*Season's P.O.V.*
Angel, Jovie, and I sat on a park bench having ice creams while looking at the passerbys. We're just enjoying the comfortable silence, just basking on the fact that today is the very first day of the semestral break. No lectures, no essays, no annoying schoolworks. Yes! At least this one lessened my paranoia. I mean it reduced the things that I'm ought to be worried about and that, for one is already a relief.
"So, how do you guys plan to spend this whole two weeks of being free?" Angel asked cheerfully.
"Spend it with my grandma as usual." Jovie responded with an eye roll. "How about you Season? Not gonna go back to States or something?" She asked.
"No. But I'm going back to Capiz for a week or so. We're gonna visit the resort that my brother bought and all. " I answered seemingly not interested. Yes, I am not looking forward to it because I am still worried.
"Wow! That's great. My family and I are going to Palawan, I'm so excited!" Angel exclaimed.
"Lucky you, dal e nya kog souvenir ha? Batay gyud ug kalimtan ko nimo." Jovie reacted. Here we go with the Cebuano thing. They've been teaching me both Tagalog and Cebuano for almost half a year now and I'm kinda getting the hang of it. She literally told Angel not to forget her right? Yes, that part is what struck me the most. I don't know why.
"When would you be leaving?" I just asked, trying to shrug off the thoughts formulating in my head.
"On Thursday. We'd be back next Sunday anyways. How about you?"
"By Wednesday." I simply answered.
"Yeah, and I'm leaving right now." Jovie butted in. It's already 5 p.m. and she had to be home by 6, according to her grandma. Speaking of that spooky old lady...
"Uhh Jovie, can I go with you? I-I would like to speak to your grandma." Even if she scares me a lot. I had wanted to add up but I didn't. She looked at me questioningly and Angel seemed shocked too.
"You're close?" "You're not scared of her?" They said at the same time and I just chuckled.
"There's just something I meant to ask her. Since uhh, she told me something during that one time that I came over and umm..." I really can't explain this properly.
"Whatever she told you don't be too bothered. She says a lot of things that she doesn't mean." Jovie assured. Yes I get her point however, her grandma performed something that the person in my dream performed too. And well, I can't ask that regal woman in my dreams what it actually meant but, I can ask her grandmother, no matter how spooky she is. I just have to know.
"Yeah, but I still want to talk to her. Please." I pleaded, making her nod her head slowly, as if suspicious of my motives. Yeah right.
"Well, we have to go now. Bye Angel!" Jovie said as we gave each other a group hug. After that, Jovie and I rode a jeep to their place and when the vehicle stopped in front of their gloomy looking residence, I took a deep breath as I got off. "You seem nervous. What are you gonna tell her anyway? Just don't tell her she's a witch because..." She trailed off as we strode towards the front door.
"I won't silly. There's just something about her." I responded. Trying to chuckle off my nerves. Gosh, I can still remember the first time I came in in this house. And I'd rather not reminisce, lest my nervousness would double up.
Before Jovie could answer, her grandmother came out of her room and met us in the living room. She looked at me indifferently after she gave my friend a welcoming hug. "Season." Wow, she remembered me.
"Hi ma'am." I said with a smile, despite her indifferent treatment.
"Ma, Season came over because she wants to have a word with you..." Jovie trailed off and the old lady just nodded. My friend just looked me with an unreadable expression before she left us to talk. Gosh, how do I start this?
"What do you want, monster?" She straight up asked as we made our way to her witchy room.
"Well, I want to understand something ma'am." I started off. She just gave me a raised eyebrow so I continued. "The first time I came here, you already called me a monster, why? I mean, you must know something that I don't. What makes me a monster? And how can you say that I am a monster? How sure are you that I am?" I fired. How else should I put this anyway?
"Are you sure you're going to believe my answer?" She seized. Right. I'll have to at least try and get some sense out of it. So I just nodded. "Well..." She picked up a doll and of course a strand of my hair and she tied it to the body of the doll thing that she has, like she did the last time. Then, she opened the lided caldron and I looked at the clear boiling water intently. She carefully placed the doll on the caldron and of course the water turned gree, then purple, then red consecutively just like the last time.
"What does those colors mean?" I asked. Well, I've been meaning to ask that. She stood on her tippy toes and got a book that's almost falling apart, it looks really old and the pages looks like they're going to decompose soon but she's still keeping it. She placed it on the table that's just beside the caldron and flipped a few pages before she found what she's looking for.
"They have various meanings if you try to interpret them individually. But every combination has its own meaning." She explained. I don't understand the characters that are written thre although they have a very close association English alphabet so I just followed on with the movement of her pointer finger. "Ah, there! There it is! Green, purple, and red means..." She trailed off and I gritted my teeth in anticipation. "A powerfully cursed being." She finally let out.
A powerfully cursed being? What the hell does that mean? That's what I am? But what exact being am I? And how is it possible for me to be cursed? I only wanted to know what my dream means, however its answer leads to even more questions. I thought I only lack the knowledge of the mythical creatures that lives side by side with humans, it turns out, I lack the knowledge about myself even more.
"What kind of creature exactly?" I decided to ask first and she just closed the book, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry but that's the limitation of my power. But I have a few suggestions. You're western, so maybe you're a vampire or a werewolf, even a witch."
"It can't be. I mean, all my life I thought, no I believe that I am a normal person."
"Apparently, you're not."
Wednesday came and my mind is still pretty occupied with the conversation that I had with Jovie's grandmother. I packed my things absentmindedly and pretty much just followed my brother, his wife, mama, and Master Cheng around as we opted for the bus and ferry which is cheaper than the plane. We're expected to travel for eight hours so I made up my mind and decided to somehow ask Sean about our family's history since, where else would all of this come from right? Perhaps he knows something that I don't and has been hiding it very well from. Impressive. For two decades, none of them , my dad, Sean, Sheena, or Sheila, acted as if they are being true to me. Although it's only Sean who was nice to me, they seemed honest enough. Or so I would think. We were sitting on the ferry and I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the conversation that I wanted to start.
"Sean?" I finally spoke after contemplating for some time. Eden and mama are asleep while Master Cheng seems to be lost on his own world while looking at the sea. My brother slightly turned towards me, careful not to move too much as not to wake up his wife who's sleeping on his shoulders. "I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Uhhh, what do you know about our parent's history?" He seemed to be surprised at my question but he did thought for a little while.
"Well, dad is from Nashville as we know. Before he met mom and on the early stage of their marriage, he was an explorer. Yes. Uhhh... I remembered him working with a few scientist about some researches when I was really young but he never earned much. And well, his family does not approve of his chosen carrier and his wife which he met on one of his explorations in China." My brother meant to go on but I had to interrupt him on that part.
"So mom's Chinese? They met on China?" I asked and my brother laughed.
"You're Season Cheng Tarver after all. Of course she's Chinese. You look pretty much Chinese yourself if it wasn't for your hair and eye color which is very much western." Yup, red and green. Such colors reminded me of the exact reason why I meant to ask what I'm asking now.
"Okay, okay. So I basically something about dad but I never knew much about mom." My tone saddened at that. I only saw a single picture of her and it's with dad, he won't even let me touch it, and of course I knew that she died while giving birth of me. But that's it. I never bothered to ask Sean so much because I'm scared he'd hate me the way the rest of my family does. But now, I just have to.
"Well, she said that she came from a wealthy family in China but she wasn't happy there so she came along with dad and claimed to have found her happiness in Tennessee, with us." I felt a pang of emotions in my chest but that's not what I really meant to know right now.
"Oh I see. Sean, please don't think that I'm crazy, but I have had this dreams or well nightmares recently and uhhh, they are trying to tell me about who I really am but, almost all of those that I met in them called me, Wu Xia. Which sounds so Chinese. Do you know a Wu Xia?" There you go, I finally asked it. My brother seemed confused and from the corner of my eyes I saw Master Cheng look at us, as if something caught his attention but I just dismissed it, focusing on my brother.
"Cheng Lia is mom's name and that was the first Chinese name that I ever knew followed by Cheng Dong, over there. They're the only Chinese people that I ever know, aside from my business partners which came on later on. Season... If those nightmares ever make you think like you're not who you think you are, I would say and I could attest to the fact that you are who you really are. I was there when you were born and it was mom who told me that I should name you Season. So stop worrying about that."
"Yes but, was she... Normal?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean, was she really human? Was she not a, I don't know, a vampire or a werewolf or a witch?"
Sean burst out laughing at my question which made Eden stir in her sleep so he calmed himself down quickly. "Season... That was just a nightmare okay? If mom was any of those don't you think we won't be the same too? Do I look like a vampire or a werewolf or a witch to you?" He pointed out.
Somehow his statements lightened the confusion that I felt. Now I am sure that well, it doesn't run in my blood, that curse thing that Jovie's grandmother had been talking about and that Sean or well, my family is not hiding anything from me about who and what I really am. But, I just don't understand why I would have those nightmares that are somehow connected to each other. Before I would loose my mind while contemplating about this, I just took a deep breath and decided to set it aside as we finally made it to Capiz for the vacation.
The sun is already setting when we made it to the resort and I once again am amazed by the picturesque view. "This place is paradise!" Master Cheng said and I just chuckled, yeah right? It's been months since I've been here and I felt the chills run down my spine at the memories that flashed in my mind more than the cool breeze from the seaside. Gosh. We just followed Sean through the halls and eventually into the building where some staffs greeted us. We rode the elevator to the top floor and another staff lead us each to our assigned suites. Worn out by the trip, I decided to take a nap when I reached mine and set my alarm for dinner.
What I hoped to be a peaceful sleep was bombarded by a mixture of green, purple, and red waves of optical illusion that my mind produced when I closed my eyes but I didn't mind them much for those colors doesn't really mean a thing. I believe my brother more than some witchy old lady, hell! I believe my brother more than my tricky mind. And because he told me that I am normal, and that we are normal, I could peacefully stop pondering upon these things now.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
I slowly opened my eyes and felt for my phone in the bedside table before hearing something drop. I cursed and fully sat up, picking up the ringing and vibrating gadget on the floor. Yes, it's dinner time and I only have 30 minutes to prepare. I also got a text from Sean saying that we'll all meet downstairs to the hotel's restaurant. I guess rest time is over. I rumaged through my bag and got some jeans and a loose white shirt out before taking quick shower and changing into it. After that, I saw that it's 7:25 p.n. so I rushed out of the suite and into the elevator which was about to close with one passenger on it, luckily I managed to make it inside. Exhale, yeah I can calm down now.
"Season?" I turned behind me to see...
"Mr. Perez!" Of course it had to be my brother's Tikbalang business partner. "How have you been? Long time no see!" I greeted and was about to give him a hug when he raised both of his hands to stop me, stepping back even more to create as much distance as he can between the both of us in this confined space. Eh? When did the middle aged man became less hospitable?
"Err, don't try to get near me. The amulet dangling on your neck would have a negative effect on me, you know." He explained quite flustered and I slowly nod my head in understandment, also stepping back. "How have you been?" He asked, trying to sound conversational despite his discomfort. Wow, I didn't know this amulet really works like that.
"Been fine." I answered with a sweet smile.
"Mind if I ask you where you got that? You didn't seem the type to be you know..." He trailed off, referring to the amulet.
"Oh, a shaman gave it to me because of some instances where I encountered mythical creatures." I answered briefly, I'm sure he understands very well what I'm talking about.
"You do know that not all of us are bad right? But it's good that you keep yourself protected." I agree with him though. As I was about to reply, the elevator doors opened and we both stepped out, saying our goodbyes. It wasn't long before I spotted my family when I entered the restaurant and eventually joined them. We had a bit of a chitchat about the ambiance of the place which is so cool, of course before a lean guy with jet black hair and light skin came over to take our orders. I have to say, he's quite attractive. But of course he left as soon as he came, doing his job and came back a good ten minutes later, holding a tray of assorted food. When he came beside me to place my ordered adobong manok, I sensed his discomfort and even noticed how he hurriedly dropped the plate, almost spilling its comtents before he moved to Master Cheng who sat beside me. Eh?
A day passed and nothing quite peculiar happened while we're at the resort, thankfully. I wouldn't really want a repeat of what happened to me the first time I was here so I steered away from diving and camping. What did I do then? Well, I went on my merry way on the shore, collecting sea shells. Yes. Mama and Eden had been inviting me to go swimming but I refused. When the sun finally sets, I have like a hundred beautiful seashells which I eventually burried in the sand. Right, I didn't mean to take them home really.
"Hey, wanna go for a night swimming?" Master Cheng asked at the course of dinner. Well, our second dinner since we arrived here. And we had it outside in one of the open air tables by the beach.
"Sure!" They all agreed and I just nodded my head, trying to suck in my trauma. I wouldn't want to ruin this for them so... After dinner I made my way to my room to get my swimsuit and went back down again with Eden.
"Anyways, let me change first." I said and made my way to the bathrooms. There were a few ladies waiting in line and I guess I'm the last one so I just tapped on my foot until it's my turn. I quickly got in and changed into my red long sleeved crop top rash guard and its matching knee lengthed shorts. Yeah, quite conservative but I like it, just showing off a bit of my stomach.
"Uwaaa! Uwaaa! Uwaaa!" I heard an infant's cry close by as I got out of the bathroom and was just going to ignore it until I noticed that it's coming from just behind the little bathroom structure. A side facing away from the buzzing hotel and the beach where people lingered merrily and I wondered what would an infant be doing out there? And where is its mom? "Uwaaa! Uwaaa!" The cry became even more demanding as if it is calling out for help and I just can't bear to let it be so, I rounded the structure, not caring about the darkness and searched for the source of the cry. It sounded again and I cautiously strolled my way deeper into the forested area where it got louder.
There, lying on the earth just beside a bush is a baby, wrapped in a thin white cloth, kicking and crying out for help. My heart clenched at the sight and gritted my teeth in disappointment to its mother who must've left the poor thing over here. So without a second thought, I carefully pick it up from the soil and held it into my arms, rocking it slightly. It reached its little hands to my neck, wanting to touch my amulet. But as soon as it got a hold of it, its angelic face turned demonic and it suddenly possessed a great amount of strength so that it was able to pull the amulet out as I dropped it in fright, letting go of a scream.
I grabbed the nearest stick that I could find and battered the monster as best as I could when it started attacking me, after throwing the amulet somewhere in the bushes because it appeared to have burned its hands. If I thought I had a chance of defeating this infant monster, I was wrong! There were more of them, hiding in the bushes, lunging themselves at me and trying to bite me with their sharp, vampire-like teeth. Just as I was about to scream for help again, a hand tightly covered my mouth as a lean figure wrapped its arms around me painfully from behind and although I tried to set myself free, he had a tight hold of me and soon more men appeared behind the bushes along with the demonic babies and one of them punched me so hard in the face, causing me to loose my consciousness.