Hello, Father, are the final words the president hears before his death. Moments later, Air Force One begins an uncontrolled spiral and a pale, muscular man climbs out of the shattered cockpit windscreen and jumps clear of the plane as it falls to the ground below.

 

11:37AM

Chicago, Illinois

 

Imelda Bautista passes a bowl of Pork Adobo to a festival attendee when the light in the sky turns an unusual blue. The festival is filled with strange sights, sounds, and smells, so the blue-tinged light is less noticed by people here than it is in other parts of the globe. The delicious aroma’s wafting through the air help to distract people from visual sensory clues and signify yet another marvelous food festival is being held in Chicago. This time, it is the annual Albany Park World Fest which features specialty dishes from around the world.

Imelda remembers the tales her grandparents told her in the Philippines and becomes rigid with fear. Blue light in the day signifies the arrival of the Aswang. Her parents and grandparents were not superstitious people; in fact, they were not religious at all, which is extremely unusual in the highly spiritual and largely Catholic country. Her parents were scientists, like her grandparents before them, and they looked at the world with a skeptical wonder.

She remembers her grandmother explaining one day, The folk tales and stories are all there to make sure you follow the rules, Imelda. Every one of them is made up except for one. The Aswang are real. We know because years ago, your grandfather fought one during the war. They show up during the blue light. If the world turns blue, you must leave where you are and find safety.

Imelda’s husband is from Bohol Island in the Visayan region of the Philippines, the same area Imelda is from. While he doesn’t know her family history or the tales of the Aswang and the blue light, he knows his wife. She is a no-nonsense woman that is the love of his life and has kept him in check from the first day they were married. Depending on the tone she uses, if she says to do something, he knows how quickly he should get it done.

She turns to him with a face drained of color and tells him firmly, “The Aswang are coming, we have to run.” Looking into her eye’s, Arvin knows not to hesitate. He drops his pan, grabs her hand and starts running out of the festival with her in tow behind him. Weaving between the booths and around the attendees that make up the thick crowd, they glance behind them as they hear the first screams.

The shrieks and yells start erupting all around them as they see people’s children collapse to the ground. The Bautistas continue their run to the exit and nearly collide with a mounted police officer riding his horse at a gallop to find out what the commotion is about. He has to turn his mount away and head around a small wall as the flow of people running from the festival grounds intensifies.

Here and there in the crowd, there are flashes of movement, something fast moving through or over the throng. A blur of speed and then someone gets knocked down. Arvin and Imelda make it another half block before stopping at a large tree to find a safe way to escape. Looking back the way they came, they see the police officer struggling to hold on to his horse as it rears up over the surging mob. Something, a fast and terrifying shadow flies at him knocking him off of his horse. The Bautistas continue their run from the festival grounds, not knowing where they can go that is safe.

Only three blocks away from the festival, Arvin stumbles forward and falls in an awkward stop.