Puzzles: The Missing Piece

Chapter 36: Calamity

In a flash, Garry ran towards Katy.

"Katy, please," he said, "don't do this to me." His eyes were crying, tears trickling down his eyes, "Don't leave me again!"

While the rest of the people were tending to Katy, I was calling the ambulance. After a few minutes, they came. I went outside and I helped them through the library and into the cave.
They were helping Katy and John Doe, well, forget the latter because he's already dead. They were putting his body into a body bag. While they were doing that, I walked up to Emma and talked to her for a bit.

"Emma, about your father," I said, "he's not my uncle. He's my father's best friend. Well, was."

"Wait, so does that mean that my father knew yours?" she asked.

"Yes, he did."

"But why hasn't he told me anything?"

My face suddenly turned serious, "I'm sorry, but now is not a good time to answer your question."

Understood, she just nodded and smiled at me and walked towards Zuku. After she did that, a familiar looking detective walked up to me.

"So," she started, "busy day, huh?"

"Busy day," I agreed.

She then started talking with a serious tone, "Kallus...when you were talking to John Doe, what exactly did he say to you?"

Should I tell her? I asked myself.

I placed my hand on the pocket of my jeans. The piece of paper he handed to me was still there, safe. "He...he told me that he hated me and that I should die," I lied to her.

She stared at me for a few seconds. "Okay then," she smiled, "typical criminals."

Phew! I said to myself in relief. I just smiled back at her.

"Well," she said, "carry on." She then walked back to a few policemen. Then, Garry walked back to me.

"Garry, is Katy alright?" I asked.

"She's unconscious, but the paramedics told me that she should be fine," he replied. "Thankfully, the bullet didn't penetrate any of her organs."

"What a relief," I said.

"Yeah..." he said.

"Garry, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay!" he said with red eyes. "Just twenty minutes ago she betrayed me, and now she took a gunshot for me.

I smiled, "I think I know why she saved you."

"Well, whatever the reason was, I still feel a bit guilty," he told me.

I just gave him a reassuring smile.

"Garry," I said. "Do you trust me?"

He looked at me. "The answer depends on this hand gesture," he said as he, well, made a really rude and offending sign.

I laughed sarcastically. "But for real though?" I asked him again.

"Of course I trust you, you're my best friend!" he laughed.

"Okay then," I said, "now, I have to whisper something to you."

I cupped my hands and told him what I wanted to tell.

After Garry heard what I just said to him, he looked at me with concern.

"Are you sure you want me to do that?" he asked.

"Yes, no questions. When the time comes, just trust me," I said gravely.

He nodded. Then, the paramedics pushed a stroller with an unconscious Katy on it, with the police following behind them. After they exited the cave, me and my friends we about to exit when suddenly, the ground shook as if it was hungry, ready to devour everything.

I then realized the cause of it.

"The chest!" I shouted. "It's unstable!"

I  quickly dashed to the pedestal. Then, the ground beneath it collapsed, revealing a deep chasm of emptiness. As it did that the chest fell down the chasm, never to return again.

"Kallus!" my mother shouted. "Don't go there! It's dangerous!"

I quickly ran and went up to the rest of them.

"Let's get out," I told them, "now!"

As we ran towards the exit, the floor beneath me collapsed. I fell down the crevice, but fortunately, I grabbed ahold of a piece of stone which poking out of the wall of the crevice. Don't look down! I said to myself. Alas, curiosity took hold of me and I reluctantly looked down into the eternal abyss. Immediately, my body trembled in fear.

Then, a shout came from above.

"Kallus!" Garry shouted as he lent me his hand.

Quickly, I grabbed his hand with my other hand. As he was pulling me up, the ground shook again, and Garry fell down. Luckily, I was able to grab the piece of stone again. I looked down. Garry was holding on to my leg.

"Great!" I said with irritation.

Suddenly, Emma and my mother appeared to help us. She reached her arm to me, and I grabbed it. With the help of my mother, she pulled me and Garry out of the crevice.

"Thank you," I told them.

"There's no time," my mother told us. "Let's go!"

Garry went through the door, then Mr Caine, then Emma, then Anton, and then me. As I was stepping through the entrance, the whole place shook again, but more ferociously. Surprised, I looked behind. A large piece of debris blocked the entrance. It would take a few hours to push the heavy rock. My mother was on the other side.

"Mom!" I shouted.

"Kallus!" she told me from the other side. "Get out! All of you"

"No! We won't leave you!" I told her. "Everyone, help me push this stone!" I said.

"Kallus!" my mother shouted. "It's no use, there's no time. This whole place will collapse if you stay and help me!"

"No, I refuse to go!"

The ground rumbled again, dust flying everywhere.

"Please...save yourself!" she shouted. From her tone, I could see that she was crying.

"I don't want to lose another parent!" I told her, tears falling down my face.

"I knew this time would come," she said.

"No..."

"Everybody," she said. "Promise me! Promise me that you will save my son!"

I looked at them. Their faces were filled with horror and sadness.

"Emma," she said. "Never forget!"

I looked at her. She was holding back her tears. Then, she grabbed my arm.

"Run!" she told everybody. Reluctantly, everybody was running towards the opposite side of the entrance.

As she pulled me, I had no other choice but to follow suit.

"I love you, Kallus!" were the last words I heard from my mother.

We were sprinting through the hallways of the library. Even with Zuku's expertise, the place was like a very large labyrinth. As we turn left and right, all I was thinking about was my mother. I began crying again.

After a few moments, we found the entrance of the library. As we exited the library, the ground shook. The library rumbled. In a couple of seconds, it collapsed.

"Mom!" I cried out.