OBLIVIOUS

Chapter 14

I can't be this clueless, because the mystery and suspense will kill me first before the hybrid monsters will. I have never been so frustrated about something like this before. I am so curious about my identity that just thinking about it hurts. Guessing and making assumptions literally gives me headaches, because I can't help but think of what Baron just said. His assumption is very plausible, that's why everything to me gets more confusing.

Why is it me? Why do I have to be someone that the White Shadows have their eyes on? And why am I the Moss that's been named with an A? Why do they expect things from me? And why do they want me back, unlike Baron who they don't care if they kill him? I want to know everything, that's why we need to make our move as soon as possible.

Finally, after a couple of setbacks and revisions to our plans, we were about to go back to the facility. It was twilight when we left a note next to the new guy who was still asleep. I almost tried waking him up, but backed out when I saw how he still needed rest. It was bad enough seeing him only with one arm, but right now he looked very pale again for some reason. Baron and I also noticed how the wound in his arm was already mended and how new skin was covering the part where the rest of his arm was cut off. It was like he can heal himself fast, which made Baron and I think about us too.

"We can certainly recover faster than I thought we can," I said, remembering how many wounds and injuries we got just by trying to cross over the fence. "My wounds healed fast too."

"But not as fast as he can," Baron replied. "It almost feels like he can grow a new arm again."

"Yeah. I get what you're trying to say. Let's just hope that he wakes up soon."

"And that he knows new information when he does."

"But before that, we need to come back to him in one piece."

"And we need to come back with a White Shadow."

"We will." We were now trekking back to the electric fence. Baron was holding the same type of flower he used to illuminate the headquarters. This time, to guide us in the dark.

I was so nervous about what we are about to do because short as it may be, the time we spent inside of the hollow tree had already left a mark on me. I had finally felt how safety and peace feel like. I was finally able to sleep and rest the way I wanted to and it feels so liberating. And now we're back to danger's arms again.

Baron was very quiet the whole trek, and it took me some time before I realized that we were on a different path than the one we used to come here. We didn't get past his fishing spot on the stream, or the narrow path just beside the dangerous ravine. We were walking in a rocky but muddy path full of pothole-like dents on the soft ground.

"Baron? Where are we? We are not on the same path aren't we?"

"We are not going back to that stream. We don't have the protective suit anymore, so you will not be able to defend us in the water with your electricity."

"Oh. You're right," I replied, forgetting that we left the protective suit to the new guy, which meant we have no shield against my ability. If we chose that path back to the facility, it would be a struggle between drowning from being dragged or getting electrocuted while underwater. Both options don't sound like we will survive.

"Then where are we going to? Is there another way inside the fence that you know about? Did you perhaps found a shortcut?"

"I didn't," he answered. "I made a shortcut." I was so shocked to hear that I was speechless. Of course he can make a shortcut. Why am I even surprised? Baron is the king of this place. Everything is possible with him.

But because of how surprised I am, I accidentally stepped on one of the potholes, which were actually deep. My left foot sunk into the sticky mud and I felt something hard there that made me yell in astonishment. It was a good thing Baron was quick enough to help me pull out my body from it.

"W-What was t-that?" I blurted out when Baron and I finally removed my feet from the scary pothole. "There was something there!"

"Something what?"

I shook my head. "I don't know too. I just felt something hard there. And it was moving!"

"It might be another one of those crazy animals," Baron explained, pulling me away from the set of potholes in front of us and motioned me to continue on walking. "You didn't get bitten right?" he asked too.

"No. I don't think so. But do you know what kind of creatures lurk in these holes?"

"Not really. I just know something that lives under the ground made these holes but I don't exactly know what kind of creature made them." He then just kept on walking and we finally arrived in front of something that made my jaws drop. What we were seeing right now was a huge hole in an indented part of the ground, that looked like an entrance to a haphazardly-made tunnel.

"We're here."

I gaped at Baron who was serious. "You're kidding right?"

"I am not. We came here to use this tunnel I made."

"And this tunnel goes through the fence? Right under it?"

Baron nodded, checking the entrance that he covered with huge leaves to hide it from others. It was actually well-hidden from anyone's view. It is just that I was standing so close to it that I managed to see behind the leaves. "We will use this tunnel that I made by continuing the digging those creatures made---"

"Wait, wait," I interrupted him. "You mean to say that this tunnel was originally made by whatever made those potholes?"

"Correct. But this tunnel was unfinished. A portion of the fence's base was visible above the tunnel wall when I found this, which led me to think that the animal that dug this got electrocuted. That's also probably the reason why this was abandoned. The rest of the animals that dug this got scared when one of them was killed by getting electrocuted."

"But how long did you dug this thing?" I asked incredulously. "I still can't see the fence anywhere so that means this tunnel entrance is still far from the actual fence. This looked like it has been dug for months.

"I only dug this for two days," Baron explained, to which he also added that aside from the holes already been dug halfway by the unknown creatures, the soil itself here in the tunnel is extremely loamy and soft, which made it easier to dig and make a tunnel with. "But that also means that the tunnel can cave in without any warning. That's why we need to move fast once we enter this."

I nodded, and just followed his instructions. I had to fold my body in a way that I could fit inside the hole without the soft mound of earth around it crumbling. It was a tricky thing to do, but Baron showed me how to do it properly. He led the way crawling on all fours while biting on the flower to light the pitch-black tunnel.

As we crawl, I noticed what Baron meant when he said that this was easy to dig. The walls of this tunnel had marks of claws scratching and digging into the earth, proving that some type of animal had dug its way in here. It was a very long and exhausting way of traveling, and at one point I even wished that swimming in that damned river was a better option.

"Axis, avoid getting too much mud on your skin."

"Why?" I asked, puzzled at his sudden advice.

"Mud stops electricity from working," he said, and I felt so dumb upon hearing it because I know that he was right. "It may hinder you."

"Alright," I replied obediently, though I still can't comprehend how on earth can I use my ability consciously and willingly. I can feel the surge of electricity in my veins, because it usually happens when I feel the adrenaline rush into my body. I already know that for a fact. However, I don't know how and when do the adrenaline comes in, because It's not always there whenever I needed it. I know that adrenaline rush happens when you are in danger or when you are excited and such, and there were already some moments where I had those surge of intense emotions and yet nothing has happened.

After quite a while, we reached the end of the tunnel, to which opened into the inside of a cave. And this was not your ordinary cave, because the soil here was so soft it was already like water. My feet were already sinking when Baron managed to grab me by my arm.

"Don't move! It's quicksand!"

"Quicksand? What's that?" I yelled and my lower body was already under this weird thick mud-like water and sand mixture.

Baron managed to hold on to a pointed rock that was somehow attached to the cave's wall so the two of us were still safe. But one wrong move and I know we will be submerged into the murky mud Baron called quicksand. "It's like a liquefied soil that can drown you if you get trapped in it! So don't move while I try to get us out of here!"

"Okay! Okay!" I said without complaints, because I was not keen on sinking in. This quicksand feels like it is a bottomless pit, so I don't want to argue in situations like this anymore. Baron then proceeded to move to pull us out of it but just as when he was about to step on the rock edge of the quicksand, a long huge, long claw of something appeared from the quicksand and tried to drag Baron back.

Baron yelled in shock, and his hands slipped from his grip on my arm causing us to get separated. I watch in horror as I saw him being pulled downwards by the monster that looked like some sort of a giant crab's claw or pincers. I still saw Baron trying to get away from the monster's clutches, but it was too strong for him.

It was then that I realized what was the tunnel for. It was not for just some random tunnel animals in here made as a passageway but a path that leads into a trap. This creature that is dragging Baron has made this quicksand to trap its prey and eat them while they're trying to get out. It's a clever trick for an animal, I must admit, but it's also very scary.

I couldn't see Baron moving anymore, and that made me panic. Throwing caution to the wind I plunged into the animal itself, whose massive back was slightly visible in the mud. I landed on its back which had a super thick shell. It is really a crab, but extra massive. I saw Baron on one of its claws, and I was glad that he was still moving.

I had to do something.

Because the quicksand is made of sand and mud, I could not use my ability. But I don't want to give up that easily. Thinking fast, I searched for its two eyes, which were attached to the front of its shell. Its eyes were protruded and were moving independently from the rest of its body. I took my chance and grabbed them with all my strength.

At first, it did not react to what I did, but when I pulled out one of its eyes, it started to swerve and move in a frenzy. I did the same to the other eye and it was already trying to escape. But it was still grasping Baron, which was the problem.

This time I only followed my instinct. I knew I couldn't use my electric powers, but I know sand and mud can't totally cancel the power I had. I moved towards the arm of the monster that had Baron and punched and kicked it with the energy I still have. Of course, its arm was incredibly hard, even harder than wood, but at least I thought that it could feel pain every time I attack it.

It was trying to whisk me away but I was already holding on tight to its arm, and it is when I did the thing that I thought I couldn't do. At first I had no idea that I was doing it, but then I felt my hands were suddenly hot. What's more interesting is that I knew that I was producing heat instead of electricity now, but I was not hurt by this. It was not me that was being affected, but the monster crab.

The heat on my hands was spreading faster than I expected it to spread. There was already smoke coming from my palms as I held on tight to the monster's arm.

And then it let go of Baron. Just like that, it released Baron into the quicksand, so I also quickly got away by jumping away as far as I can. I landed on the rocky part of the cave's floor while I saw Baron starting to sink again into the sand. I moved fast to get to him before he gets suffocated. I was lucky enough to grab one of his arms without plunging back into the quicksand, and I was able to pull him up to safety.

Baron was unconscious so I shook him. "Baron! Wake the hell up! You can't die here! Do you hear me? You can't just die here!" But he did not respond, and I just saw why. I happen to see his neck, which was now the color of deadly purple. Black veins were visible there, spreading into his shoulders and upper chest. I gasped in fear, because the poison was already spreading faster than the progress of our plans.