Night's Life
Chapter I
"Do you have any plans this weekend?" Giselle asked, returning her green notebook in her backpack. They just finished their literature class, talking about Neil Gaiman and some of his works. Martin was putting his own notebook back in his worn out messenger bag hanging from his shoulder. They were the only students left in the room together with a couple of others whose next class seemed to be in the same room.
"Nah, not really. If I feel like it, I might go to Luneta in the afternoon to take photos and stuff." He shrugged, which was barely obvious because of the heavy bag's weight. They walked out of the room, feeling the coldness of the air conditioned room vanish from their skin. It was still cold outside the room, but the room was colder because of the air conditioner. He removed his dark red scarf wrapped around his neck and put it in his bag, while Giselle zipped off her green jacket and wrapped it around her waist, revealing a grey t-shirt with a Captain America logo on it.
"So what are you planning to do now?" she asked, not facing his friend. The corridors were filled with students waiting for their next classes. They were bundled in groups, making distinguished noises. One group, seated across the room Giselle and Martin exited, was making shrilly girly sounds, talking in slang, and making theatric gestures. The other group, composed of three boys and a girl, were sitting on a concrete bench beside the staircase; they were murmuring and occasionally cursing while staring at the Pokemon game on their gaming consoles. Some groups were also sitting on the cold concrete floor, talking about different things - ranging from the assignments assigned tomorrow to their plans for someone's birthday which will happen on the next month.
"I dunno, eat maybe. Where d'you wat to eat?" he said, carefully going down the St. Philomene Hall staircase.
"Hm, I'm too lazy to think of anything else. McDonald's it is!" She said unenthusiastically. They've been eating there for almost a week, and they're too lazy to think of any other place to eat. Martin sighed and shook his head. He then jokingly told his friend to remind him that he would be choosing where to eat for lunch tomorrow.
---
"More humans? You want more of them?" Its aged voice audible beneath the mask it was wearing. It was standing in the middle of a forest illuminated only by blue orbs floating in mid-air. The sky is as dark as a moonless and starless night. Nothing could be heard from this forest, not even the sound of crickets, nor he heartbeats of any living creature. Nothing can survive this place aside from them.
The dead leaves in the forest began to rustle even though there was no wind blowing. It nodded, understanding the language of the dark forest. It put its hood on, and vanished in the darkness of the forest. As soon as he left another masked figure showed up, this time a smaller one. It stayed on the place where the former figure stood: a circle of dead mushrooms and mossy stones.
"What are you planning?" It asked with a tiny voice, disguising its actual age with its voice. It tilted its head, making one of its eyes glitter for a while in its mask.
Another figure showed up from the darkness, taller than the latter figure, but smaller than the first. It was not wearing anything. It did not seem to mind the coldness of the dark forest. Its hair was as white as the moon in the night sky, and its skin as pale and dry as the dead. It was brushing its long hair with slender fingers. It cracked a smile, its green eyes glittering with enthusiasm from the question, and it pressed one finger on its smiling lips. "Nothing special. Just the usual," it said with a voice older than time.
---
"I'll let you if you promise me not to go home late!" Martin's mother was cooking sweet-and-sour fish for lunch. She was wiping the beads of sweat forming on her forehead from the heat of the stove. Sweat stains were visible in the armpit parts of her pink shirt. Martin, on the other hand, was sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the kitchen, paused the game he was playing in his iPad. He looked at her with pleading eyes, but she was focusing more on the fish she was frying.
"But mom, the best part's at night! It's Christmas season so I'm pretty certain that the highlight will be at night. Imagine, Christmas lights -" He was talking quickly, holding his breath, making sure that his mother would not be able to think of another witty reply. He studied his mother’s reaction while she was cooking. She bit her lower lip and her brows furrowed, thinking whether or not she should permit her son to do what he wanted. She glimpsed at him with her dark brown eyes, adjusting her glasses so she could see him clearly.
She sighed in defeat, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. “Okay young man, you’re allowed to stay there late.” She pointed her wooden spatula at the smiling teenager. She then cracked a smile after seeing his son’s face. “But, make sure that you text me. Understood?”
Martin’s smile grew wider. He could feel the muscles in his cheeks hurt. He stood up, stretched his arms as far as he could, and left the kitchen with a big grin. “I’ll just go prepare my stuff,” he said loudly as he left the kitchen.
She smiled again, but it faded into a grim feeling. She could feel her chest heavy, nervous. She felt that something might happen, something big and bad.
"Nah, not really. If I feel like it, I might go to Luneta in the afternoon to take photos and stuff." He shrugged, which was barely obvious because of the heavy bag's weight. They walked out of the room, feeling the coldness of the air conditioned room vanish from their skin. It was still cold outside the room, but the room was colder because of the air conditioner. He removed his dark red scarf wrapped around his neck and put it in his bag, while Giselle zipped off her green jacket and wrapped it around her waist, revealing a grey t-shirt with a Captain America logo on it.
"So what are you planning to do now?" she asked, not facing his friend. The corridors were filled with students waiting for their next classes. They were bundled in groups, making distinguished noises. One group, seated across the room Giselle and Martin exited, was making shrilly girly sounds, talking in slang, and making theatric gestures. The other group, composed of three boys and a girl, were sitting on a concrete bench beside the staircase; they were murmuring and occasionally cursing while staring at the Pokemon game on their gaming consoles. Some groups were also sitting on the cold concrete floor, talking about different things - ranging from the assignments assigned tomorrow to their plans for someone's birthday which will happen on the next month.
"I dunno, eat maybe. Where d'you wat to eat?" he said, carefully going down the St. Philomene Hall staircase.
"Hm, I'm too lazy to think of anything else. McDonald's it is!" She said unenthusiastically. They've been eating there for almost a week, and they're too lazy to think of any other place to eat. Martin sighed and shook his head. He then jokingly told his friend to remind him that he would be choosing where to eat for lunch tomorrow.
---
"More humans? You want more of them?" Its aged voice audible beneath the mask it was wearing. It was standing in the middle of a forest illuminated only by blue orbs floating in mid-air. The sky is as dark as a moonless and starless night. Nothing could be heard from this forest, not even the sound of crickets, nor he heartbeats of any living creature. Nothing can survive this place aside from them.
The dead leaves in the forest began to rustle even though there was no wind blowing. It nodded, understanding the language of the dark forest. It put its hood on, and vanished in the darkness of the forest. As soon as he left another masked figure showed up, this time a smaller one. It stayed on the place where the former figure stood: a circle of dead mushrooms and mossy stones.
"What are you planning?" It asked with a tiny voice, disguising its actual age with its voice. It tilted its head, making one of its eyes glitter for a while in its mask.
Another figure showed up from the darkness, taller than the latter figure, but smaller than the first. It was not wearing anything. It did not seem to mind the coldness of the dark forest. Its hair was as white as the moon in the night sky, and its skin as pale and dry as the dead. It was brushing its long hair with slender fingers. It cracked a smile, its green eyes glittering with enthusiasm from the question, and it pressed one finger on its smiling lips. "Nothing special. Just the usual," it said with a voice older than time.
---
"I'll let you if you promise me not to go home late!" Martin's mother was cooking sweet-and-sour fish for lunch. She was wiping the beads of sweat forming on her forehead from the heat of the stove. Sweat stains were visible in the armpit parts of her pink shirt. Martin, on the other hand, was sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the kitchen, paused the game he was playing in his iPad. He looked at her with pleading eyes, but she was focusing more on the fish she was frying.
"But mom, the best part's at night! It's Christmas season so I'm pretty certain that the highlight will be at night. Imagine, Christmas lights -" He was talking quickly, holding his breath, making sure that his mother would not be able to think of another witty reply. He studied his mother’s reaction while she was cooking. She bit her lower lip and her brows furrowed, thinking whether or not she should permit her son to do what he wanted. She glimpsed at him with her dark brown eyes, adjusting her glasses so she could see him clearly.
She sighed in defeat, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. “Okay young man, you’re allowed to stay there late.” She pointed her wooden spatula at the smiling teenager. She then cracked a smile after seeing his son’s face. “But, make sure that you text me. Understood?”
Martin’s smile grew wider. He could feel the muscles in his cheeks hurt. He stood up, stretched his arms as far as he could, and left the kitchen with a big grin. “I’ll just go prepare my stuff,” he said loudly as he left the kitchen.
She smiled again, but it faded into a grim feeling. She could feel her chest heavy, nervous. She felt that something might happen, something big and bad.