Moonlight Curse: The Hunger

Chapter 13

Eight years ago, Roberto's mother and wife were murdered in their home in Echague, a town near Alicia. A caretaker found their bodies the next day in the kitchen. There was blood splattered all over the kitchen walls, cabinets and sink.

Roberto was in Manila for a job when he received the call. He got there after 6 hours of furious driving. He could have died due to how fast and reckless he was going on the highway. The corpses of his wife and mother were already taken into the morgue and he begged the coroner to let him see their bodies. He regretted having done that.

The bodies were almost ripped into pieces. He could no longer recognize them. He was torn into pieces as well. The anguish was so intense; he turned the place over and threatened to kill everyone there. The personnel ganged up to subdue him and when they did overpower him, he was sagging to the cold floors. They needed to carry him out of the morgue and when he got his bearings; they needed to strap him on the ambulance bed because he started to become violent again. So the paramedics made him inhale chloroform. When he lost consciousness, they brought him to the hospital.

He instantly felt his world collapsing but he fought the d**g given to him fast, he could not be kept on the hospital bed while his loved one's killer was still on the loose. He got out of bed.  He needed to contact his father who was also out of town. Nobody could reach him, the police told him. But he knew where to find him.

Sam and Dan found him sneaking out of the hospital. They introduced themselves as investigators which he believed until they began talking crazy stuff as he put it. They were also trying to locate his father.

His father's name was Dante. He left him and his mom when he was just 8 years old. So, his mother and grandmother raised him. When he finished college, he reconnected with his father; who after all these years were also secretly watching and looking out for them.

His father bought a log house on the mountain near Echague. He was a recluse and a brilliant writer. Mostly, he wrote thriller novels.

Roberto rarely saw his father, and every time he did, his father looked thinner and older than the last time. He asked him if he was sick, to which he answered, "Yes, terribly. But, I am getting better. It is because of this sickness, why I needed to get away from you... from everyone else too."

Roberto did not ask any more questions. He just wanted lighter and happier things to talk with him whenever they saw each other. He thought his old man was suffering from cancer or any severe diseases without any cure. And so when he learned his father was a suspect, he would not believe it. He knew he was innocent but Sam and Dan were making solid evidence of his father's secret life.

Hearing his stories, I could no longer hold it in and so I asked, "Was your father, the legendary creature Isabelians feared the most?"

And he answered, "Yes, my father was the Oso."

I gasped and all the stories I read from my brothers' journal logs came flooding in.

Now, I understood Roberto's bond with my brothers. They helped him bury his loved ones and they shared the darkest, most dangerous six months of tracking down the man who sired him, who allegedly killed his mother and his wife.

The most heartbreaking thing about his story was... his wife named Marissa was 3 months pregnant when she died. And 6 months later, he had to be the one to kill his father who was a half man, half bear shape-shifter. 

Dante was turned when an alpha male "Oso" bit him in the neck during a research expedition in Masbate. The first Oso was a Chinese trader named Jan-kin who came to Masbate, Bicol and where the Chinese established settlements during the Srivijaya and Majapahit periods. They were said to be accompanied by Indians who then settled in nearby caves along the coasts of Aroroy, Palanas and Masbate. These Indians brought their culture of spell casting, magic and divination with them. Legends told that Jan-kin became abusive of the locals and nature. The Indian chief who was a very powerful shaman was angered and cursed him to lead a life of a recluse, as an animal defending his territory and a life of eternal pain and sadness. The creature resembled a bear and so they called him "Oso". He then left the settlement to live in nearby forests and mountains. He hid from natives for fear of being hunted down. At some point, because of anger, anguish, pain and regret, he offered his soul to a Fallen named Ursun who in turn made Jan-kin's curse his weapon against the Indians who turned him into a monster. He further poisoned his heart and mind with anger, evil and vengeance. His fate was sealed when he murdered the whole population of Indians dwelling in caves one night... and the December Cold Moon was shining bright. But he made one exception that night... he let the Indian chief live to tell his tale to the natives of Masbate and regretted cursing the Oso. But no spell could ever reverse a curse sealed by taking a man's life.

When Dante came home, he was already having mood swings and cravings for raw meat. He did research and somehow got in touch with my father, Ricky.

My father knew from the moment he saw him that he was infected by a curse but didn't know which creature. He considered him a threat to society, but since he had not fully turned yet, he was still human. He told him to go into solitary confinement or live far from civilization. And warned him, if ever he harmed humans, my family would hunt him down like an animal.

Still Dante constantly researched for 2 weeks a month when it's safe for his kind to be amongst humans. But he found no cure... no antidote or reversal spell. Once you've been bitten... you would turn into a monster. 

For almost 19 years, he lived the nightmare on his own, until eight years ago.

Before Roberto's silver dagger struck his father's heart, Dante whispered to his son, "I just wanted to see your mother one last time... Forgive me son. The monster within me, I could no longer keep it chained. I tried... but it still prevailed. Forgive me."

Roberto answered, "Yes dad, I forgive you. Long time ago, I have already forgiven you," and drove the blade deep into his father's heart.

The end.

Roberto fell into silence, so did I.

I didn't know whether to console him or not. But based from the way he told the story, I knew I had to keep my anguish, sadness and thoughts to myself, for now. Also... that proved he wasn't gay. At least I got something positive out of his tragic story.

But I needed to ask, "What month did your mom and wife get killed?"

And his answer was as I expected, "February... and yeah, the moon was full."