Chapter 153


    Chapter 153 Water from theke


    BECKY


    Dic kson and I stepped into the woman’s home, and the moment we did, the strong scent of herbs


    tickled my nose even through my mask. The scent was pleasant but erring on the side of too potent,


    and winced slightly.


    The woman led us to her parlor, and as we stepped through the kitchen, I was reminded of my home


    back in Anemond. Her house was cozy and simple, and my heart ached a little as I thought of my


    mother.


    Once we entered the other room, the woman stared at me for a second. Though her eyes were bright,


    the rest of her looked exhausted. Her skin was deathly pale, and though she wore a top with a high


    cor, I could see a prominent back mark that spanned from her neck to her ear.


    “Please, take a seat,” she said, and she gestured at the round white dining room table. “Can I make


    you some teap


    Dic kson and I nced at one another as we took a seat.


    “No thank you,” I said as I shook my head politely. “I appreciate your hospitality, but we’re here to ask


    you a few questions. We won’t take up much of your time, ma’am, I promise.”


    The woman’s expression sank even further and her lips curled down slightly.


    “I don’t have any answers for you,” she whispered.


    “Anything can help,” I tried to coax it out of her. “Ang sent us. She said you might be able to help us.


    We’re on your side here. We just want to help.”


    At the mention of Ang’s name, the woman’s lips parted in surprise and then she took a long, deep


    breath.


    1/5


    “You can’t help us, miss,” she replied, and she gripped the back of one of the dining room chairs tightly


    as she stared at the floor. “We’re cursed. No one can help


    us.”


    “How do you know that?” I asked, and I leaned forward in my seat and rested my hands on the table.


    The woman’s chest heaved up and down and her lower lip trembled..


    “D-d-d-don’t you see h-healer?” she asked as she gestured at her neck, and her voice grew louder as


    she began to emotionally break down. “Everyone here was infected with this…thing. It’s been so long


    and no one has been able to cure the disease. People have been dying left and right. There are so few


    of us left now.”


    As she dissolved into tears, I started to stand, but Dic kson gripped my arm and shook his head. I


    wanted nothing more than to soothe the poor woman, but if the disease was really as rampant in this


    part of the country as she was making it seem, then we couldn’t get too close.


    We remained silent until the woman calmed down a bit. She took long, deep breaths until finally, she


    was able to raise her head and look at us again.


    “Whatever questions you have, I’m not sure if I can help you,” she said. “I know very grew little. No one


    knows how the disease got started so no one knows why it


    more severe.”


    I was about to ask a follow-up question, but before the words could escape my mouth, the woman


    spoke again.


    “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to take care of my husband. He’s far iller than I am. If your hand is


    better, miss, you should leave.”


    Dic kson and I shared another look and then I nodded. We rose from our seats and just as we prepared


    to follow the woman out, another question escaped me.


    “Why are people taking water from theke?” I wondered. “When we arrived, we saw women there


    filling up containers. As far as we know, the whole vige has tap water. So why draw from theke?”


    2/5


    The woman didn’t appear as if she were going to answer, and then finally, she


    sighed.


    “By taking the water, we can slow the progress of the disease.” Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    “How?” I asked.


    The woman huffed impatiently and gestured toward the door. She red at me


    angrily.


    “Please leave,” she demanded. “Immediately.”


    Dic kson and I wasted no time and nodded. We scrambled out of the house quickly and once we


    reached thewn, I released a heavy sigh.


    “Well, that didn’t go how I thought it would,” I murmured.


    I stared back at the house and my mind began to spin. I hadn’t intended Ang’s friend to give us all of


    the answers we required, but I’d expected far more than she’d given. At the very least, at least we got


    to witness the disease. It was obvious that the people of the mountain really were sick.


    Had Ang been correct?


    Had the disease originated from here?


    “Are you okay?” Dic kson asked as he gestured at my still-red hand.


    I nodded. “I’m alright. I appreciate you asking.”


    “Of course,” he said. “Come on. Let’s go to the vige and see if we can find someone else to help us.”


    After we shared a nod, we walked further into the residential area. As we meandered through the


    vige, it seemed obvious that everyone was trying to avoid us. I wasn’t sure if it could be attributed to


    our masks or the fact that we were outsiders, but either way, we couldn’t get much information.


    3/5


    “Dic kson, what do you think about what the woman said?” I asked after a while.


    “I don’t know,” he admitted, and he took off his sses and wiped the fog from the lenses on the hem


    of his shirt. “But I doubt the water from theke could be


    effective.”


    I nodded. “I figured as much. But there’s no reason for the woman to lie. Since there are vigers


    taking water from theke, we should try to collect a sample. We can test it in theb and make sure


    there aren’t any properties we weren’t aware of.”


    We decided that since we weren’t making good progress with the vigers and it was unlikely anyone


    would give us information, we should head back to the clinic. On the way out, we asked the driver to


    take us back to theke.


    When we arrived, I was surprised to see another group of women collecting water in buckets.


    I grabbed a test tube from my medical kit and Dic kson and I approached theke, but when we got


    closer, the women rushed away. I fought back a sigh. I wished we could speak to them, but I wasn’t


    going to force them into a conversation.


    So, I took a sample of the water, and once it was collected, we returned to the car and headed back to


    the clinic.


    Our drive was silent but short.


    When we arrived back at the clinic, I wanted to go to sleep, but before I retired to the office’s couch, I


    decided to check in with Ang.


    Thankfully, she and Marina were still awake, and they offered me smiles as ! approached.


    “Healer Becky,” Ang said. “You’re back.”


    “I am,” I said with a small smile. “I went to the mountain area. I tried to speak with your friend but she


    didn’t want to answer any questions.”


    ΕΠ