Mermaid Blues: Beasts, Giants and Spirits

The Race Against Time

Grace is back on the lake on the other side. She is standing by the area at the side of the lake where ebolo plants grow. The sun is up in the sky right above her. She could smell the breeze of the water coming from the lake. The temperature is cold, she can't feel the heat coming from the sun.

Seline is walking towards her. "Grace!" She calls.

Grace turned to see her. "Where is Ana?" she asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I thought she was with you."

But then, they heard Ana calling in the distance. They looked at their three o'clock. They can see her standing by the ebolo plants. Seline and Grace immediately ran to her. They hugged her. They are happy that she is okay.

"Did they do something bad to you? What happened?" Grace asked in concern.

"I am fine," Ana answered with optimism.

"Thank God, we are here in this place again," Seline said.

"Did you know that while you're gone there are strange phenomena happening around the world?" Grace asked.

"What?" Ana reacts in surprise. "I thought if I erased their tattoos, there would be no more of these happening."

"I think even if they die or not, the phenomenon will still occur as long as the tattoo is gotten rid of the skin, " Seline guesses.

"Which of them have you erased their tattoos?" Grace wonders. "Is it Kuya Benjie?"

Ana shakes her head. "It's Kuya Wendel."

"What is happening now? Are you going to remove Kuya Benjie's too?"

"I need help," Ana replied. "They are forcing me to take his tattoo out but I can't," she told.

Grace and Seline looked at each other. "Are they threatening you?"

"I...I can't handle his pain anymore. I don't know how I can keep this up."

"Tell me where you are, we will save you," Grace said.

"I would. I can send some images and information into your brain but if you call the association, they will kill them," she refused.

"Then we alone will come to you," she persuades."We are not going to let you do this. You must have to get out of there."

"She's right," Seline agreed. "We will not let you do things they want you to do. You are one of us, it is our fault too if something happens to you. Hang in there!"

"You're not going to be scared anymore. Your family is waiting for you to come back. We must know where you are."

Ana nodded. She began to shed tears.

"Tell me where you are. Please..." Grace begged.

Ana took a gulp. She is hesitant to tell them where she is...

***Blue Water***

In the hospital...

Wendel is lying down on the hospital bed. He is awake. He is visited by Grace and Seline. Seline is putting the flowers they just bought to the vase in the drawer next to his bed. Grace is sitting next to the bed.

"We are so happy that you have been rescued safe and sound," Grace told Wendel.

"Ana? Where is she?" he asked.

Grace and Seline looked at each other. "Uuumm.." she looked at Wendel. "She has not yet been found. Even Kuya Benjie was not there when the agents raided the house."

Wendel nods. He sighed in frustration.

"Your tattoo has been removed by the way," Grace said. "I am glad the hunters won't kill you anymore."

"Tee-hee," he laughed. "I am still a werewolf, so I don't believe I am still safe."

Seline nods. "I hope you are feeling well, Kuya. I wish for your quick recovery."

Wendel nodded. "Thank you," he said. "I wish I could save your friend when I was there."

"Don't worry...I am sure the assiciation have found something in the house where they found you that can help us track down where Ana is."

Wendel looks at the ceiling. "Time is running out. Soon, she'll completely wipe their tattoos..." he said. "What's next?" Then, he turned his head to see Grace. He smiled.

Grace didn't know how to react. She just looks down and bit her lips.

::::::::::::::::

Outside the hospital...

Grace and Seline are briskly walking away from the main entrance. They are walking across the parking lot.

"Okay. We already know where Ana is. All we have to do now is to use my power to transport us there by air," Seline said.

"Okay," Grace agrees as she nods. "All we have to do now is to find a place where we can take off."

"Maybe we can go on top of the hospital though," Seline suggests as she turns back to see the hospital roof.

Grace also turned to see the roof deck. "Why didn't I think of that before?" Grace commented.

But then, someone at the back spoke, which made them startle. "So, what's the plan?"

The girls turned around. They are surprised. It is Kendrick. He is looking at them as he smiles with confidence.

"Kendrick. What... whu..what are you doing here?" Grace stutters.

"You know him?" Seline wonders. "Who is he?"

"That's Benjie's little brother, Kendrick," Grace said.

"Oh! I am so sorry," she apologized to Ken. "That's why you look like Kuya Benjie. You are as cute as he is."

"Hi, Seline," Kendrick greeted. "Okay, I listened to you talking to each other in the hallway a while ago and I know what you are going to do."

"We are not going to do anything," Grace denied.

Kendrick rolls his eyes. "My ears are ten times as sharp as yours, so you won't tell a lie to me. You are going to Abra, aren't you?"

"No...no...we are not going anywhere," Seline supported Grace's denial.

"Look, take me with you. My brother has been with them for almost a week and I want to save him," he said.

"But we promised Ana that we were not going to bring anyone with us," Grace insisted.

"It's just me. It is just me and no more else. I really want to save my big brother," he argues.

Grace looked at Seline with pity in her eyes. "Maybe there is an extra space in your bubble?" she asked.

"Nah! We might need some help anyway," Seline agrees while she wrinkles her nose.

"And for all you know, Ana's family back at Suello Village are worried about her. Her mother is in the barangay hall right now filling a missing case for Ana," he informed.

"Oh my God..." Seline muttered. "We really have to get her out of there."

"Let's go then?" Kendrick said as he passed them. He ran to the entrance of the hospital. Grace and Seline run after him.

::::::::::::::::::::::

In the conference room, Gordon is will be doing a demonstration of how the world will be if the seven phenomena have finally been completed. Sitting at the elongated oblong table are the ambassadors of the UN, President Jose Delgado, and ten of the pack leaders of different supernatural organizations from around the world.

Gordon placed a rectangular tupperware at the center of the table. He filled it with water. Then, he put a thin square sheet of metal in the center to divide the water. On one side, he colored the water with blue food coloring. And on the other side, he dies the water with red food coloring. Now, there is blue and red water in the container only divided by the metal sheet in the middle.

"Now, let us pretend that this blue water here is our own reality, the red one is the celestial plane where spirits dwell," he informs the audience. He grabbed his electric mini-drill into his hand. He turned it on and he began to poke a hole into the metal sheet. "The first hole represents the very first collision of the two realities occurring in this world. As you can see, the collision of colors represents the disaster created by the collision. The name of the guy who got murdered is Adrian Almason. The second kill is a John Doe. His head is decapitated like what they did to the first victim. This time, this John Doe is unidentifiable..."

Gordon drills another hole into the sheet. "This represents the second disaster--" He drills the third hole and fourth hole. His alignment of the holes is curved, forming a C, not randomly drilled everywhere on the metal. "As you can see, the phenomenon patterns occur in a spiral. Thus, it begins from the East, going up North and then West and South. Five links have already been unlocked, two more to go before the biggest thing happens."

"You are saying that there are more to these phenomenons to come other than what we are experiencing right now?" An ambassador from the UN asked.

"Yes," Gordon answered. The water in the container is slowly turning into violet on both sides of blue and red. "If the two final phenomena are over, then--" he grabbed the metal sheet and he pulled it out of the container. The blue and red die clashed, rapidly creating a violet color on both sides. "The seven phenomenons we are experiencing are just the beginning. If the seven phenomenons are over... like this violet water over here...BOOM! The realities of the world will clash and life on Earth as we know it, will perish like dinosaurs."

An ambassador from Russia raised his hand. "You said two, however, our supernatural organization says three Earth realities."

"I agree with the Earth having a third face. The phenomena that have happened revealed to us the existence of the third reality. I believe all realities have to collide. There might be more than three realities. So far we only know three: The Material Reality, Celestial Reality, and the so-called Mythical reality."

"Is there a chance we can still survive the catastrophe?" President Delgado asked.

"I am afraid not, Mr. President," he answered. "The Earth will wait for thousands or even millions of years to recover. To...to... stabilize and recreate these three realities again."

"If that is so, why did you let the hunters take Ana Camilo from your custody?" A woman ambassador asked with complain.

"We haven't seen that coming, ma'am," he replied. "She selflessly allowed herself to be taken by the men of Gabriel Umali. She wants to keep the remaining people linked to Lumawig to live."

"If this continues, the world as you say will fall. Isn't it your fault if that happened? You and all of the investigators in this room?" an ambassador complained.

"Do not worry, Sir. We won't stop looking for her until we find her," Gordon said.

"Shall we be unbothered by your words?" the ambassador protested, unsatisfied with Gordon's answers. "People are wondering what the heck is going on in this God-forsaken world and they are terrified that something like an end of the world might happen! Instead of protecting them, we, who are the ones who know what is happening are failing to protect them from what is coming. And you are saying you are going to try your best? Is this the best this team of supernatural investigators got?" He laughs. "Look, all I am saying is that you guys are slow. Those enemies are one step ahead of you. We will die because of you. If you are not quick enough to find them, then it is on you."

The president of the Philippines wipes his face with his palm. He has enough of the attitude of the ambassador. "Mr. De Cheunt!" he called the attention of the ambassador. "Oh my God! You can't protect a single person if you are in your office sitting there with a cup of tea and doing nothing!"

"With all due respect, President Delgado. What I am saying is that--"

"If you are really that concerned, then I order you to cooperate with these investigators around the world who volunteered to help each and every government in the world, which is the best we've got," he said back. "So, instead of waiting for results and criticizing their works, I suggest you trust them a little. From what I can recall, they themselves, who were hiding from the dark for hundreds of years came to us to help. We...are just ordinary people who's got no knowledge at anything about this at all. And they, came to us because they want to help us. At least give them a little credit. They are the best we've got."

Gordon humbly lowers his head. He got embarrassed as he bit his lips. The room was filled with silence for a while. The ambassadors and the investigators look at each other awkwardly.

"Let's proceed..." the president said.

::::::::::::::::

Ana is in Benjie's memories of ten years ago. She stumbled upon a hallway inside a large house. She's in the hallway on the second floor. In front of her are four doors, two doors on the left and two doors on the right. All the doors are closed except for the door on the right of her. From where she stood, she could hear a boy yelling. He sounds like he is crying due to agony and sorrow. She looks to her right where she can see the open door. It is where the disturbing sound is coming from.

She froze at where she stood. She is afraid to move. She doesn't want to go over there and take a peek at what is happening. She is afraid that what she might see will scare her to death. She doesn't want to look over someone's pain.

"What have you done! What have you done!" the boy yelled inside that room.

"Benjie, listen to me...!" someone with him is speaking.

Ana took a deep breath. She musters her courage and she begins to move her foot forward. While her body is nervously shaking, she still continues to go on. She gets to the open door. She peeked.

Inside, she could see the back of Benjie facing her. He is kneeling down on the floor crying over a dead lady lying below him.

There was a man in his fifties standing beside him. He attempted to tap his back to comfort young Benjie but he refused.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me you murderer!" Benjie shouts at him. "Goddamn, you!"

Ana got more curious, so she walked forward to get close to Benjie. She covers her mouth as she looks in horror at the body lying below. She gasped.

"Benjie. Let me explain," the man said.

"You monster!" Benjie rebukes.

Ana looks at the guy whom Benjie is accusing of. She was surprised to see a familiar man. She is looking at a ten-year-younger Seth. Seth was standing next to him. His eyes are tearing up due to his remorse.

"I am sorry, Benjie. It must have to be done," he said.

Meanwhile, the lizard tattoo suddenly appeared on his wrist. It glows like burning coal. The pain from the tattoo is joined by the pain of sorrow Benjie is feeling right at that moment. He can't determine which one aches. His emotions are too powerful not to make him feel that the tattoo is there and it is torturing him as it prints itself on his wrist. Ana watches it glow as it appears.

Then, she opened her eyes to the real world. Finally, she made it. She went out of Benjie's memory. She began to cry again. She realized she had been meditating on the bed for an hour. She takes deep breaths as she sobs. Meanwhile, her nervous system suddenly shuts down, causing her to close her eyes and lose consciousness. She dropped herself back down to the wooden floor.

:::::::::::::::::::

Benjie is sitting still on a chair. The sedative they forced him to take is taking over his system. He can't think straight, thus, canceling his concentration in order to become a wolf. His eyes want to shut but he is still fighting. He can't feel his body. He is tied to the wooden chair by a chain. His hands are tied to his back.

Although the drug was making him numb, it didn't make him not feel the pain coming from the lizard tattoo erasing. It leaves a mark as the ink fades. He groans in pain as he feels like his hand is burning.

Finally, the tattoo that had long been with him for ten years is erased. However, the tattoo left a trace. A burn mark shaped into a lizard. It seemed like he was branded like a cow. The pain is eased after the tattoo fades out. He is now panting, catching his breath for some air.

Benjie is locked inside a room right next to where Ana is.