The coastal assassin.

At the village of Baybay, there was a myth about a vigilant assassin that kills anyone who walks through the path of evil.

But no one has ever seen her or prove her existence.

Some say that no one ever talks about her because the people that have seen her is dead.

It's all just a myth right?

Stay tuned for the premiere of this story on

...[NOVEMBER 3, 2020]...

..."It's not Easy"...

Serina's POV

Here I am.. living in a small humble village.

Near the coast, houses are built on stilts with bridges for us to cross.

"Mama! I'm going to school now okay?" I called her out as I wear my backpack and ready to go out of our wooden house at 5 in the morning.

"Wait! Take your little brother with you, he doesn't know how to go there!" She said while helping him wear his uniform.

"Mama! I'm going to be late!" I complained to her.

"Stop with that attitude or I will twist your ear!" She growled.

I pouted like a child and sat on the raised up doorway.

After a few minutes, me and my little brother are ready to go.

"You two better come home early or the manananggal will get you and eat your organs."

"She's just saying that to scare us" I said shrugging at her words.

We headed to our school which is further in land, away from our village. We needed walk through the forest and cross the river.

Which should take a while considering my brother is always taking up my time.

I sighed as we were about to walk through the forest, my frightened brother immediately went closer to me.

"D-does the manananggal really exist?" He said looking around the trees.

"Oscar, mama is just using that to scare us so we could go home early." I said as I keep on walking.

"I-I don't know about that, the elders in our village claims that they have seen her." He said with a frightened tone.

"Oh shut up, it's impossible for a person to just cut themselves in half then grow wings and fly."

"What's your basis then?" He said giving me more space.

"It's basic science, if science cannot explain it then it's just a myth." I shrugged until we've reached the river.

"I hope Uncle Rick is still here." I looked around at the shoreline of the river and spotted a boat.

"Yes!" Happily, we walked towards his nipa hut and noticed him putting salt on his windowsill.

"Goodmorning Uncle Rick!" I cheerfully greeted him, smiling.

He didn't quite hear me at first, focused on what he was doing due to his old age.

"A-Ah! Serina!" He said with a startled tone.

"You're going to help us cross the river right? I said leaning closer to him.

"Right, let me just go get my oars." He went inside his hut as I waited for him outside.

"Oscar, do you have any idea why Uncle Rick is placing salt in his windows?" I looked at him with crossed arms.

"Seems like a waste!" I glanced at them once again.

"They say salt repels the manananggals." Oscar said glancing at them too.

"Oh really? What a waste." I rolled my eyes.

Uncle Rick finally got his oars and invited us to his humble boat.

It's a good thing that our school is by the riverside so we should only be a few minutes late.

"Um, Uncle Rick do you really think those flying half corpses really exists?" I said looking at him, paddling through the river.

"**My mother was killed by one, even though I haven't seen it personally It's better be safe than sorry."

"Specially, living by the forest. Sometimes I hear a thing pound loudly on my roof**."

Oscar looked intrigued at Uncle Rick's "stories"

"It's probably just big cats." I said crossing my arms.

"Don't you just use them to scare us so we could go home early?" I glanced back at Uncle Rick.

Uncle Rick shook his head.

"No, not this time." His statement brought chills all over my body. I shook those sense of fear away, I mean who does believe on those ridiculous things.

We've arrived at school, five minutes late. I gave Uncle Rick our fare as me and Oscar rushed to our respective classrooms since the flag ceremony has already ended.

Going inside my classroom.

Annoying voices greeted me..

"Hey look it's Ms. White Hair!"

"Eww she uses bleach on hair!"

Until my teacher shushed the group of girls in the back.

"You girls! Shut it!" My female teacher glanced at me.

"Please go to your respective seat now."

I nodded at her, and proceeded to study the whole day. I decided to stay close by my teacher the whole day so those girls won't even try to touch me.

It was 3 PM, Oscar went by in the school garden where I was studying.

"Ate Serina, we should go Uncle Rick will come pick us up."

[Ate means "big sister"]

"Tell him that I'll come by later." I said without glancing at him focused on my book.

"But Ate! Mama reminded us to go home early!" Oscar insisted.

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Just go! Ate can fight by herself sheesh!"

Left with no choice Oscar left me with his head down.

"He's probably afraid that he will get scolded by mother." I smiled to myself as I continued reading.

"Oh look who's here, Serina the old woman."

"Studying now are we?"

The two girls that were insulting me earlier came to the garden and sat on the bench surrounding me.

I closed the book angrily and was about to head off. They grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"What the heck is your problem!?" I glared at the one with long hair.

"Oh nothing, we just need to find someone we can pick on." She laughed softly but in an insulting manner.

"Well, you're picking on the wrong person." I glared at her.

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like me to show you?" I said cracking my fingers.

Shortly, both of them grabbed my hair and pulled it intensely.

"A-a-ahh! Hey stop that!" I said trying to hit their hands off my head.

Until I managed to punch the one who kept picking on me. I punched her cheek which left her stunned.

"How dare you!!!" She said gritting her teeth and was about to grab my hair again.

"Would you like another one!?" I said showing my fist to her, while making an aggressive face.

Leaving them stunned I left the area.

"You will pay for this Serina.." The one with long hair mumbled but I dismissed it, shrugging.

..."The Sea of Blood"...

Serina's POV

Five in the afternoon I decided to go home, I waited by the riverside for Uncle Rick to come get me.

Looking at the skies, the sun was already starting to set.

"Where is he !?" I scratched my head in frustration.

I sat down by the ledge and opened my book. A black cat jumped on my book. I shrieked, as it startled me.

"Ugh!"

I clicked my tongue and remembered my mama telling me that if I see a black cat I should not continue where I'm going.

"It's just a myth Serina, no need to worry."

Uncle Rick, didn't come for an hour. It was dark, so I decided to take a long route which leads back to Baybay.

I groaned in frustration as I have to walk for hours.

"Mama is going to bring out her broom." I shivered in fear thinking about it.

I kept walking through the route for a few minutes until I stumbled deep into the woods.

"Huh? This route just leads me away from the seashore." I said scratching my head.

I decided to go back but I ended up in a field used for planting crops. I saw houses on the horizon but they are too far away.

My heart throbbed fast.

"Did I.. get lost..?"

My eyes got watery as I quickly wiped my tears.

"No need to panic Serina." I quietly said to myself.

Then I remembered mama telling me to wear my clothes in the opposite way.

I rolled my eyes thinking about that myth.

"As if that's going to work."

"I just have to remember how I got here."

Tracing back my steps, I somehow ended up deeper into the woods.

"There's smoke!" I ran towards where the smoke was emitted from and found a small hut.

It looked old, and run down.

I gulped in nervousness.

"Keep calm Serina, you're just going to ask for directions."

Putting aside my fear, I approached the small hut with my feet stepping on dried leaves.

I stepped on the porch, wood creaked as I moved.

I knocked on the door.

"Is there anyone here? I'm lost and I'm look for directions."

An old lady with menacing eyes, with warts on her face opened the door.

"Okay, she looks like an evil person"

I slowly turned around and tried to walk away.

"Are you lost, young lady? I would tell you the directions, just give Lola some company."

[Lola \= Grandmother/Old Lady]

I stopped upon hearing that.

"I'm sorry Lola but I already remembered the way back." I stuttered.

"Are you sure?"

"There could be dangerous entities lurking around."

Her words brought chill in my spine.

"You look dangerous yourself!"

I decided to turn around, feeling that I am being rude and who knows if I anger her she could do something sinister.

She was staring at my eyes menacingly.

"Fine, only for a few minutes okay?" Entering inside, I tied my hair into a ponytail.

"Your skin looks fair and your face looks beautiful." She said staring intensely at me and offered me a seat near the wall.

I noticed that her seat is by the exit.

"Okay, I know where this is going.."

"I think, I'm going to sit... right here." I said approaching sitting on the old couch near the exit.

"Oh, that's my dead husband's favorite seat. Unfortunately, he also died there."

I got goosebumps all over my arms and quickly stood up, walking away from the couch.

"What should I do? I'm creeped out."

"Lola, where is the comfort room? I need to pee." I said nervously and put my hand on my crotch to pretend.

"Right over there." She led me towards the backdoor and pointed an old shack surrounded by trees.

I grabbed my backpack but she noticed it.

"You should leave that here, you're not going anywhere right?" She said with an oddly nice tone.

"I... uhh.. need to change my napkins! That's right!" I said with a nervous laugh. I grabbed my bag and headed towards the comfort room.

"Sheesh! She's seeing through me."

I noticed her following me towards the old shack.

"Ummm.. Lola? Why.. are you following me..?" I said with a nervous tone.

"Just keeping guard, as I've told you there could be evil entities lurking around."

"I think I need to fight, she's just an old lady right ?" I thought, while biting my nails.

I stopped on my tracks until I felt her presence come closer to me.

I spun and did a roundhouse kick to her head.

"Huh? She's not here...?"

I felt a dark presence looming beside me. I had goosebumps.

She grabbed my hand, It was cold and I felt sharp nails piercing through my skin.

"Young... and fresh meat... my favorite." She said whispering near my ear.

I cannot move as she might pierce deeper into my skin.

"Alright, play it cool Serina."

I pretended to be scared by shrieking in fear.

"P-please don't eat me! My mama is waiting home for me!"

She licked my neck.

"Ugh! Disgusting! Just wait until I get an opening old hag !"

"Let's go back inside, shall we?" She said mischievously and forced me back to her stinky, wretched hut!

She pushed me down on the floor.

"There !" I quickly stood up and kicked her in the abdomen stunning her, she fell back.

"Alright!" I sprinted towards the front exit back into the dark woods.

"Sheesh! What's with people these days living like psychopaths! I better report this to the authorities once I get home!"

I kept sprinting until I saw a dark shadow flying above.

I looked up and saw that same old lady, cut in half.

She stared at me menacingly with her long tongue.

Terror flowed through my whole body.

"WHAT !?"

"Impossible, Impossible, Impossible!" I shook my head and kept on sprinting.

I saw the exit of the forest which led me to a wide meadow at the end of it was a cliff.

I got out of the forest and looked behind. She kept her eyes on me!

"They really exist !?"

"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!" She said mischievously with a cackle.

She flew towards my direction at full speed. I focused on her to dodge at the right moment.

Until, a shadow sliced through her face marking it with three claw marks.