Chapter 415: Chapter 415: The Rainstorm Strikes Again (Part 1)
"If we don’t get rid of these rats soon, we’re going to burn through all our wood. Evelyn, I’m afraid this place isn’t safe anymore. Why don’t we go to Frelia?"
"What makes you so sure Frelia doesn’t have a rat problem?"
"But over the past couple of days, several people on the farm have started feeling sick. If we stay here any longer, I have a feeling things will only get worse."
"Evelyn already said everyone’s feeling sick because of the air pollution, not the plague. I think the rats are about to be wiped out anyway. Their numbers have been dropping the last few days. Moving isn’t easy."
"But I have a really bad feeling about this."
"Your premonitions have never been right. Not once. Let’s just stick to whatever Evelyn and Ronan Kendrick have planned. I don’t trust anyone else right now, only them."
...
Quincy and Miles Vaughn were arguing again. Evelyn walked past them, used a pair of fire tongs to pick up a dead rat, and tossed it lightly into the fire.
"Evelyn, what are you thinking?"
Evelyn looked at them both. "We shouldn’t move unless we absolutely have to. Relocating comes at a huge cost. The roads out there have collapsed, and we’re facing unknown dangers that could strike at any moment."
’From Corinth to Wyrmrest Base, from the base to Aeridor, and from Aeridor to Immeasurable Mountain... Looking back on all their journeys, every day had been spent on the road, exposed to the elements, a grueling trek. The path was fraught with all sorts of dangers. High winds and rain were considered lucky breaks. If they were hit by another earthquake, everyone would be scattered again. Even though she had prepared an emergency kit for everyone, she really didn’t want to leave the farm unless there was no other choice.’
"I don’t want to move either. Once you hit middle age, you just want to settle down. For me, moving would be a major ordeal. Besides, with the drought and the stench out there, we’d suffocate after just two days on the road. The water in the cistern can last us two years, but if we leave, how much can we carry? We’d probably end up like those refugees, scraping bark off trees and drinking the sap just to survive." Quincy finished and patted Miles Vaughn’s shoulder.
"Compared to the refugees outside, at least we have shelter and some water stored up. Without water, a person can’t survive more than five days."
Miles Vaughn understood the logic, but it had already been three or four days, and there were still so many rats. He couldn’t help but feel anxious.
"Besides, what makes you think other places don’t have these venomous rats? If we decide to leave, can you imagine trying to travel with a horde of rats chasing us, nipping at our heels? We’d be completely screwed then."
Quincy’s words made even Evelyn laugh. The image he painted was, admittedly, pretty comical.
Evelyn patted Quincy’s arm. "Alright, that’s enough. Get back to dealing with the rats on the ground. We have to burn them all every day, or they’ll start to rot very quickly."
"I wonder how Ethan Dawson and his people are doing. It sounds like their farm took a heavy hit this time."
"So many people have died on their farm. You think they’ve already been infected with the plague? From now on, if anyone from their farm shows up, we shouldn’t open the door."
"I’ve already spoken with Ethan Dawson. Even after the rats are gone, we have to wait a month or two before we have any contact. It’s to prevent the spread of the virus."
’It felt harsh and cold-blooded, but for the safety of everyone on the farm, it was what Evelyn had to do.’
"But Evelyn, have you noticed? Since this morning, the stench seems a lot fainter." Quincy sniffed the air hard, then remembered he was wearing a mask and pulled it down to take another whiff.
"I’m serious, it really does smell a lot fainter."
Evelyn was skeptical. "Really? I haven’t noticed. You think it’s raining in Oakhaven?"
"What does rain have to do with it?"
"The stench is coming from that black ball the refugees who were begging for water gave me. Ronan Kendrick and I ran an experiment—after you soak the ball in water, it loses its smell."
Quincy and Miles Vaughn exchanged an excited glance.
"Evelyn, the wind’s been blowing from the southwest for the past two days. Maybe the rain will reach us soon!"
Evelyn shrugged. "Let’s hope so."
「Three more days passed.」
This time, Evelyn could clearly tell the stench was fading. The rats were also becoming scarcer; only a few dozen now appeared each night.
Ethan Dawson called for Evelyn a few more times. Two of his people had developed fevers and coughs. They were shivering and had started talking nonsense.
He came to the gate, and Evelyn tossed him a packet of herbal medicine over the top.
The farm’s fence was badly damaged, but Evelyn didn’t plan on fixing it yet. She would wait until the rats were completely gone and then repair everything at once.
「On the tenth day.」
Only a few scattered rats remained. But before anyone could celebrate, a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a peal of thunder. Two minutes later, rain began to fall, mixed with hailstones the size of fists.
Evelyn couldn’t believe Quincy had been right again. The light drizzle everyone had been hoping for never came. Instead, a torrential downpour began.
Back in the cabin, Evelyn and Wendy sat on the floor, watching the downpour with worried expressions.
"Miss Ford, this rain will stop soon, won’t it?"
Evelyn understood Wendy’s fear. She managed a smile and ruffled the girl’s hair.
"Of course. This rain will wash away the stench, and it’ll clean away all the pus, blood, and urine the venomous rats left behind. Once the rain stops, the air will be clean again."
Wendy let out a sigh of relief. "I was so scared it was going to be another massive storm. But the hail is so big... do you think it will break the roof?"
"It won’t. The roof is very thick." ’Besides, they had built a one-meter-high waterproof barrier around the outside of the cabins.’
’Still, to prevent flooding, we have to deal with drainage.’
"We need to clear out the firebreak in the front and dig a drainage channel leading away from the trench in the back. We have to get this water flowing out. We can’t let it pool."
With that, Evelyn put on a raincoat and headed out. Ronan Kendrick and Officer Graham were right behind her. The three of them went to the warehouse, grabbed some hoes, and were about to start digging when the others came out to join them.
Evelyn glanced at the crowd and wiped the rain from her face. "There’s no lightning for now, so let’s dig fast!" she shouted. "When you see lightning, get back to the cabins immediately!"
Officer Graham offered a suggestion. "When we first dug this trench, I was worried about how much work it would be to fill it back in. I never thought we’d be using it for drainage. I suggest we dig four tributary channels, one in each cardinal direction. The water will drain away quickly. The cabins are on high ground, which is a great location, so they’re not prone to flooding. Then there’s the cistern. It’s also on high ground, but to keep water from getting in, we should build another waterproof barrier around it."
"Alright, let’s do that. The rain isn’t too heavy right now. Wyatt Vaughn, Joelle Finch, Christina Thorne, Claudia Schultz, Aunt Crane—the five of you, go move the firewood into the kitchen and the other cabins."
"Got it."
Evelyn did a quick headcount. "Everyone else, get digging on those drainage channels!"
Just then, a bolt of purple lightning streaked across the sky, about to strike. Evelyn blew her whistle.
"Back to the cabins!"
Everyone had just made it back inside the cabins when a massive CRACK-BOOM! echoed through the air. A tree on the mountain had been split by the lightning, and they could faintly see thick smoke rising from the smoldering wood.
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