The Moonlight Daughters

The Missing Puppy

"Ouch! Aw! Aw!" Danny yelled in pain. He was sitting on a sofa. He was alone with Daya in the living room.

"Hey! Would you please calm down?" Daya said. She was wiping off Danny's blood around his wounds across his right shoulder with a wet towel. "You yell louder than my husband," she told him.

"It hurts," he complained. "I wonder why Wendel always wants you to treat his wounds."

Daya scowled at him.

"Tsk. Kuya!" she whined. She gently slapped the towel she was handling against his wounds.

"Aw!" Danny yelled once more.

Then, Benjie came in. He sat on a chair across the sofa where Danny was sitting. The moment became quiet for a while. Later, he ballooned his cheeks then he let the air go. He then asked Daya.

"How is he?"

"The wounds are not that deep. But he shouldn't move his right arm as much as possible until the wounds are fully recovered."

"That sick son of a b***h that bit me," Danny said. "Once we meet again, I'll make sure I'll rip his guts out."

"Kuya Danny...you know my big brother." She said. "He just obeys father's command."

"My ass..." He gently shook his head. " He and your father think the same," he contradicted. Then, he spoke with Benjie.

"My friend in Sagada said that he had a friend once who has a grandfather who knows the story about the keys and the sacred land."

"And where is this old man?" Benjie wondered while rubbing his chin with his thumb.

"He doesn't know. Ever since we fled from the barrio to save ourselves from the Idarugans, we've gone separate ways. Some we can't track anymore."

"So, the whereabouts of his friend and his family are not known," Benjie muttered.

"He is our only hope to knowing what really is this 'key'." Danny brought his eyebrows together, clenching his teeth, enduring the pain he felt because of the alcohol Daya was pouring around his wounds.

"Then, let's visit this friend of yours again," Benjie said.

****

One fine night, Ana came home late since she had finished lots of work at the library...

She slowly pulled the door open while humming. She got surprised when a dog, a puppy, suddenly approached her as she enters. It was barking then as it wags its tail from side to side.

"Hi! Hello!" she greeted. She creased her forehead wondering why's there a puppy in their house. She sat down on the floor as she tried to touch the puppy. Luckily, it's gentle and friendly. "Hi, why are you here? Did they bought you in SM?" she asked while rubbing its fur. Then, when the dog rolled over, she had noticed that it has lace around its neck with a thin round blank metal sheet hanging on it.

"Wait, Mama has no interest in dogs. Moreover, Ate Kate can't buy this because she's busy," she wondered further. She knew it's expensive since she recognized the dog is a husky.

"Oh? Doggie. You are there," Someone suddenly spoke. It's Kate, her big sister. She immediately climbed down the stairs to where Ana and the dog were. 

"D-Doggie?" Ana was slightly surprised. "You bought him?" she asked. The big sister immediately approached the playful puppy.

"No. I just found it in the neighborhood. He was weak and pity so I took him in" Kate explained.

Then their mother came.

"Psst...Kate. don't get too attached with that dog." She reminded. "Remember, it is not yours, it's the owner's."

"I know, Ma. But isn't he cute?" She whined like a kid.

"I wonder who's its owner." Ana was caressing it while admiring its fur. "Whoever he is, I can tell that he cares for this dog."

"Yeah," Kate said. She was also caressing it. They can see that the dog was enjoying it though.

"Are you really sure you just found him alone or you stole him?" Ana asked. Which made her mother laugh.

"Oh my God, my daughter is a thief," Her mother taunted then she laughed so loud.

"Halla! I would never steal such a thing" She answered. "How dare you," She pulled Ana's hair gently.

"Ouch! Mama!" Ana reacted. Her mother then halted laughing.

"If someone steps forward claiming that it's that dog's owner, give it to him, understand?" Their mother advised.

"Wen(yes)," her children responded.

"Especially you, Kate. I will tell your father if you still didn't manage to return that." She warned.

"Okay," She responded.

"I should get some sleep now. Ana, if you are going to eat, there's the adobo. Just pre-heat it," she told her.

"Thanks, Ma." Ana replied. Then her mother went upstairs.

After she left. Ana and Kate were still playing with the husky. Then suddenly, something came out of Ana's mind which made her wonder.

"But seriously, who is his owner?" Ana asked.

"I wish he is cute. Like his dog," Kate chuckled.

Ana scowled at her and then she slightly laughed.

"Whatever you say," Ana started to walk away.

"Hey, you don't want to have a rich and cute boyfriend?" She yelled as she watched her moving further towards the kitchen.

"Well, if you don't, then whoever he is, he's mine," Her big sister added.

"Che!" Ana said back.

****

Three mornings later...

Cainnick and his friend, Gilhameer were in the street where his dog got lost . He was posting a picture of it while there's a word saying 'missing' written over the picture. After he posted the poster, his friend suddenly complained.

"It's too early to post pictures. Can we please do this later? I want to get to bed." Then he yawned.

"Gilhameer..." he said. "My dog is missing for three straight days. I care for that dog."

Gilhameer sighed.

"We have been pasting his pictures since four a.m. We had already posted its face almost all the electric posts and bulletin boards here."He said. "That might be enough."

"What if people won't notice?" He worriedly asked.

"Cain." Gilhameer rubbed his forehead with his pointing finger. "The posts and the walls are revealing to the naked eye. It is impossible that not a single person is not able to see them."

He wrapped his arms around Cainnick's back.

"Easier said than done. I am worried, okay? " Cainnick said. "I am sure he wants me to find him as soon as possible."

"Cain. You must relax, okay?" Gilhameer said. "Let these papers do the job for you. Have yourself a rest."

Cainnick held his head down, biting his lips as he thought of what Gilhameer said.

"So, how about we return to your home and have some breakfast?"

A few moments later, he decided to agree with his friend's advice. And so, he bit his lips and he nodded.

"Good. Let's go!" Gilhameer was delighted.

While they were walking along the road leading towards Cainnick's home, there's suddenly something popped out on Gilhameer's mind that made him wonder.

"Uy. Cainnick." He called.

"Hmm?" Cannick responded.

"'How about asking your brother to help you find him?" he asked.

"How can I say this...Ummm..." Cainnick was hesitant.

"He went to Sagada. He and his friends are going to visit someone there. They have this thing to fix." he looked at Gilhameer. "They said it is about stopping a tribe from doing something reckless."

"Oh? That's interesting," he smirked.

****

Ana was walking along the road along Suello Village. She was strolling around with the dog. She was carrying it like a baby. Though the dog doesn't have any signs of a complaint. It seemed like it was used to carrying him that way.

Meanwhile, she stopped. She sighed since she felt tired of walking around the neighborhood for almost an hour.

"I'm tired," she told the dog. But the husky just opened its mouth and brought out its tongue while looking at Ana.

"Aww... you are cute." She whined. "Let's go back home, okay?" Then she walked towards home.

She never noticed that as she passed by the posts and the walls, there were papers saying "Missing: Lost Dog" with pictures of the husky printed on them.