Not A Small-Town Girl

----

“Where is he? Where are they?" Jason’s voice echoed as

he rushed in, his footsteps frantic.

Orion smiled, his voice calm despite the tension. "Inside

the house.”

As Howard stepped forward to greet Jason, the old man

seemed to glide into the room, a blur of speed. David

followed closely behind, his face filled with more concern

as he saw how pale Danielle had become in just a short

time.

“Let me see her," Jason demanded, immediately assessing

her condition.

He took her pulse, lifted her eyelids, his brow furrowing

deeper with each moment. "This shouldn’t be happening.”

After a moment, he produced a silver needle and drove it

into one of her pressure points.

"Ugh..." In the next instant, Danielle vomited another

mouthful of black blood.

Jason pulled the needle out and dipped it into a bowl of

water. Within a second, the clear water turned a dark red.

----

“Has she shown any signs of this before she passed out?"

Jason asked.

Vivian’s voice trembled. "Yes, a few times. When the

poison flared, she was unconscious and didn’t recognize

anyone. Her pupils would turn red. After the third time, the

vomiting started, and she fell into a coma."

Jason shook his head. "This poison

is called Lun@Stalk. Normally, she

would hayeSuccumbed to it by now,

but she’sbeen holding it back. The

reasomShe’s in a coma now is that

she’sbeen continuously “

suppressing the poison in her body,

afd it’s finally overwhelmed her."

----

"Luna Stalk has no cure. In her

condition, sh won’t survive more

than three Months. Even in these —

three maniths, her suffering will only

increasé—her awareness will fade,

and when the poison flares, it.will

feehas if her bones are being”

crushed, and all her senses will fail."

----

“Who would be so cruel to poison her like this?" Jason’s

words hit David like a knife to the heart. Danielle had been

fine just a week ago—how had it escalated so quickly?

Vivian collapsed in tears, unable to

bear the weight-of the news. Howard

nearly fainted; his voice broken.

"Jason, ptease! Save my daughter

She’s stilso young! She’s been. ©

suffering her whole life. She ha$n’t

evervhad a chance to experience

iness or feel the love. of her

parents. Please, I beg yotn n Save her.

Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you."

----

Tears streamed down Howard’s face as he clutched his

daughter’s hand. He’d gladly take on her suffering, even if it

meant enduring it himself.

“Jason, what do you need? Anything. Just save her."

David’s voice was tight, his heart heavy with grief.

----

Jason sighed, his tone full of regret. "I can suppress the

poison for a while and wake her up, but Luna Stalk has no

cure. If you want to find out who’s been helping her

suppress it, that’s your only hope."

David refused to believe that a poison could have no cure.

After all, if a poison could be made, so too could an

antidote.

Jason quickly retrieved a small medical kit and mixed

together some dark, viscous substance in a bowl.

"Give this to Danielle. She’ll wake up within five minutes,”

Jason instructed.

David took the bowl and tried to feed it to Danielle, but she

was unconscious and couldn’t swallow. With urgency,

David took a sip of the medicine himself, gently prying

open Danielle’s mouth and passing the medicine to her.noveldrama

----

The room fell into stunned silence. The old, isolated village

saw its two village leaders blushing with embarrassment,

while Howard and Vivian watched in shock, helpless.

But at that moment, none of it mattered. All that mattered

was waking Danielle up.

David painstakingly fed her the entire bowl, and soon,

Danielle’s eyes fluttered open.

"You’re awake, Danielle.”

“Danielle, you’re awake!"

“Are you feeling okay?" they all asked in unison.

Danielle, still groggy, her mind foggy, looked up at David

with distant eyes. She handed him a remote control and

whispered, "Save Matthew."

“How is Matthew? Is he okay? Did you save him?"

Danielle’s first words were a question about Matthew, even

though she herself was suffering.

Vivian’s eyes welled up with tears once again, her heart

breaking. Danielle, poisoned and near death, was still

worried about Matthew.