Chriko, the Little Monster

It's time to start a new beginning in my blog- I know I haven't written any post since November- but now that it's summer and the nothing-to-do days are here, I can start writing in my blog again.


This time I'll put a short story here about a little monster.

Chiriko, the Little Monster

Thump

      Thump

          Thump

Up and down went Chiriko, marching along the cracks, jumping across the holes. The echoes of his steps vibrated across the whole building, and shook the columns of cement. It was the most exciting time he had had for years.

It was midnight when Chiriko had found the abandoned building. Carrying a small plastic bag tied to a stick, Chiriko went in. The walls were covered with spray- painted doodles and words. The floors had holes in them, and from the ceiling, water dripped continuously. The columns creaked, and the cracked windows let the moonbeams shine on the gray floor. It was scary, and the shadows around him seemed to tickle his hair.

Chiriko didn't mind the loneliness or suspiciousness of the place. It was the perfect place to be himself. He started with a smile, walking down the path along a chasm of darkness.

After playing echo with the walls, Chiriko had an eerie feeling that someone was hiding behind the shadows.

"Never mind," he said to himself, "I am a big monster tonight."

He went around a column full of red dots, trying to kick off a chunk of wet cement. As he was about to give the column a little kick, he heard a soft sound. It sounded as if there were someone rustling the furry dustballs, disturbing the quiet sound of the crickets. Chiriko pretended it was just a whistle he had let out unconsciously, but actually he was really getting scared.

"Never mind," he said to himself, still brave enough to stutter, " I am a big monster tonight."


Chiriko sat down beside a crack, exhausted and sweating. His tiny little heart inside his chest beat faster than usual. He put his little hand to his head, and almost fell on his back. He was just about to stand up when a big furry thing rammed into him and almost pushed him to the big crack.


"Intruder!" It was the first thing Chiriko heard when he recovered from the shock.


'What's all this useless nonsense about your being big?" the creature glared its black eyes at Chiriko. It was a mouse, bigger than Chiriko! He was a little creature that night!!


The mouse put its furry grey paws on Chiriko's chest, making him fall over again. 


"You may seem big - to yourself. Har-har-har!" guffawed the mouse. "You, big? What nonsense! You're the smallest thing I've ever seen!" Even smaller than those yellow cheesy puffs lying around on the road!"


Chiriko gulped and cringed, paralyzed. He'd never thought anyone would be in the building. When he had finally found his ultimate happiness... why now?


"G-G-Great mouse, y-you are the big monster tonight," he stuttered softly.


"That's more like it. Now kneel down and bow to me."


Suddenly, a great eruption of anger swept away Chiriko's terror. Bow? To the one who had taken away his happiness? He had earned it, with all the hunger and exhaustion he had gone through on his way there. Bow to him? Never!


"Mouse maybe you are not the big monster tonight!" Chiriko shouted in his tiny little voice, now more confident.


The mouse was shocked. "You dare defy me, the great mouse? Why, I'll cut you up and tear you to - OOOAH!"


Before the mouse could finish his threat, Chiriko had bitten his furry hind paw with his small but sharp teeth. The mouse, overcome with pain, shouted and hopped backwards. Forgetting that the crack was just behind him, he fell and died a terrible death. And it all had been caused by the teeth of Chiriko.


" Never mind the mouse," he said to himself, smiling. "I am the biggest monster tonight.


And he went back to playing his favorite activity, playing echo with the walls.


                                                                  THE END




I've been thinking of making more stories with monsters in it. Since it's summer, maybe I should!


Oodles of goodbyes,
Mattie

Semestral Break Adventures: Walking Through the Dead

Finally! A week of rest and leisure for students like me-semestral break! Okay, not all fun with all those projects and deadlines haunting us wherever we go. But nevertheless, it was a time to relax and have more exciting adventures. 

On October 30, my family (on my mom's side) decided to visit the cemetery. We rode in different vans going to Holy Cross Memorial Park, a cemetery in Novaliches, Quezon City. My sister and I rode with my cousin, playing the DS and telling each other stories to pass the time.


We stepped down to a grassy place an hour later. Dusty tombstones on the ground and death dates were everywhere. It was creepy, and it would have sent a chill down my spine if it weren't for the sun shining brightly in the sky. There were also a lot of people and fast food stalls, which made it less creepier. My cousin and I walked around, trying to find the earliest birth date engraved on a tombstone. But we also made sure that we never stepped on anyone's grave- whose spirit could haunt us later that night.


Walking through the dead is scary, for our imagination makes it so. My imagination conjures thoughts of silvery-white spirits rising from tombs and shriveled-up faces with blood dripping down their eyes- EEEK! Our imagination could really make up some nightmares we later on will regret. I regret thinking of that ghost in my bathroom. Here is a poem about those kind of nightmares the imagination could make- and what could help in fighting these.

Nightmares and Nightlights

by Mattie

Lost I was in a realm of nightmare

Being chased by a zombie/vampire

Why couldn't I tumble to the other side

Where unicorns and rainbows reign?

It seemed like running in circles and circles

In the inky dark nothingness

But as I searched and searched

I sighted a glow, a light of shining hope.

Could it be- a portal?

From this world to the reality of life?

But never was I to know

For a slimy hand had clutched my shoulder.

I woke with a start, back in the comfort of a blanket

Dimly do I remember that sight from my dream

But I did remember that trail of red blood it left

And its ghostly white eyes staring right into my soul.

I shook myself, relieving myself of fear

And looked around at my dark bedroom

Stared at the ticking of the clock

As it was, I discovered, three hours past midnight.

I wanted to go back to sleep!

But my eyes wouldn't shut, my eyes would flicker

Even as I counted my sheep

It was one creepy night-for I could not go back to sleep!

Suddenly, a knock came tapping on the door

And the shuffling of steps echoed throughout my room

I got up, twisted the door knob and-

There was no trace of who had knocked on my door.

I ran quickly to my parents' room

Knowing they could comfort me and let me sleep on their bed

I pinched, shook, patted-but failed,

Their snoring just grew louder.

I looked out in the window,

Into the darkness of the cold night

No lone dog howling nor cat meowing

The outside was as creepy as could be.

A stray cold air rushed towards me

And looked behind and saw-

A shadow softly flitting and prancing across the room

And I knew that it wasn't mine.

I fled as fast as my feet could go

And tucked myself into one of my soft blankets

Then something caught my eye-

Those ghostly white eyes I had once seen.

I screamed, my heart hammering on my chest

Hoping it would wake up the others

But no one rushed into my room a few seconds later

What was happening to the world around me?

I never believed in those rumors-it could be imagination

Where they say my house was built on a graveyard

And lone ghosts would haunt me all my life

But now I see-maybe it was true!

I grasped around for something that might help me

Maybe a toy hammer or sword to hit zombies on the head

But instead, I found a switch

Finally, the nightlight!

I switched it on and-lo and behold!

A warm light to defend me against dark creatures

No longer was I afraid or scared

But I never realized all my nightmares would end-

All with one nightlight!

I would do other things too, like opening all the doors and making sure that there is always someone near me. I also pray to my guardian angel to guard me from bad spirits. 

The moon and the dark nothingness

My imagination always scares me, but that doesn't mean imagination is a bad thing. Imagination really makes lives more colorful and lively. Imagination is like the sun to a flower, which makes it live. So although imagination can cook up some really terrifying things- especially this October-November, a bit of imagination is good for you.

Oodles of goodbyes,

Mattie

A Golden Dinner

I am not a fan of vegetables-like all other children are. But this time, I will make an exception.


 Last Sunday, my mom prepared a special dinner for our family- including our vegetarian uncle. I was sitting down and staring at the TV when my stomach started to grumble and I smelled the scent of something fried. I followed my hungry instincts and went to the kitchen. 

Plates of yumminess!

Do you know what you're having for dinner just when you see its ingredients? I was clueless. The counters on both sides of the kitchen were full of flour, bowls of eggs, spices, and mmm... bowls of raw shrimp and squid. Luckily for me, I was satisfied with a fried kamote (sweet potato) dipped in an exotic sauce. It tasted crunchy with the tinge of salty soy sauce on it. I was now ready to eat...TEMPURA!

Ebi tempura with sauce...!

The Food Testers!-in action (especially Joni)

I was so excited to eat when we sat down. I scooped a serving of rice on my plate and immediately put vegetable, shrimp and squid tempura on my plate. I hastily got a vegetable tempura and dipped the whole thing in the sauce. I then popped it into my mouth, following up with rice. It was so delicious! The crunchy texture and the soy sauce blended really well together in my mouth- I even forgot there was a vegetable inside. If everyday we had vegetables coated in this golden crispy skin and a sauce to go with it, well I would eat them!


I spent the next few minutes eating and savouring the tempura. I loved eating the shrimp tempura-my face practically screamed EBI GOODNESS! Meanwhile, my baby sister Joni was enjoying the dinner too. She was beside me, and she kept placing vegetable tempura on my plate. (Thank you very much Joni.) =) My whole family loved Sunday dinners.

Vegetable Tempura

The squid tempura was a favorite too. I was chewing and grinding its exotic goodness in my mouth. (Sadly, Joni could not eat the squid for it was too firm for her teeth.) The plates of tempura were quickly empty and by that time, we were all stuffed with golden scrumptiousness, our plates licked clean. I would have wanted to eat more shrimp tempura, but then, as I said, there were no more. We ended the dinner on a sweet note-with a bowl of sweet chocolate ice cream.

Sweet sweet chocolate ice cream...

The dinner was done, and I was sad to leave the table. It also meant that it was the end of the weekend and that dreadful Monday was tomorrow. Sunday nights are really sad-after all the weekend fun has gone away. Nevertheless, it was a golden dinner and it was one that I would savour in days to come-just like all other special Sunday dinners.


Oodles of goodbyes,
Mattie

Being the Elder

Who here have siblings? I have two younger sisters, so being the eldest, I have many responsibilities towards them. Taking care of them, bearing their whining, lending them my favorite pillow-sometimes it just makes me want to pull my hair out frustration. See what my pencil could write on paper when angry:

An Older Sister's Pantoum 

by Mattie

We wonder why we have to have younger sisters,

More people to share things with?

How it irritates us when they sabotage these!

What makes them think that these things are fully theirs?

Little sisters who we share with

And all their prissy personalities!

The things they have aren't even theirs

They're things just owned before by us!

Adults always side with them and their personalities

Us alone on the other, annoyed and irritated

Be kind to your sister, they tell us,

They have no idea how it feels like to be older!

Have they ever experienced that feeling of being irritated?

Of dealing with unmentionable THESE?

But it is our responsibility, as the older,

To stick together with our sisters!

Who shares my feelings at some point of their childhood life? Shout "Me!!!" if you do! And for those reading who are younger sisters themselves, please do your eldest sibling a favor this afternoon- they do need rest.


Oodles of goodbyes,
Mattie

Hello to the World

Hello world! I'm Mattie, a sixth-grader from the Philippines. This is my first blog and it's going to be about anything I find interesting-food, clothes, movies, books, fascinating things about the world! Don't you find this world so amazing that there is so much to say about it? This is what this blog is for. It's for discovering the oodles of blissful and miserable points of life. This is where I'll post some poems and short stories of mine. That's all I wanted to say for this first post. So happy reading!


Oodles of goodbyes,
Mattie