295 Investigation, Asking Questions and Learning the Possible Cause (2/2)

”We are passing by when the children spotted us and brought us here.”

”Ah, yes. I saw your group with Miss Jennivive earlier. But you shouldn't go in here or you might get infected. It will also be dangerous to your daughter.”

The woman warned Mark with concern. After all, this place was where the remaining adults that were all sick were being kept.

”We'll be fine. Actually, I want to ask questions.”

”Is that so? Then, we can talk outside.”

The woman stood up. Of course, it was with difficulty. Like Jennivive, she was also infected. Furthermore, hers was worse since not only her legs and feet but her arms and hands also had those swelling red colored veins. In the least, the state of her legs was still better as she was able to stand and walk without the need of support.

They stood in the hallway overseeing the schoolyard. The woman was surprised seeing Edzel and Karlene trying to help the children but she could only smile with gratitude.

”It's been hard to those children.” She murmured before she turned to Mark. ”Where is Miss Jennivive?”

”She's back in the office thinking about something.”

”I see. What do you want to ask then?”

”Then, madam, it's about the contamination in the river.”

Hearing that, her expression became bitter.

”Did anything strange happen before the river become contaminated? The children already told us about the red light in the forest to the north but I don't think that it's all.”

Mark pressed on.

”Just call me Imee. Being called Madam is too high classed for me. About the strange things, that red light is just the start of it.”

Imee then narrated things that happened that day.

The animals that turned into monsters often appear and that was why they rarely come out. However, those enlarged animals could still be felled and become source of food with the use of some traps and weapons. It was not because they wanted to eat them but they had no other choice.

That day however, the clouds were too thick. They thought that it would rain and as such, they wanted to get more game in case that it really did rain. If it rained, the forest would become more dangerous and they would not be able to find food. Since people in this place mainly relied on hunting, fishing and gathering for food in the forest, there was very little that they could gather around to keep.

To hunt more animals before the rain fell, all the remaining adults went out. There were still fifteen adults at that time. It was not really that dangerous as long as they did not enter deep in the forest since all they needed to do was lure the animals towards the traps they laid beforehand.

However, that bright light appeared disrupting their hunt. They all felt scared and decided to retreat but they were late. From the direction where the light came from, ferocious animals started rampaging. The animals caught up to them and some of them did not manage to escape while a number of the ones who escaped were injured.

”When we escaped that time, we thought that it was over. Some of us died but we are already used to it. Actually, some of those graves there don't have bodies inside but just the belongings of the deceased. We can't go back and retrieve their bodies after all.”

When they thought that they were already safe, they came to the river to wash their bloody bodies. Mostly, those that were wounded wanted to clean their wounds.

That was a fatal mistake.

The water was already contaminated and the parts of their bodies that touched the water felt painful midway. They could not help but rush out of the water but it was already too late.

Miss Jennivive was lucky that she went to the river late and she just reached the shallow part but those that washed their bodies, they caught the worst part.

Up to that point, Imee looked at the room behind them.

”Those remaining inside were those that were injured and the water from the river entered their wounds. They were the ones in the worst condition.”

She then looked at the other room where the corpses were being kept.

”Mr. Emilio and Ms. Maricris were the most injured at that time. The infection spread faster in their bodies and they did not make it. It won't take too long and we will all follow them.”

Imee then raised her unsightly arms in front of her.

”The first day, it's only my hands up to my wrist but now, it's nearing by elbow.”

”Is it really contagious?”

”Unfortunately, yes.” Imee replied with a sad expression. ”The children that took care of us in the first day got infected. We think that anyone who get in touch of our body fluids could get infected easier.”

Hearing that, Mark did not ask anything about those infected children. He could only detect sick adults inside the room. Meaning, those children had already gone first.

”Anyway, did anything else happen way before that? At least, a story, folklore or an incident in that forest where the bright light came from?”

”Hmm, let me see. Actually, we had stories that spirits live in that forest and that was why the trees there were very abundant. They said that going there would make the spirits angry and that is why none of us go to that place.”

Imee said while thinking.

”Ah.” Imee exclaimed as she remembered something. ”More than a month ago just before the animals turned into monsters, a small airplane, I think, Ms. Jennivive said that it could be a private jet. Something like that crashed in that forest.”

Hearing that, Mark knew. He had found the information he wanted.