The moon loomed hazy behind the smoke-thick sky. The heat from the day still lingered in the asphalt as Zep and Louie walked in silence, their backpacks slung lazily over their shoulders.
Suddenly—CAAWK!
A sharp, cracking cry pierced the stillness.
Zep flinched. "What the hell was that?"
Louie's eyes shot up toward a power line. A lone crow sat perched on the wire, staring straight at them. It didn't caw again. It just stared—its eyes glinting unnaturally, as if it knew something they didn't.
Then another landed beside it. Then a third.
"Crows?" Louie muttered. "At night?"
"No," Zep whispered, his voice dry. "Crows don't hunt at night."
The birds suddenly scattered—exploding into the sky with loud wingbeats.
And then… silence.
As they walked, they began to notice the street—rats, cats, torn-up bodies. Blood on the pavement.
Gunshots in the distance—BANG! BANG!
Screams.
Zep grabbed Louie. "We need to check it out."
Louie resisted. "Are you serious!?"
A new feeling settled in. Like something had just shifted. Like the world around them had gone wrong.
They turned the corner.
That's when they saw them—two figures, crouched near the creek canal. Not human. Feasting.
They crept closer. Hidden behind crates, they saw bodies. A woman in white, two officers—ripped apart. The scene was brutal.
"Call the police!" Zep whispered.
Louie fumbled with his phone—1% battery… then it died.
"Shit!" he hissed. He didn't say anything to Zep, just backed away, panicking.
Then, a noise—a kick of wood against a metal can.
Both froze.
The aswang heard them.
Two heads snapped toward the noise—one tall and bald, the other short and covered in thick, dark fur. Their red eyes glowed like coals. Cracked skin stretched across their twisted faces, and long, slobbering tongues flicked out in the rain.
"RUN!" Zep shouted.
Rain poured harder. Thunder cracked overhead. The boys sprinted down the road, shoes slapping against wet pavement.
"CALL THE POLICE!" Zep yelled over the storm.
"I CAN'T—MY PHONE'S DEAD!" Louie gasped.
Zep cursed under his breath but didn't slow down. He grabbed a nearby trash bin and hurled it behind him. It crashed into the taller aswang, forcing it to stumble for a moment.
Then Louie's eyes landed on a rolling trash cart halfway down the street. "ZEP—WAIT! I HAVE AN IDEA!"
They rushed to it. Louie jumped inside while Zep gave the cart a powerful shove downhill. Garbage flew as the cart wobbled wildly. Louie picked up whatever he could and hurled it at the aswang chasing them—a metal can, a broken broom, something soggy and vile. One of the creatures hissed as it was struck, reeling for just a second.
High above, a figure stood motionless on a rain-slick rooftop. Her eyes glowed faintly like twin moons—calm, cold, and watching—as the two boys fled the monsters below.
Then—CRASH!
The cart flipped at the bottom. The boys tumbled out, scraping arms and knees on the wet asphalt.
Dazed but alive, they scrambled to their feet and ran again.
Suddenly, claws snatched Louie's ankle—he hit the ground hard.
"LOUIE!" Zep spun around. Without hesitation, he grabbed a thick iron rod from the sidewalk and slammed it against the creature's arm. The beast howled, letting go.
Louie groaned and tried to stand—but slipped again.
Zep reached back and hauled him up with one arm.
The furry aswang snarled and lunged again.
But this time, Zep met it head-on. He spun on his heel and spin-kicked with all his strength—
Something strange happened. A burst of force exploded from his foot like a sudden gust of wind.
CRACK!
The aswang flew sideways, slamming into a concrete wall.
Both Zep and Louie stood frozen.
Louie's voice broke the silence. "What… what was that?"
Zep didn't reply. He was staring at his foot, heart pounding.
Did I… really do that?
Neither of them moved—until the aswang began to stir.
Without another word, they turned and bolted.
To be continued…