Placing stakes at the corners of the house deters aswang (shape-shifting monsters)

Mila:
Hey, before you laugh, don’t step on those wooden stakes, okay? My lola put them on all four corners of the house. They’re there for a reason.

Arman:
Let me guess—anti-aswang security system? Low-budget but spiritually upgraded?

Mila:
Laugh all you want. Everyone in our barangay knows this. Stakes at the corners confuse the aswang. They can’t enter. Lola swears it kept our family safe for decades.

Arman:
I’m not laughing at you. I’m just curious how a piece of wood scares a shape-shifting monster that can turn into a dog, a bird, or a floating half-body.

Mila:
You’re oversimplifying it. It’s not just wood. It’s placed during specific times, sometimes with prayers. My aunt said when they forgot to put stakes after renovating, chickens started disappearing.

Arman:
Or… wild dogs? Or someone’s hungry neighbor? Chickens disappearing isn’t exactly paranormal evidence.

Mila:
Okay, Mr. Discovery Channel. Then how do you explain old houses with stakes never having problems, while newer houses do?

Arman:
Older houses are usually raised, better ventilated, fewer dark corners, and people in those homes are more alert at night. From a science point of view, the design helps—not the stakes.

Mila:
Still, you can’t prove aswang don’t exist either.

Arman:
True. But science works on evidence. If stakes worked, areas with more stakes should have fewer attacks. But there’s no pattern—just stories.

Mila:
Stories passed down for generations. That has weight too. My lola wouldn’t lie.

Arman:
I’m sure she wouldn’t. But believing something doesn’t make it true. People once believed lightning was caused by angry gods. Now we know it’s electricity.

Mila:
So you’re saying our culture is just ignorance?

Arman:
No. I’m saying it’s history, not physics. Traditions often came from fear of the unknown. Stakes might have made people feel safe—so they slept better, stayed alert, and avoided danger.

Mila:
Hmm. So you think the real power is psychological?

Arman:
Exactly. Like a placebo. Comforting, meaningful—but not magical.

Mila:
You know what? Even if it’s just comfort, I’ll take it. Peace of mind is peace of mind.

Arman:
And that’s fair. Just don’t tell me a vampire bird is scared of Home Depot supplies.

Mila:
Fine. But if an aswang shows up tonight, you’re the first one I’m pushing toward the window.

Arman:
Deal. But if nothing happens, I’m removing one stake and replacing it with a CCTV camera.

Mila:
Blasphemy.

Arman:
Modernization.

Mila:
…Okay, maybe both can protect us.

Arman:
Now that is a compromise even science can respect.