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墨書 Inktalez
Whether I was shining the flashlight at the target or holding onto the wood to enjoy the painful sensation, my face was always turned to the left, towards the spot where the flying Lao People had fallen into the water. At this moment, I still directed the flashlight towards that side.
However, after a brief period out of sight, the two Lao People were no longer at the same angle and distance as before. It was difficult for me to sit up, trying to avoid but inevitably making contact with the wood. The slightest movement sent waves of pain through me, leaving me in a state of agony. I sat on the wood in an exaggerated and awkward position; if I had to describe it in two words, it would be "disgraceful."
The flashlight scanned from afar like a line-by-line scanner, and soon I spotted the two Lao People. They were so close that I felt an urge to cry. Finally, I was about to bring the three victims together. I bit down on the One-Eyed Beast and braced myself against the severe pain as I pulled on the rope. With just a bit more strength, I could pull them both onto the wood.
My movements caused the flashlight to shake violently as I looked down for the rope tangled in the tree branches, temporarily diverting it away from the two Lao People. When I grabbed hold of the rope and lifted my head again to shine the One-Eyed Beast's light on them, their expressions sent chills down my spine.
One of the Lao People appeared not only exhausted but also injured; he lay sprawled across Buasong's back, their bodies intertwined as if they were conjoined twins. Under the light of the One-Eyed Beast, he looked half-alive, and earlier I had only seen Buasong desperately pulling on the rope against the current. But now, both Lao People were waving at me frantically, their movements strange and intense. Especially the one bound to Buasong's back, who suddenly seemed infused with vitality as he waved his arms wildly, his facial expression twisted in a terrifying grimace.
My first reaction upon witnessing this scene was that they were in trouble—trouble coming from beneath the water. Because on the pavement, under the light of the One-Eyed Beast, there was no visible danger; its illuminated area covered at least seven or eight meters in diameter with nothing in sight.
Regardless of what trouble they faced, my priority was to pull them up. Their fear indicated that whatever was troubling them was extreme; it must be something dreadful. Struggling, I lifted one leg and braced my foot against a tree branch while gripping the rope with both hands. At that moment, I was in extreme danger; my body could barely maintain balance, and even a slight swell or current could topple me off the wood.
But looking at their frantic gestures made it clear that if my actions or reactions were even slightly delayed, whatever dreadful thing they encountered would claim their lives. I had to take a gamble—betting that I could pull them up in the shortest time possible without encountering a deadly current. Of course, I needed Buasong's cooperation; pulling together would shorten this process. I believed Buasong would be more desperate than I to get out of this situation since he faced danger directly.
At this point, every effort caused me severe pain, especially pulling on the rope exacerbated my backache. If it weren't for biting down on that damned One-Eyed Beast, I would have shouted out loud; vocalizing could relieve or distract from pain—that was my experience.
As I pulled on the rope with intense focus to speed things up, naturally directing the One-Eyed Beast accurately at both Lao People, I noticed that Buasong wasn't cooperating as I'd expected; he wasn't climbing up with me.
I saw both Lao People drawing closer under my forceful tugging, yet there was no sign of excitement on their faces—only expressions of sheer horror. Buasong still held onto the rope with one hand while his other hand swung wildly in mid-air as if battling an invisible demon surrounding him. What terrified me even more was that his eyes remained fixed on me as if that demon he wanted to defeat was me. He seemed to be waiting for me to pull him over before delivering a fatal blow.
This bizarre scene sent shivers down my spine. I certainly didn't believe Buasong had gone mad; instead, another possibility struck me—they were warning me. Indeed there was something dreadful lurking here with me.
As I realized this, I saw Buasong's lips repeating a word: poison mist.
My mind went blank. After repeating this word several times, Buasong suddenly relaxed his grip on the rope, and in the blink of an eye, the two Lao People disappeared into the light of the One-Eyed Beast.
There was no doubt that danger was near me; the two Lao People must have been terrified of it to abandon me. However, I still had to thank them for risking themselves to warn me.
The term "poison mist" was the most frequently spoken phrase in Lao by Buasong, and it became one of the Lao words I was most familiar with. While I might not understand other words from Buasong just by looking at his lips, I immediately grasped this one; he was telling me there were snakes.
My instincts told me that danger would come from that giant python or that group of Crimson Snakes. They had been haunting us all along, especially those Crimson Snakes; I felt they would chase us to hell. They truly were creatures that belonged in hell.
It was strange. Through the behavior of the two Lao People, I knew danger was imminent, yet I did not panic or feel overwhelmed with fear. I seemed to enter a mystical state; although it was impossible to have everything under control, I knew what to do now and wouldn’t make any irreparable mistakes. Even the severe pain in my body lessened, allowing me to perform some incredible movements.
I first discarded the rope in my hands. The Lao People had already moved away from me, and pulling them back up was no longer feasible. Letting go of the rope only meant they would be a bit farther away from me. It wouldn’t completely sever our connection since the rope was still tangled in a tree branch and tied around my waist. It would also allow them to distance themselves from the current danger.
Although their actions could be seen as betrayal, I understood. If this could save them, I wouldn’t blame them. I didn’t believe they would be of any help to me at the scene; rather, another Lao Person’s half-dead state could very well become a burden.
Then my body naturally leaned back, during which my head turned from left to right.
My gaze remained fixed on the direction where the Lao People had flown off; danger couldn’t be there, or I would have noticed it by now. Whether danger came from the giant python or the Crimson Snakes, it had to be on my right side.
The light from the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight was parallel to my line of sight; before its white beam reached the right side pavement, I saw a deadly threat.
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