The Beginning

Chapter 38

The rumbling first started while she was sleeping.

Comfortable in her moss blanket, Sam was woken up by a faint rumbling coming from outside the camp. Naturally curious, she sat up and turned toward Carlos. His mouth was wide open, his snores echoing throughout the den. Sam nudged him, and he sat up. "Ididn'tknowitwasvaluablepleasedon'thurtme!" he blurted out in a rush. He noticed her there and frowned at her. "I was having a good sleep, if you didn't wake me up."

"Did you hear that?" she said.

"How could I not? It was so strong that I felt it under me."

"Should we go check it out?"

"Do you really need to ask that?" Carlos flung off his blanket and stood up. "Of course we should."

Making sure that no Catwings were out, Sam crept toward the entrance, checking to see if Carlos was behind her. When he gave her a thumbs up, she looked forward and continued walking until she saw a huge crack in the ground. "What the hell IS that?"

Carlos came up to it. "I don't know, but it seems like this is the place where the rumbling came from." As soon as he finished talking, a blue light emit from the crack, casting an eerie glow on Carlos' face. "Isn't this the place where Jhaufyther retreated?" Carlos asked.

Sam nodded. "It is," she replied. "But... only Clauchice can create earthquakes, right?"

"Unless if Jhaufyther's underground. Didn't the Book say that Jhaufyther is more powerful than his siblings COMBINED?"

"You're right. Which means that since he's underground, he somehow got the power to create earthquakes?"

"He did. It's weird, though. It's almost like he's trying to communicate with us," Carlos said.

The ground rumbled again, the blue light glowing more. "The timing is what freaks me out," Sam said.

I didn't think that my sadness would affect the earth, a voice observed.

"Jhaufyther, is that you?" Sam asked.

The voice paused. NOO, it's a magical rock, the voice snapped. What do you think?

"Yeah, it's definitely him," Carlos confirmed.

Anyway, Jhaufyther went on. There's something that I have to tell you, although I don't think you would feel... right.

"Feel right?" Carlos frowned. "What do you mean?"

Here's the thing about these earthquakes: they may trigger a specific, deadly explosion that MAY release a chemical. I forget what it's called, but I do know it can kill you when you even come into CONTACT with it.

Sam felts chills down her spine. "Wait, are you talking about-"

"Radium," Carlos finished for her. "I didn't know it came from.. from that."

It originated when the first One was contaminated, Jhaufyther admitted. So, if you think about it...

"The virus that contaminates the old Ones is also in the radium," Carlos said. "No wonder radium is so deadly."

"It's filled with an ancient virus known to make zombie likes creatures," Sam realized. "Are you planning to-"

Jhaufyther sighed. No, I'm not planning to wipe out every human on every continent and country. I'm just saying that the radium is going to be leaked due to these unnatural earthquakes.

"Oh god," Carlos said. "So all of those traces of radium found in random places has been caused by earthquakes?"

I know it's hard to wrap your finger around, Jhaufyther said. But it couldn't be more true.