SURVIVORS
Chapters 34. The Wolf-Headed Creature
Dean decided to immediately end the cave exploration faster as he felt his tummy tummy tummy tummy tummy begging to fill. He only briefly approached towards the cave door which was covered in white light. The light is not a reflection of sunlight from outside. It was more like a wall or a light curtain of bright milky white. Dean could not see through the wall of light. Dean swept his hand at the white light. It does not feel cold or hot that might hurt the skin if it passes through it. He was dumbstruck while thinking hard, 'What light is that really? Why did Eugene say his female servant was like a fall after stepping past this veil?' Dean still couldn't make any conclusions, so he turned around.
"Tomorrow we continue. I'm hungry now" Dean said as he approached the end of the rope where he had descended.
"Huh?! Not a hot bath?" tanya Widuri was surprised to see Dean who was preparing to climb.
Dean didn't answer that question. He concentrated on finding a solid footing stone so as not to slip anything else until it fell. Widuri moved away from the mouth of the passageway to let Dean in.
"The source of the hot water was rather salty. You want to take a bath in salt water?" Dean asked after taking out the purple crystal from inside the bag. He led the way in front and walked back towards the cave where they slept these few days. Widuri finally followed behind him in disappointment at not being able to take a shower.
"If you said the water was salty, maybe I'd give you a bottle of this water to fill with salt water for us to cook the rabbit and yam soup. It might be better." Widuri regretted that Dean didn't say anything about it.
"You didn't say you brought a bottle. I thought I was left in that cave." Dean blamed Widuri.
"You didn't ask. Likes to be secret." Widuri blamed Dean.
"It's hard to talk to you!" Dean spoke softly and then sped up his pace.
"You.. What did you say? Aren't you the one that's hard to talk to because you're always so sniffy?" Widuri appears to be not accepting of Dean's accusations.
They fought all the way up to the cave. Dean added firewood. Take a pot of warm water and directly gulp the contents. He felt very thirsty not only because he had walked a long way back and forth in the cave hallway, but also because in the cave down there for a long time felt like a sauna that made his sweat splash.
Widuri sat by the fire still with a look of annoyance. He picked up a ripe rabbit which he warmed near the fire, pulled the thighs loose and handed the other part to Dean. Widuri eats still with a bent look. He doesn't want to see Dean at all. The dinner ended quickly and quietly. The two decided to rest as the night began to dissolve. The voice of the Wolf also sounded unpretentious up there.
***
The shelter.
After dinner, everyone lay down. The turn to stand guard still forced open their eyes and be alert while sitting near the fire. They're worried about Alex's condition turning wild every night.
Last evening Lena was forced to join the women to rest after she finished giving Alex dinner. Lena does not want to leave Alex, but she is also afraid to see the development of Alex who looks to start not recognizing him.
That place is now occupied only by Alex. That evening Alex could not calm down. He looked agitated, his eyes reddened furiously trying to rebel and untie his hands and feet. The sound of hissing and snarling alternately came out of his mouth which continued to grin. Robert and Indra reinforced all the wooden poles. They inspected and plugged the wood further into the snow. May the night pass safely.
When the second turn of the new care passed 1 hour, there was the howling of wolves that were getting crowded and unpretentious. All who stood guard at each shelter sat upright, sharpening their hearing to find out. Did the wolf pack decide to approach where they were tonight or just pass by?
The earthy sound was felt surrounding their shelter but it was quite a distance away. There were no footsteps or feet scratching the snow and wolf growls near them.
Suddenly there was a loud and foreign roar that was closer.
Dhugs.. Dugs.. The sound of wood being hit repeatedly. The sound of angry growls and howls were so close.
Robert who was guarding at that time was being vigilant. He felt the commotion was coming from Alex's shelter. Woke up doctor Chandra and the others, asking them not to make a fuss and to be alert. Robert decided to come out to warn the fellow at another shelter.
That night was the light of the moon. Under the pale moonlight Robert walked cautiously to the other 3 shelters. Until arriving at the last shelter occupied by Lena. Indra stood guard there.
"Who's guarding now?" ask Robert from the outside.
"Me" said Indra.
"Yes, I'll be right back. I just reminded you to be alert. Tonight was not as usual. Be careful."
Robert had just left the place a few steps when the shelter where Alex was locked up was thrown into a mess.
Brakk! The wood that was planted in the snow broke and scattered on the snow. Part of the wall of the shelter collapsed, part of the damp and cold wood touched the fireplace and began to emit smoke licked by the tongue of fire.
Robert immediately stopped his steps and observed a large figure jumping out and ravaging the shelter. Robert was surprised to see it. He was glued to his place looking disbelieving in his own eyes.
"Robert, are you still outside? Just come in here if it's close, danger!" Indra called Robert who had just come to his place.
"Robert?" Indra's second call echoes Robert's shock.
"That's Alex, he destroyed the shelter. The bond is gone." Robert retreated with a slow step towards the Indra shelter.
"What's? Are our assumptions right?" Indra instantly woke up all of his fellow shelter members.
"Rapidly wake up, Alex destroys the shelter," Indra informs those who have just woken up.
All finally sat up straight, being alert. Leon, Liam and Toni at the shelter immediately grabbed their respective spears. Lena who was there with Marianne and Silvia sat with a tense face. They are anxious and afraid. At dinner, Robert said his conjecture was about Alex. Now they're very scared if it really happens. Especially for Lena who is Alex's lover. He felt guilty and sad because Alex was like that for saving him.
Robert's retreating steps were finally caught by the sight of the huge creature. He snarled grinning showing his sharp fangs. Robert was wary, clasping tightly the knife in his left hand and the spear in his right.
"You guys inside carefully, he's already turned his head this way." Robert reminded Indra when suddenly the creature lunged towards Robert. Robert avoided dropping himself rolling away from the shelter to secure his occupants.
But the lunge turned out to be far enough to hit the shelter wall and shake it, dropping piles of snow on the roof and walls. The voice of the female scream inside was clearly heard coming out. The creature that was like a wolf but stood with two legs back and still attached to Alex's shirt on his body was growling and took his eyes off Robert. He observed the shelter with a grimace. Jumping and crashing his body into the wall of the shelter made a frightened cry and Silvia's cry was heard clearly.
Lena cried while calling Alex.
"Alexes.. Alex.. Be aware.. Don't hurt anyone else.. Alex.. You hear me?"
The creature stopped its action of hitting the shelter. It was as if trying to recognize Lena's voice. Feeling like that, Indra asks Lena to calm down Alex who is rampaging outside.
"Alexes.. It's me Lena.. Can you remember me? Can you just calm down? You're scaring me," Lena sobbed sadly.
The creature growled softly, bowing its head looking puzzled. Meanwhile, Robert had reached the door of the next shelter intended to ask to enter when a howl was heard in the distance that immediately made Alex's attitude change ferocious and again hit the shelter where Indra and others took shelter.
Robert who saw the condition of the shelter shook his head in worry. 'Ckk, so strong is his body. That shelter won't last long.'
"Hey, that shelter is about to collapse, I'll distract you, you guys get out of there and move somewhere else!" Robert shouted while running the other way away from his comrades.
"Alex, come here you. Don't disturb the women." cried Robert as he ran. The huge creature was leaping to hit the shelter once more upon hearing Robert's cry. The diversion makes the power it expends is not optimal. The shelter did not collapse completely, only a few broken logs rattled and panic was heard.
Lena was surprised to see a wolf's head appear inside the shelter through a hole due to a break in some part of the wall. She screamed hysterically.
"No! Alex! Be aware.. Alex!" the screams of Lena who tried to resuscitate Alex compete with the sound of howls in the distance that seemed to control Alex's mind. After a moment of fixation, he again growled furiously and ferociously. This time Alex howled at the sound of another wolf.
***