3: DEVOURING THE SHELL

“I didn’t know there were foxes here!” Ronjun exclaimed, sweating coldly. He held onto his trekking pole tightly.

“This must be the news your girlfriend has told you,” Garvind whispered while staring at the 6 coyotes.

“W-What do we do? Should we calm ourselves and leave like we didn’t see them at all?!” Ronjun asked Windel.

“How should I know? I’ve never seen one in person until now. But they’re not foxes. They’re coyotes.” Widel retorted.

“Strange, coyotes aren’t native to our country,” Garvind muttered. “Maybe they are local foxes.”

“We have no time for that, Garv! We should escape them first.” Ronjun was alarmed.

The six coyotes emerged like shadows. They walked slowly, deliberately not as a pack, but as a single, fluid creature with six sets of eyes and twelve padded feet. Their steps made no sound on the dry leaves.

The three remained composed, standing as they breathed through their mouths and watched the coyotes.

The coyotes reached them. Noses twitched. Black, wet nostrils flared as they sniffed. One brushed against Ronjun's leg. Another circled behind Windel, and he felt hot on his calf. The animals were close enough to gnash their teeth against their skin.

A thud caught everyone’s attention except Ronjun’s.

Ronjun had dropped the flashlight. It rolled thrice and stopped at a twig. The coyotes' ears swiveled. Their heads turned as one.

“Run!” Ronjun screamed and ran.

Garvind was baffled at what he just did. It was abrupt, but neither he nor Windel could think of a better idea at the moment.

Windel and Garvind followed Ronjun and ran.

“Ah!” Windel screamed. He dashed off last, so a coyote was able to catch up and bite his left leg.

“Windel!” Garvind yelled. He ran back to Windel when the two coyotes blocked him.

Ronjun panted while climbing a small tree. He threw his trekking poles at the coyotes that blocked Garvind. “Get outta here!” he shouted.

But it angered the coyotes more. They attacked Garvind.

Garvind covered his face. “Whaaa!”

The other 3 coyotes remained standing below the tree where Ronjun climbed up. Ronjun threw the stuff inside his bag to shoo away the two coyotes that attacked Garvind.

Garvind stood up immediately. Left his backpack and ran faster. He runs so fast, he couldn’t care less if he could escape the coyotes. It was getting muddy, and he was getting a cold sweat.

He slipped on a muddy slope.

“Ugh,” he grunted.

He broke his ankle. He tried standing, but it gave him severe pain. He crawled down on his hands and knees on the ground.

*growls*

The growl came from somewhere to his left. A low, guttural, and vibrating sound through the ground. His head snapped toward the sound, and there it was: a massive gray, furry tail twitching beside a bush. A huge head emerged with a broad snout and yellow eyes, with ears pinned up.

His muscles locked for half a second. He took a step backward when his foot slipped, and he tumbled. The slope was loose, with shattered rock and dry soil. Rocks clattered beneath him, punching his back, ribs, and thighs. The world became a blur of gray stone and brown dust. He tried to stop himself, but the mountain kept pulling him down, faster and faster, until he couldn't tell which way was up. The next thing he remembered was hugging a broken tree with its sharp trunk that pierced his heart, beating for the last second.

I should have bought that pair of shoes…

If he had upgraded his hiking shoes, he wouldn’t have slipped easily into this trail tragedy. This was Garvind’s last thought of grave regret.

***

Garvind opened his eyes gradually while squinting. His eyes are blurry. He saw a familiar face.

“Garvind!” a woman’s voice exclaimed. “He’s awake! Nurse, Garvind is now awake!”

“Mom?” Garvind mumbled.

His mother hugged him tightly while crying. “You’re here! Garvind is home.”

Garving heaved a sigh. He can feel his body numb with the warm embrace his mother gave him. He recalled the last thing he could remember and now realizes why he was in that situation.

“I-I’m alive…” Garvind whispered to himself. He’s in disbelief.

Not long after the news had spread, his two friends visited him.

“You’ve been sleeping for 3 weeks.” Windel, with a bandage on his left leg, greeted him.

Ronjun, with scratches on his face and arms, smiled. “Heaven’s mercy, the surgery was successful. I really thought you’d die.”

Garvind smirked. “I’m one tougher nut than you, haha.”

All of them laughed. And went silent.

“I was able to drive the coyotes off when I pulled the loud siren keychain. Ronjun and I searched for you. Good thing we found you right away. Then there was a rescue team that sighted us. They were looking for other hikers who were hiking after the news of the animal attack.”

Garvind is grateful for his second life. A little second later, he could be dead. It was like the coyotes led them to be found by the rescuers, but it also led them to a near-death experience.

“How’s my operation, Mom?” Garvind asked his mom.

“A kind man who recently died donated his heart. It matched yours, and here you are.” His Mom answered with a teary eye. “What a miracle.”

***

9 months later

Garvind placed his arms on each of their shoulders. “I bet you’d like to join me?” Garvind badgered the two.

“I’m not sure if it’s us who should be traumatized, but why aren’t you bothered at all?” Ronjun frowned.

“It’s not like that,” Garvind smirked. “I simply love the thrill of it.”

Garvind invited them to join another hike. After the incident, the two refrained from the hiking activity. On the other hand, Garvind enjoyed doing it more than ever.

“Yeah? Which kind of thrill? The thrill of dying?!” Ronjun exclaimed sarcastically.

“Tsk, you’re no fun,” scoffed.

“Yeah, yeah. I’d rather be boring than die before my supposed time comes.” Ronjun muttered.

“How ‘bout you?” Garvind glanced at Windel.

“I have no intention of doing it again, Garvind,” Windel responded with a serious face, keeping his face in front of his desktop. “Besides, we should be working right now.” He continued typing while talking to both of them.

“C’mon, guys,” Garvind pouted and sighed. He seemed serious about his next suicidal adventure with his two friends.

“Garvind, the boss is calling you,” A male colleague called Garvind.

Garvind left the two for a moment.

Ronjun mumbles to Windel. “Garv’s been weird after he woke up, no? I feel like he's no longer the Garvind that I used to know. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but...” Ronjun moved closer to him by pulling his swivel chair. “Look, he’s now the most outgoing among us three. He’s smarter and refined. He’s now into various physical activities and is muscular. The girls are crazy about him. And now, he’s our manager—all of these in just almost a year!” Ronjun whispered sternly.

“Shhh.” Windel shushed him. “We are supposed to be working, remember?”

Ronjun sighed in frustration and left Windel’s desk to resume his work.

Windel remained silent, but he secretly agreed with what Ronjun observed. And that there was something wrong with Garvind.

***

It’s also been 9 months of searching for the heart donor’s relatives. Garvind refused to give up on tracking the kindhearted donor who donated their heart, who has become his savior. And that their final, selfless act had become his second chance in life. He would love to meet them to express his warm gratitude to the relatives and show his sincerity. Finding the family had become more than a mission. It was a promise he had made to himself, lying in a hospital bed with bandages still fresh across his chest. He would find them.

“Ma’am, please contact me immediately if there is any information about them. Thank you,” Garvind said to the receptionist of the hospital where he was admitted.

He went straight to the hospital after his work because someone told the receptionist that a friend of the donor might visit the hospital soon; that’s why Garvind goes to the hospital almost every day in the hope of finally meeting that friend.

He went out of the hospital and spent some time sitting in the hospital garden. He watched the children and the elderly play and walked by the nurses.

A man in his mid-30s wearing a black coat with a black polo and pants sat beside him. He moved to his left to give space. He smiled at the man, but the man didn’t bother looking into his eyes.

“Garvind Custavo,” the man blurted.

Garvind turned his gaze on him. “S-Sir? Are you talking to me?”

“Who else would Garvind Custavo be?” The man continued looking at the people walking in front of them.

Garvind gulped. “Um, yes, that’s me. Sorry, but do I know you, Sir?”

The man looked at him. He can now clearly see the man’s face, marred by facial scars.

“The heart that was bestowed upon you shall devour you not long after that heart has enveloped your body. The organ that once served you will soon rule you. You will give birth to a reincarnated being who bestowed that second life upon you. The time is fast approaching when the debt must be repaid in full.”

“Pardon me. What are you talking about, Sir? I don’t understand.” Garvind frowned.

The strange man gazed at him like he was staring into Gravind's soul.

“You will become the cradle of a spirit that defied death itself.”