Kismet (Book One - Completed)

Chapter 12: Complete Meltdown

Chapter 12: Complete Meltdown

[Meanwhile in Merdice]

"What is the situation right now?" The Village Chief asked the guard as he patched up the barrier.

"We are fearing for the worst. The Vice-Chief has collapsed, water is rushing into the tunnel because of the heavy rain and our barrier is breaking apart." The guard said.

The Village Chief was a stout and burly-looking man who lifted heavy materials on occasion. He was doing his best to stem out the disaster by reinforcing their barrier with wood. "I heard that our workers are setting up the second pulley system." He grunted as he lifted up the extra wood.

"Well, Sir..." The guard stuttered in hesitation. "I think that you should take a look at it yourself."

"Shall we?" The Chief said. The two of them walked up to the ledge, where workers had set up a pulley system that would transport the remaining people up the drop. A number of families had arrived at the waterfall, anxiously waiting for the crate to descend. By now, the water level has risen beyond their chest. Mixed emotions such as trepidation and anxiety underscored everyone's mood as they were all eager to secure their lives. Some villagers took matters into their own hands by climbing up the drop.

"The last crate shattered and fell apart when we threw it down. I hope that the new crate will not fail us this time." The guard informed the Chief as they watched several workers chipping and hammering wood. With skilled handiwork, they nailed several board pieces together in succession and built a crate.

"We are ready, throw it over the drop!" The workers yelled as they carried the crate and threw it down. They looked on as the chains of the pulley slid down the drop. Their grime-covered faces showed pessimism.

"They look tired." The Chief commented.

"Sir, they have not rested for hours." The guard reminded him.

The wooden crate that was built for four plopped into the pool beneath it and disintegrated into pieces. As it sank into the waters below, bubbles surfaced.

"It...it failed!" One of the workers shouted, "The crate has been swept away!"

"What...what are we going to do?" "Who is going to save us?" "Have they run out of solutions?" "They are going to abandon us and leave the village..." The people were questioning whether all of them would be saved. Eventually, rumours that Oliver had abandoned them began to surface.

"Oliver said that he would save us." "But I can't see him anywhere." "Where did he go?"

The villagers looked at their surroundings hopelessly. Even the first pulley was on its last legs. Right then, without warning, the first crate fell into the waters and broke into different parts.

Without the crate, it was almost certain that some of them would not be able to escape from the rising waters. Desperate, many dug their nails into the nearest edge they could find and resorted to climbing the drop themselves. The Chief overlooked the scene in a sombre mood.

"We should not have trusted Oliver! Where is he?!"

"Now that the village is in this state, we have to survive on our own."

Striding up to the ledge, the Chief addressed the crowd below the waterfall. "Everyone, please calm down. Our workers will be looking into the problem soon. Right now, we must do what we can and put our trust in Oliver." He said. Even the Chief doubted his own words. A workman rushed up to him with a piece of news.

"Chief! Chief! We have an emergency. There are monsters appearing in the western part of the cavern and they are attacking Oliver's barrier. We need extra barrels to keep them in."