by Eric S Kim
Lionel had to stop the conversation altogether. “That’ll be all for now.”
Jerome leaned back in his seat. Otis gave Lionel a little grin. “That’s a shame. I know your son would want to learn about these things. It’ll benefit today’s society very much.”
Lionel had no interest. “No, it won’t.”
ELEVEN
10:14 PM
They had reached their destination in just under two hours. After getting filling up their SUV’s at a gas station a short time ago, they made it to Green Brigalvic National Forest. But they didn’t reach the only official entrance to the forest. Otis led them away from the highly guarded entrance by having the Blackjacks take an unpaved road in the darkness. The headlights had caught the appearances of an endless array of evergreen trees towering over the road. The ground grew a little bumpy owing to the lack of asphalt that kept the vehicles in a steady motion. In the sky, the half-moon was kept in a temporary veil by the prevalent branches and leaves.
Lionel waited for Otis to give an answer to a previous question. “There is a barrier that separates Green Brigalvic and everything else in the world. It’s made out of solid concrete and is thirty feet high. They finished building it three years ago. Nothing can leave that forest now.”
Otis had been telling the truth. When they had reached the concrete barrier, it did indeed stand thirty feet tall. From left to right, it became clear that it was a never-ending blockade that would keep people away from Green Brigalvic for good. Lionel stopped his SUV in front of the wall. Not a single surveillance camera had been sighted in this particular area. None of the park rangers would even know what would happen.
Lionel said to Otis, “Use the diamond.”
Otis already understood. He took Lanzira’s Diamond and exited the vehicle. Lionel joined him and stood beside him in front of the wall. Otis held Lanzira’s Diamond up to his shoulders. He whispered a foreign phrase that only Lionel could decipher. The orange diamond grew bright in the stone feline’s mouth. Lionel watched as a piece of the concrete wall became transparent. At first, it was the size of an inflated balloon. And then, it grew to a more monumental size. The transparent piece of the wall became big enough for an entire SUV to fit through.
On the other side of the concrete wall lay another endless array of evergreen trees. Everything appeared normal, but Lionel knew that it wouldn’t be the case as they would explore even deeper into the forest.
Lionel activated his earpiece to call Hector and Victoria. “Look after Otis for a minute.”
He waited as both Blackjacks exited their vehicles and kept a close watch on Otis. He would have to keep the wall transparent until everyone would make it to the other side. When Hector and Victoria stood beside Otis, Lionel got back inside his SUV and drove through the open entrance. The other SUV’s followed him into the forest. Hector and Victoria finished their brief task when the fourth and last SUV made it through. Otis went back to his passenger seat after closing the wall behind him. He and the fourteen Blackjacks continued their journey into Green Brigalvic, a place where only the plant life had embraced their notoriety.
10:29 PM
So far, the unpaved road led them into normal territory. The visitors didn’t witness anything out of the ordinary. The trees and bushes didn’t have any unfamiliar features. Everything was quiet, which made Lionel more cautious toward the road in front of him. The forest seemed to put on a façade for its next potential victims. The headlights revealed a long dirt road stuck between crowded trees on a hillside. Going deeper would have awakened the true lifeforms made invisible by either their disguise or their inactivity.
Lionel radioed Cliff with his earpiece. “See anything yet?”
Cliff replied, “Nothing so far.”
He asked the other two drivers, and so far, no one could see any suspicious activity in the forest. Everyone had stayed quiet in Lionel’s SUV. Both Jerome and Bryce gazed out their windows to check for any unusual creatures that roamed freely in the night.
Lionel said to Otis, “Tell us what you’ve seen during the times you’ve been here.”
Otis held Lanzira’s Diamond on his lap. “I have become a witness to many things. Fungi growing on trees. Animals being devoured by the leaves. Anything that could give you nightmares for the rest of your life. I do hope that it doesn’t become a very traumatic experience.”
Jerome sound like he almost laughed. “You don’t know us very well.”
“Actually, I do.”
Lionel tried to change the subject right away. “What sort of fungus are you talking about?”
Otis replied, “The kind that can kill over a hundred trees if it’s at its most mature stage.”
“Describe it for me.”
“They’re thick and sometimes slimy. They come in all colors, but mostly green and yellow.”
Otis suddenly pointed at something in the distance. “Like that one. Stop the car.”
Lionel slowed down before coming to a full stop. The SUVs behind him did the same.
Otis pointed at something to the left of the vehicle. Everyone turned their heads to see something partially revealed by the headlights. A nearby pine tree had a different exterior. It still had its trees and branches, while the color of its bark didn’t change at all. But the sharp thorns that were punctured out of its skin had caught everyone’s attention. The thorns were colored red, and most of them had an almost perfect cone-like shape.
Lionel asked, “What kind is that?”
Otis sounded proud when he said, “That is called a Mareekis. It’s harmless to humans, so it’s only a threat to trees. But you better be careful. There are other fungi that are not as friendly as this one.”
Lionel continued on driving and hoped that the other Blackjacks behind him would see the Mareekis and realize the crux of their situation.
10:47 PM
Lionel had to keep a steady pace in the forest. He didn’t drive too fast, nor did he go too slow. His attempts at moving in a neutral stride had become successful. And as minutes passed, several more trees infected by the Mareekis had been discovered. He counted at least thirteen of them since the first one had been pointed out by Otis. The other trees remained normal and free from contagions.
Bryce had to ask, “How long until we get to meet this Artyom guy?”
Otis didn’t look back. “It won’t be long. I gather we might meet him just a few hours after midnight.”
“That long, huh?”
“Of course. The caves are located near the center of the forest.”
Lionel suddenly spotted a tree that didn’t have thorns but something else on its body.
“What is that?”
The headlights revealed that the tree was bleeding. Trails of thick black slime spilled out of its skin and slid down to the ground.
Otis gave an explanation. “That tree is dying. It’s being liquified on the inside. I don’t know what it is, but I think it’s a good idea to stay away and never touch that stuff.”
“Well advised.”
Jerome asked, “What about the wildlife? What kind of animals live here?”
Otis yawned. “They would rarely survive in this environment. And if they do, I pity them. They get to suffer for a very long time. I’ve seen many creatures falling prey to the plants from the previous experiments.”
And then, he almost blurted out, “Stop the car!”
Lionel stepped on the brake pedal hard. The SUV’s behind him did the same.
Nick radioed in from the earpiece and said, “What the hell’s happening?”
Lionel responded with, “Wait a minute. There’s something out there.”
Jerome and Bryce had to lean forward to check the creature that prowled in the bushes. The head of an elk, complete with giant antlers, was fully visible behind the leaves. A more harmless behavior had been expected.
Lionel whispered, “What’s the matter with it?”
Otis let out a soft gasp, like a man awed by his creation. “No
w that is definitely the stuff of nightmares.”
He and the Blackjacks waited for the elk to make its move. It brought itself out of the bushes and began to cross the dirt road in front of Lionel and the others. It wasn’t hard for Lionel to discover why Otis had a particular reaction to one innocent-looking elk. The male dear had over a hundred thin black rods with blue tips sticking out of its own fur. They even grew out of a few sections of the elk’s antlers. They looked like synthetic bristles on a hairbrush. They were flexible. They swung up and down, back and forth, like branches in the wind as the animal sauntered away in a casual manner. They were everywhere on its body.
Otis whispered, “That elk is not alive. He lost his soul when the Pelkitay got to him. He ate the wrong mushrooms, and now he’s a walking zombie. I can’t tell if he knows that he’s infected or not. All I can tell you that he is going to take a walk for a very long time.”
Jerome was interested in one word. “Pelkitay?”
“They’re very dangerous mushrooms. They’ll make you turn into that.”
The infected elk disappeared into the other side of the road and never turned back.
Bryce whispered, “I wonder if we’ll ever find a cure.”
Otis explained, “If the Sharp Claw projects have failed, then there is absolutely no way to create the right medication.”
“In that case, screw it. Let the elk pay for its own mistake.”
Lionel continued on once more. Green Brigalvic had become an anomaly, an almost surreal creation brought on by foolishness. He would have dreaded the mystery that surrounded this nightmarish place. But instead, his sharp focus on the mission never ceased.
11:12 PM
After making his ascent on a hillside, Lionel’s anticipation for the Blackjacks’ primary destination was still charged with curiosity for an unseen force. He only had Artyom Trutnev and the Varivorian Artillery in his thoughts. His mind never shifted toward more trivial things. Otis had grown silent after the encounter with the infected elk. Jerome and Bryce had also decided not to speak. Anything that was considered abnormal would make them gaze out the window. So far, only the Mareekis and the Pelkitay infection provided enough intrigue for the visitors. In the front of the car, the headlights revealed a simple landscape: a large section of the forest free from exotic constructions.
And then, something on the road made Lionel stop the car once more. But this time, instead of an obstruction, a wooden bridge with metal railings lay on the road. It was connected to the edge of a steep cliff. A gorge partially obscured by the darkness lay below the bridge.
Lionel asked, “Is it safe?”
Otis smiled. “I’ve always taken this route. It has never failed me.”
The bridge itself must have been at least three-hundred feet long. It was only wide enough for one automobile to pass through. Upon closer inspection, it also had small holes on the flat wooden surface. Transportation might grow complicated if the Blackjacks weren’t too careful.
Lionel informed the other drivers with his earpiece. “There’s a bridge on the way. Just stay alert and we’ll be fine.”
He took a deep breath as he drove across the bridge at a slow pace. The SUV didn’t shake in a violent manner, though the wooden planks did feel slightly more rugged than the dirt. Lionel made certain to avoid the holes that had formed on the bridge.
Jerome asked, “How deep is the bottom?”
Otis shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps a mile or two.”
“I immediately regret asking.”
Lionel never let go of the steering wheel. “It’s going to be okay.”
Halfway through, however, one of the drivers radioed in. Lionel activated his earpiece to hear that Cliff’s SUV had encountered a problem.
“We’re stuck.”
Lionel had to stop his SUV. He said to his passengers, “Stay here. I’m going to check something out.”
He got out of his SUV and headed for the one in the back.
Nick, the driver of the SUV behind Lionel’s, rolled down his window and asked, “What the hell’s going on?”
Lionel gave a simple answer. “They’re stuck.”
He reached the fourth SUV and found both Cliff and Hector examining the hole that ensnared one of the tires.
Hector had crouched down and aimed a flashlight at the hole. “We’re going to have to push.”
Cliff nodded. “Okay, go right ahead.”
Hector gave him a glance that represented mild annoyance.
Without grabbing hold of the railing, Lionel looked down at the gorge below. It was completely dark with no way of being aware of its depth. From above, the entire landscape seemed quiet and serene. The moon and the headlights were the only radiant beams that gave away their positions in and around the gorge. A cold wind struck Lionel’s skin, which helped him reach a bit of a meditative state for a few seconds.
But then, something on the metal railing brought him back to reality. It appeared to be a small leafless vine that had wrapped itself on the railing. Lionel used his own flashlight to discover that the vine had reached as far away as front of the bridge. On the other end, it was a continuous twine that originated from something on the edge of the steep cliff.
“Cliff, go get Otis.”
Cliff left his SUV as Lionel shined his flashlight at three fallen trees that had been covered in a larger version of the vine on the railing. They had wrapped themselves around the barks like claws. They were so long that they had reached the bridge as a smaller embodiment.
When Otis arrived with Cliff, Lionel asked him about the vines. At first, Otis opened his mouth to say something, but then he caught sight of the metal railing. His eyes widened. And suddenly, Lionel could hear a loud creaking noise from below. One of the wooden planks began to bend upwards. Two more would do the same not long after.
Otis whispered, “Get your teammates off of this bridge now.”
Lionel, Cliff, and Hector stepped back as more wooden planks mimicked the first ones. Kurt and Oswald, the other two Blackjacks in Cliff’s SUV, had already exited the vehicle. Lionel ordered them to back away as well.
The wooden planks burst within seconds. More of the green vines slithered out of the cracks and crawled toward Otis and the Blackjacks.
Lionel yelled, “Run! Everybody out! Get out of here!”
Lionel, Otis, Cliff, Hector, Kurt, and Oswald fled the vines and warned the other Blackjacks to grab their belongings and get out of their vehicles at once. The enormous green vines moved at such a frenetic speed that they had already wrapped around Cliff’s SUV and never let go. They burst through the windows, shattering them right away.
Lionel repeated his order. “Everybody out! Get off this bridge now!”
The Blackjacks jumped out of their vehicles and ran toward the end of the bridge. The vines were almost upon them. As they infiltrated the SUV’s, they also wrapped themselves around the bridge as well. Lionel made sure that he would be the last person to leave the bridge. He hurried his teammates as the vines drew closer. Elliott tripped, but Hector was there to bring him back up in time to make their exit.
Lionel was indeed the last person to leave the bridge. He and the others moved away from the bridge and watched as the vines finished their jobs. The bridge and the automobiles had been seized by the vines, which now tightened their grips. They crushed the SUVs, reducing them to wrecks normally found in a junkyard, and almost kept the bridge in a choking hold. There would be no way for the Blackjacks to retrieve their only transportation.
Otis and the Blackjacks stood on the dirt road as one big group and examined the damage made by these strange vines. Most of them were shaken by this unexpected enemy, but Lionel wasn’t one of them.
He asked Otis, “What do you call that?”
Otis had kept Lanzira’s Diamond in his hands. “Bolvi. One of the deadliest fungi in this forest. They’re fast and relentless. They feast on anything that’s made out of wood.”
Elliott groaned. “What are we g
oing to do now?”
Lionel replied, “We walk from here.”
Jerome made sure that his EMR didn’t have any small vines on it. “Well, I hope this isn’t the only way out of here.”
Lionel led the way. “Everyone make sure you got everything.”
Everyone else followed them as they left behind their SUV’s, which became an artform owing to the fungus that attacked them.
11:36 PM
The fourteen Blackjacks used their flashlights to peek through the darkness. They followed their captain in a single-file line. Otis led them further onto the unpaved road. With everything that happened between the concrete wall and the bridge, everyone had grown more cautious with what they would deal with in the future. If a fungus named Bolvi could terminate four automobiles within seconds, then there would be other things in the forest that would deal the same damage if either curious or provoked.
A distant sound of a twig snapping made several Blackjacks shine their flashlights at the area they believed would conceal a creature intended to hunt in the late night. But they found nothing in the distance.
Lionel asked Otis, “How long until we make it to the caves?”
Otis stayed alongside the captain. “At least a couple of hours or so. But that’s not what we should be worrying about.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not just fungi that are a threat to all of us. Remember what I told you about the carnivorous plants.”
“I wouldn’t forget about that.”
“A Venus Flytrap is an infant compared to these things.”
“Just make sure you point them out so we could stay away.”
Not even a cricket could be heard in the forest. Numerous evergreen trees surrounded the Blackjacks and confined them to a crowded field that could have included anything that only had a human slaughter in mind.
Otis pointed out a pond situated on the right side of the dirt road.
