 
### Into The Unknown

#### By GJ Winters

#### Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

The following story is for entertainment purposes only. This book contains sexually graphic scenes depicting consenting adults above the age of 18 engaging in passionate sexual acts. This story is intended only for persons over the legal adult age. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. Mature readers only. Reader discretion is advised.

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**~ ~ ~ ~**

### Chapter One

PRESENT -- 2000'S

He put his right hand up, sticking out his thumb which blocked the sun's rays. After closing his left eye, he proceeded to measure the sun's lowest point against the mountain's highest peak.

He nodded to himself. It was close to five in the afternoon by his estimation. He had learned this measure many years before, almost eight decades to be exact. He smiled as he gazed upon the terrain that lay before him.

Rice paddies stretched out to both sides of his view, the rice stalks dancing to the tune of the late afternoon breeze. With close to five score years to his name, he was amazed at what little affect time had on this remote barrio.

Barrio San Miguel, a town named after the archangel himself during the Spanish occupation, was a remote town almost inaccessible to modern civilization. As it was then, so it is now. He remembered the layout of the town exactly as it was in the days of his youth. Nothing major had changed. The main road that led out of the barrio was still the center of the small town that boasted one small market, a chapel, a small elementary school beside an even smaller high school, and a 20-foot wide stage used only on special occasions.

Except for a few modern adaptations, the town was just like he remembered it. There were now more houses located near the center of the town, one out of five households already had electricity and the more prominent households boasted the inclusion of televisions sets which, depending on the day of the week, can get up to two grainy broadcast channels. A quarter of the houses now had some manner of concrete, most often just the walls.

The only other noticeable difference that the small barrio had over the span of many decades was the streetlights, and the addition of large rocks to the main road which had leveled off over the years and gave the impression of a stone road.

When evening came, the similarities of the barrio today and the one from his childhood became even more striking.

At night, his memories came alive, when fireflies traveled in all directions along the rice fields, and the sky was dotted with the same set of constellations he had known since childhood. Not even the dim lighting of the electric posts was able to block out the thoughts he held most dear.

At 97 years of age, he had no illusions; he didn't even know why he still existed. Sure he had lived a fruitful life, his six surviving children from a group of eight were now all retired and were scattered across the nation's islands. Three of them lived in the opposite province. To the best of his knowledge, he had 13 grandchildren, most of who were already working, with more than half of them abroad. He could not remember the exact number of great-grandchildren he had.

Ingkong Julio, or Inkong, as all elderly people were respectfully called in this remote town, had already outlived all of his childhood friends.

The next oldest person in the town was young enough to be his child. He lived with a great-grandniece in his old house which his brother had taken once he ventured out of town in his youth.

Although far from being senile, Julio knew his body would not last long. His eyesight, hearing, and thoughts were still intact, but the same could not be said about his body. Considering his age, it was good that he still could manage to move about with a cane, albeit at a much slower pace than the year before, or the year before that.

There was nothing more that he loved than gazing upon the sights that resembled his half-remembered dreams.

This was the reason why he chose to come back to the remote barrio of San Miguel. Located at an equal distance of some fifty kilometers from the two more economically successful towns of Jiabong and Catbalogan, the barrio was considered remote, even by today's technologically proficient standards.

Life was easy here, even for one such as him. The farming community lived simply, their needs were not dictated by the whims of modern economic players, at least not that much.

Most of all, however, this was the place where his life's story began.

Now sitting below the ancient thorn tree, he reminisced, as all old people are wont to do on a daily basis. He thought about how his life would have turned out had he not encountered the series of events that had made him who he was.

He observed the movement of the rice stalks in the fields and looked for the signs that only experience could discern.

He looked up at the boughs and the leaves of the thorn tree hoping to catch a pattern that didn't quite fit right.

There were none.

He focused his attention to the wide row of coconut trees that spanned the edge of the rice fields. Already, even though it was barely five in the afternoon, the shades of the coconut grove were becoming darker.

And with darkness came clarity.

This he knew and deeply believed.

From the periphery of his vision, he spied three small figures approaching from the right. Five paces behind them, another four lagged. He recognized the three figures instantly -- Pedro, Yayong, and Manuel. Three of the many children who had made it a part of their day to hang out at his favorite spot. They always hope to strike up a conversation with the renowned Ingkong. Better yet was to get a story out of him.

Julio recognized the influence he had over the children that came to hear him weave his magnificent tales. Any person in town could tell that when these children started playing, they would almost always use Julio's stories as the basis for their play acting. Stories of demons and legendary beings, good versus bad, fantastical creatures, hidden pathways to the great unknown.

Even the invisible beings that coexist with the townsfolk formed part of his inexhaustible repertoire; while even the more mature listener could not help but be awed.

Most townsfolk regarded him as a master storyteller-while a few thought he was just causing trouble. They were concerned that his stories promoted daydreaming instead of labor, the latter being integral to the lifestyle of the farming folk.

Even if there were differing opinions about him and his stories, all the townsfolk regarded him highly, and mostly for one reason-he had a knack for healing most common illnesses and had a higher chance of healing one who was severely affected by an unknown cause. Even the most skeptical townsman could not risk annoying the gifted healer, in case something happened.

"Oi, Inkong!" the child Manuel, called out to him, "How come no one visited me last night? I gathered wild berries just like you said, I washed them in the river, then I lay them on top of a layer of salt in my window when the sun set like you instructed. Nothing came. I fell asleep waiting!"

"No one?" the old man asked.

"No one! I fell asleep waiting! I got many scratches in my hands and legs just to get those berries, and nothing happened!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" the child declared, raising his hands, "I fell asleep waiting."

"That is strange," Julio replied pensively, "the Monatson never fail to retrieve their gifts. Tell me; were the berries still there when you woke up?"

"No," Manuel replied, "the rats took them. I showed everyone this morning!" said the child with conviction.

The four children that lagged behind the first three joined the group and looked at the old man with an intensity that only childish curiosity could produce. Julio let it hang; he wanted them to think. He knew the pleasures that curiosity and pure thinking bring, and he didn't hold back. Although their eyes were on him, their minds were busy thinking about possibilities. He looked to the distant coconut grove and squinted his eyes for added effect before speaking.

"Hmmm," he started, pausing for a long time, "and the salt?"

There was no reply. The group seemed lost in thought. One by one, their eyes started to light up but no one dared to speak.

"Tell me, what about the salt? Can anybody tell me what has become of the salt? Did it also disappear?"

The children exchanged glances before one of them spoke.

"It was still there," replied Lito, a child of no more than five years old.

"It was still there? Was it disturbed? Err, scattered?" asked the old man, feigning curiosity too.

"No," came Pedro's quick answer.

"Oh!" the old man exclaimed, not giving anymore explanations.

The children fidgeted by themselves, uncomfortably glancing at each other; their eyes were a mixture of emotions. He could see it -- wonder, amazement, excitement, and most of all, regret for a chance now lost.

"I told you, they took it! The plant tenders took it!" spoke Yayong this time.

"They did not!" lashed Manuel, "I did not see them take it!"

The old man smiled at the last statement. He knew the child desperately wanted to believe. Even if he was lying, he knew Manuel wanted to believe; they needed to believe -- more out of boredom than anything else.

He knew that life in one of the most remote places in the country takes its toll, even in the most imaginative minds of children.

"If you weren't such a sleepy head, I'm sure they would have greeted you," he spoke at last.

The old man's words diffused the uneasiness of the children and they all burst out into laughter, at Manuel's expense. Manuel held his ground but with each taunt, his reserves slowly diminished.

But it didn't take long before he was joining the others in hearty jeers and taunts.

### Chapter Two

JULIO ENVIED THE simplicity of youth and the uncorrupted minds. He remembered a time when he followed his heart's desires and there, he had been at his happiest.

A brief cloud of gloom followed his thoughts as he remembered the reason why he spent most afternoons under the thorn tree in the first place.

"Ingkong, what will I do if I meet them?" asked Yayong.

"Them? There are many more kinds than you can count. But if you do, show them respect. They are much like you and me."

"But last time you said they are different."

"Yes, I suppose I did."

"So why are they like us?"

"Because like us, the Magaram can think and because they can think, they can choose what's right or wrong."

"But they are not people!" Manuel quipped.

"What's truly right," explained Julio, "...or wrong is the same everywhere. If you lie to someone, even if you were born somewhere else, it's still wrong."

"Do they have flying creatures?" asked Elia, the only girl in the group.

"Like birds? Of course they do, they have more flying creatures than you can count," he answered.

"Do they have dragons?"

"Bigger, better, and scarier creatures live in the Magaram's realm -- dragons would be tamer compared to them."

"There are monsters, too?"

"There are no monsters."

"But you just said there are scarier creatures in their world," Lito pointed out.

"There are, but just because they are scary doesn't mean they are monsters."

Julio surveyed the gathered children to see if they understood. He hoped they would not, and he was proven right.

"But monsters are evil!"

"That is correct and monsters are scary, too."

"See? It's the same!"

Julio shook his head to accent the fact that it was not true. The children were silent as they tried to understand what the old man was trying to say.

"To be a monster or to be evil means that you have the ability to know that what you choose to do is not good for anyone. If a man goes to a house and hurts the people living in that house, that man is a monster. If a snake, however, or any other animal gets inside a house and ends up hurting all the people inside, that animal is scary."

"I get it! I get it!" Manuel exclaimed excitedly, "Monsters can think!"

The other children looked at Manuel with admiration. The smiles on their faces told of the satisfaction that can only come from learning new things. Julio let it sink in before speaking.

"You are right and you are also wrong," the old man said, "All living creatures have the ability to think."

"Even animals?"

"Why yes, that's why they do whatever it is they do."

"Like the rooster crowing in the morning?" asked Elia.

"Or the birds perching on trees before sunset?" quipped Ondo, the shy boy who said one or two phrases every time they came for his stories.

"Yes, children, yes. All animals that move and do things can think, but that does not make them monsters."

"Like humans!"

"Yes Pedro, like humans."

"But if thinking does not make a person a monster, and all animals can think," wondered Yayong.

"There are no monsters! I knew it!" Manuel excited exclaimed.

The old man was pleased with the outcome of the exchange, although the children had gotten it wrong so far; the way their simple, one track minds worked had never failed to surprise him.

"No, Manuel, that is not it," he saw the boy's expression knot, "The difference between monsters and creatures, us included, is that monsters can plan. Even animals can think about what to do next, but to be a monster means to plan what to do, to know what to do, before even doing it."

"To do evil things?" Lito queried.

"Yes." The old man answered, smiling.

He let the children ponder on that. They always had a moment of silence when thinking about the things they just heard that seemed a little hard for them to believe. He knew the questions would come.

"So if a man decides to do evil things, he is a monster?" Yayong asked.

"Correct, even if only for a short time."

"Are the Magaram evil?" piped Elia.

"No, they are not evil, they are good. Inkong Pablo told me that before!" said Pedro.

"The Magaram," started Julio, "are just like us. Most of them are good, but there are still some of them that do evil things."

"So they are like people, too?"

"In a way, yes," answered the old man.

"But no one has lived among them, how do you know?" this time it was Manuel.

"Oh, but that is not true. Many have lived among them but don't tell the story. Some of them cannot tell the story."

"Cannot?"

"Yes, they may want to tell their stories, but cannot."

"Why?" came the question that was almost spoken in unison.

"Because they are already living with the Magaram and chose not to come back."

"But their parents will miss them!" Elia sounded off, voicing her concern.

"That is true, but only for a short time."

"That is not true, if I go missing, my father would not stop looking for me," declared Pedro.

The old man saw that he was at a loss at how to proceed next. He knew that what he was about to say would make a great impact upon the children. On the other hand, he did not want to disappoint them. He decided to tell them.

"They will Pedro. Especially if they thought that you have already died."

"But if they don't see me, my body, how could they think that?"

"They will see a body, and they will think it's you."

"How? I don't like that, it's not me!"

"Remember that when you go to live among the Magaram, it is your decision to go. You have decided to do it, which also means that you know you will not be coming back. For the people left behind, the Magaram will create a very hard illusion of a dead body so those who look for you will stop looking."

"I have heard of this from my Uncle, he said it's just banana trunks," Elia said.

"So when you go, you will not be a person anymore?" Manuel quickly followed up.

"So to speak. You will become one of the Magaram."

"Can you go there without becoming a Magaram?" asked Lito once more.

"Why yes; in fact, like I said, many people do so."

"So why would anyone choose to live there?" wondered Elia aloud.

"Many reasons, love, magic, adventure...," the old man could not finish his sentence.

"Adventure!" the group exploded, finishing off with wild gestures portraying magic and epic swordfights. Even Elia, the only little girl in the group, was running in circles, pretending she was flying.

The old man laughed with them. His last phrase, unfinished as it was, gave away what the children was looking for this day - adventure through imagination.

He waited for it. He knew the children would soon be begging him for a story about adventure, one involving the Magaram, that mythical race of people that only existed, they would say, in the fragments of the dreamer's imagination. Some claimed they had met the Magaram, only to end up waking up from a dream. Everything would feel so real, and it would have been. But there would be no chance to prove it because all trace of the experience would be gone except a memory that would most likely make one insane.

"Inkong! Inkong! Tell us a story of adventure!" Lito requested.

"A story with monsters and scary creatures!" suggested Yayong.

"Heroes! I love Heroes!" declared Manuel.

Julio noted that the sun was already red; burning its last for the day. Soon, fireflies would come into view, acting as mobile stars in the rice fields, and the stage would be set.

He found it easier to tell them stories at such an hour, just before they ate supper. At this hour, the children would be much focused, absorbing everything he said, in part because of the gathering darkness all around that made it easier to ignore distractions.

"Well, little ones, I might have just the story for you."

"Is it magical?" asked Lito excitedly.

"Yes, it has adventure and it even has love."

"Eeew," reacted Manuel.

"Yeeech," followed Pedro.

"Yay!" squealed Elia.

The last reaction had all eyes on Elia. Everyone, including Julio, was surprised.

"You all will find that like all things, love is essential for great adventures. Shall I begin?"

"Yes!" was the unanimous response.

Summer, 1937.

He dragged the large wooden bucket behind him. Upright, its height was a little higher than his knees, and on its handle was a length of rope.

He could have easily hoisted it over his shoulders but he dragged the bucket behind him anyway. It was not due to lack of enthusiasm for the task he was assigned to do.

No, it was not that.

It was because he knew that an hour from now, he would be coming back down this same earthen road bearing that same bucket on his shoulders. He would be making his way back to his house which was half an hour away from the well, but this time with a heavy load of water. He preferred to get lost in his thoughts while traveling that road which became dusty on dry summer days.

The well, his destination, was located at the side of the mountain the people in his town called Bright Mountain. He never believed the stories about that place, or any other place they cared to talk about.

It seemed to him that every place in town had a story to it, including familiar nearby spots that were a walk for hours in any direction. The elders were fond of talking about it, and he once enjoyed the stories they had about magical creatures and evil ones that lived among them.

He particularly loved the stories of the enchanted beings that inhabited the forests.

But that was then.

He was 21 now, 21 since the first month of the year and in all of his years. He spent most of his childhood alone, climbing trees and mountains, yet had never seen any of these creatures.

He wished for them to be true, but wishing would not make it so. With repeated reprimands from his father to act his age, Julio turned away from his thoughts of that world, the world of the Magarams.

This time, he shifted to what he was going to do with his life.

Being 21 meant settling down; at least that was the custom in town. Either you marry early, or you have to be married before it was too late. Usually that meant no later than the age of 25.

He pondered over this dilemma. There were only three women close to his age that he could think of courting.

There was Elena, the daughter of Lucio, the town's resident woodworker.

He hated that spiteful man. Because he was the only person able to trade outside of town due to the fact that his work was somewhat commercially attractive, he made it a point to let everyone know about this. Even when selling to his fellow townsfolk, he charged high prices. When coins were not available, ridiculous trade demands in exchange for his work would be the only solution.

There was nothing wrong with Elena, she was somewhat beautiful, he thought.

It was her father that made it not worth the trouble.

He shuddered at the thought of serving under Lucio in order to get his favor and blessing. Toiling away under his supervision, never being able to satisfy the man, hearing his boasts all day and the remote chance of not getting his approval in the end somehow didn't add up to Julio.

If only her father was a little bit amiable, he could have given it a chance.

As he made a slight turn at the bend that brought him to the foot of the mountain where he would follow a long, turning road, his thoughts fell on the second probable candidate -- Eulalia.

### Chapter Three

EULALIA WAS A free spirit. She was a strong-willed 18 year old girl, who insisted in going out with her father, the lovable Marko, three times a week to hunt in nearby forests for wild boar and other kinds of meat. They usually came home with an assortment of birds which were more than wild boar, but it was enough to carry them over. The town that lived mostly on free range chicken and a few pigs welcomed any manner of meat that the family caught and traded joyfully with whatever they can afford.

Marko was an understanding man who possessed exceptionally good hunting skills. He remained approachable and loved spending time with the children who frequented their little stall in the middle of town where they sold their catch. Julio believed he could get along well with Marko. His daughter, however, was another story.

Julio frowned unconsciously when he thought about Eulalia. She was more skilled than he was. He once saw her help her father repair their small house. Being an only daughter, she was now frequently seen drinking with her father and his friends, and although that was just one of the things that were not proper in a woman, Julio also admired how she handled those friends when they became drunk.

He recalled an incident that happened just a few nights ago, one he heard from his mother. Eulalia punched one of her father's drinking buddies and knocked him out cold.

He shook his head.

He could never get married to a woman like that, she would just dominate him. Aside from climbing trees and getting lost in the woods, he never had any real skills to be proud of. The occasional help he lent to whoever needed it during harvest season was nothing to boast about; even little girls could manage that.

He admitted to himself that he had probably wasted his life daydreaming and running after mythical stories hoping they were true.

If he were to marry, it should be with someone who could not outmatch him in anything.

Marcela naturally came to mind.

As he rounded the final bend that would take him to where the well was located, he examined his chances with Marcela.

She was the only woman in town, 22 years old already, who probably had not had a job for the rest of her life. The only daughter of Narcisso and Yesenia, the town's only poultry and livestock supplier, Marcela had it good.

Though their business was not that big, it was enough for the town. Her father Narcisso was one of the few in town who could boast of his trips to nearby towns. He went out of town once a month to buy goods and came back to sell them at twice the price. He also took on requests to sell the other townsfolk's goods for a commission. Although he could only afford to slaughter one adult pig every month, the entire town looked forward to it. Other households only had one or two of them and were usually saving them up for occasions like birthdays and fiestas.

Marcela was fair. In a town of brown people, mostly of the darker sort, Marcela, who never had to do any work her entire life, stood out. Her skin was fairer than everyone else's. Before she was born, her mother was the fairest in the entire town but now, even her mother paled in comparison.

Unfortunately, she was also spoiled.

Though her beauty was known all throughout even to the neighboring barrios, her tantrums were also legendary.

Never mind the two overprotective brothers, Julio thought, beware of the witch!

He chuckled to himself with that thought and made light of fact that he was no wiser now about how to get himself a wife than when he first started thinking about it.

He was almost at the well now, five minutes more. He busied himself with the view.

He was at the side of Bright Mountain, halfway up, and this part offered him a view of the trees that made up much of the forest that stretched as far as his eyes could see.

In his own estimation, he had been to about half of the forest already before he gave up his illusions and decided to grow up.

Julio remembered being in the forest by himself for the first time.

He was 16. Everything he saw was new. The trees were the most awe-inspiring things he saw, towering above the forest floor with limbs wider than both of his arms outstretched. The sweet smell of highly fertile soil had assaulted his nostrils, it was truly a great experience.

Perhaps it was because he was still looking for traces of the Magaram, hoping he could see them, maybe even live with them as the stories suggested.

But now, even with unenthusiastic eyes, he was still in awe of the power that the forest held. It hosted a plethora of life, supported by its own rules, and isolated itself from the harsh weather patterns.

It seemed to him that the forest itself was one, big, self sufficient individual. One that not even the changing seasons could disrupt.

As he saw the well, he remembered the reason why he was doing this daily trek -- it was summer and the season he hated the most. Because of the heat, people stayed indoors, and those that found comfort under the shade of the trees either did not want to share or did not want to be bothered.

The folks who tended to the rice fields also did not like to engage in banter of any kind. Julio found that the heat caused people to be irritable. If only it was as simple as just cooling off in a bath.

But the stream, located only 50 paces from the edge of the town and was their main source of water, dried up during summer seasons. Absence of rain also made it hard for the townsfolk to stock up on water, so everyone flocked to the well during the mornings and late afternoons when the sun was tolerable.

Julio did not like going there in the mornings or late afternoons -- the time spent lining up and waiting for one's turn was time wasted for him. He preferred going there close to noon -- no lining up, no unnecessary talking, and no reprimanding if he took a quick nap since no one was behind him.

His destination was one of the two wells drilled by the Americans. From the stories he had heard from the town elders, the well he was heading for was the first one built, just before the First World War broke out. Julio was born two years before the said war had ended, he was 21 now, and the well still worked.

The other well was located inside the small army base that now housed around 10 American soldiers. He heard that before, during the war, there were more than five times more men stationed near the well he was headed to. Even though the town's location was remote, the location of the well had directly faced another strategic point for the American forces -- their main base, and access to the open sea from where their forces initially arrived.

It was two days worth of marching to get there, or so he had been told, the straight line of sight provided a clear, uninterrupted view of whatever signals they would be sending either through flares at night or through radio.

After the war ended the Americans set up a base closer to the town and left just a few garrisoned soldiers there, rotating every two or three months.

Julio never much cared for soldiers; even their fancy radio which he had been told could communicate with anyone many miles away did not impress him.

The same could not be said about his father, Francisco. He and his older brother Fidel were both orphans under the care of a priest in the island of Surigao. They both took a chance in stowing away on an American ship when Fidel was just eight, and Francisco was six.

They were discovered halfway on the trip, and when the ship docked in Hawaii, they were given to the care of a local jail warden while waiting for the next ship to take them back home.

Having been mercilessly tutored by priests at a young age in subjects that made them proficient in both English and Spanish, the two brothers soon found themselves in the favor of the warden.

The warden could not deny the uniqueness and the intelligence of the two and he soon adopted them.

### Chapter Four

WHEN RUMORS ABOUT the First World War broke out, Francisco signed up for the army without thinking twice. It was just a few weeks after he turned 18.

Francisco was one of the first soldiers to land on Russian soil by the time the World War I came into full bloom. He was given a choice between going back to the United States or to the Philippines, which at that time much like today, was still under American rule, after he had completed his tour there.

Sensing more adventures at hand, he chose to go back to his country and landed in the town of Catbalogan towards the start of the second half of 1915, a little over a year since he stepped on Russian soil.

The only adventure Francisco had upon coming back, however, was one that involved women and wine.

It came as no surprise to Julio that he was born a little over nine months after his father set foot on Philippine shores. He had served as the de facto ambassadors with the Filipino locals for a time. As Ingkong Juan told Julio, his father was renowned for his great bravery as well as his physical might all throughout the surrounding barrios.

It did not surprise Julio to hear this. His father was a short-tempered man with an affinity for wine. When his father's antics became legendary, the American commander was forced to remove him from active duty.

However, that didn't stop Francisco from identifying with the American troops. Having nothing to do in the sleepy town, his father, who only knew soldiering as a way of life, always spent time in the small garrison he had just passed by.

Julio was sure that his father would be drunk when he came back-he hoped he would be too drunk to even start a ruckus. Otherwise he would have to sleep in his makeshift bed atop the old star apple tree again.

Julio was roused from his thoughts when he saw that the well was not more than 20 paces away.

His heart sank. Someone was there before him, so he didn't have the well to himself.

Unless the person there was almost done, he would have to spend at least 20 minutes before his turn came. Given the small amounts of water that came out of the deep well's pump, it would take another half an hour before he could fill the huge bucket.

Already, his eyes were scanning the area for a place where he could spend time under the shade of a tree to sit or doze off until it was time for him to work the pump.

He squinted to get a glimpse of the person whose back was to him as he neared, and was surprised. It was a woman! From where he was he could see that either she was his age or she was taller than most. He was too far away to decide which was true.

He pondered about it as he got nearer. Even with his drum dragging loudly behind, she did not even cast a glance his way. Either she was deaf or she just did not care for company like him. It was as if he did not exist. Julio slowed down without being aware of it, with his focus all on her.

He knew all of the people in town, but he could not remember seeing her. The ray of light that peeped through the canopy of leaves directly overhead bore down on her hair and seemed to lend her an ethereal air. Her hair appeared to take on a light, reddish hue against the sun's rays. She was wearing a simple house gown that was common in town and yet, tried as he might, he could not remember seeing the same pattern.

At ten paces away, he started to go to the side to at least see her profile. Then he noticed something that stood out like a sore thumb.

She was light skinned!

Unlike the American soldiers he had seen, her skin looked like it had never seen the sun since birth. Her arms, her nape, and her cheek almost seemed to be impervious to light. Aside from the shadows that fell in one or two places, her pallor appeared uniform all throughout.

He was near enough also to notice a high forehead that gave way to the thin nose that angled slightly upwards before tapering off above her upper lip.

If she noticed him, she gave no indication. Her entire frame was intent on pumping water from the deep well. Her left hand held the top of the pump's handle while the other lifted and pushed down rhythmically. Her frame was bent forward a bit, one foot in front of the other.

He noticed her hands. He was sure that her hands were the daintiest pair of hands he had ever set eyes on.

Julio was staring at her profile so hard he didn't notice that her bucket was already full. When she started turning to where he stood, it was too late to turn away.

Then he could finally see her face.

"Greetings," her voice sounded as if it was one with the air, "Would you be able to help me get this bucket upon my shoulder?"

He was stunned. It was not because she talked like the old people did back at the town.

It was not because her bluish eyes almost shone with a radiance that bore deep into his, nor was it the symmetry of her angelic face that lent a little aura of pureness and incorruptibility.

It was because he had been caught staring, rather rudely, at her fineness. She was just so beautiful. When she talked, the soft sound reverberated inside of his head like church bells. But instead of frightening him, it confused him because he liked the sound very much.

Julio, for the first time in his entire life, was instantly smitten by a woman.

It was enough to mess him up.

"S-Sure," Julio stammered, "Are you sure?" he asked, looking at the wooden bucket filled with water that was almost as tall as the one he had been dragging for the last half hour.

"I am sure," she replied, the corner of her lips lifting up a little as if she was avoiding not to laugh.

Julio could not tell if he was walking or ambling over to where she was. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and his eyes could not help but be glued to her face.

Something inside him was stirring, like a chorus of distant drums that set his blood to race in his veins. The woman had finally acknowledged him in the form of a smile as he approached. When she did, he felt like he was going to burst into flames.

Every piece of him was screaming for the woman, something as old as the memories of the forest he had gazed upon earlier began to work within him.

Like an automaton with only one focus, he approached. Though no more than a few steps apart, he felt like he had been walking for a long time.

His eyes settled on her face. Everything blotted out around them, and all that was left was color of the leaves and the light of the sun through the canopy above.

"You are kind," she spoke again, but this time with a shy, lovely smile on her face. "Gratitude."

What he had known about the town of which he had never set foot outside in all his 21 years heavily contradicted the woman. There was the peculiar way she phrased her words. Her unique physical features were an absolute mystery.

He wracked his brain to discern where she might be living. But he knew of no place where people look or talk like her. He was so lost in his ruminations that he did not even notice the weight of the bucket that he was slowly lowering unto her shoulders.

She rocked a little as she balanced the weight of the bucket. He half expected her shoulders to give. He knew how heavy that bucket was. He could not last 10 minutes without taking it off and replacing it on the other side.

But she surprised him.

Although the middle part of the bucket's bottom was extending outside her right shoulder, her left hand stretched out and held the rim from that side.

Her right hand was underneath for support. Very little water spilled out. Then, without saying a word, she started walking towards the narrow path opposite where he had come from, and disappeared among the tall grass.

THAT NIGHT, JULIO did not wait for his father to come home. After cooking rice on their earthen stove and skillfully grilling what remained of their stock of dried fish over the embers, he ate with his siblings and mother in silence. Being the eldest meant he also washed the dishes before leaving.

He made sure everything was done before he left. He wanted to spend the night alone, up in his makeshift bamboo bed up on the old star apple tree's boughs.

He had not yet recovered from his brief encounter with the strange beautiful woman that afternoon. He considered himself a prisoner of the town in which he grew up. Many times during his trek back with the bucket of water upon his shoulder, he thought about just how isolated his town was.

If the lady he had seen was just a sample of what was out there, he didn't want to waste time.

He wanted to get out.

To say that the woman assaulted his senses was an understatement. When he replayed the encounter over and over in his mind, Julio found no difficulty recalling everything.

From the patterns on her clothing, to the sandals she was wearing.

He pictured the stray strands of hair that fell down her back, laying comfortably on her shoulders.

The weird, reddish tint of her hair and the spotless skin that covered her entire body were lovely but enigmas to him. The combination of both worked a magic that he had only heard about in folk stories, told and retold all over the village.

The color of her eyes was light-colored, of the palest blue. He shivered in his makeshift bamboo bed when he remembered when their eyes met.

When her lips almost turned into a smile the moment she said "Gratitude," Julio felt he would melt.

It was almost dawn when he finally let go of every detail of the encounter to wonder where the lady might be living.

### Chapter Five

SO JULIO REMEMBERED that she took the small path and he frowned.

No one ever went there.

That side of the mountain angled down and stretched towards the fields of tall grass which gave the field the appearance of endlessness, if not for the row of trees in the horizon.

As far as he could remember, nobody lived there except insects and snakes. Julio remembered that had she made a hard right. If she continued, she might actually end up in San Juan \-- after half a day of travel.

But that wasn't the shortest way towards San Juan. Strange.

His eyes had started protesting and he was tired and sleepy, so he finally decided to find out where she was from.

Tomorrow, he would head out there and see if he could retrace her steps. He planned his entire day. He would arrive at the deep well earlier just to be sure he got there first, so he would see where she came from.

He would then follow her when she left, maintaining a respectable distance so as not to be discovered.

Smiling to himself to what seemed like a busy and exciting day, he fell asleep underneath the blinking stars.

JULIO WOKE UP late. It was close to 10 in the morning.

He hurriedly headed home and was thankful to know that his father, had come home past midnight, expectedly drunk, and was still sound asleep.

His mother just gave him a look that spoke of what chaos there might have been if his father had woken up to find that Julio was not there to be bossed around, and chastisement because he was supposed to be the one to cook. His mother had already taken care of that, though.

So without wasting time, he headed out to the well with the large bucket. The water he had brought home the previous day had already been emptied into one of the big earthen jars that they owned.

Julio knew that even if he would not go to the well today, they would have at least two days stock of water. But he went to the well daily to get away, as his father would not leave the house until a few hours past noon.

But this wasn't the only reason now. He was filled with excitement at the possibility of seeing the beautiful fair lady in the well. He wasn't sure if he would have the strength to talk to her. But he could just follow her to where she lived to get a feel of who she was, of how she treated other people. If his wits could not give him the strength to walk up to her to talk, he could at least watch her until he could be brave enough to get to know her.

He was definitely smitten. There was no one like her, she was beautiful beyond words. She was unlike any other woman he had seen in all his years living in the small town.

Just thinking of her was enough to get him excited; and the notion of just seeing her again was enough to make him happy. When worse come to worst, he would be content just to be able to see her everyday.

Today might just be the start of those days, but it didn't faze Julio.

As long as he saw her again.

THE PLAN WAS to arrive there early, and hide, so he could watch her as she came.

He had already calculated the amount of time it would take for her to fill her bucket. With the measly amount of water coming out of the deep well on summer days, she would be there at least a quarter of an hour before filling the big bucket that she had with her-and a quarter of an hour for him to behold her beauty before revealing himself.

Due to his excitement, Julio brushed aside the possibility that she might not even show up in the beginning of his furious planning.

Then he began to worry. She might come at a later time, she might come at an earlier time, or she might not come at all.

That thought did not sit well with him. Every time he thought of it, he felt like having a fit.

In the end, he decided that he just had to believe that she would be there.

He held onto this until he got there.

He saw someone at the pump and immediately knew it was the woman even when he was still far away. Aww! There was no way for him to find a place to hide so that he could spy on her beauty, unless he cared just to watch her from behind.

Julio did not know what to do. He had arrived considerably earlier than the previous day and he knew he made good time getting there.

There was only one way to go about it. He had to approach and engage her in small talk until she was done. That way he would be able to delay her leaving.

His stomach knotted at the prospect of talking to her. But he had a need to do something, even if it was the scariest prospect he had ever had in his life.

It seemed like ages before he was able to approach her. His mind started working on opening lines.

She was still wearing a house gown but this one had a different pattern. The plain white of the fabric was covered in intricate designs of gold and green. Julio found it odd that she was wearing clothing that not only looked new but looked expensive as well.

Back in the village, new clothing was synonymous with expensive, as there was very little trade available for that sort. Buying new clothes was considered only for gifts and special occasions. Almost everyone in town was clothed in hand-me-downs.

And yet, there she was. The clothing she was wearing could easily have cost Julio three harvests' worth of pay! This did not help ease his worry, and the water on the lady's bucket was almost full!

Julio's heart sank. Barely there and already he was faced with the prospect of not gaining more time to be with her. All his planning the previous night was worthless.

Then she turned around.

Awkwardness, happiness, embarrassment and panic hit him all at once. He fought hard not to shake.

He felt stupid standing there, rooted to the spot, staring at her.

Thankfully, it did not last that long.

"Good morning," she started off with that voice that enchanted him. "Would you do me the favor of lifting this bucket to my shoulders so I can be on my way?"

Again, Julio noted the peculiarity of the way she said her words -- very formal, very old. Like the wording in an old song. But her eyes seem to be twinkling, even if her rosy lips were not showing the mirth he suspected she was feeling.

"Of course," he managed to reply without stuttering.

She did not laugh.

She smiled as her lovely pale blue eyes held his.

His eyes were glued to her face - he just could not help it. In her was a calmness and peacefulness that Julio had never seen in anyone. Julio carefully lifted the bucket, big and being full of water, without making it splash.

He placed it on her, whose shoulders gave no indication of any hardiness or enough muscle to support it.

"Gratitude, again," the woman spoke and again, so formal the word, but with a graceful nod of her head.

She began her walk without much ado, turning away in a move that seemed like a dance as soon as she thanked him and headed the same way she went the previous day.

Julio grabbed his bucket and placed it under the pump. He began pumping slowly, making sure that the sounds that the pump made were kept at a minimum.

This was no accident. It was a last minute attempt at deception. He wanted her to think he was pumping and when she was at a farther distance, she would hopefully not hear the sound.

He saw her begin her descent on the side of the mountain where she disappeared yesterday and slowly stopped what he was doing.

When her head was the only thing that he could see in the distance, he immediately stopped and ran excitedly towards the slope that the girl disappeared to. He saw her already at a considerable distance from where he was. He saw her heading for a stretch of land that was covered in knee high grass ending in a gully probably 10 or 12 feet wide.

She walked in an almost regular cadence, and Julio mentally calculated the distance he could cover if he moved quickly. He decided to wait until she had reached the grassy part of the small clearing.

The lady reached it in less time than he anticipated, and Julio compensated by almost sliding down the slope littered with grass and shrub patches in an unpredictable pattern. He reached the bottom of the slope in no time, worried he had been heard. But glancing in the direction of the lady assured him that she didn't.

He started to follow her at an angle that would bring him closer to the grassy ground while not losing sight of her. He was right; she was going to the gully. Crouching or even lying low on his stomach on the grass would be a good strategy if she ever wheeled around.

Once he reached the grassy area, he saw her weaving her way across the small rocks that dotted the entrance. It bended ahead so Julio moved faster to get closer before she rounded the bend. He had never been to these parts before and was unsure if there were any crossings or side paths where the woman was heading.

Then a few things struck him as odd.

First was that in all his years, he could not remember anyone coming from any area in that general direction. There probably were people living there somewhere, but there should be easier routes to the village.

The next was that it must have been 10 minutes already since he had placed the bucket on that lady's shoulders, and even he needed to put down his bucket before replacing it on the other shoulder.

Unless the lady only went there for the water on the deep well regardless of where she lived, and unless she was possessed of strength that was not evident in her frame, Julio knew nothing made sense - precisely the reason why he had to find out.

### Chapter Six

GULLIES USUALLY GO straight, he kept thinking as he saw her start to round the bend. When she disappeared, he hurried until he reached the gully and then took careful strides towards the bend.

He exhaled in relief when he saw her still walking in the distance.

The sides of the gully seemed to go higher and higher with each step. When he saw another bend ahead, he realized that the once wide spaces on both his sides had narrowed down, and the sides of the gully now stood a few inches above his head.

Carefully treading so as not to make any noise, especially that there was a thin line of water streaming in the opposite direction, Julio got out of the second bend.

Then his heart sank.

In plain sight were two side paths a few feet from each other, both marked by the obvious space carved through the soil and rock that made the sides of the gully. The main path he was on stretched on farther. And the woman was no longer in sight!

His heart picked up its pace. He could not lose her this far.

Not even thinking of the sounds his feet were making, Julio quickly dashed to the first side path and saw that it turned. He went through it to take a look if she had gone there.

She didn't. The first path went straight and she was nowhere to be seen.

Naturally, Julio headed for the second path. His hopes went up -- though he did not see the woman yet, the path was full of turns and bends. It was as if there was a turn or a curve every six or seven steps. So she just might be lost in one of those bends, and if he only made good time, he would be able to catch up with her.

As he navigated the new path, the sides had become double his height. The space had become narrower and would only accommodate two people walking abreast. He also noted that the trees that made a canopy on the pathway had quickly become denser, and their leaves were now almost sealing the entire path.

There were only a few spots where light came in, more than enough to see his way. But it has remarkably become darker.

But for some reason, this actually made the entire place look beautiful.

The unique sound of the forest-as if the rustling leaves proved they were alive-and chirps of birds made him feel he was not entirely alone, but in a good way. Even the air seemed to have its own sound, soothing and friendly. The forest always made him feel welcomed. But a mix of both excitement and apprehension came over him as he saw that the path was already coming to an opening that marked the end of this turn.

He could see that there were lines of trees in that area and that gave him more spring in his step. When he reached the end of the path, he felt dizzy and disoriented.

But it only lasted for a few seconds.

And then frustration crept in.

He was in an area littered with an assortment of trees. He tried to guess where he was in the woods if he had been standing infront of the mountain. He could be in its right side now-and he has never reached this far before inside the woods. Trees and vegetation here were thick and seemed to have more life than anywhere else.

He looked to the left and then the right -- there was no sign of the woman.

The density of plant life made it hard for him to determine which way she had gone. He was not a hunter like Eulalia or Marko, so he relied on the vegetation to give him clues. He looked for something out of the ordinary in a lush, mostly untouched forest like this. A sign of disturbance in the natural plant life would help him a lot.

But there were none. There was not even a sign of a commonly used path!

Julio walked forward. Not even caring if he made a loud noise, he trampled the greenery beneath him and headed forward like a man driven by purpose. Low hanging branches and a few fallen trees slowed him down. He kept reminding himself to look up every so often. With the leaves forming a thick blanket on the forest's roof, it seemed hard to tell if the sun was at its peak or if it was setting. He knew he would have to go back the same way he came, so he took care not to deviate too much from his straight approach.

How much time had passed, he had no idea.

What Julio knew the moment he stepped out of the forest and into a wide clearing was that he had never seen a place so simple and yet so beautiful in all his life.

The clearing, almost half the size of the center of his village, was surrounded on all sides by trees, rounding off all corners. The green grass smelled the way grass smelled in mornings.

But when he looked down, his shadow was slightly cast to the side -- a few minutes to an hour after midday.

He squinted as a curious sight in the huge clearing met his eyes.

In the center of it was what appeared to be a hut, small by the usual standard, with perfectly round sides. It was intriguing because from afar, it did not look like it had a door. Some sides were boarded up and the roof was made of what appeared to be wooden slats. It had the look of considerable age, yet it didn't have the feel of age.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, the little hut looked like a strong and defiant place, perfect for the travel weary.

It was intriguing, and Julio was weary, so he headed for the hut.

When he reached it, he was surprised to find that it was not actually a hut but a well! Its round sides were of moss-covered stone and the wooden construction on top of it was indeed made of aged wood.

The distance between any opposite two points was easily a yard by his observation. The wood that topped the moss-covered stone including four posts felt cold to the touch and when he knocked on it, it felt like stone. There was a small pail tied at both sides by a length of rope that was hanging from what was once the branch of a tree that was acting as one of the four posts of the well.

Julio looked down and immediately got a feel of how deep the well went. Although the sun was just a few degrees off, the surface of the water could not be seen. The thought of how cold the water was suddenly made Julio realize that he was thirsty.

Taking the small pail off of where it was hanging from, Julio released it from his grip and let it fall down the well. It was a good three seconds before he heard the pail splash on the water below.

Almost simultaneously, the cluster of trees that surrounded the clearing burst out with activity. A flock of house sparrows broke off from their shade in the trees, flying with frenzy towards the opposite side.

It was bizarre, he thought with a frown. Birds did not behave like that for no reason. He was sure there was no rustling among the tree branches, no sound of squabbling among the flock just before they took off.

Unless there was a snake in the trees where the birds came from that attacked and therefore, terrorized the entire flock into flight.

He shrugged and turned his attention to the well. The small pail had already hit the water so he let some of the rope slack to let the pail tilt to its side. For a moment, the little wooden pail seemed to be at ease in the water, so he alternated between pulling the rope up, giving it a little swing, and then letting it splash down on the water again to force it to tilt. He knew it would fall to its side eventually.

Every time the pail hit the water, he was reminded of how deep the well went. In the silent clearing where not even the rustling of trees could be heard, the sound that came up the well seemed to magnify, like it had a presence to it, like it bounced off many times before finally making its ascent. Julio thought about it but discarded it as absurd.

The rope became taut. He hoisted the pail up with no great effort. The pail, brimming to capacity, spilled some of its contents back into the well as it climbed up the height of the well.

Each sound that the drops made seemed to grow louder as the pail went higher.

Julio finally got a hold of the pail and he took a big sip off the pail. Some of the water ran down his upturned chin and made its way down his throat. Mid-drink, Julio realized how full and almost sweet the water tasted.

He felt re-energized. Cool breeze gently blew on him, relaxing him more. And it seemed to be coming from the ground.

As soon as he thought that, he thought, too, That's strange.

But he was not imagining it.

### Chapter Seven

THERE WAS A stream of air coming out of the well. Now it was coming out in gusts, growing stronger and stronger!

And it was not just cool. It was cold.

Too cold for a breeze in the middle of the day!

From below, as loud as thunder, a shrieking sound boomed that made him jump back and away.

His skin filled with goosebumps and his hair stood on its ends. The shrieking sound magnified by the well, in the silent clearing, was deafening.

The gusts of air was so strong now. But either through curiosity or stupidity, Julio still looked down the well.

Another shriek came, he covered his ears as he stumbled back. There was a very strong gust of wind.

And then something big flew out of the well, into the roof of the hut, and there was the sound of wood and things breaking.

And it was only Julio reflexes that saved him -- he didn't even realize he was already lying on the ground until a broken piece of wood hit him on his left cheek.

Whatever it was that came out was strong enough to blow through the wooden slats that roofed the well. Thinking that the rest of the frame would go down, Julio rolled to his side immediately, narrowly escaping a huge portion of the roofing from smashing down on him.

He was on his feet the next second. He ran back to the trees, looked around and scanned the immediate vicinity for whatever it was that broke out from the well.

Julio did not see anything, and it prompted him to look behind twice just to be sure it wasn't at his back.

Then a realization came over him, and he finally ran for the cover of the trees.

The creature! It could fly!

His gaze went up as his right arm shielded his eyes from the sun. He scanned the air to find whatever came out the well. Julio jumped when his back bumped into something solid and hard, but it was only a tree. He immediately went behind its thick trunk and crouched, never taking his eyes off the sky.

Silence.

There was so complete a silence, not even the rustling of leaves could be heard.

Julio became aware that his heart was racing fast, thudding so hard that it deafened his ears. His hands were shaking and goosebumps still covered his skin. He knew he'd become pale. He felt when his blood left his face. It felt cold.

The waiting was killing him! His eyes darted back and forth, scanning. He'd never hated the silence so much until now.

Then the shriek, almost wraithlike in its power to drain him, came again. This time, it was longer, and sounded even more menacing. It was coming from the trees but he could not determine where exactly. It sounded like it was coming from all directions.

His hands and feet were so cold, but his sweat poured from all over his body. Julio dropped to the ground on his stomach from sheer terror.

Then, the creature sped from the trees opposite him, so fast was its approach that it was a blur. All that Julio saw was a mass of bright colors hurtling towards him.

He closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

It didn't come.

Not yet. He felt a strong gust of wind and when he opened his eyes, the creature had somehow changed its route and managed to soar upwards at a steep angle, shooting high into the sky.

Julio was at a loss for words. He had not seen any flying creature do this -- not even bats, surely not from any species of bird. That was what the creature looked like to him, a great bird.

It swooped down shrieking and just as abruptly as moments earlier, glided just as it almost hit the treetops. It then circled the clearing on its edges from above, the shrieks becoming more frequent.

Julio had no other way to describe the sound it made. It was definitely not a chirp-not even a loud equivalent of a chirp-and more appropriate for a four-legged beast than for a bird. It was deep, and yet it seemed to come from such a high pitch.

Julio was so overwhelmed with fear and terror that he remained on the ground, his mind unable to handle the conflict between the instinctual and the logical. His eyes remained transfixed on the creature as it ended its circling and hovered just a few feet from the ground with its back to him. Incredible!

He had never seen any flying creature that big hover! It was intent on something among the trees across him. He saw its great wingspan stretched out and, even more incredibly, he saw a second set of smaller wings on both sides of its torso, connected at the base, working in harmony to achieve the almost fantastical feat!

From the vantage point that he had, his observations only brought more fear and awe. The creature's feathers were very colorful and had a certain kind of gloss on them that made it look like they were reflecting light. The colors were deep shades of red, blue, green and black while the entire length from the top of its head all the way down to the tail was punctuated with the brightest shade of yellow he had ever seen. It almost seemed like the creature had golden feathers!

Its tail also did not look like any bird's tail. It was not flat; rather, it looked like a bunch of those wonderful plumes stuck and coated around a long piece or rope. The feathers almost curved to the side, creating a colorful spiral of feathers thinning out to the end -- where another feature made Julio swallow.

The end of the tail was not tapered off. Instead, there was what looked like a fork made of three prongs -- the middle one spiked straight while the other two also spiked up with additions of a downward spike that resembled that of a fishhook! Its color was deep black and it appeared to be very solid. And very dangerous. Like its razor-sharp claws.

The creature shrieked once more, its powerful wings sending it higher, and then it took off straight into the trees. Silence ensued once more. Seconds seemed like minutes to Julio, his heart still frantically beating. He heard the creature shriek once more and this time he heard a rustling. It sounded like panicked creatures hurtling through the leaves.

In a moment, he distinguished the new sounds -- birds!

He willed himself into a kneeling position, curious to see what was happening.

From far off above the treeline, he saw one, two and then all at once, a flock of colorful birds taking off!

The panicked flight of these little birds was the rustling sound that he heard. He saw the creature shoot up and once clear of the treetops, leveled into a glide after just one flap of its wings for adjustment -- from vertical to horizontal in one graceful move!

Julio wouldn't have believed it if someone had just told him.

As scattered as the flock of birds were, all lined up in the direction it went soon had their lives extinguished. Unlike hawks, it did not use its claws but instead tucked it away and used it's opened beak to capture its preys. The poor birds did not even have time to squeak, their avian bodies broken and lifeless before they were dropped to the ground.

Parrots. They were parrots. The pretty colors of their feathers now looked gruesome as they remained still and lifeless-and bloody-on the ground.

It just took pleasure in killing the poor birds. It wasn't even eating. Parrots rarely lived closed to humans and they live deep in the forest. It made him wonder how deep in the forest he was. It made him wonder how the creature managed to find the flock. How many times did it leave the well? How many times had it flew over the forest to find other helpless creatures to kill this way?

He saw it change its angle as gracefully as it did earlier. It now flew upward. It did a quick flip once it was vertical and almost immediately hurtled in the opposite direction flying upside down, slowly rolling until it was in its regular flying position once again.

Julio feared this creature now more than ever. The act of spying on it had removed the initial fear, but now he was certain that if it somehow sense him, he would be as good as dead.

The creature continued its rampage overhead, leaving dead birds falling down to the ground in its wake. He knew that predatory birds would find one victim, would stick to it and then would devour it. But this one just wanted to kill as many as it could, as evidenced by the raining mass of bloody parrots. Finally, the rest of the dispersed birds were too far off to hold the creature's attention, so it just glided in a few circles, shrieking, before coming down on the ground.

The way it landed was the most beautiful landing of a winged creature he had ever seen. No suddenness to it the way small birds did, or hesitant pause those larger did when perching. It dropped aimlessly towards the ground and at the last moment, repositioned its upper body so that it was upright.

It flapped its huge wings once, flattening the grass, and with its second set of wings working in a frenzy, the creature landed like it was just a freefalling feather.

It landed with its side to him and only then did the apparent ferociousness of the creature sink in.

With its feet on the ground, it was as tall as he was, and the creature was bent forward. Its three-pronged tail not only touched the ground but was swaying back and forth, the way dogs or other four-legged creatures did!

Its long beak and head were bent forward, and it walked with an easy gait, almost as if it were a bipedal. The entire length of its feet all the way up to its thighs was not covered in feathers but scales that were, from his vantage point, jet black. Even its claws were of the same color; it was the same color as the tip of its tail. When the creature walked a little closer at an angle, he saw that all the parts that would have been vulnerable in any other bird were covered with the same scale-like formation all the way to its neck. The sides of its crown seemed to have a thick layer of the same material.

No wonder it was able to break the roof of the well's covering, he thought, his heart beating in his throat.

He watched as the creature strode forward and once it found one of the dead birds, it looked around, side to side, then looked down on the dead prey, stepped on its head and ripped its body apart with its beak holding the neck. This resulted in just the head being separated from the body while the remaining part, hanging from its beak, got swallowed in one single motion.

So, now was when it starts eating.

The creature continued this for about a few more birds when it suddenly stopped.

### Chapter Eight

JULIO'S HEART LITERALLY stopped. He held his breath. He realized that it was no more than five feet away and although he was in a prone position behind a tree with a large trunk, it was not enough to hide him should the creature look his way.

It raised its beak up then tilted its head sideways, first to the right, then to the left. When it stopped, noises came from its beak, like gargling coupled with a dog's growling.

As the sounds coming from it became louder and more aggressive, it swung its neck from side to side but for the head that remained motionless. Every few repetitions of its neck-swinging were accompanied by a change in the head's angle.

Then the creature added a new move to its repertoire. Aside from just swinging its neck from side to side, it started spreading then tucking both sets of its multi-colored wings.

Julio felt that it would be only a matter of minutes before he would be discovered!

But while Julio gaped at the ferocious, awe-inspiring creature, it had already spotted him seconds before. The creature lurched forward in one move with its neck elongated and body bent forward. Then it rotated both its wings at an angle by the joints on its torso, much like how men move their arms backward.

The jet black bony, hook-like edges where its wings folded were now pointing at him.

Julio was rooted to the ground as he guessed horribly one of the uses for its long, pointed tail.

With another fearsome cry, it took off from its feet, pushed its entire body into the air and twisted so when its feet landed on the ground, it was facing the other way. Its wings were now tucked and it was running, not hopping, towards the trees. A few feet away from the first tree, the creature threw its right leg to the side and bounded from it.

Julio watched in shock as, just when it passed near the closest tree to him, its long tail shot out and struck the tree. It came out the other side -- straight at him!

Its wings opened once it came clear of the tree and with one flap of its primary wings, it was shooting in his direction! It appeared to swim in the air instead of glide or fly.

But Julio came to himself at the last second.

He rolled sideways to shield himself from it by another tree. Everything happened so fast. Just as he cleared away from the creature's trajectory, the creature's beak suddenly came into view. He heard the gurgling, almost growling noise as the creature sped by him, but saw it execute a reversal in mid-air. It was so quick that had it not been huge, he might not have seen this. When it was done with its mid-air back flip, its claws found the trunk of a tree and its legs did the rest of work to cushion the force.

In a heartbeat it was on the ground, facing him.

Again.

It spread its wings and gave a mighty cry, then tucked both wings to the side and ran for him.

Again.

But Julio had hit the ground running way before the creature finished its wail.

He didn't know where he was going; all he knew was that he had to get away from the monster. He headed into the clearing without thinking, feeling the creature hard on his heels. It was so massive that the ground beneath him trembled while it ran. He had passed the broken hut-like construction with the well when it descended down in front of him like an arrow dropping from the sky.

He tried stopping but couldn't. He tumbled forward. He just rolled, fortunately, because the moment the creature hit the ground its long beak shot forward before it could fold its wings. He would have been impaled! He rolled on the grass until he bumped into a stop.

On the creature's feet! It had moved without him seeing! It quickly rotated its wing by the joint and stabbed the pointed, hooked joint down at him. Julio barely had time to react. The pointed black spike of its wing grazed his right shoulder just as he rolled as close to the creature's feet as possible. It stung but he barely minded it. He was very much still in danger!

The creature was now towering over him. One of its feet was on shoulder level; the other was at waist level. If he try to sneak in between its legs, it would take too long. While it was now aiming its other wing at his legs!

No time to think. He swiftly curved both legs, and kicked the nearest leg as hard as he could. This launched his lower body up over his head, rolling him backwards and getting up on his knees in one swift move. When he looked up, it was using its wing to regain the balance lost due to his kick.

That didn't take long to do. The creature swung its head in his direction and squealed that ungodly squeal.

Julio bolted for the debris near the well. He remembered seeing some of the wooden beams of the well's hut-like canopy in the debris. They were of practical length and could fit in either of his hands.

With all the speed he could muster, he bolted for the well. He sensed rather than saw when the beast beat its wings and came at him screaming. At no less than 20 feet, Julio felt the gusts of air generated by its mighty wings. He felt as it launched itself up then swooped down. And he knew even without looking it was going straight to him.

It was so quick that he had to fall onto his stomach to escape the creature's claws. It passed above him flapping its wings to gain altitude, and then circled back.

Julio did not run this time. Once he was up, he faced the direction that the creature was coming from and slowly backed away towards the destroyed hut. He knew, with the speed and flexibility that the creature had already shown that he had no chance of outrunning it. He backed away at an angle, estimating the circumference of the well. He planned to circle it or perhaps locate himself behind the waist-high stone construction that lined the well. He had to reach it before...

He did, when the flying menace began its descent once more.

This time, Julio crouched low, using the stones of the well to shield him. If it was that strong and it somehow destroyed the well, then it would mean his end.

And it was almost so!

It indeed broke the stones like it was nothing more than sand, but it did not reach him. He was crouched so low, bunched into the fetal position. Fragments of stone rained over him. That was how he knew the creature had already passed. That was how he knew he needed to move.

The creature had landed on the ground and menacingly, almost calculatingly, approached Julio again. Its head bobbed up and down as it walked, its scaly parts glimmering in the sun. It looked as if it was sizing him up and Julio, in that very moment, knew it was all or nothing.

Now!

With a scream, more out of desperation than of bravado, he launched towards the approaching, gigantic bird. It launched itself backward doing a half flap of its wings mid-air. It landed about five feet from where it was. This confused Julio momentarily and he stopped on his tracks.

Julio moved once more, and the creature once more retreated. No sound came from it, not even the gurgling-growling noise he had heard earlier. It just took off backwards, still landing in front of him at a comfortable distance. Even with the small wooden beams in both his hands, there was no way he could throw a strike at the creature and score a hit.

He could not afford to lose ground. Julio attempted to launch himself at the creature once more. He hoped he could have it backed up near the trees and he would make a run for it. But it has its plan, too. At the last moment, it launched itself up but this time, it did not go backwards. It landed right in front of him.

Its primary wings formed a canopy over his head. The bony parts hit Julio squarely on both sides of his shoulders. He almost swooned with pain because it felt like he had been hit with steel.

Only falling to his knees had saved him from getting stabbed with the pointy ends of its secondary wings. He was able to twist his torso and got away with a long gash on his back. He felt the pang-he felt his flesh tear as the bony protrusion of the wing hit his back. Moving in instinct now, the need to fight to survive, he swung his right arm to the side in a wide arc with all his might, landing a blow on the creature's elongated neck.

### Chapter Nine

IT SHRIEKED AND was momentarily fazed.

Julio ran!

His left arm leveled the wood he was carrying as his other arm shielded any possible attack. He brought down the full weight of the wood with all the strength he could manage on the creature's left wing, and scored another hit.

But not before it started to launch itself. As it shrieked in apparent pain, it bumped Julio's body in mid-air, depositing him on his back with wooden weapons still in hand. It proceeded to move forward flapping its wings, jumping a couple of times before it managed to take off.

Even in flight, it seemed a little shaken. But whatever it lost in terms of the fight it was in, it more than made it up for it in fierceness. Julio saw it as a blur again as it swept down. He rolled aside as fast as he could, stopped when he felt the heavy thud of the creatures feet hitting the grass. He stood up to face the beast.

Or tried to. When he was up, he immediately felt dizzy, and the creature was already heading in his direction! Julio backed off, raised his wooden weapons in hope that it would ward off the beast or at least keep it at bay.

The creature landed just a few feet away from him. Though everything was still spinning, he swung the wood in his right hand in an upward stab. But it just raised a wing and the wooden pole hit the center of its bony wing. Julio felt like he had hit stone! Then it moved again and hit his elbow solidly, sending pains up and down the length of his arm. The wood fell from the grasp of his right hand.

But as he wheeled to the right, his left hand had aimed for its head in reflex. It reared back and the hit landed on the base of its neck. He drove the pole hard enough that splinters buried themselves in his palm. His body went with it, the momentum saving him again from being impaled. It also gave him a little advantage.

As the beast was starting to retract its right wing, his left hand came swinging hard from below, scoring a strong hit on the side of its head. The pole almost broke as it bounced back. He swung again and missed the head, but hit the scale-laden clavicle of the beast. But the pole did not bounce back this time-because he'd found skin.

Not hesitating, he drove the hit home!

He quickly grabbed the other wood he'd dropped and swung it high in a slicing motion, hitting the other clavicle. He swung it again, this time from the left side, and brought it down, hitting the middle of the creature's neck. Again using momentum, Julio again raised his weapon and hit the other side of the creature's neck.

The pole hit something hard. The creature had recovered and had blocked his attack with its bony wing, then swung its tail from the left, under its wing! The barbed end of the beast's tail tore through the flesh above his right knee, burrowing under his clothes, continuing all the way up to just a few inches below his right breast.

Julio felt his skin tear inch by inch. Blood soaked though his worn shirt and shorts. He could smell it, and he realized the creature did, too.

It was suddenly more aggressive. Its beak came forward at a dizzying speed while the pointed protrusions of its wings alternated in trying to stab him. Julio had to step back several times, his bravado all but gone.

Then the creature stopped using its wings to attack and just used its beak. Julio could see as its powerful neck muscles moved as it snapped its head back and forth at such dizzying speed. It flapped its wings while attacking him. Oh, Julio was in the most desperate position he was ever in.

He was still bleeding. He could feel his blood trickling down, the fabric of his clothes that could not soak up any more. He was bleeding and growing tired. The adrenalin, the fear, the fighting and the wound were now starting to take their toll on him. He was barely able to catch his breath.

With his physical reserves draining off by the second, he would be a sitting duck when it tries to eat him-alive. He wouldn't even be able to outrun it in the trees. It was just too fast.

But he could not think of succumbing. He did not step back too much as to leave a big gap between him and the creature, nor turned to present his back to it. He provoked it with his weapon to keep its attention. Every time his wooden pole landed on any part of its body, a guttural, fearsome growl issued from its throat. It was getting incensed. It might not have been familiar with prey that fights back as long as it breathed. It had never taken on someone like Julio.

And incensed, it acted like a predator. When he was sure that he had provoked the creature enough, he backed off really fast. He knew it was a gamble but his gamble paid off. The creature went wild when it thought its prey was escaping. Instead of flying, it ran after him with great bounds of its powerful feet.

Julio knew he had to act fast. He ran screaming towards the creature, his abrupt attack and the noise he made surprising the enemy. It was all he needed.

He slid down, his entire body dragging in the grass.

The friction between him and the ground halted his progress but as he'd expected, the great bird did not stop but continued to follow him with its beak, its body moving in the same direction. He quickly held the pole firmly in place, one end pointed to the scaly underside of the creature's torso, the other embedded in the ground, hoping the creature would use its own momentum against itself.

It did.

The beast let out a mighty shriek, flapped its wings and fell to the side. Then its shrieks died down almost into squeaks.

Julio scrambled up to look for more weapon. The creature's noise and its frantic flapping of its wings warned him that it was still alive and her was afraid that when it got back up, it would come at him more fiercely. He ran back to the scattered debris near the well to find something. But all manner of wooden implements he could use were short and would prove to be a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

When he looked back, the creature was getting back on its feet!

Julio panicked. He was almost there. Later, he knew he would think that it was impossible he was even able to fight the best back-if there would be a later. It tried to fly, but awkwardly. It was hurt badly.

But the creature's wings were synching. He had to do something! He couldn't think, the growing need to take action pressed upon him with each second. He scanned the clearing. His eyes fell upon the most unlikely of weapons--the small wooden pail that was tied at both ends by the rope. It looked unwieldy, but he had no other choice. He ran to get it.

The creature, once again thinking its prey was about to disappear, filled with renewed energy. But after lifting up a couple of feet from the ground, it could not sustain its flight and fell heavily upon its feet. With its flight option scratched off of the equation, it had no other way to attack but to go for Julio.

Julio did not bother to gather the entire length of the rope to see how far it would go. He just remembered how long he had to let it go in order to get water earlier. Julio just gathered the end of the rope as it had been removed from where it was tied off and picked up the other end with the solid, small wooden pail. He started swinging it above his forehead.

The creature came at him at great speed. Julio waited, and waited some more. The intensity of the moment was bearing down on him that everything seemed to take a long time. Except for his thoughts. His thoughts were all focused on releasing at the right moment. When the creature came near enough, he launched his roped missile into the beast with all his might.

It went wide, far over the creature's shoulders. It would have gone on further had there been no rope attached to it. He missed! Julio yanked the rope back hurriedly, hoping he could retract it in time before the creature got too close. But something happened that he had not counted on.

When it advanced, a long portion of the rope went over its shoulder. When Julio pulled it back, the pail dropped. The creature, with its wing partially opened in order to point the hooked protrusions at Julio, took no notice it. But more movement snapped the rope in place, wounding itself on the base of the creature's wing!

Julio stopped, and the rope forced the creature to stop, too.

Thus ensued the hardest tug-of-war Julio had ever played.

The creature's objection to being tied up was apparent in the loud, almost roar-like noise that erupted from its scaly throat. It stood its ground and yanked its torso to the side. Julio pulled back and the creature lurched forward. But in a battle between him and the creature, Julio knew he would not win in the long run. Even if it was already injured.

With every pull, he backed two steps off. He found that slackening the hold on the ropes every time the creature pulled back made it easier for him when it was his time to pull. His aim was to get the rope around the stones of the well to make it harder for the creature to pull back.

Julio only needed an advantage. When the rope completely circled the well, he stepped on it to bring it lower, and then tied it. Ignoring the creature's noise, Julio frantically looked for his first wooden pole. He saw it easily this time, ran towards it, and then recovered the other still embedded into the soft earth.

Taking caution against the creature's tail, he approached it from the side.

In his exhausted state, bloodied and out of breath, Julio realized that he was no longer afraid of the creature.

Whatever the reason, he really just wanted the encounter to end. Weighted with his dread and will to live, he approached the creature and once within range, started his battery of hits. With as much passion as that of a butcher, Julio rained down a beating on the creature's torso that was only rewarded with the prompt growling and shrieking that the creature offered in exchange.

The creature was straining hard against the rope, the wooden pail serving as a lever under its wing that stopped the creature from tucking it in. Although its tail flailed wildly at Julio, it could not reach him either from over its shoulder or from under it.

It was getting hurt; the barrage of hits it was receiving from its attacker caused it to lose some of its majestic feathers and some of its scales.

### Chapter Ten

THEN ONE OF his hits missed-the creature had been able to back off a few steps. Its straining at the rope had caused the loose knot to give way a little. He resumed his attacks and after a few seconds, the creature was able to back away again, because this time the rope was only entangled in a few places of that creature's wing. He stepped forward, a move that proved to be almost fatal.

It was then that the creature was able to free itself from the rope. It twisted hard to the right, the other wing opening. Julio ducked and escaped the wing-but not its dangerous tail! It shot at him while the creature turned. He was able to duck but it still caught him. Too fast. The bony barb caught him on his back, again, immediately producing another tear.

Julio had to back off fast.

The creature faced him and screamed. It flapped its wings as if testing the damage. Julio did not like seeing that those wings were balanced as they flapped. It could still manage to fly! When its flapping got faster and stronger, Julio discarded all rational thought and sped off towards the great bird.

The same instant that its claws started to ascend from the ground, he screamed.

He saw the bird already swinging its wings high above its head. One flap down and it would be out of his reach. Four feet away, Julio jumped, straining hard on his calves as he took off, launching him high over the air.

He caught the bird's tail in time. The force of the air moved by the powerful wings was very strong that he had to shield his eyes. He used his right hand, still holding the pole, to land a series of strikes on the creature in whatever direction he was facing -- the base of its tail, its underbelly and even its feet.

Its tail did not try to pull him up. Its clawed feet did not try to reach him. The creature was having great difficulty in steadying itself with his weight in its tail. He would not let go when it tried to shake him off. They went around in dizzying circles. It could not get rid of him.

He rained his blows hard, giving it all the remaining strength that he got. He focused his hits on the base of the tail, the area between the legs, and on the creature's underbelly. His only hope was to weaken the creature, or it could fly with him above the treeline and drag him on the treetops until he fell!

Finally, his weight and his hits started to take a toll on the beast. The flapping of its wings became erratic and with each flap, they went closer to the ground rather than up. This continued until they finally crashed to the ground. Julio jumped and skidded on the ground as it crashed hard into one of the trees that marked the clearing.

Breathless and almost wheezing with exhaustion, Julio tried not to waste time. His muscles screaming, he willed himself to get up on the creature's tail again. The tree the creature crashed on was not one of the gigantic ones but one whose circumference was about two feet. He ran for it but found that it was not easy. The creature was going in the opposite direction!

Julio fought with every ounce of strength to steer the creature's body in the direction he wanted. It took a long time but he eventually won out. He dragged and pulled the creature's tail around the tree emerging on the creature's right side. The creature followed but Julio quickly circled and with each attempt, Julio scored on or two hits on the creature's back, neck, wing, and even its head.

The dance continued and with Julio safely out of the range of its wings, claws and beak. It took many shrieks and attempts to fight before the creature realized what he was doing. When it did, it fought harder.

It pulled itself away from him as if it had renewed its strength somewhere. Julio found it hard to fight to keep its tail wrapped around the tree.

Until one great pull finally got it free.

The bony protrusions wounded his hands as it pulled away. The creature did a quick run and tried to fly, but it came back down. Faint from his bleeding wounds and exhaustion, Julio did not try to follow. He remained behind the tree and observed from there.

It tried a second time, this time managing to stay on the air longer. It crashed still. The third time, the creature jumped up, flapped its wings, and just when Julio thought it would crash into the trees, it maneuvered a quick turn, gained altitude, and circled the clearing from above.

Its shrieking terrorized him. Julio knew that if the creature gained enough rest, it would come for him. He was seriously considering to make a run for it, even if he knew it would be next to impossible to outrun it. Its circling came faster and faster until he almost grew dizzy watching it. He almost fainted this time but managed to hold himself together. He could not faint. He was still too much in danger. He has to hide.

The great bird was still circling above with the same grace it showed before. It shot up high into the sky, executing a slow reversal. And when its head was pointing to the ground, it tucked its wings and fell.

Down into the well it went.

Julio waited with bated breath. He waited for what seemed like a long time. He waited for something to happen, for a sound to warn him. But for what seemed like an eternity even when it was but a few, long minutes, nothing else happened.

Was the creature really gone? From the beating he gave it, it seemed like a victory. But from all the wounds he had taken, it felt like a loss. If the creature comes out again, he didn't want to get caught out in the open.

But he was more afraid of running, looking back all the time, afraid that a moment of not seeing would mean his death from the creature's beak.

He has to be sure.

So he waited.

After what seemed like hours, Julio cautiously walked back to the well. He listened intently for any sound. None came. It was as if nothing had happened. He became acutely aware of birds chirping off in the distance. Content of these signs, Julio surveyed the area and could not help but be proud for holding his own in an encounter with a great creature yet unknown.

Scanning the clearing, he found traces of their scuffle. Disturbed earth and scattered pieces of wood littered the place. He saw the creature's feathers. He stooped to pick them up, collecting two. A few steps forward and he found a scale, shining in the sunlight. He picked that up, too.

As adrenaline eventually settled down, he became mostly aware of the stinging sensations all over his body. He inspected them all and found that there were minor cuts all over him, even when he was wearing a shirt. But none of them stung like the large tears in his flesh that were left by the great creature.

He decided to find his way back.

He located the spot where he emerged and headed straight for it. He hoped it would take him to the winding earthen pathway and eventually to the gully where he had followed the enchanting woman.

Remembering the reason why he was there in the first place brought a bit of sadness to him. He did not even see her. How long would it be when he sees her again? Would she believe him if he ever found the courage to ever tell her the story of what happened the day he tried to follow her because he was in love with someone for the first time?

He must be. After surviving something so unbelievable and going home still alive, the first thing he thought of was telling her about it. And he hadn't even been brave enough yet to start conversation with her!

Escaping with his life however, proved to be more than a cause for celebration. With that thought in mind, he continued on.

If he went home later than usual, he would have some explaining to do. And for the life of him, how could he explained what just happened to him?

Who would even believe him?

HE WOKE UP.

Rather, he was woken up. It was not the sun seeping through the leaves; it was not the hard trunk of the tree that his body was propped up against. It was Enrico.

Enrico was young man, a couple of months younger than he with whom he sometimes spent time with at the village during harvest season. Enrico was shaking him by the shoulder.

"Hey," Enrico started when he came to, "your bucket is full, mine too. Let's head back."

He dazedly looked around, like when a person wakes up from a deep slumber. He was on the side of the mountain where the deep well was, seated next to a tree and apparently dozed off.

"What time is it?" Julio managed to ask.

"Two o'clock, maybe."

Immediately, he frowned. That did not make sense. Julio knew more time had passed than that. By his estimation, it would have taken at least an hour just following the lady until she disappeared. Then there was the incident with the creature. And then he would have had to walk back.

If Enrico was right about the time, either he went back after losing sight of the girl, or he went just went to sleep and never bothered to follow her.

But he remembered everything! As clearly as if it just happened.

Wait. Had he been sleeping for days?

He quickly stood up and immediately, regretted the decision. His entire body was sore, reminding him of his fight with the great bird.

But when he looked at his skin and his clothes, he was baffled even more.

Not only was there no cuts, there was no sign that he had bled!

He looked up to get an estimate of where the sun was, as they were taught in childhood, and found out that Enrico was being honest.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"I don't know, when I arrived here you were already asleep and your bucket was full."

His confusion became more pronounced that Enrico was able to read it from his face.

"I saw you head out earlier with your bucket then about half an hour later, I found I had nothing better to do today so I came here."

"And I was already asleep?"

"Yes. My pumping did not even wake you up."

Julio got more confused. Now that he knew it was the same day, the timelines didn't make sense! He inspected the parts where he remembered being gashed. There were no wounds, no scars -- nothing. Just the painful muscles underneath.

Then he remembered the souvenirs he collected, two feathers and one scale. He quickly searched and was relieved to feel it inside his pocket. Something that Enrico did not miss.

"Are you alright?" Enrico asked.

"What do you mean?" Julio asked back.

"Just a second ago you looked like you did not know where you were, and now you seem like the happiest man in the world!"

"Well, I thought I had been sleeping here for the whole day," he lied.

Thankfully, Enrico did not push further.

"Both our buckets are full," Enrico stated, "let's go back now."

Julio did not answer but headed to the deep well. Enrico took that as a yes and walked behind him. Julio bent down to carry his bucket and found that his muscles were too weary for that.

After only being able to raise it a few inches from the ground, he set it down. He looked at Enrico's bucket, it was smaller than his.

"Hey," Julio said, facing Enrico. "My muscles seem to be very sore, would it be OK if we trade buckets?"

"That's a large bucket!" Enrico replied, "And it's a long way!"

"I don't have money, if that's what you're implying."

"You don't have to tell me that, we all have no money."

"So, will you trade buckets with me just this time?"

"If you would go and help my father make brooms this coming weekend," Enrico stated, smiling.

"How many?"

"Not how many, how long?"

"What do you mean?"

"We need to make as many brooms as possible before we send it to the nearby town for selling."

"So, how long?"

"The entire weekend."

"I could do it, but only in the afternoon," Julio said.

"Great! It's a deal."

With their problems sorted out, the two carried their buckets on their shoulders and headed back to town.

There was not much conversation the entire time; Julio's mind was filled questions.

What really happened? Did he just imagine it all? Did he just dream that fearsome creature?

But if he just dreamt it, why was he feeling all the soreness and pain in the right places where he had been injured when he fought that creature?

What really happened to him? Was he played with? Was it the water in the well? Everything changed after he'd drunk that water.

If it was only a game, why did he feel that if he died, he surely would have remained dead?

Questions to which he didn't have any answers.

**~ ~ ~ ~**

### The End

**~ ~ ~ ~**

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#### Wrong Number

Finally! Devon thought as she sat down on the couch in her new apartment.

Moving was never easy, but she had done it so many times now that it was becoming somewhat of a routine. However, this time it was different. She wasn't going to be moving again in the near future, if ever. It had taken a while to save the money she needed, but now she had her very own book shop. Even better, her spacious apartment was right over the shop, which meant that she had everything she needed conveniently within reach.

The first order of business had been to get her belongings moved into the apartment. Tomorrow, Devon would begin unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves of her shop with the help of Janina, the girl she had hired to help her. Together, she hoped that they would be able to get most of it all done within a couple of days. She really wanted to have her grand opening by the end of the week. Saturdays were usually excellent days to hold them because people would be looking for something to do on the weekends.

Devon had planned it all out beautifully. She did her research and found that this tiny coastal town on the east coast would be the perfect location for her book shop. Crystal Cove was small enough to be quaint, but large enough that tourists visiting nearby beach resorts would be able to find it easily enough. In fact, tourism was a large part of the town's income. When she found Crystal Cove, it boasted one casual dining restaurant, one fine dining restaurant, a Victorian bed and breakfast as well as a small but elegant inn. There were other necessary businesses in town but there was no book shop. That's where Devon came in.

She was going to be selling all sorts of books. There would be sections for romances, mysteries, occult, research materials, and even a children's section. That was going to be set up as a story time area. Her favorite part, though, was in the back of the shop. That's where Devon would be offering Tarot readings in a private and specially decorated area. No one had to know that her information came from sources that had nothing to do with the Tarot. She had been playing that off for years so that people didn't become afraid of her and her abilities.

Well, Devon thought. I can't just sit here daydreaming. I've got to get busy. Her electricity, water, and landline phone were all turned on and she could now stay here. The movers were due to arrive in a few hours to bring in her furniture. One thing at a time, she thought. She got up and started to do some cleaning and measuring so that she would know where she could put what.

This is going to be amazing, Devon thought. Dan would have loved it. No, I'm not going to think about him right now. It's only going to make me sad and I can't afford to get depressed right now. She went into her sunny kitchen and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. Stocking the refrigerator had been something she had had the foresight to do. She would get her bed set up and at least be able to eat something in her own home tonight.

Just as she popped the top on the soda, her phone rang. Startled, she nearly spit out her swallow of diet coke. It had to be a wrong number, she thought as she went back into the living room to answer the phone. Picking up the phone, she said a cautious but cheery "Hello." At first, no one said anything.

"Hi, is anyone there?" Devon said.

"Hi," a deep male voice said. "I guess I must have the wrong number. I was trying to get in touch with Dan, but you're obviously not him."

"Dan?" A little unpleasant shock ran through Devon's body. "How do you know Dan?" "Hey, I'm really sorry for bothering you."

Before she could say anything else, her caller had hung up. She checked the caller ID and saw Unknown Number registered there. How odd, she thought. There wasn't enough time left to dwell on it, though, because at that moment, the movers pulled up. She was distracted for the next couple of hours with supervising the unloading of her furniture and boxes of things.

As she had promised herself, Devon got her bed set up and a path cleared so that she could eat a simple dinner in her very own kitchen. She nibbled on a salad and an avocado and bacon sandwich when she remembered the odd phone call from earlier. That really had to be a coincidence, she thought. It did make her miss Dan even more than ever. That feeling was especially bad at night. She tended to remember the way he used to make her body absolutely sing with pleasure. No man had ever been able to do that for her before or since. In fact, Devon was pretty much afraid that she would never meet another man that would do that to her.

Suddenly, she realized just how tired she was. She got up and changed into her pajama pants and spaghetti strap t-shirt. Washing her face and brushing her teeth completed the bedtime ritual for tonight. She slipped into her bed and turned out the lamp on her nightstand. Just as she was dozing off, her telephone started to ring. Fortunately, she had an extension sitting on her nightstand so all she had to do was reach over and pick it up.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, is Dan there?" came the same male voice from earlier.

"It's you again," Devon said accusatorially. "Who is this and what do you want?" "Oops, I've got a wrong number again! So sorry!" And with that, the connection was broken.

Dammit! Now, Devon would never be able to get to sleep. What the hell was going on? Was someone trying to play some sort of joke on her? If so, it was a very cruel one and she didn't appreciate it. Dan was gone and he wasn't ever going to come back. She had only recently begun to accept that and now, some asshole was trying to rattle her cage. Of course, she could be crazy. It could just be that it was an honest mistake. Dan was a pretty common name, after all.

Common, however, was the last word that would ever have described her Dan. Laying back onto her pillow, she could see his tousled black hair, high cheekbones, blue green eyes and sexy sideways smile. God, how she missed him! No one was ever going to take his place and she knew it. Her body still missed him every night. Even right now, when she was tired and hot, her body wanted Dan to be touching her, kissing her, and making love to her. Finally, she turned over on her side and went to sleep with a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Wake up, sweetheart. Devon, open your eyes and look at me."

"Mmm but it's so wonderful to lay here like this with you, Dan. Do we really have to get up now?"

"Yes, darling. I would love nothing more than to hold you in my arms all day, but now isn't the time. There's something I must tell you and it's important that you pay attention."

"Of course, Dan, I'm listening. What is it?"

"You need to be careful. I can't protect you from where I am but you need to know that you're in danger."

"Danger? Who on earth wants to hurt me?"

"Shhh, don't speak. I'll tell you everything."

There was a ringing sound in Devon's ears suddenly. She was trying so hard to hold Dan's face in her mind but he was fading very quickly. The ringing became louder and more insistent. Devon's eyes flew open. She realized that the telephone was ringing on her nightstand. The sun was shining brightly and streaming through the partially opened curtains. Her bedside clock read 8:35 AM. Who the hell could be calling her at this hour? Reaching over, she lifted the phone and mumbled into it.

"Good morning, is Dan there, please?"

This again! She didn't even bother trying to carry on a conversation. Simply disconnecting the call would have to do. Devon didn't have the time, patience or energy for this. However, she was awake now and had a full day ahead of her. A shower sounded great to her at that moment so she got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she was stripped and standing under the refreshing spray of water. Picking up the tube of shower gel, she squirted some into her hand and started to move her soapy hands over her body. As she passed over her full breasts, the unexpected stimulation caused her to emit a gasp. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had experienced any sort of sexual pleasure. Her toys had even been neglected because she just hadn't felt the need for them. Now, however, as she absently lightly pinched her nipples, she felt a jolt of sexual electricity move through her body.

Closing her eyes, she continued to tease her nipples until the ache had moved directly to her clit. Without seeming to be aware of her actions, Devon slid one hand down over her stomach to her nether region. With a single minded motion, she parted the folds that revealed her clit that stood out like a tiny erect cock. Stroking it only brought her a more exquisite and torturous need for release. As she continued, that special sensation started to creep over her before slamming into her violently. Devon cried out as she rode her hand, moving the other one down so that she could slip two fingers deep inside of her soaking and spasming pussy. Just as she was coming down from that orgasm, she felt it rising inside her again. Before she returned to herself, Devon had reached a total of four intense orgasms. Now, she was weak and her legs were barely holding her up. Giving into the afterglow of the moment, she slid down the shower walls and sat under the cascading water.

Well, she thought. I suppose that was inevitable. After all, I'm still young and healthy, and it has been quite a while since I allowed myself to have any physical pleasure. Dan wouldn't want me to deny myself. This is probably good for me and will help me clear my mind because I really need to think about that very odd dream I was having before the phone rang.

Devon finished showering and dressed in faded jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top. It was going to be rather warm today while she and Janina worked in the shop. That reminded her that she needed to be sure that the air conditioning was turned on. Otherwise, they were going to be sweating all over the books. After putting a on a pot of French Vanilla coffee, she toasted a bagel and covered it in cream cheese. This was, sometimes, her favorite part of the day. It had always been so very special for Dan and her.

Thinking of Dan brought the memory of her dream back to her. There was something that he had wanted to tell her. That part of the dream she remembered very clearly. It was something about her being in danger and he wasn't going to be able to protect her. Dreams can be very strange events. She did remember how real it felt, though. She could still see Dan's beautiful blue green eyes gazing into her big brown ones. I really didn't want to wake up, she thought. Maybe I should read on it later.

Of course, now it was time to get to work. She had a new life here in Crystal Cove and she wanted to be sure that it got off to a great start. Carrying her coffee downstairs, she entered the box filled shop. Just as she walked into the main part of the shop, Janina knocked on the window at the door and waved at her. Hiring her is one the best decisions I've made, Devon thought, smiling and waving back. She went over and unlocked the door to let Janina inside.

"Hi there, you're right on time!" exclaimed Devon. "Would you like some coffee? I made some just before coming downstairs." "Oh that sounds great! But don't worry; I'll go up and get a cup myself."

"Ok, but be careful. Everything is still sort of a disaster area." Janina's long, toned legs quickly jogged up the stairs that led to Devon's apartment. She was back in no time holding a large mug of coffee. The two women discussed where they needed to focus first and got started with the unpacking and arranging. Time flew by and they didn't stop until it was nearly 2:30 PM. They had started making quite a dent in the work that needed to be done.

"Ok, let's take a break," Devon announced. "I'm actually hungry and pretty thirsty. I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"Not me," laughed Janina. "I didn't even notice how much time went by."

"Let's go upstairs and dig around in my fridge for lunch. Then, we'll work a little longer."

As they got to the stop of the stairs, they could hear Devon's landline ringing. She opened the door quickly and ran inside, grabbing the phone in mid-ring. With a breathless "Hello," Devon listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. Repeating herself, she listened intently to see if there was really anyone on the other end of the line.

"Yes, hello, is Dan available?"

"You again. Look, how many times do you need to call this number to understand that it's a wrong number? There is no Dan here, as I've told you every other time you have called here!"

"Oh, so sorry to have troubled you."

Devon slammed the phone back on the table with a curse. Janina looked at her quizzically. She supposed she should give Janina an explanation. So she told her about this man that kept calling and asking for Dan.

"Dan? But isn't that the name of..?" "Yes, it is." Devon answered curtly.

"Ah, well I can see why you would be so upset. But, you know, it's probably just a really awful coincidence. Try not to let it get to you. It's a new number so give it a little time. You're probably going to have a few other wrong numbers before it levels off."

"Yes, I know, you're probably right. Come on, let's raid the fridge. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some food and something to drink!"
That night, Devon decided to go out for dinner and just relax. She asked Janina to go with her to Bon Appetit, a great little restaurant just down the street from the book shop. It was quiet and the food was excellent. She felt it was just the place to unwind after her busy day. Besides, they had accomplished quite a lot that day.

As Devon and Janina chatted over two plates of shrimp pasta, salad, fresh baked bread and some great wine, Devon felt herself starting to relax for the first time in weeks. They were chatting about the shop and what they planned to accomplish the next day. At the end of the meal, they decided they wanted some of the restaurant's bread pudding for dessert.

Devon stretched back in her chair as she surveyed the ruins of their meal. Patting her stomach, she groaned.

"I'm so full I can barely move," she said.

Janina was laughing at her, but she was also moving pretty slowly.

"Hey, I doubt that you've eaten a decent meal during this entire move. It's good for you!"

"Yeah, good for me but not my budget when I have to replace my entire wardrobe with larger clothes!"

"Oh stop! You can stand to gain a pound or two."

The women were still laughing together when Devon suddenly looked over to the window of the restaurant. She saw a man standing there just in the shadows and out of the street light. It seemed as if he was looking in at them. As she watched, he moved from the shadows into the light just long enough for her to see his face.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. Leaping up from her chair, she took off for the door of the restaurant. By the time she had yanked the door open, the man was gone. She went outside and looked up and down the street but there was no sign of the man. Janina appeared at the door as Devon stood on the street corner.

"Hey, what's going on?" Janina called.

"Nothing," Devon said. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She went back inside the restaurant to find the manager eyeing her warily. Oh my god, she thought. He probably thought she was skipping out on the bill. To put his mind at ease, she quickly paid for both meals plus a generous tip and they left.

"Ok, now tell me the truth," Janina demanded. "What did you really see?" "I did tell you the truth," Devon replied. "There was a man standing outside the window and he was watching us. I'm sure of it. Then, he stepped briefly into the light and I saw his face. Janina, it was Dan!"

Janina watched her for a several minutes before replying. She wanted to be very careful of the next words she chose.

"Dev, you've been through more than anyone should have to. I understand that and I know that you've been trying your best to move past it. It's no wonder that you see guys sometimes that remind you of Dan." "This man did not remind me of Dan! He looked exactly like Dan! I did not imagine it! I saw him!"

"Ok, ok, sweetie, calm down. But you know that there's no way you could have seen Dan standing outside of that window or any other window. You need to accept that you're not going to see him again. Look, I'm coming home with you and we're going to spend some time unpacking some boxes. Then, I'm spending the night with you. It's obvious that you're overly tired and I'm here to help."

At first, Devon started to argue, but then realized that not only was she grateful to have the help in getting her apartment in order so she could start feeling at home, but she was also more than a little shaken by what she had seen. So she just nodded and they both walked back to her apartment. It was a short walk and the night was pleasant, so they were able to enjoy the rest of the stroll.

After Devon let herself and Janina into the apartment, they broke out a pitcher of sangria that Devon had made the day before. It was nice and chilled and ready to be enjoyed, and enjoy it they did! Within a few hours, they had unpacked nearly all of the boxes and had the apartment looking almost like someone lived there. The sangria was also gone and the ladies seemed to be feeling no pain.

They were sprawled on the sofa and laughing at some joke one of them had told when Devon decided that she really needed a shower before she was ready to retire for the night. She told Janina to make herself at home while she had a quick shower. As she moved through her bedroom, Devon started stripping off her clothes and leaving a little trail of them as she made her way into the master bathroom. Stepping under the warm water spray, she couldn't help but remember what had occurred in that very shower not so long ago. It's probably because of all the sangria, and then the wine before that at the restaurant.

She started to soap up her body with the lavender and vanilla scented shower gel. Leaning her head back under the shower spray, she closed her eyes and let her hair get really wet. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a wet, naked body pressed against hers.

Screaming from fright, she tried to turn around but was held in place by those strong arms...

* * *

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