Bring It On! - Chapter 59

Chapter 59.

We made full preparations before going back into the cannibals’ den.

We smeared dirt on our faces and covered our bodies with leaves like a ghillie suit. On top of that, we boldly left the backpack behind. After all, if we died, we wouldn’t use it anyway, and there was no point carrying it around heavily while restricting our movements.

If our plan succeeded and we survived, we intended to bring Jay back here and retrieve it.

The hand I was holding was drenched with sweat. When I turned around, I saw eyes that shone clear and bright, impossible to hide even under the dust. They were eyes full of swallowed fear. I stopped walking and gripped Suho’s shoulders.

“Just stay at the shelter.”

Suho shook his head.

“I’m more scared of being alone now.”

“……”

I tightened my grip on his hand. He was right. What could be more tragic than being left alone on this deserted island if things went wrong?

“Don’t worry. We won’t die, and we’ll leave this place together with Jay.”

“Yeah. I believe you.”

Even after walking deep into the forest, the cannibals were nowhere to be seen. Were they throwing some kind of welcome party for Jay? It seemed they hadn’t left their stronghold.

Then, from far below, I saw red smoke curling up into the air. Quickly, I pushed Suho’s back down so he’d crawl on his stomach. Listening carefully, I could hear heavy footsteps rumbling through the ground, along with loud, rowdy voices.

“Hyung’s over there, right?”

“Yeah.”

Gulp. My dry throat swallowed from the tension. Staying low, we crawled toward their stronghold.

“Noona, look at that!”

Skulls were stuck onto stakes all over the ground like decorations. Some were human, some animals.

“Don’t pay attention to that.”

The closer we got, the stronger the stench that assaulted our noses. The cannibals were beating on wooden drums as if they were celebrating, singing raucously. On one side, they were butchering a boar Jay had caught. 

They stripped its hide, spread it out on a drying rack, and set the severed head upon a strange stone altar, as though preparing for some ritual.

There were already well over thirty of them in sight. This couldn’t have been all of them. If I guess, maybe over a hundred natives lived here. What was strange was that while children were visible, not a single elder could be seen. 

Did they simply have short lifespans, or were the old eliminated at a certain age? I couldn’t tell.

“There he is!”

Suho instinctively cried out and started to rise. Alarmed, I quickly pulled his wrist down, forcing him back into cover. One of the cannibals, sensing something, spun around sharply. He scanned the area warily, moving toward our direction. My heart pounded so violently it felt like it might burst out of my chest. Holding our breaths, Suho and I froze.

Then another cannibal called out to him. At the sound, he stopped his search and ran back to the group. Only when I saw his back disappearing did I let out a breath of relief, trembling.

“Shh, Lee Suho. You almost got us caught.”

“I couldn’t help it when I saw him…”

And there really was Jay. But his clothing was strange. He had discarded everything he’d been wearing and now draped himself in animal pelts. His lower body was clad in a skirt made of bones. 

Jay’s expression was grim. From time to time, he muttered to himself bitterly, letting out heavy sighs. Judging from his face, at least he was still alive.

The natives treated Jay with extreme reverence. He sat upon a chair carved from stone, and they knelt at his feet, bowing their heads and chanting incomprehensible words. 

Each time, Jay halfheartedly waved his hand as if to reject them, his eyes tight with anxiety.

“What the hell… what is that supposed to be?” I muttered in shock.

The cannibals had built a towering pyre like a stake and lit an enormous fire upon it. Were they planning to throw Jay into it alive? The horrible thought clawed at my mind. A fire of that size wasn’t for cooking. 

It was clearly for some kind of ritual. There was even a platform for a person to stand upon, which made my suspicion seem anything but far-fetched.

Jay seemed to realize the same thing. His eyes darted nervously around, clearly searching for a way to escape alone. But there were far too many eyes fixed on him.

“Noona, what do we do now?”

“We wait until nightfall. It’s too bright now. Anything we do will be spotted. When they’re asleep, we’ll sneak Jay out.”

Of course, there was no telling when that ritual would begin.

Rather than just sitting on my hands and waiting for nightfall, I decided to take a bolder step.

After hiding Suho behind a safe rock, I moved alone. The savages were dipping their hands into some kind of container as if it were a habit, then smearing the stuff all over their faces.

Taking advantage of the commotion, I picked up chunks of pigment scattered on the ground and smeared them on my face. Then, hiding behind a wooden pillar, I pounced on one passing by from behind. 

I strangled him hard with the rope I’d prepared, keeping him from making a sound until he passed out. Immediately, I stripped off what he was wearing and put it on myself. With the bone mask over my face, it made for a pretty convincing disguise.

Inside the bone mask, bugs were crawling and the stench was so foul I nearly gagged, but this wasn’t the time to care about such things. I imitated their lumbering gait and managed to make my way deeper into their stronghold. 

Fortunately, everyone was too busy with ritual preparations to suspect me.

Like they did, I bowed my head in front of Jay.

“…Sun Woori.”

A low voice called my name. I looked up, and Jay’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. Frowning, I shook my head slightly, just enough for him alone to understand. He froze for a moment, then let out a short, incredulous laugh.

I mouthed the word to him.

“Tonight.”

Understanding my meaning, Jay nodded, though his face remained tense with worry.

Just then, someone grabbed my forearm roughly and hauled me upright. Spitting out words in their guttural tongue, he barked at me as though furious. 

From the look of it, it seemed I had committed a grave offense. An unentitled person daring to approach Jay without permission. Unable to watch any longer, Jay snapped, “Hey.” The savage startled, then immediately retreated in fright.

Even so, a low growl, like an animal’s snarl, lingered in his throat. After barely scraping through the crisis, I wiped the sweat dripping down my chin with the back of my hand.

After that harsh scolding, I dared not approach Jay again. Instead, I blended in with the rest, stacking stones, tending fires, and dancing to their strange chants. That’s when, unexpectedly, I was given a chance to be alone with him.

A man handed me a red cord and some paper, gesturing back and forth between Jay and a hut. His cracked voice launched into a passionate explanation, none of which I understood. 

Still, having survived this long by reading people’s intent, I nodded along as if I did. Then I ushered Jay into the hut.

Once we were alone, Jay urgently tore the bone mask from my face and pressed his lips against mine. Even though I must have reeked of red pigment and bone, he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

He kissed me over and over, biting down on my lips, then shifted his tone to scolding.

“I told you to leave. Why the hell did you come here? You want to watch me die or something?”

“Still… isn’t it nice to see me again?”

Jay’s face stiffened. Unable to deny it outright, he just exhaled an irritated “Haah,” through gritted teeth. I held his hand.

“This isn’t the time to be greeting each other. Those bastards… what are they trying to make you do?”

“……”

“I saw the pyre. Don’t tell me you’re supposed to be up there.”

“They said they’ll send me back up to the sky.”

A bad premonition is never wrong. Jay spoke in a heavy voice.

“How did you figure that out?”

“When dozens of them all pile in and explain with their whole bodies, of course I figured it out. Honestly, I’d rather not have.”

“Goddamn it…”