As Princess Natalia's meeting continued on the upper rock surface, Mother Veny, Mother Julia, and the others reached one of the entrances leading down to the underground area. The passage loomed before them, welcoming them in dim light as if the shadows themselves were hungry. It stood as a gateway into the depths of the 5th Rock District, promising secrets and dangers unknown.
Miss Eva met up with them there, accompanied by Lurvi and Tyra. The two animals floated beside her, their presence offering small comfort in the increasingly tense atmosphere. Together, the group descended into the underground passages, their footsteps echoing against cold stone walls that seemed to press in from all sides.
As they made their way deeper, they spotted 4th Rock Leader Mikaela approaching from the opposite direction with Miss Phoebe at her side. The leader's sharp red glasses glinted in the dim light, catching what little illumination existed in these depths. Her expression remained as serious and commanding as ever, radiating authority with every measured step.
They decided to follow Mikaela and her companion back to the temporary base that had been set up in the underground area. Once they arrived at the makeshift headquarters, the conversation began in earnest. The space felt cramped despite its size, filled with equipment and supplies hastily arranged.
"Hmm, Mikaela, why are you coming back already?" Mother Veny asked curiously, her brow furrowing with immediate concern. "Did something happen to Zack?"
4th Rock Leader Mikaela removed her glasses and turned to face them, she explained calmly what had transpired during their mission, her voice explaining everything in controlled calm manner, she recounted the events piece by piece.
"Oh, Zack seemed to pull it off at the nick of time," Mother Julia said with a relieved smile spreading across her face. She thought fondly of the young man, pride warming her chest as she imagined how he must have handled the situation.
"What happened exactly? Are they okay?" Mother Veny pressed, her voice trembling slightly with motherly concern. Her hands clasped together tightly, knuckles whitening as anxiety betrayed her outward composure.
"Hmm, don't worry. I already got the news. They're fine," 4th Rock Leader Mikaela explained, waving off the concern with a slight gesture. "Everything went according to plan, more or less."
"Sighhh..." Mother Veny exhaled deeply, her shoulders sagging with relief before she straightened up again with renewed determination. A fire kindled in her eyes. "Our kids are doing so much out there. Now it's their mothers' time to do something for them!" She pumped her fist in the air enthusiastically, her beautiful dress swishing around her as she moved.
"Yes, yes! We can't be left behind!" the 2nd and 3rd husbands of Mother Isafold exclaimed together, matching her enthusiasm with eager grins that split their faces. Their voices rang out in unison, filled with the fiery spirit that seemed contagious.
"Yes! I want to help too!" Miss Eva spoke up, her voice carrying firm determination. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her whole-body tense with the need to contribute something meaningful.
"LURRR! TTYYRRR!" Both animals floated around excitedly, bobbing up and down in the air as if feeding off the group's collective energy. Their cheerful sounds echoed through the underground chamber, bouncing off stone walls.
The two maids and the butler who had accompanied them also nodded their agreement, their faces set with quiet resolve. They stood at attention, ready to follow wherever their madam led them, prepared for whatever lay ahead.
"Ah, about that..." Mikaela's voice cut through the enthusiasm like a blade through silk. Her troops slowly gathered behind her, forming an imposing wall of trained soldiers. 4th Rock Leader Mikaela wore her glasses again, adjusting them with practiced precision while looking at the eager people with her sharp gaze. "You guys don't have to go. Me and my troops are free, so we'll handle this. There's no need to risk the lives of civilians."
Her voice shifted, becoming more commanding as she addressed them directly, each word weighted with her authority.
"We thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to us!"
Hearing this, everyone whose eyes had been burning with fiery determination suddenly dimmed down instantly. The energy in the space plummeted, enthusiasm draining away as if someone had pulled a plug.
"Huh? What are you saying, Mikaela? We came here to do something, not just turn around and go back!" Mother Veny's frustration bubbled over, spilling out in raised volume. Her voice rose with indignation, cheeks flushing with emotion.
"Miss Veny, I appreciate your enthusiasm," Mikaela replied, her sharp gaze penetrating Veny's eyes with unwavering intensity. "But can you take responsibility if something happens to them? Can you guarantee their safety down here?"
"Agh! Grr..." Mother Veny bit her lip, struggling to find a counter-argument. Her mind raced, searching desperately for some solution that would allow them to help without putting innocents at risk. Finally, she sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping. "Fine….. The people from Oliver's house can go back. They've already helped us enough."
"Miss!!" The two maids and butler spoke together, clearly wanting to protest, to do something more. But they stopped themselves after seeing the determination in Mother Veny's eyes, recognizing the wisdom in the decision even as disappointment washed over their faces.
"Veny is right. You guys shouldn't risk yourselves," the 2nd husband spoke in a calm, warm tone that somehow made the rejection easier to bear. "We don't know how it went for Gracie, so you should go back and check on her. Don't worry about anything here. We'll handle it."
The others nodded in agreement, adding their voices to his. The Oliver household people departed reluctantly, their heads bowed low as they gave everyone a deep, respectful bow before turning away. Their footsteps grew fainter as they headed back toward the surface, dejection written in every line of their retreating forms. The sound of their departure seemed to echo longer than it should have.
"Umm, Veny, let me help," Miss Eva spoke up in a low voice, her face creased with genuine concern. She stepped forward, her eyes pleading with quiet intensity. "I'm indebted to Sasha and Zack. Let me help, please!"
Mother Veny glanced over at Mikaela, who was busy assigning positions to her troops, barking orders with military precision. Each command was sharp, efficient, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Suddenly, Veny's face lit up with a mischievous smile. An idea had struck her with the force of revelation. She walked forward confidently and called out, "Oye, Mikaela! Come here!"
"Huh?"
The troops suddenly shook together as one, a collective shudder running through the assembled soldiers. Their eyes darted around nervously, looking to their fellow comrades for support. Without speaking aloud, panicked thoughts could almost be heard echoing between them through their mental training.
What the fuck? Are we going to die!? One man's eyes went wide with terror, the whites showing stark in the dim light.
Hey, our number comes afterwards. First, she's going to die! Who is she, and how can she speak to our leader like that!? A woman trembled in fear, her hands shaking at her sides.
Relax, guys. Don't forget your training!!! Start your mind punishment exercises so that when the time comes, we'll feel less pain. A bald man closed his eyes tightly and began to pray silently. Slight tears rolled down his cheeks as he prepared himself for the inevitable.
As the comrades showed various expressions of barely contained panic, 4th Rock Leader Mikaela turned around slowly. Without any change in her expression, she glared at Mother Veny with cold eyes. But she didn't say a single word, the silence itself felt threatening for others but not our her!!
Mother Veny just smiled sweetly, completely unfazed by the intimidating display. She walked closer until she was standing right in front of Mikaela, then brought her face close and whispered something softly in the leader's ear while putting her hands on her shoulder casually. The words were too quiet for anyone else to hear, meant only for Mikaela's ears.
"GAAHHHH!!!! WE'RE DEAD! WE'RE DEAD! HOW CAN SHE BE SO DARING AS TO GET THAT CLOSE TO OUR LEADER!? WE ARE SO DEAD!!!!" A woman looked up desperately, as if seeking divine intervention, but only the cold rock surface of the underground ceiling could be seen above.
SIGHHH... IT WAS A GOOD TIME WITH YOU GUYS. LET'S MEET IN HEAVEN OR HELL. A man smiled peacefully, accepting his fate with calm resignation, his face taking on an almost serene quality.
IT LOOKS LIKE MY LIFE IS FLASHING BEFORE MY EYES. I REMEMBER ONCE A FELLOW COMRADE DARED TO PUT HIS ARM ON HER SHOULDER... SIGHHH, I CAN STILL HEAR HIS SCREAMS ECHOING IN MY NIGHTMARES. Another man raised his hand in the air, reaching for something only he could see, lost in traumatic memories.
Mother Veny backed up carefully, still smiling with satisfaction. She turned away gracefully and walked off happily, practically skipping in her beautiful dress as if she hadn't just committed what the troops considered a death sentence. Her movements were light, carefree, utterly confident.
Complete silence fell over the group for a full minute. The soldiers stood frozen behind their leader, waiting tensely for something terrible to happen. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.
"You guys help them around," 4th Rock Leader Mikaela finally spoke in a calm voice, breaking the oppressive silence. She turned around to face her troops, her expression as serious as always behind her red glasses. Her tone shifted to full command mode. "MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO THEM. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THESE CIVILIANS, I WILL KILL YOU FIRST!"
She roared the last part, her voice cracking like a whip and jolting the shocked troops out of their frozen state. They hurriedly scrambled into action, desperate to follow orders without question.
SAFE!!!
NO, WE'RE NOT!!!
YES, THE FACT THAT SHE'S CALM IS TERRIFYING! MAYBE I SHOULD OFFER MY HEAD NOW, THEN I'LL FEEL CALMER!
WHO IS SHE? DOES ANYONE KNOW?
HOW THE FUCK WOULD WE KNOW? MAYBE THE SENIORS HAVE A CLUE. WE NEWBIES SHOULD JUST SHUT UP AND FOLLOW HER ORDERS!
The mental chatter continued as the troops organized themselves, still reeling from the shock of what they'd witnessed.
"Aah, Miss Phoebe, thank you so much for helping my Zack," Mother Veny approached the other woman and bowed deeply, her voice warm with genuine gratitude.
"Oh, Miss Veny, don't worry about it," Miss Phoebe replied, shaking herself out of the daze she'd fallen into while watching the bizarre exchange. "That guy cured me, so it's okay. I was just returning the favor." She paused, then asked a bit meekly, her voice uncertain, "By the way, has the Princess's meeting started yet?"
"Huh? Probably yes. It should be going on right about now," Mother Veny replied thoughtfully, her head tilting slightly. "Why do you ask? Did you have to attend it?"
"No, no! I don't want to!" Phoebe said quickly, waving her hands in front of her as if physically pushing the idea away. "I can't stand those Crown people attitudes. Their faces aren't even real….. Everyone wears a mask up there. I never really liked gatherings with those double-standard people!" She looked around with growing enthusiasm, her earlier hesitation melting away completely. "I just asked because my husband went there. If it's running late, I can hang around more here. Hehe, I don't know what's going on exactly, but all this seems pretty interesting!"
"Same, Miss Phoebe! I also never liked going to those kinds of gatherings," Miss Eva spoke up, connecting with the sentiment immediately. The two women looked at each other with understanding, finding common ground.
"SIGHHH!!" Then they both sighed in perfect unison and smiled. A small wave of laughter ran among them, breaking the lingering tension that had settled over the group.
"Please, call me Phoebe," the woman said warmly, extending her hand.
"Sure! Let's be friends!" Eva replied with genuine happiness, taking the offered hand.
"Hehe, it feels like our group is getting bigger. I'm so happy!" Veny chimed in, her eyes sparkling with delight at the forming bonds.
The three ladies smiled and talked casually among themselves, waiting for the troops to finish preparing for the search. A sense of camaraderie began to bloom between them. Miss Phoebe told them about Zack and others on how they achieved their mission to take the notebook away, the ladies listened carefully taking note of the two girls beside Zack who helped him tremendously...
"Phoebe, you take a rest and let us do the work," Miss Eva offered kindly, noticing the slight exhaustion evident in the other woman's posture.
"Oh, thanks! I really don't want to go on another adventure today," Miss Phoebe said casually, stretching her arms. "My whole body still aches from all that moving around earlier."
She stretched her sore muscles with a small grimace. Her massive, heavy frame shifted as she moved, making onlookers wonder how she ever found the energy to be so active in the first place.
"Ara, aren't you a jolly girl?" Mother Veny teased playfully, her tone light. "You should be like me! Such a slim, sexy beauty who can work around the whole day and still not get tired. You rich ladies are lacking in everything!" She smiled proudly, flaunting her slender figure with exaggerated poses that bordered on comical.
"Oh my, but you clearly lack something, Veny dear," Miss Phoebe and Miss Eva responded in unison, their eyes twinkling mischievously. "Even your wife Julia is bigger than you! I think you're in the minority here." They both flaunted their own more generous figures, emphasizing their ample curves with playful gestures.
TWITCH! TWITCH!
Mother Veny's eye twitched in annoyance. She looked back at Julia, who was walking toward Mikaela. Her wife's huge, muscular back and tight well-formed bottom were undeniably impressive, the kind of physique that could make any person weak in the knees just by checking her out.
"Grr! Whatever! I don't care. My husband is crazy about me! Humph!" Veny crossed her arms defensively, pouting slightly with exaggerated indignation.
"Hehehe!" The ladies laughed together, enjoying the light-hearted banter. They continued talking and teasing each other, the warmth of their friendship growing with each passing moment.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, the 3rd husband of Isafold yawned widely and asked, "Why are we even here?" He put his arm casually on his companion's shoulder, his posture slouched with boredom.
"Don't slouch. Stand properly," the 2nd husband spoke with a frown, clearly disapproving of such poor posture in a serious situation.
"Hey, hey, don't be so serious all the time," the 3rd husband smiled lovingly and ruffled his hair affectionately, trying to lighten the mood.
Everyone talked for a bit longer, the atmosphere becoming more relaxed despite the dangerous mission ahead. Treating each civilian as a VIP, the troops carefully gathered around them in protective formations and led them away from the temporary base, heading deeper into the underground passages. Their footsteps echoed in the darkness ahead.
.
.
"Sigghhh..." 4th Rock Leader Mikaela sat down heavily in a chair and ordered one of her senior officers in a tired voice, "Go and keep a lookout outside at every entrance for any more of these stupid people. If anyone comes or if there's any trouble, send them here immediately."
"Good work, weak lady," Mother Julia came over and sat down beside her with a teasing warm smile playing at her lips.
"Hey, can anyone tell me what's actually going on here?" Phoebe approached and sat with them, confusion written all over her face.
TWITCH! TWITCH!
4th Rock Leader Mikaela's eye twitched in irritation, but she sighed deeply and resigned herself to explaining. She started telling them everything she knew, her voice weary but thorough as she laid out the situation piece by piece, detail by detail.
.
.
Slowly, time passed as every group searched around in several different locations throughout the vast underground 5th Rock area. The passages seemed endless, branching off in countless directions. Each one was dark and potentially dangerous, hiding secrets in shadows that light tools could barely penetrate.
.
"Tyra, it seems this one was a dud too," Mother Veny sighed with disappointment as they finished searching yet another empty location. "I wonder if the others found out anything useful."
They stood in the last area on their assigned list; an abandoned structure filled with useless broken things and thick layers of dirt accumulated over years of neglect. Everything was pitch dark except for the circles of light cast by the several light tools glowing in the hands of the troops. The soldiers moved carefully through the space, checking every corner and crevice with practiced thoroughness.
"Tyrrr..." Tyra also made a low, unenergetic sound, clearly sharing in the group's growing frustration. But suddenly, the small creature twitched his nose and looked around sharply, his animal instincts picking up on something the humans couldn't sense. Without warning, Tyra flew from Mother Veny's shoulder and darted toward a room deeper in the structure.
"Tyra! Where are you going!?" Mother Veny called out in surprise, immediately following after him. Her heart began to race as she moved deeper and deeper into the abandoned building, passing through many empty rooms that seemed to stretch on forever. The other troops followed close behind her, not letting her out of their sight for even a moment. Many light tools swept across the surroundings, creating dancing shadows on the crumbling walls.
After passing through some large rooms, they finally stopped at a dark, normal-looking room that seemed no different from any other they'd seen. But Tyra was insistent, his behaviour indicating something important.
"TYRR! TYRR!" The creature floated in front of a big, dusty shelf, making urgent noises and bouncing in the air with increasing agitation.
"Ah! Classic!" One of the guards smiled knowingly, his teeth flashing in the dim light. He walked forward confidently and reached behind the shelf, feeling along the wall with experienced hands. With a satisfied grunt, he found what he was looking for and slid the shelf aside.
Behind it, a hidden door was revealed, its outline barely visible in the darkness.
CREEEAKK!!
The door groaned open slowly, the hinges protesting after years of disuse. A wave of filthy, rotten smell came rushing upward from the darkness below, hitting them with the force of a physical blow. The stench was overwhelming, making eyes water instantly.
"GGUUA! SHIT! What is this smell!? OUUUWWWA!" Everyone backed away immediately, gagging and covering their noses. The stench was very weird, something putrid and decayed and deeply… fundamentally wrong.
"AGH!" Mother Veny coughed and waved her hand in front of her face, trying desperately to block the smell. "Tyra, go call my Julia for me," she managed to say through her hand. The creature nodded eagerly and flew away fast, clearly not wanting to stay in this filthy place for another second.
.
After some time, the troops that had volunteered to go down and check the area came back up. Their faces were grim, pale in the light of the tools they carried. Whatever they'd seen below had clearly shaken them.
"Miss Veny, the place down there has... something, but... I really don't think you should go down. It's not good there," one of the guards insisted, his voice strained. The things he'd witnessed below had clearly disturbed him deeply.
But Mother Veny just shook her head firmly and shoved past him, determination overriding caution. "I need to see for myself."
As she descended the stairs, the ground beneath her feet became increasingly wet and slippery. The smell grew stronger with each step, becoming almost unbearable.
TCP... TCP... TCP...
Her footsteps echoed in the confined space as she slowly walked forward, surrounded by protective troops. Their light tools cast eerie shadows that seemed to writhe and move with malevolent life. They reached a large, open space at the bottom, a chamber that sent immediate chills down her spine.
The area was filled with solid rectangular structures raised up from the ground. Each one has a hollow structure inside and covered with a wooden board. They stretched out before her in neat rows, dozens of them, maybe more. The sight made her stomach turn even before she understood what she was looking at.
"What... what is all this?" Mother Veny looked around in growing shock, her hand pressed firmly over her nose and mouth as she tried to see forward. But her light tool couldn't illuminate the entire area. The chamber seemed to go on and on into the darkness, stretching far beyond what her light could reach.
"Uncover that one," she ordered the troop, pointing at the nearest structure. Her voice came out shaky despite her attempt to sound firm. "I want to see what's inside."
"Miss Veny, I really think we should…"
"JUST LET ME SEE!" Mother Veny spoke harshly, cutting off the guard's protest. Her hands were trembling visibly, but she had to know. She had to understand what was happening here.
The troop sighed heavily and moved forward with reluctant steps. He touched the wooden board covering the structure as Mother Veny came closer, her heart pounding in her chest so hard she could hear it in her ears. Then, slowly, carefully, they lifted the board away.
As the covering came off, Mother Veny's pupils grew bigger and bigger. Her breath caught in her throat. Time seemed to slow down, each second stretching into eternity.
"AGH! OOOWWWWAAAA! UUUUWWWAAAA! COUGH! COUGH! OOOOWWAAA! UUWWAAA!"
She vomited violently, her body rejecting what her eyes had just witnessed. The contents of her stomach came up in painful heaves that wracked her entire frame. The female troops nearby immediately came to her side, gently patting her back and trying to calm her down, their own faces pale from seeing it but they could manage themselves better..
"AGH! COUGH! COUGH!" Mother Veny slowly calmed down, her body still shaking uncontrollably. Sweat poured from her forehead and mixed with her tears, dripping down onto the puddle of vomit at her feet. She could barely stand, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. The lady troops held her up, supporting her weight.
"What... what the hell was that?" Mother Veny looked at the structure again, forcing herself to face it even though every instinct screamed at her to look away, to run, to never think about this again. Her voice came out in a horrified whisper. "How could anyone do this? It's filled with bones and hollowed-out bodies! Some of those faces... they were just kids! What the hell happened here!?"
Her mind reeled, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what she was seeing. This wasn't just murder. This was something far worse. Something systematic and cruel and utterly inhuman. Something that spoke of sustained evil over time.
"Is this... is this present in all of them?" she asked in a shaky voice, though part of her already knew the answer. The rows of structures stretched far back into the darkness, more than she could count.
"We don't know. We'd have to check every single one," one of the troops replied quietly, his voice hollow. "Miss Veny, please... let's go. You shouldn't be down here."
The soldiers urged her to leave, their concern genuine as they watched her condition deteriorate. She looked like she might collapse at any moment, her pale face ashen with sickness.
"AGH! Sighhh... fine," Mother Veny finally agreed, her voice small came out broken. She couldn't take anymore. The horrors she'd seen would haunt her forever... "Fine, let's go."
The troop sighed with relief and turned around, beginning to guide her back toward the stairs. Everyone started walking back through the darkness, their lights bobbing as they moved. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the oppressive silence.
Then...
"Mommy?"
"Huh?"
Everyone froze instantly. The soft, childlike voice had come from somewhere behind them in the darkness. It was small, innocent, and utterly impossible. No child should be down here. No living child could survive in this place.
The troops looked at each other in the dim light, their eyes wide with shock. They gulped hard, their throats suddenly dry. The air in the chamber felt different now from all the disgust, right now it felt heavier, oppressive and dangerously wrong in a way that made skin crawl.
"This is another classic situation," the bald man from before spoke in a low, urgent voice. He laughed when he found the door, but his smile was gone now, replaced by tense fear. "Don't look back. Whatever you do, don't…"
But Mother Veny didn't stop. She couldn't. Something compelled her to turn around immediately, her body moving before her mind could catch up, before rational thought could intervene.
"WHAT!? WHO!?" She looked back frantically, her light tool swinging around wildly as she searched for the source of the voice.
She saw nothing. Only darkness and those horrible structures stretching back into the shadows, silent witnesses to unspeakable acts.
She pointed the light tool forward more carefully, moving it slowly from side to side as she scanned the area. Her breathing was getting more and more rapid, her heart hammering against her ribs so hard it physically hurt.
"Sighhh..." The troops sighed together, shaking their heads with resignation. They knew better than to look, but they couldn't leave their charge alone. They all pointed their light tools around as well, sweeping the beams through the darkness, trying desperately to find the source of that impossible voice.
The chamber remained silent except for their breathing and the faint drip of water somewhere in the distance. But the feeling of being watched intensified with each passing second, pressing down on them with invisible weight. The darkness seemed alive now, aware, malevolent.
Something was down here with them.
Something that shouldn't exist.
Something that was calling out for her "Mommy" from the shadows.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
I recently watched Bicycle Thieves ( 1948 ) Italian movie. It falls under the neo realism style of filmmaking, and while I do appreciate these kinds of movies, they can be quite heavy to watch. They reflect real life so honestly that it sometimes feels like you are watching a mirror of your own struggles.
I have seen several films like this, and I do think they are good, though they are not for everyone. Even I find myself feeling at times that the pacing can be slow or drawn out, but it still ends up being a meaningful experience. These films tend to grow on you after you have watched them and had time to sit with them.
So yes, that is what I watched recently that I enjoyed.
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