Nen (29 page)

“Wait,” John shouted, “Sarah, is the beast following you?”

“For God’s sake, No! Open the door!” Sarah yelled.

“Where’s Paul and Johnny?” John asked.

“They fled. Can somebody just open this bloody door?”

Nelson shook his head as he tore his gaze away from John. He unlocked the door and let Sarah in.

“What’s wrong with you people?” Sarah said, glaring at the group and scanning the small room with her glistening eyes.

“What happened to your face Mami-san?” Sarah asked.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.” Mami-san answered. And her answer sounded like a lie.

Sarah put down her cross bow quickly and started to examine Mami-san’s face.

“Good lord, it’s a bullet graze. What the hell happened in here?” Sarah’s voice raised a note.

“Ask him.” Nelson cocked his head toward John.

“I just want to protect my…my family.” John muttered, looking blankly at his wife and children. His hands were still trembling.

“Sarah, I’m really fine. Let’s forget about all these and let’s work together.” Mami-san said.

Sarah walked to John Chan with her hands on her hips.

“John, I hope whatever that happened here will not happen again. Can you promise me?” John nodded and Sarah continued. “Good. Then you have my word that your family will be the first to leave this place.”

John nodded his head again. His bleary eyes were uncharacteristically wide and Sarah could detect a sense of doubt in those eyes.

Nonetheless, she needs to move on so she turned toward Mami-san and Nelson. “Howard is dead. I suspect Paul and Johnny could be dead too. We are the only survivors now.” Sarah said with grief in her voice, “And the only way out is through that arched entrance.”

She then explained to the group what had happened at the arched entrance. How Johnny managed to puncture a hole with the tunnel boring machine. How Paul and Johnny decided to run away. How she took the risk of heading back, stopping at the doorway of the two-story building for a while, watching the creature squeezed through the arched entrance hole and later came back with blood oozing from its mouth.

“The creature might be somewhere else when we make our run to the arched entrance. Do you think we can take our chances?” Nelson asked.

“No way, it’s a cunning animal we’re dealing with here. It is fully capable of plotting and setting traps to hunt down its prey.” Sarah said.

“So how do we get everyone out safely?” Nelson asked Sarah, “ We only have these three pathetic pieces of red fabric left. If you give up your shirt, we probably could have a tiny piece each for only five people. Damn it, why didn’t you get the scarfs from Paul and Johnny before they left?”

“Hey, it slipped my mind okay? Those two cowards just ran off. Why don’t you go out and face the beast yourself?” Sarah said sardonically.

“Hey...hey, calm down, let’s work something out. We still have those red objects on the door, remember? We can carry those objects with us, using them as a shield or a weapon.” Mami-san cleared her throat and then she continued, “I got an idea but I’m not sure if it works.”

“What’s on your mind?” Sarah asked.

“It’s a…crazy thought.” Mami-san said, “If we need to wear something red on us, why don’t we use our blood?”

“Use our blood?” Nelson asked, “Are you thinking of using blood to stain our clothes and maybe apply it to our faces?”

“Yes! But the question is... whose blood are we using?” Mami-san’s voice softened. There was a short moment of silence before Sarah spoke. “Well, it’s worth a try. But it can be dangerous. The person may die if he or she loses too much blood.” She drew a Swiss army knife out from her back pocket and smiled, “I’ll make a small cut on my forearm and then I’ll bandaged it up.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Nelson asked.

“Stop nagging, get me a small container and some water.” Sarah demanded.

Nelson got Sarah what she asked for. A container that was actually the bottom half of a plastic bottle and some mineral water that he took from Pete’s backpack which was surprisingly packed to the brim with fruits and soft drinks. Sarah sliced a small incision about half an inch on her forearm and let her blood trickle into the plastic container. She then mixed her blood with water to make a red dye that could be used to stain their shirts.

About half an hour later, everyone in the room was wearing shirts that were stained with Sarah’s blood.

Nelson wore a head band that was made from one of the three pieces of red fabric. Like the protagonist Rambo in the movie- First Blood, he strung the rifle over his shoulder, slid a hatchet in his waist belt and was ready to go.

“Okay, Pauline, I want you to have this scarf. Do not take it off no matter what.” Sarah said, tying a knot on the red scarf that go around Pauline’s neck. Earlier on, Sarah had torn off the base of her red shirt to make a mini scarf and wrist band for Pauline and Pete. In fact, her shirt was so tattered now she looked as if she was wearing a red brassiere.

“Yes ma’am.” Pauline answered obediently.

“Dr. Sarah, is the beast going to eat us?” Pete asked.

“No, dear, the red cloth here will protect you from the beast.” Sarah said firmly

“But why did it kill Uncle Howard? He’s also wearing something red right?” Pete asked again.

Sarah shrugged her smooth shoulders and looked away briefly as she did not know how to answer Pete’s question.

“Can you help him with this?” Sarah turned to Mrs. Chan instead.

“Sure, come here, son.” Mrs. Chan took the small red fabric from Sarah and wrapped it around Pete’s wrist.

“Are we ready to go?” Nelson asked, checking his rifle as he started pacing the room again.

“Well, we have to leave soon. Or the blood stains on our shirts will be turning brown, and if that happens, we’ll be in trouble.” Sarah said, picking up her cross bow. “Are you guys ready?” Sarah asked John Chan and his children. Pete and Pauline nodded their head almost in unison. They were wearing blood stained shirts and carrying backpacks that contained a day’s supply of fruits and beverages.

Sarah walked to the iron door and rested her hand on the door bolt. “Okay, after we step out, we’ll each take one red object from this door. And then we go. You must follow me closely. Our destination is the arched entrance across the parade ground. Remember, I will not leave anyone behind. If the beast appears, just remain still and silent.”

“Hold on.” Mrs. Chan stopped Sarah from opening the iron door.

“What?” Sarah asked.

“Sarah, can we pray together before we go?” Mrs. Chan asked. Sarah looked at the others and then pulled her gaze back to Mrs. Chan. “Why not? Let’s do this together.”

And the tourists held hands, went on their knees and prayed.

CHAPTER 48

Deep in the bowels of the old subterranean military camp, the murderous creature lifted its horned head and snarled. It got up slowly on all fours and squirm its scaly body, throwing off tiny scraps of charred skins. Its long talons carved deep lines on the floor as it swaggered forward, heading towards the parade ground.

John Chan moved forward quickly, crouching low with the fire extinguisher in his arms. He looked back at the two story building behind him and felt a chill snaking down his spine. Ahead of him was Pauline, Pete and his wife. Sarah was leading the group in a single file with Nelson and Mami-san closely behind her. Everything was smooth sailing so far but they were in the open now and John couldn’t help turning around every few seconds to make sure that the beast was behind them.

The caved-in arched entrance was within sight when a loud roar emanated from their left. Mrs. Chan’s legs turned rubbery instantly and she almost fell over.

“Oh my god, oh my god. It’s here.” Mrs. Chan stammered. She looked over her shoulder to find her husband waving at her, prompting her to keep going.

Mrs. Chan took a deep breath and pulled up her right leg which weighed like cement. Then, she uprooted her left leg. And she forced herself to move again.

“Stop!” Sarah whispered and the line of tourists halted. She turned to her left and pointed to a patch of shrubbery beside the defunct parking lot. All eyes slowly turned to their left as well.

The beast was hiding in the shrubs! It had been stalking them, scrutinizing them at close range! Like a witness identifying suspects in a police lineup, the creature crept forward and moved towards the line of terrified tourists.

At first, it seemed like the creature was heading at Nelson, then it changed its course and plodded toward Pauline.

Pauline’s body stiffened and she screamed!

“Quiet, Pauline! Just don’t move.” Sarah cried.

John stepped forward and wielded his red fire extinguisher in a big semi-circle. To his surprise, the creature did not back away but four long tentacles emerged from its gaping mouth instead. And in one swoop, they yanked the fire extinguisher out of his hands! The strength of those tentacles was so great that the fire extinguisher flew over the tourists’ heads and landed more than ten meters away.

What happened? The creature is not afraid of red objects anymore? Does this means that the red objects that we are holding in our hands are totally useless now? - Scraps of red cloth, the Japanese flag, the bundle of red strings, and the axe with the red blade?
Sarah froze when she realized that.

In fact, everyone was thinking along the same line when they saw the creature swatted aside John’s fire extinguisher effortlessly. They knew that they no longer possess any kind of shield or protection against the Nen monster.

Razor sharp tentacles from the creature’s mouth wriggled in the air for a moment. Then they advanced and slithered among the terrified tourists who were absolutely motionless. There was no better way to describe their situation as being chickens in a lion’s den, waiting to be eaten alive.

Mami-san fidgeted when the sharp end of one tentacle sneaked past her face. As if the tentacle had eyes, it whirled around and hover its sharp end two inches away from Mami-san’s shuddering face.

“Don’t move, Mami-san.” Sarah whispered.

As quick as a flash, the hovering tentacle curled around Mami-san’s waist, lifted her up and threw her on to the ground.

Sarah and Nelson fired their weapons with extraordinary
viciousness as the beast lunge at Mami-san. Hundreds of bullets and arrow darts rained on the formidable creature but to no avail. The blood thirsty monster sank its teeth into Mami-san’s neck, clawing and tearing Mami-san apart with its long talons.

“Mami-san!” Sarah shouted in agony.

Pauline and Pete screamed as they watched the creature swallowed Mami-san’s head.

“Run! Run for your lives!” Nelson yelled at Sarah and the Chan family. He reloaded his rifle and started firing again.

The horrified group made for the arched entrance. Chaos erupted. Some of them dropped the red objects they carried in their arms, some tripped and fell but they managed to get up. A strong breeze started to form in the parade ground, casting icy airstreams across panicky faces as they sprinted.

At one point, Pauline seemed to head in the wrong direction and John shouted at her to get her back on course. “No, Pauline! Not that way, this way!” Pauline heard her father’s call and she turned around. The gruesome image of the beast gnawing on Mami-san’s body came within her view again. She tore her gaze away and ran back to her father. At that moment, an unexpected gust of wind blew the red scarf off her neck.

Nelson stopped firing at the creature. Wearing expression of dismay and confusion, he stared at the carnage and witnessed the hideous creature slowly ingest Mami-san’s hands and legs. The nonchalant beast paused for a moment to glare at Nelson. It had only one eye and that glistening green eye was locked on Nelson’s in a death-stare. Then it smiled and returned to its feast.

“What the hell?” Nelson cursed, swinging the rifle over his shoulder and forcing himself to run. He prayed hard that he could catch up with the others before the creature finished its meal.

The red scarf from Pauline’s neck fluttered in the air and descended slowly until it finally landed in a pool of blood a few feet away from Nen. The monster cranked its neck and looked up. Blood gushed down from its mouth as it snarled at the fleeing tourists. Gingerly, it moved away from the bloody gore which was once a sweet lady known as Mami-san. Then at incredible speed, it leapt from one spot to another like a gargantuan frog, going after the fleeing tourists.

“What happened? It’s not afraid of red objects anymore?” Nelson asked as he finally caught up with Sarah. The Chan family was alongside them and they were just ten meters away from the arched entrance.

“Something is not right, Nelson.” Sarah answered, tears rolling down her cheeks, “I think the creature is not afraid of the blood stains on our shirts. But I can’t explain the fire extinguisher. Maybe we were wrong in the first place. Maybe it is already immune to all those red stuff,” Sarah wiped tears from her eyes and continued, “Poor Mami-san, I hope she don’t….Oh My God, Pauline! Watch out!” Sarah froze when Nen descended from above and thudded down in front of Pauline.