Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 100: Whirlpool, Giant Python
A fireball plunged into the current, instantly blasting the calm water’s surface open. Water sprayed everywhere, and some of it landed in the back of the kayak. Ronan Kendrick was paddling fast, but even at a time like this, he didn’t forget to turn and push Evelyn Ford down onto the kayak to shield her from the shock of the waves.
Evelyn Ford clutched the kayak with one hand, while her other arm held Mina and Lola tightly to her chest.
BANG! The water’s surface exploded again, and this time, it actually began to burn, the fire tinged with blue.
Evelyn Ford felt a wave of heat, and at that exact moment, the kayak passed through a small cavern and entered the next tributary.
"Ronan, there’s something moving under the water."
Ronan Kendrick had clearly noticed, but he remained perfectly calm, his paddling steady and even.
"There’s something in the water."
’Something?’
As Evelyn Ford was pondering what he meant by ’something’, the disturbance in the water intensified, forming what seemed to be a whirlpool ready to suck them and the kayak in.
Evelyn Ford wanted to remove the black cloth over her eyes, but they ached too much to open, so she had to leave it on.
"Hold on tight," Ronan Kendrick said calmly. He immediately changed direction, intending to paddle against the whirlpool’s current.
Evelyn Ford grabbed the hem of his shirt with one hand, a gun in the other, ready to act at a moment’s notice.
’I can’t see, but I’m not deaf. I can use the sound to pinpoint the danger.’
Evelyn Ford pressed her body as flat against the kayak as she could to reduce drag. Water slapped against her and the boat—PATTER PATTER—and the nauseating, fishy smell of the dense fog wafted over.
The pull of the whirlpool was immense, as if there were a black hole beneath them.
BANG! The kayak shot into the air, flying more than ten meters forward. But in that same instant, it suddenly exploded. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick were thrown into the water at different spots. Evelyn tied the cloth bag shut and slung it around her neck. The moment she hit the water, she began swimming forward rapidly. She heard Ronan calling for her.
Evelyn Ford shouted back, confirming his position.
A powerful suction pulled at her from behind. Evelyn Ford regretted not having bought an Eagle Claw Hook.
The stone walls on either side of the river were smooth and slick with moisture, making them impossible to climb. All they could do was keep swimming forward.
Taking out another kayak now would be pointless; it would only get caught in the pull.
Her clothes were already soaked. Evelyn Ford decisively shed her jacket. She was a fast swimmer, and Ronan Kendrick quickly reached her side, pulling her in front of him.
The two didn’t waste time on words; they could only swim forward with all their might.
After swimming about thirty meters, they had finally left the whirlpool behind. But before they could even catch their breath, a new disturbance stirred beneath them.
Evelyn Ford heard an unusual sound. She suddenly recalled Ronan Kendrick telling her about a giant, hibernating python in these mountains.
"A snake."
They both said it at the same time. Evelyn Ford held her breath, trying to pinpoint the snake’s location by sound. Ronan Kendrick, however, didn’t dwell on it, simply continuing to pull her along as he swam forward.
He had taken the cloth bag from her and was now balancing it on his head. Even in such a crisis, he hadn’t abandoned her, nor had he abandoned the two little ones. A wave of complex emotions washed over Evelyn Ford.
’And to think I’d wanted to kill him so many times before. I was the one being narrow-minded.’
"I’m hungry." Just then, Ronan Kendrick suddenly blurted this out of nowhere. Evelyn Ford didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"I’m hungry too."
GULP. She swallowed a mouthful of filthy water, and a sharp, choking pain seared through her insides.
COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH... Retch...
Evelyn Ford’s face was pale. The black cloth over her eyes had been washed away, revealing swollen, bloodshot eyeballs. Her vision was blurry and her eyes ached intensely. Coughing and retching, she was a complete and utter mess.
Just then, Ronan Kendrick’s hand suddenly reached over and pressed on her stomach. Guessing he was trying to help, Evelyn Ford didn’t struggle. Ronan pressed down hard twice, and she spat out the foul water she had swallowed.
"Thanks," Evelyn Ford said, her voice hoarse. From the cold, her skin was already starting to turn purplish-blue.
"Don’t let go."
Ronan Kendrick heaved her onto his back again. Evelyn Ford clung to him tightly, her hand brushing against the cloth bag tied to his head. The two little ones inside were still alive.
A powerful pressure wave slammed into them. Evelyn Ford’s expression changed. "Snake to the right! It’s about to surface!"
Evelyn Ford raised her gun, put on her night-vision goggles, and blinked hard. Her vision was still blurry, but she could faintly make out a wavy shape.
"There’s a small stone ledge up ahead."
Ronan Kendrick abruptly changed direction. At that moment, the force surged from the water again with overwhelming power. A giant tail swung around, coiling around them both. Evelyn Ford instantly pulled the trigger. BANG! She missed. The bullet glanced off the black scales on the snake’s underbelly and embedded itself in the stone wall opposite.
"Give it to me." Ronan Kendrick held out his hand, and Evelyn Ford passed him the gun.
The snake’s tail tightened around them, slamming Evelyn Ford’s body against the stone wall before she fell heavily back into the water. The searing pain of the impact made her lose her grip on Ronan Kendrick. As she hit the water, her limbs went numb and she started to sink. Ronan had already resurfaced and was opening fire, battling the giant python.
Evelyn Ford swallowed another mouthful of filthy water. She struggled to the surface and pressed herself against the stone wall, pulling out her crossbow. She was more adept with it anyway.
Just then, the giant python’s head emerged from the water. This python was twice the size of the one Evelyn Ford had killed back at Prosperity Gardens. Its black scales shimmered, and when it opened its mouth to hiss, four rows of terrifying teeth were revealed.
The snake’s tail lashed out again. Evelyn Ford barely dodged, but it still slapped against her back. The searing pain only made her more alert.
"Ronan, I have a way to kill it."
Evelyn Ford pulled out a case of gas canisters—there were twelve inside. When Ronan Kendrick swam over, she shoved the case, the crossbow, and a lighter into his hands.
"Light one and throw it in its mouth."
Ronan Kendrick took them, but with his other hand, he lifted Evelyn Ford and threw her.
"You go on ahead."
Evelyn Ford... ’How am I supposed to go anywhere when I can barely see?’
But she did as she was told and left without a shred of hesitation.
Evelyn Ford swam a short distance and faintly saw a larger stone ledge. She quickly scrambled onto it. From behind her came the sound of several massive explosions. Evelyn Ford dropped down and covered her ears.
After a long time, Evelyn Ford slowly rose to her feet.
"Ronan? Ronan!" Evelyn Ford called out several times but got no response. Her heart sank. She had a bad feeling.
She collapsed onto the stone ledge, her eyes staring lifelessly at the surface of the water.
Retch... A wave of nausea churned in her stomach, and Evelyn Ford threw up nothing but sour bile.
Her shoes had been torn off in the water, and she was left wearing only her form-fitting thermal wear, which was now sopping wet and dripping.
Evelyn Ford felt her limbs begin to go numb, and a sharp pain began to pound inside her skull like a hammer.
"Are you hurt?" A voice came from her left. Evelyn Ford immediately whipped her head toward the sound.
"Ronan?"
"It’s me."
"You’re alive?"
"Yeah."
