Chapter 01

December 19, 2021 England, Cumbrian mountains near Lake District...

"Alessandra, wake up! We've arrived, you'll get cold if you're not going to open your eyes."

Naidilat ko ang mga mata ko at ang napakalamig na hangin ang unang bumungad sa'kin.

I thought it was true, the man in my dream whom I kissed.

"What?" Mother looks annoyed when my eyes whimpered.

That was a mystical dream, I wonder if that man in my dream was true. His lips were totally cold and I felt like we just kissed... Right now.

Napahawak ako sa labi ko at ramdam ko ang pamumula ng mga pisngi ko. "I had a beautiful dream Mom," said while my eyes are puffy.

Napailing-iling na lamang ito at inaya akong lumabas sa kotse. Dala ang mga gamit namin ay hinalikan ni Dad ang ulo ko at bumulong na bad mood daw si Mom dahil naiwan daw ang microwave na paborito niya.

Natatawang napayakap ako sa braso ni Dad habang nakasunod ang tingin sa likod ni Mom.

We're going to celebrate our Christmas in Lake District because my Grandma wanted to stay here—where my grandpa died.

I haven't seen my grandma since I was twelve. She visits at our house in New York when it was my birthday and that was the last time I've seen her.

The house looks small but I think it's comfy,  I haven't tried sleeping in a house like this. My heart keeps rumbling because of how excited I am, just how much did my grandma changed?

"Ma! Pakibuksan na 'tong pinto at kami'y nalalamigan na ng sobra."

Sabay kaming napahalakhak ni Papa dahil sa paraan ng pagsasalita niya. Biglang bumukas ang pinto at ang nakasimangot na mukha ni Grandma ang bumungad samin.

Pinitik niya ang noo ni Mom na nakapagpatawa lalo kay Papa. " Ano't sinisigawan mo ang pinto ko? Mas mahal pa to sa raffle ng microwave mo."

Mom frowned. "Come here Alessandra, you wouldn't want your granddaughter to see you beating her mother right?"

Hinila ako ni Mom palapit sakanya at nang magtama ang paningin namin ay lumabas ang matamis na ngiti sa labi ni Grandma.

"You've grown well Lesa." Tumingin siya sa direksyon ni Dad at ngumiti. "You haven't changed too Alex, you're still kind as ever. No wonder this woman has still a husband, lucky bitch."

Gusto kong matawa sa huling sinabi ni Grandma ngunit pinigilan ko dahil nasa braso ko ang kamay ni Mom.

Umismid lamang si Mom at hinila ako papasok. The house wasn't cold and the temperature inside feels normal just like in New York but still the smell from the mountain can still be able to smell by my nose.

"I already prepared your room and also, Alessandra will sleep with me. I haven't able to sleep with my Granddaughter for the past years," said by my grandma.

Patakbo akong sumilip sa kwarto ni grandma at amoy ko ang fresh ocean perfume kasama ang amoy ng tulips. 

"Grandma, your room is big. Can I take a bath in your bathroom?" I asked and excitedly run to the bathroom when she agreed.

The whole place was full of painting, from the living room to the bathroom. The styles were about heavy Romance, a shadow model to portray the meaning of the painting.

That's how my grandma paints.

I love painting too, especially my mother who was a Cum laude in the Arts and Science University. She was the image of the art because of how she paints.

A mystical one.

I was rubbing my hair using a clean towel when suddenly my eyes caught the large painting hanged near the body-size mirror.

It was about a lady leaning on the beast's arms under the bright formed moon. Then, the memory of the man I kissed in my dream suddenly appeared.

He looks like a human but the way he cut off the head of that man was remorseless. They say it's a monster but my heart wanted to kiss his lips and embrace him.

If only it wasn't a dream. If only he was real...

"Grandma, you're still up?" I asked after closing the bathroom's door.

Tinanggal niya ang salamin na suot niya at inilapag ito sa lamesa ng lampshade. Pumatong ako sa kama at sinandal ang ulo sa braso niya, I missed this.

"You're still clingy Lesa, you really haven't changed." She kissed my forehead.

Napangiti ako. Bakit naman ako magbabago kung ang mga taong nasa paligid ko ay totoo sa'kin?

"Do you believe in mystical stories Lesa?" tanong niya habang hinahaplos ang buhok ko.

"What kind of mystical grandma? Fairies? Monsters? I don't believe those kinds of stories."

Who would believe such kind of stories?

"You haven't seen a scary creature? They're true, they're just somewhere... Hiding in between the shadows, waiting for its prey to take their bait. "

I chuckled. "Grandma, have you seen one? I will only believe such things if I could see them eye to eye."

"I've seen one," tugon niya sa mababang tono habang ang mga mata'y tila inaalala ang isang memoryang hindi niya makalimutan.

I smiled, shaking my head with disbeliefs. I shouldn't bother myself with an old story, I wouldn't mind listening but it's hard to believe it. Especially the creature...

Nang makatulog si Grandma ay inayos ko ang pwesto niya at inayos ang kumot sa katawan niya.

Lumabas ako ng kwarto upang magtimpla ng kape dahil nanginginig ang tuhod ko. I shouldn't have taken a bath, I feel like I'm going to catch a cold.

Nilagyan ko ng kahoy ang umaapoy na furnace saka umupo sa rocking chair, hawak-hawak ang baso ng mainit na kape.

My eyes darted on the canvas with unfinished painting, the part where the lady in the painting was crying in bliss.

She looks like the lady in the painting hanging in the bathroom. Her eyes were sorrowful, pail and dark.

Napahinto ako nang makarinig ako ng kalabog sa bubong. I thought I was just hallucinating but the roof suddenly moved like it was stomp by a large elephant.

Ibinaba ko ang baso ng kape at marahang binuksan ang sliding window at idinungaw ang ulo sa taas.

Kasabay nang pagdungaw ko ay ang pagdungaw din ng ulo niya sa baba kung saan ang direksyon ko.

Our eyes met and I felt the sudden reminisce of the man in my dream.  The same eyes with nothing but craving to kill, the same eyes whom I wanted to see.

He was the creature in my dream.