Anthology of the Dark

Finger Licking Good

Disclaimer: The following character names are changed to protect their identities. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Photos in the story DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, credit to the owners and photographers.

This is a work of fiction.

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Thank you for reading Anthology of the Dark.
Get cozy. And let us begin.

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   Ever since that day, I always checked first before eating at a party.

   I was eight years old when we traveled to visit some friends in the province. It was around April, the weather was good, there were a lot of people in the provincial city, banners and colorful papers hang around the posts. Everybody was busy with the displays. As a kid, festivals are the best because there's food and colorful parades and performances. I remember when my mum told us over dinner that we'll travel to one of her *amiga's house because they invited us over for their city's annual festival.

*amiga is a Filipino term for your mother's female friends.

   There were bands every where and people in huge seafood costumes. "It's almost like a Disney festival, right?" my mum said as she took pictures with her camera. Well, this festival, as I recall, had around 16 municipalities working with each other and there are a lot of foreigners and TV film crew in the area so they are really doing their best to make everything bigger, better and loud. My mum's friend set us up in their house, it was an old Spanish-era looking house that's just right along the street where the festival is currently taking place. She said we we're right on time because it just started and the parade is coming soon. 

   "You hear that?" my dad, happy as he is, looked at me with fascination similar to a kid my age "We'll see the parade from here! Thank goodness their house has a good view of the street!"

   "Yes," the auntie replied "This house is actually an ancestral house. We always come home every year for this festival. We've been working on for months for this festival." She had a proud face showing us all of their colorful banners and costumes ready for the event. "You should set up your camera by the window so you can get a clear shot of the street party."

  "Go help your mum with her things" My dad said. In my head I'm like Why me? I'm suppose to enjoy the place, why don't you do it? You're bigger. But of course, I didn't say that because... Well because I looked at my mum and she's really having a good time, so did my dad, I like seeing them happy like that. My mum is a photographer, like a big deal photographer. Her photographs were featured on TV and on the telly a bunch of times, she's got the big and heavy duty tripods and lenses in her separate bulky camera bags. I ran towards the bag to get her stuff, it's a simple gesture, really. This is fine.

   I picked up one bag and I was surprised with how heavy it was I almost dropped it. 

   "Watch it!" A tall figure exclaimed in surprise as he caught the bag before it completely fell on the floor "Kid like you shouldn't be lifting the heavy stuff." he smiled "Here let me help you." He picked up the bag like it was nothing and proceeded in the living room. 

   "Oh hello Mario!" the auntie said as she greeted him with a cheek-to-cheek welcome, they called it a beso. "Mario this is my friend I was talking with you about,"

   "The photographer!"

   "Hello!" my mum stretched out her hands and they shook hands. My dad did the same. I can tell the tall man is part of the auntie's family, he resembles almost the rest of the household. I was just staring at the man while they all chatted. I was thinking I want to be tall like him. "...Oh, and this is my son"