Never Alone

"She was always there. As long as there's a body of water around, doesn't matter how big or small it was, she would be there constantly wooing me to go back to her world. She said I had already married her when I partook of her food, but what an awful trick that was. I was young back then, the sweeper of our boy scout troop, and I can still vividly remember how I accidentally fell through a puddle. A puddle! I was expecting the usual splash of a usual stomp on a usual puddle but no! My whole body was sucked in that tiny hole where underneath she was apparently waiting. She offered me food, so enticing they were, shiny black rice and bright red fruits I haven't seen before. I ate them. Out of courtesy at first, but then I found myself devouring them to the last bits. I almost forgot about my troop and told her I needed to go back. I pleaded with her but she wouldn't let me go. So I escaped. I swam away furiously and eventually found my way back to the puddle. Taking a last look back I found her staring at me. As if cursing, she said I'll never be free and will always be with her. I managed to go back to camp but I was told I was gone for a week which seemed only a few hours in her world. Now I'm 75 years old, and people think I'm crazy, just because I always talk by myself to a glass of water. I'm not by myself! I'm never alone! I'll never be alone!"

Just a recounting of the story of one of the elders I interviewed at Mt. Banahaw a long time ago. I myself thought he was nuts. But who am I to say so. I remember an aunt of mine telling me an old relative who was similarly courted by a sirena, and my folks inform me as well that I had a duwende as a playmate when I was a kid. Hmmm…

This was initially drawn in my Visoliliquy series at http://revcruz.tumblr.com as a character. Here is its iteration in my Moleskine notebook.