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墨書 Inktalez
Finally, I fell asleep, or perhaps I had slipped into a coma. It was deep sleep or unconsciousness.
I was awakened by the pain in my back. The effects of the morphine had worn off. I remained in a prone position, surrounded by darkness; it must have been night. I felt no dampness on my body, nor did I sense raindrops falling on me, though I could hear the sound of rain. It was a multitude of sounds, distinct enough to recognize the patter of raindrops hitting the leaves, unlike during the day when it sounded like a waterfall crashing down, with a booming noise as it struck the foliage.
Beneath me lay a piece of cloth. It seemed that the Lao people had been considerate, laying down a cloth to increase the surface area for support so that I wouldn't slip off the makeshift bedding made of branches and leaves. I had no idea how long I had slept. As I bent my left arm to check the time, I discovered two things.
The first was that my watch was broken. My watch had a luminous feature, allowing me to see the hour hand and compass needle clearly at night, but now it appeared completely dark. When I touched it, I found that the dial was shattered. I had no idea when my watch had broken; after all the dangers I'd faced along the way, it didn't surprise me that it was damaged. However, losing track of time made me somewhat uneasy. While reaching for the dial, I noticed something else: my arm was bare.
Whether before entering this valley or while fleeing within it, we had always worn long sleeves and pants. Despite the sweltering heat causing us to sweat profusely, no one dared to switch to shorts; it wasn't just about avoiding mosquito and leech bites—simply having branches and vines scrape against exposed skin was unbearable. Yet now, my arm was exposed.
I was shocked as I traced my hand up my arm; damn it, my upper body clothing had vanished. When I reached down further, I found my backside bare as well. My heart raced at this revelation; what peculiar habits did these Lao people have? After checking again, thankfully there was no discomfort in that area, which eased my mind slightly.
My backpack was right beside my head; inside it was another set of clothes. I certainly didn't have a penchant for showing off my backside in front of men, so I hurriedly fumbled to unzip my backpack.
At that moment, amidst the sound of raindrops hitting leaves, I faintly heard a "crack" sound mixed in with the rain. The rain continued to fall heavily, creating a tight and short rhythm against the leaves. This sound stood out from the raindrops—a prolonged noise that was particularly sharp and clear.
This sound felt out of place; still groggy from waking up abruptly from sleep, I couldn't determine its source or direction. However, during my search across my body, I hadn't touched either of the Lao people; they were likely not beside me. This sound could very well have come from them because it resembled the tearing of a food packaging bag.
As I continued to rummage through my backpack, I softly called out, "Buasong?"
There was no response—only the sound of raindrops hitting leaves; that faint "crack" sound had disappeared as well. I kept searching through my backpack but changed my initial goal; now I sought out the One-Eyed Beast to see who had made that sound and at least determine where the Lao people were.
I pulled out the One-Eyed Beast only to find that its battery was dead; it couldn't emit even the faintest light. Biting down on it, I rummaged through my backpack for a pack of batteries. All items susceptible to water damage were securely packed by me—very reliable—but opening them would be troublesome. An inexplicable anxiety began to gnaw at me as I struggled with unwrapping them; frustration set in as I resorted to brute force to tear open the packaging. I knew this would be counterproductive; if only I'd followed the order I'd established for myself when packing them away! Yet despite knowing this, I couldn't control my restless emotions—every second felt like an eternity that might drive me mad.
The darkness enveloped me like a lid, and I could hear the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves. I felt the leaves brush against my face, and the warm breath I exhaled misted on my hands, yet my hands, so close, remained invisible. The darkness intensified my anxiety, morphing it into fear.
“Zila,” that voice echoed in my ears once more. This time, I heard it clearly; it came from beneath me. My lower body tensed up as if I could retract into myself. I didn’t know what had made that sound, but I was worried it might attack my brother, who was hanging between the branches. I couldn’t allow him to stain his nearly thirty years of purity with blood, nor could I let him perish before experiencing life.
A gurgling sound escaped my throat, a reflex caused by the extreme tension tightening my vocal cords. My anxiety had spiraled beyond control.
Finally, I tore open the sealed battery pack. Using brute force to rip it apart didn’t save any time; if anything, it wasted more. My nerves wouldn’t allow me to calm down. I quickly replaced the batteries and turned on the One-Eyed Beast flashlight beneath me.
Underneath me lay my clothes. Just moments ago, I had wondered where Buasong had found the fabric to lay beneath me; it seemed he was quite resourceful. The light from the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight was blinding even when reflecting off the leaves. After adjusting to the brightness, I dared to open my eyes wide and look around. The foliage beneath my clothes was thick and dense, with large leaves that required me to constantly change angles and even stretch my head into the dense greenery to see clearly.
This mat of branches and leaves was dense and thick, yet underneath it was empty. It was formed by a branch that extended horizontally from the trunk, spreading outwards as it grew. Despite its thickness, under the strong light of the One-Eyed Beast, I quickly confirmed there was nothing on top of it. That strange sound was no longer nearby.
Relieved that there was no danger beneath me, I let out a long sigh; at least my brother was safe. Immediately, I directed the light of the One-Eyed Beast towards where this branch connected to the trunk. If there were any threats, they would likely come from that direction. The psychological shadow cast by the giant python loomed large in my mind; even a slight rustle made me involuntarily think of it. The trunk was clean, and unlike that Banyan Tree, this tree had a straight trunk with branches extending only at considerable distances apart, growing into an incredibly dense canopy of leaves. On such a tree, there would be nowhere for a giant python to hide.
Perhaps due to the rain, there was no mist above; the light from the One-Eyed Beast illuminated the trunk clearly, casting a beam that reached far outside. Behind this tree were many enormous tropical plants; we seemed to have entered a Tropical Rainforest.
Near the trunk, Buasong and another Lao Person appeared in the light of the One-Eyed Beast. To relieve pressure on their resting spot among the foliage mat, they chose to rest at the base of a branch with less strain. To avoid falling, they had tied themselves to the branches with ropes. Seeing them like this made my heart ache; I couldn’t bring myself to wake them up and decided to let them rest a little longer.
To ensure safety and locate that strange sound's source, I shone the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight down along the straight trunk but was met with a chilling sight.
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