THE NIGHTS

CHAPTER 2

Elena is hiding inside their house, holding her tears from bursting out shes been hiding in her secret closet inside her room. It was so dark and she felt scared but she knew whats outside are even scarier. She is hugging her knees tightly like her life depends on how it. She is shaking now she cried, afraid that someone might hear her she immediately cover her mouth, still small muffles can be heard.

Someone open her door and her heart beats faster she knows that a stranger will not know where shes hiding yet her breath and cry can be heard, footsteps are slowly entering her room. The steps are just slow but it still very heavy, the steps seems to be going straight to her hidden closet. She open her eyes widely ready for an attack, she hug her body and try her best to not to scream.

When the footsteps finally stops, someone knock on her hidden door, her heart beat almost stop and her spirit almost left her body. She now silently panicking, another knock from her hidden door and she hold her breath completely. She know that she will die but she still prayed that this is not yet her end. The knocking continues and she close her eyes ready to accept her faith, the creature in her room is just a wooden door away from her so she knows what to come when it opens.

“Elena? Are you there?” Mang. Simon Elena’s father said. “Your grandfather is already here.” Elena didn’t respond immediately she calms down fist and then quickly dried her tears using her hand, she don’t want her father see that she crying.

“Yes, pa I’m here, ill be right there.” she said sounding normally.

“Come out quickly your grandfather is waiting for you.”

“Yes pa.” she response, when he hears her fathers footsteps walking away she stand and open her secret door. She breath sharply before coming out.

It has been a routine in their family after the gathering at the center of the the village for prayer they will eat together before going to sleep or rest. Their grandfather Mang. Antonio is requiring them to be present every morning to check if they are still alive. Mang. Antonio has been very protective to his family ever since the attack start. He wants everyone of them to survive, so he do his best to protect her children and grandchildren.

Elena sits beside her mother, they are silently eating when she comes, she knows that all of them are tired and sleepy so she didn’t say a word. They are a big family so they are in a big table also, Twelve people are sitting across were she sits and ten people sits in her line. Her grandfather is sitting in the right side of the table facing them all, he is also silently eating but when she notice Elena’s presence he immediately talk.

“Your father said you have something to tell me.” he said while his attention is on his food. “Tell me now because I have a lot of things to do.” Elena knows that her grandfather is talking to her since she told her father earlier before going to pray that she has to talk to her grandfather.

“Amm….” she hesitate for a second she doesn’t want to tell it in front of everyone, she already imagined their reactions and it is worst and she doesn’t want to turn her imagination into reality. Before she can speak again her grandfather talk again.

“Elena don’t waste my time waiting for you to talk come on what is it?” his full attention is now in her grandchild, he looks very serious and it slightly make Elena nervous, so are the rest of their family in the table.

One of her uncle whose sitting across her stare at her then signals his head to her grandfather as if his telling her to response quickly. All her uncles have a great respect to their grandfather so as the rest of them so if he ask them to speak they would not waste a second and respond immediately.

“I was just wondering if I could help you to the farm today.” all she said, she is not yet ready to tell it so she just made something that will look less suspicious.

“You’re a girl you must rest, last night is tiring and tonight….” he pause for a second “you should sleep instead of working.” her grandfather said, and she knows that her grandfathers word is always the final thing to do. Instead of replying she just non her head in agreement, her mother just look at her like she just say something disgraceful.

Mang. Antonio is the first one to finish his meal so she stand up and went outside to do what he need to do. After that the rest of the men got out too and the remaining women and some little boys clean the table.

Their village has this certain tradition that men are the one working in the farm and woman should take care of their home and husbands if they have. It is a disgrace if a girl work on a farm or do things only boys should do. Since the attack started men become more protective to their families especially to their female family members. Men work in their farms every morning till noon and rest when its afternoon then wake again to prepare for the coming night. All women would just stay at their houses after the morning prayer doing chores or resting.

After Elena help her family she immediately went to her room, she remove her shoes and went to bed. Closing her eyes become difficult for her since yesterday. Every time she did she remembers all the things she sees, clear picture of what she witness last night is flashing. She needs to rest but even though she force herself to sleep she still cant. Tired of trying she got up and sit in her bed, being the only one knowing something that they all dread fells like a lot of burden for her. She must tell someone, she cannot keep this to herself hiding what she knew might end her life but telling it to someone will make her time shorter. She just need to tell someone, a right person who will not endanger her life. But the question is. Who?

After Carlo got home he immediately do his chores, fixing something and head out to water his crops. He is forced to survive alone since the death of his whole family, working in the farm to feed himself is hard for him to do at first but after weeks of doing it he slowly got use to it. Before, he and his father do this together but now he is alone, it hurts him every time he went to a place where he use to be going out with his family but that aching feeling is slowly drifting. While watering his crops he remembers everything Cesar told him this morning, he is thinking that Cesar is going to be insane. Knowing this creatures is crazy, theirs a reason why it is still unknown because the moment you laid your eyes on this creatures they will immediately kill you. Carlo don’t want to die, since dying means you lost your chance to be forgiven and receive eternal reward. His father told him that as long as you are breathing that chances are still attainable.

Carlo force himself to focus on his crops after that he head home to eat. While preparing his food he notice that Cesar is doing something in his backyard, He and Cesar share the same backyard so he notice it quickly. Bringing his coffee outside he gesture Cesar if he want some, Cesar look in his way and nod his head saying yes, he head back inside to prepare coffee for Cesar after that he brought it outside and give it to him. They are silently sipping their coffee while their sights are far.

“What are you making?” Carlo broke the silence between them. “A new fence?” he ask.

“ It’s a trap.” Cesar answered. “I’m going to place it in front of my door.”he put his mug to the ground and continue his work. “In case someone will come to my house this night, if that creature will be trap I will know what they are.”

Carlo is silent for a second looking confuse.

“ You are making a trap to capture an unknown creature?” he said.

“That’s what I said” Cesar responded still busy in fixing his ‘trap’.

“If that creature will be captured by your ‘trap’ I’m certain that the other creature will burn your house and you will be burned alive.”

“If your worried that your house will also be burn don’t worry I have a plan for that.” he look up and smiled at Carlo.

Carlo didn’t respond and just finish his coffee, after that he took the mug Cesar put on the ground and head back inside his house. He don’t want to argue with Cesar anymore since Cesar looks determined on what he is doing. Lets just see if what will work first his ‘trap’ or his funeral, he thinks.