CHAPTER 11 : STUCK IN THE ABYSS

Happy? No doubt about it…

But he can't stay long in this euphoria because happiness must continue with responsibility. It's obvious. He has to take the girl out of her hiding hole, which became her sanctuary for over a month. And that's not easy for her condition, especially her foot.

Lev realized that he should have been ready, mentally, when he found that piece of legs…that he should know the scenery on his sight would not beautiful as he expect when he found her. The truth is he's not ready to see her leg wasn't there anymore. Her condition's much worse than Ridwan, whose being torn on his leg also by the monster. The cut-off legs make some difficulty for Lev to pull her out.

She screams…over and over again…can't stand the pain when the swelling blood on his broken legs that had frozen for so long is finally being moved, not to mention when the corners of the ground made him stumble. But she's made of steel...she was trapped in a narrow hole ... and survive until more than a month in there....so it's impossible that she can't refrain from fainting due to the pain this time.

"Dear Lord…what's happened to you?" hissed Lev…but it was meant for himself…if he talk to Vianka about this she will lose her spirits… and he doesn't want that happened. She fought so well and he needs her survival spirit until they've come out from this valley.

Vianka covered her eyes with her palm when they're outside. Being in a dark place in a long period usually affects the sight, which also happened to the girl. Her shivering hand lies on the top of her eyebrow in order to reduce the light that hurting her pupil. When Vianka does that, Lev looked away because he can't stand to see how the little finger and the ring finger of her missing from its place. Leaving a pair of round cavity that turned black with a little white bones protruding.

"Heeellppp Leeevvvv…"Vianka said it softly, almost as in pain.

Lev takes the blanket from his backpack in a rush and spread it over her head to cover her from sun ray, which he thinks is not too painful because the trees help them to withstand. After that, he gave her a bottle of water and she drank greedily.

Without a pause or time to breathe a little, as she didn't want to missed a pleasure from the cold water just for a minutes. The coldness touched her dry throats very softly and it seems like she will drink the whole bottle up, until nothing left and the dehydration which almost killing her is kicked away.

When the dehydration runs out, consciousness is returned. Vianka slowly awake and start to see her body. The girl is shocked finding two of her fingers are no longer existed. The sudden shock made her grip on a bottle weakened. The bottle slipped and fell upon the turf… pouring the last remains of the contents.

The shock of her becomes larger when she couldn't feel her legs, which no longer there indeed. She stared in disbelief for a while, later some frustration stabs her in a such great pain until she screamed out loud…crying over and over again…lamented the deplorable state of her body that never wanted to be like these.

Lev hugged her tight. Holding the body of Vianka from hard shivered. Tries to calm her down," "Shhh, the most important thing is…you're still alive ..."

She doesn't listen to it, continues to cry. Lev knew it was useless to talk. So he let her dissolved by anger, sadness, and pain in his arms. He didn't let Vianka cry on her own, she had to know that he feel her pain. Something that makes her hurts, it hurt him also.

"I want to go home," said Vianka after her tears subsided.

"We will. For that, I have to carry you on my back…considering your condition…and that'll be painful."

"I don't care. Just take me out from here."

"Alright! Before that I need to clean up some wound from infection."

"A little late for that, right?" said Vianka cynical but she let Lev to clean the wound in all over her body, wincing in pain when alcohol on Lev's handkerchief wash on the center of her scars, he also get rid of dirt and yellowish pus that sticks, waiting in patience when he bandage the wounds, especially on the parts of her hand and leg that were broken, to avoid germs or malignant swarming flies.

The result's little bit funny, she looks like mummy, but he didn't want to laugh because it would make her offended. Laughing at someone in such circumstances will showing them how cruel he was...that he has no conscience. How ridiculous she was, it's obvious that she's better than an hour before.

"The bandage is only for temporary. Now we must climb to the top of the cliff so I can bring you to hospital immediately."

Lev took the blanket that had been used by Vianka as a sunscreen. Knitting that one with another so become sort of carrier sling, after that he pull Vianka up to his back, took her in, and tied it up tight so she blends at behind. That's not easy when you're alone, but he's able to do it with care to prevent her from pain. The hardest part, what else if it wasn't the standing position, when he had to rise up with all the burdens. Amazingly, he managed to do so after using a pair of bush twig to pull him up. The next thing, he took the bag and places it on his chest.

"Can you do it?" asked Vianka concern because he has to do all of it.

"Don't worry ..."

He turned around to the cliff. His stumped walking seems to be raced with the wheezing breath he had. One thing that has to be rejoiced is Khisima was unseen anywhere. From the time he got here…escaped Vianka from that hole…and taking care of her wounds, the beast wasn't seen all along. Maybe tiger's roar he heard only imagination of his.

Lev reached the crash site. When passing the location, he could feel Vianka's head buried deeper into his back. She probably doesn't want to see the debris because it reminds her of the accident which almost take her life and put her into some bad experiences.

"Just in a minute, my dear…be patient…"

But when he arrived upon the cliff's foot, he's very surprised to find that the rope, which he let it hung there, disappeared. It's no longer there. Someone had pulled it up. He looks up and wonder if there's someone above there know his existence. Everyone in his team is dead. Beside expedition's team of CHANNEL 7, there's no chance for other people to be here…doing such nasty games like these. So who pulls the rope?

Crazy thing came up in his mind, thinking its Khisima's responsible. Only that creature knows he's down here and after all… he's phantom tiger…supernatural creature…like Samsudin had said…supernatural creature can do anything that unusual. If he's up there, then what about the tiger's roar he heard down here? Could be there's two tigers here?

He quickly throws the crazy thought away. Khisima is definitely fallen to the valley with him. He saw it with his own eyes and it can't be denied. The beast might be able to return so fast to the top of the cliff after fall because he's ghostly tiger, but funny to imagine how the tiger pulled the rope.

He thinks Khisima isn't kind of characters which doing silly thing just to scare its prey. It's something stupid that shows the culprit didn't have the guts. In the other hand, Khisima is more pleased to dealing directly to his enemy, battling its prey face to face, and ate its victim like he did to Jaka and the rest of his team after crushing their tent.

He suddenly remembered the fourth shadow that he had seen, before Ridwan recording his speech in front of the wreckage. He had put aside the shadow and thinks it's only his imagination, but he know now he's not mistaken. They weren't alone…there was somebody else in this place….the shadow represented the presence of that man…and now he's making a game for him.

He searched around, trying to seek where the mysterious guy can be. That guy probably watches and laughs at him who easily being foolish. Whatever it is, he feels it's not funny at all, sick joke that will end up with knuckles on the jaw if he meet that person. However his hunch doesn't say a word, including suspicious thought he had thinking right now.

He look further to the top, trying to found out if the menace was staring down and mocking him with his ugly grin. It's not easy because 50 meters range isn't a distance that could grasp easily by normal eyes. Apparently, he doesn't see anyone up there except the employee that began to hang between the mountain and sky.

It occurred to him to climb to the top with bare hands, but he dismisses it. Doing 50 meters climbs without rope as a support, and saddled Vianka on his back, was not a simple thing. That's why succeeding to reach ten meters from here is something awesome, but instead he could fell down along with her due to the fatigue in the middle of the heights.

"Why stop?" asked Vianka sensing that they weren't moving for a moment.

"I've got lost. The road is different..."

"So?"

"I'll look another way. Just relax. You'll better be resting."

"Okay Lev ..."

He thinks very hard to remember the route that brought them to the crash site. They come from southwest, which mean he must goes to that direction to go back. The problem is that direction obstructed by a cliff wall that bordered the valley where he stands right now. There's only two ways, the first one is to climb to the top of the cliff and walk towards the southwest, and the second option is walk along the cliff wall unto the end of it while hoping there would be some intersection between mainland and the gorge cliff that could be use for an entrance path.

He knows the first option is not worth to consider, he absolutely can't climb without a rope. The second one is much more possible to try but he has some doubt that such thing might happen. If he tries and the thing isn't like what he's thinking of, he has to go other way around to take the other direction, and it takes more time and energy to consume. Besides, this ravine has two sides to go…left and right…which one should he choose? Does he have to throw the coins to pick one?

The third option appears. He remembers that Mount Salak has two peaks. The second peak is on the south, which they traveled, along the back way passage from Cidahu and the first peak is on the east which near to Ciapus. Samsudin said that the first tracks are more crowded and many hikers choose that path to begin the journey.

The problem is that track is far from the crash site so he decided to led them to take the second track, although it was dangerous but its faster for them to get there…its reduce time of their journey…something that had to be considered because Vianka might not have much time to hold on. So, if he takes the first peak then they probably come from east. And heading to east it is…

Lev took the compass then look at the needle guide to determine his position. If he want to walk toward the east and he should be taken the direction of three o'clock from his, which mean he must walking through the thick forest that awaiting ahead. Penetrating the woods of the valley may not be easy, but it's much more possible than climbing up the cliff with bare hands.

All he has to do is walk. A chance to succeed might be less, but if there's any he will give it a shoot. Rather than to stay put at the bottom of this valley and waited for the rescuer who obviously not going to come…unless the culprit giving up and throwing down the rope to help him up with kind heart.

But no…he won't assume that mysterious guy can be so generous, especially when he's doing mean thing such now. It will be better if he try to escape on his own. Lev doesn't want to depend to other person, counting on somebody else's sympathy that was uncertain, and might have trapped him in this valley until no time will knows.

Besides, the guy probably not just annoying…he could be a bad person who tries to kill him here. If that so, it will be better for him to escape from this valley as soon as possible. He didn't want to be stuck in this abyss forever so he'll try the possibility although it's just a little. So he began to walk to get through the depth of the forest…