Profound Thoughts

As the night faints and the sun is about to break from it sentry depths, a soft gray mist weaves on the gentle rolling hills. We are out of the woods. Looking into the dark starry sky, I wondered as to where Miguel has taken me. I breathe the morning air. The air is so pure it cleanses my soul. As the sun rises, an unknown hand paints the sky. A barrage of colors emerge from the shadows. A wide expanse of a field of flowers in various hues amidst a green backdrop. I have never seen something so beautiful in my entire life. I turned to Miguel. I have never seen his facial features clearly in the dark. He looks so handsome. His skin is so fine yet manly eventhough there is no facial hair at all. His long, uncut hair conceals his long and pointy ears. He is a foot taller than I am dwarfing me. His pinkish lips are thin which seems like those have never been kissed. His innocent childlike face underlines his masculinity. He must be what the elders call as an Encanto. He looked at m...

They are watching, listening and hiding in the trees. As ghostly as their movements tried to be, they did not move an inch closer. Through the darkness, I could see their haunting stares. I have heard their calls before. In this wilderness they exist. For miles and miles, their howls can be heard. "Don't move." Miguel spoke. "Stay here." An eerie tenseness reigns down. Miguel disappeared into the shadows. His regal form fades from the moonlight. A ghastly green light flares in the darkness. The flame started slow and even. It burned intense and low illuminating the the distance ahead. A sound breaks then a wild beast's cry resounds. In an instant, the light disappeared. The cries slowly stills. From the shadows, Miguel emerges. "They can't harm you for I am here to stay."

I wrote your name in the sand but the waves washed it away, then I wrote it in the sky but the wind blew it away, so I wrote it in my heart    and that's where it will stay.

They are picking me up. Feeling edgy and worried with the way things are going, it seems that I am now about to leave this institution that sheltered me and which I consider my home.  I have been orphaned at a fairly young age and I have no memories of my biological family. They tell me that I was rescued from the rubbles of what previously appeared to be a house in a remote village in Bosnia . Everyone said that I was a very lucky for having survived an ordeal without any injuries at all, whereas my old folks did not fare well. I was two years old at that time. But when I think about it, I consider it as an act of God. I was shielded from the ruins of bricks and wood by an invisible force, my Guardian Angel. Perhaps I am meant to live. I was brought to an orphanage managed by Catholic nuns. The only family I have ever known were the nuns who sheltered and took care of me and my fellow orphans who instantly became my playmates. Despite the meagre living conditions in the...

I gulped four shots of whiskey and after having done so; I just couldn’t help but let out that huge gasp. Jason told me that I do catch on fast then asked me if I’m still ok. I did tell him that I am still quite ok, but that I could lose it any minute. He told me that the difference between people and alcohol is that we can throw up a bottle of beer but, it’s not the same case with people. I looked at his eyes, and I could sense the sadness he is trying to hide from his façade. I told him that indeed, we can just take a pill for a hangover, but it is not the same case for heartache. Anyhow, I do need to take control of my drinking, a dilemma I have been struggling since I could not take even a single shot. I easily get drunk. And so I turned to him to teach me the ways of drinking alcohol without losing sanity quickly. Well, at the back of my mind, there is no other way I could get close to him so I resorted to this unconventional method. I have always liked Jason since the fi...

It seems that he has me hypnotized. I willingly followed Miguel as we traversed the forest interior. "This is the Forrest of Noir. This serves as the barrier of your world and my world.There are a lot of vicious creatures lurking in the shadows. They come in many shapes and sizes, but they are the same in one thing. They crave for human flesh." "As the day turns into night; when light is being conquered by darkness, they awake. I need to get you out of here before they sense your presence." What he said frightened me. As we move about, leaves would crackle beneath our feet. Only to be silenced as we halt from time to time. I am weakened. I can barely keep up with Miguel. I reached out for him to keep myself from falling. There is nothing visible in sight except for the shadows. The air is heavy, stifling my chest. I don't understand why I am trusting Miguel. For all I know, he must be what appears as he is. But, I don't care. I just follow what m...

The sound of flowing water... The occasional bird chirps... A sound of a flute echoes in the air... soothing and serene... It calms my spirit. A soulful melody of the forest conjured by my frantic heart. This is what awoken me at dusk. I dare not open my eyes afraid that it will lead me back to reality. A gentle brush of fingers runs through my legs as the ephemeral music died down.  I shudder in fear. I opened my eyes and there he was. Time stood still as our eyes met. It's twilight. His emerald eyes seem to glow with an almost supernatural light. "Do not be afraid," he said to me. His mouth did not move at all. He must be speaking through my mind. "What are you?" I countered. "I am a denizen of this forest. I am Miguel." I drew closer to examine his face. To my surprise, my injury is no more. He stood up and took my hand to let me up. "You already know what I am and I am not from your world. I live in these forests far from where your...

A short respite from the wearisome day Savoring the warmth of a sweet embrace Of a setting sun about to disappear Into the other side of the horizon Where the echoes of dusk transcend To the still mutterings of daw n

I felt a surge of adrenaline rush. I immediately ran into the woods. I scrambled through the large slippery rocks and roots. They are coming after me. They know I have been there. I frantically moved into the forest interior.  These are hunters and I am about to become their prey. My heart beats faster and faster as rivulets of sweat fell down my face. I must have ran a very long time that I am left gasping for air.The woods are getting thicker and the air is getting moist. The dread which I felt earlier has turned into an eerie feeling.  I have lost my bearings. I haven't been to this part of the forest before. No more grasses litter the ground as the trees have grown taller and wider. Gone are the shrubberies. Orchids and cycads attach themselves to the tree trunks and branches. Only a fraction of the sunlight reaches the ground.  All I hear are the chirps of the cicadas and the other critters which lurk in the trees. I carefully worked my way up. Then, I slippe...

It was the height of the war. The enemies came and took control of everything. We tried to fight but we were powerless held against our own will right at our own backyard. Gone were the days where we could roam our fields carelessly without fear and panic. I can no longer afford to spend my days as a child.  Many have fallen victims to the savagery that ensued. Life is hard, but everybody needs to continue on living. We still need to tend to our fields hoping that no enemy took notice.  Despite the risk of being captured, I took the initiative to go to our small patch of land. It is a two-hour walk from our house. It is situated beside the Lumsoc river which snakes its way inwards to the rocky interiors of Mt. Lumsoc. Our garden is small, but it is where we grow staples away from the prying eyes of the invaders. A few meters away is a waterfall making a thunderous thud as its water joins the river, a serene and scenic view to behold The rocks are enveloped with mosses ...

The lotus blossom faded into the distance. And my tears just kept on falling. I began to sob as a feeling of emptiness reigned over me. I crossed my arms on my knees then bowed my head. I felt oblivious to everything that surrounded me. Time must have passed me by for I did not realize that the sun already made a quarter of its way up in the sky. I was motionless for quite sometime until I felt something alight on my fingers that I began to move about. To my surprise, there stood a beautiful blue butterfly of electric hue. I haven't seen a gentle, delicate yet regal creature come close to me. A rare blue morpho is a gem of its kind and is something that do not exist in this part of the world. What does this mean? Is it you Nana? Did you come to heal my aching heart?

My premonition was confirmed when my mother informed me about Nanay's demise. I could not help shed a tear for I know that we will never meet again in this life. In my heart, I know that wherever she may have gone she's happy for she has lived a full life. Despite that reassurance, my heart still grieves. What breaks my heart more is that I would not be given the chance to see her for one last time. I picked a lotus flower from a nearby pond and proceeded to the river Xin. For all rivers flow towards the sea, I let that lone Lotus blossom be carried away by the river's current. Wherever she may be, I know that she would be able to hear what is in my heart for I know that the Lotus blossom will reach the sea where all waters meet. I may be faraway across distant horizons, but still the waters will meet bringing my message across to Nanay Lily. The morning is calm and sunny. The river is tranquil. A soft wind breezes through dampening my cheeks. Unlike the disconcerti...

When Nana was young, she met an Encantado. He was called Miguel . She would describe him as having sharp and piercing emerald eyes. His porcelain-white skin, long blond hair and tall stature can be mistaken for a caucasian only that he has long and pointy ears. She did fall in love, but such a union was never meant to happen. Nanay would talk about her countless escapades with her Encantado wherein she would be gone for days and weeks. People would say that she is always being spirited away. Her narratives about Eternas made me believe in things unimaginable. From time to time, I would get a stern warning from her not to always put Eternas in white light for even though it is a wondrous and enchanting world she says, it also has its fair share of vicious and mean creatures who detest the presence of man. It is past midnight, I had been awoken by Nanay's voice. A soothing voice I would often hear as she tends me to sleep. A disconcerting feeling wells up within me. A ...

There is a land that is hidden within our midst. A land which coexists with what we know as reality. It has been walked upon and was visible to the ancients through a much more prevalent third eye. An ability that has fallen into disuse with the advent of modernity. There are still a few people who believe in it, but only a handful has caught a glimpse of the wonders of this world. Some of its inhabitants do wander from time to time through reality witnessed by humans who always cower in fear. Enca, as it is called, the fabled world of the Encantados. While I was still a young boy, whenever my Nana was around. I would often ask her to tell me stories about Enca. These stories have left a mark in me in more ways than I would have thought. Nanay Lily has a fully opened third eye and she does see these Encantados from time to time. It is a gift I believe, but she says that sometimes it is more like a curse for she has seen things a normal person would dare not see.