Creatures Lurking at Night Mythos in Ink III: ILLUSTRATED BY: Joy Regonay Cayden Aranjuez & Princess Baltazar
Copyright © 2024 by Joseahann Joy Regonay, Joshua Cayden Aranjuez and Princess Anne Baltazar. All rights reserved.
This booklet is inspired from the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies’ article on Creatures from the Dark Past, pages 8-9 of SingSing Vol 2, No. 1 entitled, The Kapampangans FOLKSY, FAITHFUL AND TRUE Permission was obtained from the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies from Holy Angeles University on the use of their materials as reference for the production and content of the booklets. 2
Creatures Lurking at Night Mythos in Ink III: ILLUSTRATED BY: Joy Regonay Cayden Aranjuez & Princess Baltazar
2 In the dead of the night, a high school student by the name of Miguel rushes out of school in a hurry. He had taken a long time doing an assignment in the library and had fallen asleep. Why did no one wake him up, he wondered, now having to walk home in complete darkness. It didn’t reassure him one bit when the reason he had fallen asleep at school was because he couldn’t properly sleep at home. He would see and feel the presence of terrifying creatures around his room; a shadow by the window, the little girl at the top of his cabinet, and a dark figure’s reflection in his mirror. Now, he’s walking, almost running, as the tall grass surrounding the pathway to his home swayed by the wind. He tried to calm himself down by breathing in and out but… Suddenly, he felt goosebumps all over his body. Someone- something was looking straight at him. Miguel could feel it. He looks behind him and without a thought, makes a run for it. 1
23
He saw a creature only a few meters behind him with very large ears and bloodshot eyes staring directly at him. It’s a Magcucutud, his Lola once told him, a creature that could divide his body into half with ears bigger than a carabao's and eyes glowing in red. He couldn't help looking behind him again and found the Magcucutud's body now torn into half, the upper body nowhere to be seen. It was said that after spotting a victim, these creatures would poison the air, steal their body, and eat their flesh. 5
After running for his life, Miguel feels exhausted and accidentally trips over something, his face landing on dirt. He looks at his feet and finds a destroyed mound. He quickly gets up and continues running, briefly looking back to see a small creature with a big head and dark eyes looking angrily at him, "You destroyed my home!" He heard it shout in a tiny voice as he ran away. It was a Patiatic, a small creature known for living in lonely places and hiding underground. Oh no, Miguel thought to himself, he forgot to say ‘Makilabas ke pu..’ 6
As he ran, Miguel saw a black shadow far ahead. It stood behind him. As he ran closer, the black shadow morphed into a goat, only it stood perfectly as any person would. It creeped Miguel out and so he ran even faster when he passed by it. When he turned back for a few seconds, the goat morphed into a little girl grinning at him with sharp teeth. It was a Duende, a creature that can only be seen as a black shadow. It has the power to manipulate its body and turn them into odd creatures. They appeared at night and despised evil people and noisy children. He looks far ahead and finally lets out a sigh of relief. Miguel was getting close to his house. When he reached it, he quickly forced the gates open and closed them. He frantically knocked on the door and his Mother opened it. Migue rushed inside and shut the door, locking it securely. 5
6
7 7
At the sight of his son, she almost exclaims, “Why are you late?! You scared me, I thought something bad happened to you!” She grabs his dirt-stained uniform and looks at his face, “What happened? Was someone chasing you? Why are you so dirty?” She asks him, concerned. Miguel shakes his head and pulls himself away from his mother, “N-no. It was nothing. I just thought I saw something and got scared… I tripped along the way.” She could only look at him as he went to his room. Miguel sighed for the second time. Good to be home, he thought, unaware of the creatures following him home. 8 8
Write the letter of the correct answer on a piece of paper. 1. What was the first creature Miguel encountered? a. Duende b. Magcucutud c. Patianac 2. These are creatures that can divide themselves in half. They have big ears and red eyes. a. Magcucutud b. Duende c. Mangcuculam 3. This is the second creature Miguel encountered a. Kuliat b. Manananggal c. Patianac 4. Who told him about the Magcucutud? a. His mother b. His Lola c. His teacher 5. Why did Miguel fall asleep at school? a. He didn’t want to go home. b. He was bored. c. He didn’t have enough sleep at home. 6. What did Miguel forget to say when he encountered the Patianac? a. Makilabas ke pu.. b. Salamat po. c. Magandang Gabi. 7. What creature did he encounter last? a. Asuang b. Magcucutud c. Duende 8. Why is Miguel having a hard time sleeping at home? a. He has insomnia. b. They ran out of milk to drink before bedtime. c. He can see creatures in his room. 9. These creatures come in the form of black shadows. a. Manananggal b. Patianac c. Duende 10. Who opened the door for Miguel when he reached home? a. His Lola b. His Mother c. Magcucutud Test your Knowledge! 9
Scan me!