Chapter 175: Mining Disaster (End) |
Rebecca made this call not only to vent to Everly, but also to tell her that the mining site had likely unearthed something very bad from underground.
She hoped Everly would pass the message to Old John: for the time being, it would be best not to drive into downtown Micano, because the mining site lay along the only route from the gas station to the city, and that area was currently very dangerous.
Everly was extremely grateful for Rebecca’s warning.
Her memories from her previous life were rather vague, but with Rebecca’s description as a trigger, Everly faintly recalled a monster thriller that might match what was happening at the mine.
She couldn’t remember the title of the movie anymore—only some of the plot.
At the beginning of the film, a mining company accidentally unearthed an ancient underground ruin during excavation. Worried that the discovery might interfere with further mining operations, the company briefly inspected the site. Finding nothing valuable, they chose to conceal the discovery, flattened the ruins with bulldozers, and continued digging deeper.
What they didn’t know was that the ruin had been built by Native Americans to seal away an ancient creature.
Once the ruin was damaged, the creature imprisoned within gradually began to awaken.
This creature could move rapidly through layers of soil, triggering sinkholes, earthquakes, rockfalls, and other geological disasters. When it first awoke, it killed and devoured the people in the mine by causing the tunnels to collapse.
The creature’s body, hidden beneath the earth, was enormous and grotesque. On its head was a very unusual organ, something like the lure of a deep-sea anglerfish—a small “light” extending from its head. This organ could mimic human appearance and even imitate the voices of people nearby. The creature used this lure to trick those standing on solid rock into stepping onto soft, sandy ground, making it easier to hunt them.
Everly still vividly remembered one particular scene from the movie—
Because of the frequent mining accidents and disappearances, the male and female leads—both mercenaries—were hired to enter the mine and investigate. A group of mercenaries, holding flashlights and wearing headlamps, walked through the pitch-black caves that twisted and branched in every direction.
The workers had already been evacuated. In the deep, silent tunnels, there was nothing but scattered beams of light and the echoing footsteps of the investigation team. Just then, a naked human figure suddenly flashed past at the far end of the tunnel. One team member spotted it and cried out. Everyone immediately turned their lights in that direction—but all they saw was a dark opening, as if it led straight into an abyss.
“Probably just seeing things… don’t freak yourself out like that…”
The team steadied themselves, speaking in forced casual tones.
Just as everyone began to relax, almost as if on purpose, the director suddenly swung the camera around to the back.
Right behind the investigation team, in a corner no one had noticed, a pale white figure had appeared at some unknown point—standing silently with its head lowered…
That scene was filmed so terrifyingly that it became one of Everly’s childhood nightmares. Even though she had forgotten most of the movie, this part remained deeply etched in her mind.
If what the McMurkin Company had unearthed was really the same kind of monster from that horror film, then it wouldn’t just affect the mining company—Old John, who lived 60 kilometers away, might also be caught up in it.
Because, based on the fragments of memory she could piece together, the movie’s plot was roughly divided into two parts.
The first half mainly followed the underground adventure of the male and female leads.
The mercenary team they belonged to had been hired by the mining company to investigate the frequent underground incidents. Midway through the mission, the team was attacked by the creature. With the sacrifice and cover of their teammates, only the two protagonists managed to survive and escape after enduring countless hardships.
After leaving the mining site, the male and female leads submitted the photos they had taken to the management of the McMurkin Company. However, driven by their own interests, the company neither shut down the mine nor reported the situation. Instead, they suppressed the news and hired another team to enter the mine, hoping to deal with the creature privately—only to end up sending more victims straight to it.
What follows is the second half of the film: the monster’s rampage.
After devouring enough humans, the creature successfully entered its breeding phase and began laying eggs in the mine. To provide sufficient nutrients for its offspring, it expanded its range of activity during this time—not only surfacing onto land, but also traveling farther away in search of food.
Everly couldn’t remember whether it had gone to the gas station. Even if the movie didn’t show such a scene, that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened—it might simply not have been depicted, so it couldn’t be used as a reliable reference.
As for downtown Micano, the creature had definitely been there. The film’s final battle took place in the city.
The monster burst out from a flowerbed in a busy district, smashing through the fragile concrete and killing people indiscriminately. At a critical moment, the two protagonists stepped in like lone heroes, injuring the creature with their weapons and luring it out of the crowded area to an abandoned building with fewer people around.
By then, the military’s helicopters had finally arrived. With the support of artillery fire, the protagonists and the military joined forces and ultimately killed the creature.
At the end of the film, as usual, the U.S. military stepped in to clean up the aftermath—removing the creature’s body along with the unhatched eggs from the mine, bringing everything to a close while also leaving a hint for a possible sequel.
…
After recalling the events of the movie, Everly felt a strong sense of crisis.
She couldn’t be sure whether Old John’s gas station was safe. If the creature really went there, would the lead-lined walls of the underground shelter be enough to withstand it…?
So, after urging Rebecca on the phone not to stay in Micano for the time being and to find somewhere else to lie low, Everly immediately made a video call to Old John. She explained the situation to her grandfather and told him to set off right away—either move to the safe zone in Lemot Town or stay in Tunumo Village for a while.
“If things are really as bad as you feel they are, this probably won’t be resolved until the end of the year,” Old John said calmly after listening to his granddaughter.
Everly froze for a moment as more fragments of the movie flashed through her mind.
That was true—the final battle took place while it was snowing, and there were Christmas decorations visible all around… Did that mean the events of the film lasted all the way until Christmas?
“Seems like it,” she replied.
“Then, Everly, you might as well not come home for winter break.”
Hearing that, her heart skipped a beat. She was just about to tell him she could wait until everything settled down before returning, when the old man continued:
“I’ll book a flight to your place right now. This winter break, we’ll spend it together in New Osebuch State.”
“Huh?”
“Would that be a bother?”
“Of course not!”
“Then it’s settled. It just so happens that someone in Yonah City is selling the latest water purification system—I’ve been meaning to go take a look, but never had the time… Alright, I’ll hang up for now. We’ll talk again after I’ve booked the tickets.”
“Mm, okay.”
Even after the call ended, Everly still felt a little dazed.
She hadn’t expected her usually reclusive grandfather to come all the way to New Osebuch State to see her—and even spend Christmas and New Year with her there! Although part of the reason was the monster at the mine, how could Everly not feel the care and concern behind this decision?
She decided to take on the role of host and immediately began looking for a place for her grandfather to stay.
But before that, she needed to pass along the news about the mining monster to Misha, so Misha could warn her family and friends.
…
Old John’s flight arrived two days later.
That day, Everly even skipped a class and drove a long way to Concord Airport, the state capital, to pick him up.
To her surprise, Old John wasn’t the only one who came—Rebecca was there too, carrying large and small bags.
“Hello~ Everly! Surprised?” The fortune-teller, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, set down her luggage, placed one hand on her hip, and waved cheerfully. “Didn’t you tell me to leave early? In a rush, I didn’t know where to go, so I got in touch with Mr. John by chance. He said he was coming here to see you, and I figured, since I had nowhere else to go, I might as well come along and rely on you… Here, this is a little gift—something for self-defense. You don’t mind me being a bother, do you?”
“Of course not! I’m really glad you came—welcome, Rebecca!”
Everly accepted the gift with a smile and stepped forward to give Rebecca an excited hug.
The three of them then got into Everly’s Grand Cherokee, and she drove them to a ranger’s cabin located in the northeastern corner of Dalami City.
Yes—that’s right. The place Everly had prepared in advance for Old John to stay was this abandoned wooden cabin.
Last semester, to avoid the chaos in the city caused by the mutated tapeworm outbreak, Everly, Misha, and Orff had lived in this small cabin for over half a month.
At the time, because their evacuation had been rushed and they hadn’t brought much to pass the time, Everly and Misha, bored out of their minds, gradually cleaned up the other unused rooms. They repaired whatever doors, windows, and furniture they could, and tossed the rest into the basement.
After tidying everything up, they realized that aside from its worn-out exterior and its bad reputation, the cabin was actually a pretty good shelter: it had a stove for winter, good cross-ventilation in summer, its own generator, a kitchen, and even a well for water.
Old John planned to stay in Dalami City for more than three months this time. He had always been a solitary person who valued his personal space and didn’t like dealing with people much. Everly felt that, rather than renting a place in the crowded and noisy city center, it would be better to let her grandfather stay here. At most, they could rent a car long-term—if he needed anything, he could just drive into the city to buy it, and it wasn’t far anyway.
Sure enough, when he saw the old wooden cabin surrounded by birch trees, Old John didn’t show any sign of dislike. Instead, he approved of the quiet environment.
“Did you rent this place? It’s quite nice. I like it here.”
“I like it too. Honestly, this is my first time seeing a cabin in the woods—it’s really interesting!” Rebecca said, running her hand along the aged wall, her eyes sparkling.
“I’m glad you both like it, but just to be clear, I didn’t rent this place…” Seeing how satisfied they were, Everly scratched her cheek and explained how the cabin had come into their possession.
The rumors about ghosts lingering there were nonsense—but it was true that the house hadn’t been obtained through entirely proper means.
Fortunately, because what had happened there before was so terrifying, the nearby residents all treated it like a haunted house—one they would go out of their way to avoid. As long as the real owner didn’t come to drive them out, there was no problem staying there indefinitely.
Rebecca and Old John had both seen their fair share of the world, so they didn’t mind living in a place like this “unused” house.
And so, after some busy preparations, the two guests settled into the cabin in the woods.