Unearthed

by Marc Mulero

  Jen's scream echoed in Eugene's ears. He tried to follow it, but then the scream repeated as if the sound was being produced right next to him. Eugene fell to one knee and held his head.

  What the hell was that? Am I hearing things?

  Another shriek vibrated his entire body. He held his chest as he felt his heart beat through it. His whole body reverberated what felt like an earthquake.

  I have to fight through this. I have to find Jen before it's too late.

  Eugene stood up and proceeded forward. Another scream echoed from the east. Eugene changed direction and headed forward. Stone bannisters appeared on either side of him. He squinted, trying to see past the smoke. He attempted to grab onto one of the bannisters, but couldn't tell for sure if he was holding it. At this point, he completely lost feeling in his hands. His head felt as light as a cloud.

  Am I hallucinating now?

  The land in front of him began rising and falling like waves rippling through an ocean; the ground rose and fell ten feet high in a fluid motion.

  Yep, I'm hallucinating.

  Eugene walked forward slowly, trying to determine whether or not the ground was actually moving in front of him. His foot began to rise, so he jumped back. Jen's voice projected another scream. The voice echoed what seemed to be hundreds of times within just a few seconds. Eugene’s adrenaline was refueled by the thought of Jen’s desperation. He sped forward, trying to time the movement of the ground in an attempt to not be thrown into the air. He found himself running downhill, just a few feet away from the moving mountain in front of him. He tried to concentrate on keeping pace, but mistakenly looked down to find faces on the floor staring up at him, with red eyes and deep frowns. Eugene lost his footing and toppled over. The downhill quickly morphed into an uphill. The swift movement of the ground launched him into the air. His face was covered in the red smoke. He floated for what seemed like minutes, not being able to find solid ground. Noises were constantly sounding in his ears. It sounded like flies buzzing and random xylophone tones speeding up around him, driving him mad. Eugene rolled on his back in midair, clenching his head with his hands, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. When he opened them, he saw Jason's face and upper body exposed; thin red capillaries and veins decorated him. His eyes were bloodshot and bulging, and his expression was psychotic.

  He bared his teeth, "You are in my world now, Eugene,” his voice echoed through him. “My eyes are on you. I am omnipresent within the smoke of Auront. The universal force has chosen me to connect the worthy, to create harmonious thought. That is the next evolution of this race."

  Eugene stared up at the floating body in disbelief. Jason's neck extended forward.

  "Now stop interfering!" Jason shouted, the wind from his voice pushed Eugene back to solid ground. "Your connection with Asura will be renewed in time," Jason said sternly. "Now, sleep."

  Jason jutted two fists forward. What looked like capillaries flew toward Eugene and rained down upon him. He covered his face and found himself passing out while being punctured by countless needles.

  This is all an illusion. It's just a chemical, just a drug. Snap out of it Eugene, snap...

  Blague boarded one of the Hiezer jets that they were able to restore from the battle. He watched Oscin proceed to the cockpit, while Niro stayed toward the back of the plane and watched them both. Oscin felt right at home as soon as he sat down in the pilot's seat. He seemed to operate the plane’s equipment intuitively.

  This kid's confidence seems to be somewhat justified. Another calculated gamble.

  Blague turned to Niro, "This operation is going to be carried out under your directive. You're the only one who can navigate this island."

  "It's far more complicated than that," Niro responded. "You have to survive the island without losing your mind," he continued through his voice changer.

  Niro looked down, recalling the horrors he had experienced. Blague took some time to digest that. Oscin took flight, lifting the Hiezer jet straight up. Blague looked out a window, seeing his commanders conversing as they watched the departure.

  I've inspired confidence in them to lead in my absence. They won't let me down.

  A faint sound passed into the darkness, drowned out by a deep sleep.

  Get up, Eugene, get up!

  As the sound of a woman’s scream intensified, Eugene's eyes quickly opened. He tried to get up, but realized he couldn't move his body. He then tried to move his head, but couldn’t.

  Sleep paralysis. This smoke is poison.

  Another murderous scream pierced through him like a knife. Frustrated, Eugene concentrated on moving one limb at a time. He saw cloudy spirits colored bright red fly by him. Lightning flashed just a few feet above him, causing his body to jerk.

  “Eugene!” The loudest of all screams reached Eugene's ears.

  Jen had called out his name. His thoughts became still, his focus was sharpened, and his anxiety subdued. He struggled to get up and eventually gathered enough energy to sprint toward the cry for help. The air he ran through made red waves, as if he were swimming through water. The red shadows his body cast glowed around him. The smoke in front of him began to solidify and fall to the ground like glass. In the distance, he saw a red silhouette of two bodies. As the smoke fell around him, he felt the pain of glass slicing his arms. The smoke cleared in the distance, as if he was reaching the end of a tunnel. Eugene slowed his sprint to a cautious walk, as he saw Jason hold Jen's head into a live geyser. The ground around it rumbled and smoke spewed from its center. Jason flexed his arm and held Jen's face close to the precipice of the geyser, fighting the force of the blasting smoke. Jen screamed as loud as she could. She tensed her arms and held on to the outer points of the spout. The flow of smoke stopped as Jason pulled her head back and tossed her to the floor by the hair.

  “It is done, Asura. Awaken in your new form,” Jason said in an ominous tone.

  Eugene lunged forward, but at that point, Jason had already faded away into the smoke surrounding the geyser. Eugene slid over to Jen and held her. He lifted her head with his hand, gazing at her, looking at her scars and the deep red tint that was now painted onto her body. Her veins were jutting from her neck and temple, reflecting the trauma she had just endured.

  “Jen! Wake up, Jen!” Eugene cried in desperation. He put his head to her chest and checked her pulse. She was alive, but unconscious. He shook her gently. “Come on, Jen. We have to get out of here. Wake up!”

  Eugene looked around to see if he was still hallucinating. Shapes were forming in the smoke and everything around him was swaying in unison. Jen moaned slightly and eventually opened her eyes. To Eugene's shock, they were bloodshot and now brown mixed with a deep red hue. She put her hand up to Eugene's face and held it.

  “Eugene,” she said smiling, “every bone in my body is saying that I've missed you, but I can see in my mind that we were just together, chasing Hiezer stories and living together,” she said.

  A tear escaped the corner of Eugene's eye. He hugged her tightly, “I've missed you too, Jen,” he said tensing up from the rush of emotions. “Do you remember our quarters? Do you remember cooking dinner and enjoying our life together? Do you remember when we first met?” he asked.

  “Of course, Eugene, but are we not still living that life? Didn't we just have breakfast this morning?” Jen asked, confused.

  Eugene looked puzzled.

  Please don't tell me this is a dream. She's right here in front of me, I can feel her.

  “Jen, what did Jason just do to you? He kept speaking about becoming enlightened.”

  Her brow tensed for a moment and she tried to stand up. Her blonde hair now had wine red tips, and her hands, now a shade of deep red. She held her head in pain. “It was agonizing. He held my face in the center of a smoking hot geyser and let it erupt over and over again. Now everything is different. I can't explain it,” Jen said.

  “Try to relax,” he said, “I'm not going anywhere without you.”

&nbs
p; Jen flashed a pained smile at him and put her arms out for a hug. Eugene reciprocated and lifted them both up to stand.

  This moment is surreal. I never thought I would be able to feel this way again.

  “I'll never let you go again, Jen,” Eugene promised.

  “Why are you saying these things? It's ok, I'm right here,” she replied.

  Eugene looked down at her.

  She seems not to remember much of the current chain of events.

  Just then, Jen pushed Eugene back and grabbed her hair. She fell to her knees and moaned. Eugene reached forward, but she shook her head. Eugene looked at her with terror in his eyes.

  What the fuck is happening now?

  Jen moaned again and then screamed frantically,

  “Get off! Get the fuck off of me!”

  Oh my god, she's reliving the nightmare Nemura told me about. Fuck, I was hoping that wasn't true.

  “Ahh!” She kicked and yelled frantically. She looked up at Eugene with her bloodshot red eyes, furious. “Why are you letting this happen to me?” she screamed at him.

  Fuck, there's nothing I can do. It's inside her head.

  “Eugene, how could you?” she moaned and screamed and tossed around the floor.

  “Jen, snap out of it! That happened long ago!”

  She got up and ran as fast as she could into the smoke; she tore at her body to get rid of the feeling of unwanted hands touching her.

  Eugene ran after her, “Jen! Don't go that way!”

  I can't let her run back to Jason.

  Chapter 16

  "The radar shows a large group of people gathered on the northern part of the island," Oscin said as he displayed the populated area on the map to Blague.

  Niro slowly walked over to the cockpit.

  "Do not let them hear or see our jet. Take the longest route to circle the island in order to get to its southern side," Blague said as they both gazed out the front windshield. He turned to Niro, "I need your guidance on a safe landing point that's out of their sight."

  Niro looked at Blague, "The central geyser is the key to this island and it's located northwest of here," Niro said pointing to the area on the radar map. “We want to land on the western side if our enemy is on the northern. Be prepared. It's a different world down there," Niro warned.

  "I'm prepared to deal with this island," Blague said.

  "We will see," Niro responded.

  "Annnd what will I be doing?" Oscin questioned.

  "Keep the gatling guns on this jet armed and defend the jet with your life," Blague said.

  "With my life, huh?" Oscin said sarcastically.

  Blague gave Oscin a grin as he leaned toward him, "Maybe you didn't learn from Drino's beatings, which is fine, but I understand how people think and what makes them tick," Blague continued as he reached to the inner side of the pilot's seat. "If you’re not with us, Oscin, just let me know and I'll drag you out onto the island at gunpoint and leave you there," he said calmly as he pulled out a flask of booze that Oscin was hiding.

  Oscin sank down into his seat.

  "You'll get this back eventually," Blague said as he stuffed the flask into one of his pockets. "I'm not asking you to respect authority. I understand that it's not in your nature to do so. A mutual understanding between us is all I need."

  Oscin hesitantly looked over at Blague, whose hand was extended.

  "We both want to strive for a better life, right? Why else would you have sought refuge with our group?"

  Oscin eventually nodded and shook Blague's hand. "Prepare for landing, you guys," Oscin said, reeking of alcohol.

  Niro gazed out of the window, mesmerized by the familiar terrain and the endless clouds of smoke. "Get ready, Blague. I can already hear the screams," Niro said.

  Oscin flipped a lever and guided the jet to a precise vertical landing.

  Before hitting the ground, Niro swung open one of the gates. "Let's go," he said, seemingly in an intense rush.

  Blague jogged over just as Niro jumped from the jet. His cloth wrappings flapped in the wind as he dropped thirty feet to the ground. Without flinching upon landing, Niro began sprinting toward the smoke. Blague waited another moment for the jet to land and then raced to catch up with him. As he began running, he could hear the echo of a thousand screams. The climate was as confusing as he expected. The brisk breeze was masked by an odd humidity. Niro passed into the smoke, fading away as he entered. Blague had his reservations, but couldn't let them hold him back. As Blague submerged himself into the smoke, Niro was standing there.

  He put a hand on Blague's shoulder, "In here everything is different, Blague. It seems the man you spoke of has taken control of this island by embracing its power. Let me deal with him. Whatever you do, find your friend and get him to the jet," Niro's voice changer echoed amongst the screams; they sounded like the cries of spirits rising to the sky, dispersed in every direction.

  Blague stopped to analyze his surroundings. A red haze filled the air, clouding his vision. He stared at Niro's smoky pupil-less eyes and eventually nodded. Niro plunged forward, disappearing into the smoke. Blague attempted to follow, but sinkholes began to form, shrinking the ground around him. He found himself cornered by large, gaping holes of nothingness. He dove to the remaining land mass in front of him, which began to spin. Blague closed his eyes for a moment, understanding that it was all a hallucination. He reopened them with a tense brow.

  I've already experienced hell. It doesn't matter what new form it takes, I can get through this.

  Blague walked forward into the nothingness, not letting his mind accept that the ground disappeared. He didn't fall. As he tried to concentrate on maintaining his grasp on reality, spirits began rushing past him. Their faces were decrepit and distorted. Blague did his best to ignore the incoming attacks. The spirits slashed through him, fading into the air behind him. One spirit stared him in the eyes, smiling with sharp teeth. As it grabbed Blague's attention, it then slashed his right arm. Blague looked down in shock to see blood exit from the wound, but then float upward into the air. Blague drew his carbon blade and met the distorted figure's next strike.

  This isn't real, don't give in. The more you participate, the deeper your mind will succumb to this illusion.

  The spirit struck low; Blague met the strike out of instinct and slashed its face. A shrilling scream echoed in the distance.

  That sounded real. That's where I should be headed. I'm on my own now, since Niro faded onto his own path.

  Four more spirits charged out of nowhere. Blague extended his arms to either side and didn't brace for impact, convincing himself that it was all falsity. He saw a bluish glow emanating through the smoke. The glow became brighter as a figure began to materialize, charging straight at him. Startled, Blague raised his blade and began to swing, only to hold back at the very last moment upon seeing Eugene's desperate face charging at him. Blague side stepped and tripped him.

  Eugene caught himself on what seemed to be air and sprung himself back upright. Staring at Blague in confusion, "Another hallucination?" Eugene asked himself out loud.

  Blague sheathed his blade and grinned between the mist of red smoke. "Not this time, Eu," Blague said.

  He has no rifle and seems as confused as I am. That's enough to convince me that he's not an illusion.

  Blague put his hand on Eugene's shoulder, "I've come to bring you home."

  Eugene looked down for a moment. Blague immediately knew what Eugene was about to say.

  Eugene looked up, "I can't go home yet. I've got to save Jen. Every moment I stand idle is too long," he said in despair. "Your fight is my fight, Blague. You know this, but right now I have to get Jen back."

  Blague gave a nod, "The Sins need you. Let's get your partner back and get the hell out of here."

  Another shrilling scream echoed past the both of them.

  "Is that her?" Blague questioned.

  Eugene nodded.

  "Ok, this way," Blague said.


  In the dark, Milos sat in Cherris' wagon. His arms rested over his knees and a small puddle of blood formed in front of him, dripping from his knuckles. Cherris opened the curtain to see that Milos was the only kid left sitting there.

  "Let me take those broken shackles off of you," Cherris said as she took a step into the wagon.

  She was startled when she noticed the blood, but tried not to react.

  "No," Milos responded curtly, "they are a reminder that I'm weak and not at all ready."

  "Ready for what?" Cherris asked kindly.

  "To fight," Milos said looking up at her.

  Cherris knelt down next to him, "There's more to do than fighting."

  "I used to think that," Milos responded politely, "but ever since that day, it seems that all we do is fight or get ready to fight."

  "I know it might seem that way, but life is so much more than fighting the next battle. Just promise me you won't lose sight of having fun and being a kid once in a while," Cherris pleaded.

  Milos sat silently for a moment. "Do you have tape for my hands?" he asked.

  Cherris looked worried, "Sure."

  Milos got up and followed her. She wrapped up his knuckles, and then he proceeded up the stairs to Lesh's empty room. Kentin watched Milos from the main floor as he walked up the stairs with his head down and his fists clenched. The severed shackles rattled with every step. He slammed the door shut and started whaling away at the punching bag, focusing his thoughts on every time Lesh had knocked him down.

  I have to get stronger. I can't let anyone else die.

  He hit the bag harder, wildly swinging his fists. Tears began to well up in his eyes from the pain, blinding his vision.

  “I love you Milos,” his mother's face appeared in his head, followed by her warm embrace.

  The image was fleeting, the winds of his mind were blowing it away. He began to calm as he recalled his training with Lesh; his punches started to become more intuitive and accurate. The tape now had red stains plastered all over it. He imagined an adult body and began to strike it effectively.