CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: HELP

Eric and his friends stared, their eyes wide and their jaws slack, at the verdlecks. The humanoid snakes caused them to hold their breaths.

None of them moved at all, as there were about a dozen verdlecks there.

They were about to run in panic, but noticed, to their relief, that the monsters were caged and even appeared to be tranquilized.

"H-ho..." One of the friends let out a nervous laugh.

"Look at ’em! They’re drugged or something," he said, pointing at the sluggish movements of the verdlecks.

Another friend snorted. "P-pft, I saw you fucking jump. You fucking pussy! You guys ain’t shit."

"Holy shit. Wait, isn’t smuggling monsters from Leaks illegal?"

"You guys shut up. Tch."

Eric, emboldened by the sight of the immobilized creatures, stepped further into the trailer, lightly shoving his friends. "Let’s see what else is in here before the rednecks come back."

The group ventured deeper into the dimly lit trailer. And when they saw wooden crates stacked at the back, they all looked at each other and smiled. The crates all had numbers on them, and they quickly grabbed one and pried it open.

And lo and behold,

"Eggs?" Eric muttered, confused. Inside were several large eggs, each about the size of a large watermelon.

"Are these... their eggs?" one friend asked.

"Are the other crates just filled with eggs too?" Eric scoffed. He reached in and grabbed the egg, hefting it up for a better look.

"Hey, Andy. You said you wanted a pet, right?" he said. And then, with a smile on his face, he threw the egg to one of his friends.

"What the—" Of course, Andy wasn’t able to catch the egg at all. Try as he might, the egg slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

Dull, since the egg did not break at all. It did, however, slightly crack.

"Shit. It—"

Before anyone could laugh or react, a loud clang banged throughout the trailer as the verdlecks closest to them suddenly went wild. It thrashed against the bars with a strength that came out of nowhere.

And soon, the other verdlecks followed. Their hisses filled the air, soon turning into guttural roars that echoed off the walls of the trailer.

"Shit! We need to get out of here!" Eric shouted.

He bolted for the exit, pushing past his friends in his panic. One friend stumbled and fell against one of the cages.

"Bitch! You—" Before he could get up, a verdlecks lashed out through the bars, its muscular arm snaking around his neck. And without any mercy, it slammed him against the cage... and then slammed him again, and again.

"H-Help me!" he screamed, but his pleas were drowned out by the roars of enraged verdlecks.

Erik did turn around, however, but only to see his friend’s body crumple under the repeated blows. He and his friends could hear it despite the noise the verdlecks were making.

The sound of their friend’s bones snapping. Soon, the cage bars began to bend along with their friend’s body. It wasn’t just that single cage, no. The other verdlecks also began forcing the bars open.

"Run!" Eric yelled at his remaining friends.

But it was too late. The verdlecks were already forcing their way out, metal screeching as it gave way to their relentless assault.

"F-fuck... Fuck!" Eric’s heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted out of the trailer, not daring to look back at the chaos unfolding behind him.

At the same time, Marianne had just finished dusting and wiping down the bicycle she promised Adam, polishing every bit of grime from the frame despite Adam’s insistence that it wasn’t necessary. She was determined, though.

Adam watched her with a mixture of gratitude and impatience. When she finally stepped back, satisfied with her work, Adam placed his few belongings on the bike’s carrier.

"Thank you, Ma’am." Adam was about to mount the bike when Marianne’s voice stopped him.

"Adam," she said softly. "Can I... can I touch you?"

"Huh?" He stiffened, his grip tightening on the handlebars.

And finally, after letting out a loud sigh, he said, "No. You shouldn’t idolize me, or any veterans for that matter."

Marianne shook her head, a small, determined smile on her face. "I know that you’re uncomfortable with this, and I promise... I just want to shake your hand. Please."

Adam could see it in her eyes, the adoration. It was unmistakable for anything else.

Just do it, Adam.

He sighed once again, and reluctantly, extended his hand. Marianne took it and grasped it firmly, shaking it. She was about to press his hand on her cheek, but he moved it away before she could do so.

Still, Marianne didn’t seem to mind at all and even thanked him.

He nodded curtly and finally mounted his bicycle, pedaling away from the diner and towards whatever uncertain future awaited him. But then, not even ten complete rotations of his wheel, he heard it—the sound of screaming.

Adam quickly stopped and turned around, just in time to see people running away in a panic. Or more specifically, Erik and his friends.

His eyes scanned the chaos and landed on Erik, shoving past Marianne as he and his friends rushed into the diner.

"Shit," Adam muttered under his breath.

He turned his bike around to help Marianne, but froze when another scream echoed from farther away. This one was more guttural, filled with pure terror.

He stared at Marianne for a moment, who managed to get up from the floor with a confused look on her face. She also returned Adam’s gaze, and was about to walk to the corner of the back of the diner.

Before she could do so, however, Adam blocked her path.

"Go inside," he said. Marianne didn’t even say anything, only nodding as she rushed inside the kitchen.

What are you doing now, Adam? Just ride away. This doesn’t concern you.

Several thoughts raced in his mind, but Adam just rode to the front of the diner, skidding to a stop just in time to see what was causing all the screams and panic.

Verdlecks, slithering and thrashing about out in the open. It was... a weird sight.

"Verdlecks... here?" Adam whispered. "What...?"

The Leak where the verdlecks were should have been several miles away—there was no reason for them to be here.

His eyes darted to the diner, where Marianne and the others had their faces pressed on the windows, clearly shaken with what they were seeing.

Leave them, Adam. Leave them!

Adam, however, was seeing Grace and Samantha among them, remembering the restaurant back in the Game.

They’re not there, Adam! Just leave!

No... they will always be there. They’re—

"Kree!"

Adam’s thoughts were interrupted by another roar from one of the verdlecks. He looked, only to see one of the verdleckes making its way toward a group of old people.

Adam closed his eyes for a moment and then dismounted the bicycle.

What are you doing, Adam?! The people in the diner have phones and cameras! The Hospital will see you! They will get you, and they will put you again in the White Room! Adam! They will torture you again!

It doesn’t matter.

"...These people need my help."