Blood Moon

A blood moon hovers in the night sky, an ominous sign that the manananggal is just lurking nearby. Legend says that when a moon like this appears in the sky, the bowels of the earth would open and release these menacing creatures from the deep.

The manananggal according to mythology, is a half-bodied naked woman with the wings of a bat, razor-sharp teeth, and a 5-foot tongue that acts like suction to draw the blood out of the victim's body. The wing is so large that it spans at least 8 feet from tip to tip. To search for its prey, it hovers high above the night sky and through its keen sense of smell detects their blood.

It was around midnight when Sarah left the gym. She handed her card over to the receptionist so she could record her session. Upon signing out, she sauntered to the elevator and rode it so she could reach the parking area which is five floors up.

"Ting!" The elevator bell sounded and the metal doors gradually opened. Sarah alighted and strolled to her red BMW.

"Aaarrrggghhh!... Aaarrrggghhh!" She was halfway across to her car when Sarah felt extreme pain emanating from her belly which forced her to grasp her abdomen.

"No!... No! Not now!" she zealously protested. "This couldn't be happening again!"

But the pain was too much. She couldn't bear it any longer. As a creature born out of the blood moon her destiny to metamorphose into a manananggal each time there is a blood moon is inevitable.

Sharp bones protruded from her shoulders and with no warning bat wings emerged. She let out a loud deafening cry that echoed through the night as her upper torso separated itself from her lower limbs. With intestines dangling and blood dripping, she flew into the darkness.

A few blocks away from the building a young gorgeous lady is waiting for her bus ride back home. She sat by the bench underneath a semi-parabolic dome listening to Spotify. Engrossed in what she is doing, the lady is unaware of the creature silently flying above her. Smelling the scent of fresh teenage blood, Sarah ejected her long pointed tongue that punctured the synthetic dome and hit her prey on her nape. She then commenced sucking her blood as the victim struggled to set herself free. This time the girl was ready. With a sharp hunting knife in hand, she slashed at the tongue which caused it to be disengaged from her neck.

"Aaahhh… Aaahhh!" The manananggal was left with a severed tongue. Unsuccessful, Sarah darted away from the waiting shed.

"I almost got her. I should've brought by how and arrow. I could have captured that monster by now and claimed the 1 million peso bounty on her head."

"There will be another time. When we see each other again, I will have your head in my hands." Artemisia remarked as she gunned her Harley Davis to life.

Artemisia is just one of the bounty hunters drawn out by the huge price tag on Sarah's head. This is one of the strategies employed by Mark to avenge the death of his mom and dad.

Sarah fluttered her gigantic wings and descended on the parking area. Carefully she took out a bottle of antiseptic to disinfect the wound on her tongue.

Approaching her condo, she drove past the security without uttering a word to the guard.

"Strange?" the guard commented as he scratches his bald head in disbelief. "Ms. Sarah usually greets me when she arrives."

The CEO of Crypto. PH took the stairs leading up to her unit. In this manner, no one would notice her arrival as only a handful of residents takes this route.

"Esther, can you fetch me a glass of warm milk. I'm hitting my bed early," she remarked struggling to make his words audible.

"Okay, Ms. Sarah."

Soon Esther came to her room and knocked gently on her door. "Ma'am, I'm leaving your glass of milk by the door."

The maid has gotten used to this scene. Whenever Sarah comes home from work upset, she shuts herself inside her room and stays there without talking to anyone except when she needs something to be accomplished. However, tonight is different. She is not stressed from work rather she is wounded by a hunter. And just like an animal, she has to hibernate to recover from the damages that were inflicted.

The employees at Crypto. PH is ecstatic. Their strict CEO has applied for a leave which means no one is there to keep an eye on them. Mark, however, was elated because of another reason. His plan is working. Soon he will be able to say to his dead parents that they can now rest in peace, knowing full well that the demon has been banished from the face of the earth.

"John, call the caterer. Order lunch for all the employees. Let's all celebrate a job well done. We have just achieved a milestone that put our company in the top 5 best crypto trading enterprises in the country."

"Alright sir," as he nodded his head in agreement.

The employees enjoyed the best day of their lives. They partied until it was time to go home. That day a record 5 million in sales was tallied on the board. Not only did the marketing strategy worked but also his battle against this winged beast is almost won.

Mark drove to the cemetery that day. He announced on the grave of his parents that he is about to be victorious.

Moments later, his phone rang.

"Are you still in the office?" a familiar voice came out from the other end of the line. It was Sarah, her speech seemed to be garbled.

"No, I'm on my way home."

"Can you drop by my unit on your way?" Mark didn't answer. He weighed it carefully. If he obliges, he can see for himself what exactly is wrong with Sarah. If he does not, his guess is as good as the others.

"Alright! I will. I won't be long though coz I have to analyze the marketing figures for today."

"That would be fine. I'll wait for you."

Mark did not acknowledge what she said, he just hanged up his phone and slumped his back on the driver's seat. Before he left, he checked his glove compartment for his. 45 caliber pistol. It might come in handy.