The Awakened

Chapter 2 - The Boy in the Box

April 19, 2019. The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 or Corona Virus of 2019 has reached a death toll of 16,000 in the Philippines. All towns and cities were in lock down and citizens were advised to stay at home at all times.

Eddie was a farmer and also known as the local hilot, a Filipino healer practicing healing massage using bare hands of the same name. Most hilot make their own liniments and potions from herbs and medicinal plants. He used to have a lot of patients visiting his little farm hut until a global pandemic has spread. Strict isolation was imposed and social meet ups were prohibited. A bit lucky for Eddie since he has his farm in the forest to take care of his food and basic necessities.

One day as Eddie was roaming around the forest for some herbs, he came across a wooden crate half submerged by the river bank. Wondering what's inside it, he used his bolo to pry open the crate. A wooden plank came loose and a light shown inside the crate revealing an arm with blood coming out. Only then that Eddie noticed that a blood was on his bolo.

Eddie frantically removed the rest of the planks to get to someone inside the crate. A boy was inside wearing only some sort of pajama. The boy was not breathing and Eddie revived the boy. When the boy was breathing on his own, Eddie immediately treated the wound on the boy's arm with a clean piece of cloth and some of his freshly picked medicinal herbs. Making sure the boy was okay, Eddie building a makeshift stretcher out of some wood and planks from the crate.

The boy shimmered and after a while slowly opened his eyes and felt pain on his arm. On it was tied by a piece of cloth with some leaves sticking out. A man was chopping some wood on a short distance. The boy slowly sat and Eddie saw the boy sitting up. He went back to the boy's said.

"Take it easy", Eddie patting the boy's shoulder and gave him the bottled to water to drink from. Eddie looked at the boy's eyes and was surprised a bit. The boy has blue eyes on his right eye and black eyes on his left.

The boy accepted the bottled water. "Where am I?", he asked?

"I found you inside a crate by the river", Eddie said. "Do you know your name?", Eddie asked.

The boy was silent for a moment. To him, apparently someone or a group of people rescued him and put him inside a crate. He looked around wondering what happened to the glowing room and the glowing figure. He thought that the man is obviously not his rescuer.

"I don't know", The boy said lied. "I don't remember", Then he put his hand on head.

"My name is Eddie", Eddie introduced himself. "Just stay here and I'll get you out of the forest."

Eddie went back to chopping some wood for the makeshift stretcher. Finally the stretcher was done.

"I'll tie you on the stretcher so you won't fall", Eddie said. "Let me know if it's too tight or uncomfortable".

The boy nodded and Eddie tied the boy on the stretcher checking if he tied to tight. Then Eddie lifted the stretcher with the boy on his back and began walking. The boy looked around and noted the clean air and birds chirping at a distance. He reached out to a leaf and plucked and smelled it then chewed on it. He was nodding to himself. Eddie brought the boy back to his farm hut.

After making sure the boy was not infected by the wound on his arm nor with something else. He concocted a herbal potion and offered it to the boy.

"Drink this. You might sleep for a while but will help cure your arm and aching head", Eddie said.

The boy drank the concoction while Eddie was looking. Then after a while the boy felt sleepy. Eddie set up a mosquito covering the boys bed then went out. Eddie went to village hall of Busay in the Town of Kapatagan which was around 30 minutes away to report finding the boy. 'Busay' means a spring which is also the name of the nearest barangay to Eddie's farm hut by the forest. 'Kapatagan' means plateau and is also the name of the town that encompasses Eddie's farm hut, in the mountain area of Negros Island Region in the Philippines.