CHAPTER 10 : I’M COMING FOR YOU

Lev looks toward the tent one more time before he carries backpack on his shoulder. Khisima leaves no one, except himself, and tearing up whole thing besides canned food that still stored in Samsudin's bag.

He had taken some of them and put it into his own, including medical equipment, compass, GPS meter, folding knives, some clothes, coats, and water supplies. He didn't forget to take cleaver that hides under Samsudin's bed roll also. Looks like the guide has no time to take his weapon…maybe Khisima strike him first…

Just like he thinks...well-built muscle, first prey…

He shouldn't let Jaka Hardiman, Samsudin, and Ridwan rotting among the ruins…he should've been buried them at first….but he won't waste the time loosing Vianka, which become he's primary goal to come to this place. If she still alive he will not let Khisima, who has slid down to the bottom of the valley, found his sister and eat her.

Lev took a deep breath, looking at the view of the green valley that began to show its landscape under the sun that awake from dusk. Indention of this valley similar to the dents of the river that almost made Vianka drowned. If he succeeds to save Vianka at the river, he hopes he could do the same this time.

He doesn't know whether he must be happy or sad because his hunch was right at last. But one thing for sure, sign was clear from the beginning, as clear as Vianka's cries, which he heard few hours ago. There's no illusion can shows Khisima's figure and loud screams that was echoing throughout the dale into something real. Surely she's alive. If he failed to find her before, doesn't mean the girl is dead. This time he should look more closely.

Lev mumbled before holding on the rope that'll help him to went down the cliff once again, "I'm coming to pick you up ..."

Lev started to tread the rock on the cliff inch by inch, while holding rope with solid grip he try to remember what they did in the previous ascent, remembering what supposed to be done and what's not. He recalls Samsudin's advice which turned out to be useful to guide him on this solo climbing, though Samsudin saying it in a rough way. The most important it's not intention…but to cast out all his fear…

Climbing down this hill has no different from what he, and Vianka, did when they're down to that river. Cold air that rushing around and blows along the rocks remind him of the breeze and cold water of the stream when his feet get in to it. Hissing weeds also remind him at the same plants that grow on river bank.

At that time Vianka smiled at him, feeling joy for the water when it touched her body after she followed his request to get down to the river, giggle when Lev sprays her face with water then splashing each other up. They had fun time together, forgetting almost everything, and imperceptibly Vianka had gone too far to the middle of the river, lost her step, and drowned in the depth when streams pull her under firmly until it drags her into dangerous path that couldn't bring her back without help from others.

Defeating his fear, Lev began to cross the river's depth. That wasn't easy considering he just adept to swimming, not to mention the river stream that able to defeat child strength. It's exactly like he does today, novice climber without even had many experienced but combating the entire obstacle insides to do this climbing alone, on his mission going down there to rescue Vianka. He was her guardian…her rescuer...still is until now...

The guy unhooking rope from waist belt and takes cleaver out from its place. Sunlight that goes through the leaves reflecting beams from its body, and it also became a guidance to start looking. Lev's eye swept the entire neighborhood but hasn't found Khisima's body. Whistle and flapping wings from the bird that flies above his head kills the silence of the woods. He walks slowly until he arrived among the wreckage. He's tightening his grip on the machete's handle, ready to slash anything that came near him, especially that monster if he suddenly appeared from nowhere and attacked.

There's no strange movement or sound so far. Part of this forest really peaceful one but it's too quite…and the quietness is weird. Nothing heard…like there's no living thing could live surround the areas…seems like something scary was demolished all of them who dares to showing themselves there. No wonder, the hair behind his neck start to tingling and he feel like he's being observed…not sure if this feeling caused by the spirits of the victims or the killer monster who probably has been waiting for him to be careless and pierced at the right time and the right place.

"Talk to me, Vianka ..." Lev hissed.

He only wants to find Vianka immediately, give her help that necessary, and back to the top of this cliff so they could leaves this terrible place as soon as possible.

The first dew makes grass on the ground moister this morning. The fragrance expels a stench that arises from decomposition of uncollected human organ that left here to be rotten. He made circular motion to search the whole area, unaware that he already walks twenty meters away around the crash site, but he keeps on going and looking with high alert for Khisima's threat.

An hour of search and he goes further into deepest part of the forest until the wreckage was seen no more. At side of this woods his machete became useful, he used it to cut down bushes twig that's so thick and confining the course. In the midst of frustration, thinking his search will ended in failure, once again, Lev found something that certainly derived from civilization.

A piece of scrapped of Verlando's fabric from blue-white's uniform…the uniform of CHANNEL 7's employee…the uniform that always wears by Vianka when she's on duty…same uniform she'd wore on the day of the accident. The fabric lies among bushes branch, waiting to be found, and it may show the same condition of its owner right now, almost giving up to survive in the middle of the place that nearly strange to her.

There might be someone who passed through this bush, and he hopes its Vianka!

Suddenly he hears a roar…a tiger's roar…

Could it be Khisima who manage to escape from this height?

The tiger's roar followed by a faint cry which makes him shudder if he heard it in the middle of the night. But this is a daytime, it's impossible for ghost to showing up their nose under the glare of sunlight, unless they want to melt like oversleeps vampire. In the other hand, that cry…obviously was cries of a girl.

He rushed to the direction of the sound that came from three o'clock of his position. He runs and swung his machete to clear the branch which slapped his face and feet over and over again. Didn't care about the pain at his face due by slaps, he continues to run. Swing his legs quickly…leaving cracking sound from the trampling twig or dried pinecone...he hear the roars echoes once again…but this time is weaker than ever.

He stops running when he finally came to the place where the sounds came from. Up ahead stood a rows of hill with a chest-high of height that covered by moss and ferns. Ancient stones and roots by the size of two times of his thighs forms unite contour. A cross between rocks and roots established wide cranny which could be use by Khisima to hide and wait for him.

He realized it could be ideal place to attack, not just because of the cranny but also a waist-high grass surrounds, which grows higher than same plant at the crash site so it's make the tiger couldn't be seen when its crawl.

The situation around him turns to silence…no roars…cries…even bird peeping.

He looked around…dazed…fully aware…and his breath punched in madness…

The guy moving forward slowly, aware of possibility being attacked in a sudden, and stepping his leg unexpectedly on something soft…something that wasn't a mound of dirt or mud. He opens the covering thatch and his heart sunk when he found some limbs of human leg lying down there…right under his foot…which made him raised his leg spontaneously.

That limb comes from a left leg. Slash by rough cuts on the edge and leaving a torn flesh and skin. Whoever lost a leg in such condition must felt a great pain now. Most of the limb blackened…charred…but the other part, which not burns, already consumed by animal or decomposed microbial, sustaining terrible smell. That leg was wrapped in dark-red sneakers. The shoes he'd bought for Vianka two months ago. How can't he remember? In the morning of that tragic day she shows it off before leaving the house. Saying that she finally uses it on special occasion, which is Sukhoi's trial flight.

"Vianka…" Lev shouts.

Silence ... Lev ears wide opens...try to catch the slightest sound he could be.

"Viaaannnkkaaa...where are you?" he shouts once more.

"Lev?" the answer is soft, almost whispering, but in the quietness like these a sound of dropping pin will blows like thunderbolt.

"VIIAANNKKAAA ..."

"LEEEVV ..."

The next answer is clearer and precise. It came from his right, under the roots of acacia which standing close, almost choking each other. He put aside the roots and it isn't hard as it seems. The roots moved to insides easily, seems fragile, and it's obviously been pushed by something or someone that came here first. The forms can't be hidden.

He swung the machete several times to get rid of the disturbing roots and plants until the dark hole appears in front of him five minutes later. That hole is big enough to enter by two adult men, especially for a skinny girl, but it wasn't meant for a predator with a monstrous size like Khisima. She'll have his credits if she picks this place as a refuge, which made him believe that he's in the right directions.

Vianka should be down there….

Without a doubt he turned on the flashlight and crawl into it. Smells in the tunnel was stuffy, but the warmth makes Lev knew why snake or rabbit choose to live and build their nest underground. Dampness ground had soiling his clothes. The tunnel's narrowed even further but he's not stopping, especially when he heard the sobbing…it's not loud…but quite clear to guide him forward. He crawl…move forward…again…it's almost there…then finally…

"Vianka…" he yells as he wasn't expecting things like these could happen.

His torch flashing at the deepest recesses and ended to a crumpled face that masked with dirt and blood. A pair of eyes that are usually polished with a liner are swollen and couldn't barely to blink. Her chick which usually dusted with beauty powder scarred with a rough stroke like scrap on the field. Lips that usually covered with lipstick had also peeling from dehydration. The hair that usually dyed in gold or brown is lost in part due to the burned, leaving some permanent baldness. She's terrible!

"Lev ..." Vianka replies, with unbelief feeling that's greater than Lev's had.

The guy couldn't hold his tears…bursting all happiness in his heart when he hugs the girl…Vianka…I finally found you…