Benjamin struggled some more as the mound held him up in mid air. In the dusk, it looked like some kind of hairy giant with grass covering its body. The smell of stale tobacco rose from the earth around the hill. The giant had settled down into a crouch, with the young boy in one outstretched hand. Slowly, it brought its other hand up to reveal a smoldering fag of tobacco that was about the size of the boy’s arm. It brought the gigantic cigar to a gap in the grass and seemed to inhale, then it slowly blew out the smoke in wisps, not unlike the smoke you would find coming from the embers of a dying fire.

**Artwork by Kitt Lapeña, as originally created for Melay Guanzon Lapeña for an article reported on GMA News Live.