Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Seawater was gushing in at an alarming rate, already up to my ankles. I tried to get Shin Haeryang to regain consciousness, but considering our situation I wondered if losing awareness might actually be better for him, so I left him. However Haeryang’s eyes soon opened on their own. He briskly assessed his condition and the state of the cable car. His eyes shifted to me. From that gaze I realized something shrapnel-like must also be lodged in my abdomen. Up till now I hadn’t felt any pain thanks to the adrenaline, but it now hit me with a vengeance. Dammit.

“I’m sorry.”

There was a rasp in Haeryang’s voice. I plopped down onto the mangled chair and shook my head.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

“Ae-young...?”

I started to reply but a spike of pain in my stomach stopped me. I shook my head again. I knew at this point there was nothing either of us could do to help the other, so I said what I wanted.

“Thank you for bringing me this far.”

“You were...a better partner than I expected.”

“What were you expecting?”

“A follower from Infinity Church.”

Good lord. At Haeryang’s words I laughed then winced as the movement pulled at my wound. I managed to gasp out a response.

“I’m an atheist.”

“I’m...an agnostic.”

“So is that reserving judgement on if gods exist?”

“If there is one I’ll go kill him now.”

Why’s this guy trying to make me laugh right before death? Still smiling, I noticed the water that had already flooded in was past my calves. I lifted Haeryang up onto the wrecked chair to the best of my ability. My legs and waist submerged as a result, and the seawater hitting my injuries wrenched a groan from my throat. Looking at the rifle looped over his shoulder, Haeryang spoke to me.

“I don’t want to drown.”

“Huh?”

Sniffling, at some point I realized the water was up to my chin now. I anticipated the snake biting me in panic as the water rose further but surprisingly, it remained calmer than I was. Merely shifting uneasily atop my head instead of thrashing around in terror. As all sorts of thoughts ran through me there was a boom against the exterior wall of the cable car.

I jerked in fright toward the sound. What bumped against the transparent glass wall of the cable car once more was a shark snout. I froze in fear for a few seconds before settling down.

Seemed like rather than wandering the ocean as a drowned corpse, getting eaten by a shark might be better. Our blood spilling out probably attracted the shark to keep circling around the cable car. Hey. For the past five days I ran a dental clinic called Deep Blue! I told you my clinic’s sign has a way bigger, more magnificent great white on it. If that guy fought you he’d swallow you whole in one gulp.

Boom!

Every time the shark rammed against the cable car it swayed, causing more seawater to gush inside through the breaches. The terror made me feel I’d lose my mind, yet facing imminent death I didn’t want to cower here pathetically trembling at some shark.

Haeryang said he’d choose how to spend his final moments as he wished...was this a choice?! Dammit.

They call sharks the guard dogs of the sea. A fine moniker. I bet those pseudopious bastards crowing whalesharks are their brethren wouldn’t offer their own bodies as shark bait with equivalent sacrificial spirit. I watched the shark drifting past the cable car, baring its eerie teeth before disappearing into the gloom. I slammed against the wall trying to get its attention. Not that a shark would care.

“Hey, stop rushing me!”

The snake didn’t budge from atop my head. It seemed to know we were alike, trapped with water all around us. When my head bumped the ceiling the snake fluidly swam over and climbed up the damaged wall, flicking its tongue out and back anxiously.

Good thing. It must’ve been so frightened accompanying me here but never once bit me. I wanted to pet it one last time but was afraid it wouldn’t like that so I stopped myself.

I tried tearing the cable car door open by hand where water was streaming in. My palms split and bled but the blood swiftly diffused into the sea. I scraped up every last bit of strength and barely managed to make a gap I could fit through. Utterly exhausted, at the next boom I yelled pointlessly at the oblivious shark.

“I’m going, stop hurrying me!”

Clutching the tablet with hands dripping blood, I took one final deep breath of what little freedom remained before exiting the cable car. My whole body ached. From the pressure? Too many injuries? There wasn’t an unhurt spot anywhere.

Plus I couldn’t see a thing ahead of me. Everything was obscured. Humans can’t freely see underwater. That’s why we use goggles. We chose land over sea.

I examined my palm. It must be bleeding. Excruciating pain flashed across it but I ignored that. As soon as it hit the seawater the tablet I held powered off. All I could make out before me in the deep was darkness, agony and death. Oddly I wasn’t very frightened. Just very cold, hurt and exhausted.

Though I couldn’t see anything I strangely felt a presence nearby. I flailed my arms and legs toward it. I couldn’t even tell if I was making progress. Abruptly something enormous rushed up and bit deeply into my stomach. The pain made me wish I was dead. It was too painful, I opened my mouth to scream and lost all the air I’d been holding. It was worse than being trapped under an overturned car.

Gulping seawater, I felt along the maw clamped to my midsection. I learned if bit by a shark, poke its eyes and it will release you, but how when its head was thrashing about so violently? Ridiculous...I regretted almost twenty times not placidly drowning with the snake inside the cable car. Then I blacked out.

I awoke from falling off the bed.