Monsterstruck

Chapter II: First Encounter

       Completely pissed by the ragged demeanor of the surly purple haired lady, Craig blew a smoke ring and rammed the canned soda just beneath his feet.

            Why would I give a damn at her? After all, she is just a hater. Haters are losers. That was what Eric, their manager told to them.

            Never in his whole life he had been shown such obnoxious act; that middle finger display which made his blood boil hot. Piss off, lady. Despite of her misdemeanor to him, he’d like to be a gentleman. After all, she is a lady, only without manners.

            In hopes of improving his mood, he gazed skyward. It was full moon. He settled himself in the pavement and fished out something from his chest pocket. It was a crescent shaped amulet that his father had given to him, the night before he died.

            “Always keep this with you son. It will protect you away from any forms of evil. It’s called a cresclunar. Your grandpa has given this to me. Someday, you’ll gonna figure out what is this for aside from protection,” his father said to him. Merely nodding, Craig beheld the amulet and from that day, he always kept it with him.

            Scrutinizing the bronze amulet, Craig couldn’t help but to wonder up to this day on what was the purpose of the cresclunar. Does it have some kind of magical power? Three years had passed and up to this day, he was still clueless about the purpose of the cresclunar.

            All of a sudden, an ear-piercing shriek tore out somewhere along the vicinity of the street, breaking his train of thoughts. Alarmed, he shot a quick glance around him and when he saw that no one was around the perimeter, he headed to the right intersection of the street.

            Fumbling, Craig combed the area and soon enough he saw a figure, a despicable figure no other than the purple haired chic, all cooped up around her arms. For a moment, he hid behind the bulky rusty container drum and peeked cautiously at her direction.

            “What do you …want from me?!” Vylet stammered as she felt her bones suddenly liquefy. A whorl of gray and red enveloped around the area. In a jiffy, three hideous entities materialized in front of her. They had these pair of menacing cat-like eyes and rotten grey and greenish skin. They also had these stubby spikes that morphed on their upper back. From the distance, he could make out that two of them were female and the other one, the one who had a grayish skin was a male. They all looked alike; with their elongated torsos and talons, which were all curled up.

            Witnessing that, shock and dread coursed in Craig’s veins. Beads of sweat budded out on his skin.

           “Time has come,” said the oldest of them all in a raucous voice.                                        

            Galvanized by fear, bile rose up in Vylet’s throat when it dawned on her that these monsters and the green skinned woman in her nightmares –they all looked the same. Altogether, they trooped around her and chanted something else under their breath. With that, a shrill static noise filled the air. She started to hear the woman’s voice inside her head, mumbling in Pig Latin. She felt her blood swirl inside her head.

            ‘I have to save her. I can’t bear it if I’m just chickening out here and witness her poor life wring out by those ugly piece of hell’ Craig thought belligerently.

            Gathering all his shred of courage, Craig sprinted towards their direction. The other two entities let out a growl, poised to charge at him. But the other female yoma, backed away like she had seen the face of death.

            “Craig?” Vylet mumbled, completely shocked.

            Suddenly remembering about the cresclunar, Craig brandished the crescent shaped amulet and aimed it at them. It produced a blinding white light that diffused all over the area, making the three entities shrilled in agony.

            Dazed, Craig’s lips curved into an “O”.

            As soon as the male yoma finally gained his momentum, he closed in on Craig once again. He hurtled straight towards him with such inhuman speed, his talons turned into a deeper hue of red, like glowing ember.

            Intuitively, Craig dodged out and securely clung Vylet at his back, shielding themselves away from the male yoma with the aid of his cresclunar that suddenly formed a rectangular barrier of light against the three creatures. Altogether, the three yomas skewered in midair as they stared grimly at the barrier of light that the cresclunar had formed.

            “f**k, we got nothing on him!” Verona seethed out of despair.

            “What the f**k are you doing huh? I told you not to hurt him!” Vygnet rasped to Blaze.

            “He is a thorn to our side. You see, he is a cresclunar warrior! This night could have been Vylet’s becoming, but he ruined it!” he snapped at her as they skewered in midair.

            “You guys want an autograph? Free pass?” Craig jested to them “…what’s that fuss all about?” Craig clipped, marveling the mighty power of his cresclunar.

            Verona eyed the young warrior murderously, cursing under her breath. If it wasn’t for Vygnet, she had wrung out his life and ate his brain.

            “Seriously, you’re such an airhead,” Vylet mumbled feebly upon Craig’s antic.

            Instead of being offended by her snide remark, Craig smirked lopsidedly at her.

            “We’re not yet done!” thundered the two yomas and they all disappeared out of their sight. Meanwhile, the other female yoma risked a backward glance at Craig, giving him an apologetic look and in no time, she also vanished.

            By that time, the diffusion of lights produced by his cresclunar had subsided.

            “What is that?” Vylet asked as she scrambled at her feet. Craig offered his hands and helped her to rise.

            “What are you referring to?” Craig asked humorously.

            “That…crescent shaped amulet. Why do you have that?” She replied quickly, fixing her whole façade.

            “My father gave this to me. He said that I should always keep it with me. It will protect me from all sorts of evil, at least that’s what he said until I realized lately that it possesses some kind of magical power,” Craig countered as he mused at the tiny three stars embossed on the surface of the amulet.

            It took a fraction of second before Vylet finally spoke.

            “You mean… it’s your first time to use it against evil forces such those monsters?” she drawled hypnotically.

            “Yup, and it’s funny that I used it to save you from those ugly blobs. You were the first on my mighty amulet’s beneficiaries,” he retorted with a grin.

“I didn’t ask for your help, anyway,” she retorted, furrowing.

            The thought of being saved by the man she hates had her chewing inside. But if he hadn’t come around, she must have been a dead meat. As a matter of fact, she owed her life to him. But of all people, why him? Damn Blaze for bailing out tonight.

            “I have seen that retort coming” he replied, grinning. “…by the way, are you okay now?” Craig asked.

            “I’m alright,” Vylet curtsied, feeling awkward.

            “Guess you should not hate me anymore,” he countered, grinning at her.

            “I’ll think about it,” she shot back.

            Craig let out a throaty chuckle and suddenly riveted his gaze at the full moon. The moonlight shone brilliantly, illuminating the beauty of her face.

            Involuntarily, Vylet followed his gaze and gradually, she pressed her eyes shut.

            Craig slid a gaze at her and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing her serene face, illuminated by the moonlight. He was actually right; her face has this softest angle he had seen in his entire life.

            “What are you doing?” he asked in between amusement and incredulity.

            “Making a wish,” Vylet replied wistfully, still with her eyes closed.

            Heaving a deep sigh, Craig also closed his eyes and made a wish.

            “Wanna know what did I wish?” she asked casually as she finally flew her eyes open.

            “What?” Craig asked with his curiosity skyrocketing.

            “That I wouldn’t see the person standing next to me again,” she replied feistily.

            “Why do you hate me that much?”

            “First, your band sucks. Second, you think you’re the s**t. Third, repeat first and second reasons for bazillionth times.” Vylet countered while she held out her fingers.

            “Wow,” was all he could ever say.

            Ughhh. Wow?

            “Seriously, I’m gonna go ahead. It’s getting late.” Vylet mumbled.

            “Would you mind if I drive you home? Who knows you might encounter again those monsters” Craig offered.

            “I’d rather be dead than to be saved by you again.” Vylet jested.

            “I didn’t know that you’re some kind of lunatic.” Craig bantered.

            “I know.” She grinned playfully.

            “Wait, I do not know yet your name?”

            “You don’t need to know, because I’ll make sure that this would be the last time we’ll come across each other, I mean, only us. Not when your band is in the line-up during gigs. I’ll forget what had transpired this night. Goodbye, Craig Samuel Davis.”

            “Thank you for not inserting the douche word in my name!” Craig cackled.

            “You’re welcome!”

It  was her last word and finally trudged out of his sight.

            ‘She’s so tough.’ he thought, plastering a crooked smile. Although, she forgot to thank him or she didn’t really have any intention to thank him, what he had done to her felt right. He wished that this will not be the last time he’ll see her pretty face again. Thanks to the aid of his cresclunar. Still dazed by the crazy turn of events, he couldn’t help but to smile. Strange, but then again it felt right.

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            Wrung out by what had transpired earlier, Vylet tossed and turned on her bed, trying her damnedest to reject the fact that her loathed rockstar saved her from those monsters. But all to no avail, it didn’t pan out. The vivid images kept on swirling inside her head.

            ‘Time has come’ 

            What do they want from me? What the heck are they talking about?

            Suddenly, a soft knock snatched her away from her thoughts. It was her mom, checking her out. Mrs. Amarillo turned on the switch and threw her a worried look.

            “Hi, Mom,” Vylet greeted.

            “What time did you get home?” Mrs. Amarillo asked sternly.

            “About an hour ago,” Vylet lied, when in fact she got home just about twenty minutes ago. Little did her mother know, she slyly clambered onto the tree leading to the roof top which is adjacent to her room.

            “Okay. You better sleep now. I don’t want you staying up in wee hours, unless you need to. Goodnight, honey.” Mrs. Amarillo said and turned the lights off.

            “Night, mom.” Vylet mumbled idly and willed herself to sleep.

            That night, she dreamt of a woman who was cradling a baby girl in her chest. They were in the dilapidated cabin, in the middle of the woods. She couldn’t see her face clearly; all she could make out was her silhouette. The woman had a long hair and has a pointed nose.  All of a sudden, an ear piercing shrill tore out from somewhere.

            A tall and muscular middle aged man with graying hair gaped before her eyes. Everything about him screamed dangerous and vile. He had this pair of piercing black orb eyes.

            The man took a step towards the woman and to her baby. Abruptly, he snatched the baby away from the woman’s chest and mercilessly choked the woman’s neck.

“Please, don’t kill…me…” The woman pleaded to him.

            Suddenly, the baby who initially looked like a cherub transformed into a little monster, similar to the ones that Vylet had encountered earlier ago.

            With that, the man let out a sinister laugh and without any moment to spare, he choked the woman to death.  Witnessing that, her wits scattered.  Next thing she knew was she was running in the middle of the woods, numerous pair of dilating flaxen catlike eyes bore sinisterly at her wherever she goes. She tried to scream, but it died in her throat. Fearing for her dear life, she ran aimlessly in the middle of the stark dark woods.

            A stench of sulphur suddenly sizzled in the air.  She heard a wailing of an infant and surprised to found out that the wailing came from her own voice.  Galvanized by fear, Vylet shook her head off rigorously, dispelling the awful fact.

            “You belong to our bloodline,” thundered the vile man who emerged from a whorl of red and gray. He was now in his monstrous countenance, his black orb eyes bored sinisterly at her.

            “NOOOOOO!!!!” Vylet shrieked indignantly and a ball of purple light suddenly escaped in the area.

            Panting, Vylet wrenched upright from her bed. She was hyperventilating; her heart was leaping out her throat. Unconciously, fat tears started to brim in her eyes as she offered a prayer to Almighty God, asking for her protection and wishing that all these nightmares and supernatural phenomena would finally let go of her.

            Unknown to her, someone was watching over her just beyond the shadows.