HIRAYA: The Call for Blood (Untold Stories 2)

04

"While I was cleaning your wound, I found something odd." Ran began to speak as we made our way towards the front deck.

"Would you mind telling me?" I paused for a second and so did he. I stared at him as he crossed his arms and took out a sigh.

He looked at me before he answered. "Well, I saw another mark but it didn't look like a bite." he momentarily uttered and paved his way to look into my arm.

"You're right," I mentioned. "It was not a bite, it was a scratch." I continued to walk to where we were off to.

"A scratch, but did it came from one of those?" he questioned and opened the door that lied ahead of us

As much as I want to contain everything that happened before, I felt the necessity to tell him about it. "Yes," I exhaled upon remembering the thought of it. "Surprisingly, it came from my brother."

"I'm sorry," he responded but I gave him a small smile to counter the surrounding emotions. 

We entered the front deck and we had a view of the unending horizon of the sea. "It's alright, we contained Willard when he turned into one. Somehow, he managed to give me a scratch before..." I blinked twice, having the sudden uneasiness inside me. "Before I killed him,"

I saw Ran nod while he stood beside me. "It's something you have to do, you shouldn't blame yourself."

I placed my hand on the banister-like railings as I feel the brushing of fresh air to my face. "Shouldn't you be disallowing me to roam around these walls? I might turn into one of them any minute from now."

Ran smirked and held on to the railings too. "I doubt, It has been days since you've been bitten. If you're indeed infected then you could have been craving for my flesh already." he always seemed to have a point in everything.

But in that specific second, my mind crawled over the horrors of the possibility that I can be something like them if I don't get myself vigilant. "If I turn... into one of them, promise me you'll end me yourself."

He looked back at me and shook his head as he produced a questioning smile. "I can't do that."

"Ran, please. The least I wanted to do in this world is to hurt someone without any proper cause." I tried to make him believe me but nothing seems to sell off.

He took a second to lick the bottom of his lips. "Don't worry, you won't turn into one of them. I bet my life to it."

I gave up, he's too optimistic to try and look for the difficulties so I tried to let him go on with his point. After a minute of agreement, the ship suddenly went on an irregular course which drove Ran's face to swirl up as he sensed something wrong. 

"Ah," I grunted, my heart immediately raced when the ship rumbled and pushed its momentum to its posterior shape. I almost fell off to ridge but I got to grab the railings, making me stand on my balance. 

"Are you alright?" Ran abruptly asked how I was as he helped me stabilize myself from my odd position.

I gulped. "I am, what was it?"

"I don't know, I think we need to check it out." he replied, as soon as the ship went stable, we decided to go to the engine room to see for ourselves.

Workers who run the ship greeted us halfway as we head to the engine room. They were in mining uniforms and had their protective hats on their heads. They obviously went to tell Ran what happened. They removed their masks and spoke. "Oh, good thing you're here. We were just on our way to fetch you."