Chapter 8 Here We Are
With Kaien helped, Allen moved toward the cave’s entrance. One hand around Kaien’s shoulder and one hand touching the damp wall of the cave as they walked. After a long walk, all of a sudden, small flaming torches sparked to life. Lighting up the tunnel ahead and bathing the entire cavern in a flickering orange glow. The anxiety ended when the entrance light was seen.
“Here we are,” Kaien said cheerfully. He helped Allen get out of the cave and smiled, watching him adjusting to the light.
Allen smiled when his eyes started to adjust to the natural light outside of the cave. ‘Finally, some light!’ he thought. He looked around and saw the cave's general shape was ovoid, the walls below the ridge smoothly curved to the floor and the walls above arched up to stalactites. Unlike the books or movies, there were no bat roosts at all. In fact, no sign of animals or living things went inside the cave. Two different worlds - outside the cave was a world of the living while the inside was the world of the dead.
“It’s getting late,” Kaien said. “Shall we keep going?”
“Yes, sure.”
“How’s your ankle? Still hurt? Need more time to rest?” Kaien questioned. Allen could not tell if Kaien was really concerned or asking out of politeness.
“Still hurt, but bearable,” replied Allen, nodding a few times. “Like you said, it’s getting late. Let’s get out of here fast.”
“Yeah, right. Haha,” Kaien let out a small laugh. “Let's see how far we can go. And just stop if you wanna stop. Ok?”
“Y-yes, right,” stuttering Allen. The thought of spending the night scared him, but the thought of spending the night in the cave scared him more. As long as Kaien did not tell him any scary story about the forest, Allen could keep his positive thinking and everything would be fine. He hoped.

Slowly, they began to march deeper into the forest. To the north, Kaien said, to the north to upper ground.
‘The mountain’, thought Allen. They were heading to the mountain, away from where he came from. And he was the one that made that choice. Allen did, not Kaien.
Allen glanced back through his shoulder. From outside, the cave’s entrance looked so small, he almost missed it and wondered where he just came from. The opening to the cave was only a narrow hole between two stones. The cave built into a muddy brown rock of the cliff and the two stones guarding the entrance were jagged and uneven. Arranged in such a way, it would be difficult for anyone to spot the cave. How did Kaien know or find the cave in the first place?
Allen kept the thought to himself. He would not go back to the cave again, ever.
“Don’t turn around to check behind you,” Kaien interrupted. Allen gave him a puzzled look before glancing back again like he was checking on something. “Never turn around to check behind you,” he repeated with a firm voice.
“Why?” Allen could not help but ask.
“Because...” Kaien paused, not looking at Allen but never stopped walking. “Because you’ll see nothing. But...” Kaien paused again, but this time his movement paused too. Followed by the distinctive mischievous grin - the Cheshire cat grins and Allen knew what came next was not a good thing. “But once you start doing it, you won’t be able to stop, and an ominous feeling will follow you until you don’t lock your house’s door behind you.”
There was a truth in Kaien’s words. Allen refused to admit it, but he could not deny it either. He swallowed his saliva, kept silent and stared at Kaien. Knowing what Allen was thinking, Kaien let out a small giggled and gestured to him to keep moving. He obeyed and kept up, but not before he took a glance behind again. Just like what Kaien said, he just could not stop doing it.
“Watch your step,” Kaien took Allen’s attention again. “Be careful not to step on any bug, or you’ll never get rid of them.” Allen looked down at his feet as he continued walking, one hand still wrapped around Kaien’s shoulder.
“Urghh!” “What’s the matter? Your feet hurt?” Asked Kaien, stopping on his track.
“No, no,” said Allen, trying to balance himself and standing. “I hate bugs.”
“Haha!” laughed Kaien. “Don’t worry too much about the bugs. It was just bugs. More important is, you never know what may be buried under the soil you're walking on.”
“Oh no. Don’t start again,” said Allen, shaking his head.
“Start what?” asked Kaien.
“Saying creepy stuff.”
“It’s not creepy stuff,” protested Kaien. “It’s the truth.” Allen narrowed his eyes, disbelieving. Kaien said, “Fine, fine. Just a friendly reminder, remember that every time you take a step. Pray that whatever is buried under your feet, it won’t wake up.”
“Stop it!” Allen shouted.
“Ok, ok. I’ll keep quiet. Hehe.” Kaien giggled and continued helping Allen walking. The walk went silent.
The forest, without the man-made path or heavy human traffic, there was no trail which led exactly where Kaien and Allen were heading. The only ‘trail’ that could be walked on was a ‘game trail’. These ‘trails’ were meant for deer or any footed animals that could jump really well. This means the ‘trails’ were very narrow and had lots of fallen trees over them. There was no chance that the ‘trail’ would be one of these trails that led exactly where they were going and the trail only could be found by someone who was really a good hunter or knew the place so well. Yet, Kaien was guiding Allen to their destination like the path was crystal clear to him.
Just a few moments later, Kaien started to hum a song. Shivering, Allen listened to Kaien singing a nonsense song, random snatches of words put to a familiar tune.
“I think Dom sang a song like that before, but those are not the words,” Allen told Kaien through chattering teeth. “How do you know the song? Are you from around here too?”
“Sometimes,” he said. And Allen noticed Kaien did not even ask who Dom was. Allen wondered if Kaien knew Dom or simply did not care. But he decided to keep the thought to himself.
“Argghhh!” Allen grunted. “Sometimes! Sometimes! What does it mean? Would it hurt you to answer a question properly?”
“Properly? Hehehe,” Kaien whispered, giggling. “You like to do things properly, don’t you? Follow the rules. What else are you deciding on, dear? That there is a God in the heavens and a Devil down below?”
Allen turned away from Kaien, staring ahead as the road climbed, a steep hill carrying them higher and higher as if they could reach those last golden bands of daylight. “Of course.”
Kaien laughed again, but it was not a mirthful laugh. “The dull ones never lasted all that long.”
“What does that have to do with God or any of it?” Allen protested. “No, forget I asked at all. You’ll only half-speak.”
“Lighter talk, then, to make the journey less bitter and damp,” Kaien said.
Allen grunted again but did not say anything. Kaien chuckled at Allen’s expression and continued humming his song. Under the ‘roof’ of trees, Allen could not pin-point where the sun was. How did Kaien know where the north was when he did not have any compass or barely saw the sun?
It was almost night when Allen stopped dead in his tracks by a blood-curdling scream. “What was that?” asked Allen.
“Hurm? What what?” asked Kaien. Did he not hear anything at all?
“The scream!” said Allen, a bit louder. There was a hint of panic in his voice. The natural reaction would be to run, but with his condition, he could not run and depend on Kaien to keep going or turn back. “Did you hear it?” asked Allen, looking around, trying to find the source of the sound he heard.
“Nahhh, there’s nothing,” reassured Kaien, trying to keep going.
“Stop!” shouted Allen and Kaien obeyed. “I think it’s coming from in front of us.”
“That’s good,” exclaimed Kaien. “Let’s go and see what it is.”
Oddly, Allen found himself letting Kaien drag him toward the sound. Allen’s heart skipped fast. Did he truly want to know? His curiosity had cost him so much already, but the urge to know more yet remained. He hoped it was just his imagination and there was nothing at all. Deep down he hoped there was someone else there. One of the volunteers, perhaps?
Allen’s heart beats faster and faster and faster as their surroundings get darker and colder. Even the shadows now were swallowed by the encroaching darkness. He shivered in the inky darkness. ‘This is wrong! This is wrong!’ he thought. He looked around, was he still in the same forest? Did everything look so dark and scary before?
By the nightfall, the familiar trees, leaves, and rocks of the daytime took on a new and ominous form. It was as if by stealing their colors and replacing them with blackness, the night also stole their friendly spirits and replaced them with malicious demons. Even the stars and moon could not make them seem less threatening. The lack of birdsong made the woods eerie and Allen could imagine that every lead fluttered or a twig snap to announce the arrival of a dangerous man or beast.
“Kaien. . .” Allen whispered, trying to stop Kaien from keeping going and convinced him to turn back. But he was already too late when Kaien stopped walking.
“Here,” Kaien announced, simple.
Allen tried to search for signs of life. Instead, he found death. The source of that scream remains a mystery. But, across a clearing, Allen could see what looked like a pile of clothes. Kaien helped him walk a few more steps. As they approached, it became apparent it was more than just clothes he had spotted.
In a small hollow, just below a tree in front of them, and curled up like a baby on a thick bed of dead leaves, lay a man who looked to be in his mid-fifties, his thinning grey hair matted across his balding cranium. His pasty upper torso was shirtless, while his legs were covered only by black long jeans with a striped boxer sticking out above the waistband and a pair of woolly socks. Under his bent legs, a pair of slacks, a white shirt, and a jacket had been spread out as a cushion at his final resting place.
Scattered around were innumerable documents, a briefcase and other remnants of a former life. Nearer to him were items more closely related to his demise - empty packets of prescription pills, beer cans, and bottles of liquor.
“Don’t worry,” Kaien said. “He won’t make any sound. He died yesterday.”
“How. . .” Allen let go of his hand from Kaien’s shoulder and took a few steps back. “Let me out of here. I want to leave. At once!” Panic rose hot and strangled in Allen’s throat.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Kaien said with a sigh. He did not move an inch. “You didn’t make that choice. Try to relax, would you?”
Allen pleaded with his hands in a prayer position, begging at Kaien. “I’ll tell nobody what you’re doing. I just want to leave!”
“It is not possible,” repeated Kaien. He looked genuinely upset. “Wait! What? You think I killed this man? You misunderstand. Just slow down and let me explain.”
“No! You’re a murderer.”
“Well, such a harsh word,” Kaien said, half-heartedly. “Still, I cannot argue with you there.”
Allen took another few steps back. “Nor do I wish to argue. I just want to leave this place now!”
This time Allen did not wait for Kaien’s response. With his hurting ankle, he turned around and tried to run away from Kaien. Allen could feel Kaien’s eyes on him, knowing it was just a matter of seconds until Kaien caught up and restrained him. But Kaien did not move and spoke once more, “You should already be dead.”
Allen twisted, listening, staring back at Kaien, afraid but unwilling to let him see it. There was nothing to say. ‘He should be dead? Kaien was meant to kill him?’ “S-so, y-you are trying to kill me?” stuttered Allen.
“No, of course not,” Kaien moved slowly toward Allen. His dark almond-shaped eyes no longer friendly, but focused and fiery on Allen not with malice but with total concentration. There was no escaping such a gaze, no matter how dearly Allen wanted to flee. “People come here to die.”
Now Allen was frozen in earnest, sinew and boned rigid. Some force held him prisoner, suppressing even a tremble. “Please, just let me go,” he begged.
“It’s already night,” Kaien pointed out. “It isn’t safe to keep walking.”
“It isn’t safe here, either,” Allen whispered.
“That’s not true. You’re safe here. With me,” said Kaien. Allen made a sound like a sob and laughed at Kaien’s statement. The absurdity statement, Allen thought when Kaien just showed him more death and saying. “You are safe here with me,” Kaien reassured Allen.
Allen shook his head, shaking every part of him as if he was trying to break this ‘spell’ as Kaien approached him. “No,” Allen said.
There was something wrong with Kaien or something wrong with Allen’s eyes as Kaien walked nearer, he seemed to have black smoke surrounding him. Like passing through an icy shower, like touching arctic air, like bathing in a tub full of ice cubes. The air was chilling and very cold, as if every warm feeling and thought sucked out. Allen looked from Kaien’s eyes to his legs and felt the world spinning.
“No,” Allen said again. He could do nothing. His vision whirled sickeningly. “What-what are you?”
The world was going suddenly black, and the last things Allen felt were Kaien’s arms catching him and Kaien’s breath on his forehead.
“You’ll see.”