SURVIVORS
Chaptre 59. Rescue
Sunil was very anxious and scared. He covered his nose and mouth with a shirt. He had to reach the mouth of the cave, but the cave was dark. His eyes stinged with dust if opened wide.
Sunil fumbled the stone while bowing. The smell of soil after the rain is the only guide to get out. Many times he stumbled and fell, but was forced to stand up again.
A cold, wet wind containing water spots began to pummel his cheeks. Sunil is getting excited to come out. Welcomed the droplets of spatter water, Sunil breathed a long breath filling his congested lungs. Sometimes he coughed and choked with the dust that had been swallowed.
Sunil stood for a moment under the drizzle until his body began to feel cold. Sunil turned to the mouth of the cave to look. It was dark and quiet in there. All I heard was the sound of water. 'Oh my God, I don't want to lose my friends anymore, ' she hoped inwardly.
"Alan, do you hear me? Goddess, Widuri, Nastiti, Dean! Follow my voice, man. Come on, you guys can get here. Close your eyes when you are sad. Cover your mouth and nose. Please wake. Follow my voice!" Shouted Sunil from the cave door.
Many times Sunil called but no one responded. Sunil is getting anxious. He felt he had to go in and take his friends out. The release of wet clothes to be used as a cover for the nose and mouth.
'Hey, if you can't come here, let me go there. Scream, or hit something let me know your location." Sunil shouted back.
Among the gurgling sounds of water Sunil heard a faint knocking sound. Then he felt there was hope.
"Who was knocking? I heard it faint. Try to tap even harder," said Sunil, who then tried to listen carefully.
There was another knock not far from the mouth of the cave. Sunil immediately tried to approach the direction of the voice.
"Goddess, is that you?" ask Sunil again. There was a knock in reply to drive Sunil.
"Continue knocking, I'm almost there" Sunil spoke again.
The knocking sound was heard several times until Sunil finally found it.
"Goddess?" Sunil grabbed the body that was lying weakly on the cave floor.
"Hemm," answered the Goddess with a voice almost gone.
"I'll take you out. Nastiti, are you here?" Sunil's voice echoed in the silence. Then he suddenly suffocated when something touched his leg.
"Aaaaaahh," cried Sunil.
Try to get rid of something that sticks to his leg. Sunil was surprised. 'This hand? Like hands?' thought. Sunil checked on something for quite a while, until he was finally convinced that it was someone's hand after Sunil could feel his head.
Sunil's trying to attract a friend he doesn't know who. Embrace them to the armpits and then drag them both towards the mouth of the cave. Several times tripped, Sunil did not give up. Until the mouth of the cave, the two were left bathed in drizzle. The dust that stuck to the body both decayed along with the water droplets.
Slowly they realized and immediately coughed because the dust particles that had been trapped in the lungs. Sunil cleans his hands and discharges rainwater with his palms, drinking a little of that water on Dewi and Nastiti to relieve the pain and heat in the throat.
"You're gonna be fine. Wait here, I'll try to find the others" Sunil left the two women still lying in the rain.
"Dean, he was carrying a light crystal. Maybe it could be a clue" Nastiti told him what she remembered.
"OK," Sunil said.
Sunil looked for a shadow of purple light within the fog. There was a faint purple light on the right side of the cave door. Sunil painstakingly looked for a way, several times he slipped because of slippery.
'Why is the floor of the cave so slippery like this? Usually dry. Was the pool water spilled when the cave floor swayed earlier?' thought Sunil
"Deean, Dean. Where'd you. Give me Dean's code!" Shouted Sunil loudly.
There's no answer. But the purple light was getting closer. Suddenly Sunil's feet tripped over something and made him fall.
"Aww. Adduu.. It hurt so bad," Sunil shook his painful hand as he held his body weight while falling.
"What's this?" murmured Sunil examined something that made him stumble earlier. 'It's like one's body' Sunil's inner. Then the light crystal was expected not far ahead. The light crystal was used to clarify the body he found.
"Dean! Dean. Can you hear me?" Sunil shook Dean's body, but there was no answer at all.
Sunil pocketed the light crystal and then swept Dean's body that was more sturdy than him.
"You have to diet Dean, it's very heavy." said Sunil as he continued to step out of the cave.
Dean lay on the ground near Dewi and Nastiti who were now crouching cold. The rain had stopped, so there was no water to wash Dean's face full of dust.
"We should get some shower water. But it's dark, I'm afraid of slipping" Nastiti said.
"You take care of Dean. I need to find Alan and Widuri as soon as possible" Sunil said anxiously.
The longer you stay in a dusty room, the more dangerous it is for them. So it must be taken out immediately.
Sunil re-entered the cave.this time it seems that the dust fog is getting thinner in the air. It might have started to come down and settle on the cave floor. But that does not mean the danger is gone, because it means that the dust that is still floating is a very fine and light dust particles. It is easier to carry into the lungs if it is too long there.
Sunil's gaze began to be helped, although the visibility was still short, but it was good enough, because Sunil began to be able to distinguish the color of black stones and white sheep. The sheep?! 'Ah yes, the Widuri were near the inner sheep' Sunil.
Accelerated steps towards those faint white shadows.
"Alane! A sleepyhead! Where're you? Give me a knock dong let's make it easy!" shouts Sunil while approaching. There was no response.
Sunil reached the nearest white shadow. The white shadow was touched to make sure. "Yes, this is lamb fur" murmured Sunil.
Touched and touched all the opaque white objects lying around, while looking for the whereabouts of Alan and Widuri among them.
"Come on, give me a sign to find you. Please.." Sunil pleaded as he continued to search. Then he touched something different after crawling further.
"Hey, are you Alan? Widuri..? Answer me," Sunil was panicking. He choked and coughed every time he spoke. The fine dust particles had already broken through the cover of his mouth and nose.
Sunil came closer to examine the body he found. In the dimness of the dust fog that was getting thin, Sunil finally managed to find his two friends lying down.
Clamped and dragged the two men towards the mouth of the cave. His body feels very tired. But Sunil forced his throbbing legs to keep going even though he had to stumble over rocks again and again.
Sunil felt his steps so slow, that the mouth of the cave felt so far away.
"Goddess, Nastiti, help me here!" shouts Sunil calling. He felt his body had reached its limit.
"Yes, we came," said the two quickly entered and stepped towards Sunil's shadow standing in the middle of the cave.
"Bring Alan," said Sunil in a trembling voice.
"Are you still able to walk?" ask the Goddess to worry. He felt Sunil's body tremble as they took over Alan.
"Yes" Sunil replied briefly.
He tried to take a deep breath to relieve his lungs. But it made Sunil cough even more and his chest hot.
The fainted Widuri dragged Sunil slowly. With great difficulty the two finally arrived outside. Alan's laying his body on the muddy ground. His hands trembled as he held the heavy weight of his five companions. His legs hurt and ache, perhaps also wound from tripping over stones repeatedly. But the rescue that night was successful. Sunil felt his body become as light as cotton. He smiled happily.
Dewi and Nastiti try to resuscitate Alan and Widuri. Dean was conscious, but still coughed next to them. Back and forth Goddess and Nastiti took water to wash the faces of Alan and Widuri, until soon both of them woke up and coughed. In haste Dewi and Nasti returned to the shower to fetch water so that the two could drink.
"Sunil, you're so great. You saved us all. Thank you," said Dewi approaching Sunil who was lying on the ground.
Sunil did not answer a word, causing the Goddess to panic.
"Sunill, Sunil. You why?" asked Dewi while shaking Sunil's body but there was no response.
"Sunil, don't die!" the Goddess cried out in fear.
Dean who heard the words of the Goddess immediately woke up and the road staggered to check.
"The throbbing in his neck is still there, did he faint?" ask Dean to himself. The goddess looked a little relieved.
"Let me get some water to wash her face" said the Goddess as she stood up.
Dean untied the shirt Sunil was wearing to cover his mouth and nose. Immediately a soft snore came out from Sunil's mouth. Nastiti and Dean immediately turned their heads in disbelief. Sunil didn't faint, he just fell asleep.
The goddess returned while carrying the water she had pinned in both her hands. He was glued in front of Sunil. Looked at with amazement.
'How can anyone stay asleep even if his body has been rocked violently?' thought Goddess. Anxiously spilled water in his hand onto Sunil's face which made him stupefied and confused. It looks funny and manages to make Nastiti and Dean giggle.
"It sucks! Just scare me." The goddess then left Sunil and sat down near Widuri. It looks bent and pouted.
***