2. Street vendor

Elena Mercado is seven months pregnant. She will soon join the many unwed mothers that live below poverty level in the metropolis. Her boyfriend for five years, Alfredo, left her while she was two months into her pregnancy. He left because he could not bear to be responsible for a child he believes he did not sire. Alfredo had long since suspected that Elena has another lover other than himself. For five years he tormented her. Blamed her for every misfortune that came upon him. He lost his job because of truancy and he blamed it on her. She still bore the marks from Alfredo's beatings. He beat her with his own hands, with the broom, with wire hangers, and with just about everything he can pick up from around their house. She endured all this because of her love for Alfredo. And all he has for her is contempt.

Elena thought that getting pregnant will help her change the way Alfredo treated her. But she was wrong. When he found out about her pregnancy, he went berserk. He beat her, punched her, kicked her, even threw her against their dining table. Then he just left.

That was two weeks ago.

From then on, Elena had to fend off for her and her soon to be born child. It is a girl, people said as it was a common belief than when a woman carries a girl, her beauty radiates. On the other hand, if the child she carries is a boy, that beauty degrades.

It is almost 9:00 in the evening and Elena is on her way home to the slums of Quiapo, a busy district in the city of Manila know for its cheap goods, fast services, and dangerous streets at night. Like most of the urban poor, Elena makes a living by reselling products she got from the low cost flea markets of Divisoria -- an adjacent district -- as well as goods of questionable source.

Walking home carrying her wares in a woven basket called a bayong, Elena makes her way through the deserted streets of Claro M. Recto.

"Good evening, Elena," greeted one police officers patrolling the area. The police officer first noticed her when he was assigned evening patrol three days ago.

"Good evening to you too, sarge," Elena greeted in return. Her smile not as warm as that of the policeman who is delighted to see her but more like a smile of a person who believes she is assured of a safe way home because of their presence.

"Were you able to sell a lot today?" asked the policeman.

"Well, not really," answered Elena, "but it will get me through for another day."

They waved each other good bye as they continued to walk to opposite directions.

Elena felt happy to see the officer. She feels that there might be something in the officer's smile other than just a casual greeting.

"Well, he is handsome," she thought, "and I don't see a ring in his finger to say that he is married."

Her dreamy thoughts were interrupted by a shadow that passed by her. She stopped, and turned around. No one is there. She looked around a little, staying in place, but did not see anyone or hear anything.

She began walking again. Faster this time. Small beads of sweat forming on her forehead and above her upper lip. Her heart is pounding and she has a stricken look of panic in her face. Not too long ago that Mang Andoy, a neighbor and fellow street vendor, was stabbed to death in this area. Mang Andoy lived two houses from what she calls home. The fifty-five year old man had been so kind to her and often took time to visit her along with his fifty-three year old wife, Imelda. His death was a tragedy. More puzzling than most of the unsolved crimes in this city. Mang Andoy was stabbed six times in the different parts of the body puncturing his lungs and tearing his heart. Imelda was not able to get herself together from that tragedy.

A more puzzling information came from the forensic report that Imelda shared with her. It was determined that the weapon used on Mang Andoy was a spear. A spear with serrated edges that tore his skin as it entered his body. What's more mysterious is that the police reported that although he was hit by the same spear six times, there is no evidence that the spear was even pulled out. The blood trails on the crime scene only showed the pattern blood creates when a spear enters the body.

Fearing that the very same killer is after her, Elena walked faster, almost running. She has get to a place with a lot of people. The three universities along the street are empty as the students are on vacation. But the far end of the street that meets Mendiola bridge is well lighted because of the fast food store located there.

"I must get there fast," she willed herself. "God, please help me!"

She is almost a block away when she heard the fluttering of cloth right behind her that she looked back. What she saw made her scream...