Pandora's Box

Chapter 36

“It escaped,” he said and I was shocked when I heard that from him. We all were.

The fear continues.

.              .              .              .

Hours have passed and we all are outside of the shelter. We know that it’s dangerous but we had no choice rather than being stuck inside with that creature that likes to eat heads. We all have headlamps on our heads, which give us light.

I am thankful for it, and with all of them with me right now. For some reason, I feel so secure. That is something that suppresses my panicking emotions.

The Irish man whom I have known as Owen was there in front of us, digging a grave for the deceased, also I know his name because the woman named Echo said that he was Matthias.

His head is still missing.

Echo and Alexander were the ones who are guarding our backs in case that the creature decided to attack us again.

I can feel my hands sweating because of what happened.

But Dr. Sarah told me that we have more of a fighting chance here outside than inside. I agree with her, and I don’t want to argue right now, that my mind is scrambled.

I am confused.

Vanny, the other Filipina that I was talking about, days ago, and Echo were the Korean with the purple hair that just watches us discuss the matter.

I isolated myself in our room for days.

I need to refresh my mind.

Matthias was the black dude with glasses, who died recently. I feel bad because I didn’t have the time to know him.

I am sad, really sad.

We all are.

We grieve for the deceased.

Now that this incident happen that they are preparing for, that no one asked for.

It’s confusing, right?

That’s how this place works.

No normal person can understand how this country works.

But I get it.

I guess I am not a normal person.

Throughout the burial ceremony, all I can hear is them sobbing because they lost someone close to them, even I cried myself. It’s too sad and I cannot handle someone dying in front of me.

I witnessed it.

How his blood flowed on the floor.

That’s a horrifying memory that I cannot bear myself to remember.

“We are sorry,” I heard Echo utter and she is looking down on the ground. She said that after completely burying Matthias under the ground.

“What do you mean?” I heard Owen say with his deep voice. At least I don’t have to call him a man with a thick beard anymore.

“If we had been careful, none of this would have happened,” she said and her voice is shaking, a sign that she is extremely afraid of all that has happened to us. “The creature got inside because of us, if only-“ she cuts off when I saw Alexander place his hand onto her shoulder.

He looked at us.

His eyes are serious.

“It’s my fault too,” he said. “If only I had told you all earlier.”

“What?!” I can hear Owen’s anger surfacing.

I saw Dr. Sarah come to his side just to calm him down.

“Please don’t do this now,” she whispered and we know that noises may attract unnecessary attention for what lurks in the darkness.

I saw him calm down meaning that what she did was effective to him. We suffer now, and we don’t want to be divided.

We are the only ones here that can help each other and with things getting out of hand, heck we don’t even have news from the surface, telling us, that everything is safe again.

It would not be the same again.

At least for me, I don’t know from the others.

They lost someone; we all did.

I didn’t ask for it and so do they.

Except for that man, who got my sister killed.

“Punch me,” Alexander demanded. “All of you, if only I did the right decision, early on, just like what she said,” then he pointed to Echo. “None of this would have happened to all of us, and I am sorry, the three of us thought that if we kept this a secret, it will be safe, with no panic,” he added.

“Three?” I heard Owen say the word with a tone of questioning him. But before he could even get his answer from Alexander, he turned to Dr. Sarah and his eyes widens. “You know?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Dr. Sarah broke down in tears and she hugged his arm. “I’m sorry,” she apologized again.

“Matthias was Owen’s best friend, they are like brothers,” I heard Vanny who is beside me. She is talking to me. I just smiled at her. She whispered so I am the only one who heard what she said. At least that’s what I thought.

But now I understand, why Owen reacted like that when he heard that Dr. Sarah knows too. I can see that he is betrayed on his face.

I can sense some intimacy between the two.

I just don’t say it out loud.

He is weakened.

He didn’t have the strength. He just stared and no other word came out from his mouth. I can feel him. I know that you want all of this to be a dream. I know that you are refusing to believe that this is some form of illusion. You are refusing to accept that this is the reality.

The atmosphere became intense, and the two became quiet too.

We all did.

We don’t want to say another word that will blow the fuse of this man who is holding back his anger.

We entered the shelter.

Everyone was quiet still, and the others were sobbing.

But as soon as we reached the living room, we saw Leon lying on the ground and his body is twitching. We all panicked when we saw him like that.

What’s disgusting, is I saw that the hole on his chest became big and it became purplish, with the violet veins that we can see.

“Gross,” I heard Jose, and he has still his camera in his hand. I want to tap it away, but Owen and Alexander quickly came to his aid and assisted him on the couch.

The sob became louder and the others don’t know what to do.

“Leon, are you still with us?” I heard Alexander ask him.

“There is no use,” Owen told him. Then he turned to us. “Maddie, I need your help with first aid,” he outright said that to the crying Maddie.

We have no choice right now but to help if we don’t want him to die.

I saw Maddie quickly turn and run towards our room.

That’s how professional they are, they always put their feelings behind them to fulfill their duty.

Not long have passed and Maddie is carrying a kit box with her, then she went towards the two who are restricting Leon’s body to prevent more twitching from him.

I watched them do their thing.

I think that man deserved all of it but it does not justify my actions.

It’s just a little greed created by my pesky mind.

.              .              .              .

Another 3 hours have passed and we haven’t got much sleep. Maybe because we are all frightened that we get killed by that creature in the middle of our sleep.

Fearing that there will be no tomorrow left to greet them when they open their eyes.

That’s what I feel too.

The fear inside my heart keeps me awake.

I want to forget it but you can’t just forget what just recently happened.

Leon’s first aid was done but it wasn’t successful, without any equipment that can properly check what’s his status, then that leaves them no idea on how to treat his wounds.

Dr. Sarah says that if Maddie is ready, they can perform an operation on him and open that infected wound but Owen was against the idea, saying that it could be dangerous for his life.

They don’t know what it is... that’s what he said over and over again.

Both sides have points but when Leon is the topic. I just put myself on the sides watching them argue. Yes, I know that I don’t want to wish him dead, but I don’t want to save his life either. I don’t care if my interference will save him.

I will just sit here and watch what fate has in store for him.

For now, they put him in the room. Alone where he and Matthias shared once. Now it’s just him all alone. The echo was nowhere to be found.

I don’t know where but when I asked everyone.

They do not know where she has gone to.

I don’t want to waste my time.

As I thought that I can get my assurance that everything will be safe, this happens.

Paranoia struck my mind again, with just the faintest clicks making me react to it. I don’t know but that’s what my mind tells me.

Fearing that it is the same creature, that is ready to eat my head anytime.

I still have a clear picture in my mind.

When it lunges for my head.

The creepy and disgusting image of it.

It terrifies me, yes, but it’s not enough to put trauma in my mind.

I fear death, more than anything else. I don’t want anyone near or close to me to die, especially seeing it or I am the main reason.

Every time I get nightmares, I see my family get into an accident and somehow, I always survive. I remember how sweaty I am despite how cold the temperature is inside my room because the air conditioner was at its peak performance.

I can still remember how I cry in the middle of the night, making myself believe that all of it was not true. All of it was just a dream.

But somehow it felt so real.

Then here it is.

Not once but twice, and both methods of what I fear the most. Someone close to me dying and witnessing someone die.

Oh how fate is so cruel to me.

What have I done to deserve all of this?

I just want a peaceful life and a thrill for knowledge.

Then we saw Echo came.

“Where have you been?” Vanny asked and this is the first time I heard her.

“I barricaded the whole place,” she casually answered. I was shocked. Alone? “And I know where the creature went,” she said.