By Russell Lee
What? You don't believe there are pontianaks? Just wait till
you hear this one
I lived in a zinc-roofed house in the forest pretty near the
Botanic Gardens. Its was quite secluded and most people didn't
know about it, although you could usually get a peep at it, When
you passed by the road. Outsiders had a name for us. They called
us "squatters".
One evening, when I was eight, I was walking home after
playing the whole afternoon. I think it was some time between seven
or eight, whilst crossing a little bridge that sat over a ditch, I saw a
shadow standing very still behind a banana tree. It was planted
beside my house. I didn't think it was cursed or haunted.. But it was
so dark then shadow looked so threatening, I could't but tread
softly, fearing to attract its attention. I thought the shadow must be
the awful creature my mother told me about to keep me from coming
home late, the pontianak.
I took care not to make a sound. But, accidentally, I stepped
on a twig. C-r-a-c-k! I saw a face look from behind the banana tree.
It was pure evil!
The creature had white glistening teeth. Its hands held some-
thing white and bloody. To my horror I realised it was my pet rabbet,
Joey. The creature had killed Joey! I felt angry, sad and frightened all
at the same time. Then the creature's mouth widened into a smile.
I ran away as fast as my legs could manage. Behind, I
could hear the creature in pursuit. My heart thumped faster than a firing
machine-gun. I could almost feel its hot breath on my neck. I tripped
and fell.
The pontianak and past me but it turned round. I never felt
more afraid in my life. It was too late to run.
When you are cornered, you have no choice but to fight.
I summoned every ounce of courage in my being and picked up the
nearest object and threw it at the creature. The metal cake-can hit
the pontianak's eye. It howled in pain. In my panic and bravado, I
quickly picked up debris on the ground and flung it. The rocks, sticks
and glass bottles hit the creature. My last missile, a red brick, slammed
into its forehead and it started bleeding.
"Eeeeee!" it howled.
The pontianak scuttled away in fear. Encouraged, I chased it,
anything I could pick up. The thought of what it did to Joey made me
really angry. I chased the pontianak until it disappeared into the dark-
ness. I would have liked to have gone on chasing it but was out of
breath. I tried searching for Joey but could not find him.
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