Chương 18: Hidden in the Mist
Going deeper into that wide rocky passageway, a group of young people seemed to be somewhat exhausted from so much walking. Fortunately, there were no more screams or the sound of someone chasing them, they seemed to be alone in that unknown place.
- Hahh ... hahh ... W-what do we do now? - asked Daniel.
- Let's hide from them for now... besides, when they find out what happened to Marcus, they might blame us. - said Liam.
- What about what was on that paper we found? If we go deeper, will we find that fog again? - asked Glen.
The group was silent, thinking about what to do.
- For the moment, let's move forward slowly, be alert if we see anything or anyone ... On the other hand, looking at Marcus' body, it seemed to me that the stabbing was recent. - Aren commented.
- How do you know that? - asked Daniel.
- If you saw his body, there were only a couple of flies around him; that indicates that not much time had passed since he was killed ... otherwise, he would be full of insects.
This got the others thinking, and they certainly realized that the whole area was a habitat for flying and terrestrial insects, which supported the young man's hypothesis.
- Finally, if true, we must be careful of those 'passengers' that Marcus said ... they probably killed him. - Aren commented - For that reason, we should not go back.
- But, we won't be able to survive for much longer ... we have no food and we won't even know if any rescue will come in the next few hours. - argued Liam.
With those questions, the group decided to go a little further, just enough to be able to return quickly when they heard sounds of engines or something that would indicate the arrival of a rescue team.
With nothing to eat or drink, the young men camped out in the cold of the night for the entire third day that had passed since the accident.
During the course of that day, the sound of fighting and screaming children began to fill the surroundings of the wrecked train. The men who had gone in search of food the day before learned that the women and elderly had stolen food rations.
Discussions were not long in coming and even more so when they found the group that managed the place together with Marcus hiding another ration of food that they had stolen from some of the women who were lying dead under the train.
This unnerved the rest of the passengers who did not hesitate to beat and stone them to death.
After this, they took their bodies and carried them along with the rest of the deceased in those days who were all being put to the rear end of the train, opposite side to where Aren and the others had fled.
Some of the survivors gathered and began to march in the direction of Marcus' cabin, having in mind to demand the results of the team of men they sent for help.
- It was hard enough for us to help them climb to the surface, only to have it all be in vain! - they exclaimed among the men of that group.
And it was true, for they made great efforts to help that group out of the canyon so that they could begin their journey to the Rivas station.
All of them entered the carriage where Marcus' cabin was; all of them enraged, but unanimous in thought, they opened the entrance to the cabin and realized, discouragingly, a corpse sitting at the back surrounded by some flies and other insects that were feeding on it.
- Damn! - shouted some of those present.
Others were stunned, but all became even more despairing at the event.
As they exited the train, the men who were still fighting among themselves and the women and elderly who were trying to hide could see that group of men with a downcast look on their faces.
They all wondered why, where had their earlier resolution gone? Until rumors spread about what had happened to Marcus.
The place quieted down or rather united in despair and sadness, as everyone was left with the idea that no one would come to save them.
Unexpectedly, no one asked who or who had killed their leader, no one said anything but just sank in pain.
- Looks like they figured it out, huh? - spoke a man in a black suit who was accompanied by a man in a white suit.
Yes, they were the same ones who had been separated from the rest of the people observing everything from the shadows.
- Well, sooner or later it would have to happen; now we just have to wait for them to die of starvation or hypothermia soon ... On the other hand, it seems that a group of young people fled the place recently. - commented that guy who accompanied the man in black.
- How many were there?
- About four, I think. - replied the man with an unperturbed smile on his face.
The black-suited man stood thinking as he calmly drank water from a bottle.
- If they are young, they may be of use to us ... tell Renato to follow them too ... but his priority will be to find Vil's whereabouts. - the man ordered.
- Understood.
The straight-haired man in the white suit pulled out a cell phone from one of his pockets ready to make a call.
"Things have taken a little longer than expected ... if it wasn't for Marcus, everything would be over ... but it doesn't matter, the only thing that bothers me is Vil's disappearance ... What happened?" thought the man in black.
The man in white, who had quickly finished communicating over the phone, smiled.
"Well ... with this I will secure a position within ...!"
Those thoughts of the one who seemed to be the leader were disturbed.
- W-What does this mean, Gajel? - he spoke in surprise as he instantly spat blood.
- Well... your services are no longer needed. - replied the man in white who was referred to as Gajel with his unperturbed smile.
- W-What do you... mean? - asked the man in black as a razor long enough to pierce through the stomach area sank deeper into him.
- Oh come on... you don't have to know... it's not personal, you know?
- Was it Krat? - the dying man asked.
- Nope - as if it was a game for Gajel, he spoke childishly.
- Then... Who...?
Before he could finish speaking, another knife found itself stuck in the head of that man in black, but how was the force exerted to be able to perform this terrible feat? Was it the strength of a human that could do something like that?
The body of that unknown man fell to the ground bloody. Meanwhile, the soft man, Gajel, took out a handkerchief to wipe off the blood that had splashed him and then dropped the handkerchief on the stabbed body.
- Well ... now I can have fun ... I think I had to do this a long time ago. - He said with a somewhat tired tone as he turned to walk and stretched the man.
"Now then ... since that guy named Marcus and Robert are gone, I can take care of my own business ... !" thought Gajel when he suddenly sensed something behind his back.
He immediately turned to see the body of the one who in life was called Robert; however, he did not move. Death was instantaneous.
"No ... he is already dead ... but where did that pressure come from?" he thought with a serious look, without any smile while he saw through the window that man in white in the direction of where a strange fog seemed to manifest itself.
That day passed, being morning again, the group of young people woke up with a certain hunger and thirst; however, their determination to survive remained unshaken.
When they realized that no help was coming, as they did not notice the presence of ambulance bus alarms or anything similar, they understood that possibly the group that went out in search of help had failed.
- What do we do now? - Glen asked.
- That group was supposed to have arrived in Rivas by now... did they have any obstacles on the way? - mused Daniel.
- I wouldn't know ... there might be wild animals on the surface ... although we haven't found any. - commented Liam.
While they were trying to understand the situation of that group, Aren stood up looking at the far end of where they were.
- What is it, Aren? - asked Glen.
- It's... getting closer..." he answered seriously.
Everyone present noticed that small traces of fog were in their midst; it was not very dense, but, as they looked in Aren's direction, they could tell that the fog was indeed getting closer.
- Well ... we must decide now ... do we go back with the others or do we keep going deeper into this area? - Glen proposed seriously.
Those present were thinking hard about what would be their best option; however, they heard the sound of a footstep coming from the survivors' camp.
- Did you hear that? - muttered Liam.
- Yes... did they follow us? - asked Daniel worriedly.
- If so... we must leave now..." replied Glen.
The young men looked at each other, and when they heard another footstep again, they didn't hesitate and rushed into the fog.
While they were running away, a shadow stood behind them watching them flee.
That group had trotted quickly until they reached a kind of passage that was getting narrower and narrower as if it were a bottleneck.
The feeling of being cornered began to arise in some of them, adding to the hunger and thirst they felt. However, they did not stop.
Little by little they could notice some vegetation around them, unfortunately it was nothing to their liking, as they were only thorns that emerged next to the rocks.
The place was unexplored for them and they did not know what could be inside, but they had no choice.
Walking for about half an hour, the young men felt overwhelmed. It seemed that their senses were slowly shutting down.
- How far will we go? Let's get some rest..." asked Glen.
He was not saying this for his own sake, but seeing Liam's condition, he was suffering the most from the after-effects of his previous accident.
The rest nodded and tried to lean against the stone walls; but, it was an instantaneous thing, the vision Liam had; the image of him being cut in two. The feeling of danger spread over all those present who did not understand what was happening.
The only one who reacted to all this was Glen who grabbed Liam's arm quickly knocking him backwards and, having a long sword-shaped thorn that he had taken from the place, made a kind of attack in front of him.
- Get back! - Glen exclaimed.
Daniel grabbed the body of Liam who was about to stumble.
In the middle of the place, only Aren could notice that Glen's movement was not an attack, but a defense.
The silhouette of a person of about the same height as Glen was shown who was holding some kind of wooden sword.
A brief series of sword clashes began.
The ability to attack and evade of both people was astonishing, as if they were both skilled in this art. However, it was more evident that Glen was overpowering his opponent with great dexterity driving him back until in one move he put the sharp point of the thorn in front of his enemy's neck without his enemy being able to counterattack.
- Hahh ... hahh ... You ... who are you?! - Glen exclaimed in exhaustion.
Dropping his wooden sword to the ground that was actually just a shattered stick with a similar shape, the opponent gave up.
- Come on... I wasn't serious..." replied the voice of that somewhat hesitant fellow.
Upon seeing him carefully, the first to recognize him was Liam.
- You are ... Renato ...
The rest were surprised to hear the name, because they remembered the guy who had shared a room with Liam.
- What are you doing here? - asked Liam seriously.
Putting his hands up as a sign of surrender, the young man spoke.
- Let me explain, but first you could put that down.
Glen doubted his words and just stepped back a little.
- You'd better give us good reasons for your actions. - Glen commented.
A few seconds had passed and the scene was somewhat confusing, as one man would try to take out four.
It was then that Renato sat down on the ground as another sign that he did not want to fight anymore.
- Look ... I was just looking for a friend.
No one in the group believed what he said.
- Explain yourself... - said Glen.
Renato smiled slightly.
- Well ... you know about the scouting group that disappeared a couple of days ago, right ... one of them was a friend of mine, and my group and I were looking for him.
- Your group? - Daniel asked.
- Yes ... they are now in some trouble and only I was sent to look for him.
Nobody still didn't believe what he was saying.
- I understand... - commented Liam while he was squinting his eyes as if he understood something - ... now tell us why you are really here.
Renato could feel as if that boy with a patch over his left eye could see through his intentions, which made his fake smile fade.
- It's okay...I was just following them when I saw they escaped from the crowd earlier...I had doubts what they would do after seeing Marcus.
Everyone was a little incredulous at the confession.
- Do you know about it? - asked Daniel.
- Sure ... I saw you when you came in to see Marcus yesterday ... and now that we all know he is dead, you would be the main suspects, wouldn't you?
Everyone was shocked by what the young man knew.
- Are the rest of them looking for us too? - Aren asked.
- ... No ... actually no one is looking for who killed Marcus ... after all they also killed the doctors, technicians who had helped before ... although for good reason ...
- The doctors and technicians? - Glen asked quizzically.
Everyone began to believe what the young man was saying after hearing what happened the day before when they were discovered.
- I see. - commented Liam.
- Well, what are they going to do now? - asked Renato.
As if the group had briefly forgotten the reason for the young man's attack, they began to think about what their next step would be.
However, the sound of rustling stalks was heard all around them.
- What is it now? - Glen exclaimed.
They all began to look around for what or who made that sound, but they could not see through the thick fog.
The four young men looked at Renato for a brief moment remembering what Marcus had written about some 'passengers' that were infiltrated, but he commented that it was not his fault, then they remembered that they had been attacked by that young man.
- Is it true! Why did you attack us?! ... Haven't your 'friends' come to kill us now?! - Glen exclaimed angrily.
- No, really... no one else came with me.
The distrust returned.
Then, quickly, Glen took Renato unawares as if he were a hostage.
- If they really are your friends ... I don't think they want to see you die, do they? - Glen commented as if he was determined to do what was necessary to survive.
- I don't think they ... care that much about me.
- What?
Before they could continue speaking, the sound of footsteps was heard coming towards them; all the young men turned in the direction of the camp thinking they would appear that way, until the next footstep was heard behind them.
They were all confused thinking as they circled as if to be behind them.
The five young men immediately turned to prepare for the impending attack. However, it was not what they believed that sight in front of them.
Yes, none of their thoughts could predict what was coming their way; it was then that Aren remembered the last words written by Marcus.
Beware of the fog.
They all witnessed the presence of a grotesque being, difficult to describe, for they had never seen anything similar before. Its form was humanoid, but instead of skin it seemed to be full of joints that in some parts left only part of the bones visible.
It seemed to be about two meters tall with long limbs, especially its left upper limb that seemed to have great musculature and in the part of the shoulder was full of ulcers and tumors.
In the part where the face should have been, there appeared to be a sort of swirling of joints being somewhat hidden by a sort of outer shell.
However, it was what supported his right upper extremity that was of concern.
- You know... I wasn't lying when I said I was coming to look for someone. - Renato commented in shock as did the rest of us as he looked at the monster.
- What ... do you ... want to ... say? - asked Glen who was disturbed.
- Well ... now I know where or rather ... what happened to Vil ... - answered Renato.
The decapitated head of a blond-haired man could be seen being held by that creature coming out of the mist.
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