pa ako ng kusina.”
“Okey babe.”
Nawalan ng ganang kumain si Clara, ngunit kailangan niyang magpalakas para sa kaniyang baby. Kailangang niyang protektahan ang kaniyang baby. Ito ang pinakamahalaga para sa kaniya.
Sumapit na ang dilim. Natulog na si Clara.
Mag-isa lamang siya sa kaniyang kuwarto. At tanging mahinang tunog lamang ang naririnig niya.
Tik-Tik-Tik!
Parang may mali sa hangin. Naging maalinsangan sa buong kuwarto. Inikot niya ang kaniyang tingin sakaling may makitang bagay na para maipagtanggol ang sarili. Bagay na magbibigay ng kapanatagan sa kaniya.
Sa gilid ng kaniyang higaan, agad-agad niyang kinuha ang nakatabing kutsilyo.
Lumipas ang ilang minuto, na naging oras, at patuloy pa rin ang pagiging alerto ni Clara. Tila naghihintay ng kung anong sunod na mangyayari.
Ramdam ni Clara ang pagod at hapo ngunit hindi ito nagging alintana sa kaniya upang gumalaw o magbago ng posisyon. Hanggat sa may napansin siyang gumagalaw sa madilim na sulok.
Isang manipis na linyang kulay pula. Parang isang laso. Bigla itong yumakap nang mahigpit sa kaniyang hita. Ramdam niya ang lamig na tumatagos hanggang sa kaniyang mga buto.
Mahigpit niyang hinawakan ang kutsilyo sabay na nilaslas ang pulang linyang yumayakap sa kaniyang hita. Pagkatapos ay narinig ang napakalakas, paimpit na tila mula sa gutom na nilalang na ni minsa ay hindi nabuhay sa mundong ibabaw.
Pagkatapos ay nakita niya ang tunay na katauhan ng linyang pula. Tila mas kasuklam-suklam na bersyon ni Frakenstein. Ang katawan nito ay katawan ng tao at katawan ng ibon na pinagsama. Tumutulo sa katawan nito ang mga dugo at ang mga mata nito ay punong-puno ng galit na nakatitig sa kaniya.
Panaginip lang pala.
Basang-basa ng pawis ang kaniyang unan. Natanong si Angelo kung ayos lang siya. Binalewala niya lang ang tanong. Sinabi na lang niya na bahagi lang ito ng kaniyang pagbubuntis.
Tumayo siya upang tumungo sa kusina para uminom. Kinulit ulit siya ni Angelo at sinabing siya na ang kukuha. Ngunit hindi nagpatinig si Clara. Kayang-kaya naman daw.
Alam ni Clara na tila kabaliwan ang mga nasa isip niya. Pero para sa kasiguraduhan, dali-dali niyang kinuha ang kutsilyo sa kusina.
=——————————-=
English Version
Her back aches, her feet are sore and she just went to the bathroom for the third time this past hour, but through it all she had never been more thankful for the pain.
It was the seventh month of her pregnancy and Clara was on bedrest. Her husband, Angelo, had taken the day off work and was busy making her breakfast.
By the bedside the phone rang.
“Hello?”
It was the raspy voice of a woman, unfamiliar to Clara.
“Hello, this is Clara Campos, who is this?”
“Is this the pregnant woman that lives on Zaragosa street?”
“Who is this? How did you get this number?”
“Do not go outside your house! You’re in terrible danger!”
“Is this a prank call?! It’s not funny!”
“It’s for your baby! You have to listen to me!”
Clara should have put the phone down. She should have ignored whoever it was on the phone and continued on with her day. But things change when you’re about to become a mother. No matter how crazy things might seem, if there’s even the tiniest chance of helping your baby, you do it. No questions asked.
“What are you talking about?” Clara’s tone was sharp. “What does this have to do with my baby.”
“Listen to me!” There was a pause and, in the silence, Clara could feel her heartbeat echo in her bones.
“It comes in the night. Once you hear the sounds coming, head for cover. Keep a knife and kalamansi around you to protect yourself from its evil. Do not think that just because you are in your home you are safe. It can creep in through unseen corners and open windows and it will come for your baby!”
“What is it? What will come for my baby?!”
There was another long pause and Clara felt the anticipation seep into her skin, making it tingle.
“The tiktik will come for you. Be prepared.”
And the line went dead.
It was a few minutes before Angelo came in and gave Clara breakfast in bed. He noticed the look on her face and asked,
“What’s wrong sweetheart? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
She didn’t know why she lied to her husband. Part of her was ashamed for thinking that a crazy phone call had any effect on her, but she noticed that she was holding her stomach tight.
“It comes in the night.”
“What was that sweetheart?”
“Nothing, Gelo, just thinking about something.”
“Well don’t think too much. Worrying can’t be good for the baby.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll try not to stress myself out. Thank you for breakfast.”
“Now go eat, I’ll clean up in the kitchen.”
“Okay babe.”
Clara could feel her appetite slipping away, but she fought through it. She needed to think of the baby.
It was the only thing that mattered.
That night, Clara drifted off into a dream.
She was in her bedroom and Angelo was nowhere to be seen. She could hear a soft sound throughout the room.
Tik-Tik-Tik-Tik
There was something wrong in the air, an aura of heaviness that permeated the entire room. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to defend herself, something that would make her feel safe.
By her bedside there was a knife and she grabbed it readily before anything could happen.
Minutes passed, maybe hours and Clara sat alert on her bed, waiting.
Her eyelids felt heavy and tiredness enveloped her body, but she would not move from her position. And in the darkness, she could notice something moving.
It was a thin, red line, almost like a ribbon. It twisted around her leg and she could feel it like ice coursing through her veins.
She took the knife and slashed at the red line and was greeted with an inhuman scream, a loud, guttural ululation that didn’t belong in this world.
And then she saw it. It was as if a bird and a man had been twisted together in some Frankenstein like abomination. Drops of red were falling from its mouth and its eyes burned with fury.
And then she awoke.
Her pillow was soaked with a cold sweat and Angelo asked her if she was okay. Clara brushed it off, saying it was just the pregnancy and hopefully she would brush it off and get more rest later.
She got up and said she was going to get a glass of water, telling Angelo she could get it herself this time.
Clara went to the kitchen and grabbed the first knife she saw and remembered, if there’s even a slightest chance, you take it.
No matter how crazy it may seem.
*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 Kenn Empuesto
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Kenn Empuesto
Story inspired by the Tiktik descriptions from Western Visayas
Tiktik Illustration by Ian Sagun
FB: Ian Sagun Art
Instagram: @iansagunart
