Chapter 214: Wait for Me
Man, if I could, I'd be miles away from that dude. Just seeing him brings back all those messed-up memories. Right now, all I care about is Brad's safety, and I don't need my mood getting wrecked by him.
Daniel didn't give a damn about my attitude and asked if I wanted some lozenges.
Lozenges? Seriously? Even if he had gold pills, I wouldn't need 'em. Hurt and mistakes can't be fixed with lozenges.
Too lazy to deal with his nonsense, I yelled at Adam to catch up.
Adam took a few big strides, sliding himself between me and Daniel, keeping us apart.
Daniel's face went stiff for a sec, knowing I did it on purpose, but he just followed us quietly.
"You don't like Daniel? Lots of girls are into him."
I just sneered.
A trip that should've taken an hour dragged on for six and a half hours. By the time we got there, it was pitch dark and starting to drizzle.
The temperature dropped, so everyone threw on jackets and those cheap raincoats.
Derek said the school site was up ahead, and we should find a higher, drier spot to set up camp and crash.
Everyone was beat, finding spots to chill. Some pulled out food, others checked their gear, and a few college volunteers were weakly massaging their shoulders and backs.
I was the only one restless, wanting to push the guide to start the rescue, but Larry kept holding me back. He said it was too dark, and since we had zero rescue experience, we had to follow the guide's lead and not go rogue.
Larry was the only one I could count on now, so I listened to him.
I could hear faint voices and see moving lights ahead, definitely not fireflies but flashlights.
I looked over there, but all I could see were tragic scenes flashing in my mind, making my fear grow stronger.
I just couldn't get why, at this life-or-death moment, we had to sit here. Didn't they know every minute counted?
"Don't worry, they must have their reasons. We gotta follow orders. Reckless bravery won't help now. We don't have many people, so we gotta use our resources wisely."
Adam noticed my anxiety and whispered to calm me down.
I knew all that, but Brad was in danger; how could I not be freaking out?
Just before I totally lost it, Derek waved us to move out.
This time, it took less than thirty minutes to reach the worst-hit area on the edge of the school.
The guide said this area was the lowest, so it usually got hit the hardest. But thanks to some previous management, the landslide was lighter than expected, and several buildings in the center were only half-buried, so the chances of survival were high.
I took that as good news.
In front of us, a long pole, which we first thought was a flagpole, was slanted into the ground with a piece of cloth hanging from the tip. Some exposed fence posts formed a rough rectangle, probably the school's fence. A few buildings, surrounded by mud, were teetering, with square windows barely visible.
The rescue team sent over this young dude to break down the key points of the rescue: how to keep ourselves safe and what to do if things go south. He also handed out tools to everyone.
"Our crew is setting up searchlights. Please stay safe and talk to our team if you hit any snags. Don't go rogue. Every move you make could trigger another disaster. To keep things under control and get the best results, be careful."
Since the disaster hit during summer break, there weren't many folks at the school. Just eleven kids who signed up for art classes, the principal, four teachers, Brad, and a lady from the aid organization—so, like, seventeen people tops.
The number wasn't huge, but finding them in a school spread over five thousand square feet with mud over three feet deep was no joke.
Everything was covered in dark, thick mud.
More than forty-eight hours had passed since the accident. The mud had settled, the water had sunk, making the top layer super dense and a pain to clear.
Without machinery, just using our hands, how long would it take to clear all this mud?
I couldn't help but feel a bit desperate, my heart breaking like it was being torn apart.
I cried while using a small shovel to clear the mud.
The real digging was done by the pro rescue team, and we were just clearing the mud behind them. I was the only girl in our group, and the person in charge didn't want me to join in. But I insisted because I felt that if I worked harder, we could find Brad sooner.
If I did nothing, what was the point of being here? How could I face Brad?
My job was to bag the mud dug out by the guys in front, then have someone load it onto a small cart and dump it far away, over and over again.
In less than half an hour, my arms were so sore and numb I couldn't even feel them. I fell a few times, scraping my face. Daniel and Adam both told me to take a break and let them handle it.
I refused, stubbornly lifting the shovel again and again. When I couldn't lift the shovel, I used my hands to move the mud.
I kept thinking that if I just kept digging, I'd find Brad. He had to be waiting for me somewhere in that school, and I was gonna save him.
Two days and nights had passed, and the trapped people were out of contact, their lives hanging by a thread, with no food or water. The fear and despair of being stuck in the mud could break their spirits.
With such slow progress, when would we see the light of day?
I prayed that Brad was safe, that everyone was safe.
I chanted in my heart, 'Brad, I'm here to save you, and you have to wait for me!'
Looking at the classroom still more than sixty feet away, I thought maybe we could switch up our rescue method.
"Larry, what if we figured out where the classroom building's entrance is and had everyone dig in one spot to make a direct path to the classroom? Wouldn't that be faster than what we're doing now? I think the kids were in class at the time, and the teachers and principal should be near the classroom."
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