Monsterstruck

        A scrounge of pain gripped on Craig’s thoughts as he lit another cigarette. He smelled the phosphorus, deep and pungent, and felt the warmth of the yellow flame bathe his face. The tip of the cigarette lit and rush of smoke filled his lungs. He took a deep breath and let it all go.               “Holy sh*t dude! We’re all holed up in the auditorium the whole time. We’re nearly going bonkers looking for you!” Cameron said with a tinge of irritation as he spotted his band mate smoking in the patio of an abandoned house, a block away from their rehearsing place.               With a smirk, Craig shrugged off his shoulders as he reveled the cool breeze that wafted in the air. The sky was filled with blanket of stars; a wonderful sight to look at. From those outlines of stars, he could see his father’s visage. In no time, his lips curved in a semblance of a rueful smile.               For a moment, there was a foreboding silence. Cameron eyed his friend apprehensively, sensing him to be falling into a deep thought.               “I guess she’s completely happy now with that bastard. I even imagined them rejoicing upon dad’s death,” Craig mumbled with a grunt, feeling his throat stuffed with thick mucus.               With that, Cameron placed a hand on his friend’s shoulders.                “I know how it feels… being home wrecked, but dude I hope you’ll stay strong. I admire you for being independent since your dad’s demise and I don’t know what to feel for your mom’s infidelity. I don’t want to judge people though, but I feel bad for you.” Cameron mouthed sympathetically.               But Craig could only offer him his signature rockstar grin.               “Tsss, so much for being melodramatic. C’mon, we’ve got to bounce, or Eric will have our ass.” Cameron egged with a soft peal of laughter.               “I know,” Craig mouthed with a low chuckle and waved him off as he dropped his spent cigarette butt into the gutter and grounded it out. ********************************************************************               With a sour grin, Vylet’s eyes were spewing venom as she bounced her gaze into the Clamor dudes who were currently performing their hardcore rendition of “Someone like You”.  She felt like a skeleton at the feast. She just stood there immobile amidst of the moshing people. She had never liked the band “Clamor”. As a matter of fact, she hated them. For her, their music was utterly bad.  Up to these days, she was still thinking of a logical reason why the likes of them have gotten into the hardcore industry, or why they formed a band in the very first place.               “Why aren’t you moshing, purple head?” A familiar voice asked.               It was Blaze, her best friend. His raven hair was combed back and he was donning a black Slipknot tee that Vylet had given to him during their college graduation.               “I’d rather poop in the midst of their set, than to mosh to their music,” Vylet retorted with a sneer. Blaze shook his head and laughed at her feisty retort.               “Ughh. Why are they always included in the line-up? They don’t deserve to be lined up with all the hella’ cool bands. If it wasn’t for the other bands, I’m outta here,” she cackled as she whipped her gaze back to the stage.               Blaze knew his bestfriend like the back of his hands since their college days. He took pleasure in hearing her rants about “Clamor” and why they suck. They would rave about music, especially underground and metal music. They were cosmic. He wished that the strong bond between them would stay like this forever no matter what happens.               “Relax, Bloodshed to be followed by SIN will be playing after them so just bear with Clamor’s unicorn musicality,” Blaze jested, dripping with sarcasm. With that, she cracked a smile and turned to look back at the stage.               Impulsively, Vylet’s gaze bounced at her loathed frontman of the Clamor, Craig. Her antagonistic stare seemed to ignite a magnetic force, pulling her loathed frontman to meet her steel gaze. In no time, Craig met her catlike eyes, so enigmatically beautiful that he was likely to be hypnotized by it, if only those pair of catlike eyes don’t belong to the purple haired chic that he used to notice in their gigs-- always throwing death ray glares at them.                They held their gaze for what seemed like one minute.                             Slamming back to her senses, Vylet pecked her cheek thinking that she had been enchanted by his incredulous stare.               “You look spaced out,” Blaze mused at her.               The crowd suddenly went wild as Craig did another encore.               “What do you expect from me during their set?” Vylet retorted smugly, placating the uncanny feeling she got from the staring contest with her loathed rockstar.               But Blaze didn’t look convince.               “Are you okay? If you want, let’s just go home,” Blaze offered.               Suddenly, she felt her head pulse violently, like an overactive bass pounding.               “Here I am again…” she groaned, writhing in pain.  In the cellar of her mind, numerous pair of ferocious flaxen and reddish eyes hovered around.               “You can’t shun what you are,” said a vindictive voice followed by a sinister laughter. With that, the throbbing grew louder; like someone was drilling holes in her skull. The raucous voice unwaveringly rang like hell. She wanted to thrash wildly at the throbbing pain she was feeling inside, if only she wasn’t in a public place right now.               She had been experiencing this strange feeling for these past weeks; the wicked voice reverberating inside her head, the terrible headache, and occasional nightmares about an ugly green skinned woman. She had never told anyone about it, not even to Blaze and to her dear mom.               Whatever the reason behind all of these, she never wanted to find out. She believed that these will cease.               “Let’s go home. I think I’m gonna pass out,” Vylet mumbled painstakingly, biting her cheeks.               With a gentle tug, Blaze pulled her out of the area before anything bad could happen to her.               Heaving a deep sigh, Blaze threw her a pained expression, feeling the pang of guilt that washed all over him. Time had not made him immune on not loving her, everything about her. Vylet’s pain cut him deeper than his own. *****************************************************************************               Deep in thought, Blaze stared at the sapphire sky as wave of torture started to wash all over him. Looking at his grayish skin and talons, he couldn’t help but to feel sorry for himself. He never wanted to be like this; hideous and abominable. It was the cruel game of fate that made him this way. He wished he could do something to freed himself in this immortality, but he had grown to believe that if it wasn’t for his immortality or more likely to say, yomanity, he could not have her. At least, there was a silver lining underneath it all.               “Vylet, wish I have the courage to tell you what I really am and that we belong to each other. But I must wait until you have undergone the second phase until you became a yoma, a Seymour. It kills me to see you being tormented by the voices inside your head for I have also experienced that before. In no time, you’ll figure out that we are both prisoners of this awful fate, bound to kill innocent civilians and all those who gets in our way, especially the cresclunar warriors. I’m sorry my love for all of this. But I’ll be laying the world right at your feet ‘til my last breath,”               “Wow such a lover you are,” said a sing- sang voice.               Hearing that, Blaze whirled around and spotted a Seymour who just vaulted from the rooftop.  It was Vygnet Ferrer. She had a wavy jet-black hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. She also had this air of feistiness in her; with her lethal flaxen eyes that gleamed fiercely at him. With her lithe movements, she treaded towards him.               “I’m about to head north. I heard that there’s this dying brain cancer patient there, who knows he might kick off the bucket anytime soon,” Vygnet piped in.               For them to satisfy their needs as yomas, they feed on human brain; be it alive or dead and sometimes like vampires– they feed on human blood.               Blaze could smell the stench of death that filled the chilly air as he risked another glance in the sky, now in a plummet hue.               “We have to do something tonight. We’ll be at your friend’s gig,” he piped up.               “At Craig’s gig?” Vygnet’s catlike eyes widened in alarm.  She had never liked the idea of haunting along Craig’s proximity.               “Yup,”               “What the hell are we going to do there? You don’t mean to say that we’re going to prey on Craig? Or it has something to do with your beloved purple haired friend again?” Vygnet speculated, her lips twisting into a scowl.               “Verona told so, so just heed her. See yah later,” Blaze mouthed nonchalantly. In the blink of an eye, he leapt onto the tall spruce loomed in front of them and zoomed out of her sight.               To get away from all the wavelength of uncanny phenomenon that she had been experiencing these past weeks, Vylet found herself in the Hydra Bar; the seat of all the music gigs in the suburban city of Tagaytay. During her loose ends, it had been a routine for her to go to the music gigs in the city. She was a music buff though she may not be that musically inclined.               Much to her upset, it was the Clamor dudes who were set to perform first. The crowd cheered and hooted the moment when Craig picked up the mic and started to sing “Bullet Skies”.               “I thought you weren’t a fan of them,”                Vylet was taken aback to find out whose voice it was. It was Skylar’s, her cousin. Her foxy bob hair with red highlights gave an edgy touch to her lovely face. She had this heart shaped face and a pair of dreamy gray eyes that she got from her Norwegian dad, who passed away when she was barely four years old. She had this slim built, and she stood about 5’5 ft.               “Sky! I thought you won’t be able to make it tonight?” Vylet drawled, hollering beside her.               “Well, I’m already here,” Skylar retorted with a smirk.               “By the way, I didn’t come here for the Clamor dudes. I came here for other bands, and it just happened that they are included in the line-up, as always” Vylet countered, rolling her eyes.               “Why do you hold such hate to them?” Skylar asked incredulously with a low chuckle.               “Because they suck,” she replied quickly, wrinkling her nose.               “Well, I find them great,” Skylar noted.               “Really?” she retorted as she wrinkled her nose “…okay, if that was your opinion but I still think that they have lots to learn,” Vylet remarked.               “Every artist and band grew their artistry as time flies. Someday, they’ll appeal to your expensive music taste,” Skylar replied as she grinned.                “Hah, if that happens,” Vylet shot back with a toss of her head.               “Hater,” she curtsied with a grin. With that, Vylet just threw her with a Whatever look.               When Vylet’s favorite local metal band, SIN started to play, Skylar slid a dark glance at her cousin, falling into a deep thought.                Princess. Why did that rotten piece of hell call her a princess? What crap was that monster babbling about Vylet needed to unveil her real self? What is she?  Sometimes, I can’t help but to wonder if there is something hideous about her. I know that what I saw and heard that night wasn’t simply a monster sighting or heck knows what. I have a strong feeling that ugly blob will never let go of my poor cousin until she finally gets what she wants.               Suddenly, a recollection of thoughts flashed back in Skylar’s mind. One night when she slept over at her cousin’s room, she heard her laughed but her laughter rang abysmal. She peeked cautiously at her cousin’s bed which was just beside her. But she was surprised to find out that Vylet was sleeping soundly that time. Thinking that she was just hallucinating, she shook it off and resumed to sleep.               “Princess Vylet, Time has come to unveil what you really are,” said a hollow voice.               Hearing that hollow voice again, Skylar began trembling. Slowly tilting her head to her cousin’s direction, all the blood in her face drained on what gaped before her terrified eyes. She saw a monstrous being, green skinned woman that had stubby spikes on her upper back, as its flaxen eyes bored to her sleeping cousin. The monstrous being ran her talons at her cousin’s purple locks and planted a kiss on her forehead.               Terrified, Skylar wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but her throat couldn’t utter a single sound. She felt her throat burn with fear as she heard that horrendous woman muttered something incomprehensible to her cousin. With her chest ramming violently, she curled up in a ball and offered a silent prayer wishing that the hideous entity would vanish and spare her cousin. Minutes had passed and the diabolic being was gone.               From that spooky experience, Skylar had grown to observe the behavior of her cousin on the sly. She knew that Vylet was adopted by her aunt, and they weren’t biologically related to each other.               But as days passed since that terrifying night, nothing unusual happened next. Even to her cousin who seemed to be her usual self-everyday – the usual downright snooty chic, hard nose and will make you hate her or love her.  Up to these days, Skylar couldn’t shake off what she just witnessed that day which made her believe to the ubiquitous world of the unknown beings. **********************************************************************               “Dude, do you see that purple head chic in the crowd? She’s always throwing dagger looks at me,” Craig whispered frantically to his band mate, Alex.               “Well then, maybe that’s her way to catch your attention. Dude, have you forgotten the number of crazy girls drooling over you? Maybe she’s one of those!” Alex retorted as he slid a gaze at the purple haired lady.               “I don’t think so. I feel like she’s holding grudges against us or what,” Craig shot back, anxiously whipping his gaze at her direction.               “Seriously dude, don’t make a big fuss out of that weird gothic purple head chic’s demeanor,” Alex chuckled, dismissing the topic.               Craig just shrugged off and from afar, he could see her cat like eyes held dagger at him again. He then held her sullen gaze. Much to his surprise, Vylet threw a middle finger in the air and shot him a sinister grin. With that, he chuckled dryly at the ragged demeanor of the surly purple haired girl.  But he hated the fact that this chic had caught him off guard this time. From those antagonistic stares, he could see the lethal spark in her cat like eyes. He hated to admit that he found her piercingly attractive despite of her rude demeanor.               “What were I’m thinking,” Craig bristled to himself and pushed aside the thought.               Pleased by her boldness, Vylet waved from the distance. In no time, she headed to the front door to get herself out of the bar, totally forgetting the company of her cousin who excused herself a while ago to the restroom. She could tell that her loathed vocalist went batshit pissed with her magic finger display. Miffed, Craig couldn’t help anymore and followed the surly purple haired woman outside the Hydra bar.               “Hey, you rude purple head!” Craig yelled sharply.               Shocked and surprised, Vylet slowly turned around pulling the hem of her blue plaid shirt. She didn’t see this coming.               “Are you seriously yelling at me?” She snickered smugly.               “Being a purple head ain’t the real deal,” he quipped, grinning at her.               “Yeah, so is your band,” she replied coolly and shot him a lazy grin.               “Got it, if you don’t like our music, you should’ve freely gone somewhere else and waited for the turn of your favorite bands, instead of being an attention-seeking obnoxious brat.” Craig taunted.               Impulsively, Vylet took a step towards him, closing the gap between them. She eyed him antagonistically as her lips twisted into a scowl. There was an awkward silence for a minute. Strange as it seemed, Craig found himself musing at her beauty, only her ragged demeanor marred it. Up close, she was like an angel and goddess combined. She had these pair of deep chestnut eyes that predisposes you to be bewitched by its charm. If she wasn’t scowling at him, he could tell that her face has soft angles that complemented well with her small face.               Snapping back to his senses, Craig mentally chided himself and beheld her sullen gaze with the same dark intensity.               “Craig Samuel douchebag Davis. Your heydays are now numbered. So, carpe’ diem.” Vylet muttered impulsively, with her eyes boring ominously at him. In a jiffy, she took a step back and walked out of his sight without risking a backward glance.               Pissed, Craig clenched his fists rigidly. He couldn’t fathom out why this girl was acting like a b***h. He’d like to think that it was just her way to catch his attention, but it didn’t seem so. How dare her to call me a douche?! She doesn’t know me from Eve!               “We’ll see about that, and kindly do me a favor? Don’t ever come back!”  Craig yelled acidly. Whether she heard him or not, he couldn’t care any less. He decided to cool off and trudged to the left intersection of the street.