Nightmare Shuttle

They slowly made their way back to the pier, the ship had already left and even if anything were to happen on this island they could only struggle to survive until the ship arrives. The wooden pier was short, just several pieces of sea rotted wood erected a few feet above the waters, that would creak noisily along with the salty breeze.

The sun shone overhead and the sound of their shoes hitting the wood echoed in the silent shore. Chu Yi slowly came to the edge of the bridge, looked out at the sea, estimated the distance, and stood directly in the spot where the ladder had dropped down from the ship.

He quickly motioned to Ruan Quixi to follow his directions to make a few steps back. When he was sure of his guess, he trotted over and bent down to observe the bridge.

The sacks that had been thrown by the crewmen seemed to have contained the supplies of the villagers on the ship but the hollow sound of the sacks hitting the floor was uncannily familiar to him.

He carefully searched the gaps of the bridge, the other man's shadow blocking the nasty rays of the sun, a shiny flash of light in the corner of his eyes quickly drew his attention. Using one hand, he slowly fished out the black egg from the wood and held it up the light, the pungent and fishy scent was washed by the crashing sea waves but even so, he could still faintly smell the rotten odor.

After verifying his guess, he dropped the egg into the sea, watching the blue waves swallow it. Some blood seemed to have been spilled from the rucksack when it was thrown down and had dried into dark red splatters on the wood. He clapped his hands and turned to the sea, another suspicious point.

A shrill bird cry from the sky attracted his attention, a seagull flying erratically in the air as if it was drunk swaying from side to side, it struggled to make the final sprint to the island but for every flap of its wings, it would drop, getting closer and closer to the sea.

Chu Yi could almost detect the despair and unwillingness in the bird's eyes, and the way it flapped its skinny wings made it clear it didn't want to die. But in the end, it was futile. With a final call, Its wing folded in and it fell like a broken machine into the sea without a ripple.

He didn't know it was his illusion but the closer he got to the sea, the harsher the heat became as if they were standing directly on the edge of a burning volcano.

Chu Yi raised his eyelids with difficulty from the scorching air, and squatted on the hot and wet sand, he stared at the blue waves silently before raising a slender finger and slowly pressing it against the sea's surface.

Pain.

A fiery heat rapidly eroded his nerves, sending waves of pain to all parts of his body. With the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, his fingers were licked by a tongue of fire. The burning and tingling sensation ran along his nerves and quickly stimulated his nerves. Although he removed his finger, his fingertips were completely red as if he had been scalded badly.

Chu Yi's muscles twitched at the corners of his eyes, and he lowered his head slightly and looked at the river. The surface of the sea was thing peacefully and there was no mention of the pain that rocked his body as if he had been injected with a heavy toxin.

He looked over to the side, The sea washed against the beach with a soft crash and the smell of salt and seaweed drifted into his nose, before receding into the sea. On the wet sand, a bloody wet mass of rotten meat was left behind on the sand.

It was hard to see what the mutilated mass had been before because now it was just a disgusting clump of melted flesh and bones. A single white feather stuck to the meat and it was evident that in a matter of seconds from the bird falling in, it had turned into what it was now. 

The land eroded by the heat could no longer grow crops, animals could not survive and fish could not breed in the sea, the sun had stretched out from hell like a ghost hand, and grabbed the sky convulsively.

And if human beings came into contact with the overheated sea, the skin and flesh would boil, rot into pus, the organs would dissolve, and multiple organs will fail, eventually leading to a gruesome and painful death.

And yet the villagers were happy and free, except for the ship that delivered passengers once a month, there seemed to be nothing plaguing them.

Chu Yi stood on the edge of the bridge and looked out to sea in a trance. The wind blew his long hair softly and the wave would occasionally spray seawater onto his feet like a playful child frolicking in the afternoon sun.

The man silently walked to his side, his tall figure shadowed his own, and for who knew how long they just stood there, on the edge of the bridge, with nothing but the sea and the sky.

When the sun slowly fell from the middle of the sky and an orange glow diffused the sea, Chu Yi finally snapped out of his daze and looked around. He used one hand to push his hair back and turned his gaze to Ruan Quixi, both eyes interlocked and he smiled. Chu Yi felt a rare embarrassment, and he lowered his head and took the lead to walk back to the village.

The women held baskets of herbs in their hands and the faces of the villagers on the street were full of warm smiles, and they seemed to be very familiar with each other, calling out friendly whenever someone would wave a hand.

The sky in the distance was a rich and thick yellow.

The setting sun did not hesitate to spread its brilliance all over the sky, and the faces of passers-by were also flushed with a rosy glow, there was peace and happiness everywhere. He was keen enough to spot a few players amongst the villagers but even they seemed to have been infected by the atmosphere and they all had a relaxed expression on their faces.

A little girl skipped over and stood before the two of them before pointing at a large stone house near the middle of the clearing and cried curtly, "Big brothers, the dinner for the guests is about to start. If you don't want to miss the feast, you have to hurry up!"

Chu Yi looked down at the girl, half-squatted, and handed over a piece of candy from the ship: "Thank you."

The little girl gripped her skirt. She wanted to but was embarrassed to take things for such a little favor. Chu Yi sent the candy piece forward again, and she reached out to pick it up and spoke with a blushing face, "Thank you, big brother."

Chu Yi stroked the girl's hair with a smile. When he straightened up, the smile on his face disappeared. There was a strong stench in the child's mouth, rushing towards his nose, making his head dizzy and his stomach roll with nausea. It was the scent of rotten fish.

He watched her disappear silently, whatever evil was happening on the island, it seemed that not even children had been spared. 

They followed the little girl's direction and walked into the main house. They could hear the boisterous noise from inside and from the curtain in the hallway, they could spot the villagers and the passengers that had come aboard the ship. 

An old woman greeted them with a smile, Granny Qi, the longest-living elder on the island. She was wearing a black coat, her exposed skin was dry, her hair was sparsely covered with silver and white, and her hair was rolled up in a bun. She didn't appear gloomy and eerie but like a noble wife from an old family.

Granny Qi didn't greet them immediately, but lit the three-pillar incense, put it into the incense burner on the long table in the main room, and bowed reverently, then she turned around with a string of Buddha beads and let them in. A cold blast of air met them filled with the taste of blood and fish, a voice jubilant echoed in the room, "Greetings, come put another plate for the new guests!"

Arescio's mouth curled into a pleasant, sick smile. Greedy eyes wander around his body like a viper, as if to imprison him with their eyes. He slowly waved a hand and there was an air of grace in his gestures. Only a pair of eyes, dark and bottomless. He looked at Chu Yi deeply. 

A plate of thin red meat like slices of steak and a small fish was placed down on the table, the lifeless beady eyes stared back at them motionlessly. Chu Yi fought the urge to turn around and walk away. The long wooden dining table was full of people, Arescio who had two women by his side, when he saw Chu Yi and Ruan Quixi coming in, he pushed the women away from his arms and sat up. The villagers who had their faces buried in the fish looked up at them with strange eyes. But said nothing in his presence, evidently Arecio's identity in this copy was pretty high. Burying their heads back into the mouthwatering food.

He smiled and raised his glass to Chu Yi: "Come, come, I will give you a cup on behalf of all the villagers! "

In a harmonious atmosphere, Chu Yi picked up the wine glass in front of him, toasted to Arescio, and then drank it all.

The spirits were burning like flames in his throat, Chu Yi's pale face was suddenly dyed a thin red, and his eyes seemed to be blurred and watery, which became more and more confusing in the dim light. Arescio lowered his head, and he used drinking to cover up his malicious smile. What was in his cup was the villager's homemade rice wine. The wine was not high in alcohol, and the sweetness was not intoxicating.

He picked up his chopsticks and slowly picked at the slices of meat on the plate and brought it to his nose. His sense of smell was particularly acute, and Chu Yi could vaguely smell a salty smell. The chopsticks poked into the meat, and the meat fibers were short and thin. Not like beef but more like—

"Snap."

The sound of chopsticks colliding against the table was startling, attracting the attention of all the people in the room. Arescio raised his head and smiled,

"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

All movement paused and an eerie silence descended onto the room.