Just like usual I was bickering with Sarah and Hannah was laughing until we suddenly stopped our mouths open wide at the sight in front of us.
Or rather what's not in front of us. The once crowded and bright village is gone. Not a single brick is left. Nothing. Absolutely nothing except for pitch black colored huge hole in the ground.
We stood there without a care about anything occupied by our own emotions.
Yes, that's our village which is gone. There's nowhere that we can go and call our homes anymore.
I can see tears leaking out from Hannah blue eyes. I would have been mesmerized if it was some time else but right now... Even I can feel something leaking out from my eyes.
Suddenly I feel a hand wrap around me and Hannah.
" Don't cry. May be everyone might have run away before whatever it is that happened. Let's look around."
I look at Sarah who's standing strong with a serious and worried expression. For the first time I actually see her as someone I can rely on.
"You're right monkey. You do have brain. Let's look around. Don't worry Hannah. Let's go."
"hm"
Sarah didn't even bother to reply or retort. Even she knows how serious this matter is.
We didn't dare to go near the hole. It gives off an ominous feeling. We searched around for sometime still finding nothing.
Meanwhile Sarah started looking through her bag and took out a strange walkie-talkie.
I don't know the reason but our phones won't turn on and it looks like the black hole has somekind of magnetic force that even our metal bearings get a slight pull towards it.
*BEEP* *BEEP*
"Sarah, what happened. is it an emergency?"
Sound of an stern man's voice came through the walkie-talkie. It was Sarah's father.
"Dad, it's code black hole. Our village is gone. Sam, me and one of our friends are the only ones near."
...
Sarah's Dad Mr.Hunter went silent for few minutes after hearing that.
"You remember the old storage house I built in the jungle when we go camping.The one past the river. Go there after you look for other survivours. Don't put your lives on the line. "
"Alright. I'll call you once we are there"
"Sarah, What's going on. Code black hole? What did uncle said just now."
"Sam I know you are curious but for now just trust me and follow me. It's our best chance of survival.
"Ok. You know I trust you. Just lead the way. I'll get my answers once I meet your father."
I am irritated at not knowing what's going on but I know when to hold myself back. I look at Hannah who's been silent all this time. She's just following me like a robot with no color in her eyes.
I look at her and realize even though I'm trying my best to hang onto my sanity Hannah is already halfway emotionless. I took her hand and placed my left hand on her shoulder.
"Hannah, let's follow Sarah. We can get our answers once we meet her father. It looks like military knows better than us about what's happening."
She looks at my eyes ones again with some light gradually shinning through them.
"Mhm. Let's go."
Sarah just looks at us and smiles faintly. I know that she has some idea about what's happening but the way she's leading us really feels like she's a big sister.
'I hope you have a good answer uncle. I'm really starting to miss my family. '
Sarah took the lead and guided us through the wild.
...
"Hey monkey, you do realize it's starting to get dark right. "
"Mhm"
"Shouldn't we try to find safe spot. I know there aren't many animals in this forest but still it's better to be careful with everything that's going on."
"I know that too stinky but the sooner we reach the warehouse the better."
"I just have a feeling, we should stop around here. It won't be safe on the other side of the river. No one has gone past it other than your father."
Sarah glanced at me with an irritating face and stretched her hand to her bag.
"Don't worry. I have this."
"What the f*ck is wrong with your bag. It's like military weapon storage. "
"My father gave these to me in case of something unexpected happened. "
"Does that supposed to mean you know what that hole is?"
"Sam, please just wait until we meet my father. You'll get your answers."
"Whatever...., if we aren't stopping then let's go faster. "
...
we are moving closer to the river. The reason people aren't crossing the river is there are mountain lions on the other side.
Sarah may be confident because she has been taught how to fight and weild weapons by her father. He taught me too. It's just she's better at fighting than me.
...
I think it'd be around 7 pm but coupled with the forests trees it's really starting be scary.
Thanks to the torch light that Sarah took out from her multi casket bag we can still barely see around. Right now we are standing on the safe side of the river. There is a bridge that others had made to cross it. I still don't know why mountain lions aren't crossing the bridge when they could but it's good that they didn't. Maybe they've moved to another forest..
'I hope we won't meet them ahead.'
"Sarah, by any chance do you have another gun with you?"
She looked inside the bag and took out a batton and a knife. The batton looks more stronger it's easy to use too meanwhile the knife looks like an ancient decoration item filled with various inscriptions.
I looked at Hannah. She hasn't spoken a word after saying "let's go" and I can see she's shaking slightly.
I took out my shirt and gave it to Hannah.
" Take it. If you freeze we won't be able to make it faster."
'That came out harsher than I thought'
Even Sarah looked at me strangely.
'I guess all the bottled up worries are making me go mad'
I tried to apologize to Hannah..
"Ok, Thank you Sam."
She said with an warm face. Sarah looked at her and smiled.
'I guess they can understand '
I took the knife and gave the batton to Hannah. She would fine with a batton more than an rusty knife.
I actually remember this knife. It's the weapon Hannah's mother gave to her at her 5th birthday. Can't blame her though she's from military too after all.
I kept the knife in my right hand and looked at Sarah.
"Let's go. The warehouse is only three miles away from the river."
Hannah and I nodded at her and followed her to the bridge.
'Why do I feel like something bad is coming '