In the dark canvas of the night, the stark beauty of the moon in its fullness was mesmerizing. Always generous to share its soft light among the folks of the mud. The fireflies danced in the air, courting the sparkling stars scattered up above. The serenity of it all was always deserving of peace and silence. And so, you kept silent. And everyone kept silent. Too quiet. Almost disturbing and sinister. The buzzing of the bugs, croaks of the frogs, and howling of the wind had stopped too suddenly. And everyone knew what was coming.
Ripples from the sea have started to form, and waves pulled back and returned ruthlessly to the shore. The harsh wind shook the roofs of the tiny dwellings, and the trees were forced to bow. Large, iridescent fins like that of a fish and horns that of the devil peaked in and out of the waters. The sea swirled with the twisting of the long snake-like body of the hungry beast. The Sea-Serpent, Bakunawa, had come to take the moon again. How long has it been the last? Already forgotten, but the fear remained.
The midwife wiped the sweat off her eyebrows, smearing a bit of blood on her forehead. The birthing had been for hours, and the poor lady had lost too much blood. She put her hands above the large bump and helped to push out the baby. A little more, just a little more and it will be done. The roar of the beast and the scream inside the little house has mixed in chaos.
The wind slammed hard. The waves came relentlessly, and the beast stretched its jaws, flying swiftly for the moon. And in the last breath of the young mother, everything went black. The Sea-Serpent, Bakunawa, has swallowed another moon again. But something went wrong. It kept thrashing and roaring, instead of diving back into the depths of the sea with the moon in its belly.
The midwife's eyes widened in terror as the realization hit her. Her shaking hands held a crying, healthy boy. The old story was true. In his closed eyes, the left one bled a soft light. One that resembled the light of the moon. And so, she knew, the beast would return. It will come for you. Because it has never been bested before, and you, poor boy, have dared to steal its moon.
Bakunawa – the moon-eating sea-serpent dragon, regarded as a great beast and an enemy of the ancient gods, in Philippine mythology. ⚔
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