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Just A Big Bird?

 

Do you believe Manananggal or Aswang exists? I was skeptical at first of its existence but now, because of what I have experienced, I'm not so sure.

It was in the year 2002 or 2003 and I was living in Aklan. My mom sent me and my younger siblings there to live with our relatives. We stayed in a two-storey house that has a thatch roof made of coconut leaves and sliding windows made of Plywood -it moves like that of Capiz windows-. My room is located at the second floor and it doesn't have a ceiling. It is a big room but it has a divider because the maid sleeps on the other side. I sleep on the left side while the maid sleep on the right side of the room.

My side of the room has a big window about 5ft wide and 3ft tall. It is already in the state of disintegration and already full of tears. You can only open the right window because the left window is already bonded by a steel wire (alambre). My bed is next to the divider. And also parallel with the window and facing the door. There is only a 2ft gap between the window and my bed.

It was late at night, around 12 midnight, when I went to sleep. I look at my window and can see the moon outside through the holes. It was so bright that it was literally shining inside of my room even though my window is closed, that's how big the tears on my window are and bright the moon was at that night. I climbed my bed and was about to sleep when I heard a gushing wind outside my window. Then the room became dark all of a sudden. The thing outside my window covered the entire length of my window. My window started rattling and I heard a scratching noise against it. It sounds like scratching noises made by a dog on a door or floor only much louder.

My sister, who was sleeping at my bed, woke up. I was so afraid that I can't move my body. My sister grabbed my arm and start whimpering. I keep shushing her and tried to make her still. I was watching its silhouette on my bed and contemplating if I will crawl at the door. I decided against it because if the window would fall off, as I was crawling towards the door, the only thing that will separate me from it will be my mosquito net (kulambo). I just lied still, watched if the window would fall off, and prayed for it to go away. As I was watching the window, I can only see its shadow on the cracks. The moon keeps flickering through the tears and gaps of my window.

The rattling of my window eventually stop, I don't know how long it stayed because it seems forever for me, and then we heard a crash on my neighbors roof. The thing that get me is the growling we heard after the crash. It was like a huge man growling then the tone changes like that of an elderly woman. It keeps growling for a while then it stops and we heard a meow and skittering of something on my neighbors roof.

We did not sleep that night and did not inform any person at the house because they will just mock us. The funny thing is, it went back the next night after it visited us, but on the other side of the house. My cousin experienced it but hers is a lot better because her window is sturdy and she can easily run outside of her room.

She told her father about it and I told them we also experienced it but her father, my uncle, told us it was just a big bird. I was a little bit skeptical of it because we live in Kalibo, which is like a mini-city of Aklan, and I have never heard of a big bird sighting in there.

Even though I experienced this, I still refuse to believe that there are Aswangs living on Aklan.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, casper39_caz, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

navy123 (8 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-08-20)
we have things like that in australia, monsters I mean, mainly around bush areas and mangroves, we call them devils though and there are no specific types of devils they are one. They mainly appear to aboriginies as they are afraid of white/corcation people because they are used to us.
casper39_caz (1 stories) (4 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-01-14)
[at] raccoonbonapart, I actually believe it's a cat, on my neighbours roof, who made the growling sound. The growling start after the THING left my window, so it means it really did not left my property entirely.

[at] BlueTurtle, the biggest flying animal in the Philippines is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying-fox (Acerodon jubatus). And is confined to the rainforests of the Philippines.

Though there is a great possibility that it was just A.Jubatus bat, I doubt that it would visit my place again the second night. Much less try to get inside the house through the window. Because this kind of bat are scared of inhabited areas.

I live in a municipality, w/c is very crowded and have very few trees that bears no fruit.

As for ITS shape, the THING covered my window entirely (w/c is 5ft wide and 3ft tall) and have large bat-like wings. The thing is not perching on my window but IT was actually flying right outside my window. Besides, there is no place for a bird to perch on that house, because it is like a box and just add holes for its windows and doors.

I can see how powerful IT flaps ITS wings that my window was shaking forcefully. The shaking was so powerful that I was afraid that my window would fall off. Then the scratching sounds that it makes, I don't know if it is from ITS wings or not, but this scratching sounds were so loud.

Until right now, I'm still thinking what it was that I've encountered...
Larkspur (1 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-01-14)
Hello. I'm a filipina and I haven't encountered a manananggal before but I do believe in these kind of creatures. I live near a Sampalok tree and my dad says there's a kapre there. That's why he won't sell our house.
Mabs_Sith_Lord (72 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-01-13)
I have to go with Nysa on this point - Aswang's, like the Djinn, are a fascinating subject though! (in fact, what's stopping the Aswang from BEING a Djinn?!).
janieg (1 posts)
-1
12 years ago (2012-01-13)
I understand your account and truly believe that is what you saw and heard. Now then, from my experience birds of all varieties have been sent from other realms to give us messages. What was the message from the Aswang. Was it truly a mythical bird from tales of folklore from the area? Or could someone have conjured up this evil spirit in the disguise of this strange and foreboding creature? IF so, how and when does it leave this world. It's like when someone pulls out a "spirit board" and doesn't know what they are inviting in. Does the spirit ever leave or does it attach itself to energy that is available. Your story leaves me wanting to visit, but then again there are enough birds in my area, that seemed to have attached themselves to me.
Nysa (4 stories) (685 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-01-13)
That is an interesting account. You start by asking if we believe that Aswang & similar things exist so I will start with my opinion. I think it is as possible that they exist as it is possible that ghosts exist. People all around the world have reported seeing similar things for most of recorded history & even in modern, more skeptical times (the Mothman sightings for instance). Maybe all those people were seeing animals they would recognize in full light when they were not fearful. It's strange that mythological "creatures" are so elusive despite often being thought to be large. Is it because they are shape-shifters who appear to be something else much of the time? Maybe they exists in a non-physical way like ghosts when not seen? Maybe they live in another "realm" or dimension like some people believe fairies to live & only occasionally cross into ours. Whatever the case may be, you now have reason to wonder.
BlueTurtle (3 stories) (176 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-01-13)
This is just my opinion, but I'm hesitant to believe in ghouls and monsters. Ghosts and spirits are one thing, but ever-present monsters raise a little skepticism in me.
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of bird species that exist within the Phillipines including eagles and storks and egrets, though I'm not sure which are particularly indigenous to your island. I'm sure that they are capable of moving around; perhaps one of them needed a nightly perch and chose your window. But I'm not 100% sure.
You mentioned a silhouette... Could you tell what the general shape was?
And the growling; cats do growl when they are threatened or see something they don't like. Perhaps this cat was out on a nightly stroll and saw something it didn't like. I have a cat and she's growled at my sister's cat before. It sounds almost like a woman moaning. The meow and skittering could have been the noises the cat made as it ran off.
raccoonbonapart (1 stories) (21 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-01-13)
Since I know other people will be wondering too, http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/page/Aswang+%28Philippine+Ghoul%29 It sounds pretty scary. What kind of animals do you have in your area? I'm wondering if there was a cat on your neighbour's roof and something was trying to get the cat.

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