78 That Sound (1/2)

\”Bllllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwss!!!\”

\”Huh?\”

Mina heard a loud distorted sound.

\”Blllllllooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwss!!!\”

Mina winced. Her eyes scanned the whole area as the persistent voice gradually disappeared.

But there was no one else in the pod.

'Where did the sound come from?'

'It was as if...'

\”Boooooooooooowwwwsss!!! Boooooooossss!!! Boossss!!!\”

Mina could feel pain with each soundwave.

Covering her ears and closing her eyes had no effect against the persistent sound.

This time, the ringing in her ears persisted even after the voice disappeared. Her back twitched as she tried to put her emotions under control.

It took Mina a long time to get up from her protective stance. Still cautious, Mina rose from her hunched position and slowly opened her eyes.

'What was that sound?'

Her back twitched and her eardrum throbbed at the mere thought.

\”That sound...\”

Her weak meow echoed in the pod. The bouncing sound slowly lifted the fog in her brain.

\”Bbbbbbooossssss?\”

With alert eyes, she scanned the pod but saw no other creature.

\”Tarou?\”

Caught off guard once again, Mina lost all sense of feeling when another loud cry assaulted her eardrums.

\”Boooooooooooosssssssssssssss!!!\”

This time the sound made her entire body hurt.

Mina could only see the blinking monitor inside the pod but soon even the illuminated screen became blurry.

~~~

\”Wake up, Boss!'

Jolted awake by the familiar squeak, Mina was up in all fours.

'I was just in a pod a few seconds ago...what happened?'

\”Finally!\”

The small squeak coupled with a light touch on her leg pulled Mina back to the present.

\”Come on, Boss!\”

A small mouse circled around her hind leg while scolding her but she simply stared back and studied the place.

\”How did I get back here?\”

'I was just in the pod and ...How did I get back here so quickly?'

Mina hissed inside her head expecting to hear a reply.

\”Boss!!!!\”

More like a screech than a wake-up call, Mina subconsciously felt her head hurt at Tarou's squeak.

Her eyes narrowed while examining the small creature.

'Seriously? This underling of hers should be taught a lesson.'

Mina ran towards Tarou with a sinister intention but the mouse made her forget those thoughts with a few squeaks.

\”Boss, I can feel it!\”

This time, Tarou spoke in soft and gentle squeaks.

\”Something is about to happen...\”

A brilliant flash illuminated the whole room and Mina barely caught Tarou's next words over the loud crack of thunder.

'Waiiiit... was it... was it Tarou who called her back in the pod ?'

'But ...'