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墨書 Inktalez
I quickly picked up two backpacks and haphazardly strapped them onto Jack's back. Both guns were still there; Jack's Micro Submachine Gun hung from his chest, while my AK-47 had somehow fallen to the ground. I picked it up and wiped off the black and green liquid on it before slinging it back over my shoulder. With a lingering sense of dread, I glanced at the Light Barrier and the black hole that was still spewing out dark liquid, with a mangled skeleton caught inside. I hoisted Jack up and ran in the opposite direction of the Light Barrier.
The immense fear also fueled my movement, and I ran on, somewhat tirelessly, until I finally broke free from the range of the Light Barrier. Ahead was complete darkness, so I turned on my One-Eyed Beast Flashlight. One hand held the flashlight while the other gripped Jack's arm that dangled in front of me.
This position felt awkward, but only for me; Jack showed no reaction. He lay on my back like a dead weight, his body slipping down further. Thankfully, I had wisely slung the AK-47 diagonally across my back to serve as a brace; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to carry him at all.
I had to keep confirming my direction. Fortunately, we knew where the Cave Wall was located, so as long as we moved in the opposite direction, we would eventually reach the edge of the Underground River.
The initial speed and adrenaline quickly faded. Earlier, I had pushed myself to escape; although it didn't take long—just a fleeting moment—the exertion had drained my energy significantly. Fear also consumed stamina.
After identifying two landmarks that formed a straight line, I found a flat area to set Jack down. Leaning against a stone pillar, I sat beside him.
I was exhausted; running like this wasn't sustainable. I needed to wake Jack up. Carrying nearly two hundred pounds of flesh was entirely different from carrying an equally heavy living person.
It was easier when I was running. Now that I sat down, the foul stench overwhelmed me. We both smelled terrible; even carnivorous creatures would likely be driven away by our odor. I've heard of protective camouflage but never of protective smell—together, we were quite a peculiar pair.
However, I was also worried that before I encountered any other monsters, I would suffocate from the stench myself. There was no water. I could only take off my clothes, pinch my nose, and scrape off the sticky substance clinging to them with my knife. At least it would lessen the foul odor a bit. Not only did I have to deal with my own clothes, but I also had to handle Jack's. It wasn't just for his sake; I had to do it for myself as well. Carrying him meant I couldn't ignore the smell emanating from him.
I spread the clothes and pants on the ground and began scraping them little by little with the knife. Fortunately, the sticky, foul substance hadn’t dried up; it came off in layers with each scrape. My sense of smell had become somewhat numb and adapted; these suffocating things were bearable.
Jack lay beside me, his head resting on a backpack. The smell from the backpack was no better than that of my clothes. Placing it under his head felt like propping him up in an incredibly stinky pigsty. It wasn’t that I intended to torment Jack; there were only bare rocks around, and where could I find a suitable pillow for him? Besides, in his half-conscious state, he wouldn’t even notice if he were thrown into a pigpen. He might even wake up from the stench.
Suddenly, I felt Jack move slightly.
I shone the flashlight on the clothes; I couldn’t scrape off the dirt in the dark, nor could I foolishly think of waking Jack with the light. When I sensed Jack move, I directed the flashlight to his face.
His chubby face bore no expression. Yes, Jack’s face had swollen up again; this time, I hit him harder to wake him up. Although I didn’t hit him as many times or for as long as before, the result was similar. His swollen face bulged slightly, squeezing his eyes into a narrow slit. I thought that this time, hitting him in such a way might not even allow him to open his eyes when he woke up.
I watched for a while, and aside from the slight rise and fall of his chest from his breathing, I saw no movement from him. Not even a flicker of his eyes, though even if they did move, I wouldn't have seen it; his eyelids were so swollen.
I turned my head back to continue scraping the dirt off my clothes. This time, I kept an eye on Jack's movements with the flashlight and the peripheral vision of my eyes.
Before long, I suddenly jumped up and kicked Jack with my foot while wearing only my shorts. I was about to go crazy; I noticed that Jack seemed to shift slightly, as if uncomfortable in his lying position. It could also be that he was suffocating from the backpack under his head.
"Still playing dead, huh? I've been carrying you all this way; are you trying to kill me? Aren't you afraid you'll suffocate too?"
As I cursed, I kicked him again. But Jack showed no reaction, seemingly determined to play dead to the end. I pulled my foot back, not daring to kick again; that last kick had been a bit hard, and Jack's head had fallen off the backpack with a thud against the rocky ground. Remarkably, he managed to endure it.
Unable to help myself, I squatted down beside him. "Jack, stop pretending; it's obvious you're faking it. Do you think I'm stupid? Even if you keep this up, I'm not carrying you anymore."
After saying this, I suddenly jumped up because I realized Jack wasn't pretending. He wasn't a good actor; even if he were, he couldn't pull off this act. His limbs were motionless, clearly lying limply on the ground, but his body had risen slightly in the middle.
There was something beneath him. This unexpected event startled me into jumping back and quickly dragging Jack away from that spot. However, there was nothing under him. It was as if whatever it was could hide beneath the surface or vanish in an instant.
I stared at the spot where Jack had been lying; it was a flat stone surface that couldn't conceal anything. Then I suddenly flipped Jack over.
I involuntarily stepped back a few paces. A pair of teeth clicked together with a sound; if it weren't for my overly responsible nature holding me back, I think I would have turned and run away.
I really wanted to run, even though my legs felt a bit weak.
Jack's coat was a thick jacket, once a striking red, but now its color was unrecognizable. However, I knew the fabric was sturdy and heavy. Now, protruding from the back of this jacket were seven vine-like appendages that swayed slightly, as if they were growing out of Jack's back, part of his body.
At the tips of these vines were short, thin tendrils that resembled sea anemones. This was completely different from the vine-like things I remembered cutting; those had clean cuts and seemed hollow. The only similarity between the two was that they both moved as if they were alive.
I stood about a meter away, my eyes fixed on the bizarre scene before me. My heart was in turmoil: should I stay or should I go?
To Be Continued...
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