The Paranormal Streamer Chapter 6

When I slowly opened my eyes, blue sky appeared before me. I seemed to be lying on grass. I tried to get up but my whole body ached—I couldn't support myself.

My legs were numb. Was this how I'd end after surviving so much? Suddenly a face appeared before me, startling me.

"Young man, stop shouting. You have snake venom that hasn't fully cleared. Moving like this will spread it through your body. Stay calm."

It was an old woman. She scared me. Snake venom? I was bitten by a snake escaping? Why was all this bad luck happening to me?

I examined her carefully. She didn't say much, just kept helping me clean wounds. Though her face was wrinkled, her manner of speaking suggested she wasn't ordinary. Despite wearing plain clothes, her eyes were sharp and alert—extraordinary!

"Excuse me, ma'am, where am I? How long was I unconscious?"

I struggled to get these words out.

"I don't know either. I just saw you today. I came here gathering herbs and found you. I saw you were injured and had snake bite marks, so I made you some herbal medicine."

The woman hurried to explain, worried I'd misunderstand.

I was moved—she was kind. I remembered drifting along the underground river, then nothing. Did I pass out from blood loss? Why did I get bitten by a snake? Something felt off. I was alone in a cave, now I'm in the wilderness.

Was someone behind the scenes manipulating everything?

Then the woman said, "Young man, I see you were thinking deeply. What about? Want to rest at my village? I can only temporarily suppress the snake venom with herbs. To completely cure it, I need to take you back to my village."

Seeing her enthusiasm, I couldn't refuse. My injuries were severe. Enduring the pain, I asked, "Ma'am, what's your village called?"

She smiled and told me to look behind. I turned around—three big words: "Hollow Creek."

Holy crap! I'd been desperately searching for this village and just ended up here? Too coincidental! I couldn't act too surprised or she'd overthink it. But inside I was pleased—finally arrived after all that searching.

The woman said her village was just a few hundred meters away. I limped along behind her. On the way, I noticed something strange—since turning back, she kept walking without looking back at me. Like she'd become a different person.

Earlier it was sunny, but now dark clouds were gathering. I thought maybe this was just the local climate. Though we were in America, it felt like a tropical rainforest.

I suddenly remembered my experience in that cave. "Ma'am, do you know about a large cave near here?"

The woman walking ahead suddenly stopped: "Did you disappear from there and arrive here?"

"I can't remember clearly. I came out of an underground river. After that I don't remember. When I woke, I was where you found me. Do you know about it?"

"I don't know much either. Legend says our area is where a great battle happened long ago. Back then..." The more I listened, the more shocked I was. What she said sounded like something from books. Could this really have happened?

The woman said quietly, "Inside the cavern is an ancient tomb, there for ages, accumulated dark energy. If it's released, chaos would spread."

Listening made me dizzy. This myth was real! I asked, "How would that energy be released?"

The woman looked at me: "To release it wouldn't be simple. Legend says the tomb was formed by ancient weapons, harder than diamonds. To release it, you'd have to open the tomb."

Listening to her vivid description, I was entranced. I remembered that opening in the cave. I told her about it. She immediately looked alarmed. Seeing her panic, she turned and headed back toward the village. I gritted my teeth and followed. She must know something—probably thinking of a solution.

Sure enough, following her, we gradually left the forest as trees thinned. Before me appeared an endless wasteland. I saw small mounds, each with a stone tablet in front.

This was a graveyard! I got goosebumps. I'd never seen so many graves connected together. Looking at her direction, we'd clearly have to cross through these graves. Nervously I asked, "Ma'am, are we going through these graves?"

She nodded: "This is the only entrance to Hollow Creek. Young man, as long as you don't think random thoughts, you won't see anything strange."

Seeing her calm confidence while I panicked. Really wouldn't see anything strange?

The overcast sky felt oppressive. Suddenly strong winds kicked up all the dust from the ground. I struggled to follow. Just then, between two graves, I glanced at both sides—the tablets were covered in fresh blood! Most bizarre—one tablet had my name on it.

What the hell! Then I saw a hand reaching out from inside a grave, grabbing me, holding me tight. I was so scared I nearly peed myself, shouting, "Don't come near! I'll hit you! Get away!"

Shouting and shouting, the person pulling me was actually the old woman. I asked confused, "Ma'am, it's you? Were you pulling me this whole time?"

She said angrily, "Young man, why are you so resistant? If not for me, those things would have taken you already. Fortunately I grabbed you, or you'd be in real danger."

"Sigh, young people today are so troublesome. I told you not to look, but you had to look. Aren't you making trouble for me?"

Her scolding reminded me of my deceased mother. My heart ached, an indescribable feeling, subconsciously feeling like she was my mother.