THE NIGHTS

CHAPTER 4

Early in the morning as everyone got out from their houses the usual tired atmosphere filled the village. One house is burned by last night’s attack, a childless couple were killed and their property is now being visited by Chief Rambo and some men, they are now burying the bodies. As the time has come they all gather at the center of the village again. Chief Rambo is at the center doing his speech for everyone.

“We are given another day so we are lucky, as long as we are alive we still have a chance to be forgiven.” Chief Rambo then lifted his right hand and everyone fallows, together they prayed.

(CREEPY PRAYER)

As the prayer end some men gathered again they are talking about something ells other than the last nights attack.

“Chief I heard Mang. Antonio’s grandchild went missing last night should we help him find her?” one of the men ask.

“I saw him looking for his grandchild before the night broke, he really looks worried.”

“ I heard him too he was shouting like his not scared of his death” some of them laugh but majority remains serious.

“Ehem….” The chief clears his throat to cut the,. “ I actually visit them earlier this morning when I heard the news but they seems to be fine, her grandchild is actually at their stock room sleeping, she was not in her room so they taught shes missing.” he put his hands on his pocket.

“I thought she’s the one who shouted last night” Lorie said while the rest of the men stare at him in confusion.

“Its impossible Chief said she was just at their house.” someone said. “Maybe you heard it wrong.”

“No someone ask for help while those creature has not yet arrived.” Raul one of the men said adding some spice to the topic. “ I heard it but I’m not sure if it was a man or a woman.”

“I heard it too but its not strange if someone ask for help at that time, its night so maybe the creatures arrive silently.” one man responded worriedly.

“No, we can hear their footsteps when they arrive, they are not silent I heard their arrival last night.” someone said. They become silent for a few minutes, analyzing everyone’s testimonies.

“Well its possible if they arrive silently, we don’t know what they are after all so we also don’t know what they capable off.” Lorie broke the silence.

“If those creatures are silent when they arrived we should be more scared.” Leo said. “We do not know if they arrive before we can hear them or after we hear them.”

“Stop it son, you are creating something that will eventually scare you.” Chief Rambo enters their conversation again. He then put his hat on his head then deeply breath. “We still do not know if what you heard are true, since Antonio’s grandchild is at their house at that time and no body is being found near the end of this village,” they are all silent while the chief is talking “and if that someone who ask for help is alive maybe he or she just really ask for help in different reason?” he stare at every gentlemen around him and smiled. “Right?”

Some men agreed on what he said while some are not convinced maybe the chief is just washing their worries away, for their own good. They don’t disagree to what the chief said since all he thinks about is for their own good, so they just find another things to talk about before parting ways.

The news about the unknown person shouting for help and the silent arrival of the creatures spread like wildfire trough out the whole village. Everyone is worried and scared at the same time, if those creatures really arrive without them noticing they should be more careful. Even thought it is not proven they still felt afraid since everyone seems to believe in it.

Its almost noon and everyone is resting, they need to sleep to gain some energy. The heat from the sun didn’t bother them they still seems comfortable resting and sleeping. The whole village is silent at this time, no one is working or wondering around. They cherish this time as the only time they can peacefully rest, so everyone treat it as a luxury.

After six and a haft hours of sleep everyone wake up, it was suppose to be a normal afternoon, everyone is suppose to prepare for the night but they were interrupted by a news. A body being is found near the end of the village, covered with blood and stab multiple times. Its face is almost unrecognizable since its head is c***k open seems like it was hit by some heavy and solid object.

A dead body that is brutally killed is normal for them to find but not at this hour, its still afternoon the sun is still up this kind of incident is shocking for them. Who would do something like that aside from the creatures lurking at night? Unless this creature did it, they all think. But its untrue since they only attack at night.

Scared and afraid they all have the same thing in mind. Maybe this creature attacking before the night is not just a mere gossip but true. A group of people surrounding the body spread as Chief Rambo and some of the men arrive.

Chief Rambo examine the body by just staring at it, he looks worried while still serious. After that he gesture to some man to cover the body with some cloth first before he stand. He face the crowd and talk,

“Who saw the body?” he ask in a normal tone. No one response for a second before they point to Carlo who is still in shock in what he discovered. He look afraid, his eyes is not blinking but his whole face is expressing a huge disbelief while his hand are hugging himself. The chief just look at him then he deeply breath and speak again.

“Gentlemen and ladies you should go back to your houses to prepare for the night.” he said. “ We will inform you tomorrow what we discover, for now lets prioritize our safety before this, thank you”

The crowd listen immediately they silently go back to their houses while some choose to stay and see what happen. Carlo is still in his place and not moving standing next to him was Cesar, Chief Rambo went into him and tap his shoulder twice. They are silent for a minute before Chief Rambo broke it.

“You don’t need to speak now.” he tap his shoulder again before facing Carlo. “You should go back to your house.” still in shock Carlo just nodded and that made the chief smile a bit like telling him okay.

Chief Rambo went back to the body, he deeply breath before knelling in one foot. He raise the cloth and stare at it, the face was almost unrecognizable, it was broken. One man walk beside him and ask.

“What should we do Chief?”he ask.

“Its a little bit late to bury it now,” he stand and put his hands on his waist. “ill inform the family, take this body we should keep it in his house before we bury him tomorrow.”

They cover the body with more cloth before they carry it, when they are gone only Cesar and Carlo are left. They still standing in were they stand earlier. Carlo is still silent and Cesar is just standing beside him. Cesar want to ask a lot but he kept his mouth shut since Carlo doesn’t look fine.

Carlo was a soft man after he witness his parents death he doesn’t dare to look any corpse. It must be very shocking for him, being the first one to see a dead body.

Cesar is at his house earlier when he heard Carlo asking for help he thought he was hurt but instead he was asking for help because he sees someone. When he saw that body he immediately know it even thought the face was so broken and the whole body is covered with blood. Other people at the village who come with him was terrified even him but he still question a lot of things.

“I just saw him earlier” Carlo spoke finally staring at the bloody grass. Cesar was silent he just stare at Carlo. “and now his gone.”

“He must have seen them,” finally facing Cesar.

“Seen who?” Cesar ask.

“He must have seen those creature so they killed him.”

“What made you think that?”

“Cesar only those creatures could do such thing, so he might have seen them so they took his life directly.” he breath deeply and face another way. “Hes right its not important to know them its more important to protect ourselves.”

Cesar think deeply on what Carlo just said ‘What would Mang. Antonio saw or what would he knew?’