THE SECRET OF THE INCUBUS

The young  girl was so exhausted from the day’s  events. She went to her  bed and closed her eyes at about 11:45 PM.  She tried to talk to the Spirit, but her body was so tired and weak and her mind drifted off to the land of clouds and illusions.

It was already past 3 in the morning. She had her usual dream. She was running in a familiar street, she ran and ran until she realized she was just going round in circles. She looked back and someone  was  still following her. No matter what, she had to run.

The city was in chaos and a lot of people were already taken. She had to run to that safe place she knew- a meadow,full of wild flowers, enclosed with unseen fences,  where no one could follow. But the people following her were too close, would she give up?

She knew she may never make it alive if she would stop running. So she just ran and hoped that someone would pick her up to save her. The people she knew, they would help her. But who they were, it was only a memory and  she had a hard time trying to figure out what their faces look like. They are powerful people who could help her. People with gifts. But they were nowhere to be found.

Her feet were now starting to get slower and slower. She tried hard to drag her feet but they were becoming heavier and heavier each second. Around her, more people were running and were being taken but she had to endure, she had to run no matter how heavy her feet were. 

When she made a left turn at the end of the street, she saw a huge figure- a giant! The creature, who looks like a gigantic woman, was stomping her feet on the ground and  she was getting nearer and nearer. I have to hide, but there is nowhere to run. Enemies are everywhere. I can’t hide no more. Then canon balls were fired from afar,  loud bombs were  heard,  it was like a civil war of  people and unknown entities.

Not this place! Not this place! Somewhere..somewhere safe…

And just when she was about to give up, she found her self  lying on the bed. It was dark, the lights were out.  She could hear faint music from under the pillows. She realized it was her mp3 player, the song is kinda familiar. However it was strange the singers are the voices of children. They were singing in happy voices. Suddenly, their singing turned into laughters. Their little voices became adult voices and their cute laughters became wicked laughters. And the voices became louder and louder, bigger and bigger, and they crawled into her ears and  into her head.

The girl struggled, she started to panic and the enemies had  surely smelled  her fears. She tried to move, but her whole body was paralyzed.

Suddenly, a dark figure was on top of her, trying to make his way through her. She tried to move her fingers but they wouldn’t move.  The shadow’s feet were on her two legs, his hands were on her throat.

Get a..way!! She tried to scream but she knew no voices would come out of her mouth. She concentrated and ignored the heavy weight of the figure above her body. All she needed to do is to say one powerful word. Ye-shu-a!

Her eyes suddenly opened and  the wicked voices echoed  through the whole room.  The dark shadow disappeared and left a sound of a growling dog which then eventually faded off  the room after a few seconds.

She sat on her bed and tried to catch her breath. Her whole body was aching and drops of sweat  rolled from her right forehead to her chin. She immediately stood up and turned on the lights.

The whole room lighted but she could still feel the eerie feeling which just left the room.  She looked at the wall clock-  3:33 AM. Panting, she sat on her bed again and chanted a little prayer. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Then she went to sleep again. This time, no evil spirits were able to enter her room.

-This is just the beginning

“I will give you everything your heart desires. I will be the father that you never had. I will give you power and wealth that you could never imagine. All you have to do is to give me a faithwalker's soul!”

The human with his head bowed down to the ground with blood on his right hand uttered, “But the Spirit there is so strong. And there are angels in the corners of the house. There is a powerful wall. I can’t do anything. The place has been fortified.”

The dark spirit made a deep growl. “I will give you another chance. I will give you all the powers and knowledge that you need.”

The human ‘s heart was filled with evil, lust, anger,  and foul words came out of his mouth. “I found another faithwalker, and surely I will bring his soul to you!”

Shrill laughters filled the air. And the fallen flew up to the skies and gave his reports to the guardian of the East.

Next: The Sanctuary

KAFIR

A shadow as tall as nine feet made a thundering enormous sound and the two dryads were taken aback.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The whole house shook and smoke began to fill the whole room. The giant made a deep growl and rushed in front of the two dryads. The blue-eyed woman raised her two arms as the giant’s huge fists smashed at them. A wall of charged particles blocked the creature’s huge hands which continued to pound at them. When the giant realized that his targets were surrounded by a barrier, he was enraged. He gathered all his strength and hit the wall harder.

The blue dryad knew that any minute the barrier would be broken. Cracks had begun to form while her hands go numb. The monster’s strength was so enormous and can’t be compared.  “Ara, grab the girl! We are leaving.”

The woman with the green hair searched for Alunsina. The little girl was on the bed with her mouth covered with her hands. The smoke made her weak as she coughed repeatedly. Ara’s fingers extended like vines and coiled around Alunsina’s body.

“Nooo! Help me Kafir! Kafir!!”

The giant glanced at the direction of Alunsina’s faint voice. He was so furious when he saw that the girl was being lifted in the air. With one struck, his fist punched through the light blue wall and Fiuwe was smashed into the wall.

Kafir turned her head to Ara and there was an earthquake for every step. More vines flashed and Kafir's arms and feet had been entwined with green fibers and roots from the tree nymph. But the giant was so strong, the vines couldn't stop him from rushing forward. 

Kafir charged and raised his arms to reach for Al. Fiuwe slowly stood up and she raised her hands once again. Kafir tried to grab Alunsina however lights flashed and billions of firebolts rushed through his bloodstream as the explosives violently shattered his skin.  

“Aaarrgh!!”

When the two dryads thought it was over, Kafir suddenly pulled and pulled the twisted vines around his arms. His eyes are now bloody red and more smoke came out of his mouth. “You think you can beat me dryads? Imma burn you and rip you apart!!!”

Ara became agitated and screamed when she saw her vines burning, “What should we do, Fiuwe? Do something!!”

Fumes came out of Kafir’s mouth and pervaded the whole room. His harsh voice echoing through the windows, “You will pay for this!” His red eyes were filled with rage as he came closer and closer to Ara’s face.

The window glasses had shattered while the wall crumbled. Ara tried to neutralize the smoke but it was so immense her leaves were drying out. Gusts of gray wind permeated her thick fern hair as the tree demon strenuously howled.

Ara started to feel feverish. Her whole body started to moisten and she saw green saps seeping out of her veins. “Why are you provoking me tree demon? Do you want to see your ugly death?” 

She gave out a piercing cry and the stems covering her body swiftly lined up. The leaves became spikes and made their way through the smoke. However, as the small blades touched the giant's skin, they started to burn into ashes. “Impossible!”

She looked up at the huge shadow just above her head. On her left, Alunsina was still in the air locked by green dewy veins. Round smoky red-coal eyes were the only things Ara could see and they got bigger and closer as the monster plunged towards her.

Then she heard the crash of thunder and one loud heavy sound followed it. She blinked and Kafir’s red eyes suddenly disappeared.

Smoke began to cease and Ara saw a lightning sword at the back of the monster. Gradually, the light vanished into thin air and the tree demon moaned.

“We must go before he gain consciousness again.” Fiuwe pointed out to Alunsina who has passed out because of the heavy smoke.

Ara protested, “Shouldn’t we finish him?”

“Our mission is to get the girl!”

“But he burned my stems!!” irked Ara. “I will make him pay.”

Fiuwe ignored Ara as her hazy wings fluttered. She glided past the splintered door while the latter followed her.

“I can’t believe this!” mumbled the green dryad. She jumped through the windows and soared through the rushing wind and rain.

Alunsina’s eyes barely opened. It smelled of sulfur everywhere and she saw their house full of yellow smokes bravely bathing under the rain. She was sure that Kafir made an indistinct grumble as she caught a glimpse of him lying on the floor.

As the house became a mini doll house, she partially caught a sight of the acacia tree in the middle of the backyard. Creepy branches seemed to extend towards her. Bamboo grasses screeched as they collide. She saw two familiar faces standing at the protruded roots of the tree. Josh Mary. And she thought she saw her mom lying face down in the mud.

Huh? Ara looked behind her back where Alunsina was tied up.

“What is it?” Fiuwe asked.

Ara looked up again, “Nothing, I thought I heard her.”

And they flew beyond the dark clouds where the acacia tree can be seen no more.

ACACIA TREE

It was past three in the afternoon. An early wind was blowing from the southwest and made the sky a bit gloomy. On the second floor of an old townhouse, a little girl was playing by herself while her mom was sleeping at the couch.  Her doll and some toys were scattered around the floor where she sat waiting for her mom to wake up.

“No! Don’t touch my ice tea! That’s mine okay?” blurted little Alunsina. Then she tapped the floor to her left side and whispered, “Just stay here.” 

Outside, faint drip drop drip could be heard. The month of July had started to get cold as the low pressure area intensified over the Pacific Ocean. Only the acacia tree at the backyard was standing proud amidst the threat of an upcoming storm. On the other hand, the bamboo grasses around it humbly bent their culm towards the ground.

Alunsina picked up a tiny comb and brushed her doll's long ebony hair. "Baby Lala, so pretty.”

The lights began to flicker again and Alunsina got a bit irritated. “I told you to stay here!” she screamed in frustration while pointing at the floor to her left. After a few seconds she stood up and walked towards the door, “Okay, go home now. I don’t wanna play with you anymore.”

Slowly, she opened the screen door, looked at the acacia tree and smiled afterwards. “Ba-bye! Bye!” Then she closed the door while peeping through the screen.

Selena woke up on Alunsina's loud voice. She sat on the couch while she brushed her ash brown hair with her hands. "Al...who are you talking to?"

"JoshMary." Alunsina said blissfully while pointing out behind the door.

"Who?" Selena who was still feeling a bit dizzy, walked towards little Al. She stared behind the door and frowned after a few seconds. "Where?"

Alunsina went back to where her baby doll was, sat at the floor and started playing again. She picked up a mini water jar and pretended to pour some water in a pot made of clay. "I will cook asparagus. You hungry Lala? Oh, baby is hungry!" She took the slotted spoon and stirred the water in the pot.

Selena opened the door and stepped out to the balcony. She shifted her gaze at the enormous acacia tree in the middle of the backyard. Its mossy branches were sticking out like twisted arms towards her. The forest of bamboo which surrounded the tree gave shrieking sounds whenever the wind blew. Selena let out a big sigh and returned to the room.

“I think I’ll make some tea,” she told Al. “Do you need something, baby?”

The five year old girl nodded, “Lala wants some chocolate milk. Would you get her some?”

Selena smiled and went downstairs.

The shrieking of the bamboo grass continued and grew louder every minute. “I can’t hear you, Lala. Too noisy.” Alunsina complained. She turned her head towards the door and suddenly a small light appeared just above her head. Her eyes were fixed at the floating light which started to circle around the room.

Alunsina clapped her hands, “Fireflies!” she shouted and ran after the light. “Come here! Don’t leave me.”

When Selena returned to the bedroom, a sprinkle of fireflies had already filled the air. Little Al had been jumping on the bed trying to catch one. Selena suddenly felt an eerie rush of energy all around the room. Her eyes immediately caught two silhouettes in front of the balcony’s screen door. She had frozen right when the two shadows rapidly took shape.

The time felt like it had stopped forever as she was standing right in front of Al. One of the shadows had gray hair and her cerulean dress touched the carpet. Opaque and pale blue lights were glistening from her left wrist like fireflies. The taller Dryad had a long and green fern-like hair. Her body was like a tree branch covered with vines.

It can’t be! Selena’s mind was panicking while she stood there like ice. How come the Dryads are here? How? She tried to warn Al to run but no words came out of her mouth.

It was cold outside but sweat had started to form on her forehead. Al suddenly stopped from jumping and looked at her with innocent eyes. “Can you see the fireflies mom?”

Suddenly, Selena heard her own heart beat as loud as a bass drum. That was when all her strength came back and with all her might she ran as fast as she can towards Al. Nooo! It wasn't enough. I am too slow..

Just a few steps before she could grab Al’s arms, she saw the Dryad’s eyes turned blue. 

In an instant, a violent blow hit her whole body. There was a loud rumble and she felt an extreme heat of electrical current piercing through the center of her chest. The whole room shook. The paintings fell off the wall and the papers on her desk scattered all over the place. Alunsina was looking at her with eyes now bewildered.

Her body slammed down the wall as her head hit the floor. It felt like all her bones had been broken. In an instant the room became a dark sky full of flickering lights. She heard Alunsina’s terrified scream.

And just before she lost her consciousness, she saw the screen door burst open and a deep roar echoed the whole room. The impact of her fall must have given her vague illusions. She saw the acacia tree moved closer and it had become a nine feet tall shadow. The two Dryads were taken by surprise as the balcony became darker and darker on Selena’s eyes.

Next Episode: Kafir