The Darkness 12: Aswang

It was one strange event that caught our attention. It was reported that a pregnant woman seen what she thought was a staggering drunk stranger as she walked to her car. She hurried, got in her car and closed the door as the person approached her. The person opened the door behind her and tried pulling her out by her legs but she pepper sprayed her attacker. The attacker, who was a woman, screamed, flailed, and run away bent backwards on her hands. A report of a similarly strange report happened the same night where a young woman was caught at the window of a child’s room. When the child’s dad heard scratching, he went the child rooms and seen the woman scratching at the window so he turned on the light and she took off.

June 10^th 2020

We were still suffering from the loss of Ciara. Her presence was always a sense that everything was going to be alright as wolves or as humans. I often went to Black Eagle with the issues we couldn’t solve but he had become absent and left us to our own devices. We were now without another wolf and down even more morale. Even worse still, I was still hesitant to turn another human and make them apart of my pack after what happened with my girlfriend. There were even second thoughts of letting C.D. fight with us. It was becoming extremely stressful.

I consulted Cee and Audio about the attacks and Audio immediately knew what exactly was behind it. “It’s an Aswang.”

The Aswang. A flesh-eating, shapeshifting monster. During the day, Aswangs appear as regular town people, though they may be observed by others to have reclusive habits or be introverts. At night, Aswangs shift into eerie predatory vampire-like forms and go hunting for human prey, preferring to feast on children and pregnant women above all else.

“How do you know what they are?” I asked. He sat back, looked at Cee, and then answered “I used to hear stories about them when I went to visit family in the Philipines but I’ve never actually ran into one.”  The information was good enough but instead for whatever reason, I stayed silent and just stared at Audio. “They’re like the Filipino version of vampires. The bad part is I don’t think anyone has ever killed one, atleast, not that I have heard of.”  He said.  “I’m sure there is some way to use magic, a tribal ritual, some random weakness to some random something to kill these things but I think we are going to have to tough this one out.” I answered. It was clear by the look on Cee’s face that he wasn’t confident in that idea. “What?” I asked him. “Nothing.” He lied. “And they won’t go into the woods, they are strictly urban.” Audio added. “Oh my god, bruh.” Cee complained knowing this would add even more to the issue. While in town we were only able to use our wolf forms to keep from being seen by human but even then we were giant wolves.  “Well we need to do something before they actually get any pregnant women or kids.” Audio said. That reminded me of the massacre the Slenderman caused and all the kids that were lost.  “Yeah, you’re right.” I was clouded by thoughts and stress. I looked at Cee and Audio and realized the help I needed was right there with me. “Let’s ask Ray what to do.” I decided.

June 11^th 2018

We all sat in Ray’s car watching at the woman standing across the street at her car. It was a cold cloudy night. She was on the phone swinging her keys around and talking loudly. “What makes you think they will go after her?” Audio asked with doubt. Ray had a smirk on his face “Trust me, they will.” I honestly had my doubts as well but I stayed silent and kept my trust in my friend’s choice. “Well, why wouldn’t it work?” Cee asked. We all looked at Audio who shrugged and said “I don’t know, maybe because-“ I put my hand up to silence him. I got the faint whiff of a familiar scent. “Can you guys smell that?” I whispered. Audio turned and looked out the window “No but I can hear it, something is coming.” I hopped out of the car and turned towards the houses. Audio followed behind me then joined my side. “I can’t catch the scent again. Do you still hear it?” I asked him. His eyes were closed as he focused on the sound. “It’s getting closer!” he told me as he ran two houses down. Every inch of me was ready to take down an Aswang until I caught the scent again. “Audio, that’s a vampire…” I warned. He looked over in confusion “Yeah,” he said “that’s what an Aswang is-“ I ran over to him “No bruh, that’s a regular vampi-“ before I could finish my response the vampire launched herself over the fence and ran towards us. I took my wolf form and grabbed her by the leg. It turned out the vampire was an ally of ours. “What the hell, Marina?!” Audio complained. Something was wrong with her. Her prey drive was way up and she was acting extremely erratic. “Let me go!” she doubled back and tried to slash me but Audio, who had took his werewolf form, grabbed her and pinned her down. She was fighting savagely to break Audio’s grip. “What do I do?” Audio thought to me. I returned to my human form “Marina! What the hell are you doing?” I demanded. “Is that Marina?” Ray called from the car. “Holy shit-“ Cee started to get out of the car upon the realization of who it was. “No! Stay in the car, bruh!” I told him. “Let me go!” Marina screamed. Audio snarled as he struggled to keep her down. “What’s wrong with you, Marina?” I asked. Before she could answer my question a high pitched shrill came from up the street. My eyes were drawn to the direction from where it came from. I couldn’t see anything but the scent was strong. It was a strange metallic smell. “They are here!” Cee yelled out to me. I looked down at Marina, then at Cee, and then to the car. My nerves were restless and I had no idea what the next best thing to do was. Suddenly 13 man sized bat-like creatures with snake-like lower bodies came slithering down the street toward the woman at her car. “Manish, what do we do?” Ray called out to me. I couldn’t think clearly, I was overwhelmed by everything thing going on. Marina was fighting viciously and Audio was clearly going to lose the fight to hold for much longer. “Let me go, dammit!” she screamed. “Let her go.” I whispered. Audio’s head jerked up in shock. “Let her go! Ray, Cee, get ready for them!” I demanded. Before Ray and Cee could get out of the car, one of the aswangs launched into the air and headed straight for the woman next to her car. “God dammit! Someone help Katie!” I yelled. The dark haired woman took her, glasses off and turned and ran straight into the woods at the end of the cul-de-sac. Ray and Cee jumped out of the car and followed in their wolf forms and the aswangs close behind. I looked down at Marina “Whatever you’re doing here….I hope you’re here to help.” I growled “Let’s go, Audio.” Audio let Marina go and she pushed passed us and headed the same direction. We both turned into wolves and followed the chase.

By the time we caught up the aswangs had already been ambushed by Marina and the pack. Katie, the woman we used as bait, had taken her mermaid form and joined the fight. Ray had the idea to ask the mermaids for help since we had assisted them and they obliged. That day we found out that mermaid were able to give off they called distress call, an energy given off to attract their target in the vast oceans or draw them into the open water. Using that, Katie had attracted Marina as well as drawn the aswangs out.  Audio and I joined the brawl. The aswangs were fast and had us out numbered but we were versatile. Watching Katie the mermaid fight was new. The webbed claws, giant eyes, and arm fins and watching her fight on land an awkward sight. She shifted between her humanoid and beast forms with easy, but stayed mostly in her amphibious human form. She heavily assisted Marina  who didn’t seem to get her edge in the battle. A mermaid and a vampire were an odd pair. We fought and we fought but it felt like it was never going to end fight was going to end. The aswangs had a tremendous amount of stamina and they were going to wear us out. This seemed to get worse when it started to rain. In the middle of the brawl there was a high pitched song like screech that pierced the air. I turned to see Katie had taken her more animalistic mermaid form. Now with a finned tail in place of legs, she slithered over the wet grass with speed equal to the aswangs. She was amazing, it was almost like she was moving through water. Eventually I was able to feel out the alpha and subdue her. This stopped the battle with the enermy. They conceded timidly as I had their alpha pinned down by her wings. She fought ferociously for me to free her, trying even to change to her human form but couldn’t maintain. “What are going to do, Manish?” Katie asked me. I looked down at the aswang under my claws and shifted a little to take pressure off her body, allowing her to turn into the little Filipino woman she disguised herself as. Them surrendering obviously meant they were at the mercy of my will. Cee and Audio came over and held down her arms. I turned back into my human form. “Will you leave the innocent women and children alone?” I asked the defeated alpha. She mumbled something in in her native language then said “Yes, we are so sorry.” Cee looked at me and Ray growled behind me. I looked around to see no answers in the faces of my comrades. Although the aswangs were slightly more human than some of the other beasts we had fought before my mind couldn’t deviate from the fact a pregnant woman had been attacked. Something took over me and rage turned me into my werewolf form. I reached down and ripped the alpha’s head from her body. The lifeless body returned to its natural aswang form. That wasn’t enough for me, the body had to be without a heart too, so that was ripped it from the body has well. Behind me, Katie gasped from the overkill. There was something in me that couldn’t let them free; my pack, me, and Marina slaughtered all but one of them.  We all turned to our humans form and warned the remaining one; innocent women and children were off limits.

“This is how it goes on land, huh?” Katie asked me. I shook my head “I couldn’t let them get away, that- I just couldn’t do it. It was too much of a risk to let them go free and they start attacking pregnant women again.” I answered. Marina stood next to me with a big smile on her face while facing Katie. “That was pretty cool what you did back there. I thought mermaids couldn’t use their beast form on land?” Marina questioned.  As they started to talk, Audio tapped me on the shoulder and pulled me aside. He, Cee, and Ray were standing in a semi-circle, facing me. “What’s going on?” I asked. Audio had an awkward smirk on his face. “These guys have a pretty good idea but I don’t know how it will work.” Ray said “It’ll break a lot of boundaries and we have no idea what the consequences will be.”  Cee shook his head and responded “What choice to we have at this point? Better we try then not.” Audio looked at me and shrugged. ”What is it?” I asked over the sound of the cold rain. Ray’s eyes never left me but Cee and Audio turned to look at Marina and Katie. “Let’s make Marina a part of our pack.” Audio said with a smirk. In that moment a chill ran over me and I noticed that we were all soaking wet. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Ray protested. Ray, Cee, and Audio began debating but the sound of the rain drowned out all talking, my mind had withdrawn deep.  There was a balance to keep and we were at a disadvantage to do so. “Marina?” I called out.  The vampire stopped mid conversation with Katie and looked over her shoulder at me. “Yeah?”  she asked. It was just then I realized how young she was. Looking at her made me think of my nephew C .D., who was an extremely young but effective werewolf and my girlfriend, who became a werewolf only for her safety. My eyes shifted to Katie, who smiled, then back to Marina. “I have a question.”