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墨書 Inktalez
As I was lost in thought, a flashlight suddenly shone back at my face, swinging sharply a couple of times before pointing elsewhere. I realized he wanted me to follow the light. Turning my head in the direction of the beam, I noticed that the other two lights that had just illuminated my face were now fixed on something in front of me to the right.
I glanced over and gasped, standing up abruptly. I couldn't leap up from my seated position; if I could, I would have jumped. In that moment, I felt that falling into water would be less terrifying than what I was seeing. I even had the urge to dive away.
Our current position was as follows: Ah Xiang and the others were thirty meters to my left front, their flashlight beam shining past the wooden structure I was on, illuminating a spot not far ahead of us. The three large beams of light covered a wide area, and at their center was a horrifying whirlpool, large enough to swallow us whole.
We were already on the edge of this massive whirlpool. From my standing position, I could see more clearly the sloping walls of the whirlpool and a large gap it created. The maximum diameter of the whirlpool exceeded the wooden structure we were on; its power was enough to crush and engulf it. Even if we were lucky enough to brush past it, the light from the One-Eyed Beast revealed that just a little further ahead was our destination—a tall, straight Dam Hill with a slight curve.
There was no doubt we would be swallowed by the whirlpool or smashed against the dam.
I didn't have the courage to look any longer; it not only devoured everything that came near but seemed to pull even souls into its gravity. Just one glance made me feel my body leaning toward it, as if I were about to plunge into an abyss.
I quickly averted my gaze. There was no need to look again; entering it meant there would be no chance of survival. There was no point in observing it closely.
I immediately turned my face toward Ah Xiang and the others, waving my hands frantically to signal for help and shouting desperately.
My unusual behavior startled the two Lao People who were focused on untying ropes. The flashlight in my hand could no longer provide them with proper illumination. In the darkness, Buasong's already frantic hands fumbled with the hook, perhaps causing further injury to another Lao Person's wound. I heard that Lao Person let out a piercing scream. Soon after, Buasong's voice joined in—a terrified cry. I guessed he had seen the whirlpool before us.
I imagined hell must be filled with endless torment; it must be quite noisy there. Just our three voices screaming could drown out the roaring sound of water—it was hard to imagine how loud hell could be.
I could no longer focus on illuminating for the Lao People; I didn't think untying them held any practical significance at this point. If we were caught in the whirlpool, whether tied together or not, the outcome would be the same. I needed to use whatever time I had left to call for help from Ah Xiang and his group. I believed they would rescue me and the Lao People from this giant serpent's mouth and would do their best to warn us; they wouldn't waste their efforts and should have some means of rescue. The key issue now was time—did they have enough time to save us?
I hope there's still time to save me; I think I might still be of some use to them.
Our voices couldn't possibly reach each other, so I shook the One-Eyed Beast frantically in their direction to signal the urgency of our situation. Under the beam of the flashlight, I vaguely saw a massive figure across from me, resembling a dilapidated houseboat. Desperate for help, I waved the flashlight rapidly. The situation on the other side was unclear, but the sight still left me dumbfounded. I quickly steadied the One-Eyed Beast. Once the light stabilized, I could see that it was a large tree fallen into the water.
This tree appeared to have toppled during the recent flood. Its emerald leaves looked fresh, and from a distance, it resembled a large ship. Three beams of white light illuminated three figures. Two of them holding the One-Eyed Beast to provide light were Ah Xiang and A San, while one was bent over fiddling with something—surprisingly, it was Jack. I never expected to see him here; a slight sense of relief blossomed in my heart. I didn't have a particularly good impression of this American, but that was due to his background. I knew he wasn't a bad person.
When my flashlight shone on his face, Jack suddenly looked up, frowning in displeasure at my actions and muttering two words that seemed to form the shape of "Idiot."
At this moment, I couldn't afford to care about that; what mattered was how he would save me. Compared to the Vietnamese, I trusted Jack more. If there was a chance for rescue from the Vietnamese, Jack would certainly try, regardless of whether he succeeded or not.
From Jack's frowning expression and squinting eyes, it was clear he was unhappy with me shining the flashlight at him. Now he was my only hope for survival along with the two Lao People; why would I provoke his displeasure? I quickly shifted the center of the flashlight beam away from him, using only its dim outer glow to illuminate them while frequently flickering it to send an SOS signal.
It seemed my distress signal worked; Jack patted Ah Xiang on the shoulder and pointed in my direction. Suddenly, all three One-Eyed Beast flashlights held by Ah Xiang and A San shone toward me simultaneously. The sudden burst of white light nearly blinded me; I squinted before vaguely seeing Jack holding something with both hands.
The blinding light made it hard to discern what he was holding; from his posture, it looked like he was aiming a gun.
My mind buzzed with confusion; what was this supposed to do—alleviate my suffering? Reluctantly, I couldn't help but curse under my breath. To make sure he understood my true feelings, I let out an English expletive and raised my middle finger at him.
"Hey!"
A sound came from beneath me, vibrating through my ears.
I directed the flashlight downwards and discovered a nearly two-foot-long metal crossbow bolt embedded in the wood beneath my feet. The tail end of the bolt had a ring attached to a rope tied around it.
A wave of immense joy and guilt washed over me as I looked up at Jack. Under the white light of the One-Eyed Beast, Jack raised one hand to give me a middle finger while quickly waving me over with the other, urging me to hurry.
I understood the urgency of the situation. I slapped the two Lao People who were still screaming and shouting, cutting the rope that connected them to the wooden structure. I pointed at the rope attached to the crossbow bolt, signaling for them to grab it and jump into the water.
I didn’t cut the rope binding them together; in this situation, it still served a purpose. Not only could it allow them to continue their highly efficient climbing method, but it also provided me with a way to hitch a ride.
Seeing a chance for survival, the two Lao People jumped into the water without hesitation. Before I had time to cut the rope binding me, they had already climbed several meters away. "Damn," I cursed under my breath; these two were really action-oriented, running off without a word.
I quickly severed the rope around my own body and leaped toward them. (To Be Continued...)
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