Novels2Search

Chapter 7

[ T: 2 Days 4 Hours]

The Beam of Light transports three more Homo Sapiens to the mysterious and unknown location. Two of them appear to be criminals of some kind, covered in tattoos and Hispanic in ethnicity. They both have machetes. The third person is a Black person. He is obese. He has his hands tied behind his back with a plastic strap.

The empty field that the Beam of Light was located in seems to have grown foliage in a short amount of time. There are large bushes everywhere. The once empty field of grass is now filled entirely of wild foliage.

Cartel member 1: (in Spanish) Where the fuck are we?

Cartel member 2: (in Spanish) The jungle?

Cartel member 1: Please, asshole. I can see that. Why are we here? Shit. How did we get here?

Cartel member 2: I don’t fucken know. Last thing I remember is when we grabbed these pigs from that truck. (Indicates towards the obese black man) And them screaming in some fucken English.

Cartel member 1: Yeah? I couldn’t understand any of that fucken American shit. They were all crying, the fucken dicks. By the way, you know why we even grabbed these fuckers?

Cartel member 2: Boss said they were buying from competitors.

Cartel member 1: Who?

Cartel member 2: (shrugs) I don’t know. Didn’t ask.

Obese black man: (in English) Sir, please just let me go. Me and my friends didn’t hurt nobody. We won’t tell anyone about you. We’ll just go home. Please just let me go. We just wanted to buy some things that were cheaper to buy from your country.

Cartel member 1: (kicks the black obese man) (talks in Spanish) Ey, I don’t give a fuck about your life’s story. You were gonna buy from our competitors. That’s why you got grabbed.

Obese black man: (in English) No please. We didn’t know. We weren’t doing nothing bad. I swear.

Cartel member 2 is looking at the interaction between Cartel member 1 and the black obese man. He has an odd look on his face.

Cartel member 1: (in Spanish) And besides why the fuck were you pretending to not know Spanish when you could talk it all along? You fucken’ asshole.

Black obese man: (in English) Sir? I don’t know what you are talking about. You’re speaking in English.

Cartel member 2 is still staring. The bushes all around them start to rustle around. They are in fact rustling so violently that the three men stop talking and turn to look at the violently shaking bushes.

Obese black man: (in English) What is that?

Cartel member 1: (in Spanish) Fuck me if I know

Cartel member 2: (in Spanish) Look there’s something coming out.

All around them demonic monsters pop out of the bushes, their beady eyes menacing and their mouths wide open, exposing their sharp knifelike teeth.

Obese black man: Oh Jesus.

The demonic monsters step out above the bushes.

Demonic monster: Por…. favor….. Pendejo.

From a far distance, far from the Beam of Light, far from the three men who have come face to face to the Demonic yellow rats; a binocular is watching. The binocular is a dark green leaf color. It is military.

The raised binocular drops and the man behind them is revealed, prone on an elevated rocky cliff. He turns around a little.

Binoculars-soldier: Add to tally. Three dead civilians. Total?

Another soldier is behind him, standing a small distance away. This one has a stick and is scratching at the ground with the stick.

Stick-soldier: Counting at ninety…… four. Ninety-four civilians lost.

Binoculars-soldier returns to looking down towards the Beam of Light, where underneath the vast growth of bushes are the bodies of mutilated humans and above those bodies, hidden by the bushes is a horde of yellow bodies.

Binoculars-soldier takes out a small yellow notepad and a pencil. While he writes he says it aloud for Stick-soldier to hear what he is writing as well.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Binoculars-soldier: It is to be noted that: Enemy is amassed in large numbers, with variants never seen before. Previously only the cartoon-like creature was seen. Now there are new variants. For distinguishing sakes the first variant will be called Type I.

Binoculars-soldier takes a pause before continuing. Stick-soldier says nothing, still looking at the tally marks.

Binoculars-soldier: Type II is slightly slimmer and faster. They also react slightly more. No other differences noted.

There is a Type III, but before that I must iterate that there is a variant between Type II and Type III. For these reasons, I will distinguish them as Type II Mark II.

Type II Mark II is much faster than either Type I or its cousin, the Type II. It is also believed to be far more reactive, often aware of its surroundings and any potential threats, making sure to avoid them and to strike when convenient. Further observations required as these conclusions were noted from only a single incident.

Type III is the more frequently observed variant as most deaths seem to occur from a single entity belonging to the Type III variant. This is concluded to be, as it seems to be very intelligent, focused and highly predatorial, whereas previous variants such as the Type I and Type II are less focused, acting similarly to our mentally slow. This sharp contrast seems to be the reason why the Type III is the cause of the majority of casualties.

Further observations required.

Binoculars-soldier stops talking and writing into his notepad and slips the pencil into one of his pockets. Stick-soldier taps the stick he is holding onto the ground several times before sitting down against a boulder.

[T: 2 Days 4 Hours]

A young boy, aged at during his mid to late teenage years, is drinking from a stream, cupping the water in both his hands and lifting them to his mouth. As he is continuing to repeat the process of cupping the water and raising them to his thirsty lips a man comes up behind him, kneels down next to him and puts his hand on his shoulder.

Black Gangster Leader: You good? Thirsty?

The teenager nods, his eyes a bit wide; wary, cautious and a bit fearful of the man. But the man just nods and indicates to the water.

Black Gangster Leader: Go on. Drink more.

The black teen cups more water and drinks more. The black gangster leader watches patiently, before patting him once more on the back and leaving. Halfway he pauses.

Black Gangster Leader: Hey we caught one of those nasty yellow rats. There’s plenty for everyone so go and grab some. Get some food in you. ‘K?

The black teen nods and the black gangster continues to walk away from him.

[ T: 1 Day 20 Hours]

The naked skeletons have started to come in mass, actively starting to resist the advance of the Obsidian Skeleton, coming with actual weapons. These are armed with clubs, planks, table legs, chair legs; the wooden weapons having attached and drilled into them the claws of the yellow rats, making the blunt weapons even more ferocious. And yet the Obsidian Skeleton charges into them, its fists swinging as the naked skeletons hammer at it with their makeshift weapons, to no effect. After the Obsidian Skeleton finishes the last one, it exits through a doorway, heading in deeper.

[T: 3 Days 14 Hours]

A day and a half has passed since the group has decided to settle within the ruins of the underground stone-block structure carved and constructed within the cave. It is night. Everyone tries to sleep as the vegetarians cry themselves to sleep, as their hunger gives them immense pain, the pangs of pain within their abdomens signaling the start of starvation. In passing Timotheus is heard to have commented that, “Humans can’t eat leaves and grass, because the human DNA can’t break down cellulose. We’re omnivores, not herbivores. I learned that in botany and biology. The teacher teaching both was the same and someone in class ended up asking the question”. The vegetarians groaned and moaned at the comment, and one of them weakly told Timotheus “shut the fuck up kid”.

Two guards are on duty outside the doorway leading to the structure, the pale blue light from the neverending torch illuminating the tunnel. Another two guards are stationed at the stairs leading deeper into the lower parts of the structure they are residing in.

[T: 3 Days 21 hours]

Jose and La Fonte approach Frank in the morning and ask if he wants to come exploring deeper within the structure with them. “Sure”, Frank says, then he turns to Lucas and tells him to come along. Lucas isn’t doing anything in particular but still he rejects Franks proposal dully. Frank looks at him coldly for a moment before turning to Timotheus. “Timotheus you want to go with me?” Timotheus looks excited at exploring the structure as he has had nothing to do for the past day or so. Lucas immediately looks as if he is going to protest. Frank leans in and whispers into his ear, “Either you get off your lazy ass and come with me, or I have your son go with me. Are you going to learn to protect your family, or do I have to force your son to do it for you? Either you suffer and learn, or he suffers and learns. You decide.” Lucas’s face darkens and says nothing. Frank takes that as affirmation and tells an excited Timotheus, “Never mind, Timmy, it might be dangerous. If it’s safe enough I’ll take you next time.” Ignoring Timotheus’s dejected face, he follows after Jose and La Fonte, Lucas following behind him.

They put on their packs, grabbing their weapons and after everyone has gathered up they start heading down the passage. They only walk around fifty to sixty feet before the passage makes a turn to the right and they walk another 140 - 150 feet before the passage makes another turn, this time to the left. Another walk and they make a right turn, with Jose commenting with a military cadence, “Left, right, left. Left–Left–left, right.” La Fonte and Jose share a knowing look, grinning.

This time there is no turn. They come across double-L shaped stairs, guarded by two people. They exchange some words conveying their intentions that they will be continuing to explore their surroundings. The stairs only go down by one floor and lead to another passage, this passage slanted downwards, going deeper under the ground. La Fonte lets the group know that this is as far as he’s gone down to, saying that there didn’t seem to be a point to going any further at the time when their goal was to only secure the general area, where the group now resides.

And again they make another left turn, the passage still in a downward slant. And again they see “another” turn to the right and La Fonte sort of breathes loudly through his nose.

This time though immediately after turning right the slanting slope straightens up and they exit out of the passageway. They see walls, carved stone walls, obstructing their view, however they can see above the walls and towards the ceiling and the ceiling gives an indication of the scale at which the cavern they have entered is, and how far the cavern goes for. And it is a very large cavern indeed.