Redemption

I lived in a far province in the southern part of Luzon. My home barrio was so peaceful, the people lived a simple life and at first look, you would never imagine that each of us lived in bloodshed. Our race has been long forgotten and no one would ever expect that we still exist in this world.

October 2005, I left the barrio and hope to escape from the path that was laid down to me by my ancestors by coming to Cebu. My mother understood my decision of leaving the barrio but my father was so furious and his words still echoed in my dreams “You can’t escape Lester! Your destiny will haunt you and bring you back one day!”

“Noooooo!” I woke up from a nightmare and my body was so wet with sweat. I stood up and went to the wash room of my apartment. When I open the door, I saw a man, his naked body was dark, his face covered with hair, blood was flowing from his mouth and his eyes were red looking at me furiously “You can’t escape!” his voice was like from hell, then suddenly the alarm clock rang and I woke up. Its 11:00 o’clock in the evening an hour before my shift in the call center.
I grabbed the alarm and turn it off “Shit..What a dream!” I had been having the same dream every night. I hurriedly prepare myself for my work but my body seemed so tired and my head was aching like hell. I decided to call in for absence.

“Hello, this is Lester with employee ID 100375105. I wanted to call in for absence” my voice over the phone was so low and trembling.

“hey lester, this is Jason.. what’s up man?” the voice over the line belongs to my friend. He was the manager on duty at that time.

“Oh Jason, it’s you. Sorry man, I am really not feeling well right now. I will just submit a medical certificate tomorrow okay?” I answered the voice on the other line.

“okay no problem my friend, may ask what sickness do you have right now so I can log it in my tracker? Jason asked.

“head ache, I think I have a migraine” I answered immediately.

“okay here you go! Your reference number is 07KJL08. Please take note and present this together with the medical certificate when you come back” he replied. Jason was always kind to me.

“thank you man, bye see you tomorrow” I bid good bye to Jason.

“Good bye and get well soon!” he hung up the phone.

I went to the kitchen to get some water when I noticed from the window that the moon was full. I was enticed by its beauty so I drew near to the window and gazed the beauty of the moon. At the back of my mind flashed a scene from the past. Our elders would dance under the full moon, they were all naked and they rubbed some oil on their body as they chant, worshipping the spirit of the moon. The surrounding was so silent then a cool breeze of wind touched my skin. The air carries a whisper that sounds like from underground “You can’t escape!” I came back to my senses when my phone rang.

“Hello!” I asked the person on the other line.

“Hey bro, this is Kris. Sorry I don’t have a load so I am just using my Mom’s phone. By the way I would like to be the first one to greet you a happy birthday!” He greeted me with a happy voice.

“Shit I forget it would be September 20 by the time the clock strikes 12!” I replied.

“Wow, that a sign of aging bro! It’s your 21^st birthday right? Your debut” Kris asked excitedly. But suddenly my whole nerve was trembling and I don’t understand but I felt some horror coming. I felt some presence and the light from the moon gave me a creepy feeling. I dropped my cell phone and hurriedly close the window.

“Hello, hello lester? Are you all right bro? hellooo?” kris was already worried because I was not able to answer the phone. I totally forgot about him, all I felt that time was terror. The words of my father once again echoed to my ears “You can’t escape Lester! Your destiny will haunt you and bring you back one day!” I ran into the corner, closed my ears and cried “Lord please help me!” then I remembered kris, I looked for my cell phone and picked it up “hello Kris, are you there? Please help” but there was no one on the line already. I looked at the clock it was already 11:20 then there was a strong wind that forcedly opened the glass window of my apartment. My heart was filled with fear then the lights turned on and off like a busted lamp. I looked outside the window and the light of the moon painted a picture horror. I was so terrified and I started reciting the prayer Kris taught me. “Our father, who is in heaven….” There was a knock on the door, the light continued to turn on and off and the wind outside got stronger that it lifted some light materials in the sala. “Hollowed be thy name, thy kingdom com….” The picture frame of the sacred heart of Jesus that I hung on the wall fell. I was really terrified, and then someone was trying to destroy the door. I don’t know what to do at that time, I looked at the clock and it was already 11:50, then I hear the door bang. I saw a shadow came in, my tears were flowing like river, my eyes closed while my hands covering my ears as I continued reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Then I felt a hand and a familiar voice “Lester, what is happening to you?” I opened my eyes and I saw it was kris.

“Kris thanks God you are here bro! Please help me they are coming to get me” my voice was trembling.

“what do you mean? Who will come to get you?” Kris asked curiously.

“They are already here” I replied while my eyes roaming around the room. The light was completely turned off then suddenly I felt a severe head ache “aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” I shouted. “Kris, please get a rope and tie me up before the clock strikes 12” I pleaded while I suffer from the severe head ache and my body was so painful as well, it seemed like my bones were moving and something was growing on my back.

“Lester what is happening to you?” Kris stepped back, he didn’t know what was going in and I felt his fear.

“Get a rope or go away save your life” I shouted with pain, 2 minutes before midnight “ahhhhhhhhhh kris Im an aswang!” His face looked shock and terrified as he saw my transformation. Kris ran, I thought he was scared but he came back with a rope, my face was already covered with hair and my eyes turned red but he was not afraid. He recited the Lord ’s Prayer as started to tie me up with a rope. “Lester please fight, pray with me!” Kris embraced me crying “I believe in you!” he continued. The clock strikes 12 already. “Your kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” we both recited the prayer. Kris just embraced me as we continue reciting the prayer then suddenly the light was already turned ON. Kris looked at me smiling, happy to see me in my normal face. The hairs were gone and my eyes had turned back to its light brown color. We looked at each other happy then he untied me and continued praying to God.

We spent the whole night praying, thanking God for his glory and saving me against the evil that was trying to claim my soul. “Bro are you okay?” Kris asked me when he noticed that the sun has already risen.

“Yeah I feel better, thank you my friend because you never left me in the times that I needed you” I smiled at him.

“There are two of us with you my friend. If it is not because of Him I would have lost my courage seeing you becoming an aswang” He smiled again as he spoke those assuring words.

“Thank you my friend for letting me know Jesus, the deliverer of my soul!” I embraced him tightly then once more we say a few more prayer. Later that day we went to church.

I am forever thankful for I met a friend like Kris who showed me the deliverance through Jesus Christ our Lord and savior. After that day, I never experienced a midnight horror again. I continued serving God and decided to study his words by going to the Bible school.

As of today I am more confident to deliver more souls as I am heeding back to my home barrio with God’s word as my armor. I knew I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.