Mermaid Blues: Beasts, Giants and Spirits

Drowned

Hi. I am Grace Joy de la Rochaz. Nineteen years old. I and my family just recently moved in at Ongasan - a village nearby the Loakan Airport.

I was fifteen when I realized that I am a person different from anyone else. I was terrified because of it. I am a mermaid, and I haven't figured out where I got it. One thing I know is that I got drowned in open water where I slowly transformed. My feet began to merge, knit together to be one. I realized that I have a scaly tail of a fish. Scales are all over my body. But suddenly, I woke up. I thought it was just a dream. I thought I ran away from it. My powers began to manifest after that night.

I remember the place where it once started. I was there often whenever I close my eyes and slept. Sometimes I was there, sometimes I was not. It is like I was in the other world because of its beauty. It is a blue lake surrounded by rag leaves. I have no idea where it is, but I believe that that place is real and not just a figment of my mind. I can feel the grass. I can feel the cold breeze of the wind blowing. I can touch the water. I can perceive the place as similar to what I see in my conscious reality.

I was not alone in that place though. I always see two girls every time I was there. Like me, they are mermaids. We played, talk to each other, tell each other's secrets, laugh, and dived together.

Their names... Ana and Seline.

I wonder where they are right now...Are they even real?

*****Deep Secret*****

Saturday dawned with brilliant sunshine, making it the perfect day to spruce up Burnham Park. It was also the day Sherdel had chosen to honor his grandfather's heartfelt wish. As the sun bathed the day in its warm glow, volunteers and clubs from select schools in Baguio started gathering on the expansive grassy expanse at Melvin Jones Plaza. Within that very space, Grace Joy and her companion, Kayla, were approaching the plaza's center to rejoin their fellow volunteers.

"Oh my gosh, Bes. A few months more to go and we'll get separated" Kayla whined.

"You are overacting," Grace gently slapped Kayla's back.

"What? It's true," she said back. " We are soon going separate ways. You will study in a different school but still here. Me, I will go down to Tarlac to pursue my college,"

"I guess that's life, Kayla. But on the bright side, we can still communicate through f*******: or text. Despite the distance, we can still connect," she responded.

"I am nervous, you know that?"

"Of course, you are," Grace Joy told her. "I am also nervous. We must not think about it too much since the opening of the new school year is still four months far," Grace replied. "Why overthink it?"

"I am just thinking that I am going to have a huge problem because no one's going to do my assignments anymore," Kayla joked.

Upon hearing what she had said, Grace Joy gently pushed her away.

"You...is that the reason why you befriend me?" She teased. "You freak," Then she chased her with the broomstick she was handling.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the grassy gathering area, where people had congregated...

Sherdel and Gregory, two individuals representing Horizon Reached, stood side by side amidst their fellow volunteers, each clutching a broom. Although they remained silent, a palpable tension hung in the air as they exchanged steely glances. With their close proximity, uncertainty loomed over what might transpire.

"Am I supposed to thank you for bringing me here into your damn hell?" Gregory suddenly broke their moment of silence.

Sherdel smirked and chuckled faintly.

"Wow. The innocent was talking. Who do you think was the one who punched first, eh?"

"Tsk." Gregory sneered as he slowly shook his head.

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

It was nine o' clock in the morning. The sun is way up high in the sky. The temperature was getting hotter. The number of people in the park was increasing.

Sherdel occupied the sidewalk, adjacent to the biking lane, diligently sweeping and gathering plastic litter into a neat pile. He preferred solitude during his work, finding it a source of tranquility.

Unbeknownst to him, as he gathered plastic materials into his sack, an individual approached. This man bore a faint resemblance to Sherdelino but was older, taller, and leaner. He strode confidently with a sly smirk adorning his face. Sherdel had no inkling that someone familiar was about to cross his path.

The man feigned indifference and passed by Sherdel, dropping an object in front of him. Sherdel's eyes widened in astonishment as he recognized the item. Continuing a few meters ahead, the man abruptly halted and then turned back, heading toward Sherdel.

"Hi. My dear stepbrother," the guy said.

Sherdel then turned to face the guy. It was his big brother. Step big brother to be precise. Severine Don Alhibing is the name.

"What? Are you here to make fun of me?" Sherdel told him. He's getting nervous.

"Oh wow. Is that how you treat someone who just found your stupid key chain?" Severine taunted.

"You don't need to," Sherdel responded.

"Trust me. You need it. I threw that to you on purpose. Same as what you are right now. It suits you."

"Shut up," Sherdel said as he glared at him. "If you have nothing good to tell me, then go."

"You deserve this punishment that Lolo (grandfather) gave you. In fact, looking at you dirty and all is quite amusing. I think you now understand what your slut mother's job feels like. Dirty, frustrating, sickening. That's the reason why she tried to seduce Dad," Severine taunted further.

The words he said about Sherdel's mother had made Sherdel's eyes darken with anger. He grabbed more tightly the stiff broom he was holding. Behind his closed-shut lips were his teeth clamped together, trying to ignore everything he heard.

"You are lucky we are in a public place, Kuya," Sherdel told him. He crouched down and picked up the key chain.

"What, try to punch me or something?" Severine sneered. "Go ahead," he challenged.

Observing the sack of litter by his side, Severine's gaze shifted to it momentarily. In an abrupt move, he delivered a forceful kick, causing the sack to topple over and spew plastic bottles and candy wrappers. His foot swung again, this time striking the bag with even greater force, resulting in an avalanche of litter tumbling out.

Nearby volunteers couldn't help but notice the stranger's provocative actions with the litter. An air of unease gripped the onlookers, with Gregory, who had been placing a full sack of litter next to a garbage can at a distance, among them. He and a companion exchanged murmurs about Severin and Sherdel, speculating on why Severin was present. They found themselves oddly entertained by the spectacle of Sherdel's big brother seemingly attempting to provoke him.

"Are you happy now?" Sherdel taunted his brother.

"Pick up your cousins. Don't forget to put yourself in the sack too," he replied.

The volunteers walk over to the scene. They were anxiously looking at the two boys who were making tension in the atmosphere. They were worried that there will be something bad to happen.

"Is there a problem, bro?" Keurem Bahong, a guy holding a bag of waste asked. He was wearing a green t-shirt with a small pine tree insignia embroidered on the right side of the chest. He stood behind Severin. He is a lot older than Severin.

Severin swiveled his head to the left, acknowledging the voice from behind. After a brief glance in that direction, he redirected his gaze toward Sherdel once more.

"Nothing, sir. Sorry," he replied to the guy. He smirked at Sherdel.

Sherdel didn't say a word. He kept on staring at him in anger.

"See 'ya later," Severin said. Then, he walked away.

Upon arriving at the scene, Gregory couldn't help but wear a sly smirk on his face.

Mr. Keurem and the other four volunteers formed a protective circle around Sherdel, their expressions marked by concern. The volunteer in the green shirt stepped forward, drawing Sherdel closer, and gently wrapped his arm around Sherdel's shoulders.

"Are you okay?"Keurem asked.

Sherdel didn't reply. Instead, he removed the concerned guy's hand on his shoulder. He walked away, leaving the volunteers confused about what had just happened. Gregory laughed quietly while watching his enemy walking away with a feeling of defeat.

"Okay, guys. Please pick those up. Get them back inside the sack," the guy with the green shirt ordered.

And so, they put the waste back into the sack. They began to murmur in intrigue. They were quite aware that that guy was Sherdelino Alhibing, a grandson of the famous Tony Alhibing. They were also talking about the rumors of the family rivalry between him and his siblings.

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

Burnham Lake. A rectangular man-made lake is situated at the heart of the park. Lots of tourists came to ride on the boats that day.

On the east side of the lake, Grace and Kayla sat down on a bench. Luckily, they found an available seat where they could see the view of the lake up close.

"Hay! I am so tired," Grace Joy complained.

"Right," her friend agreed.

They sighed while watching the moving boats at the lake.

"I am thirsty. Let's eat some ice cream or coke?" Kayla asked.

"Thanks, I'm fine. I'm not that thirsty anyway. Moreover, I have my water in the bag, so, no need," she insisted.

"Okay, suit yourself. Promise me don't go anywhere? Just stay there so that no one is going to occupy the seat," she warned her.

"Yes. Yes. Just go," Grace Joy told her.

"Okay," Kayla stood up and she immediately left.

"Hurry!" Grace Joy shouted.

After that, Grace Joy took her eyes to the lake. She stared at its water as it sparkled in the sunshine. Slowly she made her lips grin. The lake had suddenly made her memories flash back. Back in time, she fell into an unknown lake that even she doesn't know. She didn't even know why she was there, how she got there or where she was.

The only thing she knows was she got drowned there. As she slowly got deeper and deeper, she suddenly felt that her feet got lighter than usual and she felt her legs were uniting. She couldn't remember more than that but she knew she was unconscious.

She miraculously found herself on a hospital bed as she woke up. The first person she saw when she opened her eyes was her mother, who was worried sick.

While she was having a terrible flashback, a boy, who happens to be Sherdel suddenly came to the bench where she's sitting. The young stranger sat down in the space beside Grace Joy. He sighed just after he was seated. Tears are starting to flow down from his rabbit eyes as he sniffs.

Grace came back to the real world when she heard someone sniffing. She looked to her left and she was surprised. She was wondering how the guy got there without her noticing.

However, she was surprised to see tears coming out of his eyes. His face was painted with sadness and frustration. He seems broken. She suddenly felt concerned for him. She stared at him for a little more while, wondering why he was familiar. She couldn't tell but she swore to herself that she had seen him somewhere. Why was he crying?

Sherdel was wiping off the tears on his cheeks with the sleeves of his red jacket. He even wiped off the snot with them. He sensed that the person sitting beside him was looking at him. He immediately looked to his right. He was right. A girl was looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"What?" he spoke with a threatening tone in his voice.

Grace widened her eyes in fright. She looked away. She looked at the lake instead.

Sherdel's gaze momentarily drifted towards the serene lake, tears still streaming down his face. His hands trembled as he absentmindedly played with the keychain in his grasp.

Gregory went over to him. Sherdel was alarmed when he noticed his presence.

"Surprise!" Gregory exclaimed. His smile stretched from ear to ear.

Grace was startled when a stranger suddenly appeared from nowhere and suddenly shouted "Surprise!".

"How do you like my surprise?" Gregory asked Sherdelino. "You didn't expect your brother to come to visit you, right?"

Sherdel glared at him. Grace could see his hands folding in to form a fist. She had no idea what was happening. She can feel the hatred emitted by those guys. She froze in horror.

"You told him to come here?" Sherdel responded.

"Yeah. I thought he would be proud of you if he saw you working. However, it is kinda disappointing, isn't it," Gregory taunted.

Sherdel immediately stood up. He brought his face close to Gregory's. The both of them glared at each other. They were burning with anger, hatred, and desire for violence.

"Burn in hell, you son of a b***h," Sherdel said. Then he pushed Gregory away.

The moment broke when Grace Joy's phone suddenly rang. She got startled. Sherdel and Gregory looked at her anxiously. Grace awkwardly smiled as she put her phone close to her ear.

"Um...I'm sorry Grace Joy," Kayla replied.

"Hey. What happened?"

"There's an urgent matter to attend to," Kayla answered.

"What?"

"My Dad's doctor just called me. He said that my father had been rushed to the hospital. He had a heart attack again while he was at work. I must see him," She explained.

Instead of being upset with her, Grace Joy felt empathy for her and her father.

"Is that so? Okay. Just say "hi" to your father for me," She hung up.

She looked at the guys to see how terrible the situation was getting. However, she expected something wrong. The guy whom Sherdel was talking with was gone. She sighed in relief.

Sherdel sat down on the bench. He rubbed the key chain together with his palms against his face. He was so frustrated. He grabbed a stone that was on the ground and threw it away into the green lake water.

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

In a conference room inside the Headquarters of the Association of the Cordilleran Marksmen, all the five leaders of the association were gathered inside. Gaston, Seth, Cielo, and Japeth were sitting around an oval table. Gordon was the only person standing in the front, spearheading the discussion. He stood adjacent to the white screen. The four seated leaders directed their attention to the image projected by the projector, which was displayed on the whiteboard.

"On December fifteenth, twenty-twenty-four," Gordon began, "a peculiar occurrence transpired in Cagayan – a sea inexplicably materialized amidst the rice fields. It marked the first recorded instance of such an anomaly here in Luzon. This image was captured just before it vanished. Farmers report that the phenomenon endured for a mere five minutes."

With a click of the remote control he held, Gordon advanced to the next image. This time, the phenomenon had manifested in Northern Apayao."

"In the waters between Batanes Island and Northern Cagayan," Gordon continued, "an astounding event unfolded as a mountain materialized amidst the sea. As in the previous instance, this mountain was encircled by a protective bubble barrier. Tragically, twenty lives were lost in attempts to breach it."

He pressed the remote control once more, revealing an image of Bangued, Abra enveloped in a shimmering bubble. "And finally, the most recent of these enigmatic cases: the 'Bangued Abra Forestation Mystery.'"

"You're suggesting that these series of events are somehow interconnected?" Japeth inquired.

"Yup," Gordon affirmed.

"Is there a possibility that another one of these phenomena might occur in the near future?" Gaston wondered.

"I'm certain of it. However, from a scientific standpoint, I lack concrete evidence to support my intuition," Gordon admitted.

"Can you provide an explanation for why these events have occurred?" Seth asked.

"My theory is that these phenomena are linked to individuals who bear lizard-shaped marks on their wrists. I believe these victims are connected through these marks. From my observations, if the mark's bearer is alive, it manifests as a tattoo. However, if they pass away, the mark on their wrist burns and evaporates, leaving behind burn marks. This, in turn, triggers a collision between two different Earth realities."

"What? So, these hunters are killing these men with the marks to trigger a world-ending collision of realities?" Cielo exclaimed, incredulously.

"Think about it. The first victim, Oliver Magsay, died on the morning of December fifteen. Minutes after that, the phenomenon began. A sea suddenly appeared in the middle of the rice field. The second victim, Victor Sayangan died somewhere around seven-thirty in the evening. A mountain suddenly appeared on a beach about thirty minutes after the death of the victim. Then, the most recent one, our John Doe, died somewhere around five-thirty-thirty-five in the morning. Assuming the time gap between every murder, I can say that the victims die, and then minutes later, the collision of two realities occurs," Gordon stated.

"If that's the case...It might explain how the guy with the lizard tattoo survived crossing the barrier," Japheth said while he caressed his bearded chin.

"If there are more of them out there, how could we identify them before the hunters do?" Gaston wondered.

"And how many are they?" Gordon added. "What do those sons of bitches want with those guys?"

"Don't worry. As long as that boy from Abra is still in our custody, he can't be touched by hunters," Seth told them confidently. "Don't forget. We are also keeping a close watch on the other one."

Japheth couldn't help but smirk. "True, but because of you, Mr. Benjie remains skeptical of our intentions."

Seth playfully wrinkled his nose as he glanced at Japheth.

"Whatever these guys are planning to do in exchange for the lives of these Lignodons. I am pretty sure their cause is massive. All we need to do is to connect the dots," Gordon remarked, returning his focus to the whiteboard.

"Pretty sure it is for destroying the world," Cielo muttered.

The men around the table continued to gaze intently at the whiteboard, their minds working diligently to decipher every detail they had before them.

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

Sherdel remained in silent contemplation, allowing his tears to freely stream down his face. He showed no outward reaction, seemingly indifferent to the passersby who might have noticed him shedding tears while seated on a bench.

Grace Joy extended her arm slowly, aiming to offer some comfort to Sherdel, even though she didn't know him. Her empathy for his situation drove her to want to provide solace. She contemplated saying, "Are you okay?" but a lingering hesitation about interacting with strangers held her back. Her hand came close to his back but ultimately, she chose not to make contact.

As Grace Joy began to withdraw her arm, Sherdel unexpectedly turned his head toward her. Their eyes locked in surprise; he noticed her hand suspended just inches from his shoulder. In that instant, Grace Joy snapped back to awareness and promptly withdrew her hand.

The two found themselves locked in a wordless exchange, their eyes meeting in mutual bewilderment. Sherdel furrowed his brow, puzzled by the nearness of Grace Joy's hand to his shoulder. Grace Joy rotated her head opposite Sherdel's direction and she acted as if nothing had happened.

Sherdel wiped his tears off with his sleeves and he swiveled his head away from Grace Joy. A few moments of silence later, Sherdel stood up. He looked at Grace Joy for one last glimpse, smirking at her, before he finally walked away. Grace Joy ballooned her cheeks while reflecting on what she had done. She blew the wind out, then she looked around to see if the boy was still in sight.

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

Somewhere in the forest situated near Tadian, Mountain Province...

A man, moving with incredible speed, was desperately fleeing from three armed pursuers, each wielding a gun. His clothing bore signs of wear and tear, likely from scraping against cliffs or snagging on branches, and it was muddied from the treacherous terrain. This man was a Lignodon, a lycanthrope with the ability to transform into a prehistoric wolf. He panted heavily, his body fatigued, but he knew he couldn't afford to stop running until he had distanced himself from these armed pursuers.

The men trailing behind him continued their relentless chase, firing silver bullets that struck trees, rocks, and the ground. Fortunately, the fleeing Lignodon displayed astonishing agility, allowing him to skillfully evade the deadly projectiles.

Despite his uncertainty about which path to take in the dense forest, the Lignodon pressed on without hesitation. All that mattered was finding a suitable place to hide or, at the very least, a location that would impede the progress of his relentless pursuers.

Until... he halted when a man pointing his gun suddenly appeared in front of him and blocked his path. He turned to his right and was about to run but another shooter appeared to intercept him. He realized he was already cornered.

The men with guns circled him. They put down their guns.

The leader of the circle stepped forward. Gaddo, a man in his forties, stood out in his distinctive attire. Sporting a black cowboy hat atop his head, he defied the usual appearance of middle-aged men with his trim physique, boasting a flat stomach. His attire consisted of a white vest adorned with various pockets and a pair of black jean shorts. In his hands, he gripped a formidable rifle.

"You have nowhere to hide...and run, my friend," he said.

"What do you want? Why kill me?" the man asked nervously.

"You are unfortunate you have that mark on your wrist, Wendel," Gaddo replied. "We want your life to get what we want."

"Huh," the guy scoffed. "You'll kill me even without this mark anyway," Wendel said. "I hate you."

Then, Gaddo reached out and grabbed the guy's neck. He chocked him

"And you monsters. I hate you all slightly larger amounts. You monsters are the true terrors of the world."

"Says the hypocrite," Wendel struggled to speak those words due to the choking.

With a swift movement, Gaddo seized the handle of his head-cutting ax, which was fastened securely to his belt. Raising it high, he loosened his grip on Wendel's neck and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach. Wendel staggered and tumbled to the ground, incapacitated by the force of the blow."Try to transform and I'll make sure my men won't hesitate to plant bullets all over your body."

Gaddo raised the ax above his head, ready to land its sharp edge on Wendel's neck. Wendel was shocked, frozen as he flinches. He was staring at the ax, he can't do anything at that time to save himself anymore. He was only waiting for the blade to cut off his head.

Gaddo horizontally swung his ax down. However, before the blade of the ax has landed on Wendel's skin. The ax stopped mid-air. Gaddo was surprised. He hit an unusual object instead.

Even Wendel was frightened when a burning ball of fire appeared beside his neck, blocking the edge of the weapon. It is bright, as bright as the stars as seen in the sky. It was as large as Wendel's head. The flame is pale blue. Small charges of electricity keep on appearing and disappearing around it.

The fireball immediately electrocuted both the weapon and Gaddo just when he hit it. Gaddo was then thrown away and smashed his back into a rock.

The hunters pointed their guns at the bright object. Before they pull the trigger, the object shone brighter, as bright as the sun as seen in the sky. Wendel closed his eyes and lay down on the ground. The hunters haven't had the chance to close their eyes first before the object detonated high-level photons. Later, it lit down.

Their eyes were still disoriented due to the light the object had just emitted. They were kind of having double visions and dizziness. Even Wendel was kind of disoriented even if he closed his eyes on time. He opened his eyes and somehow his double vision was getting clearer.

He was surprised when he saw a bright creature standing on top of him. He widened his eyes in terror. He was looking at a creature unknown to his knowledge. A huge bright fiery blue creature. Like a blue star, shaped like a hybrid of a wolf and a lion. What's more disturbing is that it was staring down at him.

"RAAARRRR!" the creature roared. It seemed it was upset.

It raised its head to look at the guys with weapons. It howled for a second, then it jumped off Wendel's body. It approached a hunter.

"HAAAAAH!" the hunter screamed in horror when he realized that a monster had come over him.

The beast pounced on him... Then, it attacked another man...