THESE HIDDEN WINGS

[159] MANANANGGAL

MANANANGGAL.

I wrote down the word, that had been echoing through me nonstop in the last few hours.

That was what the Purebloods had called those things that obeyed their wishes. My eyes trailed to the light sketch of it I had been doing to the side.

It honestly looked plain, and not what I envisioned.

The faces of those grotesque creatures were buried in my head, but I was not as talented in art as I would have liked to be.

Not as good as Harvest.

I could feel my heart freeze for a second at the thought of that name.

My hand instinctively wrapped around the chain that mom gave me, my hands slightly shaking, as my breathing hitched, suddenly looking upwards at the sound of short grunts a distance away, seeing the figures of both David and Claire bickering near the base of the hill, squabbling as they often did. Something about who was right and who was wrong.

I found myself chuckling at this for a second, a smile rising onto my face at the sight of something absolutely normal and expected to happen.

Despite everything I had seen the previous night I could still be normal even if it was only pretending.

To save a piece of normalcy for me.

I couldn't even turn when someone came to sit next to me.

I slightly turned as Lira crossed her legs beside me, leaning back with a soft sigh.

"Well you seem like you're in a locked space," she huffed as she watched the quarrel take place below us, before turning to capture my face.

Getting caught in her curious gaze, I barely managed to look away, adjusting myself from the prickly grass that tickled my bare legs.

"Those two might be oblivious to it, but I could tell something was happening back there," she sighed into the wind, "Harvest is always angry but there was this kind of- flare when he walked away today," she added, feeling her gaze latched back onto me.

I swallowed my hands tightening around my chain but I said nothing. Because I had nothing to explain. Where would I start from? Heck, I had been replaying that moment ever since it happened.

His hand got burnt through and it healed in a matter of seconds like he was a vampire, but of course that wasn't it, because I met the vampires, and apparently, HE'S something that even they obey!

Catching myself before a panic attack, I let out a due breath, gaze dropping down to the grass, closing my eyes for a second, trying to block all the flashing confusing memories.

It was like my brain was s storage place and all these things had been dumped there and were now set free rampaging through my brain.

A hand settled on my shoulder.

I stopped at this, eyebrows arching at the action, turning slightly to peek at her. Lira wasn't exactly the touch type and I found it strange that she would do such a simple action.

She pulled her hand away, sighing, "Look, I can a struggle in your eyes" she huffed slowly, looking at the round for a moment, "I'm very familiar with that," she stated before leaning back out, rolling her shoulders, her blue highlights glistening in the sun rays.

"What I learned from that is life's a fluke, it makes you feel alone for one second, and then, throws a bunch of friendship into your face, knowing you wouldn't want to confide in them, even if it helps," she stated, before looking back at up at a now seemingly frustrated David and a winning Claire, to which my lips curved upwards at the sight- knowing whatever those two chose to argue about this time, David was most likely right but Claire was throwing in some good points.