After their last exploration, the girls stayed in their camp for the next few days. Each doing what she used to do: Sonata was preparing breakfast at the campfire, Adagio was practicing with her bow, Aria was watching for danger from a tree - she was also doing something with a stick, but they did not know exactly what, and Sunset was updating the map.
With the help of the map she found in the caves and the videotape she found in that cave, which had an image of the peninsula, she could mark the areas they knew best and where to find them. The known cannibal camps, the plane, the cabin, beaches, camps, lakes, small islands, snowy mountains, and containers of the Sahara.
"There are still some areas of the map that are not yet explored," whispered Sunset.
"Really?" said Adagio, behind her. "You want to go out again?"
"What? No, no, I just looked at the map, do not worry," said Sunset.
"I'm not upset, but, you know what happened the last time," Adagio said.
"I know, we trust each other," said Sunset. "Well, Aria and me."
"Girls! The food is ready!" said Sonata.
They sat together and enjoyed the food.
"Here Sonata," Aria said, handing her a slingshot.
"Wow! Where did you get that?" Sonata asked.
"I made it, with that tape we found before, a stick, and a piece of cloth," Aria said, eating. "And this is a bag for small stones, made from a rabbit skin and a rope, that's all."
"Thanks Ari," said Sonata, happy.
"Yes, consider it an apology for before," said Aria.
"You know... now that we have new weapons, we should go out and explore," said Adagio.
"WHAT ?!" said Sunset and Aria, very surprised.
"W-But I thought you did not want to go out anymore?" Sunset asked.
"Yes, I said that," said Adagio. "But being locked up is very oppressive, in addition, we are low on supplies."
"Yes, we ran out of energy bars and sodas," said Sonata
"Then, will we leave?" said Aria, curious.
"If everyone agrees, then yes," said Sunset.
"And I'll try my new weapon!" Sonata said, excited.
"It's more to hunt, but if you want," said Aria, eating more.
"Okay, after lunch, we'll go explore," said Sunset, smiling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
Two hours later, the girls prepared to leave, this time, very well prepared. They left their home, very well protected.
"Okay, let's see ... we still have to see a new area," said Sunset, looking at the map.
"And where is it?" asked Adagio.
"Past the containers and a cannibal camp of three huts," said Sunset.
"Will we fight with cannibals again?" Sonata asked.
"Yes, there is also another cannibal camp nearby that is very similar to the previous one," said Sunset.
"The one we discovered earlier?" Aria asked.
"Yes, near the snowy area," replied Sunset.
"In that case, we should have sweaters," said Adagio, taking up some coats.
"If you want, we can walk on the beach, so we'll go around the camp," said Sunset.
"Yes, it's not a bad idea," said Aria.
And so it was, they walked all over the beach, passing the containers and that cannibal camp. On their way, they opened some suitcases, with the same things as always, nothing new. It started to get cold, but they arrived at their destination.
"Very well, this time we do this right, prepare your best weapons," said Adagio.
"Yes, we will not make the same mistake," said Sunset.
They entered and indeed the first thing they saw was a mutant and a couple cannibals. They formed a plan. Aria and Sunset took care of the mutant first, burning it until it was too weak to attack, and Sonata and Adagio took care of the two cannibals.
"That was easy," said Aria.
"Whenever you say that, we have problems," said Adagio.
"Hopefully not," said Sunset. "Let's see what we found here."
There were not many things, only finding tennis rackets near the corpses of slaughtered tennis players.
"Is it strange that I still am not getting used to the corpses?" asked Sonata.
"No, it's okay, I haven't gotten used to it either," said Sunset.
They also found another one of those pedometers and another flashlight.
"That gives me an idea," said Adagio.
They used the adhesive tape to attach the flashlight to her bow.
"That's very smart," said Sunset. "It will help if we see more enemies."
"And now where? There are two ways," said Aria.
"First we go to the right, and then, if we have time, we'll go the other way," said Sunset.
While they continued on their way, they discovered that the cave was very flooded, large amounts of water they had to swim, and also many cannibals, mutants, and babies. They were so many that in the end, they ended up tired.
"Can we rest?" Sonata asked, exhausted.
"That's a good idea," said Adagio.
"Yes, I'm hungry," said Aria.
"How can you be hungry after all this slaughter?!" Adagio said.
"Let's find a better place to rest," said Sunset. "And maybe to eat."
They continued until they reached a 'clean zone' free of cannibals or any monster. The area was kind of a sanctuary with paintings of cannibals, and especially a gigantic red man.
"This got scary again," Sonata said. "Better look elsewhere."
"Actually, I'd like us to stay here," said Sunset.
"Are you sure? If this is a shrine of cannibals, I do not think this is a good idea," said Adagio.
"I know, but I really want to investigate this site a bit, it has information about the red man," said Sunset.
"That man from your dream that stole a child from the plane?" Aria asked.
"It was not a dream, I'm sure of that," said Sunset. "We have not seen any cannibal or monster yet."
"I don't know, Sunset," Adagio said.
"It will be fast, I promise," she said, trying to convince her girlfriend.
"Mmmm ... well, but let us not stay long," said Adagio.
While Sonata prepared a quick mushroom stew for Sunset and cooked meat and fish for her and her friends, Aria watched the place, to prevent any cannibal or monster from coming. Adagio helped Sunset to look for clues, but they only found a note, it was a page of a bible, they could not understand what it said. It was in a Latin language. But on it were written some big red words: "She is not dead / She is sleeping" Sunset noticed that it was very similar to the note "Do not be afraid / I only think", which was probably written by the same person.
"This is increasingly suspicious," said Sunset. "Apparently we are not the only ones in this peninsula."
"The food is ready!" Sonata said.
The four girls sat down to enjoy their food and a well-deserved rest. But Sunset was still thinking about that note, it was obvious that it had a connection to the red man.
"Sunset, stop thinking about that man in red, and try to eat something," Adagio said.
"I'm sorry, I just want to know who that red man is and what he wants," said Sunset, eating. "According to this painting, it seems that he is like a god to cannibals."
"So what?" said Aria.
"Because we've never seen him? And why does he never attack us?" asked Sunset. "I have many more questions."
"Maybe it's not a good idea to know too much about Sunset, remember the asylum?" said Adagio.
"Yes, I know, I'm sorry, I know you're right," said Sunset.
"Do not get too involved with the history of this place," said Aria. "The only thing you should focus on is to leave this island"
"And find Onix!" Sonata said, innocently happy.
"Yes, it's true," said Sunset, smiling. "Let's finish eating and continue."
Once they finished, they continued their long way into the cave, it was bigger than it looked. They found a pot of red paint, and next to it, a paper. It was a restraining order.
Jessica Cross and Matthew Cross were the names of the parents, where she orders him not to have contact with her or with their daughter, Megan Cross.
"Then Megan's parents separated, and the mother placed an order against the father," said Sunset.
"And Megan was that sick girl," said Aria.
"It's possible that the father worked here, and the mother did not like it," said Sunset. "Or maybe the mother is the bad one? I don't know. Best we continue," she said.
And it was a deep exploration, many ropes were lowered and many rocks climbed. They reach a room with papers on the floor, and in the middle, another VHS tape; Sunset took it and looked at it.
"What does it say?" Sonata asked.
"Side Effects," said Sunset, reading the label.
"Before we watch it, can we get out of here?" Adagio asked. "We already have many supplies to carry."
"Yes, there are also many mutants here, and we do not have any weapons left," Aria said.
"Yeah, let's find an alternative way out," said Sunset.
But it was not so easy, for the first time, it was hard to find a way out. In the end they ended up in a lake with mutant babies and two Virginia monsters. They evaded and entered the water, and ended up in another closed place. There was a tent with boxes and many supplies. Adagio found something very interesting, a recurve bow!
"It was my turn to find something interesting," Adagio said, admiring her new bow.
"There are also modern arrows, better than wooden arrows," said Sunset. "I'll help you carry them," and began placing them in her backpack.
"Me too," Sonata said.
"Thanks girls," said Adagio.
"There's no other way, I think we'll have to go back where we started," Aria said.
"And it will not be easy. Even still we do not have many weapons and projectiles left," said Sunset. "Let's get out of this cave."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
After peeling and escaping from the cave, the girls went out where they entered, very tired and with their clothes stained with blood and dirt. They kept walking, passing a cannibal camp. They came to a waterfall, completely worn out.
"That was... too much," said Aria, sitting on the floor.
"I do not want to go back into that cave... ever," Adagio said, breathing tiredly.
Sonata went to fill the canteens just above the waterfall, but while she was doing it, she discovered something.
"Hey girls!" called Sonata. "You have to see this!"
Adagio and Aria went with Sonata, also at that moment, Sunset heard a noise in the distance. It did not seem like a cannibalistic scream or a mutant growl. She thought it was nothing and went to follow her friends, but... She recognized that noise! She ran off in that direction.
"Sunset! Where are you going? "Adagio called, confused.
"And now that... Oh shit," said Aria, seeing what Sonata discovered.
"What's wrong?" Adagio asked, more confused.
"We have to help her! Come on! "Aria said, running.
"And now that?! Why?" Adagio said, beginning to get angry.
"It would be better if you see it," Sonata said, helping her up.
When Adagio saw what Sonata had discovered, she understood. Without saying more, she ran away, her surprised friend ran after her. While Sunset kept running trying to find that strange sound, which somehow seemed familiar. For a moment she thought... But no, that could not be... Or could it?
She walked the woods until suddenly, it disappeared into a huge, giant, and deep hole. She had never seen a crater this immense before. She took a step back, seeing how close she was to the edge, but when she did that, she felt something under her shoe.She reached out to pick up the object, and her breathing stopped. What she had stepped on, was nothing more and nothing less than... Onix's collar!
It was missing some of those decorative stones, and it was very torn, but that was not the worst, it had blood stains. Slowly, she bent down to take her old friend's necklace.
"Onix... no..." whispered Sunset.
At that moment, her friends arrived, and they could not avoid seeing the scene.
"Sunset, I..." Adagio said, approaching.
But a cannibalistic cry prevented her from continuing. Some cannibals invaded them, and not only that but also an Armsy mutant. They quickly took their weapons, the cannibals faced the Dazzlings, and the mutant attacked only Sunset. Her friends tried to intervene, but the cannibals got in their way. Sunset attacked it with her katana, and she managed to hit most of the time, but her luck ran out. The mutant threw a strong blow at the girl, throwing her katana away, and losing balance, she fell from the edge of the hole but managed to hold on to a rock, most of her body was out.
"SUNSET!" the others shouted.
Adagio took out the flare gun, and shot some cannibals in the head, running to her girlfriend, but the Armsy approached her first, the second blow was on the way, it would be the end of Sunset.
"NOOO!" Adagio shouted, running.
But a growl of pain came from the mutant, moving desperate and uncontrolled. When it turned, they saw what had provoked that reaction... It was Onix!
He had bitten the mutant in one of his arms. The first to recover from the shock was Aria, she took out the chainsaw and finish with the cannibals. The little ferret managed to distract the mutant enough for the girls to finish off the cannibals. Adagio approached Sunset carefully and tried to help her. But the mutant broke free of Onix, the little one fell into the hole. When Sunset saw her friend fall, she could not resist jumping to him, taking him in her arms as fell deeper.
By luck, she managed to catch hold of something again.
"Hold on to Sunset!" Aria said, preparing a rope.
"What about the mutant?" Sonata asked.
"It's mine..." Adagio said, her voice cold and dark.
She set three arrows o, fire, and without hesitation, loosed them all to the body of the monster. Then she loosed with three more of poison, and then another round with her modern arrows.
In the end she took Aria's chainsaw and destroyed it without mercy. Her other friends were surprised, seeing the vicious side of Adagio they had not seen in her for a long time.
"If you're done with that, how about you help me save your girlfriend?" said Aria, emerging from shock.
Adagio returned immediately, and looked out to see her girlfriend, her appearance looked like a serial killer, but her face had only worry and fear.
"Sunset! We'll throw We rope!" Said Aria.
"I can't take it! I have Onix in the other arm!" Said Sunset, struggling to climb.
"We made a knot! You will put your foot in the knot and we will pull you up!" Sonata shouted.
Adagio tied the rope to a tree, threw the other end toward her friend. Sunset placed her foot first and released her hand from the rock to hold on to the rope. Between the three began to pull the rope, little by little Sunset began to climb with her friend. Upon reaching shore, Sunset lay down tiredly on the floor and the little animal jumped up at her.
"Onyx! I missed you friend" said Sunset, hugging the little one, in tears.
She was not the only one. Sonata did too and she hugged her friend and the animal. Adagio hugged Sunset, happy not only for being alive, but for the return of the little ferret. Even Aria smiled and hugged her friends. They got up and looked at the hole.
"How come we did not see this before?" said Aria.
"I think I've seen this before," said Sunset, showing a paper. "I found this document in the first cave we saw. As I understand it, the priests tried to use their crosses on the mutants, as well as the traps, without success," she explained.
"There is another small hole too, it's a new cave," said Aria.
"I also see those doors that we saw before, those that open with mechanisms," said Adagio.
"Is that a helicopter there?" Sonata said. "The same as the video?"
"I do not know, maybe," said Sunset, caressing Onix. "I would like to go home," she said, looking at her friend while he smiled at her.
That made her friends smile, without saying more, they returned home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
As they arrived at their house, the Dazzlings talked about the things they gathered in the cave and that huge crater. But Sunset was very busy with her found pet. She checked her friend, noticing that he had some minor injuries, nothing serious, but was very dirty and smelled bad.
"How did you manage to survive so long, my friend?" asked Sunset.
The little ferret just snuggled up on his mistress's arm, which made her smile with joy. Upon arriving at the shelter, they left their weapons and all the supplies they got.
"Do you want to see your tape now," asked Aria.
"Well, first I wanted to give Onix a bath, and fix him up," said Sunset.
"Yes, I also need a bath, can I go with you~?" Adagio asked, smiling.
"Do you think you can handle the smell of Onix?" asked Sunset.
"I do not think so," said Adagio, with a grimace.
"It's okay, Aria, come help me clean Onix," said Sunset.
"Wait, I want to go first," Adagio said, walking to the shower.
"I will prepare dinner! I'll go wash my hands!" Sonata said, happy.
And so it was, Aria and Sunset went to bathe Onix. The little ferret used to play a lot in the bathroom, this time was not an exception. It seemed that he missed it a lot, not the bathroom, but the company of his owners. Once Onix's bath was over, Aria helped Sunset put some bandages on his wounds. About two hours later, Sonata had the food ready and prepared a special dish for the ferret.
"It's good to eat together again," Sonata said, eating her fish.
"Yes, it's amazing that he survived so long alone," said Aria.
"I'm also surprised," said Sunset, stroking her friend. "I guess in the crash, the cage protected him from the fall, and he was
able to escape and was surviving on his own," she explained.
"No, I think he was looking for us," Adagio said, stroking the animal.
"Now that we're all together, we're going home for real?" Sonata asked.
"But how?" asked Sunset.
"We could go on that rowboat we found on the other side of the island, or build a boat like the ones in the guide," said Aria.
"It's the best idea you've had since we arrived," said Adagio.
"I still want to see that tape, Sunset would like that too," said Aria.
"Yeah, what's funny is the name of the tape," said Sunset, eating. "It said: Side Effects."
"But from what?" asked Sonata, curious.
"I still do not know, but we'll know soon," said Sunset.
After their dinner, they prepared to sleep, they settled in their shelter, in their living room, to watch the VHS tape. The video was not very long, they saw a child trembling violently in bed while two scientists or doctors observed. When they finished...
"Wow... that was... wow..." Aria said.
"They were... experimenting with children?" Sunset asked.
"What sick people!" Adagio said, annoyed. "Gross!"
"Also with that girl?" Sonata asked.
"I don't know, she seemed special, like in the other films, maybe she was the daughter of one of the doctors, or crazy scientists," said Sunset. "Which would fit my theory of that restraining order."
"We have to get out of here," said Adagio.
"But we do not know if there's more of this child, maybe there are more," said Sunset.
"The only place we have not explored is that giant crater, maybe it has a connection," said Aria.
"She's right, we can not leave Dagi, we can not leave the poor children," Sonata said.
"That place must be protected, even more than that insane asylum. We would never get inside," said Adagio, on the defensive.
"Maybe, but we can not leave those poor children, they could even have hostages," said Sunset.
"I still think it's a bad idea," said Adagio in disagreement.
"I'm sorry, but it would not feel good to go like that," said Sunset.
"And what is your plan?" Aria asked.
"Well, I've updated the map, and that crater is connected to the caves, especially the one we went to today, we can go there, enter the crater, and explore that super cavern you saw before," explained Sunset.
"Well, but we will prepare, we will be very well prepared and armed, we will not leave anything out," said Adagio. "For now, let's rest, I think we all deserve it"
"I agree," said Sonata, happy, and caressing Onix.
They did not discuss anymore, not even Adagio, maybe she was upset, or worried. They had another area to explore, and this one was very big, and dangerous. But the best of all was that finally, after so much searching, they found Onix, or rather he found them.