Chapter 5: IS THIS HOW WE WORK TOGETHER??

Walking into the club, not only did the smell of blood and ash meet their faces, but also a gruesome scene. Bodies lined up at every single corner and it seemed to form a circle around a massive and deep hole by the counter. Three forensics were serious immersed in inspecting the area, making sure it was safe for the bodies to be moved. Amara’s eyes widened. The strange feeling she had just outside was less than that of inside.

“It all started from that hole,” she heard Ethan say behind her, speaking her mind. She turned to look and him, he was crouched down by the entrance and inspecting a dead female victim by the door, his expression grim. So much that she feared that one was someone he knew, or had a close intimate relationship with. Not minding herself, she walked towards him.

Before she approached, he straightened up and sighed. “I guess this is not an easy one after all.” As he said this, Amara made an acknowledging sound. He then looked at her for a moment before walking out. Amara was speechless, at first she smacked herself mentally for approaching in the first place. Why did she move close to him when she knew he clearly wanted nothing to do with her.

Shrugging this off her thoughts, she was led by a forensic towards the hole, but warned them not to get too close. Amara didn’t need to be told twice. That place reeked of death and blood, even more pungent to the outside. She was going no where close to that hole.

Ethan didn’t listen anyway, he went towards the edge and bent down, assessing the hole deeply. Amara’s mouth twitched. With his looks and behavior, with the kind of aura he carried, he seemed like a very smart, intelligent and organized young man. She knew he had already found out some clues as to where to start investing such a mess. He looked like he had figured out something and clearly wanted to do this alone. Amara hated this. She hated the fact that he had so much insight on the case just by observation and his expression, while Amara, being one of the greatest detective in Silverwood had no idea of what she was looking at or where to start. Her mind was in complete chaos. Firstly, the thick air around her became worse. Secondly, her head started to throb once again. She had no idea what to do. This was her greatest fear. To be utterly useless like this. Even worse, the so called gentleman in front of her was preserved and calm, like he knew what he was doing. Deep down, Amara knew that this was true, and because it was, it made her miserable.

Swallowing her pride painfully, she carefully approached Ethan whose eyes were fixed on the deep chasm.

Hesitantly, she spoke, “what are you thinking?”

He gave no answer.

This infuriated Amara. She had just let her guard down to gain an insight on such case, but was met with a huge backlash. Saying no more, she turned to the forensic, “it is almost noon, it won’t be best for it to stay exposed like this for long,” she said.

The forensic sighed, “I know, but so far we’ve estimated three thousand bodies. Our team can’t even bother to count anymore. Such great number of corpses can’t be moved easily, plus they fear that touching them might spread the unknown disease.”

“What have you concluded?” she asked.

“Well…” the forensic looked at the deep hole and shuddered, “we think some kind of radiation was released, causing this, so the chief of Silverwood ordered the bodies to be burned down, as well as the whole Westside Silverwood. He ordered an evacuation an hour ago so we wait for full evacuation of survivors,” he explained.

Amara looked concerned about this, “burning the without finding what caused it?”

The forensic shrugged, “our research shows interference with radiation, so it’s best we leave such disaster and cause no further harm, but…” he turned his gaze to something or rather someone beside me. As he did, Amara noticed warmth by her side. Someone was now standing there, the strong fragrance of magnolia flowers filled her and she instantly knew who it was. Not minding him she fixed her gaze on the forensic. Who was now staring at Ethan like he was an immortal being.

“But what?” She asked.

The forensic snapped back to reality and shook his head, “sorry about that, I mean, I haven’t seen him before. May I perhaps know this detective’s name?”

Ethan stared at the forensic for a while before sighing, “weren’t you told about our arrival?”

The forensic stood stiff, his eyes flushed with embarrassment, “sorry, I forgot, I thought…never mind,” though his head now low, he continued, “we are taking a few bodies with us to examine carefully. The ones close to the hole and some of the ones outside. Some other team will be coming to access the hole and the source soon enough,” he explained.

Amara nodded. Once the forensic ran off to join his other two colleagues, she turned to face Ethan. She could not hold it in anymore.

“Why aren’t you speaking to me? Am I that annoying that you can’t even spare a glance?”

Ethan was taken aback by this. He stood in place, eyes now fixed on Amara as if waiting for her explanation for lashing out at him. Seeing his reaction, Amara raged. She folded her arms and hump-ed coldly, “we are meant to be partners, we are to access this together, but you’ve ignored me all day, as if I am not worthy of even a single gaze from those judgemental eyes of yours. Do you just hate my appearance or you just don’t like having me around? Is this how we work together?”

After ranting out, she paused to take a breathe. She noticed that there was a faint smile on his pink lips.

“Why are you speaking like you are my wife,” he laughed.

Amara hissed, “what?”

“I did not know you would take an offense with such a minor thing,” he said.

I lost it, “a mi…a minor thing?”

“This is how I am so you have to get used to it. I only came here to assess the scene with you and nothing else right? You give your conclusion and I give mine,” he added.

Amara folded her arms. The gentleman in front of her looked unbothered with her complaint, but was instead telling her to deal with it.

“You are unbelievable,” she said.

Suddenly, an image flashed before her, making her head throb badly. She grasped her head in pain and let out a muffled groan.

Ethan stood there arms folded as he watched the person who was scolding him earlier now in an excruciating pain, but he didn’t move an inch. The forensics noticed and ran close to her, but they could not touch her because they had just touched a few of the bodies.

“Are you alright?” the male forensic from earlier asked. Amara shook her head.

“She has been close to the hole,” one of the forensic who was a female spoke, making the other two back up in fear.

“It’s just migraine, don’t conclude like that,” she said, but immediately let out another scream. It was as if her head was splitting up.

Ethan clicked his tongue at the forensics, arms still folded, “what are you waiting for, take her outside,” he said.

As the forensics reached to grab Amara, but to their surprise, she backed away from them and stood still, her eyes empty like in a daze. It was completely strange because one moment, she was in pains and the other she became as still as a stone.

“No!” she yelled, “I don’t want to leave.”

This surprised Ethan, he dropped his arms, attention focused on Amara.

“Detective, what do you mean?” the male forensic asked, but she gave no reply.

Ignoring them, she turned to stare at the hole, an eerie smile now on her face.