Chapter 1
1906 Words
Koine, Peppermint City
The moon was in full show surrounded by millions of stars with a dim-blue light as the background sky. It's the first night of September and a full moon was of a great help to me as the light coming from it guides me to walk with ease and in perfect motion.
Every step I make was accompanied by the chirping of crickets. I took big, quick steps. Half running as I heard sloppy sounds of tires rolling on a muddy road. Silently following the sounds, I came to see unfamiliar faces riding motorcycles. They were all men.
Squeals of their laughter echoed through the insides of the forest like a wildfire spreading the whole area.
I was about to look away but one face of a rider caught my attention. Dexman?
I have 20/20 vision so my eyes couldn't be wrong. It was really Shot Dexman, my neighbor!
What is he doing here?
Huddled leaves of mahogany tree kept me hidden from the moonlight, that's why they can't see me.
They passed through me in a minute. My eyes never leaving Dexman's place, not until he's out of my sight. I followed the trail of the tires.
I hugged myself when I felt the cold breeze of the air blown by the wind, giving me some creepy atmosphere.
I halt on my step when I saw a man's back. He stood just a few meters away from me, his shoulders moving slightly. Is he holding something? I hastily hid myself on the bushes beside me. His head moved as if he was eating some delicious delicacy.
After awhile, he turned to his side. The movement made me see the food he was savoring.
What was that?
My eyes grew bigger and my stomach did a slight rolling, like a sudden lurch, making me feel nauseous. Is that human flesh he's eating?
Is this some kind of joke? Or am I really seeing a cannibal?
What kind of place is this?
Before I could open my mouth to spew some stored contents of my intestines, someone had my eyes covered with a thick cloth.
Is this some sort of k********g? What was he thinking anyway? Covering my eyes instead of my mouth. For a kidnapper, this person's pretty dumb.
"Stay still"
He's a guy, huh.
Wait, he sounds familiar!
"Ghost?" I whispered.
"Hi inday," I may not see his face but I felt that he's smiling at me. A mocking smile, maybe. I can't believe he's here!
I tried to move, wanting to see his face but he wouldn't let me.
"Don't move inday or he'll see us," he said, slightly whispering it made my nape-hair go up. Afraid that the cannibal guy might see us, I followed him and kept my mouth shut.
A few minutes passed, I felt his hands on my legs and waist.
Why is my eyes still covered?
He did carry me like a newly wed couple. A romantic way of carrying a woman. I was like a floating bottle in the sea. I opened my mouth to say something but no single word escape from it.
Like a newly born baby, I felt sleepy all of a sudden.
"Shot," I whispered and slowly fell into a deep sleep.
Daniel carried Sofia and put her in a wide, gray-hued, human-sized leaf. It has two wing-like leaf on both sides which serves as a lock when put together in between. He looked at the maiden being leaf-locked and moved his hands in a circular motion.
"Lupad na, Lupad na.
Dahon nga misteryoso.
Dad a kami sa usa ka hawan, pahuwayanan," Daniel chanted rhythmically. The leaf floated in the air following his direction. It left a glittering sprinkles of silver dust.
They passed through the yellow-orange lights coming from the nipa-hut styled houses around the Koine Town. There were thousands of houses inhabited by the people who're indulging themselves in the practice of cannibalism.
"I will not let Him harm you inday," he thought to himself as he descend upon a small space he had for himself when the explosion happened. With him was the Koine leaf, where Sofia's body was wrapped like a hotdog with a bun. He got the leaf from the Koine tree just beside his nipa-hut styled house.
Not that huge, but it can provide enough comfort for three persons. As soon as his feet was just an inch away from the solid ground, he whirled around and pulled the Koine leaf down, almost touching the black soil.
"Balik sa imong punuan," he whispered, looking at the leaf like a king ordering his servants.
Slowly fading, the silver dust remains of the leaf was blown away by the cold air to the direction of the Koine tree, attached and glued back to its old place on one of the branches.
The body of sleeping beauty— inday Sofia hovered in the air.
He carried her for the second time and entered his home calmly. There are two rooms inside, each door has different colors, leading him the right place to make Sofia sleep comfortably. He went inside the chocolate-colored door and laid her body on the soft mattress of a medium-sized bed.
"For a ghost, you're lucky to have seen her this close."
Daniel turned around and saw Dexman leaning on a door frame made from some kind of not-so-expensive wood.
"Yes I am, but I'm not a fool. Here, have a look," he motioned his hand to Sofia's face, urging Dexman to have a look on such masterpiece.
"Nah, I've seen her already. So close, no space in between our bodies," Dexman said with a mocking tone trying to make Daniel jealous. Daniel let out a chuckle.
"Shot"
Both of them turned to look at Sofia who just whispered Dexman's name while being asleep.
Dexman's brows furrowed, "Is the young Prexon dreaming of me?" He asked, trying to ignore the fast beating of his heart.
"Maybe," it was Daniel's turn to mock him.
"Atta ghost," said Dexman, throwing Daniel a glare out of fake irritation.
"Well, she might be dreaming of you. I mean she saw you riding the two-wheeled vehicle," Daniel said while having his arms crossed on the chest.
Dexman's mouth parted slightly.
"She was there?" He asked.
Daniel nod as an answer.
Dexman opened his mouth, about to say something when they heard bells tinkling just outside Daniel's house. They looked at each other for a minute, making their eyes talk silently.
Daniel peeked on a small hole near the window.
Dexman walked towards him.
"He's here," Daniel said with a serious voice, still looking at the person who stood in front of the door.
"Come here," he urged Dexman to come closer. The guy followed.
"What's your plan?" asked Dexman, hands on the pocket of his pants.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders and went beside Sofia.
"Shot"
Dexman turned to see Sofia slowly moving her head from left to right, like she's having a bad dream.
He walked towards her direction, thinking of waking her up and calm her down.
"Watch out!" Shouted Daniel, giving him a look of worry and caution.
A golden arrow sharply passed Dexman's nose, making it bleed a little.
It went straight to the aimed target—Daniel.
"Was it a good thing that I'm a ghost?" Daniel asked. The pointed weapon which was shot from a bow pierced through the part in between his lungs, caged by the ribs—the heart.
Dexman remained speechless, touching the tip of his well-shaped nose.
If Daniel wasn't a ghost, he'd surely bleed to death because it wasn't just an ordinary weapon.
It's a golden arrow, a weapon used by a person with a high rank in the Koine Town. It was made for killing.
Gold-hued and a whole arm as the length. It was very pointed. Shining as though stars would be embarrassed to show up. At the bottom part, was a small, black paper. Dexman walked towards the arrow and pulled the paper from it.
He carefully opened it and read what was written on the seemingly riched paper.
'I heard about the maiden
I want to see her, soon'
- M
His hands formed into fists crumpling the paper and threw it on the floor.
After a minute of being silent, Dexman freed his stuck breath and swallowed, wetting his dry throat.
"I won't let him go near Sofia," Daniel said after being in awe.
Dexman looked at him then his gaze flew on the maiden sitting beautifully with a messy hair. It was as if she had just woke up from her slumber. Or was it a deep sleep? Dexman sighed, trying to think of some lame excuse to tell her the reason of him being in this kind of place.
"So it was really you," she said slightly rubbing her eyes.
Daniel turned to see her and waved his hands in her face.
She had no reaction on what he did. She can't see him, huh?
"What are you doing here?" She asked and covered her mouth while yawning.
"Does the young Prexon know a thing about proper dressing?" He teased, both eyes looking at the unbuttoned part where her not-so-big breasts are.
She got a look at herself and let out a gasped. She then grabbed the sheets and covered herself.
"Whose house is this?"
Instead of answering her question, he said, "welcome to my world Prexon," with a smile placed on his bloody-red and soft-looking lips.
"Yea, welcome to Koine inday. The eastern part of Peppermint City and the home of the Cannibals," added Daniel, grinning.
"Ghost?" Asked Sofia as she looked at Dexman with confused and questioning eyes.
Daniel let out a heartful guffaw.
'Damn ghost!' Dexman thought, feeling a little frustration in himself.
He stands up and went near the window to look at the position of the moon.
"It's midnight, are you hungry?" He asked Sofia as he closed the window and turn around.
She gave him a nod.
Dexman went outside the room and walked straight to the kitchen.
Daniel followed, floating in the air.
"A caring bastard," Daniel commented while looking at him, preparing a broth.
He didn't heed Daniel any attention and focused on what he's doing.
Minutes passed, he brought with him a tray containing a water and a bowl of soup made by boiling meat as he entered the room where Sofia occupied. The moment he stepped inside, Sofia's eyes followed every move he made.
He put it on the bedside table.
"A newly served broth is piping hot, be careful, it might burn that sweet tongue of yours," he said and left the house without saying goodbye to Daniel and Sofia.
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Ey! Tell me about your thoughts on the first chapter. It's pretty short but I'll edit it one of these days.
By the way, I like mixing and making words haha I don't know why, maybe because I make my point clearer when I use 'em. (Nape-hair - I was referring to the small hair on the nape, lol) I hope you understand it.
I'm not really good at english so please bear with me (puppy eyes)
- Writer
