“One of the vines I took turned out to be a real snake. It tightened around my arm but Conrad helped before anything happened, and my mum fixed my arm. So, like I said, I’m fine…” Angie recounted all that happened with a dispassionate tone.
“Were those snakes the unplanned attack on Ferdinand’s group?” Jeffery clarified.
Hamilton nodded. “Lucky you were there to cut them up. Otherwise, Ferdinand would die far too easily. THEN, Angie would really be upset.”
“About that, thank you, guys.” She thanked Jeffery and Elias.
However, Elias still looked as gloomy as ever. “I don't care about that… It doesn’t look as fine as you say…” His focus was still on her injury. Her entire arm had thick streaks of red and purple bruises from being squeezed too hard. Fr
The jeeps started up again and crawled forward, with Conrad’s group in front. Each crunch and rustle of leaves sounded too loud among the buzz of insects that filled the air. An occasional distant roar that no one could tell was human or animal added to the suspense. The chilly air brushed against their now sticky skin. Avoiding contact with the plants would be a lot easier if their jeeps were completely enclosed like a car. The occupants in each car pressed closely against each other in an effort to avoid each leaf and tendril. Jeffery helped to cover Hamilton, who became the driver after Wilbur switched vehicles. Angie made sure that her mother stayed safely in the middle of the jeep, while she stayed near the back of the vehicle. Naturally, Elias, who stayed close by her side, also positioned himself at the back of the vehicle. Every time they had to press against each other, Elias conveniently p
The first sun rays that filtered through the thick vegetation and dappled the ground gave everyone their sight back. Elias looked around in astonishment. The sunlight also caused Angie and her mother to stir in their sleep. Elias hastily and firmly held their heads down before they got up. "Careful." Their eyes flew open in alarm. "The plants grew. A lot." Elias continued to elaborate as they took in the same sight that astonished Elias. Tiny tendrils were already curled around the jeep's frame. Large leaves branched out dangerously close to them. Now that they were aware and alert, Elias let go of their heads and backed off a little. "They grow this fast?" Miryam whispered, slightly fascinated by it. "After so many years with no one tending to them… How much land ha
When the sky was brightly lit, everyone woke up one by one. “Is it just me or are they closer than ever before?” Brandon wondered aloud. Angie turned back in surprise. Almost everyone was awake. “Looks like we can start planning our next step.” She slid away from Elias, then casually perched on leg up on the jeep, placing it between her and Elias. /BaoBao… Why didn’t you tell me?/ BaoBao giggled without reserve. /Sneaky little child./ Meanwhile, Wilbur elbowed Brandon painfully in his ribs. Before Brandon could even yelp in pain, Wilbur whispered angrily, “Did you not notice how everyone stayed QUIET about it? You know how Angie is.” He lightly
Just before Amelia’s finger touched the apple, Valerie’s hand shot out to hold onto her mother’s arm. “Mom? I don’t think you should touch it.” Her mother looked at Valerie strangely. “Since when were you… Anyway," Amelia lowered her hand. "What if we can really eat it? Won’t it be a waste?" /Hm? She’s really not going to touch it?/ [Eh? She’s really not going to touch it?] BaoBao and Angie shared the same thought at the same time. /But I'd rather she touch it than anyone else./ Angie started to worry about what the world's consciousness had in store. Would it somehow rope Angie in instead? After all, her death flag had already been triggered. Valerie pursed her
Fortunately, Jeffery still had his hold on Angie’s waist. “Woah. That was close.” Angie would have fallen over and out of the jeep. “Thanks, Jeffery.” Elias spoke before Angie could, while he pulled Angie back to his side to sit her down. “You should sit now. We’re moving off.” Elias said to Jeffery. Jeffery saw Conrad’s signal and promptly sat down where he was, beside Miryam. The whole time, Angie stayed looking at Elias with a raised eyebrow. /Did he just thank Jeffery on my behalf like he’s my lover?/ [Well, he technically is.] BaoBao giggled. She dropped her gaze at their still connected hands. He was holding onto her hand tightly, as if she would slip away from him anytime. /Oh well. He has changed./ Her gaze softened.
"Hold on tight!" Jeffery reminded everyone as he started to drift and swerve around corners, debris, and abandoned vehicles, without slowing down even a little. Although it generated too much noise that could draw more Infected over, it was not as bad as the chaos that the Infected caused behind them. The crashes, thumps, and thuds told them how the Infected easily got rid of the obstacles that the group had avoided. Brandon kept a close eye on the radar and told Jeffery which direction he could go. [Others are alerted.] BaoBao warned. He could see what the radar could not. It was no good. It was only a matter of time before the other Infected came investigating. They had to hide soon or they could get overwhelmed. "There!" Angie pointed at a
“You all will drive out on the final day. Look out for this string.” Angie held up a black string that was tied into a specific knot. “I’ll hang this outside the windows where there’s something to pick up.” “How ingenious. It looks like some of those weeds that are fighting to sprout in this desolate place.” Miryam praised her daughter as she took a closer look at the string. Angie took out a blade that was sharp enough to leave marks on the floor. “Assuming that the layout of this place is like this, I’ll clear the streets in this fashion. You can do the same. We’ll wait for you here. Okay?” Angie scanned the faces around. Everyone nodded in agreement. “Let’s eat a little before leaving?” Angie looked at Elias. “We’ll only stop moving if we have to, righ
Once Elias calmed down, Angie revealed almost everything, so that he would not worry about her needlessly."So.. You have super strength, super speed, and super recovery?" Elias summed it all up.Angie nodded. "Again, I don't know what happened but it started after that accident with Valerie." She told a white lie. “Then… Back then, when we dueled, if you didn’t hold back, you would easily win.” “Well… I guess so...”It dawned on Elias that he could not protect her like he wanted. Was there a way for him to get stronger like her? What could have caused the change?"You know… You're like a weaker version of the Infected. What if you were actually exposed to the virus during that accident, but you’re fine because you have natural immunity against it? It could explain why you didn't change completely and become like the Infected!" If that was the case, should he risk it? The problem was the consequence of failing. He could not afford to fail."I highly doubt s-" Angie cut herself off a