THE HEALER'S CONQUEST

CHAPTER 1: THE YOUNG HERMIT

I opened my eyes as I woke up from the heat of the sun that touched my face. I stood up and cleared my vision, welcomed by the very familiar scenery. The familiar creaky sound of old wooden floor, ceiling that were full of patches holes a very old nipa hut. This hut was abandoned long ago so I made it my home. Because I was an orphan, because my father abandoned us while my mother became ill a few years back before dying. They suddenly became ill for a very unknown reasons. My Father who is a very healthy man suddenly became very lethargic and became too unpredictable. He would suddenly crawl and avoid the sun like plague. Sometimes his saliva would overflow like he was craving for something and then he suddenly disappeared without any form of notice.

So my mother was in so much debt that she overworked herself and became sick. That's what I thought it was. But ass time passed she would show symptoms of severe diseases. It came to a point where we have to sell all of our belongings to pay off the debts and to afford her appointment in the Hospital but they failed to what it was until she died. I was so devastated I lost everything my family, my home. I felt like the Heavens and Earth joined together to torture me and stripped me of everything I have. I became a vagabond until I found this hut.

By God's mercy, I found a place to live. Fortunately I stumbled upon a place that has those. mountains so I didn't worry too much about eating.I climbed the mountains to look and scavenge fruits and vegetables to eat. My life was like this in the early days but there came a time when I got tired of fruits. I also want to eat meats and I also need household appliances such as cookware. Pots, Spoons, Plates and more. So I thought of taking fruits and vegetables sell them in the market and earn money for necessities.

Today is just like that one, so I hurried to fetch water for drinking porpuses and boiling it to be safe as I wait to boil I would bathe further down the stream to not contaminate my drinking water source. After washing myself I would transfer the boiled water into my water container and some in a empty bottle of

soft drinks that Is would take with me. I was going out to pick the variety of fruits to sell. Upon scavenging for them I would sometimes see a clearing that feels strange and mysterious so I avoided it. After making sure that the fruits I collected was enough I would go down from the mountain to the city where I can sell it. I offer them to my customers.

"Oh Luis, you're here." Lola Soling, one of my customers, greeted me.

"It's you Grandma, good morning. Which fruit are you going to buy today?" I greeted her and opened the sack of fruit.

"Good morning too. Give me about a kilo of ripe mangoes." She said to me.

"Oh okay, this is it, you'll pay 50 pesos". I said and handed over the fruit.

"Here's the payment and keep the change". She said and handed over three twenties.

I thanked him and just accepted the money and didn't give her a change like what she told because the old woman was insistent. Lola Soling is very kind and when I was new here she helped me she gave me the clothes that her grandchildren had already grown out off so I owe her a lot because of it.

She left and get back to their house. Time went by it was already afternoon when the fruits were sold out.

As I was walking and rushing to go home. I walked by a group of loitering Elderly.

"Hey Friends, have you heard about what happened in the other town?". One of the women present asked her companions.

"Not yet Friend, What happened and you feel like telling a story?". Said one of them who became interested in the news.

"Oh my! You guys are really late for the news. They said a dead woman was found last night". She started a story, so I listened for a while.

"Really? That's horrifying. What did the woman die of?". The oldest of them asked.

"So this is what happened, the woman is said to have a big belly and the insides are missing". Said the woman who started the story.

"He's a poor man, he's a victim of human trafficking and took the woman's insides to sell". One of them reacted and gave an opinion.

"That's what the police suspected happened, but someone also said that it didn't happen like that" The woman said to agree with her friend's statement but had something to add.

"Well, what did it say?". The other asked directly.

"That is said to be the work of the Aswang". The Woman said.

"Aswang? Aren't those stories just stories?". One objected.

"Oh my, the Aswang is real don't think that they aren't". Said the oldest of them.

"If it's true that it was a ghost who did it, let's be careful, we might be the victims". said one of them.

"Come on, go home and close your doors and windows properly after dark." The Old woman ordered and sent them home.

"Alright, Manang, we can talk again tomorrow. Goodbye." They answered and left.

And I continued walking and sped up because I didn't want the darkness to catch up with me on the way either but it did because of the long walk. On my way to the mountain in my peripheral vision I saw a shadow run pass by the trees because of that I ran faster than I could even remember. Is it because of what I heard but my Adrenaline rushed in as I felt someone grab me and dragged me underneath a muddy swamp covered with thorny bushes and roots. Then a shadow stopped by and immediately get away. I wasn't imagining cold sweat streamed my body.

''Thank you-". I discontinued what I was saying to thank the person who help me. But when I looked behind me there's nobody no presence of someone that could drag me. I was too shocked that I passed out.