Chapter 3 | THERE’S A CALAMITY IN THE SAND!!!

After seeing the body, I told the sheriff to gather everyone inside the chapel for safety. He got to it right away, and everyone was rushing to pack up and head over. After one final check, I hurried there myself.

But on the way… there he was.

Standing tall, right in front of the chapel the townsfolk had just shut tight.

The Calamity.

Hunched back. Fanged teeth… He looked like a werewolf. My breath caught. I stared for a second, then bolted into the nearby forest to save my skin. With Alya gone, I was on my own this time.

He chased me. Moving at inhuman speed, leaping from tree to tree like a predator. I came to a sudden halt, pulled out a wooden stake, and there… the beast stood between two trees, just a few meters ahead.

I kept my guard up as it growled:

— You really think that little stick’s gonna stop me?

— You’re nothing but a failure. Give it up, spare yourself the pain.

— Your story ends here.

I fired a bullet and hurled the stake. The creature shredded it with its jaws, then lunged straight at me, ready to devour me.

I grinned.

— Go to hell, bloodsucker.

It fell right into my trap. A hidden wire snapped taut, snaring it. I lit a cigarette with a small electric device, then tossed the gadget onto the creature, electrocuting it. It howled, thrashing in place from the shocks.

I exhaled smoke, smirking.

— Case closed.

But then, a growl echoed from the shadows. Alert, I turned to look—only to see the wire was now empty.

The creature had vanished.

I looked around, then ran to the chapel.

Before going in, I saw the former sheriff’s son helping the current sheriff along, with a few townsfolk who hadn’t made it inside. I helped them in.

The sheriff was weakened. I turned to the potter—the son—and said:

— My condolences. It’s rough… losing your father like this.

He had a strange look in his eyes.

So I asked:

— Why didn’t you and the others leave… even after everything?

He said he and his father had lived here their whole lives. He was even born here. His mother had died giving birth to him. As for the other villagers, most were fugitives or criminals. For them, it was either stay here… or go somewhere with even more Calamities.

Then I asked:

— Why’s the sheriff so banged up?

He said the Calamity attacked them. The sheriff protected him. That’s why he was hurt.

I left him and went to see the sheriff, who looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He told me he just needed rest. I left him in a room and asked around if anyone had seen Alya.

That’s when someone knocked.

It was Alya.

As soon as we opened the door, she collapsed like she’d just fought for her life. One of the villagers shouted:

— That’s her! She’s the one who grabbed us when we were trying to find shelter!

The others surrounded her. I didn’t stop them. They were ready to kill her.

So I said:

— Lock her up first. If I find nothing… you can do whatever you want with her.

A villager added:

— This is all your fault. Before, only one person was chosen. Since you came, their numbers exploded!

— The Calamity chose you! If we don’t hand you over, it’ll kill all of us!

I listened silently, lighting another cigarette.

He continued:

— We should hand him over to the Calamity!

I answered, calm but firm:

— Unlike you, I didn’t come here to die.

— This will be settled. Fast. Don’t worry.

— That’s a lie! You don’t even have any proof! he snapped.

I stared him dead in the eyes.

— Why settle for proof… when I KNOW who the real culprit is?

Then I told everyone:

— Two hours. That’s all I need to get rid of your Calamity.

But just then, it appeared.

I pulled out my gun and fired. The bullet hit its arm. It fled.

I turned to the villagers. After more shots rang out, the sheriff stormed out yelling:

— Where is she?! That fake nun! I swear I hit that damn Calamity!

We rushed to her quarters. In the cremation room, she was bandaged.

The sheriff pointed:

— See? The Calamity gets hit… the nun’s the one who’s injured.

I asked the head nun why the bandage.

— I burned myself putting bodies in the furnace, she replied.

I asked to see the bodies. She refused. The sheriff snapped:

— If she’s got nothing to hide, why not cooperate?!

She shouted:

— I won’t let you insult me in my own home! I broke every rule to keep you safe—and this is how you thank me?!

I tried to calm things down:

— Please… just so people will stop suspecting you…

She showed the bodies. They were in the furnace, indeed. But she still wouldn’t show her arm.

The sheriff had her locked up.

Things were getting murkier.

Then, another appearance. Another body was found. The nun was still in her cell. And finally, she revealed her arm—it was indeed wounded.

The sheriff was now being watched by the former sheriff’s son… and his wife.

So I smiled.

— Release the nun. Call the sheriff back. They’re NOT the culprits.

Then I shouted:

— CASE CLOSED!

Everyone was gathered in one room. Him, at the center, pulled out a gun… and shot the nun in the head, then the sheriff.

Both collapsed.

He froze.

— Oh no… crap. I think I messed up.

The nuns screamed. The townsfolk, enraged, began to chase him down to kill him.

— Three… two… one…

The sheriff and the nun began to change… into Calamities.

Their true forms revealed. Chaos erupted.

— Just a little longer… and they would’ve been perfectly ripe! We were going to feast! said the nun-Calamity.

Eden asked:

— Why wait so long to attack?

— We love humans when they’re about to snap. When they don’t understand anything anymore… that moment… we LIVE for it, she said, spreading her monstrous wings.

The woman added:

— It’s your idiot brother who ruined everything.

— No way, it was totally your fault, Sisterette. You sucked as a nun, her brother replied.

— See? she said, turning to Eden.

Eden replied:

— He’s right. He did ruin everything. But you, as sheriff… impressive. Real dedication.

— Wanna know my secret? asked the Calamity-sheriff, flattered.

— I’d love to, said Eden, pulling out a notebook.

Sister Alya arrived and smacked him.

— Stop bonding with the enemy, idiot!

The chapel was filled with screams. Everyone was trying to flee.

The brother, now a Calamity, blocked the exit. I didn’t hesitate—I fired a shot that snapped a ceiling wire. A heavy wooden stake dropped, pinning the monster to the wall. The villagers rushed out.

I ran toward the chapel’s staircase. She chased after me, relentless. I fired a few shots to slow her down. Reaching the rooftop, I slammed the door shut… but she shattered it with one hit. The impact sent me flying.

Lying on the balcony, breathless, I watched her approach.

— Before I kill you, she said, tell me… how did you catch us?

I smiled, back to the edge.

— Alright. Since I’m about to die, might as well tell you everything.

I took a deep breath.

— First, when I asked the guy closest to the sheriff, he said he’d never seen any creatures. But I found his name in a testimony record…

My smirk widened.

— …a record that doesn’t exist. I made it up. Just to test your reactions. And it worked.

— Then, when I examined the farmer’s corpse, I noticed five sets of prints in the grass. I could tell four: the sheriff’s, his assistant’s, the nun’s, and the farmer’s. But the fifth?

I looked her in the eyes.

— And then… you called me “Eden.” I’d never said my name. Neither had Alya. Yet you and your brother both said “Eden” and “Alya.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

— That was enough. Alya had found you before me. And you got rid of her.

I slowly got up, standing at the edge. The Calamity froze, curious.

— Next time, she said, we’ll be more careful.

— Any last words? she asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

— Yeah. You look like you suck balls, brat.

She roared and lunged.

At the same time, I fired a signal shot into the air.

Down below, the former sheriff’s son pulled the tarp off a massive handmade crossbow.

— FIRE!

The projectile tore through the sky.

It pierced the Calamity mid-air, impaling her against the chapel wall. Her brother, now free, smashed through the wall and caught her. Together, they flew off into the sky.

— You win this time, Eden… but next time, we’ll kill you all! she shouted, slapping her brother.

— This is YOUR fault, idiot!

Eden watched them fly away, lit a cigarette, and smiled.

— I’ve never let prey get away before…

Then he whispered, like to an old friend:

— Your turn, Alya.

Alya dashed forward, sliced through the balcony rail, and at lightning speed… shredded the monsters into pieces in a flash of thunder.

Silence returned.

It was finally over.

Eden glanced at his watch and sighed:

— Thirty minutes. New record.

Back inside, the villagers had gathered. Calm returned. Then… the former sheriff stepped out of the shadows.

He was alive.

Everyone turned toward him, shocked.

— He owes us an explanation! one shouted.

— You made a deal with monsters! yelled another.

I raised my hand to silence them.

— Calm down. If he hadn’t… none of us would be here to complain.

A heavy silence fell.

So I explained:

— One day, the Calamities came to this town. They made the sheriff an offer: play their game, or watch his son get eaten. And like any father would… he chose to play.

I paused.

— The deal was simple: one person per season. That’s what the farmer told me. But over time… the Calamities got greedy.

“They even asked the former sheriff to write me a letter to lure me here. An offer I couldn’t refuse, as they said.”

“He and his son hid the real bodies in the underground chamber of the chapel.”

I turned to the sheriff’s son.

“And you… You were the one who helped the Calamity escape into the forest. When you did, you tore your clothes.”

“The same ones I noticed when I found you in the chapel. Your footprints were right next to the corpse we found in the woods… I recognized them too.”

He lowered his eyes.

“So, when I spoke to his son back in the chapel, I had already caught them. I told him that if he wanted to redeem himself for what he and his father had done, he had to cooperate so we could all survive. I asked him to grab the weapon as he left the chapel—otherwise, I would’ve died.”

“So… thank you, kid.”

“But if you really want to make amends… now’s the time.”

The former sheriff stepped forward with his son, took off his hat, and said:

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I can’t even forgive myself.”

The townsfolk, enraged, tried to attack him. I stepped in.

“Enough! He made a terrible choice… but he did it to save lives. And today, thanks to him, you’re all still here.”

“If he hadn’t done what he did, you’d all be dead since the Calamities arrived.”

The case was coming to an end. Alya and I resumed our journey. We were now riding through the desert, on our wagon, back on the road.

Along the way, we came across an off-road vehicle. Inside sat a muscular man with a metal arm.

“Lamar!” I said with a smile.

“Hey, Eden. Long time no see.”

“What are you up to these days?” Eden asked.

“Starting a new job. Decided to stop fighting Calamities.”

“Wasn’t it your wife who made you quit?” I said, laughing.

“You know me too well,” Lamar replied.

He looked at Alya.

“Still as beautiful as ever, I see.”

“Mind giving us a lift? We picked up a signal. We need to go.”

Lamar thought to himself:

If I don’t hurry, Elena’s gonna kill me…

But before he could even say a word, Eden and Alya had already jumped into the vehicle. Eden said:

“You coming or what, Lamar?”

As they drove, a figure appeared in the distance, waving at them. Lamar squinted, trying to read their lips.

“Wait… did they say, ‘Watch out… there’s sand in the sea’?”

“No,” Eden laughed. “They said, ‘Bless you. There’s a Calamity in the sand!’”

“We really suck at this game…”

Then they froze.

A massive jaw burst from beneath the desert, charging straight at them.

And both of them screamed in unison:

“WATCH OUT, THERE’S A CALAMITY IN THE SAND!!!”

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