"How do you intend to fix this? Do you even have any idea what you just trampled upon? Do you even have any idea who you are messing with here?"
"Now, Mr Abott. I understand the stress you are going through but please do believe me when I say that he never intended for such mis happenings."
"The audacity! He ran like an animal and rammed into me!"
"I apologize on his behalf, please let him go just this once."
"Alkeid, you do realize he broke my medallion, right? He is in great danger if he doesn't own up to it."
"I'll see to it".
The early morning sun shone upon the world, illuminating the day and signaling a fresh start for each person that saw it, but it could not light up the faces of the three individuals who had been assigned the horrid task of retrieving materials from the nearby town that they had lost contact with.
"You just couldn't go one day without fucking something up, could you?" The irritation that surged within Caia was uncontrollable, as she had been recommended to go alongside him in case of any "accidents" that may happen due to his actions.
"You have not a singular goddamn clue what was happening, alright? So it'd be much better if you kept your mouth shut." Ethan's reply had an equal amount of animosity.
"Oh I know, don't you worry about that. I know the amount of bullshit you do. Be grateful Alkeid was there to save your ass and you didn't even fucking apologize just sat there with tears like a damn crybaby."
"Oh yeah, why didn't you just deliver the fucking package? Do you think I wanted to get into such a situation? I thought I was gonna die, Caia!"
"Oh, oh, oh sorry, I greatly apologize, did that hurt your delicate feelings? Oh no, I'm so sorry, do you want your mommy?" Her sarcastic tone had really set Ethan off the rails. He was absolutely furious, but he had nothing to say of it. He couldn't say anything of it.
He had been indebted to Alkeid, much more than even before. If he had not been there, then the outcome would have been drastically different, probably leading to Ethan's own downward spiral. Worst scenario he may have been kicked out of town and returned to being a meaningless nomad.
"Will both of ya arses stop arguin? It's seriously gettin on my nerves."
Viewing the both of them fighting relentlessly would get tiring really soon. It was akin to watching two animals continually hiss at each other until it becomes monotonous and uninteresting, or worst-case scenario, personal.
Fortunately for Ruben, who had been personally forced to join them by Alkeid, they stopped arguing for the time being and as they steadily approached the small ghost town, tensions only grew further. For how long would he continue to remain useless, he thought to himself.
He made up his resolve rather quickly as he raised his head. He'd aid in this mission with all his might.
"Is this supposed to be it?" Asked Caia.
Ethan observed a shift in her demeanor; it was certainly bizarre watching such a sudden change in someone's expression. As a result, it was only natural that Ethan would grow weary.
"Alrigh' let's just get this over with" Sighed Ruben as he proceeded forward without a second thought.
"Hey! Why are you just rushing in without a second thought? It could be laced with anything!"
"Ya want me to get on all fours and start sniffin the area missy? Ain't happenin, I've already had my own fair share of suckin up to louts'"
"Ruben's right Caia, who the hell would be dumb enough to camp out in the middle of nowhere."
Such incompetence thought Caia. She didn't believe herself to be correct, but their lack of caution was something she couldn't abide by herself. Her thoughts wandered off in the same direction as before. She once again was swarmed by the very thoughts that plagued her with every decision she made.
Was it even necessary to continue, this question echoed throughout her mind.
Trusting her instincts, she stepped back as she allowed the two jesters to brazenly march inside the building.
Leading the trio, Ruben sought to get this over with. He did not desire to be away from his humble workshop for long. He had objectives he wanted to complete and that was precisely why he was so hasty.
His casual and careless nature quickly lead to his utmost demise as he bolted inside the building only for the floor to break beneath his feet plunging him a few metres down.
"Ok that HAD TO have hurt." Ethan asked.
Pulling him out was considerably difficult due to the sheer weight of Ruben. He was muscular but that meant he was useless in tight spaces.
One entertaining thing, as Caia noted was the pleas made by Ruben. She held back her laughter as they got him on his feet.
Needless to say, Caia found his reaction priceless as she etched those yelps into her memory.
They proceeded forward, luckily, they had two flashlights that allowed them to illuminate the path, although it was hazy due to the accumulation of the large density of dust particles in the area.
Even the sunlight was unable to penetrate the heavy atmosphere, it felt suffocating.
Ethan was the next to snoop around the place. He was complacent in his abilities to find valuables.
After much objection, he snatched the flashlight from Caia's hands as he began to inspect each and every aspect of the building his eyes lay upon.
Caia only found his behavior to be childish. Ethan began scouting everywhere.
He rushed through the rooms trying to salvage anything he could find.
Caia on the other hand had been gradually making her way through the house. No one knew what could happen at any moment. It was best to proceed with caution.
She prioritized searching for any rooms with almirahs or any storage Furnitures that would hold a large amount of goods.
She executed this plan upon finding an almirah in the room that appeared to be next to the kitchen. After opening it, all she found was an amalgam of dead rats and roaches.
She now quietly decided to follow Ruben.
"Ok, there has to be something around here." Ethan's voice echoed through the house. He was still browsing around the house, being attentive to all details.
He stopped when his eyes found a peculiar spot on the wall. It was an indentation in the wall.
A metal pipe hid the depression behind it lousily, with some force, he pulled the metal pipeout. It was surprisingly much heavier than he expected. Getting hit with it would easily knock someone out. He threw it to the ground before proceeding to the valuables that may lie behind it.
Upon closer inspection, Ethan uncovered that it was a hidden department,
"AAHA! FOUND SOMETHING!" He proclaimed loudly as he snatched something from the recess.
He found a pouch of copper coins, a small ring that had collected rust, an iron frame for a pendent and most interesting was a small doll like thing he picked up. A worshipping idol, it must have been hidden away as a sign of cherishment and care for whoever this represented.
Ethan collected everything but decided to not take the idol. He got up from the ground as he heard the floor creak, it must have been Caia or Ruben. They had been exploring the first floor, although the sound seemed to have come from the same floor he was on.
He felt weirded out, but dismissed the thought as mere paranoia. He moved further down the hall and his nose caught up on a smell, it smelled terrible. He wanted to cover his nose and turn away, but he moved towards the door.
With confidence, he stepped inside.
He had great expectations for what he could find, anything valuable that would allow him to finally save some face in front of the others.
He had always acted so overconfident and never had anything to show of it. He knew that despite how he acted he felt a certain burden on himself again.
He believed that this would be the turning point that could help him. He wanted to correct his mistakes but even more than that, he wanted to be recognized for his actions.
With the resolve of a determined lion, he opened the door.
But in the very next second his unshaken resolve was completely shattered and abandoned.
His flashlight fell to the ground, and he soon followed.
"Wh-w-What the fuck?" Fear. He was shaken from the core. His breathing grew louder as he crawled backwards on the ground.
The flashlight on the ground made the grotesque details of the scene clearer.
Ethan was on the ground as his eyes wavered, unable to look to glance again at the carcass. The carcass that had a veil covering its forehead. But he could easily make out the details.
The rotting flesh of the carcass with the bones protruding out. It was overrun by hundreds of maggots and insects.
The face did not have a lower jaw; the few pieces of purple murky skin were almost melting off the bones. Ethan looked once again only to discover that the the purple blotched meat had in its hands, another corpse. It was much smaller with its large number of minutes bones that were visible through the decaying flesh.
He felt his abdomen tightened, he felt his saliva in his mouth, his head was spinning and he was about to puke.
He stopped it. And slowly got off the ground. He slumped over to one of the walls, falling back down.
The cloth served as the only thing between his eyes and the rotting flesh that was beneath it. It hid away most of the grotesque and deformed details that would lay under it.
The corpse of a mother and child, the mother still clinging onto the child even in the last moments of their lives. It was horrifying yet beautiful in a gut wrenching way.
The mother must have been trying to shield her child, save it from danger and give her everything as a parent but she had failed. And now all that was left were malformed remains.
He looked everywhere, anywhere but the floor, at the ceiling, the small window, the compact bed, the small shelf besides him with a blooded locket.
His hand instinctively reached for it, he wiped off the blood and planned on running out the door and never returning.
But he didn't move, he stood there glaring at the locket. He had seen these people before, in a house, framed on a wall.
He heard a sound. Something dropped outside the room.
He felt a sliver of relief knowing it was Caia and Ruben.
His legs were shaking but he slowly bolted towards the door.
The door opened, and Ethan was met not with the annoyed faces of those two freaks but with the barrel of a gun.
"DON'T MOVE!" The man yelled at Ethan.
What was he supposed to do? What was he going to do? Should he run? Was he going to die?
"Get on the ground, NOW." Ethan abided and raised his arms in the process, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"I-I- I was sent here. I-I don't mean any harm."
"LIAR!" The blaring screams filled the entire house, "Why did you come here? Answer me NOW."
"I'm sorry I-I- don't-I don't kn-"
"ANSWER ME CRACKHEAD."
Ethan had to think of something, he didn't want to die, not like this.
"L-Listen to me. I-I came from the nearby village. I ne-needed something."
"Why are you not answering me? ARE YOU WITH THEM?" With who? What was he talking about?
"N-No, I don't k-know who you are talking about." His hands were still in the air.
"I WILL CARVE A HOLE THROUGH YOUR SKULL, IF YOU DON'T REPLY." He held the gun close to Ethan's forehead.
This was the end, this was how it ended, he thought.
Pathetic. Disgraceful. That truly was what he had been his entire life. Even in his last moments he was on his knees, begging for his life.
His hope shimmered away he looked down the barrel.
He didn't want to die. He wanted to live, wanted to wake up the next day, to find his family, to experience love, to be happy again.
He cast his gaze upwards, aiming to get a look at the person who'd end his life.
At that moment, he saw something move at the corner of his eye.
"WHA-?"
The sharp lingering sound of metal echoed throughout the room.
Ethan's eyes shut on reflex. And when he opened them, all he saw was the man lying on the ground face first with his head split open and blood gushing out controllably and standing beside him was Caia with a metal pipe now soaked in blood.
He immediately fell on his hands, gasping uncontrollably for air. He really had thought he was going to die.
Caia had saved his life from imminent death. He didn't know what to do, or what to say, if he even could say anything.
They had to get out of here.
He planned to signal to Caia but failed immediately.
All he could hear were the loud blood curdling screeches that Caia was making.