[1044] Thorned Lotus (Part 4)(Ongoing)
Two days ago…
Lotus Litess Forest
She nearly tripped, this was the third time already.
Her lungs burned, she was gasping for air like if she were running a marathon.
She was indeed running.
For her life.
She looked behind her, the leaves obstructed the view, but she could hear their heavy footsteps. They didn’t sound in a rush, which made it more terrifying.
She looked up ahead now, and a cliff greeted her.
Her sisters were way up ahead, climbing the cliff effortlessly, their movements swift. When she reached the cliff, she hoped to climb as effortlessly as them, it didn’t look hard. But it was.
Half way through her arms trembled, she could barely walk anymore, how was she supposed to climb this?
Her paw caught the edge, but it slipped.
She tried to grip with her remaining paw, but her arm gave out.
She slid down and hit the ground hard.
The forest was quiet except for the terrifying approaching footsteps.
With little strength she had, she managed to get up.
”H-HELP! I SLIPPED! PLEASE! C-COME BACK!” She yelled desperately, hoping they would go back to help her. They wouldn’t just abandon her, right?
They were getting closer… but her sisters were getting farther.
She attempted to climb the cliff again, but she already pushed herself to the limit, she didn’t even make it the first quarter before falling again. She didn’t want her life to end, not like this.
“Please…”
Then, she heard footsteps, not the heavy ones from behind. Softer, faster ones coming from above.
“SISTER!”
…
Present Day
Neo Cyland, LLIK Tower
Moonlight’s alarm started making that awful *beep* sound.
Moonlight groaned, pushing her face in her pillow.
”Ugh… Already?”
It felt like she slept for 6 hours, which, considering she went to bed at midnight and it’s 6 AM now, is true.
Reluctantly, she reached out to the alarm to make that demonic sound stop.
Peace.
”Maybe I’ll just sleep for another… five… minute…”
Her eyes closed, drifting off.
*Ringing sound*
Now there was the demonic phone call sound.
Her eyes opened immediately, her face making a deadpanned face.
”Oh for fuck’s sake-“
She finally got up, her blonde hair was everywhere. She‘ll fix that later.
Her phone was clearly making noise, but it was nowhere in sight, It was getting very annoying to search something that sounded so damn close, and yet she couldn’t find it.
”Oh, forget about it- PAD!”
”Yes Moonlight Dawn”
“Connect with my phone and answer the call”
”… Access was granted, your call is online”
Moonlight sat down on the edge of her bed, “ -sigh- Hello?”
”Afternoon Moonlight! Wait, It’s morning-“ Stella then laughed nervously through phone.”Get it??”
Moonlight just stayed silent for a while.
”Ha ha ha ha… very funny” Moonlight said with a tone that suggested she wasn’t in the mood for bad jokes.
Stella‘s laugh died, then she cleared her throat, “Anyways, about yesterday, were you serious about the checking the 247 samples? Cause if not-“
”We’re not” She said this like it was the most obvious thing. The back of her eyes were starting to throb.
Moonlight sighed, rubbing her temples.
”Oh, well, that’s great! Except, how are you going to find the pure version?”
Moonlight ran a hand through her hair “A sample is on it’s way“, her tone shifted, this call was getting too long and she needed her-
”Wait, don’t we have enough samples? N-Not that I’m saying I want to search through all the current samples. But is it a new species? And why did you say it in singular-“
”Enough. Pad, hang up”
”Wait W-“
”Call has been ended”
Moonlight stretched her arms, a few articulations popping.
She quickly made her way to the kitchen, her head throbbed now. She can’t wait for the machine to make her coffee.
She opened her cabinet and withdrew Coffee Powder and Expresso Powder, she then got her mug and put reserved boiled water in it.
Measuring was a pain, her hands trembled, she couldn’t properly put a single teaspoon of coffee powder.
Moonlight was getting desperate, so she just put whatever quantities of coffee powder and expresso she could put.
She quickly stirred it, spilling some coffee on the counter. Then she brought it to her lips.
Relief came slowly.
She sighed in relief, then got up with her mug, her movements sluggish, and made her way to her room. She started making the bed, and under the pillow she found-
”Oh for the love of-“
Her phone was there.
…
“So… we are not looking for the pure version anymore?” Stella asked, looking at Moonlight with the face of “What-are-you-doing?”
“No, I just came to realize that exploiting you all is just too much to ask” Moonlight said, she was in her usual formal attire now, looking at some results in her Holo-Pad while walking to the stairs, their heels making distinct *Clack* sounds on the metal floor.
”H-hey! It’s not that we are lazy or anything! Just that it’s really time consuming and we could be searching other things, or simply search in the Organi-“
”I had enough of that conversation already” Moonlight cut her off abruptly, ”Do this instead: Look south, geologically”
Stella made a questioning look, ”South? Wait, is this because Flos Me-“
”Yes, glad you figured it out” She adjusted her head band, opening the door to the stairs, Stella did not follow her at that point.
…
A couple hours later, It finally arrived.
Moonlight was in her personal lab, the room pretty spacious, various tools laid on the lab table, and another Dead Eye coffee.
”Pad-bots, bring in the sample”
Moonlight then put on gloves, her sedative ready in her pocket.
Two distinct Pad-bots entered the room, their footsteps heavy and slow, and with them, the steel box-cage.
“Your sample, Moonlight Dawn”
They set it down, and made their way out.
Moonlight grabbed her mug to sip some coffee, then her hand went to her other pocket for the keycard.
She swiped the the card once on the lock, the lock clicked.
It was open.
”This is going to be interesting…”
Moonlight put the keycard aside, and slowly opened it to reveal what was inside.
”Oh… my…”
Author: Reggie Wytgeena
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