The night almost falls and Stan goes to the settlement amazed by how fast the drones construct the buildings and he search for Jorogumo, finding her with other like Mason, Kalevi, and the old man and walking behind her.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxL9326rWcN
Saying with almost a silent voice "Jorogumo I'm here"
265Please respect copyright.PENANARBPdpG05AQ
"excellent"
265Please respect copyright.PENANATx2P6tNH7C
she handed him a gun and says to everyone "you will guard the north perimeter from the start of the night until my soldier's come and give you permission to leave"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA167chzf6CH
the other say nothing and starts walking, before leaving she calls Stan and she says "tomorrow morning, I will come to find you to fix the machine, are you comfortable with this decision?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAnm8b00D2uj
"yes"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJVBOCfdNEm
"great, now go to your post and be careful"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJei37DFuJh
he turns away and as he walks Jorogumo speak to him "Stan are you feeling well? You seem tired"
265Please respect copyright.PENANANObye7GWRh
Stan continues walking and wave his hand at her "I'm really well, just a bit bored"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXeQIGwFdg1
he reaches the others and sits together, waiting for the night to fall.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtAR1SBhMwl
Mason sits opposite from Stan and start chatting, with two soldiers speaking to each other as they watch the woods and the old man and Kalevi sitting silent, as the time pass and Stan and Mason continue to speak a soldier says "a girl is going inside the woods, let's go bring her out"
265Please respect copyright.PENANATBELTrKPau
Stan turns seeing a figure with blue eyes and dark long hair, he gets up and says "I know her, I will go inform her to come back"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA6zGPrhssDh
"alright, just come back fast, we don't know if there is anything out there"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAdvR9vtKukC
Stan leaves, following her inside the woods , following her steps in the dirt, he follows it until he saw Aphrodite curl on the ground and crying, holding her clothes tight ready to torn them, Stan runs and falls to his knee "Aphrodite what happened? Why are you crying?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOkbxPCk1ir
she looked at him with more tears falling and watch her arms holding a small pack, he goes to grab it but she pulls it to her back,
265Please respect copyright.PENANARSloYkAjUg
Stan left to wonder and says with an aggressive tone "give it to me" he grabs the packet and reads it "self abortion pill" Stan throws it down with force and goes in front of Aphrodite grabbing her shoulders and asking with an aggressive and low voice 'why you did that?" Aphrodite doesn't respond and just continue to shed tears and curling even more.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPuDcaxiqwF
Stan takes back the pack and reads the instructions "use the pill in a safe place and comfortable place, in the next ten minutes after the use of the pill you will feel intense stomach pain and intense bleeding, after the ten minutes the pain will be gone and you will have abort successfully with slight bleeding"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAMhrFzQefiJ
Stan then sits beside her and hugs her.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfKeATW7LfG
With Aphrodite biting her lips intense enough for her teeth to become red
265Please respect copyright.PENANA1UvysF9sQO
and placing her nails deep inside Stan and in turn grabbing a tree vein, Stan waits with patience until her pain is gone and when it finally goes away she look at her and says "why?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAF579ZFNnNS
Aphrodite doesn't dare to look at his gaze and says "I cannot tell you"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7hawVkThB3
his heart starts beating faster, he slowly exhales from his nose and says "you said you wanted to help me, and I let you, but I cannot stare like this when a person who cares about me is in pain, please tell me"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAZUeTRYbMjc
she finally manages to meet his eyes and says "do you remember that I told you that I earn money from singing?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKB42ndPJ5U
"yes"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfPPDKf3DDA
her eyes start glistening and start sobbing "well there is another way of making money, selling your body"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaPCR2rAA8S
Stan's eyes wide open and his heart skip a beat
265Please respect copyright.PENANAGwLogEMqJ3
"why are you doing this?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYERCcrnfyx
her tears start dropping and her voice changing "I cannot do otherwise, my parents have a neuron disease, they can't talk, they cannot eat and the money to make the surgery is too much"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbXZBvI2HMN
Stan left speechless and just slowly and gentle goes to hug her, with her falling into his arms with great speed "I didn't want to do it, I didn't want to kill it"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAoDSbSAi5QP
Stan's mouth is left open for a while, ready to speak before Aphrodite interrupts him
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmo2Yv5K4iv
"I can't feel like myself anymore, I sold my body and I killed a baby that didn't even see the light of the sun"
265Please respect copyright.PENANARWct0qFKBw
"but remember that because of you your parents will live, you are the reason you will see them smile again"
265Please respect copyright.PENANATIHnGsw73b
"you are right but again, I cannot forgive what I've done" suddenly they hear footsteps and their hearts skip a breath, they quickly get up and Aphrodite hides behind a tree trying to hold her tears and sobbings and Stan goes forward and speaking with Mason, Kalevi and a soldier "do not worry everything is alright"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUxckk6R8Rp
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuJJxjVJG7f
the soldier responds with his deep voice "have you met with any creature? Are you alright?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUNMXzPHgDX
"I'm alright, I just couldn't find Aphrodite for a moment that's all"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAhrejp83ykq
"aphrodite?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAhMO5dKlpA2
"I mean the girl that went here"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA3Wi3FhJ5YM
"oh, did you inform her to go back to the settlement?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVzicoUGdjl
"yes I did, she is already there"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAMGQBAidNEj
"Good now let us go back"
265Please respect copyright.PENANACSrqw3BnSc
on their way Mason talked to Stan some meters behind Kalevi and the soldier.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAv2BbPicNIB
He looked at Stan with a smile
265Please respect copyright.PENANAjy0eARx7rt
"so how was your time with her?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOe6ysUI1Lb
"we just talked nothing more"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtlywcqOd1w
"is everything okay? You seem a bit sad"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA5FDFZeHLV5
Stan raise his voice for a while "oh I'm fine, don't worry about me"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAWmC7Hhm3ZX
they both say nothing and continue.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2CvNVcd5P
At one point mason sigh and says "Stan I want to say sorry for back then"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0Bq9weag0g
"what do you mean?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJLzsuwdB0T
"that I stayed with the venurans back there"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVHz64On0y6
he wave his hand left and right "oh I'm totally fine with this"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAMBwsVj7AdT
"if you say so"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAH4Y2LnR9uC
he make a big pause and continues "it's just that, I wanted some time to forget"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzr9FhSg0qz
Stan turns immediatly "forget what?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2jkEde2EGS
"I mean every time we are together I just have images in my mind with us and Alina, I just cannot forget the times we were together even if they were few"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAn5ZNzEhK2S
Stan's heart starts beating fast and sensing shivers to his spine, Mason look at Stans's hands clutching
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgwyKpsYf9n
"at least she died as she wished, protecting those who need it"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2Mi2STKpp9
Stan's heart goes back to normal and says "yeah, you are right"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAjK3MR0aK38
they reach the settlement and sit down, with Stan tilting his head down and thinking, abruptly a plate with food comes to his view, he looks up seeing Kalevi offering it, he smiled at him and takes it "thank you"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAMchsmKWMcT
after eating it jorogumo with her soldiers come to them saying "thanks for your contribution, you can now go home and rest"
265Please respect copyright.PENANANrTWQyzXSl
everyone got up and said "goodnight"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAkgqFTEaH2r
Mason and Stan go to their house and open the door.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAiLhuv4v3Z5
Seeing Aphrodite sleeping and facing the wall. Mason whispers "lucky man, she really likes you"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA4dGE3uVZpk
He falls asleep and Stan goes too, grabbing Aphrodite and feeling tears coming from her, he hugs her even tighter and she does the same holding his hands.
265Please respect copyright.PENANArI3AdNPJgu
She falls asleep and Stan follows,
265Please respect copyright.PENANAO0dOALAMzI
Stan wakes up and sees Aphrodite missing, he turn seeing Mason still sleeping and he swiftly gets up, going outside and watching the sun halfway up, his heart skips a beat and then he does his routine and runs to the barracks with the soldiers waiting for him, he stops right in front of them breathing heavy and one of them says with a deep voice "come on walk, we will not wait, we have other duties to attend"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAof2ePaDRV3
he inhales deep and start walking with the soldiers, reaching the edge of the mountain and there he meets Jorogumo and says "I'm sorry I made you wait so much"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA924vTsjbJZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2PcgmujSR
"Luckily for you I have enough free time today to wait for you , but the next time be more responsible"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyO6ahAquMd
Stan goes immediately to the machine and starts fixing it.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXlt7zFWfeW
By the time the sun was above them he finished, Jorogumo say "good work Stan, now you can go"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJlsl1Rbmja
Stan left with quick steps and goes to the settlement, watching Aphrodite smiling bright as she sings to the people.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAa96bVbT8QN
He waits for her to end and when she does he goes close to her saying with his eyebrows pulled "are you felling well?"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUWoIFDdxBg
"yeah, why do you ask?" Stan looks around seeing if anyone can hear them and then says "you don't need to hide it from me" Aphrodites smile fad away and says "I'm sorry, it's just that I never told anyone about all of this, and I'm used to hiding my feelings"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOG1vbcOUh5
"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAnJvWz85MIJ
"I know, and thank you for all of this" she smile at him and their conversation gets interrupted by Jorogumo, she says everyone to gather around her and says "as it seems ae have enough food for ten more suns, but the food is not growing fast enough up here and until the USS arrive we need more, that's why I want volunteers to join today me and my soldiers on the hunt, to ensure that we will not starve until aid comes" people faces make no disagreement and many like Stab going closer, with the soldiers giving them equipment and guns, boarding the vehicles and leaving from a smooth road and going down to the outskirts of the thick, red and green jungle.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPRH2RiXOgy
Jorogumo inform them, saying "I'm reminding you to stay with your team and come back before dawn"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgT3wYlvGkY
the volunteers and the soldiers then scatter around and Stan get accompanied by Mason, Kalevi,, and two other soldiers.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOVuLyRsqCH
As they move forward they see red round slugs up in the branches, looking at them with their small eyes and showing their teeth on their tentacles, one of the soldiers starts breathing heavy and the other says "Aramis focus, we have people to protect here"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA3W7hcUhZpK
"you are right, sorry Efiene" her breath goes back to normal and they start moving swiftly.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAs34REpaVni
They reach a place with the trees having massive holes underneath them , Efieme says "watch out the holes for any creature" Kalevi and Mason target the holes and they start moving even faster, they then reach a place with grey trees and thick veins sticking out of them, going inside the nearby trees through a hole or by going underneath, cutting a piece of them and leaving it, eating enough nutrients for the tree to live and the veins to grow and spread, Aramis spots a small animal, with big ears and a thin green fur biting the trees and taking the wood, crafting with his teeth small weapons.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAR4vrdkszeD
Aramis makes a sign with her hand for the other to surround it, and when they did they wait for a clear sight, with Kalevi firing first and hitting it to its chest, Efiene gets close and grabs it, saying "nice shot young man" she looks at it a bit more and says "let's go back, we don't have more time for hunting" as they start walking the creature starts having spasms, Efiene drops it and the creature swiftly climb Efienes leg, biting it and cracking her bone, Aramis draws her gun and shots the creature at its legs, ripping them and falling back.
265Please respect copyright.PENANA225ZvbG5IP
Aramis runs, catching Efiene before falling and Efiene saying with a smirk "I never thought you will save me sister" Aramis respond with a laugh and says "let's get you back to" as they step another foot the veins start stretching and connecting with each other, making a thick wall.
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2lRZ84uc61
The creature starts spasming again and Efiene whispers to Aramis's ear "it seems I have to save you again"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJQNPq25PVp
Efiene jumps with her one leg and with her knife start cutting the veins with them regenerating fast, Efiene screams "run" Stan, Mason , Kalevi, and Arami start passing, with Efiene cutting then faster and harder for them to pass.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAW2amI5iLKU
Aramis takes her knife to her hands and start cutting "come, sister"
265Please respect copyright.PENANA9lR2O0ynyu
Efiene jumps to pass but the veins have surround her leg, pulling her and falling to the ground, grabbing her body and pushing her from getting up
265Please respect copyright.PENANAs6kfwRfviZ
Aramis says loud "you three start shooting" they shoot the veins with no effect, having only one magazine of bullets left.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAW11ymh1JQz
The creature starts crawling with its arms, with veins coming from its legs, supporting it, Efiene screams "Aramis take the others and leave"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXR113Ign49
"no I won't leave you here"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAi2dwo5MoMX
"sister someone must go to take care of mother" Aramis's eyes wide open and she continue cutting them as the creature gets closer, Efiene draws her gaze on Stan and says "please take her from here"
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYCsU7CLgFU
Stan takes his eyes from her and nod his head.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKhq2tw6Jy9
he and Mason grabbing her and pulling her away as she screams "leave me save my sister" they pull her further as for the final time she watch the smile of her sister, and after a brief moment they hear a long scream stretching for many minutes, Stan and Mason eyes wide open and feel shivers in their spine, holding Aramis harder as she scream and fight and Kalevi looking at them with a straight face.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAP2elCpEko1
After a while the scream stops and Aramis stops resisting, Mason and Stan take their hands away and she falls to her knees whispering "why, why her?" Kalevi respond to her "this is life, it doesn't matter what good or bad deeds someone does, they will die for no reason" Aramis hold her tears and stayed with her mouth shut.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAvkoTHuMpFU
Abruptly a dark cloud begins rising beside the canopies, all except Aramis look at it and Stan says "it's from the place we were, maybe someone is there" Kalevi says "I'm going to check it" "don't you need someone to help you if anything happens?" "I do not need help" Kalevi leaves and Stan and mason turn their gaze to Aramis.
265Please respect copyright.PENANASfzGn2QQde
Her body shaking and putting her hands on the chest, curling down and murmuring "is it because of what we did in the war?" Mason asks her "what do mean by that Aramis?" She ignores him and continues "if your souls can hear me I'm sorry, I didn't want to do it, I didn't had a choice, leave me, I cannot anymore, I cannot hear your screams anymore" Mason kneels beside her and touch her back.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAoUJxA5rPoq
She quickly gets up and looks at him, Mason tells her "there is no one screaming here, you are safe" "I cannot hear you, they won't leave me, the children are watching us, they want me and my sister to suffer before they can rest" Mason grabs her and shake her "come on put yourself together" Aramis goes to draw her gun and Mason quickly stops her, Stan runs and help Mason.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAl1rufiIBnb
Aramis fights them, hitting them with her legs, hitting Mason many times, almost feeling his bones are ready to crack but he still hold her "leave me to die, I deserve it" abruptly Kalevi comes back, watching them, Stan shouts "Kalevi please help us, Aramis try to suicide" Kalevi look at them for a bit longer and exhales, he open Aramis jaw and takes some pills from his pocket and gives it to her and after ten minutes she closed her eyes and fall asleep.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAqMG28UoscT
Mason then leaves a small and short scream and Stan asks him "you have survived worse" Mason smile and says "like when we were outside and three guys attacked us?" Stan smirk "yes" "have you forget that I fell down with the first five punches,it was you and Alina who beated the shit out of them, especially you" Stan's heart skips a beat and Kalevi interrupts them and says "we have to go back, the sunset is close" Stan help Mason get up and takes Aramis with Kalevis help.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPWxzpEHGZo
As they walk Stan asks Kalevi "did you see anyone back there?" "No, when I reached the source of fire it was already extinguished, it burned the trees and the veins and the soldier's body, the only strange thing was a figure inside the trees, almost in our height and looking identical to us" "we have seen them again in the forest we hunt, do you think they follow us?" Kalevi look and him and Mason and says "no, they would not come this far for a prey" Mason stare Aramis and says "what kind of pills did you gave her?" "They help me in my sleep, nothing harmful" they all left silent and reach Jorogumo and the others.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAehC4n5tMFF
Jorogumo walk with quick steps towards them and takes Aramis into her hands "what happened to her? And where is Efiene?" Kalevi talks first with no kind of pain or affection in his words "Efiene died by some sentient veins and I knocked Aramis because she tried to suicide" jorogumo stay with the same unemotional face and respond "I will take care of her" Stan and Mason look at her intensely and Jorogumo asks "Stan when you can come to the barracks, I want to say some things to you" Stan nod his head as he look at her with the same way and they go to the vehicles, with two third of the people made it back ,some of them coughing, all of them having their heads down and the jupitarians, laying their bodies on the seats and laughing.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxmascREbYq
265Please respect copyright.PENANARnnTrAX2FN
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKuUGNb7AaQ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAIxW2gVmA6W
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzlEXcFP1mW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsOU8fvtLNZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAFQxy5zq892
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaH2Rjdhls3
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgaRQP4BIcg
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVmENkJ1DFE
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfVtfx7TkqK
265Please respect copyright.PENANAG0JEwnyQSn
265Please respect copyright.PENANA10JsBtZSxG
265Please respect copyright.PENANAvYeiTLAPEU