The Girl Between Two Worlds

by Kristyn Maslog-Levis

  I looked down to find my nightmare come to life, still clutched in my arms. The tiyanak flashed its fangs and jumped off me, scratching my neck with its claws. The pain caught me by surprise and I fell on my back. The monster let out a screech, running toward me with surprising speed. A flash of bright light threw the tiyanak back. It hit the wall with a thud, screaming in agony. Lolo aimed for the tiyanak again as the little monster struggled to get back up. I scrambled to open the front door, kicking the tiyanak out of the house like a soccer ball. Lolo chased it outside but it disappeared behind the bushes, running for its life.

  The door was covered in bloody handprints and so were my pajamas. Blood dripped from the deep scratches on my neck. How was I going to explain this to Dad? Lolo saw the wounds and reached out to touch it. A warm feeling spread over me and when he took his hand away, my injuries had disappeared, like they never happened.

  “We better clean this up before your father wakes up,” Lolo said, spreading his arms wide. Vines, leaves, and flowers emerged from his outstretched arms, spreading over the areas where the fight broke out. In seconds, all traces of blood had disappeared. No one would ever suspect I got attacked.

  “I don’t understand, Lolo. Why would they risk sending only just one tiyanak here if they wanted to take me out?”

  “I don’t think that was what they were after. It’s another way to test your abilities, to see if you are a threat to them or not.”

  Obviously, I wasn’t a threat. It dawned on me so painfully just how unequipped I was to defend myself from my enemies. How was I going to defend an entire kingdom if a tiny little monster could take me down? Had Lolo not been there, I wasn’t sure how I would have been able to defend myself.

  “I better clean myself up,” I said to him, grateful for the excuse to hide and cry in the shower. I placed my pajamas in a plastic bag and stuffed it in my school bag. I wanted to find a place to get rid of it on the way to school.

  After putting on my school uniform, I grabbed a couple of accessories from my jewelry box. I rarely decorate myself at school but since my eyes obviously had dark circles around them I might as well wear something colorful to draw the attention away from my face.

  Breakfast was a choice of various leftovers from the last two nights. Since I started training, I found myself always hungry in the mornings. Lolo said it was the energy drain from all the work we had been doing. Usually, he said, the engkanto could just tap into any source of energy they wanted when training in Engkantasia. But since we were in a garage in the suburbs, we were limited in our options.

  I piled my plate with spaghetti bolognese, roast chicken, rice, and a side of chopsuey. I placed the plate on a breakfast tray and decided to eat in front of the TV. I took my time eating breakfast, zoning out while stuffing my mouth. I started to finally feel at ease again. Relaxed. Even normal. As I watched the sun slowly rise outside the house, I decided early mornings would be my time. Minus the tiyanak.

  By the time I arrived in school, I had already managed to shake off some of the morning’s fear. While walking, I realized something. They would keep sending someone to kill me. I couldn’t stop that from happening. But I could do something about it. I could focus on my training and find a way to make sure that the next time they sent something, I wouldn’t be caught off guard. Do what you could to solve the problem. Mama always used to say that to me.

  I didn’t notice I was smiling when I reached school. Mark gave me a quizzical look.

  “I had a good morning.”

  Given that a little critter just attacked me, I was surprised I felt okay. Newfound confidence. I hoped it would last long.

  Jason was with Melissa, heading for class. He turned to look at me and I gave him a shy smile. It took him by surprise and he lingered before heading inside the classroom.

  I didn’t really expect to hear from Jason again, especially after our last encounter. So it was quite a surprise when he sat beside me on the grass outside during lunch break. I felt the tug in my gut and inhaled his familiar scent even before I saw him—another perk from the training was gaining a hound dog’s sense of smell.

  “And here I was thinking you never want to speak to me again,” I said before he could open his mouth. He looked at me, confused, like he was about to give me a nasty remark, but decided against it.

  We stayed quiet for a while. I sighed, trying to avoid his gaze. “I’m so sorry, Jason. I was going through something really difficult and I didn’t want any distractions.”

  “Am I a distraction to you?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that, I really like you and well, I didn’t know how to juggle the stress at home plus the stress of Melissa wanting to kill me for stealing you.”

  He grinned that lovely grin.

  “Melissa doesn’t own me, and you never stole me from her. I tolerate her company because she’s very accommodating, and very pushy. She’s nice enough, but there’s only so much celebrity news I can take.”

  I smiled back. “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I just really needed the space. There’s still some drama going on but I didn’t want to put my life on hold just because it’s there. If you let me, I can make it up to you.”

  He smiled and gently tugged my hair. “There, that was my revenge. Now, how are you going to make it up to me?”

  My smile widened. “You’re so juvenile. How about a movie? My treat. This weekend.”

  “I should really make you suffer a bit more, but I really am a sucker for freebies. Pick you up at your place?”

  I hesitated, not really wanting him anywhere near the drama at home. “How about we meet at the cinema? I’ll check the schedule and text you the time, is that okay?”

  “Okay, it’s a date,” he stood up as Mark and Alyssa approached our spot. He waved goodbye and smiled at my friends.

  “What was that all about?” Alyssa said.

  “Nothing, we’re just watching a movie this weekend, that’s all.”

  “You’re going on a date?!” Alyssa squealed with delight.

  “Shhh, it’s just friends going out. I wanted to make it up to him for snubbing him the last couple of weeks. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Melissa will kill you, you know,” she warned.

  “If the the manananggal doesn’t get to me first.”

  “I think the manananggal would be more merciful with you. Once word gets out that you guys are going on a date, hell will break loose, like literally,” Alyssa said.

  “Figuratively. Literally means the devil will be coming out of the ground to kill us all,” Mark corrected her.

  “Look at you, Oscar the grouch, what’s with the ‘tude?” she said, a bit hurt.

  “I can’t believe you’re going out on a date at a moment like this. You have more important things to think about than a date. There are things out there that want you dead. Don’t you think that requires more attention than your social life?”

  Mark was the one most disturbed by the appearance of the manananggal. He blamed himself for the attack since he felt he pressured me to bring the bird back to life. No matter how much I told him it wasn’t his fault, he still wouldn’t let it go. I decided not to tell them about the tiyanak.

  “My enemies will always be there. My future will always be undecided for the next couple of weeks. If I lock myself up in the room and think about all this all the time I’m going to go mad. I need my life back, or at least some part of it. When will I ever have a chance to go out with someone if I don’t do it now?”

  “I doubt your dad would let you go though,” he grumbled.

  “He will. He already feels guilty enough for everything I’ve gone through. Plus, if I promise not to use my abilities, he’ll feel much safer. My Lolo is literally only a call away, and I mean that literally. He can hear my cry for help even if I were ten feet underground. So stop worrying about Dad, I have it all figured out.”

  Mark dropped the subject and quietly chewed on his tuna sandwich. I obvio
usly hurt him but I couldn’t help it. This was my only chance to have some semblance of a normal life and I expected him to be supportive. Alyssa couldn’t stop gushing, asking me all sorts of questions about what I was going to wear, how I was going to do my hair, if I was going to use makeup or just a light touch of mascara, and so on. I half listened to her drone on about my “date”, thankful that at least I had some support about my decision to go out with Jason. I didn’t really know where my sudden optimism came from but I didn’t want to let it go just yet.

  As expected, it wasn’t too hard to ask my dad for permission to go out with Jason. I sprung it on him as casually as possible on Saturday, hours before I was going out. Dad almost looked relieved. Unusual, yes. From what I heard, dads were supposed to be strict with their kid’s dating life. But then again, I was not your usual teenager—not anymore, anyway.

  Dad cleared his throat and attempted to put on a tough face. “Is he old enough to drive? Who’s going to take you home?”

  “We’re taking the bus, Dad, no one is driving. He’s meeting me there and then I’ll take the bus home.”

  “What? He’s not even going to take you home? What kind of a man is that? During my time, we take our dates home safe and sound.”

  “It’s not really a date, and it was my decision to take the bus. It’s convenient and practical. He’s new to the country, there’s more chances he’s going to get lost if he takes me home.”

  “So I’m not even going to meet him?”

  “Really? You want him here? In our house, with all of Lolo’s … talents floating around?”

  “Just … be careful. I think that’s what normal dads are supposed to say,” he said, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

  I smiled and headed to my room, nervous about my date. It was an entirely new experience for me and I wasn’t sure how to act. I sat on the bed, silently contemplating things, thinking how it was such a huge milestone for mothers and daughters.

  How would our conversation go if she were here? What would she tell me? How would she react to her daughter’s first date? Would she know I have butterflies in my stomach the size of a dinosaur? What advice would she give me? Will she tell me to be myself? I once had a crush on this boy when I was younger and Mama said that if I pretended to be someone else, then I’d never know if the boy really liked me for me. But being myself means talking to animals and growing plants from nothing. Maybe I should just be a bit like myself but not too much.

  I felt the necklace’s smooth surface and took a deep breath. There was an ache in my chest, the familiar pain of not having my mother around.

  The funny thing was that after everything that had happened to us in the last couple of weeks, the very normal date was what felt surreal. It was true what they say, you get used to whatever was handed to you and adapted to changes. My closet was a jumble of school uniforms and very basic casual clothes. I had never gone out on a date before and so I had nothing that seemed appropriate to wear. I threw out several tops and jeans, piling them on my bed until I could barely see the mattress. I understood then why teenagers on TV kept saying they had nothing to wear. My nerves were not helping, too. I felt like I had to pee every couple of minutes.

  After almost an hour of trying on clothes, I decided on wearing my dark denim skirt, red halter top, and a nice pair of sandals. I let my hair down and wore a pair of stud crystal earrings, applying a bit of red lip gloss before heading out of the door. I looked like myself, although a tad girlier than usual. Too late to change my mind.

  I rushed to the door before anyone saw me. But as I got out of the house I saw Dad waiting for me beside the car.

  “I’m driving you to the cinema, and that’s that.”

  I should have been mad but all I could do was smile. I guess my dad really didn’t want to miss his only daughter’s normal date out. It probably crossed his mind that this would be the first and only time he could drive me to one.

  “Only a ride, okay? You take me there then drop me off. You’re not going to stalk us in the cinema or anything, right?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  We drove in comfortable silence, listening to a local ‘70s FM station. When he finally said something, his voice was so low I barely heard what he said.

  “Have fun tonight, cupcake. Make sure you have a great time. You deserve a good normal break.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I smiled at him. I had been so wrapped up in my own issues that it didn’t really occur to me just how hard my dad was taking all these changes. He was probably preparing to fend off my suitors when I turned sixteen, but instead he was facing the real possibility of fighting monsters to save me, or losing me altogether. The realization hit me hard, and I felt the weight of my responsibilities. Dad seemed to sense the sudden turn in the atmosphere and tried to lighten the mood.

  “If he ever does anything dodgy, or you know, make a pass at you or something, don’t be afraid to spray him.”

  “Spray him? With what?”

  “This,” he handed me a small bottle of what looked like breath spray.

  “A breath spray?”

  “It’s only the bottle. I wanted to make sure it’s disguised so you don’t look too conspicuous. The liquid is my own concoction. I got it online.”

  “When did you have time to do this?”

  “I did this before your sixteenth birthday. You know, just in case.”

  I placed the bottle in my bag and laughed. I wondered if the spray would work on a manananggal. I bet no one’s even tried it.

  We got to the cinema with ten minutes to spare. I quickly got out of the car and waved goodbye before rushing off to the theater. Dad honked and left. I inhaled deeply and walked to the cinema, hoping I was the first one there. But even before I turned the corner, I could already smell his scent.

  He smiled when he saw me, grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t help but smile back. He was contagious. And totally breathtaking out of his school uniform. He was carrying a brown paper bag in one hand and two large soft drinks in the other.

  “I thought you might want something to snack on,” he said, handing me the bag. Inside was a big bucket of cheese and bacon popcorn, one big bucket of caramel popcorn, and an assortment of chocolate bars. I laughed at the ridiculous amount of food he brought for a two-hour movie.

  “You don’t expect us to eat all these, do you?”

  “I’ve seen you eat at school. This is nothing compared to the lunch you bring,” he grinned.

  I felt my face burn, thinking about the times I had packed my entire fridge to school after being so hungry from my training sessions. I jabbed him on the shoulder. “I don’t eat that much! Well, some days I don’t. Let’s get in the queue before it fills up.”

  “I already got that sorted. I went online and bought us the tickets. You can pay me back later for the food, too.”

  “Well, don’t you just think of everything,” I smiled.

  “It’s our first date, I wanted it to go smoothly,” he said. There was no denying it anymore. It was officially a date and my palms started to sweat.

  It didn’t take us long to find our seats. We watched the movie in silence, occasionally stealing glimpses at each other. Our hands sometimes touched as we grabbed for the food in the bag, which turned into a mix of confectionery by the end of the movie. Each time his hand brushed mine, it lingered a bit, sending goosebumps all over my body. It was only a second or two but I held my breath forever, exhaling slowly so he wouldn’t notice how tense I was. I wondered if all our dates were going to be this way. I feared I wouldn’t be able to last five dates before I had a heart attack or an ulcer. What was I thinking? Several dates? I wouldn’t even have time for another one!

  The movie was a blurry memory, a jumble of dialogues and actions in between moments when our hands touched. I felt disappointed when the credits finally appeared. We had no excuse for contact and I wanted so much to hold his hand. I looked at him as we stood and wondered if he was just as disappointed as I w
as. We strolled lazily out of the cinema, lingering at shops and trying to stretch our time together. As we neared the bus stop, I was disappointed to see that my bus was almost there. I had no excuse to stay and chat with him longer. I was about to say goodbye when he started walking with me to the bus stop. I looked at him, confused.

  “I’ll take you home.”

  “But you’ll be late getting home,” I said tentatively, wanting him to come with me.

  “That’s okay. I’ll send mother a text message to let her know.”

  My heart skipped a beat as he sat next to me. I didn’t know where to put my hands, or what to do with them. The sun was already glowing orange red, signaling the end of the day. It would be dark by the time we got to the house. I was not naïve, I knew what was expected after the first date. There was supposed to be a kiss of some sort before he’d leave. Should I close my mouth? Leave it open? French? Why was it called French kissing anyway? Did they invent it?

  “Are you okay? You’ve been very quiet since we finished the movie,” he asked.

  “I’m okay. I just didn’t really get the movie, it was a bit confusing.”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean. I wasn’t sure what to say about it, and I didn’t want to sound stupid making shallow remarks.”

  “I think there’s no other remark but shallow for that movie,” I laughed. He showed me his crooked smile.

  “So are you okay now? I mean have your problems been resolved? I really don’t want you to give me the cold shoulder again. It was a bit miserable for me.”

  “But you had Melissa to keep you company,” I teased.

  “Yes, that’s why I said it was miserable for me.”

  “My life drama hasn’t gone away yet but it’s manageable. Besides, I’ve decided not to let it get in the way of my social life.”

  “Can’t you tell me about your problems? Maybe I can help, you never know.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but it’s kinda personal, you know, family stuff. I really don’t want to drag anyone else to my family drama. It’s complicated.”

  “Okay, but if you ever need anyone else to talk to, I’m here.”