Monsterstruck

Chapter XXVII: The Cresclunar

        Blaze woke up hazily as grogginess swamped all over him due to his heavy drinking last night. Feeling his head stung, he painstakingly clamped it and wrenched upright his bed, only to found Vylet by his side.

        “Vylet,” He muttered in a soft voice.

        “Oh right, sleeping monster is now awake,” Vylet bantered and smirked at him.

        “What had happened?” He asked, disoriented.

        “You lost your consciousness,” she noted as she made him a black coffee.

        “Why?”

        “You really can’t remember anything? It all happened about half an hour ago.” Vylet stated and gave him his coffee.

        “Drink it,” she admonished, and he quickly complied, the steaming liquid of the coffee scalded his tongue.

        “Oops sorry,” she mumbled grinning at him.

        “I can’t remember anything all I could remember is when I saw you and Craig….” and now it started to flash on his mind; the vivid images upon seeing her happy over that fancy necklace he had gave, that cheeky smile he had not seen before, on how he wobbled in front of them hurling his invectives at her rival and also to her, on how Craig saddled in his chest and the emission of the green light coming from his cresclunar that sealed him into a dead faint. All of these came snapping in his mind like a myriad of nightmares.

        “Right, I now remembered everything,” he piped, unnerved.

        “Good for you. Why the hell did you drink last night? I knew you better, even if you have a problem, you’re not used in bottling them all up,” she asked quizzically.

        He sipped his coffee and surprised to feel that it already simmered down but the nagging anger that clawing inside of him toward himself and to his archenemy had not yet simmered down.

        “Just like what you said, people change,” he said curtly.

        “Wait just because I’m nursing you now, doesn’t mean that I already forgave you.” Vylet reminded wryly.

        “I know, I know that you can’t just neglect your best friend no matter what happens.” Blaze said knowingly and churned down the coffee.

        “Blaze can you tell me more about our kinds?” Vylet pressed as she eyed him intensely.

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        Craig evaluated all that happened about half an hour ago, on how Blaze’s invectives rang relentlessly in his chaotic thoughts.

        “Tell me Vylet what is it about this scumbag that makes you drawn to him? Is it because of the cresclunar?”

        What about his cresclunar that will hold her interest on this amulet? He knew that he had used it on saving her life once; he barely talked about it to her. Could it be that guy was just drunk and couldn’t make any coherence on what he’s babbling about? Or could it really be true that Vylet was interested at his cresclunar? s**t, that was not making any sense for he had not seen her showing any slight interest with his cresclunar.

        How about Blaze’s cowering at his cresclunar like had seen a venomous snake about to lunge at him and he just fell into a dead faint? What the hell was that? The cresclunar emitted green lights twice at this time, with Vylet and Blaze. What did that green light mean? Could it be an impending danger? A bad omen?

        “s**t I should have an orientation in being a cresclunar owner!” Craig chortled as he looked at the bluish steel sky framed over the horizon.

        “Craig!” Tyrone cackled and paced toward him.

        “What do you want?” Craig asked petulantly as his lips pressed together.

        “Relax, I came here for a decent talk.” Tyrone said, flashing a lopsided smirk as he fixed his gaze at his cresclunar that hung over his bare chest.

        “Ohh got some pretty cool stuff, eh? What is that?” Tyrone asked jerking his head toward his amulet.

        Craig clutched the cresclunar and followed his gaze. He could see the lethal spark in Tyrone’s eyes as he mused at his amulet.

        “My grandfather gave it to me. It’s called a cresclunar, an amulet that is renowned for warding off evil entities,” he stated as he appraised his reaction.

        “Evil entities? C’mon we’re now on 21st century and you still believe in such paranormal things?” He sneered, shaking off his head.

        “Better to be ready, than to be sorry.” Craig asserted.

        “Have you already used it?” Tyrone probed.

        “Yes.”

        “Oh, really then what does your Sailormoon amulet did? Did you chant something else to make it work?” Tyrone bantered as he mimicked the fighting stance of Sailormoon facetiously.

        “Tyrone!”

        Craig shot him a glacial look. He didn’t have an idea what this guy wanted and why he kept on asking about his cresclunar.

        “You want me to use it to you?” Craig retorted wearing a sarcastic grin.

        Tyrone became perplexed as his muscles suddenly tensed like it got locked into its place.  He knew that amulet might be the death of him at any rate. One bad move, he might kick out the bucket.  He glanced at his approaching bandmates shooting death glares towards Craig.

        “You can’t use it to humans.” Tyrone muttered dryly, trying to keep a smug face.

Leon, Paul and Zion hollered at them.

        “Why hello Craig!” Zion greeted and knitted his brows as he whipped his gaze at the cresclunar.

        “This dude got a Sailormoon amulet!” Tyrone jeered to them.

        “Gay,” Leon snickered. Craig just ignored his snarky remark for he was not that a sore loser. After all, these guys didn’t have any slightest idea with the power it held.

        “Grandpa had told me that I can use it to ward off evil entities, and by saying evil I might use it to any evil; be it human or not.” Craig retorted.

        “So, if I happen to punch you, will you use it to me? Wow I’m getting scared already!” Tyrone bantered as he mockingly turned tails and ran.

        “Can I hold it?” Paul wheedled. The three guys just shot him a terrified look.

        “Sure.”

        With his erratic breathing, Paul treaded towards Craig as he anticipated for what would happen as he held the amulet. He traced the crescents around the edges with his trembling fingers and felt his blood suddenly run cold, bone chillingly cold. It was ironic for the cresclunar was known to send a zapping feeling to any monster that dares to touch it and to be struck by it. The cresclunar glowed again and by this time, it produced a red light. With that, Paul abruptly cowered, and he started to feel the voltage seeped into his veins.

        “What was that?” Paul rasped.

        “I don’t know.” Craig retorted as he held it and gradually, the red light formed a reddish ray light that went up to the bluish steel sky. The four men were awestruck upon witnessing it, and the red light beamed into their direction struck each of them.

        “f**k!” Tyrone winced as he crash into his position.

        “Craig stop it,” Zion and Leon pled as they felt the stabbing pain ripping into their insides.

        It was quite strange because many people had passed by them and yet, they seemed to be oblivious to what the cresclunar was emitting.

        “Sorry guys I don’t have any idea why it happened,” Craig retorted with a horrified look in his face.

        Paul suddenly ran away as he could feel the inner monster in him was about to unleash. The three men wobbled and followed him without throwing backward glance at Craig.

        Craig was stupefied by the occurrence and the glowing had stopped and the ray of red light had vanished into thin air.

        He felt like everything around him was spinning. He was rendered there immobile, dazed. It was the third time that it happened today, it glowed green with Blaze and Vylet and red with The Red Pistols and to top it all, it produced a ray of light that goes up to the sky and they all winced in agony when they got struck by the piercing red light. Craig was starting to have this hunch that maybe it meant something, the raging doubt that started to set into place, does these people are completely human?

        Doubt, confusion, and curiosity were now swimming in his veins.  He suddenly needed to know the answer, no matter how much it might hurt him--before everything tore into pieces.

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        “f**k you moron, why did you hold that stupid s**t?” Tyrone snapped to Paul and pushed him to the sofa with a great force, making him flew backwards.

        “We’re almost killed by that!” Leon seethed as he pulled out a tupperware from the fridge that contained a pinky intestine which was a human brain. He gobbled some to regain his energy and tossed some to his peers.

        Paul retreated and ran his fingers haphazardly to his Mohawk hair.

        “I just want to test what it feels like when we get to hold the amulet, remember it is one of our mission you goofs.” Paul retorted icily.

        “You dimwit!!  Damn! I bet he’s starting to have this hunch to our mortality!” Zion roared as he brushed his ash blonde hair in a frustrated manner.

        “Immortality.” Paul rectified.

        “ Whatever we got to be careful now,” Tyrone said firmly.

        “It’s your entire fault, if you didn’t provoke him, it’ll not happen.” Paul shot back.

        “Do you hear what you’re saying? You’re the one who touched it!”

        “Damn quit playing the blame game, there’s no use crying over spilt milk. All we have to do now is to prepare for tonight.” Zion pressed.

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        Mr. Bautista lolled onto his chair when a soft knock coming from his clinic’s door pulled him away at his lax. It was Monday and he was expecting another tedious day.

        “It’s open just pull the door,” he said quite irritated for the client must be not reading the signboard “THE DOCTOR IS IN”.  The client pulled the door and he smiled sinisterly at the doctor as he got in.

        “Hello, Dr. George. It’s nice to see you again.” He greeted in a hollow voice that sounded coming from the depths of hell that haunted him for these past years.

        Dr. Bautista became mortified upon seeing him, his sharp eyes smiling lethally at him, like he came face to face with death. His small scar in his neck had not yet healed; an exquisite reminder on that horrid night he didn’t want to look back anymore. His hair was now greyish, and his skin had withered. Wrinkles writhed all over his russet skin as his dry lips moved in sync to form a wicked smile.

        “Baron… what are you doing here?” He stammered, too weak to stand.

        Baron scoffed at him and lolled onto the leather couch.

        “How are you cousin? I think you should renovate again your clinic for it looks like a pig’s den from the outside,” Baron sneered.

        “What do you want?” Dr. Bautista asked with a sharp edge in his voice.

        “Nothing I just want to visit you and ask you how are you doing so far?  Who would have thought by a string of luck, you got all the heck you want!”

            Dr. Bautista did not speak. He could feel the twinge of guilt forming a loophole in his stomach.

            “You should thank me for all of this cousin, if it weren’t for me, you won’t get rid that botanist. You even had the guts to fight me hah? You can’t outfight a monster George, you can’t. I could still smell that capsule you had made, that capsule that sealed that bastard into death.”

            Dr. Bautista finally stood in his chair with his full weight as he threw a dagger look at his cousin and collared him.

        “I’m not even sorry for that scar in your neck. You deserve that, you monster. My capsule did not kill him, it’s you that killed him!” Dr. Bautista seethed.

        “Oh, come on you rotten lying hypocritical fucktard, here we go again with your twisted reasons. He showed you that rare plant in his botanical garden which the extracts of it seemed to be mystical for it will change the face of botany, another cutting edge of medical science and you, being the jealous bastard you are, you concocted this evil scheme. You made a capsule out of that plant to outshine him!” Baron taunted.

        “You’re damn wrong about my real intentions, Baron. What you didn’t know was Samuel told me something about your kinds; yomas which he thought I had no idea at all not until I told him that I knew a few. That plant, Mansycthentia plant, the one you were saying that killed him would resuscitate the monster from his immortal death and will start anew in mortal form, turning their immortal body and soul into a completely human. I grabbed that opportunity to help him for it might save you Baron! I know that you didn’t want this at all.”

        “That’s purely bullshit! Nobody could cast away the monster in us, even that goddamn plant? You’re spinning a c**k and bull story my cousin. Tell me, are you on drugs?”

         “He even tested it to this old civilian that he almost killed by his cresclunar and it worked!  Another genius craft of science! Another cutting edge! After putting him in a quarantine for almost two weeks, he couldn’t remember any single vestiges of his monster life. It was like he had been resuscitated from death. Knowing what you are, I asked his help to test the capsule on you. I had to lie to you then about the capsule. I was glad that you didn’t know then that he was a cresclunar owner. We had to put up a ploy that he was our alley, that the capsule that we made will keep you immune in the power of cresclunar. We agreed to meet you that night at Heinville’s, everything was set. You guys were already at Heinville’s and I was on my way, when I saw him drinking the capsule which I couldn’t fathom out why he had to drink it! After he drank it, he gave you that capsule and you were close to drinking it when abruptly, you chucked it away and lunged at him for nobody is in the sightings. I hastily got out from my car and fought you off with all my strength, grabbed my scalpel in my pocket and gashed your neck. I had to do that to protect a friend.”

        “Friend? Damn you George, you chose that bastard over your cousin?” Baron purred.

        “If you did not chuck that capsule, maybe by now you’re completely a human!!” He roared and pushed him.

        “I didn’t ask you to turn me into a human!”

        “I know and I can see it, it’s tormenting you. You were lucky enough for Samuel didn’t bring his cresclunar that night, and that was his biggest mistake. I knew that he really didn’t want to bring his cresclunar for you will sense it right away. What has gotten into you that you killed him huh? You do know that I was the one who made that capsule out of Mansycthentia plant don’t you? Why the hell did you kill him! He could have saved you Baron!!!!” He blanched as he shook his cousin’s shoulders rigorously.

        “So, I owe my life to him? To hell with that George! Yeah, his stupidity had killed him and spared me alive!” Baron crowed and let out a hollow laugh.

        “You want to know why I killed him huh? I killed him for you!!!! I know that you hate him, and you’re sick of playing as second best to him with every s**t that you do.” Baron clipped, lividly.

        Dr. Bautista was perplexed by what he had just heard for a moment and eventually, he gave him an underhand jab as anger swam into his eyes and Baron clutched his jaw.

        “I’m not what you think, my dear cousin. I’m not that envious bastard who is willing to kill just for the sake of his self- gratification. Yes, I admit it that he got the best of both worlds, he was always on the top in everything, and I’m always in the second. But it had always been a friendly competition between us, or maybe he had not seen it as a competition at all. Despite of his achievements, he was still that friend who was willing to give you a hand at everything. Not being able to save my friend from you was clawing me, it’s haunting me for the past three years, and I can’t tell anyone for they might accuse me of murdering him. I guess you don’t deserve to have a human life Baron, you made the right decision on throwing the capsule away. I guess I made a mistake on trying to help you out. You might use that humanity in such evil things that your filthy mind is scheming, which I won’t tolerate.” Dr. Bautista interjected with such agony etched in his eyes.

        “Ohhhh talk about being evil huh? You seized your beloved friend’s death to lure your beloved Priscilla away from him! I gotta laud you for your brilliant act. Now don’t play a supporting protagonist here!” Baron taunted.

        “Priscilla and I love each other even before she got married to Samuel which was a fixed marriage. Love didn’t exist throughout their matrimony. Besides, he is still inlove with some woman in his past, and why didn’t you kill me Baron that night given the fact that I’m human?”

        “I can’t. I still owe you my life, you sick bastard,” he shot back, grounding his teeth as memories in their childhood days flashed back on him when George saved him when he was about to drown.

        With all these revelations, she could feel all the air in her lungs had left. She could hear the exchange of rattling voices over the walls, unknown to the two men Priscilla was eavesdropping at their conversation. With a sting of betrayal washing all over her, she scampered furtively away from the clinic.