Joed's Despair

It is Monday morning again and a time for school. The fourth year students are doing their duties at the gate of the school to carry the bags of the pre-school, grades one, two and three pupils. But only few are there. They are Minnie, Annie, Mariana, Joy, Dolly, Daniella – a girl with brown complexion, average height and medium long hair, Liza – a girl with brown complexion, average height, and with a soulful voice, Veron and Jesa – the homozygous twin girls with white complexions, and chubby bodies, and Yohee – a tall Korean woman with white complexion but knows how to speak Tagalog because she has been in the Philippines for a long time.

Minnie, the president of the class asks the others. “Where are the boys? They should be the ones to carry more bags here.” Joy, the best friend of Minnie replies. “You know boys. They tend to come late, always.”

Then Melboy comes. Minnie tells him to carry the bags. “Hey Melboy! Carry those bags. We already have carried plenty of bags upstairs.” Melboy obeys as he speaks. “Okay okay!”

Then come Joed and Glenn. Joed’s face brightens when he sees Minnie. He greets Minnie as he does his pickup lines. “Hello Minnie! Your face is like a sunshine that brightens everyone’s day, especially my day.”

When the others hear it, everyone giggles. Mariana speaks. “Nice one, Joed…” Minnie just smiled but deep inside, she is embarrassed.

Glenn gets near Minnie and talks. “Hey! Have you submitted your requirements to De La Salle?” Minnie answers. “By Wednesday, I guess…”

Joed feels bad when after hearing Minnie replied to Glenn, and did not to him. He takes a bag of a grade one pupil and carries it to the second floor so he will not hear Minnie’s and Glenn’s conversation.

Inside the classroom after the flag ceremony, Joed talks to Mariana. “Do you think Minnie is angry with me? Because she never talked to me every time I talked to her.” Mariana replies. “No. But I think she is getting dismay of you. She is not used to that kind of thing.” Joed responds. “But this is me. This is how I talk and act.” Mariana replies. “Yes. But you are so blunt. You need to hold your tongue sometimes.”

Joed feels down because he does not know that how he speaks, could push Minnie away. Then their adviser speaks as he is checking the attendance. “Oh great! Many are late again, especially boys. Ken has been late for many days. Is he having hard time commuting? Oh wait! His house is walking distance to here.”

After the adviser said that, Ken arrives and speaks. “Hey sir! I’m here. I’m not late.” Mr. Fajardo replies in dismay. “No you’re not. You are too early for your next subject.”

Ken did not mind. He puts his bag on his chair, goes beside Liza, and does a high five. Ken and Liza have been friends since elementary. Then he returns to his chair and mingle with the others.

Glenn is doing his usual things. He chats with Minnie while his earphones are on. Joed on the other hand is somehow jealous of Glenn because Glenn can chat with Minnie without doubt. So, he stays at his seat and sings to himself.

Meanwhile, Macabro is done healing himself from the wounds he had the last time they fought the Novel Blue Soul Blood. But a scar is left on his left eye. He mutters “I will have my revenge Novel Blue Soul Blood.”

Mico appears behind him and speaks. “So, is it time for our next plan?” Macabro turns around and replies angrily. “Grrrr… Your elemental demons were useless. They destroyed them too. What plan are you suggesting this time?” Mico looks down and speaks. “I know. I did not anticipate the coming of the other member. We didn’t know that he could emit electricity at his hands. But this time, we will surely win.”

Macabro calms his self and asks. “How?” Mico replies. “Electricity is very powerful but there are elements that can resist it. And I know just the element to use this time. His power will be useless.” Macabro holds his chin and responds. “We still need to create chaos above.” Mico smiles then replies. “Don’t worry about that. The elemental demons will protect the caliginous gateway and at the same time, will create chaos even without the help of the possession demon. But of course, we will still use the possession demon to further create chaos.” Macabro smiles and speaks. “Hehe… Then, I can have my revenge on those Novel Soul Blood. Prepare the plan Mico. I will let them regret what they have done to me.”

After school, Joed, Ken, Mateo, Santiago and Melboy went to Robinson’s Place Otis where they always hang out. Joed asks Santiago. “Where is Glenn? Why did he not come?” Santiago answers. “His father did not permit him to go today. His father is strict.”

Melboy changes the topic. “So Joed, do you really like Minnie? Everyone knows how blunt you are to say sweet words and pickup lines to her.” Joed blushes, then, he replies. “Oh, is that really obvious?” Mateo replies. “Yes, indeed. You are like an unstoppable speaker every time you speak to her.” Joed responds. “Oh. But I think I’m pushing her away. Stupid me. I think that she does not like me even in the slightest measure of any unit.”

Melboy feels sorry for Joed. He speaks. “I don’t think that is true. Her priority may be is to finish her studies first before having a boyfriend. And besides, her parents are strict too. I remember when we were elementary when a classmate of us teased her because he liked her.” Ken adds. “Yah. Her parents were furious and talked to Vinwin and told him not to get near her.”

Vinwin transferred to another school this current school year because he was offered scholarship if he played basketball in that school. He was also their classmate since pre-school up to last year, third year.

Joed feels more down after he heard that. Ken eases his worriedness. He speaks. “Don’t worry Joed. There are a lot of girls there.” Santiago agrees. “Yes, Joed. I think you should not be worrying about that now.” Melboy responds and jokes. “Yes, Joed. Take it from our daddy Santiago here. He is the oldest of us all. Hahaha…”

Everyone laughs except for Joed. He replies. “But I’m worried about my future. What if I never get an experienced of having a girlfriend?” Everyone looks at each other. Then, Melboy responds. “Why are you worrying so much of having a girlfriend? It is good to be single. No worries about the money for a date.”

Santiago laughs and adds. “Yes. It is true.” But Ken replies to Santiago. “Because Santiago is like a tikoy (Chinese term for thick rice cake). He doesn’t want to bring out money even if he has a lot. He wants to be treated by the others. Shame on you. Hahaha…”

Santiago laughs and did not mind what Ken said because he knew to himself that it is true. But their conversation has no effect on Joed’s emotion.

After their hang out, they have gone in separate ways. Joed and Mateo walk together because they are just neighbors. On their way, Joed suddenly changes his mind. He wants to just walk around to ease his mind. He speaks. “Mateo, I will go somewhere else first. You go ahead.” Mateo, worried, replies. “Where are you going?” Joed responds. “I will just get some fresh air.”

Mateo agrees and walks to go home. “Okay. See you tomorrow at school.” Joed bid good bye and walks the other way. He does not know where he is going. He just walks and walks. Then, he gets between Benitez and Escoda streets.

He suddenly returns to his consciousness when he sees Macabro and Mico appear in one of the vacant lots. They did not see Joed. Joed turns himself invisible and follows the two. Macabro chants. After a few seconds a caliginous gateway opens. Then, a possession demon comes out.

Joed is astonished. In his thought “So that’s how they open the caliginous gateway.”

Mico raises his staff and chants. Then, two elemental demons appear. Joed is more surprised as he thinks. “So, Mico is the one summoning the elemental demons.”

The two elemental demons glow. The soil and the rocks start to levitate. Then, those soil and rocks engulf the elemental demons and form two ogre-like creatures. They are holding big stones like baseball bat. One of the creatures swallows the caliginous gateway. Macabro laughs and speaks to the possession demon. “Haha… now possession demon, find a host.” The possession demon flies and find someone to possess.

Joed thinks. “I can’t fight them all. I need to tell the others.”

Joed steps back slowly. But on his third step, he steps on a big rock and gets off balance. He falls down on the ground and returns to his normal state.

Mico and Macabro quickly turn around as they hear the sound of Joed. They see Joed lying on the ground. Macabro speaks. “Well, well, well… Look who’s here. The invisible man.” Joed quickly stands up and runs away.

Mico raises his staff forward and commands the ogre-like monsters to attack Joed. “Get him.” The two ogre-like monsters run to chase Joed. One of the monsters, sink to the ground and vanishes. Then, in front of Joed, it comes out of the ground. Joed is surprised and he stops running.

Mico and Macabro are already behind Joed. Mico speaks. “These are the earth demons. As you can see, they are made up of earth. They can travel through undergrounds.”

The earth demon in front of Joed attacks him with the baseball bat-like stone. Joed dodges the attack but he gets off balance again and he falls on the ground. Then, the other earth demon that swallowed the caliginous gateway raises his weapon and attacks Joed.

Before the earth demon could hit Joed, Tatang suddenly comes and pulls Joed away. Joed is happily surprised to see Tatang as he speaks. “Tatang! Thank you.” Tatang replies. “Hurry to stand.” Joed stands up and speaks. “That earth demon swallowed the caliginous gateway. We won’t be able to close it unless we destroy the earth demon.” added Joed as he pointed to the earth demon that swallowed the caliginous gateway.

Tatang quickly runs towards that earth demon and uses his cane to hit the monster. But he is surprised when the cane just bounces back. “What?”

Macabro laughs and speaks to Tatang. “Hahaha… Your weapon is useless against the elements old man. Your weapon can only destroy demon spirits but not the nature.”

Joed agrees. “Yes, it’s true. We need to destroy the elemental demon that controls the element.”

Macabro grins and raises his hand forward towards Joed and Tatang as he speaks. “Enough of this.” Then, from Macabro’s hand a black energy ball appears and releases towards the two. The energy ball is fast and hits Tatang on the chest. Tatang is thrown about 7 meters behind. Tatang falls down.

Joed comes to rescue Tatang as he shouts. “Tatang!” Joed helps Tatang to stand up. He asks worriedly. “Are you okay?” Tatang replies. “We must retreat. They are very powerful.”

Joed agrees, and the two run away. Tatang goes in different ways while saying “Run boy. Don’t look back. Just run.” Joed turns invisible and continues running. When Joed turned invisible, Mico and Macabro stop their chasing. Macabro speaks. “Hahaha… Run for now. But next time you will not escape. Hahaha…”

Joed continues running as fast as he can and when he knows that he is no longer being chased, he returns to his normal state. He quickly goes home. Tired and scared, he drinks water. Then, he goes to bed early. In his mind, he thinks of everything that happened. “The cane is useless against the earth demons. I must tell the others tomorrow of what I’ve discovered. We must find a way to destroy them or else chaos will reign.” He falls asleep suddenly because of tiredness.

The next day, Joed tells Ken and Glenn of what happened to him and Tatang. Glenn speaks. “You are lucky to escape.” Joed replies. “Yes.” Ken speaks next. “So, the cane cannot be used against the earth demon.” Joed responds. “No. The cane can only destroy the demons, but not the elements.”

Suddenly, Minnie comes to them and speaks to Glenn. “Hey Glenn. Are you done with my notebook? I need it. The periodical test is getting near.” Glenn responds. “Yes. I will give it to you after class. It is in my locker.” Minnie replies. “Okay. Just don’t forget it.” Then Minnie goes away.

Joed feels down again because he feels like Minnie did not even notice him. Unlike Glenn, he seems very happy. Ken speaks. “Okay. So, we cannot allow this to continue.” Joed replies. “No, we can’t. It’s hopeless.”

Ken is puzzled of what Joed just said. He asks. “What are you talking about, Joed.” Joed responds. “I am doomed. Minnie will never see me as a good person.” Ken gets what Joed is saying. He replies. “Joed, I’m not talking about you and Minnie. I’m talking about the earth demons, Macabro and Mico.”

Joed suddenly returns to his mind. He speaks. “Oh. I thought… Never mind.” Glenn speaks. “So, how are we going to fight them?” Ken replies. “We need to find them later after class. With the three of us, we can surely defeat them.” Glenn answers. “Okay. I will ask permission from my mother later. I will tell her that we will just go to buy something for our project.” Ken agrees. “Okay. Later then.”

But Joed is still devastated of his feeling with Minnie. He did not understand what the two were talking about. He is still jealous of Glenn because Minnie is comfortable talking to him. That makes him feeling more down.

After school, Ken and Glenn are waiting for Joed at the gate. Several minutes later, Joed has not shown yet. Ken gets a little irritated. He speaks. “Where is that stick? We must move now before the night falls.” Glenn replies. “I don’t know. I agree. My father will get angry if I go home late.”

After several more minutes, Joed comes out. Ken asks angrily. “Where have you been? We are supposed to meet here an hour ago.” Joed seems confused as he answers. “What do you mean? I was with Mariana and Yohee. We were just talking.”

Glenn asks curiously. “About what?” Joed replies. “About Minnie.” Ken responds angrily again. “What? Have you forgotten? We have to find those demons and we need to destroy them before they create chaos.” Joed replies. “Oh. I did not know.”

Ken really gets angrier when he hears it. “Tinapa! That was our topic. Honestly, were you listening?”

Joed feels ashamed because he really did not pay attention. Ken continues. “Never mind that. Let’s go.” Ken goes first, then, Glenn and Joed follow.

While they are walking, Glenn asks. “Where are we going to look for those demons?” Ken replies. “Joed and Tatang encountered them near Escoda street. We will first go there.”

Suddenly, a sound from a breaking bottle is heard from behind them. They quickly turn around. A broken bottle is there near them. Then, they look around. Ken notices an average tall boy. He grins at them and run away. Ken chases the boy as he speaks. “There. That boy is possessed.”

Ken is the only one who can see the demon once it possesses or controls a human. The other Novel Blue Soul Blood can see those demons when they are not inside a human or not controlling a human. Once they have controlled or have possessed humans they can no longer see the demons.

Joed and Glenn follow Ken. The boy they are chasing is fast but Ken, Joed and Glenn continue chasing him. When they get to the Escoda street, the two earth demons appear from the ground and attack them simultaneously. The three see them. They dodge the attacks but they get separated from each other.

From behind Ken, the possessed boy appears. Ken senses him. Then, he quickly turns around. The possessed boy kicks Ken in his lower abdomen. Ken is hit and pushed back.

Glenn sees it and charges his hand with electricity, but Ken stops him as he speaks. “No Glenn.” The possessed boy grins and speaks. “Come on Glenn. Are you really going to shoot me?” Ken speaks. “Glenn, don’t. You will injure the boy not the possession demon.”

The possessed boy responds. “Very good! Unless, you would want to be a murderer. Go ahead then. Hehehe…”

Glenn has no choice but to follow Ken. Then, he turns to one of the earth demons and shoots it with the charged electricity. The ball of electricity hits the earth demon but it does not damage it. Ken, Glenn and Joed are surprised as they speak together. “What?”

The possessed boy speaks. “Hahaha… Don’t you realize student, that electricity is weak on earth? Have your teachers not taught you that? Hahaha… Naughty students, never listen to their teachers.”

Joed runs to Ken, and Glenn does the same. Glenn is a little scared this time. He asks Ken. “What are we going to do?” Ken replies. “I have a plan. Joed, you restrain the possessed boy, while Glenn and I distracts the earth demons. I can see the elemental demons that are controlling the earth. We will find a way to penetrate and destroy it.”

Joed, confused, replies. “What? How will I do that?” Ken, annoyed, answers. “Use your power tinapa. What is wrong with you today?”

Joed is still confused. He is astonished for a while. Too late for them to notice that one of the earth demons is attacking. It waves its baseball bat-like weapon on to the three. The three are hit and thrown at the side.

Joed, Ken and Glenn feel the pain caused by the impact. Glenn recovers and stands up. He charges again to hit the face of the earth demon. But he has not noticed the possessed boy running towards him. He jumps and kicks Glenn on the chest. Glenn feels the severe pain. He falls to the ground.

Ken stands up and quickly punches the possessed boy. The boy is hit in his face and is moved backward. Suddenly, from somewhere, an energy ball is shot towards Ken. It is too late for Ken to dodge it. Ken is hit and thrown. It was Macabro’s energy ball. Macabro laughs and speaks. “Hahaha… It is time to meet your doomed Novel Blue Soul Blood.” The possessed boy also speaks. “This body is very energetic. Your punch Ken did not really affect me. Hahaha…”

Joed has seen everything that happened. He is astonished and he could not move. In his mind, he thinks. “It’s hopeless. We cannot win. This is the end.”

A lot of things are running in Joed’s mind now while watching his friends suffering. He is not hearing what Ken is shouting to him. “Joed. Use your power. Run!” shouted Ken while trying to stand up.

After a few minutes of hallucinating, Joed is suddenly backed to reality. But it is too late. Macabro rushes to him and grabs his neck with his right hand. Macabro raises Joed and charges an energy ball at his left hand and speaks. “Say your last words Novel Blue Soul Blood.”

Joed cannot move and cannot use his invisibility. He is thinking. “This is it. This is my end.” Macabro points his left hand on Joed, ready to release the energy ball. But Glenn has made his charge of electricity and shoots Macabros left hand. Macabro yells in pain when he is hit by the electricity ball. “Awwww…” He accidentally releases Joed because of the pain.

The left hand of Macabro suddenly changes direction to one of the earth demons. Then, he accidentally releases the energy ball and hits the earth demon that does not have the caliginous gateway.

The earth demon is hit directly to the chest. The earth demon explodes and reveals the elemental demon that controls the earth. Glenn takes the opportunity and shoots the elemental demon. It is hit and is exploded.

Macabro cannot believe it happens as he speaks. “Nooooo… You have destroyed one of the elemental demons.”

He turns to Glenn to shoot him with energy ball, but Glenn charges faster and he continuously shoots Macabro in his face. Macabro is hit many times. He shouts in pain. “Ahhhh…”

The possessed boy tries to stop Glenn but Ken slides towards the boy. He clips the boy’s foot with his feet and throws him down with the overhead throw moves. The boy falls down and gets staggered.

Macabro keeps on stepping back while being hit by Glenn’s electricity balls. Suddenly, Mico appears and create a shield in front of Macabro.

Ken takes the opportunity. He gets three small capsules from his pocket. He throws them around. The three capsules, when they hit the ground, burst into red smoke. The smoke surrounds Mico, Macabro, the earth demon and the possessed boy. They cannot see anything around. While the enemies are surrounded by the red smoke, Ken helps Joed to stand up and grabs Glenn’s arm. They run away as fast as they can to escape.

Mico uses his power to eliminate the smoke. A powerful wind comes out from his staff and repels the smoke. When the smoke is gone, the three have already been gone too. Macabro is furious in pain as he speaks. “Ahhhh… I will make you pay for these Novel Blue Soul Blood.” Then, Mico uses his power to take Macabro, the possessed boy, and the earth demon away. A whirlwind engulfs them and then, they disappear.

Ken, Joed and Glenn reach Paz street. Ken assured the two that they are not being followed. They need somewhere to talk. They go inside Mc Donalds. They go upstairs so there would be no other people but them. They take a seat and catch their breath.

Ken speaks first. “Joed, I know you are upset right now because of what is happening between you and Minnie. But remember, it is not the end of everything. We were almost killed out there because you kept your emotions got over you. You have forgotten about your friends a moment ago. I saw you losing hope. But you should remember this, there is always hope even in a slightest portion of a moment.”

Joed feels ashamed of himself. He knows that Ken is right. Then Glenn speaks next. “Joed, we are like a team here. If one is down, everybody will be affected.”

Joed feels sorry. He is jealous of Glenn because Minnie always talks to her and not to him. But in the time that he is in trouble, Glenn helped him. Joed apologizes to the two. “I am very sorry, Ken and Glenn. I know I let you down. You got hurt because of my emotions. I should have listened to you Ken. I deeply apologize.”

Joed bows his head after saying those words. Ken and Glenn look at each other feeling sad for Joed. Then, Ken touches Joed’s shoulder and speaks as he jokes. “It’s okay. You see, we are still alive. Hahaha…”

Glenn raises his fist forward and touches Joed’s fist as he speaks. “Yah. Next time we will destroy those things.” Ken adds. “Yeah. They will regret the day they mess up with the Novel Blue Soul Blood.”

Joed smiles as he looks at the two. He knows that Ken and Glenn have forgiven him already. But the caliginous gateway is still open. He promises that he will control his emotion next time.