When Cicadas Stop Crying

Chapter 04 - The Old Man of The Mountain

Boo: "OTOUTO!"
Aqrec: "OWARI! LYS!"

The rope broke and Owari and I fell down into the river. The current was strong. The water was cold, my body was freezing, but I still tried to get out of it. Every time I managed to put my head off the water, I would look around to grab something but also to look for Owari. Our hands let go after falling down into the river. I couldn't find him every time I would look. The storm, the current, nothing was helping. I had enough trouble to avoid rocks but I would still try to call out for him. I couldn't see the others on the shore running, guess it is to be expected considering how strong the water is. Nature was again showing off its supremacy over mankind, I couldn't do anything against it except for struggling. But then I could see Owari's head, he was also trying to keep his head out of the water. I tried to swim towards him.

Lysinaro: "OWARI!"

Owari notices me, I was almost reaching his hand but it was too late to do anything...We were falling again...from a waterfall...

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...Where Am I..?
It...feels...warm...
...What is....that smell..?...It smells like...wood...
I tried opening my eyes...It hurt just to do that...but I needed to know where I was...
After succeeding, I looked at what was right before my eyes...a wooden ceiling.

The whole room was made of woods, I was on a bed, but the room was dark. Well not really dark, it just that...the room was lit by something on the other side of the room. I tried to get out of the bed...Only to have my face meet the ground.

Old Man: "Hey, you should stay in bed, you can barely do anything in that state of yours."

An Old man was in the same room, he walked up to me and put me back in bed. He was quite tall and strong. The man seems to be quite old but yet, you wouldn't want to be on his bad side. He looked like someone that could handle his own in a fight. His eyes were like knives ready to cut anything that would meet their gazes. His beard was well cut and it gave him quite the gentleman aura but also of someone who lusted for blood. Elegant yet intimidating.

Lysinaro: "Thank you...Sir. How...did I...end up here?"
Old Man: "I found you laying on the shore all wet and unconscious. So I guessed that you almost drown from the river. You were still breathing so I took you to my cabin. I changed your clothes and put on you some old clothes of mine and light up the fireplace to warm you."
Lysinaro: "I...don't know how....to show my gratitude.."
Old Man: "By laying down on the bed and rest. If you can't sleep anymore, then tell me how you ended in the river."
Lysinaro: "I....was with some...friends...and the storm...started raging...We crossed...the bridge...but then...OWARI!"
Old Man: "Calm down!"
Lysinaro: "Sir!...Someone else...someone else..."
Old Man: "One of your friends fell into the river as well?"
Lysinaro: "Yes!..Is he also here!?"
Old Man: "..."

The Old Man remained silent as I was scanning the whole room to see where Owari was...but there was no sign of him...

Old Man: "...You were the only one that was on the shore, no sign of your friend...He must have been taken further down the river. He's probably gone now."
Lysinaro: "Noo...that...can't be right...You have to wrong!"

The Old man tried to calm me down, but I couldn't just listen to him and not go look for Owari.

Old Man: "Stop it! I already warned the police that I found you and if you were with other people, then they probably mentioned the second person as well. So the cops are probably looking around for him."

Despite all the will I had to get up and go to look for Owari myself, I could barely even sit. So I had no choice but to lay down and hope that the police will find him soon. Will the shock I didn't notice the bandages on my head.

Old Man: "Oh that? When I found you, it seemed that you hit your head on something, so I put some bandages to avoid any bleeding but you should probably go see a doctor, you might have a concussion."

I laid down and sleep overtook me.
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...
...

"....Lys..."

Is...someone calling me?

"...He...some rest..."

I opened my eyes, and god I wished that I didn't.

Aqrec: "AH, He's awake! Lys! Oh my God! How are you feeling!?"
Sora: "We were so worried!"
Udin: "Are you okay? You look like you got run over by a car driven by someone from your family."
Old Man: "Alright, Let him breathe."
Lysinaro: "I'm okay, guys. Just took a hit on the head it seems."
Boo: "Some people are coming here at the moment, they'll take you to the hospital while the police will still go look for Owari."

We were talking in relief as we got back together after the incident but we were still worried about Owari. All we could do now was to wait and hope. Emergency people came to the old man's cabin to take me to their ambulance and take me to the hospital to check on my head and rest with medical care.

A day already passed with still no sign of Owari...