LINKAGE (boyxboy)

CHAPTER 25: COURAGE OF ATTITUDE

The bunker was located in a remote area of the capital, not close to any important buildings, neighborhoods and public spaces. It was in a hill next to the shore of an artificial beach. The sand was thin and light, soft at the touch. The liquid water was light blue and beautiful to see, but maybe a bit too cold, and heated artificially as well so it wouldn't turn into ice. A few meters away from the beach, they had one of the seas of Qorjal, frozen by the cold weather. Beyond it, there were high mountains that separated them and the dangerous snowy desert.

Gavin kept looking at the short waves coming around the beach. The sound of it was relaxing. It transferred a calm feeling to his mind that he wanted to be near it all day. The suns were out and about that morning, but unfortunately he wasn't outside the bunker to have a good time at the beach, but curiosity called the trio out that morning.

After the sudden appearance of that woman in front of their bunker, Isaac decided to go outside and see the body closer. By the time they arrived, her face was almost gone, having only the bones visible, but the worms were starting to eat it as well. They saw that her left tight had thousands of tiny holes, as if something cylindrical came from inside her body. The same holes could be found in her right arm. The worms didn't eat that part of her body yet.

"We should burn the body." Lola said, taking a closer look at the disgusting big white worms on the floor. It was also dirty from blood since the guns shot her endlessly, getting some worms killed too. "We may be in trouble if it reproduces quickly." As she finished saying and turned her head to talk with the boys, a bigger worm jumped to Lola's face, in an attempt to bite her, but in high and fast reflexes, Gavin managed to grab it before it touched her skin. Lola breathed hard due to the scare and got up from the floor quickly. "THE FUCK WAS THAT!" She said in between quick breaths.

Gavin held it closer to his face, seeing that it had quite sharp fangs on its round mouth. The consciousness inside the invertebrate only thought about biting something, so even when Gavin held it strongly it didn't give up on trying to attack. "Great catch." Isaac said, taking a closer look as well. "I will grab a bottle of ieohos. Stay away from it." He left to search for the corrosive liquid he just mentioned. It was a powerful acid strong enough to burn an entire human body. In some amounts, it could burn the bones as well.

"Thanks, Gav. But wow, it's so surprising something like this knocking at our door." She said ironically. Gavin still held the worm in his hand, and the thing was struggling trying to get out of the grip.

"It is disgusting. My hand is wet from that liquid it has. The smell is terrible too." He said looking in disdain at it, counting the seconds to Isaac come back.

When he returned, a metallic bottle of the acid was in his hands. He managed to pour it in the whole body, emanating a smoke right when the skin got in contact with the liquid. The worms made thin and irritating noises as it burned them. Isaac motioned for Gavin to throw the one he held into the body. "Pour it in my hand."

"Are you insane?" Lola said. She wasn't aware that Gavin held a great resistance over corrosive liquids and other chemicals. "Isaac, don't do it."

"No, it is fine." Isaac said, pouring the acid over Gavin's hand. The worm melted almost instantly, while the skin of Gavin remained untouched. "Yesterday his finger bones were almost visible due to radiation. Today it looks like nothing happened."

Her mouth was shaped like an O perfectly. Lola only believed it because she was witnessing with her own eyes and smart conscience, because if she didn't, she never would believe a human hand resisted to the touch of an acid like ieohos. "You're really the son of Chemeris." She said, still sounding very surprised.

"Isaac said literally the same thing." Gavin said, shaking his hand in the air so the sticky liquid the worm left in his skin could dissipate somehow. "I'll go inside to clean my hand." Both Isaac and Lola nodded at Gavin and watched him get into the bunker again.