Mermaid Blues: Beasts, Giants and Spirits

Before the Eclipse 1

The sun is near setting on the horizon. The sky's color is getting warmer - covered in a hue of orange and yellow. The yellow ray of the sun peeking through the windowpane of the living room in Grace's house.

In the living room. Ana, Cielo, Kendrick, Seline, and Grace are fully awake. They are gone from the memories of Kianu. They are silent, traumatized by the scenes they have witnessed. Ana, Seline, and Grace are crying in fright while they sit on the couch. They hold each other's hands in the hope of comforting them. Kendrick is in the kitchen. He is standing by the water dispenser. He had already drunk three glasses of water. He is sweating, still frightened. Ceres is standing next to the window. He is spaced out. He is looking through the glass to see the outside. He leans his forehead against the glass.

"It is so painful..." Grace said.

"I can't... I don't want to go back there anymore," Ana agrees.

"Now, I understand why," Cielo remarked.

"It feels like a dream," Seline comments. "But I can't believe that nightmare almost made me lose my mind."

Grace leaned her head on Seline's shoulder. "Poor Kuya Kianu," then she told.

Then, someone outside knocks on the door. Everyone got startled when they suddenly heard someone knocking from outside. They looked at the door while wondering who might be the visitor.

Cielo approaches the door. He unlocks every lock that keeps the door shut. He tilts the knob and pulls the door in. Cielo got surprised when the door revealed the man who was standing outside.

Ana, Seline, and Grace look at the man with nervousness because they know they are going to be in trouble. Kendrick came into the living room. He was also surprised to see the guy standing at the door.

Japeth is staring at them with a glare piercing through them. He looks at them with dismay. He is upset and mad at them for attempting to eradicate the tattoo of Kianu.

"Sir Japeth?" Cielo asked, wondering what brought him there.

"What are you guys trying to do?" he said. "Are you trying to destroy the world?"

Cielo turns around to see the girls. He didn't know what to tell the pack leader. He looks at them while waiting for someone to speak to reason him out. Then, he asked Mr. Japeth to have a conversation outside. He didn't want the girls or Kendrick to hear the words they're going to say to each other.

***Blue Water***

Cielo shut the door close right after he got outside.

"What do you think you are doing?" Japeth says angrily. "Not only did you broke the mandate of the Marksmen but you are wanting get these girls in danger?"

Cielo sighed. "Look, I know that I broke the rules. But they have to do it," Cielo argued. "Their necks are already tied. They can't save their mothers in time. In fact, even if we intervene, there's no way that these girls won't do it anyway."

"Are you out of your mind? Since when did you lost your faith on the organization? You are just accelerating the crash of every reality of the world."

"I am just trying to help," Cielo said.

"Well, you are not helping. This case is on you, okay? It is ours to solve," he retaliated. "

"Yes. I know. We are also capable of doing things in our own way," Ceilo protested. "Do you remember the time when we agreed to cooperate with you in order to protect the links of Lumawig...whoever that Lumawig is? They told us that they were going to help. But look what is happening right now, you are brushing them aside," he complains.

"That is because those girls are also our top priority to keep them safe, okay? If those girls die, or you and Kendrick die, isn't it that we are failing our job to protect them?" Japeth argues. "So, what came into your mind that made you attempt to erase the last tattoo, huh?" he asked.

Cielo sighed, accepting defeat. He scratched his head. "You know what you are right," he raised his hands. "May be this in not the nicest solution we've got. But we've got no choice. We need them. And to save the world we also have to put our faith into them."

Japeth suinted his eyes. He began to get suspicious. "What are you planning to do? Did the Association of the Cordilleran Marksmen knew about this?" he began to ask.

"There is another reason why Ana got convinced to do it," Cielo told him. "It is not the mothers that made her convinced to erase the tattoo."

"What is it, Cielo? Tell me," Japeth groaned.

"I stumbled upon a santelmo back when I got lost in Bontoc. He...he gave me a warning," he nervously explains.

"Tell me. What kind of warning? For God's sake, tell me," Japeth is getting eager.

"He told me to let the seven links open the bridge between the realities. He told me that if the guardians survived the battle during an eclipse, then, the realities would be connected to each other without any collisions...end of the world."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Japeth creased his forehead.

"If one of them dies in the battle during the eclipse, the world will be completely wiped out. He said it was the only way."

"You are kidding me, right?" Japeth refuses to believe his explanation.

"I thought he was lying to me too. But I realized he might be telling the truth," Cielo defended. "There is a solar eclipse that will happen next--"

"They will be safe as long as you are not erasing Kianu's tattoo," he said. "What you are talking about is a great risk. We don't even know if we can trust that santelmo friend of yours."

Cielo is about to talk but Japeth precedes him first. "You heard me? I want you to promise me not to do such a thing again. Understand?" Japeth warns. "In that way, I am not going to report what happened today at the head quarters."

He couldn't find a way to convince him anymore. And so, Cielo nodded with agreement."Yes, sir," he replied.

After being satisfied with the replies he heard, Japeth nodded. "Good," he responded. "Now, you should go back guarding the kids and forget what you've done, okay?" he told him as he gently tapped Cielo's shoulder. "So don't worry, this time, we got tanks and grenades just in case the enemies attempt to touch them," he informs. "You will guard them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week." He looks at the house. "

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

Benjie was standing by the door. He is standing on the patio outside the house of the Camilo Family. He is knocking at the door then. He knocks and knocks, but no one is opening the door. Every knock he hits, it gets louder and louder, hoping that someone from the inside can hear them.

Meanwhile, after several knocks, the door is finally opened. Kate, who is on the inside, pulls the door open. Her face looks horrible since she didn't sleep. She has been worried about her mother all night. Her hair is around the place, she's got eyebags, and her eyes have turned red as her tears flow down her face.

Benjie slightly dropped his jaw and his eyes widened with surprise. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He suddenly felt the chills scattered through his veins. His heart suddenly raced faster. His emotions were building in his chest. His chest suddenly felt like there was a heavy stack of hollow blocks on it. He can't breathe. He can't believe that he is seeing a girl of great importance in his past. However, she couldn't be her since the girl he knew died a long time ago.

"Can I help you?" she asked while she couldn't help but sob.

Benjie suddenly stated a name that made Kate widen her eyes with surprise.

"Nichole?"

"Ha? Who's Nichole? I am not Nichole, Sir," she replied.

His eyes were turning red. His tears were about to drop. When he realized that he was about to cry, he shook his head and pulled himself together.

"No. I'm sorry I misidentified you," he said. "Um...I am a friend of Ana and...I came here to check on her. I was told that her mother had been kidn*pped so I came to check how she is," he nervously explained. He is trying to keep away his tears.

"I am sorry but Ana is in her room asleep. I don't want to disturb her since she's very affected by the k********g of our mother," she said. "But if you want, I will call her now," she asked as she turned away and was about to walk.

"No. No... it is okay. I will not be here for so long anyway. Please, give my regards to her," he said. Then, he stretched out his hand which was holding a basket of fruits. "I hope your family will get better soon," he said.

Kate bites her lips. She nods.

"I have to go now," he said. Then, he turned his back on her and walked away. He heads to the gate. His eyes are tearing up. He can't hold back the emotions he was holding back in his heart.

Kate walks out of the door, she stands by the patio as she sees him walking away. "Sir! I forgot to ask your name. Sir!" she calls.

Benjie ignores her call. He just keeps walking to reach the gate like he is hearing nothing. When he completely got out of the gate, he immediately hopped inside his car. There, he begins to cry his heart out.