EATERS

CHAPTER 10: A NEW WORLD

Both car boats and regular motor boats that most of the villagers rode in had made it to the beach where the military base was stationed and overrun by Eaters. They were all just standing idle, eerily chomping their jaws when they heard the motor boats and began running around crazily until they didn't hear it anymore. The firefighters were the first to contact the sand, ax ready in hand. Mrs. Jeong, Ji-Hun, Park Seokjin, Mai Ling, Ye-Joon and I along with some of the villagers began walking quietly towards where the helicopters were stationed while carrying heavy sandbags on their backs. Hyunjin and his group in the car boat, along with other villagers on motor boats waited until it was time to react.

One female Eater was standing right in front of the helicopter's door, chomping its teeth at nothing. Mrs. Jeong reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic sandwich bag that contained the paste. She wore a thick glove and with the help of the firefighters, held down the Eater and shoved the paste in its mouth and forcibly held the mouth shut. We all watched in anticipation to see if it would work. The Eater shook a few times, but then finally relaxed. We all watched as a few worms slithered out of the bite wound on her arm, fell on the ground and died. She blinked her eyes a few times, dazed and confused. One of the firefighters addressed the wound on her arm where she became infected. Mrs. Jeong placed a finger over her lips to let the girl know to be quiet. She nervously nodded and allowed for her rescuers to help her to her feet.

I quietly slid the helicopter door open and was very thankful it was empty. I jumped in and helped the cured girl on board. Mrs. Jeong was next to get in, but in the pilot seat. The bags that contained the powdered cure were quickly loaded into the chopper. A few villagers also boarded, strapping themselves into the security steel loops to keep them from falling out of the chopper.

Ji-Hun took his group to the next helicopter and loaded up their chopper. Once everyone was situated, they began to take off, but not too high. Eaters began running towards the helicopter's sound, but then redirected their in the direction the choppers were headed. Hyunjin and the others waiting in the boats began their way towards the beach. Park Seokjin and I opened one of the bags and began shaking it over the Eaters that were not too far from him. Ji-Hun flew his helicopter in a different direction to spread the cure. To our amazement, many of the Eaters slowed down with their running and dropped to the floor shaking with foam from the worm crawling out of their mouths dissolving into liquid. The firefighters and some of the villagers run towards the cured Eaters to protect them from the ones that have already passed the point of being cured. Hyunjin and his large group began killing off the Eaters that couldn't be helped while some of the villagers took the newly cured people back to the safety of the boats. As a precaution, they were given the paste to eat.

We couldn't believe how many people we were able to save. Many of the people that turned back to normal insisted to help fight against those incurable Eaters. Jeju Island firefighters that were hiding below the safety of their station came out of hiding with blow torches to help us clean out the Island. After what seemed like forever, all the bags were empty with a huge survival success. Mrs. Jeong landed the helicopter and we all jumped off. We exterminated some Eaters and were able to help the newly cured people and address their wounds. I didn't realize where I was until I saw my grandparents demolished home. I couldn't help but start crying. Mrs. Jeong placed her hand on my shoulder trying to console me. I know that I have to get my shit together. We were on a mission and once it's complete, then I can mourn to my heart's content.

The people of Jeju Island gathered all exterminated Eaters and brought them down to the beach for the bodies to be burnt. Every worm that was found in the street was burnt to a crisp as an extra precaution. It took us such a long time to clean up the mess the military made by blowing up buildings and homes. Many bodies were pulled out from the rubble and cremated separately from the Eaters. Those ashes were placed in urns and placed in a memorial that was built in their honor. Hyunjin took the bodies of Yeona and Choon-Hee and had them cremated apart from the others and placed their ashes in two separate urns. He wrote their names on it and placed it side by side in the memorial. He leaned his forehead against the glass, closed his eyes and sighed. He apologized to them over and over asking for their forgiveness because he felt that he failed to protect them. We all know that's not the case, but it was something that Hyunjin had to overcome.