diymy Chapter 59 Escape in the Dead of Night
Chapter 59 Escape in the Dead of Night
The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the endless grassland.
On the western horizon, churning clouds suddenly burst forth!
As if stirred by an invisible giant hand, the enormous gray-black creature expanded and rose wildly, crushing down with an aura of destruction.
The clouds below were thick and dark, like spilled ink, violently swirling and twisting.
However, the cloud tops piled up and expanded at an alarming rate, eventually forming a sky-covering, anvil-shaped dome!
The light eerily tore the sky apart: one half was a pale, murky, dying glow, while the other half had completely sunk into a heavy, iron-gray hue.
Deep within the clouds, silent, pale flashes of lightning occasionally erupted, instantly tearing through the thick cloud curtain, only to be swallowed up by even deeper darkness.
Tom suppressed the pounding in his heart and tried to calm the restless mudfish and snow woman.
Just then!
"Whoosh—!" A sharp, piercing scream suddenly erupted from inside the carriage!
After more than a month of careful feeding, the two wolf cubs have undergone a complete transformation.
The body size is close to that of a robust medium-sized dog puppy, but the limbs are more slender, and the skeleton faintly outlines the silhouette of a future predator.
The fluffy downy fur had not yet completely shed, and the cub's innocent look remained in its eyes, yet it had already quietly acquired the sharp and alert nature of a wolf.
At this moment, they were restless and emitting continuous, fearful growls from their throats.
This unusual behavior, like a cold needle, pierced Tom's taut nerves.
An endless, dark grassland, a suffocatingly heavy sense of oppression... This eerie weather is anything but ordinary!
"We're leaving right now!" Tom declared decisively, his voice firm and resolute.
"The convoy can't possibly travel across the prairie at night!" James exclaimed, looking up at the apocalyptic sky. "The dangers at night are far more immediate than this awful weather!"
"Then let's break away from the convoy! We'll go alone!" Tom insisted.
Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that the cook was frantically whipping the horses pulling the carriage, driving it silently away from the main group and galloping into the darkness!
"The cook has run away!" Tom shouted angrily.
The cook newly hired at Dorn Ferry is said to have extensive experience traveling westward!
Even he fled without hesitation, so need I say more about the danger of this strange weather?
James instinctively wanted to spur his horse to give chase, but Tom stopped him.
"There's no time! We have to leave right now!" Tom spoke as fast as a bullet.
"Traveling at night is too dangerous!" James was still hesitant.
"Two horses per person, rotating! Two more spares tied to the back of the carriage!" Tom spoke rapidly, his gaze sweeping across each member of the Dutton family like lightning. "I'll lead the way! Stay close! Can't you sense something's wrong with the weather!"
The mudfish and the snow woman had begun to frantically ram their heads against Tom's body.
"Listen to Tom, James! Let's leave!" Margaret looked at her husband, her eyes unusually determined.
"I'm going with Tom!" Aunt Claire immediately declared.
"But those cows, those horses..." James was still struggling.
"Let's come back and look for it after this awful weather passes! The grasslands are so big, we're sure to find it!" Tom quickly proposed the plan.
The unanimous determination of his family finally overwhelmed James's hesitation. "...Okay!" he nodded through gritted teeth.
"I'll go get Elsa! You guys pack your things!"
Tom immediately sprang into action, first finding Simone: "Pack your things! Let's go now!"
Although she didn't understand why, Simone, as the employee, showed enough alertness and took action without saying a word.
"Zach! Cooper!" Tom's command followed immediately, "Go back and hitch up the wagons! Two more horses each! Take Simone with you! And hurry!"
The two obeyed and rushed off.
When Tom found Elsa, the sight that ignited his anger: she and Ennis were snuggling intimately together, as if the cataclysmic scene above them was merely an insignificant backdrop.
"Elsa, we have to leave now!" Tom said in a deep voice.
"The convoy is leaving? Now?" Elsa asked in surprise.
"No, it's our whole family! Right now! Immediately!" Tom whispered.
Why?
"Because of this awful weather! We have to go first!"
"Isn't the convoy leaving?"
"I'm not leaving!"
"Then I won't leave either!" Elsa said without hesitation, and then gave Ennis a tender look.
That shy look in her eyes was absolutely dazzling at that moment!
Tom didn't want to say another word and suddenly turned around!
Staying for even a second longer would be an insult to one's own life!
He spurred his horse and galloped back to his own camp.
Meeting his parents' anxiously questioning gazes, Tom simply shook his head coldly: "Elsa will live and die with Ennis!"
He didn't delay any longer, turning his gaze to Zack: "You drive the carriage! Let's get going immediately!"
The Dutton family's racing team was formed instantly:
Tom led the way, with Mudfish and Snow Woman close behind.
Following them were Margaret, Claire, Simone, Zach, and Cooper, each driving a fully loaded carriage.
Each man had a revolver slung over his waist, and several Winchester rifles were piled on the carriage, within easy reach. Two spare wild horses were tied to either side of the carriage, and two more were towed behind it.
The entire team was armed to the teeth, ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
James rode around the convoy, keeping watch.
"Go!" Tom roared, and the Dutton family's caravan resolutely broke away from the massive migrating procession, rushing into the unknown darkness!
Direction? Tom wasn't really sure either.
But he knew he had to stay away from that terrifying wall of clouds that swallowed the sky.
That experienced cook dared to escape alone; he must have something to rely on!
With his wide field of vision, Tom fixed his gaze on the faint reflection of horses' hooves in the darkness ahead—the only trace left by the cook's wagon.
He kept up relentlessly!
Everyone was on edge, gripping the reins tightly, their eyes fixed on the faint light that pointed them to safety, following closely behind Tom, who was leading the way.
The carriage sped along, bumping and jolting, moving further and further away from that strange celestial phenomenon...
Gradually, the mudfish and the snow woman relaxed their tense bodies.
Inside the carriage, the wolf cubs' continuous screams of fear finally subsided, leaving only faint whimpers of survivors.
They ran for an unknown amount of time until a sliver of gray appeared on the eastern horizon.
The men and horses were exhausted; even the horses' breath carried a thick white mist, and their steps were heavy.
"Whoa—!" Tom jerked the reins, his voice weary yet unusually clear, "Stop! Rest!"
As soon as my nerves relaxed after a long night, an unbearable soreness surged up from my limbs.
Everyone practically tumbled off the carriage.
Tom jumped off his horse, uncorked the water bag, and took a big gulp.
He carefully poured water into his palm and brought it to the mouths of the loach and the snow woman.
Tom didn't put away the water bag until they had drunk their fill and shook off their wet fur.
Just as he was adjusting the saddle, his fingers accidentally touched a hard object—the telescope hidden inside the saddle!
As if by some strange twist of fate, Tom pulled it out.
He clicked open the shutter, squinted one eye, and slowly raised the lens in the direction he had just fled...
"hiss--!"
The sight through the binoculars made him gasp, a chill instantly rising from his feet to the top of his head!
At that moment, he realized with absolute clarity how right his desperate escape last night had been!