ALONE

Alone
by Edgar Allan Poe
(1875)


From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were -- I have not seen
As others saw -- I could not bring
My passions from a common spring --
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow -- I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone --
And all I lov'd -- I lov'd alone --
Then -- in my childhood -- in the dawn
Of a most stormy life -- was drawn
From ev'ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still --
From the torrent, or the fountain --
From the red cliff of the mountain --
From the sun that 'round me roll'd
In its autumn tint of gold --
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass'd me flying by --
From the thunder, and the storm --
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view --


In the Tikbalang World, something new is taking shape.
Alone, you must await!

Midas Touch

Your guardian angel is asleep while hell is brewing just around the corner!

The lady in the water fed Erosomo with the heart of the Maligno. The once innocent querubim now threads a thin line. Old thoughts are shattered… corrupted.... paving the way for a chaos of infinite reach…

Meggido, the old serpent and ancestor to the malevolent Maligno is stirred. A new blood of power courses through his veins. A god need not be born, but merely resurrected. Erosomo would be the fire to ignite his dark soul and burn the whole world with it….

Unless the catalyst stand on his own and stake his claim to godhood….Everything is possible.

Maok

Lie to me and lie with me
Your deepest desires roam free
Such dark secret I'll still see
Even if you must lie to me.

Azrael's time

Tears poured forth like rain. And Azrael knew how it felt to be human again, even for awhile.
In grief, as in any great emotion, seconds pass for eternity. And hell or heaven in a sudden becomes all too real.But awareness comes only to the living. Then, so is pain... and hell and heaven! The dead unknowing is thus spared.
Azrael took it as consolation.

He took the spear from the flailed hand of Aramis. Bloodsoaked, the weapon has never been more gruesome.

The grieving is over. The blood should make up for the tears. And in his mind, Azrael knew it doesn't matter whether it's his. Of course, the slayer's blood is preferred.

His eyes burns not of hate nor of love lost, but longing... In the end, there can only be one!

From afar, the angels are watching...

A Prelude to Destiny

"There manifests itself in the fully developed being, Man, a desire mysterious, inscrutable and irresistible: to imitate nature, to create, to work himself the wonders he perceives. Long ago he recognized that all perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the Akasa or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never ending cycles all things and phenomena. The primary substance, thrown into infintesimal whirls of prodigious velocity, becomes gross matter; the force subsiding, the motion ceases and matter disappears, reverting to the primary substance." - Man's Greatest Achievement, 1907

With a clear view from afar, perspective shows a glimpse of the grand design. The "worst" is yet to come! - Tikbalang Incorporated, 2006

the Song of Sherill

"In the tower lies Kazaa,
Where all knowledge and wisdom rests.
A guardian brave shunned by Hera
Held Sherill who holds sophia..."

The slayer utters the words like some mystic spell. And in a way, it was. He almost misses his demon-days encounter and swears willing to trade the near death moments for this other madness.

Six months, six days and six hours he had spent in the "Realm of the Fallen" and nowhere is he near now to the "Castillo de Maestro".The Talisman of Roth could rot there for all his care but the vision of Sherill had so enthralled her. He's like an addict now unable to turn back....

Like a moth drawn to the fire of imminent death, retreating has never been an option to begin with. And though the seeds of doubt throbs in his heart with a beat all its own, the allure of Sherill permits no such encroachment.

The Talisman would draw him to the guardian. That much he knows to be true. But with each passing time, the desert grows. And the bones and skulls along the way won't take him to the castle even if they knew.

He kept walking anyhow, which is more like a limp or a drag now. Death could overtake him anytime soon and he feels it to be most welcome. But the damned knows no heaven and is not entitled to have one.

From a distance a landmark all to familiar came to view.

Pain has just begun.

The Dilemma of Roth

Cogito ergo sum...I think therefore I am!

How do you fight the enemy from within? And if by chance you'd ever find out, then how would you win?As the devil sings the song you'd long shut out within your mind, Old demons rise where they lay buried.The beast taps the "forbidden power" long trapped within the dark recess of your mind.

"I think therefore I am!" You muster the words hoping to gain control.

Your god did say "I am who I say I am". Does the fact of your claim not make you a god too? The devil puts the words into your mouth.

"Close. But not quite!" You retaliate.
You know full well that you have to get the devil out of your head or you'll loose it all.When the last flicker of hope dies, the darkness - all consuming - would become you.

How do you get the devil off your head?

Cogito ergo sum. I think therefore I am!

Aswang: A glimpse of things to come

"You don't want to mess with the Aswang", Bathsheeba spoke aloud. It was so uncharacteristic of her...
"That thing is the ultimate perversion".Now she really blew her top. I couldn't believe aswang could inspire such fear even to it's kind. After all, Batsheeba is not your typical girl-next-door. (She's a demon too for cryin out loud!)
"How, pray tell, could you have such high regard for such a lowly beast?" I said half-mockingly.
"This is not one of those things you ought to take lightly". Batsheeba uttered still unappeased. "Take your tea and I'll show you".Tea is the potion Batsheeba makes to access the oracle.
Some Slayer I turned out to be, relying on a demon to point the way to me. It's hopeless - I mean, I am!
I swallowed the concoction along with my pride. It was sweet as sin and just as bitter.
She undressed right away to perform the required ritual. We had sex once more for her to enlighten me...And I saw the vision during climax - like some flashback from a B movie.Lying wasted in her bed, reality hit me hard.
I'm f_cked!

Tiyanak

Tell me dear, am I unkind.
(To say) that from the nunnery of thy chaste breast the demon rise...

Diwata

Bathsheeba looked at me with Medusa's eyes. And I, falling under a spell, kissed like Judas. We made love like it was war. We gave it all like there was no tomorrow - for indeed, there was none...
As with guilt arising from every consumated lust, the gift of bliss was entwined with postcoital curse. Heaven left a bitter after taste.
"There is no 'One Heaven' and happiness is always relative", she whispered knowingly.I need not be told the painful truth.
"And so we moved in hopeless pursuit. We dream and build, then dream anew - heaven always changing with us."
Bedroom talk with pregnant mind...same unsettling effects with hangover from too much wine...and whine!
I breathed a sigh and she asked why. Then I was Peter who denied three times...
There seems to be a lesson to be learned here. Unfortunately, they're lost on the crumpled sheets...
Bathsheeba felt betrayed...she flew out of the window.

Maligno

Granite-like fist hits the unsuspecting victim which happens to be you. And the earth adored you so much that it heaves and breathes where you have fallen. The ground eventually swallowed you whole.
When the body hurts more than the pride, it only meant reason dawned too late. And the truth being painfully made clear, regret indeed comes after the fact...
Heroes die alone because nobody precedes them. And when and where they fall, nobody follows...
One universal truth after another - enlightenment comes. Death is truly near.
"Not with one blow", you told yourself now. Pride sustains where all else fails. Your body trembles as you prop yourself up."Time for some magic beans now!". Not that you have some.
Again, pride lifted you up....
You drew the Anito's dagger and wrote on the ground the ancient name... The hidden symbol of your bloodline.
Time stood still for what seemed to be an eternity. Even that might not have been enough for you to recover. You took it anyhow.
The Maligno stared... Amused...
A storm is brewing...
You took a deep breath. You opened your mouth and lo! A tempest was released - wind howling and swirling like hell...
The maligno was unmoved. He started to ran in your direction andthe earth shook...
Now the gods will battle.

Ebanghelyo ni HUDAS

"Keep hope alive but never satisfied...."
Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power

Bewitched

You look the beast square in the eye and you twitched.
A moment of hesitation and you found yourself writhing in agony - the only good part is your conscious of it. It means you're still alive. But before you could figure out for how long, you found yourself being hurled from wall to wall. "A couple of minutes perhaps", you are sure now.
You were told it was all routine. A mere sweeping of dust with a pay of a king's ransom should have tipped you off. It was too good to be true. You should have known better.
What good is a slayer's sword if you could not swing it? Even the dagger weighed a ton now. "you're totally screwed man" was an obvious truth that reverberates mockingly.
You were charmed. You fell for a witch!
The whole thing spelled disaster and you were unable to read it. Well' you did but it was all too late.

Tikbalang Lifetime Achievement Award for GMA

Fellow Tikbalangs, Kapres, Duwendes and all Lamang-Lupa, Ladies and Gentlemen, Greetings!

All vermin should aspire to attain greater heights even if nature predisposed them to the lowly depths of the bottom feeders. If it be needed to lie, cheat, backstab and connive to reach the zenith of power, then so be it. Just because you don’t deserve it doesn’t mean you can’t get it!

It is with the exemplary display of the aforementioned attributes and in recognition to the tapeworm-like hold to power that the Tikbalang Incorporated confers the Tikbalang Lifetime Achievement Award to the supreme vermin, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

To wit, here’s a recap to highlight an outstanding career:
- In her dazzling show of brilliance, GMA lied to the grave of the Filipino’s foremost hero Jose Rizal whose life attested that genius knows no color or creed. Well, Arroyo cuts thru color and creed. As her corruption knows no distinction, she’s a genius in the most perverted sort of way.
- Without any hesitation, GMA muted the truth and claimed the voice she speaks are the words of God. Her firm stance amid such blasphemous claim proves beyond doubt she is without reproach. Not even Miriam could convincingly dangle such madness in front of the whole wide world.
- Prophetic words of Conrado de Quiros, as expected, fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. In essence, GMA had disproved the pen to be mightier than the sword. With the grumbling stomach of the masses, mere words could not be digested. Keep the people poor and they would not aspire for higher things in life. Freedom is a distant reality when all you do is worry about a decent meal for the family.
- Keeping a puppet court by holding a majority bloc comprising of conniving Judases in the upper and lower houses.
- GMA is an economist and Miriam Defensor-Santiago is Mother Theresa; GMA is the President of the Philippines and Miriam Defensor-Santiago is Mother Theresa. In the absence of any real virtue, pretense is the closest thing to see you through.

Indeed, GMA showed beyond any shadow of doubt that nobody could rightly be affiliated to the Tikbalang Lifetime Achievement award.

Tikbalang Incorporated also recognizes the power acts of Mssrs. Gonzales1, Gonzales2 and Ricardo Abcede for their moronic stance and unique play of insolence, apathy and ignorance and confers upon them the the title of Tikbalang’s Most Promising Vermin.

In closing, we proclaim that Hell is coming with the reign of the Vermin Queen. It’s not sooner or later than you think. It’s too late!

In behalf of Tikbalang Incorporated, I Thank you!

KAPRE

Every iota of your muscle and every fiber of your body cry out to bootless heaven. This is one battle you are sure to remember if you ever survive it. Or if your faculties remain intact should you actually pull it off.

The stench of tobacco approximates its distance. Your eyes half shut, a blurred vision is an understated handicap. Slugging it out in the first place sure wasn’t such a bright idea – not when your sparring partner is a 9 foot behemoth 8 times your weight. And you thought Mike Tyson was dumb.

The monster flashes a knowing grin. It puffs the cigar, inhaling the smoke and a full 5 meter radius of air surrounding him. It’s going for the kill and you just happen to be the victim.

“Darn, I couldn’t even say it’s a good day to die”.

End game. Even rising up is a burden. Nevertheless you prop yourself up for one last stand.

The Kapre moves forward….

The Beginning

We all have preconceived notions. Ideas absorbed from the commonplace and the mundane. The foundations of a proverbial Tower of Babel, we await in utter disdain the inevitable collapse. With no solid ground to stand, we are all doomed from the start. Hence the beginning is the end. And the end is the beginning. The alpha and the omega in one endless loop, we are infinite and immortal in a twisted sort of way.

You do not have a hand on things to begin with, but you have the choice of how to end it.

Welcome to Tikbalang Incorporated!