Mosa

  Chapter 39

  The Fountain

  The sun was rising from the mountain top. A duck couple appeared from the bush, walking toward Glock who was sitting on the big log. He gazed, and threw them a piece of bread. Duck quacked and quacked, fighting over the bread, jumping with their short leg trying to catch the bread he threw. But they end up picking it up from the ground. Leaves fell from the trees as the wind struck.

  They are quacking again, and other duck with a green and black head arrived and they are chasing each other around, still quacking. He just liked watching them, fascinated by them every time. The little squirrels climbed up on the trees and the sparrow was jumping around on the grass.

  Sharine managed to get promise from Kevin to take her to the secret hunting trip. Kevin said he will bring two guns, seeing her pistol she was carrying.

  “That’s not good enough,” he said. She was waiting for the Kevin to come to the fountain located in the middle of the town. The water which contained in the fountain was almost vacant as if it was just filled whenever the rain fell.

  “Why bother having this ugly thing?” said Sharine, looking at the dull looking greenish fountain.

  Sharine hoped that Kevin will bring the gun similar to the sexy sniper rifle which she saw in the ‘Kiss My Ass’ weaponry shop. Although he would probably bring some massive ugly machine gun, which she couldn’t even carry. She is just planning to use her pistol if that was the case. Although considering what Glock said about the creatures, it would be wise to carry big guns around. Whatever those things were, they wiped out the entire crews and Nina’s talented ghost armies in the southern sea.

  She was looking at the big clock at the faraway tower, grumbling that Kevin is late. It was a bright sunny day. On the grass field right next to the fountain, some of the guys were playing freeze bees, and some tied the trees with the rope and did the rope walking.

  Sharine waited for a while, Kevin wasn’t there. She just sat on the edge of the fountain and waited. Her arm is feeling better, she could move it around a little.

  “Having a good time eh?” said Kevin from her back, Sharine startled, looked back.

  “You are late,” said Sharine; she stared at the sniper rifle he carried. It was not the same one she saw at the ‘Kiss My Ass’ shop, but it looked light and slim.

  “Huh? Oh,” said Kevin looking at the clock tower. “My bad, my watch got messed up.”

  Kevin adjusted the time in his watch. And then he pulled out the gun strapped on his back and handed to her.

  “I saw your wounds the other night, so I brought the light one from one of the hunters in the club,” said Kevin. Sharine stared at Kevin, clearing her throat.

  “Thank you,” said she.

  “Sure, babe,” said Kevin, awkwardly, trying to look cool. Looking at Kevin, Sharine wondered whether he took this gun without asking for permission.

  “Have… have you seen this fountain before?” muttered Kevin.

  “No I haven’t,” said Sharine.

  “Oh then, I’ve got a surprise for you!” shouted Kevin, walking around the side of the fountain, lowering his head, looking for something.

  “What are you doing?” said Sharine, frowning.

  Kevin stopped and opened the small metal door. He grabbed the yellow lever and pulled it. With a loud heavy machine sound, the bottom of the fountain opened and water fell below. There were spiral stairs leading to the underground. Sharine just stared at it, astonished.

  “Cool,” said Sharine, her eyes blinking.

  “You want to stay in the village then?” asked Kevin.

  “I’m thinking about it.”

  “Baby, if you’ve got nowhere to stay,” Kevin winked, again, awkwardly spreading his arm. “You are always welcome in my place.”

  “Maybe I will,” said Sharine in a playful tone, smiling at Kevin; he coughed, cleared his throat and explained,

  “Yes, underground is the only way that people can get to this village, there are many doors and hatches that leads to either outside or a different room. But as village moves from time to time, it is really hard to find the right entrance. I’ve heard, but never tried, that you don’t want to open the wrong door. So if other pirates come to this island they always end up making a grave inside this maze. But, as long as we got this from the tower,” said Kevin, taking out some device looked like a pager. “We don’t get lost. It’s like the compass that shows the location of the village. But if the village moves, the device become useless as it always points to the location when we left the village.”

  “Nice,” said Sharine, now got a sense where all the money went. “What if they come from the air?”

  “It has to be pretty good jet, or it will be shot down by our artilleries. You know the bandits can’t own jets,” Kevin grinned. “But I shouldn’t tell you these things because you are yet a foreigner. So if others ask you what I was talking about, say I was hitting on you.”

  “Ok,” Sharine laughed.

  “So, shall we?” Kevin put his hat on and step into the cold dark stairs.

  They walked down the slippery moldy stairs, which, if one falls, then he goes straight down to the stony cold floor. Sharine wanted to ask about the strange creatures which Glock talked about.

  “Why do we need your huge gun for?” said Sharine.

  “I guess you still have much to learn about this place,” said Kevin. “The reason Ricky built a town is for a protection,”

  “Yes, I assume that the village looks bit peculiar… Although some of the huts here are just built separately, the village is initially made out of trains.” said Sharine.

  “Correct,” said Kevin, “The town adjusts according to the railroad that is previously designed by Ricky and then it moves accordingly to the new location so the other people won’t find it about it.”

  “So why does it hard to enter it if you spot something is moving?” asked Sharine.

  “Because you can never go near it,” said Kevin.

  “What do you mean?” said Sharine.

  “Well those creatures, are, well creatures made in some lab facility. We have collaborated with some scientists… They were working on some bio weaponry. I don’t know too much about how they came here. But Ricky used some chemical compound which attracts them near village. So, initially those creatures dwelled in this island even before the village was built, but now it is surrounding us all the time. But the main gate and the wall is heavily guarded by a thick metal door. So, the only way people can come is not straight toward the metal door, but they had to go into the maze, which lies in the underground.”

  Sharine gulped, convinced that those creatures were the one who attacked the ship.

  “So, this is the maze that we are entering now?” asked Sharine.

  “Yes, it consists of three layered maze, if you want to go to the village, sometimes it gets deeper but that is for other purposes. In the third layer, there are mine carts,” said Kevin.

  “Mine carts?” said Sharine.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty fast; I mean if we catch anything, deer or some bounties, we don’t want to drag that toward the town are we?” said Kevin, grinning.

  They were coming down the stairs and now the ladder attached to the small hole.

  “If you get lost, can’t you call?” asked Sharine.

  “We can, only if the line is secure. There are some transmissions mini towers; well, you basically use it like a payphone. But it’s hard to find it. Maybe couple of weeks of desperate searching, without getting killed, one might see one.”

  “Is that on purpose?”

  “No, the budget,” said Kevin, smiling. Sharine snorted. They eventually came down the third layer. Kevin shone his flash light. The small mine cart was sitting right on the track. He was adjusting the brakes and the headlight of the cart. Sharine smelt old fungus and the moist in the air.

  “Kevin?” said Sharine, thinking about Cassandra.

  “Yes honey?” said Kevin, grinning.

/>   “There are a lot of bloods in, where I came from,” said Sharine, thinking about dark past she had. “Do you think it is possible to set them free? I mean changing the country like this place?”

  “What do you mean, Sharine, what bloods?” said Kevin, quietly.

  “You know all those pigs swinging their power just to torture whomever they can hurt,” said Sharine.

  “I think you are talking to the wrong person,” said Kevin, little disturbed. “What have you seen?”

  “I’ve seen many things,” said Sharine. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to bring some people from Cassandra.”

  “Your family?” said Kevin.

  “If I have any,” Sharine smiled. “But one person comes to my mind.”

  Sharine didn’t know why she thought of Nina Polchinski, whom she met only one time. “I want her to know that place like this exists.”

  “…” Kevin silenced just got into the cart.

  “Ha… Never mind, what was I thinking?” Sharine sighed, jumped into the cart too.

  “I can probably make you to meet Ricky if you want. I met him only once because my boss got really awkward with him whenever he is around. But I think he can help you.” said Kevin and Sharine nodded.

  “But for now, prepare for the ride.” Kevin grinned, and pulled the lever. It was dark; only the headlight of the cart was viewing the front and the ride was super violent, it was rumbling and swinging.

  The cart started go up and down, right and left and Sharine just held on to the handle try not to fall out. Like a violent and noisy rollercoaster, it turned around the corner violently where she screamed and the cart vibrated intensely.

  Kevin seemed like he is almost enjoying this, howling as it swung and jumped, the loud metal screeching sound and the spark came out of the wheel. Sharine felt intense pulling of her stomach muscle, as if she is about to puke her intestine out.

  Kevin, who was staring at the numbers on the wall, suddenly hit the break. Sharine almost jumped out of the mine cart but managed to hang on the side. She grunted. Her hair was sticking out in every direction. She leered at Kevin.

  “Now we are here,” said Kevin, smiling at Sharine dying on the cart, locked the brake while looking at the device. He jumped out of the cart and stepped on the rough rubbles. Sharine crawled out, dying, and leaned on the mine carts, breathing hardly.

  “Come on, let’s go,” said Kevin, escorting Sharine. “There is no time to waste. It’s not safe down here.”

  They climbed the ladder and then the long narrow stairs and opened the huge metal door to get out of the underground maze. Dirt and fallen leaves fell from the side, as the fresh wind swooshed in. They were in the middle of the forest.

  “Oh! I almost forgot to give you this!” Kevin reached inside the bag, and took out some chocolate bar.

  “Thank you, but no” Sharine waved her hand.

  “It’s from the herb garden; the herb lady did some extra work inside it. It’s good when you’re fatigued,” Kevin grinned, offering the bar again.

  “If I eat anything now, it will come out,” said Sharine, her face green and yellow.

  “Alright,” said Kevin, taking a huge bite at the chocolate bar.

  “I’ll look for the deer trail,” Sharine was walking through the forest, carrying her new sniper rifle. She took her gurka and sliced the leaves and branches, the moth startled and flattered away in her sight. The ground was muddy and the air was moist.

  Sharine was strolling around and saw a white rock, with a bloody hand mark.

  “Baby, come here, I’ve got something,” said she, signaling Kevin to come over.

  “Huh,” said Kevin. “What is that?”

  “How am I supposed to know dumbass?” said Sharine. “Is this like a tombstone?”

  “Maybe, there are some tribes living around here. Most of the time they are not friendly,” said Kevin.

  “Do they catch us and eat us?” said Sharine, chuckling.

  “I’ve heard that they cut your heart out and eat it while it is still beating,” said Kevin.

  “Nice, should we shift gear to man hunting instead?” said Sharine, smiling with excitement.

  “Is your arm alright?” said Kevin cautiously.

  “Yep,” said Sharine, shortly. Moving her arm around to show him, but frowned at the pain.

  “No, you’re not,” said Kevin.

  “No worries, I can still shoot, it’s my left arm after all. Let’s find the nest and take out the queen, while you distract them with your machine gun, I’ll blow the chief’s head,” said Sharine, cocking her sniper rifle.

  “What did you do exactly before you came here?” said Kevin, suspiciously.

  “Hunting,” said Shrine, excited. Kevin’s eyes started beaming.

  “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to seek adventures once in a while,” said Kevin, grinning. He clutched his huge machine gun and raised it toward Sharine. Sharine touched the gun with her rifle.

  “Oh yeah baby, now let’s see wh…” said Sharine.

  At that time, the tree trunk above Sharine’s head got exploded, making a huge BANG, and shattered the trunk into pieces spreading debris all over Sharine and Kevin.

  “… I just changed my mind. Let’s go home,” said Sharine and started running.

  “Yeah… run!” yelled Kevin.

  They ran into the woods. The trees and leaves are hitting Sharine’s face. Kevin spat out some flies which the big one made a disgusting vibration inside his mouth. Trees surrounding them started exploding and being shattered.

  “What kind of gun is that?” bellowed Kevin.

  “I don’t know!” shouted Sharine. She glimpsed back and saw there were many who were following them, yelling angrily and shouting with each other. She felt like she just hit the beehives, and in the next moment Kevin screamed and swooshed up in the air.

  “You idiot!” Sharine shouted, but the rope caught her ankle too. She swooshed up the air also; her rifle fell on the ground.

  “Great...” Sharine murmured.

  The group of people came near with a gun aiming at Sharine and gestured Sharine to drop her pistol on her hand.

  “What the fuck are you looking at?” said Sharine, ignoring them completely, and shot one of the approaching men. Kevin was so shocked at this that he started screaming, and the men were yelling madly. The men jumped toward her and started beating her, taking her gun.

  “Now now that’s enough!” one of them yelled. The man’s face resembled a horse. They walked toward them, and the all men stopped. The man Sharine shot was lying on the grass spilling his spinal fluid.

  “Got some guts lady,” the man sniggered, looking at Sharine hanging on the rope. He kicked Sharine’s face.

  “Shit…” groaned Sharine, sniffing, and spat out the blood in her mouth.

  “Ha! The crazy one, I see,” he gleaned at her, laughing.

  “Finally we have captured the dweller in this island! Let’s teach these prisoners some lesson how to behave! We’ll have a feast tonight!” he laughed and walked away. The rest of the men stared at each other, and started beating Sharine and Kevin. Eventually, they took them down and tied them up. They made them stand up and walk.