Your Fuku

The Fuku

Running, that's what you remember. From the monsters under your bed, from the spirits in the halls, from the demons that lurk in the unknown. It scares you, but who can you tell? No one believes you, not your parents, not your friends, heck, sometimes you didn't believe what you could see. But they're real, and everyone knows it. They all fear it, they fear the fuku of our world.

It first started when you were young, too young to remember it clearly, but you know it was definitely there. A creature consisting of shadows, blurring in and out of the wall, approaching you in your crib. It was massive, it was all black, and it was reaching a large, black, pointed finger right over to your face. You were scared, and did what any child would do, you cried, you wailed, and the creature slightly recoiled as if shocked by your reaction. But proceeded to reach out to you, but instead of harming you, it placed its finger on your lips, hushing you. You could have sworn it smiled at you, but your mother can lumbering into your room and the creature was gone.

It wasn't until you were 5 that you learned what it was called, El Cuco, no one knew what he looked like, it punishes bad children. "But mama, he not mean, he fwendly!" In your childish innocence you told your mother about your encounter with El Cuco.

"Mija, he's not real, just a story." She said sympathetically. You couldn't help but frown, it seemed so real, but little did you know, El Cuco wouldn't be the only thing you would see.

The next time you saw something, you were in the 5th grade. You were coloring a picture when she appeared, she flew past your school window on a broomstick, like the ones used to clean up. She saw you staring at her, and came back around again. This time she was hovering in front of the window, but that was when the sister came over.

"What are you drawing little ----?"

"My family" you said, not wanting to take your eyes off of the strange woman outside the window.

"What are you looking at?" she questioned.

"There's someone out there..." came your reply. The woman waved at you, and you waved back. The sister looked at you, then to where you were looking, then back at you.

"There's no one there." she said soothingly.

"But there is!" You protested looking the sister right in the face. Some of the other kids started snickering, others looked out the window, but none could see her. La Bruja, just smirked and hopped back on her broomstick and flew off, you didn't see her again for many months, but she returned, they always checked on their new play thing.

Years passed, and more and more of them showed up, some were large, others were small, some were well known, others were not known at all, but you knew all of them, and they all knew who you were. They were the fuku's of the dominican, they were the myths and the legends, and despite everyone knowing about them, no one believed you. Not your parents, not your friends, sometimes not even you believed what you saw! But they were real, and they never left you alone.

Fast forward to when you're 20, and you're walking alone in the woods. At least you would be alone if La Ciguapa wasn't following you. But you didn't care, where you were going, there would be more than just her with you. After years of the teasing, the laughter, the therapists, and literally everyone (yes even your own parents) seeing you as a mental freak! You've had enough and you let them be your friends, they understand you, they see you, and you see them. They know you're not crazy, and you know they aren't all monsters, they do what they gotta do to survive, what's so bad about that?

Once you reach your secret oasis you can already see many fuku's are gathered playing in the water hunting some prey animals, or just laying in the cool shade of the willow tree that sat by the stream.