I was warned not to swim but I still took the plunge.
Credits: https://wheresjoanne.wordpress.com
“Do not swim on the river. It claims lives every year. Remember that a river fairy lives there and takes unsuspecting young souls as offering.”
I rolled my eyes at my dad. He was such an old soul, believing in supernaturals and all. Here I was, excited join my friends on our trip to the mountains. I was fifteen and my dad was so strict that it was always home-school-home for me. No time to bond with friends, no dates with my guy crush as in NADA! Thanks to my nature conservation group, I will get to join the tour without my dad huffing and puffing and blowing the whole exciting experience. I get to be a normal teen.
“Dad, this is the age of Science and Technology where we send people to outer space. Fairies are so fifty years ago,” she uttered.
We live in Rizal province but it was just a stone-throw from the capital of the Philippines - Manila. But the town haven’t moved on at all. Despite the computers in every homes, everyone holding unto their gadgets like their lives depended on it, and with buildings and shopping centers, people were still clinging on to their old beliefs. They still believe in tikbalang - the human horse, aswang - a man-eating monster which looked like human during mornings and fairies who dwell on trees, mountains and rivers.
Harharhar! Bite me! Those silly entities only exist on books and movies. I love Science. Everything must be have a reason. “Dad, people drown on the river because of the current of the water pull them down. It is just simple Science.”
My dad squinted his eyes. It was a bad sign. My dad was cool but I don’t really want him mad. But I couldn’t’ help but comment on it. That mystery has been solved a long time ago.
My mom came up from behind me and patted my back. “Just follow your dad if you want him to let you go. Stop antagonizing him.”
“It’s okay if you won’t believe me. Just don’t swim in the river or else…”
“Bye, dad!” I cut his warning and kissed his cheek. “I’ll buy you some sweet bananas okay?”
Then I ran ouf out house before he changed his mind. I am finally free.
We finally reached the Wawa Dam after an hour car ride, a defunct dam that was built during 1800s but was abandoned due to the gorge’s dependability, it was geological monument and a historical one, too. It was gorgeous. From the limestone mountain to the white rocks where the river runs through. The nature is really mysterious. Millions of years before under the sea before it was formed. I was amazed by this geological monument. And it was also a historical site where the Katipuneros hid inside the Pamitinan caves to plot against the Spaniards.
My own photo
After our lecture and tour, our group occupied ten cottages by the river. We will spend half of the day eating and swimming. Except I won’t.
“You will swim on jeans and shirt?” my friend, Grace, asked with raised eyebrow.
“My dad told me not to swim on the river. It is dangerous,” I said with a pout.
“You are the only one who is not swimming. You are acting like an old aunt.” Old aunt. Killjoy. My classmates used to tell me I am no fun because I always abide by the rules. “Come on! Your dad is not here. He doesn’t have to know.”
“I don’t how to swim,” I let out a frustrated wailed, my shoulder slumped. I might be excellent in academics but not on physical sports. I was such a klutz.
“I will teach you,” Kyle volunteered.
Matthew was the head of the Science club and a national player for athletics. He was tall, with brown skin and chinky eyes. He also loved to smile and would always offer his help whenever I was in trouble with my lesson. I mean, who won't like a guy like him?
I squealed inside my head. My crush will teach me how to swim? When I signed up for this tour, I didn’t expect this.
“Really? How could I say no to that? I-I will just change my clothes.” I pulled my friend to the changing room before Kyle changed his mind.
“What happened to daddy?” my friend asked in a teasing tone.
“Shhh! He doesn’t have to know. And besides, it is just one harmless swimming lesson.”
My own photo
I was smiling while drowning my guilt the whole time. I am not used to disobeying my dad. I just promised myself that I will be careful. And besides, we have teachers keeping an eye on us.
I felt satisfied after changing into floral shorts and my long sleeve Under Armor shirt. It was such a perfect day for a swim. The sun was up and the skies were blew. The clear water was flowing between the rocks, into the natural pool, inviting me to swim.
I shivered when I dipped my foot to the cold water and the cold wind blew. I hugged myself. Something didn't feel right. As if someone was telling me not to go to the waters.
"Let's go," Kyle said and tugged my hand. "You'll get used to the cool water. Promise."
"Promise, huh?!" I uttered then let him lead me deeper into the waters. He pressed his hands to one of the white big rocks. "This will be our base. Our first lesson is I will teach you how to control your breath under water."
After an hour and few liters of water in my belly, I started to get tired. My limbs and arms were feeling the strain. Kyle was a serious teacher. I don't have time to look cute or to flirt. He really won't stop until I get to swim properly.
"Time out first," I pleaded and lean on the white rock
he said then crossed his arms. It looked like he never get tired.
I was trying to catching my breath when I heard someone sing. It was a hum, as if the melody was dancing with the wind. It was enchanting.
"Who is singing?" I asked Kyle then gripped his arm.
He looked around. "No one. Must be the birds. No one was singing. They are just laughing and fooling around."
"No. Someone is singing."
"Maybe water got inside your ears. You are hearing things," he said then made a tsk-ing sound.
No. It was not due to water in my ear. Not even my imagination. Maybe his hearing was weak because I can still hear the humming.
"You must be hungry. Let's go back to the cottage. I'm hungry," he said then rubbed his stomach.
He was tugging my hand when I saw a woman standing on one of the rocks. She had long straight black hair and wearing a white flowing dress. How did she got up there?
"Maybe she's the one who is singing?"
Kyle looked back at me. "Who?"
"Her! The woman on top of the rock." And I pointed at her direction.
Credits: https://wheresjoanne.wordpress.com
He snagged my hand. "Don't just point anywhere. You don't know what creatures are out there."
"What creatures?"
"The engkantos. The enchanted one." Then he took my forefinger and bit the end.
I was shocked. "Yuck! What are you doing?"
"I am countering the curse."
I took my hand back and washed it with water. "What curse? And what engkantos? And don't do that again please."
"I just want to protect you. They might punish you for..."
"For what? For pointing at the natural objects around here? For pointing at creatures from old folklore?" I scoffed. "Why are you scared of fairy tales? You are just like my dad."
His eyes squinted. "What's wrong with believing in the old ways? There are so many things that can't be explained by Science. There are some creatures that roamed this world a long, long time ago and they are believed to be older than human. They are powerful, too. So we must be careful."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."
Here I thought I would be free from my dad's clutches for a day. And what did I get? My crush is not any different from my father. I want to have fun. I don't want my every moves to be ruled by those engkantos.
"And there's no one on the rock," Kyle said when he looked at the rock that I pointed to a while ago. "Must be your imagination. Come. Let's it."
"Not hungry. I will just stay here and enjoy the water."
"Okay. I will be back in a few minutes. I will bring you food."
"No, thanks. I will just get my own. Enjoy your food and don't go any deeper."
I just smiled at him. Nah! I will just enjoy a little time alone. No fairies or engkantos or whatever. No killjoys.
My friend Grace waved at me who is at the other side of the river. "Come here."
There was a hundred meters or so to cross the other side. I don't want to wait for Kyle to come back. I wanted to go to my friend's place since they looked like they were having a blast. All I need to do is cling on the rocks so I could cross. There's a few meters of gap that has no rock. I think I could float from there or ask one of my classmates to fetch me.
So I started to cling to the big white rocks. I was making a progress and my classmates were cheering for me. Until I reached the end of the rocks.
"I will fetch you," Harry said.
"No, I can handle this," I answered and waved him off. I know how to float. When I didn't perfect the freestyle a while ago, Kyle taught me how to do the backstroke.
The water was calm, gently flowing and I didn't see any threat at all. I lay on the water and float on their direction. I thought I was doing fine, getting nearer to my classmates with every stroke but their voices was becoming more quiet. I panicked because when I looked at the sky, the twin mountains were moving further away. I tried to flip myself into the water to see which direction I was going but the water was rushing now. The current was stronger and washing me away. I tried to swim stronger and fight the current but there was a strong force that was pulling her down. I did my best to keep afloat but it was as if that were keeping me underwater. I couldn't control my breath anymore. Darkness started to engulf me. Noooo! I am about to die. And there was no one to save me.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a dark and cold place. I could here the water dripping somewhere. I got up. I wonder why I was not wet at all. Where am I? Who took me to that dark place?
"Hello! Is there anyone out there?" I asked.
Credits: https://wheresjoanne.wordpress.com
Then I heard someone humming. The same voice I heard when I was swimming by the river. Then I saw something white on my right where the humming was from. Suddenly, fireflies flew around and I saw the woman from the rock standing there on her white gown and smiling at me.
I stood up. "Hi! Where am I? Who are you? How did I end up in this place? D-Did you save me? Where are my teachers and my classmates?"
"You won't go back to them anymore. You are coming with me." Then she offered her hand to me. "I live in a beautiful place."
Then I heard a music from the violin and harp. I saw a bright light ahead of us and there were voices of people laughing and talking. I could even hear glasses clinking as if there was a feast.
How could there be a feast inside the cave with violins and harp? That was weird.
"You can eat whatever you want. You will be draped in jewelleries," the woman offered.
Then I remember my grandmother's stories aboit engkantos bringing their human victims to their world and they won't to return to the human world.
Then I heard the voices of my classmates and teacher. "Please come back. Come back to us. Don't die," my bestfriend wailed. Others were praying for me.
I stepped back, away from the woman in white. "I have to go. I want to come back to my family and friends. Pleaseeee."
Water started to fill up the cave. I panicked. I drowned already. What will happen to me if the cave was filled with water? Will I die totally? Will I take the woman's hand even if it means I won't be able to go back to my world? Or would I take a risk on the torrent of water but I have no idea where it would take me?
Credits: http://restidiecast.blogspot.com/2011/03/wawa-dam-montalban-rizal-philippines.html
*I don't know if it is the same cave. This is the only cave with river in the area that I saw.
I didn't take the woman's hand. I closed my eyes and let the water take me. I only did the one thing I knew at that moment - pray. I offered my life to Him. He was the only one who could keep me safe. And if He wanted to end my life, I leave everything up to Him. I was just sad when I thought about my parents, especially my dad. I promised that if I live, I will be a good daughter to my dad, even if he has his old ways.
My breath hitched and I coughed out the water from my lungs. I opened my eyes and I saw the faces of my teachers and classmates.
"She's alive!" shouted my class adviser.
"Bes," Grace cried. "I thought we lost you. You lost your pulse for five minutes now."
"How are you feeling?" asked my P. E. teacher.
"A little woozy. W-Where is that woman?" I asked.
"What woman?"
"The woman in cave. She saved me..."
"Saved you?" Harry asked. "Our P.E. teacher saved you. Good thing he was nearby when you were washed away."
"And you didn't go to the cave. You were here with us the whole time," Kyle said. "And there was no woman."
"Maybe you had a dream while you were unconscious. How about we bring you to the clinic so you will get checked?" my adviser suggested and asked my bestfriend to bring my clothes so I could change.
The rest of the teachers decided to cut our picnic short and go home instead. It was my teacher who took me home and told my parents about what happened. I just hugged my parents then and cry.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't follow your instructions. I am sorry."
"He patted my head. Thank God you are alive. I prayed to God that He will bring you home alive."
I didn't tell my dad about the woman. Must be my imagination. No use feeding the story more.
There was a story about Pandora, a fairy of Wawa Dam who was raped by a mortal and seeks revenge on human. That's why the river takes life every year. I don't know if the woman in the cave was Pandora or a fairy who was crying because Mother Nature was being plundered by humans.
Wawa Dam became a very popular tourist spot more than ever. The water was not so clean anymore. Loggers, developers and kaingin devastated the area. Rocks were being mined to make roads and buildings. And when it rains, there were no trees to stop the water. And you see how lower areas like Marikina and Pasig were flooded.
It took me a week to write this down. I thought it was scary at first. I didn’t even write during nighttime because I could feel eyes on my back whenever I do. There were elements in this house and writing stories like this might attract dark vibes so I am a bit careful. But the story about our house is another story.
I love nature. I believe in God. I love Science. Although from then on, I respect those unseen creatures even if I don't know know if they do exist. If they are, I guess they are protectors of nature. We, humans, are scarier than the supernaturals. Look around us. Look how we ruin our Mother Earth.
I survived that day. Whether those fairies exists or not, we still have a nature to protect and we are the only one who could save our lives.
Did I end up being a good daughter in the end? All I know is that when my dad warned me not to do something, I won't do it.
*My entry to Jerry Banfield's Supernatural Writing Contest
Tagging: @jerrybanfield and @gmichelbkk
Thank you @timliwanag for encouraging me to join.
Thank you so much to those who read my story. Some of the characters mentioned were part of the Philippine mythology. I grew up with tales that some of humans were abducted by engkantos or the enchanted one. I nearly drowned in Wawa Dam when I was younger after my dad told me not to. I still go back to the place but it was never the same. Instead of the fairy's hum, you would hear locals singing karaoke or videoke.