“President Dingdong Narciso is elected President of the Philippines!” smiled a news anchor. “Yeah… This just in, after a rebellion, he has recently announced martial law… Wait… There was a rebellion?”
Miguel bleeds on the ground, trying to grasp his phone. The smartphone is crushed by Tyrone’s brutal step. He stood there, a handsome light-skinned Filipino with American blood. He smiled, with his Lego Batman keychain hanging from his bag. He beats Miguel over and over, kicking him down.
“THAT is what you get for breaking Anna’s heart!” yelled Tyrone.
Miguel coughs out blood. “Tyrone… I just wanted to be your friend…”
“You forced her into getting her to like you,” said Tyrone.
“I just fell in love with her, man…” said Miguel, coughing in pain.
“Bullshit. Everyone knows you’re full of shit, Miguel,” said Tyrone, leaning toward Miguel, who shivered in pain.
“No, no… I just wanted to stand up for myself-...”
“You see? He’s changing his reason for the lash out, guys?” asked Tyrone, gesturing to Miguel mockingly.
Miguel takes a swing. Tyrone dodges, and Miguel fell with his palms on the ground. Tyrone kicks him down, causing him to spit out blood.
Tyrone sighed as he and his friends looked at Miguel with contempt. “Look… You don’t have to keep pretending you’re a good person. You’re a terrible person. Just like the rest of us. But we were on your side.”
“I just WANTED TO BE at the PARTY, MAN!!!” sobbed Miguel, before being beaten to the ground.
“That is NOT an excuse. Neither is your autism for this behavior.” Tyrone shows towers of texts from Miguel, who tried to communicate with Tyrone but was ultimately shut off by being berated. The texts clearly show that Tyrone did not care for Miguel’s reachout. Miguel expressed darker thoughts about his own life, but Tyrone said, “That isn’t on us.” Miguel expressed that he was severely depressed, and he kept on replying that “We don’t care about your book. Anna is not obligated to your happiness.” Tyrone stands up, looming over Miguel. He and Miguel’s former friends just looked at Miguel with disgust,
“Ever watched Superman? Movie says kindness is punk rock. It’s too old-fashioned… in a world like this… I always thought…” he gasped, rolling up to face Tyrone. “I could bring back that ol’ fad.” Miguel cries, whimpering, looking while the sunlight shone from the back of Tyrone’s head. “You are always obligated for everyone’s feelings… So show kindness…” he smiled, eyes teary, but Tyrone punched him and knocked him to the ground. “Let’s go, guys.“ Tyrone sighs, walking out of the alleyway.
Miguel kept crying on the ground, shivering in pain. He screams in horror, seeing his mangled face in the reflection of the puddle of bloody water below him, “ANNAAAAAAA!!!”
Shockingly, Anna is a part of this, just standing behind the group, and cries before following and holding Tyrone by the hand, kissing him on the cheek.
Miguel reaches for his phone, and the song “Gypsy Auto Pilot” by Gogol Bordello plays in the background.
After hours on the ground, Miguel sobs in the rain while running away from the scene, well, limping away, trying to find a way away from this place. He returns home to his family, who sigh and hug him.
“Who did this to you!?” asked his mother. “Oh, poor thing…”
Miguel refused to speak up and just cried, hugging her.
His aunt, a psychiatrist, hugged him back. “Hey… I will DEMAND A CASE from whoever did this to you…”
His mother’s phone revealed that she had been calling but someone did not seem to answer those calls. “Joseph is NOT answering…”
His aunt facepalms. “Hay Naku, Kuya talaga…” she facepalmed and brushed Miguel’s hair.
Miguel sobs and cries quietly while listening to Gypsy Autopilot still on his phone. He sobs quietly, hammering his head on the table and rocking his body back and forth. “I wanna… I wanna…” He punched his face over and over. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
His younger brother cries and hugs Miguel tight. “Kuya. It’s okay.” He spoke in an infantile manner. “It’s okay, kuya. It’s okeh…”
Miguel whimpers. “Can I be alone,.ya little ol’ Ladybug?”
His brother kisses his cheek and hugs him tight. “Okeh.” The overgrown child walks on tiptoes, wearing nothing but socks as he tiptoed out of the room.
Miguel plays a different song, “Starman” by David Bowie.
…
…
…
10 years… later…
Miguel sighs, now 34 years old. He was frantically typing into his computer about a new storyline and some new research. “Question About Earth’s Orbit,” it says.
A note from his family states they’re off in Canada, with a little stickman drawn on it waving goodbye.,
Miguel types into his computer as a beautiful woman sighs, getting home and taking off her high heels, walking on her bare feet toward Miguel, swaying and jiggling her hips, approaching Miguel. Miguel smells cherry blossom on her and smiles softly.
She moves over to Miguel and kisses him, smelling the skin on his face. “Goddamn! Dude. Wanna watch Transformers One?”
Miguel chuckles. “I’m writing an article. No thanks. There’s this theory online that, apparently, there might be a supernatural origin to the incoming cooling of Earth. There’s this guy, known as the Goat, making contracts with people with the payment that they each pray Earth’s orbit being flicked-...”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Dude! Boring! C’mon! We always watch it when your fam’s not home!” she begged, kissing his cheek over and over again. “Pweeeease? I just got home from work!”
“Okay…” Miguel smiled.
Miguel avoids eye contact with most people, even his own family, but not specific people, such as his brother or Aurora.
Miguel laughs and yells happily, giddy seeing Orion Pax become Optimus Prime and Dee 16 becoming Megatron. He yells with ecstasy while the woman smiles, staring at Miguel seductively.
Aurora Fernandex. The richest technocrat in the Philippines is actually working against Morningstar Industries. She had beautiful brownish-red hair and was of Filipino-Chinese descent. Miguel loved her dearly, burying his face in her armpit.
She smiles. “Am I your Elita 1 to your Optimus, dude?”
“Of course, you are!” laughed Migue, burying his head in her shoulderl. “Oh, I love this movie! Let’s watch Superman next!”
“I’ll be your Lois then…” she sat on his waist and began kissing him. “Dude, I like Transformers better.
“Oh, yeah?” Miguel smiled.
“Mhm. I wonder when we’d finally go on vacation.”
“Lots of things… scheduled… Ruru…”
She giddily laughed, biting his lip.
Miguel chuckles softly as they make out, but she gets a call.
“Aurora Fernandez… Mmmph… Residence. Who is this? Shit…” She pulls away. “I’m sorry. Work. Looks like someone is trying to buy off Ayala from Morningstar Industries...” she rolled her eyes.
“Aw… but smoochin’ time!” Miguel tilts his head like a sad puppy.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, sweetie. Just… continue with that article, I guess. Hope you get that promotion, sweetie!” She kissed him as she walked upstairs to change for the meeting.
Miguel sighs, flopping his face on the star pillow he hugged.
Miguel sighs, getting a call from the Barangay Hall.
Miguel enters work and is mocked for being late.
“Late again, Mr. Ibarra,” said the Secretary, who shook his head in dismissal.
“Sorry, Sec! Am trying to uh… fix my schedule! Haha!“ smiled Miguel, as he tried to find his seat in the tall building.
“Hey, fatso!” smiled a funny-looking man. “Late again, being a few meters from home? HIGHLY ILLOGICAL!!!” he laughed
“Shut up, Marv,” Miguel rolled his eyes.
“Heard you failed in 3d Chess yesterday! Oof! Bummer!” He smiled, relentlessly following Miguel, who got a call.
“Shut UP Marv…” Miguel answers, carrying A LOT of paperwork. “Hey? Mom? Tita Mommyta?”
“Hey, Miguel! We’re in Canada!” smiled his Aunt. “How are you? We want to congratulate you on your Best Barangay Morals Award! We know it was all you, love!”
“Mhm. Yeah. Thanks,” said Miguel, bowing his head as Marv laughed at him.
“Hey, Ibarras! Your son FAILED AT CHESS!!!” laughed Marv.
“That’s okay!” smiled his Mom. “Don’t be a stranger, love!”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks, Moms. Imma go, okay?” He shuts the phone off and sits at his desk.
Miguel sighs, slamming his head on the table, tired from all the paperwork just placed on his table by Sir Secretary Zeus.
The Kapitan smiles, entering the room and watching TikTok reels on his chair.
“Oh, heya Kap Lablantes!” smiled Miguel.
The Kap smiles. “Hey, Miguel! Heheh! Great job on the paperwork! Keep them morals up, kid!”
“Thanks, Kap!” smiled Miguel, before showing a few images from his phone. “Oh, about the barangay’s schedule, I have concluded that we would need at least a new barber for the Eskuwelahan. I have three choices-...”
“Secretary.” The Kapitan yawned.
Sir Sec turned to the images. “Can trust that one. He’s known for being the only one with no criminal record.”
Miguel smiles and jots that down. “Got it, sir!“
Later that day, Miguel tiresomely paints the walls of Eskwelahan under the hot sun, sweating all over before proudly finishing his art. “Yes! Woo!” It’s a group of street anthropomorphic dogs playing hockey. He smiled, finishing the strange painting with childlike drawing and strokes. He puts his fists on his hips and smiles proudly.
Miguel smiles, enjoying that hopefully… “Humanizing these so-called ‘pests’ would stop mah neighbors from eating ‘em! Aw yeah!”
Suddenly, a child’s basketball lands in the middle of the street, and Miguel hears a loud beep. He runs and grabs the child before he gets struck.
He smiles, tiptoeing and flapping his hands while holding the paint bucket to leave before being chased by a honeybee and spilling paint all over his crocs.
Miguel yells. “Come on, man!”
Miguel smiles, painting signage all over Lopez Jaena, climbing up the steep mountain.
That evening, he enjoys a nice shower and cleans himself before making dinner for himself and his wife. He was cooking essentially vegetables stewed in alamang, including kamote, sigarilyas, sitaw, and ampalaya, which is that specific veggie he cringes at. He also prepared his own style of fried chicken.
He cooked it by frying spices in some oils with cumin, cinnamon, coriander, umami salt, salt, pepper, crushed bay leaves, and turmeric with some Crispy Sarap and dough-covered chicken..
“I… don’t like ampalaya but I know you love that stuff…” Miguel smiled, staring lovingly into Aurora’s eyes.
Aurora giggled. “I do!” she smiled, taking a bite out of the bitter gourd. “Guess what! We made a deal!”
“What’s the deal?” asked Miguel.
“Well, I learned that Dingdong is the owner of Morningstar Industries.”
“Mhm…” Miguel just kept eating his fried chicken, mostly fried chicken and just some kamote and sitaw from the pakbet next to some rice.
“And he killed my family,” said Aurora, looking at Miguel’s eyes. “We gotta cancel those vacation plans, love.”
“What? What, what?” Miguel stopped eating, in shock dropping his spoon to the ground.
“They used to say a woman will enter the house if if if a spoon falls… Remember that old… legend…?” she broke down in tears. “It’s the controversy… It’s because they spoke against the Prez before…” Aurora tears up in Miguel’s arms. “He killed my family, Miguel… When you met me and your family gave me their love, I was looking for the persons who killed my own… He did it, Miguel…” she teared up. She begged Miguel to hug him more, brushing the cloth of her overalls onto his skin.
Miguel stops eating and just hugs Aurora. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
“My contact said my family was part of a criminal empire… Killed everyone I loved when I was a little girl…”
“Ruru… I’m so, so sorry…” Miguel closes his eyes. “We’ll get through this, okay? Wanna watch Superman to cheer up, love?”
Aurora smiles and chuckles. “I-...”
They hear the doorbell ring.
“Get that…” she sobbed.
Miguel nods. “Okay…”
He went down the garden and the twirling stone staircase outside the house on the hill, before reaching the rose-colored gate below.
He opens the door. “Hello? This isn’t a good time… Please leave…“
He closed the door, but the one at the door just kept it open.
Miguel takes a close look at his robes and is baffled.
His person wore a white and red robe and bared a cross on his giant hat.
“You… You’re the Roman High Priest…” he said, and behind him are the High Roman Guard.
“Buonasera, Miguel Ibarra… We have found the Saint King. I had a vision… And I saw… it is… you… Lord Saint King…” The High Priest and the High Roman Guard bowed before him, as Miguel is filled with a whirlwind of confusion and fear.
