18: The Real Monsters

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

IN SUPERNATURAL LORE, there are red-eyed demons known as Crossroad Demons whose task is to acquire human souls for Hell. These demons make deals with humans. They offer to fulfill their wishes in exchange for ownership of their souls. Once the deal is made, the individual dies and is sent to Hell, where they are transformed into a demon. Additionally, Crossroad Demons can teleport.

"Wala akong panahong makinig sa 'yo," tugon ko sa payasong humalakhak naman.

"Oh, trust me, you will," aniya. "How will you understand your enemy if you don't even listen?"

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. The demon makes a valid point. Despite their inherent evil nature, I find myself curious and wanting to understand them. This curiosity, perhaps, arises from my belief that everyone has a story, as inspired by Desiderata's wisdom: "Listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story."

Upon seeing my reaction, the demonic clown revealed a sinister grin and began narrating the scary story he had mentioned, "Let's title this kid's story as The Real Monsters. Once upon a time..."

The demon clown recounted a tale from a distant small town where a poor family of nine resided. Faced with the birth of their eighth child and the strain of poverty, the desperate parents, unable to support another mouth, made the grim decision to end the newborn's life.

The mother, struggling with post-partum issues, reached for an empty basin and intended to suffocate the baby. Fortunately, a concerned neighbor intervened and suggested that rather than killing the newborn, they could consider selling him to ease their financial burden.

The neighbor pointed the parents to someone interested in buying newborns and accompanied them to meet the buyer. Without hesitation, the parents agreed to sell their baby for five pigs, unaware that the mysterious buyer was actually the devil.

The devil cursed the child and made anyone who took him experience misfortune. This will make it easier for him to manipulate people facing hardships and convince them to make deals and sell their souls.

The devil left the child on the doorstep of a struggling scientist, and the baby grew up under the care of his adopted father. Unbeknownst to the young man, the scientist harbored evil intentions. At eighteen, the trusting youth signed a consent form without reading it, only to discover later that he had consented to become the subject of the scientist's dream experiment-a chimera, a fusion of human and animal.

With the scientist as his legal guardian on paper, no one sought out the young man, who silently endured brutal experiments while clinging to the hope of one day breaking free and living a life of his own. The mad and greedy scientist also struck a deal with the devil at that time. The experiment successfully transformed the young man into a chimera with a human body, a pig's nose and ears, and hair similar to an ape.

After the scientist's death and the claiming of his soul by the demon, the experimented young man found himself sold at an auction. He was purchased by a cruel ringmaster and became part of a carnival that showcased deformed humans and captured supernatural creatures.

Once more, the young man suffered under the oppressive rule of the ringmaster and endured frequent beatings and whippings whenever their show garnered little income. With his animal-like appearance, he felt dehumanized and treated more as an animal rather than a human.

In his cold, prison-like cell one night, the battered young man wept in silence while embracing his knees. He yearned for a time when he could experience peace and encounter individuals who would see him as more than a tool for fame, money, and prestige. His deepest desire was to be treated as a real human being. He found himself praying to God as usual and hoped that his suffering would end, and he would live a good life.

The demon, who had been observing him all along, chuckled and revealed himself while saying, "I'm the devil, and I can grant your wish. Why not ask me instead, in exchange for a small favor?"

The young man replied weakly yet politely, "I believe God would help me without requiring anything in return, as He knows I have nothing to offer but only my faith," which surprised the demon.

In anger, the demon disclosed that he had been there for the young man when God seemed absent. "Where was your God when your parents tried to kill you and sold you for five pigs? It was me who saved you!"

Despite the revelation, the young man tearfully responded, "I don't hold my parents responsible. Perhaps they believed they were saving me because they thought it would be difficult to raise me."

"Where was your God when that mad scientist experimented on you?" the demon questioned once more. "You endured suffering at the hands of that evil human."

"I simply helped him achieve his dreams in return for the good childhood he provided me," responded the young man.

His perspective further infuriated the demon. "Why can't you see that your God has abandoned you and left you to suffer at the hands of these cruel and greedy humans?! Why do you keep forgiving them?"

The tearful young man weakly but firmly stated, "Because I believe in them."

The frustrated demon forcefully slammed his cane against the railing of the young man's prison cell. The demon found the young man's tolerance for human wickedness utterly unbelievable.

One night at the carnival, the young man and his companions hatched a plan for their ultimate escape from the clutches of the cruel ringmaster. They gathered their courage and joined forces to overthrow him. However, when they successfully overpowered the ringmaster, the young man, overcome with guilt and sympathy, went back to save him from death in his room.

With the young man as his sole companion, the ringmaster who survived the uprising, chose to rebuild their lives from scratch. They started a fair and traveled to different locations to set up during festivals. The young man wore a clown costume to conceal his appearance and began working in the horror house attraction.

When the young man believed things were improving, the former ringmaster reverted to his cruel ways. He began assaulting the young man when he resisted removing his clown costume to turn him into the main attraction for his appearance once more to boost earnings. The former ringmaster resorted to violence when he was unable to force him. He kept beating him and even burning half his face with a flatiron.

When finally, the young man summoned the courage to resist, he fought back, only to be overpowered by the ringmaster. A strong push sent his head slamming onto the table and made him unconscious. The panicky ringmaster dragged his lifeless body outside and into the backyard. Amidst the pouring rain and the darkness of the night, he hastily dug a grave and laid the young man's body to rest there.

The ringmaster was shocked and momentarily frozen when he observed the young man moving his hand while mumbling, "H-Help..."

However, an unfortunate blend of fear and guilt overcame him. Instead of helping the still-alive young man like he had done to him before, the ringmaster raised his shovel and delivered a brutal blow to the young man's head, ultimately ending his life.

Once again, the demon appeared to the soul of the young man, who wept beside his grave in the pouring rain that night.

"I told you, humans are this world's real monsters. Do you believe me now?"

"I... I still believe... them," the young man responded, which infuriated the demon.

The demon then transformed into a black smoke and possessed the corpse of the young man, turning him into a serial murderer clown and show his soul that revenge must be served cold for these equally cold-blooded monsters.

"And that's why we're here," hayag ng demonyong pasayo bago ito humalakhak. "At alam mo kung ano ang mas nakakatawa? The salvation he needed did not come from God nor the humans he believed so damn much, but from a demon that was me!"

Napahigpit ang kapit ko sa macheteng hawak habang patuloy na humahalakhak ang payaso. A flame of fury suddenly flared within me. I could only imagine the hardships that the young man, the true owner of that body, had to endure while still clinging to faith in those wicked humans. Indeed, the real monsters aren't found beneath the beds or in hell; they walk right here on Earth and among humankind.

The demon clown ceased laughing as the machete I threw at him grazed his ear even before he could teleport.

"Do you really believe you're any different from those who wronged him?" I questioned with clenched fists. "You didn't save him; you dragged him to hell! Give me his soul."

"And why would I do that?"

"Let's make a deal," I declared, fully aware that it was something crossroad demons could not refuse. "Let's fight, and if I win, you will free that body's soul because he doesn't belong to hell."

"And if I win?"

"I will give you my soul, but you must still free his soul," I proposed.

"Either way, you're setting him free. Aren't I at a disadvantage here?"

"Then tell me your condition."

A sinister grin suddenly spread across his lips. "You must defeat me before the clock strikes midnight. If not, I will collect your soul by then."

"Deal," I agreed, and all the doors and windows in that horror house closed to prevent anyone from entering the venue until midnight.

I unzipped the upper part of my torn utility jumpsuit and tied its sleeves around my hips, leaving only my white tank top, which was now also stained with blood from the clown's earlier mutilation.

"Why are you doing this?" the clown suddenly asked. "Why are you sacrificing your soul for his? You don't even know him."

"Even if he doesn't see this anymore, I will honor his faith in humanity and save him," ang determinadong tugon ko. "This human right here will not fail him this time."

We began fighting, or rather, it was more like me attempting even to touch him. He skillfully capitalized on his teleporting ability and vanished every time I nearly got hold of him, which pushed me to a disadvantage.

But I didn't give up because I was at a disadvantage. Every time I fell, I would push myself up and try again.

I will not fail him.

Even if it's too late, I will make his faith in humanity worth it.

I will save his soul.

Humagikhik ang demonyong payaso bago niya sinabing, "It's only fifteen minutes away until midnight. We'll just have to wait a little more."

Hinihingal man ay tumayo ako at matapang siyang tinitigan. "It's only fifteen minutes away. Why don't you fight me fair and square and stop using your teleporting ability? Give me a good fight, or are you too scared I might actually defeat you?"

The demon clown laughed humorlessly before he stood in my distant front. "To prove that you're nothing compared to me, sure. Let's fight physically."

The demon clown smugly grinned at me. His nonchalant stance of just standing there and waiting for my attack suggested he was clearly underestimating me, which worked to my advantage.

"Go ahead and land your first blow to satisfy your frustration since earlier," he further teased. "What can a girl like you possibly d-"

I struck him straight and square in the face using only my right leg and wasted no time by immediately spinning around for another kick with my left on his other side. The force sent some of his teeth flying out of his mouth and leaving his cheeks swollen as he vomited blood.

"Shit..." he muttered as he knelt.

Nilapitan ko siya at pinanood na indahin ang sakit na nararamdaman niya habang patuloy na nakaluhod pa rin doon. He obviously did not expect that much force coming from a girl like me. When I was about to kick his chin with my knee, he suddenly vanished in front of me and teleported somewhere far.

"You said you won't teleport in fifteen minutes?" I asked.

He spewed the blood from his mouth and barely grinned. "That's why they told you not to make deals with the devil."

Kinuyom ko ang mga kamao nang marinig ang sinabi niya dahil may natanto ako. He had no intention of freeing the young man's soul even if I win. His plan was to take our souls together. It was obvious how cunning he was from that story. He tricked so many humans susceptible to wickedness just to arrive at his desired result.

The clown teleported again and spent the next five minutes appearing from my sides, back, and front and teasing and taunting me that he would have my soul by midnight. I closed my eyes, calmed myself, and recalled my father's teachings from when I was young.

"Alohi, as you become the family and Library's Gatekeeper, you must arm yourself with a good combat skillset capable of facing various monsters. In the years to come, you will encounter different enemies," Papa said while covering my eyes before our training bout. "Some rely on strength, others on speed, and a few on unique abilities. But you must not fear them, as the elements will help you face them with a composed state of mind."

When I heard faint breathing on my left side, I quickly opened my eyes and seized the demon clown, who was still about to appear beside me. The shock was evident in his wide-eyed gaze as I pulled him close before delivering a powerful knee kick to his stomach, followed by striking him with my intertwined fists on his back.

He teleported again, but I just found myself standing behind him next, much to his surprise. I seized and locked him by his neck with my arm. I then pulled him down with me before finally snapping his neck to end it all.

"Thank you..." spoke the innocent voice from the clown's body. It was the young man.

Then, the black smoke exited the clown's eyes and mouth, but before the demon could fully escape, Raegan's exorcist parents arrived and trapped him with their exorcism spells and weapons. Papa and Ate Keena were also with them, and they immediately rushed to me.

Sunod-sunod na nagsipasukan ang lahat, maging ang mga awtoridad. It was finally midnight. Huling pumasok ang matandang lalaking windang na windang habang pinagmamasdan ang massacre na nangyari sa horror house.

Nanghihinang napaluhod ito at humagulgol. "Ang... Ang negosyo ko..."

Tumayo ako at lumayo muna kina Ate Keena at Papa na inaasikaso ako. Nilapitan ko ang matandang lalaki na iyon.

"Ikaw ba ang may-ari nito?" tanong ko.

Pagkatapos niyang tumango ay kagyat na kinuwelyuhan ko siya, sinandal sa pinakamalapit na pader, at inangat. "Buhay pa siya! Bakit hindi mo siya tinulungan?!"

"H-Hindi ko alam ang s-sinasabi mo," pagsisinungaling niya kahit na nahihirapang magsalita.

Malakas na itinulak ko pa siya sa pader dahilan pang magbitak-bitak na naman ang semento roon. Mabilis na lumapit sa amin si Ate Keena at hinawakan ako sa braso ko upang pigilan ako.

"Alohi, stop."

"Hindi, Ate! Mamamatay-tao 'to, eh! Pinatay niya iyong taong bumalik at mas pinili siyang iligtas sa kabila ng lahat ng mga ginawa niyang masama!" I shouted, and tears began streaming down my cheeks. "Alam mo bang kahit sa kahuli-hulihang hininga niya ay ipinagtanggol ka niya! Kayong mga walang pusong halimaw kayong tinatawag pang tao!"

"Alohi, tama na!" pigil ulit ni Ate Keena sa akin.

A hand suddenly pressed the pressure point on my right wrist, weakening my hold until I completely let go of the terrified old man, who wept in guilt on the floor.

"Tama na, anak," ang mahinahong saad ni Papa bago niya ako binitiwan sa palapulsuhan ko at niyakap. "Tutulungan natin siyang makamit ang hustisya. Pinapangako ko 'yan."

──✧❁ 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 ❁✧──

𓆩◇𓆪꧁ 𓆩◇𓆪 ꧂ 𓆩◇𓆪

BINUKSAN NG BABAENG livestreamer na kasama sa grupo na pumasok sa horror house kanina ang maliit na librong dala niya. The guy she was with returned to that small book. Binalik niya iyon sa loob ng sling bag niya at kinuha ang cellphone. Tumalikod siya sa horror house, umalis sa pinagtataguan niya, at tinawagan ang kapatid.

Napanood niya lahat ng mga nangyari sa loob ng nakasarang horror house. Her psychic gift was vision-related as her eyes were capable of perceiving beyond normal sight.

"What is it, Mindy?" the man from the other line asked.

"I tailed the sisters to spy earlier, and I just found out something new, Kuya," she replied.

"What is it?"

"The second daughter has superspeed, but she seemed unaware of it."

Natahimik ang kanyang nakatatandang kapatid sa kabilang linya pero mayamaya pa ay nagsalita na ito, "She's getting more and more like her dead mother."

"I know, right?" naiinis na pagsang-ayon naman ni Mindy. "She might have also inherited her mother's secret abilities. We need to do something before she learns to use them, Kuya. Our disguises will fail once she finds out how to read our minds."

「 ✦ 𝓛𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓪 𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓸 ✦ 」

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