Five close friends—Ron-Ron, Eking, Roy, Titing, and Lito—lived in a peaceful village on Camotes Island. Known as the best hunters in the area, they hunted daily for food and leisure. Every dawn, they gathered under a large bagalnga tree in the village center. “Friends, today we go to the mountain peak. There are many hawks and monkeys there,” Ron-Ron said, carrying his shotgun. “Great! I haven't tasted monkey meat in a long time,” Roy laughed. “As long as we hit a lot,” added Eking.
Hunting Expedition and Warning
They entered the deep forest where dakit, deia, tugas, and other ancient trees grew. They hunted bats, tukmo birds, antolihaw, tikling, bontug, and monkeys leaping among branches. Each gunshot sent birds flying in fear. “Another one!” Titing shouted as he picked up a fallen tukmo. Their catches became a source of community gathering. Every morning at 10, neighbors would come to share the cooked meat. It felt like a weekly fiesta.
One day, while resting in the forest, they heard a voice from the air: “Stop what you are doing...” They looked at each other. “Was that you?” Lito asked. “Not me,” Roy replied. Ron-Ron laughed. “Probably just the wind. Don't be afraid.” But as they continued, they saw an old woman dressed in white standing by a large dakit tree. “Children,” she said softly, “do not deplete the animals of the forest. Not everything you see is yours. There are guardians.” Eking laughed. “Mother, this is the first time we've heard that birds have owners.” The old woman turned and looked at them with great sorrow in her eyes. “If you do not believe, the day will come when you will regret.” Suddenly, she vanished. “Were we dreaming?” Titing asked. Lito remained silent, feeling uneasy.
Ignoring the Warning and Consequences
Over the following weeks, they intensified their hunting, even entering areas said to be inhabited by spirits. One afternoon, while chasing a large hawk, they reached a hidden part of the forest. There, they found a clear spring surrounded by large trees. “We shouldn't be here,” Lito said. “This is the place my grandfather said is inhabited by beings not like us.” “Don't believe those stories,” Ron-Ron replied. He shot the hawk perched on a branch above the spring. As the bird fell, the sky suddenly darkened even though the sun was still bright. A strong wind blew and leaves fell around them. “Why does it feel strange?” Roy asked nervously. “Let's go!” Lito shouted. They all ran back to the village.
After that, bad things began to happen. Roy was the first to get sick. His fever kept recurring, and he could no longer get out of bed. “It feels like someone is calling me from the forest,” he told his wife. Weeks later, Eking also fell ill. Titing and Lito followed. Their bodies weakened, and no doctor could determine the cause. Fear spread in the village. “Maybe the old woman was right,” a neighbor said. “The spirits are angry,” an elder replied. Finally, even Ron-Ron, the strongest among them, succumbed to the illness. One night, as he lay in bed, he heard the familiar voice. “You were warned, but you did not listen.” “I regret it,” he cried. “Forgive me.” But it was too late.
Deaths and Aftermath
Over the following months, all five died. Their deaths became a great unsolved mystery. Since then, no one in the village dared to hunt in that forest. The shotguns were hidden and never used again. The elders constantly tell the story to the young. “Remember,” the elders say, “nature is not only a home for humans. There are beings that are seen and those that are not seen. All have the right to life.” And until now, when the wind passes through the ancient forest of Camotes and the leaves rustle at night, some people believe they can still hear the warning of the mysterious old woman—a reminder that pride and relentless destruction of nature can lead to bitter regret.
