Capítulo 6: Chapter 6
The constant noise of the dump filled the air: the clatter of objects colliding, the crunch of materials underfoot, and the wind blowing the dust into little swirls.
Mei stood in the dump, her slender hands methodically rummaging through the piles of trash for valuables. The acrid smell of rot and rusting metal permeated the air, a familiar but still unpleasant scent that clung to her clothes and skin. The ground, littered with scrap metal and shards of glass, creaked beneath her feet with every step, adding to the gloomy atmosphere of the place. The sky above her was covered in gray clouds, heavy and threatening, as if the dump itself had sucked all light and color from the world.
Beside her, Yan followed closely, his imposing figure offering a reassuring shield. His dark eyes scanned the area vigilantly, capturing every movement, every shadow. He was always ready, his body tense like a spring, ready to spring at the slightest sign of danger. The dump was never a safe place, and Mei knew it. That was why she always had Yan at her side, her silent and loyal shield.
A scream, piercing and desperate.
The sound had echoed through the dump, bouncing off the mountains of debris, but there was an urgency to the scream
Mei froze, her fingers stopping their digging. Her body reacted before her mind could even process the information, and she straightened, her eyes fixed in the direction of the scream. Her heart leapt in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins. She whipped her head around, searching for the source of the scream, her senses on alert. Yan, sensing the change in Mei's demeanor, instinctively got into position, ready to protect at a moment's notice.
And then she saw her. A small figure emerging from the shadows, running at full speed through the piles of trash. Lila, her face lined with terror, her hair a mess streaming behind her. Her breath was uneven, each step heavy and clumsy, as if she were running from something—or someone.
"Lila!" Mei called, her voice piercing the fog of fear that seemed to envelop the dump.
Lila, hearing her name, redoubled her efforts, rushing toward Mei and Yan with everything she still had in her. Her feet hit the ground hard, kicking up clouds of fine dust that clung to her already dirty clothes. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. She was running, but it was more than just running, it was fleeing, a desperate attempt to put as much distance as possible between herself and what she was running from.
Mei felt her heart clench as she saw the terror in Lila's eyes. Every muscle in her body tensed, a wave of worry washing over her. "Yan, get ready," she ordered in a firm voice, though her heart was pounding. She knew something bad must have happened to push Lila into such a panic.
Yan nodded, his fists clenching instinctively, ready for whatever was to come. His muscles tensed, ready for anything, as he stepped slightly in front of Mei, his protective instincts taking over.
Lila finally reached Mei, nearly collapsing in her arms, panting, her face covered in sweat and dust. She clutched at Mei's clothes, seeking comfort in her touch, her body trembling with fatigue and fear.
"What happened?" Mei asked, her voice soft but urgent, as she ran a soothing hand over Lila's messy hair.
Lila looked up at Mei, tears streaming down her dusty cheeks. "It's… it's Ming… he…" But her words trailed off in a sob, unable to fully express the horror she had just experienced.
"Breathe, Lila," Mei whispered, her voice soft as a whisper on the wind. "We're here now. Tell us what happened."
Yan, ever on guard, looked around, scanning the shadows for any possible threat. The air seemed to thicken around them, as if the dump itself was holding its breath, waiting for the outcome of this encounter.
"Ming and Tom are in danger," Lila managed, her voice cracking with panic and fatigue.
Without another word, Mei gave Lila a quick signal, ordering her to lead them to the location. Lila, still shaken, nodded and took a deep breath before breaking into a run, her little legs trampling the uneven ground of the dump. Mei and Yan followed close behind. The landscape around them passed by, a bleak canvas of debris, rusted metal. Mei's heart pounded harder and harder in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears, accompanied by a growing wave of worry.
When they finally reached the alley, what they saw left them speechless. Before them, a grotesque scene unfolded, an image straight out of a nightmare. Three lifeless bodies lay on the ground, their still forms bathed in a pool of blood that spread around them, staining the surrounding dirt and debris. Their original costumes, once pristine white, were now a deep red, tinged with the life fluid that had leaked from their bodies.
Mei felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she slowly advanced, her steps light but hesitant. Yan stood by her side, his fists still clenched, ready for anything. They approached the scene of the massacre, their eyes scanning every morbid detail with horrified fascination.
The bodies were mutilated, their postures frozen in death testifying to a horrifying violence. Mei crouched down next to the first corpse, her gaze sliding along the distorted form. She noticed immediately that all three shared a similar wound: their throats had been literally crushed, crushed with terrifying force.
The skin, torn and bruised, hung grotesquely, revealing broken bones and shredded muscles. Yan knelt beside another body, delicately touching the blood-soaked fabric, before turning to Mei with a meaningful look.
"It's identical," he murmured, his deep voice betraying a worry he usually never let show. "All three of them… their throats were crushed in the same way. It's as if…"
Mei nodded, her expression grim. "As if something… or someone, had attacked them with inhuman force." Her mind raced, trying to figure out what could have caused such carnage.
The sight was unbearable. The metallic smell of blood, mixed with that of incipient decay, hung in the air, penetrating their nostrils and clinging to their clothes.
"BLEEEEURRGH!"
The ear-piercing sound suddenly burst through the air, shattering the tense silence around them. Lila stopped abruptly, her body doubled over, racked by uncontrollable spasms. Unable to contain the horror writhing in her stomach, she vomited violently, the acidic liquid spilling onto the filthy floor of the dump.
The putrid stench of the dump, mixed with that of rusty metal and decay, had been too much for her fragile nerves, already strained by the terror within her. The bitter taste of bile rose up her throat, burning her insides, as her eyes filled with involuntary tears, blurring her vision.
The wet sound of vomit splashing onto the ground was both disgusting and heartbreaking, a stark reminder of Lila's fragility, her young age, and the unbearable pressure she was under. Mei stopped beside her, her heart clenching as she saw Lila's small form shaken by the spasms. She placed a comforting hand on the girl's back, feeling the thinness of her trembling body beneath her palm.
"Lila…" Mei whispered, trying to keep her voice soft, though the urgency burned within her. "Breathe… It's going to be okay. You're strong, you can do this."
Yan, who was standing a little behind, clenched his fists, his nails biting into the skin of his palms. His gaze, usually hard and impenetrable, darkened as he watched Lila, a dull anger rising within him. This anger was not directed at Lila, but at the world that had forced them to live in such conditions, to endure such horrors.
Lila, panting, straightened slightly, her legs trembling beneath her. Her vision blurred, she wiped away the tears that had escaped against her will with the back of her sleeve. The acidic smell of vomit mingled with the already suffocating smell of the discharge, forming an almost unbearable olfactory cocktail. But she knew they couldn't linger.
"I… I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice still weak, almost inaudible. "It's just…"
"Don't apologize," Mei interrupted, her voice firm but reassuring. "What you saw… what you're experiencing is more than anyone should have to bear. Take a second to breathe. Then we'll move on. Ming and Tom are counting on us."
Lila nodded, inhaling deeply, though the heavy air still burned in her throat. She could still taste the acidity on her tongue, the unpleasant taste reminding her of her discomfort. But Mei was right: she had to pull herself together. Despite her shaking hands and her legs still wobbling beneath her, Lila squared her shoulders, then slowly set off again.
That was when she noticed an anomaly: a pool of blood further away, darker, but strangely devoid of bodies. She frowned, moving toward the spot with newfound caution. The ground was soaked with blood, but no human form lay there.
Lila, who had been watching the scene from behind, stepped back slightly as she recognized the spot, a sudden memory flashing through her mind. Her eyes widened as reality forced its way into her consciousness. "Tom…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with renewed panic. "Before I left… on Ming's orders… Tom was standing near that spot."
Mei turned abruptly, Lila's piercing gaze settling on the bodiless pool of blood. Silence fell heavily upon the group, each breath coming harder, the air thinning around them as if the alley itself were closing in on their despair.
"Tom was here?" Mei's voice was shaky, but she forced herself to remain calm, to think. If Tom was standing where the puddle was, that meant...
"He must have been taken away," Yan concluded, her jaw clenching with tension. "Or worse..."
Mei felt a lump form in her throat. She had to stay strong, for Lila, for Yan, for Tom if he was still alive. But the sight of that bodiless blood, that macabre absence, left a nagging doubt, a dull fear spreading through her mind.
"We have to find him," she finally said, her voice firming. "We have to know what happened here."
With one last glance at the mutilated bodies, Mei clenched her fists, determination burning through her veins.
As she turned to continue, something caught her eye in a dark corner of the alley, barely visible among the shadows and debris. A red glow, different from the blood already staining the scene, seemed to call to her. Frowning, Mei approached slowly, her heart pounding. It was a drawing, crude but clearly visible, drawn on the dusty ground.
A cross. The symbol, painted in what appeared to be blood, stood out starkly against the dirt. The red color, bright and macabre, seemed almost to pulse, as if the drawing had a life of its own, its own message to deliver.
Mei crouched down to examine it better, her fingers brushing the outline of the cross without touching it. The sticky red glowed faintly in the dying light, a sight that made a wave of nausea rise through her, but also something else… a cold recognition.
The image of the church flashed through her mind, clear as a sunny day. She remembered the dusty stained glass windows, the crumbling altar, and that cross, similar to the one before her eyes.
She sat up abruptly, her breath short, her eyes wide with understanding. "They're at the church!" she cried, her voice resonating with palpable urgency.
Yan and Lila turned to her, their gazes a mixture of confusion. Mei didn't take the time to explain further, there was no time to lose. "We have to go, now!" she added, already moving.
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n / A :
I got feedback that I didn't know who Fang Yuan was and I didn't represent him well so far.
Do you think the feedback is correct?
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Ersmers
Ersmers Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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