The Girl Between Two Worlds

by Kristyn Maslog-Levis

  I watched as Lolo tried to heal Jason, but nothing was happening. I remembered the healing stone. The one with Dad. It might work on Jason. Before I could call out, I saw Dad running toward us, the dark ring glinting in his hand.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Hey Diary,

  This is it.

  I’m not sure what to write down. I’m afraid to write down my thoughts. What if someone else reads this?

  What is the right decision? What is the right thing to do?

  Who knows the answers?

  Is Mama’s decision the right one?

  My chest feels like someone is pulling out my heart. How long do I have to hurt like this?

  I saw the familiar orange rays, swirling with red and yellow as the sun greeted us with another morning. Although I was exhausted beyond words, I couldn’t sleep. So I stayed outside with everyone and watched the morning come.

  I knew things were going to change for everyone. I sensed Lolo’s confusion. What was once a clear line for him between right and wrong had blurred. He used to be so certain with what is black and what is white. Now he was questioning things more.

  After the battle, Lolo sat down next to Mirasol’s body. He took her hand into his and I felt his pain as he said goodbye.

  “I’m so sorry,” Lolo said, before he let her go.

  I asked Lolo to let Jason bury all of Mirasol’s remains under one of the giant trees in the graveyard. Although the others wanted to burn her body, I begged them for this one last favor.

  Jason was going to be a tricky one to sort out for the royals. He was a new kind of engkanto who didn’t fit in with the old laws of the kingdom, the laws they meticulously put in place so creatures like Jason never happened. I was apprehensive about what they would decide to do with him. I trusted that Lolo would see Jason as a victim of his mother’s anger, honed in battle since the day he was born. Lolo believed he deserved a second chance. I knew that Lolo was doing this to make up for his role in Arman’s death. But I knew others in Engkantasia would not see it that way.

  I could sense Lolo’s conflicted emotions about Mama’s decision to take on the throne. He was torn between the needs of the kingdom and the happiness of his daughter. I hoped things would change in Engkantasia. They couldn’t continue to bury their heads in the sand with the reality that their kind had spawned half-engkanto around the world. They couldn’t ignore that half-creatures like me could become threats if we didn’t help them discover their abilities and guide them to use it for good.

  I heard my friends’ quiet snoring, asleep on the grass. Mark’s gadgets helped them survive the night. Even before the fight ended, Mark was already calculating the changes he needed to make to improve the weapons. I smiled as I watched them sleep.

  Mama squeezed my hand. I put my head on her shoulder as she kissed the top of it.

  “I am so proud of you,” she whispered to me. “I used to sleep next to you when you were a baby because I was so afraid something would take you away from me. But after what you did, I feel a bit better about leaving, knowing that you can take care of yourself.”

  Dad came out and sat next to me. He took my hand, too, and I squeezed it tight.

  “Thank you for saving him, Dad.”

  After the fight, Dad placed the ring on Jason’s finger. I wasn’t sure it was going to work, given the injuries he sustained from the attack. But I guess he wanted to live, to have a second chance.

  He would have to go to Engkantasia, which scared me because there was a great chance other clans would try to kill him. I hoped I could convince them to let him stay in this world, where he would be safe. But I wasn’t certain that was possible.

  I felt his pain that night. I felt his desire to protect me from his mother. But I also knew that he didn’t want to kill Mirasol. He just didn’t have a choice at the moment. I would forever be grateful to him for saving my life. It was my turn to find a way to save his.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Rose Garden Private School Newsletter

  From the Principal’s Desk

  As everyone knows, Karina Harris’s mother has finally returned after going missing for three years. This is a wonderful time for Karina’s family and we wish her all the best. Karina will not be attending term one next year to catch up on lost times with her family.

  Understandably, the family is asking everyone to respect their privacy. To support this, I ask the students not to give interviews to the media. Let us respect the family’s wishes.

  W e’re almost ready, hun,” Mama called to me.

  “Okay.” I went through the family photos one last time.

  “It’s going to be okay. This is the right thing to do. You know I’ll always be watching over you. Every now and then I’ll check what you’ve been doing and send you a message. Just watch the trees and flowers out the back,” Mama said, reaching for my hand.

  “What about the other clan leaders out there? They ran away. We don’t know where they are.”

  “Your Lolo’s elite team have caught them over the week. The nuno was the hardest to find but they managed to catch it. They’re already in prison as we speak.”

  “I still can’t get over the images I saw in Mirasol’s head, the plans she had for Jason after she takes over Engkantasia,” I said, shuddering at the memory.

  When Lolo read Mirasol’s thoughts, we saw what she intended to do in Engkantasia. Mirasol figured out that in order to create male manananggal, the manananggal had to procreate with the engkanto. She was going to create her own army once she took over the throne and change the population in Engkantasia forever. She was going to use Jason as a stud, like a prized horse, making as many male manananggal as possible. She wanted to unleash her kind into Engkantasia and the human world, bearing an entire army with her as the queen. Jason was going to be her prince, following her orders until the day he died. Parenting at its worst.

  “Ma, thank you for helping out with Jason’s training. If you weren’t going to Engkantasia, would you have continued helping him?” I could see the changes in Jason as we worked together to find his engkanto side. I was right. He wasn’t all bad.

  “Of course, mija. He is important to you and so he is important to me, too. Aside from that, I agree with what you’re trying to do.”

  “I’m glad Lolo allowed Jason to stay in the human world. He will have a lot of explaining to do when he gets back.”

  “I know Jason’s probably done a lot of damage to this world since the day he was born, but it’s hard to totally blame him for everything when the only guidance he ever got was from Mirasol.”

  Mama held my hand and sensed my emotions. I looked into her eyes and saw sadness but also something else.

  “I am proud of you, Mama. I know you’ll be a great leader. I just know it,” I told her.

  “I’ve almost forgotten how strong your powers are now. One touch and you’re suddenly a super empath. I don’t think I was ever that good,” she said, touching my cheek.

  “I got it from you and Dad. I’ll keep practicing too until I’m as good as Lolo.”

  I hugged Mama, letting the tears come as we said goodbye to each other.

  “I won’t be far from you, mija. Remember that.”

  “I love you, Mama.”

  “I love you, too, baby, always.”

  We walked together to the backyard, holding each other’s hand. I was so afraid to let go. Outside, the mood shifted, like someone in the family had died. My heart was breaking into a million pieces. Dad looked like he hadn’t slept in a year. Mark was looking so morose, comforting a crying Alyssa on his shoulder. We were outside with the clan leaders, Jason, Lolo, and Mama, looking at the portal slowly opening. Everyone said their goodbyes. Lolo gave me my healing ring in case I needed it in the future but I gave it to Dad instead. I wanted him to be safe.

  I walked to Lolo and gave him a big hug. He hugged me back tightly. I wanted to think that I softened him up a bit. I was connected to him now. We would be forever
bound by what we went through.

  “Lolo, you are the best King for Engkantasia. Don’t ever doubt yourself. Follow your gut even if everyone else thinks you’re nuts. You’ve seen this world. You’ve experienced it yourself. If you feel you need to make changes, then make the changes.”

  “You are a very wise young woman,” he said, kissing my forehead.

  “I know,” I smiled.

  I hugged each of the clan leaders, thanking them for their help as they stepped into the portal one by one. I squeezed Lolo’s hand as he entered into his kingdom.

  I walked toward Dad and pulled him closer to Mama. I knew how painful things had been for them and it broke my heart to see them so miserable. I had always known what I needed to do. It probably wouldn’t make sense to a lot of people. It didn’t even make sense to me, but I was following my gut. I was trusting what I felt in my heart was the right thing to do.

  “Dad, Mama, I want you to know you guys are the best parents in the world. I am what I am now because of you. I could never have asked for better parents, even if one of you isn’t from this world.”

  Tears were blurring my vision as we hugged each other tightly. I kissed my parents and said goodbye.

  “Goodbye?” Dad asked, puzzled.

  I left letters for everyone I needed to say goodbye to—Jason, Alyssa, Mark, my parents. I hoped they would understand. I hoped they would be able to forgive me.

  “I hope you understand why I have to do this,” I said as I pushed Mama away from the portal and stepped in.

  “No!” Mama screamed, trying to reach out to me.

  “Karina!” I heard my friends scream, my mother crying as the portal closed.

  Jason didn’t say anything. I saw everything in his eyes—the shock, the love, the understanding of what needed to be done.

  I heard their voices echoing further and further away as the portal disappeared. I turned around to find the clan leaders and Lolo staring at me. The portal had been sealed completely. No one in and no one out. Mama was supposed to be here, which meant there would be no more engkanto in the human world. But I guess I tricked them. I tricked them all. I knew I was in trouble and I only just got there.

  I had always been certain that I didn’t want Mama and Dad to be miserable. They deserved to be happy. Besides, wasn’t this the best way to avoid homework for the rest of my life?

  In the letter, I asked Mama to help Jason with his training. I knew they would help him. Mama was an engkanto princess. She would make the best trainer for him. I knew I would soon see the consequences of my impulsive action but if I kept busy with learning about this new world, I might just avoid a full nervous breakdown.

  Epilogue

  Jason

  I had been visiting mother’s grave frequently, bringing her flowers and talking to her. Was I trying to ask for forgiveness? Yes and no. I never meant to kill her. I wanted to stop her from hurting Karina. I wanted her to stop everything. It was the manananggal’s instinct that took over. I never meant to kill her. Never.

  A part of me still hoped that in the end she was grateful I did what I did, that somehow I released her from the anger and hatred that took control of her life.

  Mother did know how to love. I saw her life in my head when Karina showed me Mother’s past. In her many decades as a manananggal, she fell in love twice. To me, that showed she was different from her mother and great-grandmother. But having no one there to support her and teach her how to love made it hard for her to move away from the dark side. I truly believe Mother loved me. In her own way, I knew she loved me.

  It had been weeks since her death. I still remembered feeling her beating heart in my hand, fading away slowly. Even though Mother and I had the strangest relationship, I still felt like I had lost a limb after she died. Was that how a child would normally feel when their parent passed away?

  My stepfather was inconsolable. He worshipped my mother since the day he met her. He buried himself in more work, traveling all over the world even more than he did before. I told him Mama ran away. That she said goodbye to me before she left, and never returned. It would be better this way. It was better to keep him in the dark about everything. He would send financial support, more than I needed to live on. Probably overcompensating for not being around. I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to change myself and discover my engkanto side. It also helped me get to know Karina’s family even more, and experience what a loving family felt like.

  I didn’t know how long I’d continue visiting her. Our “conversations” in the cemetery were probably the only moments in my life when I had been totally honest with Mother about how I felt about the world, about who I was, and about her. I told her about the latest skills I had discovered and about what being half an engkanto meant.

  I was still fighting the urges to kill and destroy. Every time I tried to converse with nature, it would take more effort for me not to use it to eliminate something. There had been several misses—like accidentally killing the mouse I was supposed to be communicating with. Because aside from the urge to destroy, there was also the urge to eat all living creatures. I didn’t know if Mother would have been proud of what I was learning now. Maybe she’d be furious I was trying to stop my “natural” instincts.

  I knew she was dead. I saw her die. But I still couldn’t get myself to talk to her about Karina. It was a betrayal I couldn’t let go. I hope she’d forgive me. I hope she’d understand.

  I took the flowers out of the car and decided to refresh the wilting ones using my new skills, although I was not sure if Mother will appreciate that. Maybe she would. Maybe it would remind her of my real father.

  No one knew where Mother was buried so I was really the only one who came to see her. I gave my stepdad one of mother’s necklaces and told him she wanted him to have it. It was a lie, of course. She never really thought of him as anything else but a source of money. He’d never know we buried Mother under the big tree in this old cemetery.

  I walked toward the old tree when I felt it. Another presence nearby. It was not human or engkanto. It was something else. Something dark and sinister. I looked around to see if anyone else was there. A shadow flickered through my vision. A woman with long dark hair standing over Mother’s grave. Who was she? I couldn’t see her face but I was close enough to smell her. She smelled like Mother, a musk of earth and grass, but with a stronger trace of iron. Blood? Was she a manananggal?

  My instincts were telling me this woman was dangerous. I changed my arm into claws, as slowly and as quietly as I could so I would not be detected. But the woman sensed my transformation and turned around quickly, looking straight at me. I gasped at the face staring back at me.

  The woman looked so much like Mother, the familiar nose and lips, the eyes filled with pride and hate. She was beautiful even with the creases around her eyes and mouth, and the scars that never quite healed right. She could easily be my mother in a couple of years if she was still alive. Her clothes were torn around the edges, fraying and tattered. Her dirty old rags and bare feet were a striking contrast to her creamy skin and silky hair.

  “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I called out as I started running toward her. She looked at my claws and instantly turned around. She ran away from me, her steps steady on uneven ground. I ran after her but she was much quicker than I expected. She jumped the fence in one effortless move and disappeared in the bushes.

  I followed her tracks, sniffing her scent but I lost her when I reached the train line. Did she jump on the train while it was passing by at full speed? That wasn’t humanly possible but a manananggal could do it easily.

  I walked back to Mother’s grave to see if the old woman left anything behind. I knelt down and saw her footprints. There was nothing else there, nothing to indicate what she was or who she was. Nothing else but a smell on the soil, a very delicious familiar scent.

  Blood. I gathered some soil from the ground and sniff it, inhaling the sweet aroma of the sustenance I once enjoyed
so fully. Definitely blood. Had someone been pouring blood on my mother’s grave?

  I touched the ground where Mother was buried. It was probably unwise of us not to burn her corpse but I couldn’t bear watching her burn. Ripping her heart out of her chest was painful enough. Burning her would have driven me mad with sorrow.

  There was something stirring underneath me. Was there something else buried under there? There was definitely movement. Although it was not as strong, I could tell something was squirming, and it was something big.

  And then I heard it. The faintest of heartbeats. I moved away. Impossible. How could there be a heartbeat under the ground? Mother could not possibly be alive.

  I remembered something that night I was hurt. Karina’s father brought a ring with him and placed it on my finger. King Magatu said it was a healing ring forged from the rocks of Engkantasia. The ring could heal anything. But could it bring someone back from the dead? It looked very similar to the ring Mother owned.

  I remembered Mother’s special ring, the one that looked so ordinary it could pass as a worthless trinket. She wore it on her finger all the time and never took it off. I was never even allowed to touch it. But I never noticed if she also wore it when she hunted at night. Surely the ring would not fit her hand when she transformed into a Manananggal? But if it was from Engkantasia, it could probably change itself to suit the owner’s hand. Was Mother wearing it the night we attacked the engkanto? Could the ring repair the mangled body of a manananggal? A chill ran through my body. I couldn’t leave without knowing what was under the ground.

  I looked around to see if there were people in the cemetery. Thankfully, it was empty. The sun was already starting to set. Nightfall meant I would be cloaked in darkness. I sat on the ground waiting for the orange and reds of the horizon to fade. I couldn’t be seen digging with manananggal arms, especially since I didn’t really know what I was going to find under there. Was it a full moon tonight? I hoped not because if it was Mother coming back from the dead, I didn’t want to be her food.