SURVIVORS
Chapters 114. Gooseflesh
Dean, Alan and Sunil returned to their cottage in the forest feeling satisfied. They managed to minimize casualties. Only the Duke dies, that's enough.
"You're back?" michael asked in surprise because his three friends only left for about 1 hour.
"It's done, so we're back." Alan answered and sat down on the chair.
Sunil took drinking water to recover his strength. He poured a cup of water from the eternal spring for Alan.
"Thank you." Alan gulped down the contents immediately.
"You go to bed first..Me and Michael are going to be on their own" Dean suggested.
"okay."
Alan and Sunil disappeared behind the bedroom door.
"Dean, I think we need to put up a fence around where we live. I felt goosebumps while standing guard alone" Michael said.
"Do you feel like there's something weird around here?" ask Dean.
Dean's eyes immediately turned golden and looked around their residence. No wonder also if there is something strange, because they do live in dense forests. Dean also remembered, the words of people on the edge of the forest at that time. The game animals have been invisible for months. I don't know if it has anything to do with Michael's feelings tonight.
Dean floated up and circled the hut, examining the surroundings from above. He found nothing suspicious. Dean came back down and sat down near Michael.
"I don't see anything suspicious. But anyway, you're right. We have to build a fence around this place. Tomorrow we do." Breakup Dean.
"alright. After all, if there are three of you, we will always be safe. I'm not worried about tonight anymore." Michael nodded.
*
A cool morning, the atmosphere was still early and the air was filled with moisture from the hanging fog. But the chirping of birds had sounded boisterous and woke Widuri up. He got up and went out to the bathroom. The short visibility made him try to sharpen the view. He was astonished because he saw no one sitting by the fireplace.
"Nobody usually is awake. Where are they?" muttered Widuri while stepping towards the men's room.
"Geeh!" jeremy Widuri.
His face looked extremely shocked, staring in one direction. He looked back at the direction that had surprised him. But Widuri's not seeing anything.
"What are you screaming at in the morning blind?" asked Nastiti who appeared with a face still sleepy.
"I saw something move there earlier," Widuri pointed towards the forest and the thickets in front of them.
Nastiti squinted her eyes to look at him. There's nothing. It's just big trees and shrubs.
"There's nothing" said Nastiti.
"So I actually saw something there. It's like a human, but..." Widuri denied with doubt.
"Maybe it's just a monkey, a chimpanzee, or an orangutan" Nastiti entertained.
"Hemm, I think you're right." Widuri smiled.
"Okay, I'll go to the bathroom first. You're not afraid to be alone, are you? Who's on guard now? Why don't you see a man here?" Nastiti nagged as she headed for the bathroom.
"Ah, yes. Who's on guard but not in his place?"
Widuri continued her steps towards the men's room. Alan, Sunil and Michael are still asleep. There's no Dean in the room, so he's on guard. Then where is he?
Brukk..
The sound of things falling down, made Widuri turn her head. Dean piled the pieces of wood on the edge of the cottage.
"What are these woods for?" Widuri's approaching Dean.
"To make a fence around the cottage," replied Dean.
Widuri. He then follows her to the bathroom when he sees Nastiti coming out.
"Where were you Dean?" ask Nastiti.
"I picked up wood in the woods there," replied Dean.
"So no one was guarding this place. Widuri shrieks. He said he saw something there." Report Nastiti.
"really?"
Dean's surprised. Then it quickly flew in the direction Nastiti pointed at. He examined it closely, including the ground level. Dean floated low and checked the trail he suspected. It was faint, but it still looked like human footprints.
"New trail, but only faintly imprinted. If it wasn't his light weight, then he should be resting on something else,"
Dean analyzed the findings. Then back up and check the surrounding area. Looking for another trail to find out where the creature that Waturi saw went. With his golden eyes, Dean combed through the place and found another faint trace.
"This should be discussed with O and Z. They're experts at handling things like this" Dean murmured.
Dean returns to the cottage and sees that Widuri and Nastiti are already cool in the kitchen. Marianne came out of the bathroom.
"Dean, tap water has stopped dripping." Report Marianne.
"good. I'll fill it up soon."
Dean floated up, then darted towards the cliff to fetch the sea water.
"You're so lucky that Dean, Alan and Sunil have such special abilities" Marianne said.
"Yes, that's it. Hard and heavy work becomes easier and lighter." replied Nastiti.
The three women started chatting while preparing breakfast.
At breakfast, the incident of Widuri this morning and the trace findings by Dean were finally discussed.
"So last night it was true that our lodge was being watched. That's why I'm feeling goosebumps." said Michael.
"Well, your feeling is strong. That's why early in the morning I went to cut some trees to make a fence. But it was just when I left that Widuri saw it and screamed" Dean said
"After Widuri screamed, I showed up. And he's gone." Nastiti added.
"Then you found his trail to the place Nastiti pointed to. And find another trace." Alan held his chin and thought.
"But the distance of each trail is about 10 meters away. Did he jump? Or a long-legged creature? Can you describe what you saw Widuri?" ask Dean.
"It's not clear either. I think he looks like a normal human being. But Nastiti said it might be a monkey, a chimpanzee or an orangutan. So, I don't think about it anymore." answered Widuri honestly.
"After eating, let me and Alan go check it out. You and Michael made a fence." Sunil broke up.
"OK, ready.." said Michael glad to be able to participate.
After breakfast, Dean shows the traces he found on Sunil and Alan. After that he made a fence with Michael. The fence was two and a half meters high. By midday, half the fence work is done. Dean worked pretty fast, because there were enough trees to cut down in that forest.
Sunil and Alan are back. They rested and enjoyed fruit salads and lemon syrup made by the women.
"So you didn't find him?" ask Marianne.
"The trail was just going around in circles. He seemed to be anticipating being chased. So he tried to make things difficult" Alan replied.
"That is, the creature is intelligent. I don't think it's an animal, but a human" Nastiti murmured.
"Yes, I think so too." Dean agrees.
"That means, there's someone else living in this forest besides us." Widuri added.
"Then we finish the whole fence today. Whether he has good or bad intentions, we have to anticipate them" Sunil said.
"Dean, our rooms don't have doors yet.." Widuri.
"Well, I'll do it." replied Dean.
"And one more thing," Nastiti said.
"Our availability of fruits, vegetables and spices is dwindling. Can we get it from the market?" ask her with flickering eyes.
"Let's think about it first" Dean said.
The four men shoulder to shoulder built a fence around the hut area. Dean cut down more medium-sized trees. Cut 3 meters high and then split it into 4 parts. The wooden beams were moved by Alan so that Sunil and Michael could easily reach him. Before evening, their work was done.
There was quite a stock of burnt bay from the remaining logs. Dean piled it up near the kitchen. Add 2 more fire furnace points so that the surrounding of the place can be brighter.
Alan handed over enough blue berries to Nastiti. He found a bunch of blueberries not far from where Dean cut down trees.
"Is there a lot of fruit like this there?" ask Nastiti enthusiastically.
"Very much. It was only in a small part of the clump that I picked up. You can pick it up again tomorrow if you want. I'll show you the place." Alan said.
"Maybe we can sell this fruit to the market, to be sold or bartered with other foodstuffs." Nastiti's eyes glistened with pleasure.
Alan nodded.
"tryable. Tomorrow morning we pick it up and take it to town."
"Yeayyy. I can finally see civilization," exclaimed Nastiti happily.
*****