Three Women Walk at Night

Under the dark veiled sky, three women walk down the winding road of Lepo.

"That customer was so rude. I wish I could punch him," cried the woman carrying a red sack around her shoulder.

Ona, an overtly frightened girl, cried, "Sefina, you can't do that! You'll get in trouble!" Her brows furrowed, her eyes glassy.

Sefina snorted. She turned around to face the girl that was trailing behind them.

"This sister of yours worries too much."

But there was no response.

"Prita, why so quiet?" asked Ona.

Prita, usually the life of every conversation, remained quiet. She stopped walking, confusing the other girls that they stopped as well.

Despite her small stature, Prita stands tall and emits a stallion-like strength with the way she talks and walks. But now she was acting more like Ona: shoulders crouched, head down, forehead beaded with sweat, and occasionally shot worried glances to the flanks of the road.

"Prita, you need to speak, or we won't know how to help you." encouraged Sefina.

Finally, Prita looked up. She sighed and said, "I feel someone has been watching me this whole day."

"What?" asked Sefina.

"I-I think that they are still here right now beneath the trees or bushes."

Prita and Ona looked around the flanks of the road. It was filled with tall mahogany trees, bushes, ferns and vines.

Ona suddenly retorted, "Sis, this is not funny. Stop it!"

"I'm not!" Prita stomped her foot. Her clenched fist discoloring her hands.

"How about we walk faster, head to the warrior station and report this. How's that sound, Prita?" Sefina asked.

Prita went quiet for a while but nodded subtly. The three women walked shoulder to shoulder.

Since it's the rainy season and Tonod village is located in the mountain regions of Mai kingdom, it was not unusual for thick fog to descend. Their surrounding slowly turned grey, blurring their vision.

Fear hung in the cold, moist air as the three women walked down the road. All of their focus was concentrated at the end of Lepo road, where a bright yellow light emits from the neighboring houses' lanterns.

Sefina grabs the hands of Ona and Prita. "Just keep walking straight; don't let go of my hand," she warned.

Within minutes the fog became much thicker. Consumed within a cloud of grey, all of them decided to stop walking.

Suddenly, Prita griped Sefina's hand harder.

"What's wrong?" Sefina asked.

"Do you hear that?" Prita asked.

Sefina and Ona listened and heard the sound of rustle leaves, the whoosh of the wind, and the croaking of a frog. Sefina was about to reassure Prita there was nothing to worry about when she heard the shuffling of feet.

The girls looked behind them. In a far distance, amidst the ashen horizon was a shadowy figure, running in full speed at them.

"Run!" Sefina bellowed.

A jolt of energy shot in their bodies as they blazed down the road. Their legs burn, their lungs collapsing.

Curious, Ona looked back over her shoulder. The shadow was an inch away from her face.

A wild, ferocious scream disturbed the quiet night. It awakened the nearby houses, people gushed out of their homes. Scuffled footsteps marched towards the horse scream, onto Lepo road. Series of pitchforks, lanterns cast tall shadows on the ground of men and women carrying axes, spears, bows and arrows.

Abruptly, the scream ceased. The fog gradually thinned out, and an invasive odor of rotten eggs and burned metal permeated across the open air. The group followed the stench, leading them to a grisly scene.

Three bodies laid lifeless before them. Their limbs sprawled in abnormal angles. Their skin turned brown and purple—Exposed white bones, decapitated heads, the earth soaked in blood.

Everyone became hysterical, gasping, crying, screaming some vomiting.

A man, with two long spears resting in each shoulder, faced the chaotic group. He bellowed, "Everyone shut your faces!"

Everyone froze.

"Someone get a warrior here!"