OBLIVIOUS

Chapter 11

I know that I just discharged a huge amount of electric material into the water. I could practically generate electricity from my body. I was now sure of this because after what happened the water felt a lot much warmer, and I could feel the tingling sensation on my skin that I know was caused by what I did. In that one moment, I even saw the things underwater because of the brightness of it all. I could see huge weed-like plants that have tentacles instead of leaves and the rocks at the bottom that was as big as humans. The water even reacted violently to my electric powers, causing it to move like it's about to boil or evaporate any minute now.

Whatever what was pulling us down already stopped, but I was still considerably sinking, so I was still in a panic. I was also on the verge of unconsciousness probably because of the lack of air in my lungs. My mind was already fuzzy, bringing me back my headaches and I couldn't even move a muscle. I had not even realized that something was already pulling me upward had it not been for the impact I got from bumping into something rock hard. It made me cough the remaining air out of my lungs and I knew that this was it, that this time I was really done for. I was sinking, and I was already contemplating how death by drowning seems to be painless, until I saw a pair of hands just above me pulled me out of the water and placed me into dry land.

I coughed hard. I breathed like this was my last chance to breathe. Realizing I almost died again, my heart was banging loudly against my chest from the frenzy and fear from it all which made my head more dizzy again. My head hurt like hell, throbbing like it has its own heartbeat and I feel like I was spinning and spinning and spinning. I tried to get up to relieve my headache but everything got worse.

Gasping on all fours I finally puked acidic liquid into the rocks where I was dry heaving. "You are crazy, " I heard Baron say behind me. "That was damn crazy, but undeniably cool too. You had just saved the three of us."

I finally collapsed on my back and stared hard at the dark sky I thought I was not going to see anymore. So we still managed to survive. Up to this moment, I think it will be now so vain of me to assume that I can surely live another day.

My body was responding to what happened so bad that I was having a hard time breathing that Baron had to offer me some help which I declined by shaking my head. I was also dry heaving. When my head finally relaxed, I contemplated again. "W-What was t-that?" I blurted out when I was finally able to talk and breathe properly. My lungs seemed to have already adjusted, and the pain in my head subsided quite a little.

"I don't know what it is exactly," Baron replied and I could hear his deep breaths too. "But it's an animal that lives here in the base of the spring."

"Maybe some kind of fish?"

"It had legs," he added. "And sharp teeth. It dragged me into the depths, that's why we all nearly got drowned."

"I... I don't know what to think about this place anymore," I said to him in exasperation. "If it's not the Slackers... it's the crazy snake-like plants. And if it's not those plants, it's some devil water creature lurking underwater..."

Baron chuckled at that, which earned him a side-eye from me. "What? That was funny. What you said was funny."

"But it's true," I quipped back. "This place is hell."

"But we already did it," he said and that made me jolt up. "We managed to cross over the fence."

My eyes widened at what I just heard. "Really? We did? H-How?"

Baron explained what happened. It turns out that when I discharged that huge volt of electricity, whatever it was that was dragging us underwater got electrocuted too. Then it tried to get away from us to save its life, so it swam away as fast as it could. But because its an animal, it did not realize that it was still pulling us with it to the direction it was moving to. And that direction was the direction of the other side of the fence. Technically it pulled us right over the other side of the fence-bridge.

"So we're finally here?" I asked excitedly and looked around us. We were under the canopy of huge trees that looked very much alive, thanks to their branches that resemble human limbs. This place was much more wilder than the one we were earlier, and I could see the thick clouds of that poisonous smoke hovering in the air with a carefree movement. It looks like the poisonous smoke here is thicker and more concentrated.

"Yes, and it's lucky that all of us survived," Baron said and both of us glanced at the new guy that was lying next to me. I almost forgot about him. But of course, he was still unconscious but nevertheless alive. He even looked better than me, which was ironic because he is now handicapped.

"That suit did really saved him huh," I noted.

"Yeah, well, I think aside from the fact that it can stay afloat it also can insulate electric shocks."

That got my interest. "Really? It can resist electricity? It must be designed to be an insulator then."

Baron nodded. "I don't know what an insulator is but that protective suit must have saved my life too as much as his. Remember, I was close to you when you made that thing of yours happen, so I should have been electrocuted crisply. But that didn't happen. And I think I know why."

"Why?"

"This protective suit can resist and absorb any kind of shock, and that includes electricity."

I had to agree with his hypothesis because I know the volt I released was enough to kill a regular person. Baron also said that the animal that tried to drown us looked very weak after it got hit by the electric current. This is good news because if I can hurt anybody using this ability it also means that I could use it as a weapon.

Baron was also thinking the same thing too because he asked about how effective it could be if we were not in the water. "I don't know," I admitted, because of all the times I was able to use it I was not using it to hurt or attack anyone consciously. "But since we are not in the water which amplifies the electric shock's voltage, I think I have to touch the thing or the person I want to hurt with it."

"Too bad if that's the case," he said in a defeated voice. "I was thinking of putting you in control of defending ourselves from the Slackers."

"But why?" I asked again, but this time I was confused about why would he want me to lead our defense.

"I dropped my long gun when we were getting dragged into the water," he explained. "And I honestly think your electric ability is much more effective in fending off the animals that are here in this forest."

"There are more animals in this forest. Great," I said with so much sarcasm that Baron could not help but laugh at it. "I can't wait to meet them."

"You will," he replied and I saw him scoop the new guy up again. "Let's go. We don't want them to show up this early."

I nodded and stood up too. But just as when I was about to take a step forward, I felt that something was off. At first, I couldn't pinpoint what was exactly wrong, but then when I began walking it dawned on me why I was feeling a little bit different.

"Baron!" I gasped in shock as I stopped moving, staring at my right arm.

"What?"

"That insect-like robot is gone! I think it came off when I released that electric thing!" I was instantly relieved that it came off that I just also found myself jumping with joy.

"You're right," said Baron with a curious look on his face as he came back to me observing my punctured but already healed arms. "Did you felt it when it came off?"

I shook my head. "I was too preoccupied to notice it already gone. But I really think it was the electric shock from my body that caused it to detach itself from my arm. Or it could have been destroyed!"

Baron did not look that much convinced at my assumption, but I really didn't care much about his opinion about this. What was important is the fact that we can no longer be tracked by the White Shadows again, if that was the purpose of that robot.

When we were done overanalyzing it, we continued trekking to the inner canopy of this stranger forest. It was colder and wilder here because I couldn't even see my feet as I walk in the tall grass or crouch down when we walk into blocking trees and thick snake-like vines of even monster-looking vegetation here. There was even a ravine where the water was flowing into, but we avoided it because the fog was thick as hell there. It was a good thing it was already dawn, as the sky was starting to be light purplish. I could already see the surroundings well, even the slight movement of the plants that always made me jump.

We rested near a pond where Baron drank water. I refused when he offered me to drink as well, citing that it could be poisonous as well, even if I knew he had been drinking it ever since he managed to escape here.

"You'll be thirsty soon so I suggest drinking here because water is scarce in this forest. Well, not really that scarce, but you get what I mean. You can't drink as you please here because where there is water there is the fog that we want to avoid."

"Thanks but I really am not thirsty," I said cheerfully, still happy by the fact that my arm was already free.

He shrugged and proceeded to trek forward. "I get it that you don't feel that weak anymore because it looks like you already regained your true strength but next time try to follow my advice. I'm sharing what I learned from living here you know."

"I'm sorry," I just said because my mind was already wandering into another thing. "Baron, you believe that we are on an island too, right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing in particular," I said. "But I just thought that if we are really on an island, then we need some sort of vessel to escape from here right?"

"That's correct."

"Then is there a ship here nearby?"

"There should be," he replied as we continued walking to a path that I think is made by him. We were walking deeper into the woods, and I can't help but feel a little apprehensive about this. I already decided not to trust the forest here. Be it because of its weird flora or fauna.

"There should be?" I repeated. "You just rely on your gut feel?"

"Yes and no. I mean that if this is an island, not everything that a community needs are here. Take, for example, food. Have you seen what the White Shadows eat? 'Cause I have. They have bread. Meat. Even dairy products. And you have already seen most of this place. Do you think they get their food from here? There's not a single cow or a single crop in here. I have not seen any sign that this is a self-sustaining facility. So it means that they get their food and other essential supplies somewhere off this island."

"You're right. I didn't think of that. So it means that if they get their food somewhere else, then there must be a ship that brings the supply here," I filled in what he stated. "Is that what you are saying?"

"Correct. And Forte also mentioned about the White Shadows talking about them coming and leaving from here using a ship. That means there must be a ship that comes here on a schedule. We just don't know when is that schedule."

"I see. But don't you think it will be better if we just go to the pier and sneak into the ship? How hard could it be?" I know my suggestion is reckless but what choice do we have here? Everything we did so far was already reckless. We might as well live up to that trademark.

"That could work, but it has one major problem."

"What is it?"

"I haven't found the pier you are talking about."

I stopped in my tracks at what I just heard from him. "Are you serious?"

"I am. I already tried searching for a way into the shore. At least twice I followed some of the White Shadows but they just disappear from my sight whenever I can close in on in secretly."

"But wouldn't it be easy for anyone to locate the shore if this is an island? I mean we could use the wind and follow where it blows from."

"That's right, but it only works if you're in a relatively small island. For all we know we are in a big one, which means a trip to the shore by feet could mean traveling by days. Or weeks."

That made me think deeply. "That makes sense. But have you tried searching for the bay on your own?" I suggested, thinking that if this is an island, then any point forward away from the center of this island will lead us to the shore, no matter how big or small this island is. And there's a huge chance that the center of this island is the facility, so if Baron had just used his sense of direction (which I think he excels in) he would have arrived on the shore and see if there's really a ship there or none.

"I did, but the two routes I used ended in dead ends. One ended in the same fence we crossed, and at the other side of it is a cliff a high as the sky. There could be no ship there."

"And the other one?"

"It led to an abandoned building. Behind it is a tall mountain, so you can't really expect a pier to be there."

"This is a problem," I concluded. "Because how will we escape if don't even know where the damn ship is anchored in?"

"It's not over yet," Baron said that made me calm down a least for now. "There is still one more path that I haven't fully explored yet. And I think it might be the way to the shore."

"Really? Where is it? What path are you talking about?"

"It's this forest," Baron revealed with a look of alarm on his face as he also stopped walking to be able to talk with me properly. "I think that if we reach the edge of this forest, we will find ourselves facing the ocean."

I gasped in excitement at the prospect. "How do you know that?"

Baron shrugged again. "It's just my hunch. But I also saw things in here that made me conclude that way."

I raised my eyebrows at what he just said. "Which is?"

"The animals," he answered. "The strange animals that I saw roaming on this forest looks like they originally lived in the ocean."