29 Side Story:Another Recovered Diary of Simon Crisostomo de la Mercado y Arbol

19th June 1625

Time flies fast, I have lost track of the days I stayed in this paradise hell. Most of my men had been hunted by the natives here who still refused to converse with us. I am left with 4 men, Dr. Mariano, the 2 other crew from our expedition, and I. This has been a doomed expedition from the start, I should have known better, if only.

We have made attempts to get out of this island. We made rafts and makeshift boats, but everytime we tried to sail, disasters struck. Once there was a storm that prevented us from sailing. The other was a huge wave that destroyed our boat.

I wish I could have turned back. I wish I listened to that elder from Bohol about a vision he saw in his dream. If only I have listened. Alas, even God cannot stop this fate that is impending to us. I pray that He does listen to our prayers and give us a sign of our salvation.

Hasta la Proxima,

S. C. de la Mercado y Arbol

Islas de Panay

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20th June 1625

Glory be to God!

He has answered our prayers! Earlier today, my men had found a lost child in the forest. Judging from where they found the boy, he seems to be part of the tribe that we tried to get in contact with peacefully.

Dr. Mariano is currently tending to the child. The 2 crew members who found him claimed that they saw the boy mindlessly roaming in the forest. They took him over to us because they think that this could be our key to finally be at peace with locals.

Our good doctor is still examining the boy for any injuries or aside from the big lump on his head and a few scratches he got from the jungle. I have speculated that the 2 crew members could've abducted the child but I can't tell them that! Not that we are this close to finally get a dialogue with them.

We tried to speak with the boy. We tried to speak with the boy in his native tongue. He usually nods when we asked about how he's feeling but we had difficulty making him talk. When we asked about his home, he would simply pout his mouth and point it to the forest.

The boy was a voracious eater, but he did not eat meat. We tried feeding him with dried pork meat, but he won't touch it. He ate some food from a leather sack he had with him. We asked the boy to show us the contents but he would hide it close to his chest.

We can only speculate, that whatever food the boy ate made his mouth and teeth a shade close brown or black. We tried giving him fruits, finally, he ate the fruits but vomited it afterwards. Dr. Mariano took note of the expelled contents and revealed the contents of the foul-smelling and black viscous fluid with chunks of the fruit. It was disgusting!

What is he eating? My men are calling for me to join supper. I had to pass, I lost my appetite.

Hasta la Proxima,

S.C. de la Mercado y Arbol

Islas de Panay

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21st June 1625

Alas! What has the world become? I woke up this morning and found out that the boy along with one of our crew was missing. We searched the entire day for the two of them. I was afraid that the boy could have been killed somewhere by that crew member.

How could I be such a poor leader! I cannot control my men. I killed one of them with my own hands, and the rest I killed them with my ideals and neglect. Now, here I am down to the last of them along with Dr. Mariano looking for the rogue crewmember.

I fear for the child's fate! It has already been the evening and here we are huddled at the small fire we created. We are tired, cold, and afraid. Oh God! I am very afraid of our fate! But I will trust Your Mighty Hand and leave this all to You. I pray for our safety.

I hope to see her smile again.

Hasta la Proxima,

S.C. de la Mercado y Arbol

Islas de Panay

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June 1625

How many days has it been? I have lost count and I left my calendar at the base. We're back in the cave we have hidden ourselves during the last storm. I am currently writing under the scarce lighting of the moonlight. We cannot set even a small flame right now. We can't! Even if we wanted to!

A few days ago, we found our missing crew member. He was hanging in between two coconut trees. His body was outstretched with his skin peeled and stretched like webs, connected to hooks that tied it to the trees. He's missing his head and his entrails are gone too.

His hands and feet were severed and these monsters have the audacity to put his severed hands and feet inside his open torso. Monsters! Monsters all of them!

We saw the child under our dead crewmember, squatting while looking at the carcass as if there was nothing else around him. Our remaining crew member and Dr. Mariano approached the boy and took him out of the scene.

The boy opposed this idea and started struggling away from Dr. Mariano's grasp. He bit Dr. Mariano in the arm and started away running back into the forest. The other crewmember threw a stone at the running boy that hits the back of his head.

The boy was knocked out cold. I came running to stop the other crewmember from killing the child. He was unsheathing his saber and running towards the child screaming in blinding rage. I tackled him and had to reason with him. It took a while to convince him to finally let the child slip his wrath.

I checked on Dr. Mariano who was sitting exasperated on the entire ordeal, he's okay. He told me he was and I trust him that he is. I went to the boy who convulsed laying on the ground face first. Moments later it stopped, But I was still hesitant to go near him. It was Dr. Mariano who bravely approached the boy and provided treatment to the poor child.

I carried back the child in my arms. I don't want to give that task to an injured doctor nor to a crewmember who almost killed the child earlier. The boy was light, lighter than a rifle. I cannot wrap my head into the notion that this child killed our crewmember.

I can hear him murmur something. I cannot make of what he's saying but I think it was;

" Sa dacungcahoy, si Sulad ang payaw;

Sa dacungcahoy, si Sidapa gahuwat."

I am not sure what this boy is saying. It does not make any sense. He kept on repeating until the evening came.

The evening was cold and damp but there was a cloudless night. We ate an unfulfilling supper and tried our best to pray for salvation on this wretched hell.

Suddenly, the boy woke up and ran towards the beach. Dr. Mariano was the first to run after the boy. I followed them after instructing the crewman not to use any weapons. Everything was bleak. In the distance, I can only see silhouettes running away. I followed that!

I finally caught Dr. Mariano panting near the shore. I asked him about the boy and he pointed me to him. He was standing in a few steps away from where we were. His eyes were blank and expressionless. He looked at me and suddenly his eyes glimmered.

" Sidapa! Sidapa! Ani-a na siya!

Dad-a naco balic sa imong cahoy!"

I could see the boy's jubilation as he jumped while pointing at me. I was about to approach the young lad when suddenly a bright flash struck him from the sky. His body exploded that instant. Blood and viscera scattered on the sand and painted the white canvas a shade of crimson.

I fro--