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墨書 Inktalez
I saw Cao Mingzhe about to pick me up, but Jack stopped him.
"You can't move him, especially not carry him. Pressing on the wound will cause the blood in his liver to flow into the abdominal cavity faster. We can only lift him and try to make a simple stretcher."
I noticed Cao Mingzhe's expression stiffen for a moment. He probably didn't expect things to be this complicated. Carrying me would be faster than if I ran on my own. But that would only hasten my demise.
I watched them like a spectator, as if all of this had nothing to do with me; I was merely an observer. I could feel the pain—the ache of my shattered hand, the cramping in my abdomen, the overall agony from being knocked to the ground by Liu Squad Leader. Yet none of that compared to the deep sorrow in my heart.
I felt sorrow for myself and for everyone else. Cao Mingzhe and I had risked our lives to find Song Guilong, abandoning the normal trajectory of our lives. In the end, I was killed by him, and he was killed by Cao Mingzhe. It was truly the greatest tragedy of life.
I even wanted to tell Cao Mingzhe and Jack: Stop fussing around; I know my condition best. Every minute could be my last. Save your strength for escaping.
But I couldn't speak; even moving my head was difficult. I could only watch them perform this farce before my eyes.
However, this farce was brief for me. My vision quickly blurred, and my hearing worsened; I could barely make out a complete sentence, only hearing a buzzing sound like mosquitoes.
Then everything fell silent. I blissfully sank into darkness.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a stretcher. My hands could touch both sides of it—one side was a European's crutch, while the other side consisted of several long guns tied together. The surface of the stretcher was a sleeping bag.
I wanted to complain to Jack. This wasn't a simple stretcher; it was rudimentary.
The pain in my body persisted, perhaps even intensified. The temperature here wasn't low, but it wasn't too hot either—at least it wouldn't make someone sweat. Yet I was drenched in sweat; the severe pain coursing through me made me break out in cold sweat. I had woken up from the pain.
For some unknown reason, my head was at the front of the stretcher, meaning I couldn't see ahead—only what was behind me as I lay backward on it.
Behind me was a soldier carrying the stretcher; after Liu Squad Leader's death, this soldier became the sole commander. Of course, this didn't include the other two soldiers who remained in the Metal Room.
The stretcher moved quickly; I saw this soldier panting heavily. Beside him was another person who was also breathing hard—it was Jack. He was carrying the European and somehow hadn’t fallen behind.
The European's crutch had been repurposed as part of the stretcher, so Jack had no choice but to carry him. No one else could manage it—not because they didn't want to, but because they weren't tall enough. The European was too tall; even though I considered myself tall in this group, if I were to carry him, his feet would likely drag on the ground.
If someone else carried him, by the time we reached our destination, one of his feet would probably be worn down to nothing. Jack had put a splint on his injured leg; although it wasn't casted, it couldn't bend either. Only when Jack carried him would his feet avoid dragging on the ground.
I am very cold. And in pain. My body shakes uncontrollably. My vision is blurred, and I can only make out the two people in front of me. Behind them, there should be others, but I can't see clearly, only some flickering lights.
I know that among these people, there will no longer be Liu Squad Leader. I have cursed him to death, using the most vicious words.
For a long time, even before I lost consciousness and before I encountered Song Guilong, I was still cursing that incompetent fool deep down.
I had never considered this matter from his perspective. Even though he constantly pressed his warm face against my cold backside, I still mocked him coldly. I always believed he owed me; his life was mine.
But it seems that human nature is such a strange thing.
He has his own persistence and beliefs. To fulfill a promise to Li Squad Leader, he could and did abandon certain principles, like betraying me.
At least the reason for his second betrayal was undoubtedly to come down here, to fulfill his promise to Li Squad Leader. For that, he was willing to sacrifice his own life and trample on his own dignity.
Sadness and guilt made my heart colder. Perhaps reconciling with Liu Squad Leader earlier would have eased my guilty heart a bit.
Liu Squad Leader did not apologize to me at the end, nor did he take credit for saving my life; at that moment, he only cared about finding Song Guilong and fulfilling his promise to Li Squad Leader. That made me very sad.
I thought he would say something like we were even now, that he had repaid what he owed me. If he had said that, I could have let go of my hatred for him and allowed him to leave in peace.
However, in the end, I never got the chance to say those forgiving words. Perhaps he didn’t care, but I did. If I could survive and leave this place, this matter and those words would forever be stuck in my heart.
The severe pain throughout my body prevented me from concentrating on anything. Even my sorrow for Liu Squad Leader came in fragmented thoughts. My mind was in utter chaos; all I could see were unclear and disordered images.
Perhaps the rough stretcher itself was bouncing severely, or maybe everyone’s attention was focused on their feet. Strangely enough, all the lights—whether flashlights or glow sticks—were held low as if the ground were uneven and there was a risk of tripping at any moment.
In any case, I felt my eyes open; I could see a soldier and Jack, but no one looked at me; no one noticed that I had opened my eyes.
I had neither the strength to speak nor the ability to move; even squeezing my eyes shut was impossible. All I could do was break out in a cold sweat.
I gave up all efforts and looked upward. Lying flat on the stretcher made it easier to see Jack and the soldier behind me than to look into the darkness above.
I realized this passageway was quite high, perhaps equal in height to that space. It was a corridor meant for giants.
But I saw the light. White, a very gentle light.
I couldn't determine whether this light came from the ceiling or from the outside world. I leaned more towards the idea that it came from the outside world because it was far away, high up, definitely beyond the height of the cave I had just been in.
I could even feel the softness and warmth of that light, making the pain from my wounds fade away. It seemed like a divine radiance that could dispel suffering and fear.
I could vaguely see that within the soft, full moon-like disc of light, there was lush green grass and vibrant flowers adorned with dew.
At that moment, my heart was filled with an unparalleled peace.
My heart and soul were drawn by an incredibly tempting call: that light and the world behind it promised me infinite happiness. That was where my ultimate destination and highest pursuit lay.
I reached out a hand towards that light. "Please take me away from here; that is where I want to go."
To Be Continued.
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