My heart stopped at the first sight of her. I was surprised that she approached me first. Her expression seemed depressed but she hid it behind her smiles. Her teeth with the smirk she wore displayed an optimistic expression but not her eyes. Her eyes were gloomy like the dark overcast.
Her head slightly bent and her hands clasped in front. She was hiding something, something that she’s ready to disclose. It may bear the truth about the deaths of two teachers.
“Good to see you, Maria!” Bert greeted.
“Me too, Bert. It’s good to see you.” She said softly.
“Good luck, man!” Bert whispered to me as she dragged Carla away from us.
A serious aura engulfed our circle between me and Maria. Bert felt it, Carla, too. Carla slightly hated Maria, not because Maria was a typical b*tch but maybe she let popular students surrounded herself as typical b*tches do. Shielded herself mysteriously even though she outshined them. Maria had immense pr
Collins fetched me at school and we drove towards a place outside the city. With us was Edward, who sat on the front seat. The place called Busay, a local ancient language that meant a ‘river’, was located on the outskirts of the City of Cebu. The place started on a foot of a large mountain and into its depths. The car’s engine challenged the steepness of the asphalt road as it wounds itself along a two-way narrow road. A few residential houses situated the place as was heaved with trees beyond the pavement.I felt the pressure rose on my ears and slight fog caressed our car as moisture grew from the car’s windows. The night sky blanketed the place and faintly lit the road with street lights. The moon and the stars beautifully stagnated themselves through black theatric space.It astonished me as I peeked through my window. My mind was troubled about the Keeper’s move tomorrow. I tried to ask Edward about the details but he insisted that s
I was aghast with the exquisiteness of the room. “Is this really your house father?” I asked. It was far beyond the comparison of what I was used to living. My mother and I lived in a very minute house even half the room I was currently in.“Yes, son. It is mine, courtesy of the Keepers. It is also our headquarters.” My father said. I tried to question him about why he left my mother poor and he lived in spoils of wealth. I did dare questioned him, it was not the right moment. A family matter that should be discussed between the two of us. Man to man.Came in was another young lad, maybe two years older than me, wore a black shirt and jeans. His face was young but his eyes contained experience. Looking at him, intimidated me and gave me slight chills for God knows why. He immersed himself within our circle and sat across me.“This is Kane.” My father introduced me.I smiled at him but he star
The soft breeze grew colder each minute and my heart was continuously beating hard as I perched on top of a two-story building across the basketball court parking lot. A vast portion of the school’s campus could be seen from my vantage point. Cold sweat streamed my forehead. I waited ten minutes before 7 pm, the longest ten minutes of my life. Last night, my father gave me a piece of quick advice when the worst comes, to kill is the best option. He said these words, “You have to protect yourself, son. These witches are very deceptive and could kill you instantly without you knowing. Even though you have the Moonstone pendant, they could not use magic directly on you, but they will use any object with their magic and hurt you. Just keep your distance, run if needed, when an opportunity presents itself, stab him in the gut using your dagger. The witch will die instantly.” Words did not soothe my feeling, it worsened the idea of me killing a witch. When the day comes if
The sun was high but the air was still cold. It must have been the elevation, fog was still faintly visible creeping through the overlooking woods. Stratus clouds frequented this place as this mountain held a thick rainforest. The headquarters manor was equally breathtaking during midday. Weekends bored me at home, but not today. Today was equally exciting and frightening, Excited to visit the headquarters again in the daytime, probably meet new members, and frightening for what happened last night. Kane might have discovered Maria’s glowing eyes, but the thought that Maria knew Kane bugged me. Almost left me sleepless last night. She did not respond to any of my texts last night. She was also worried for sure. Mum knew that I had not properly slept, my eyes were sunken and droopy as she had observed. We had our breakfast right before Collins fetched me from home. My training day, as I was informed. Edward was injured last night’s attempt. I aided him immediately and
I was surprised to see the backyard, it was more vast than the front yard. The headquarters manor was fenced with concrete blocks and iron railings that extended far from where I stand – the back porch.A large space in front and the landscape was of formal design, plants placed on symmetrical patterns. Well-pruned trees and bushes were placed strategically to invoke serenity. The space held Trainees like me. There were about four of them and a senior member seemed to be demonstrating advanced hand-to-hand combat. I could say it was advance because their moves were different than the boxing and defending that my dad trained me for two days.They were locking heads, wrestling, slamming bodies to the ground. They even rarely threw punches. I watched them in astonishment. Beside me was Collins who had shown me the place. Introduced me to some senior members of the Keepers and led me to the training circle.“This is Luke Mason.” Collins introduced
The training circle was now getting crowded, even my dad came to see me. I was not embarrassed for our first round, Kane had a lot of fighting experience and was considered to be one of the best. I looked up at the sky and even considered the majestic stratus clouds watching our friendly spar.I was overthinking again. This time, it could not help me. My father was standing behind the crowd that encircled us and I saw him smile at me. But he did not see our first round, it should have embarrassed him, his own son beaten like a girl and by a puny assassin.My heart raced again and I felt tremendous pressure in my mind. I could hear my breathing. I could tell my lungs were exhausted, somewhat deflated balloons. I challenged Kane for a second round but my body was stiff like rocks, I could barely move.“Find you peace.” It was Collins’ voice, whispered from behind my ear.What did it mean? There is no peace in fighting, I thought as Collins
Medellin City, Lapaz street1961 - 60 Years before – Before the Keepers was foundedThe rain’s downpour was heavy. Everybody hurried to shelter and raindrops crashed to the pavement like knives. The streets were nearly unpopulated and the street lamps faintly illuminated the place and the moon’s light gave no contribution at all, the nimbus stratus clouds covered the skies.Two men stood before the street and found shelter in a bus stop station. One lit a cigarette to compensate for the frigid air. They were on the place for about an hour or so, looking before a three-story building. On the third floor, a single apartment was rumored to hold a witch. She lived alone and was suspected to have conjured black magic.“Are we going to proceed as plan, or just freeze here to death,” said the man who had a cigarette, the early forties, and was an ex-military but became a fugitive of the municipality.
Uncertainty was the feeling the three pursuers had. The uncertainty of life and death. It hit them, the moment they entered the room. It was never what they had expected. The deteriorations they witnessed in the halls were not evident in the room, it seemed the apartment was not housed by a witch. The first sight made them question themselves that maybe they were not in the right place, maybe it was the other room. But the inexplicable feeling made them concluded that the information was accurate.The feeling of depression, the feeling of sadness, the feeling of death, invaded their emotions. The living and dining room combined had no evidence of witchcraft, all mundane. Furniture, chairs, tables, were arranged accordingly.But the stench they smelled did not connect with what they saw. It had to be something, something dead lingered around the corner. They took gentle strides further inside. The lights were turned on and they heard rustling in this room before, thus t