National Asset: The Marvelous Tyler Wood

Chapter 3

Upon hearing  what the lady just said, the men's eyes gleamed. Five thousand dollars each—more than they'd earn in months of honest work. They moved toward Tyler with predatory intent.

The first man cracked his knuckles. The second pulled up his sleeves, revealing arms thickened by years of farm work. The third grinned, already counting his money.

“This is going to be easy money.”

However Tyler observed their approach, but his posture remained relaxed, his breathing even. The subtle shift in his stance would have been imperceptible to anyone not trained in the ancient arts.

None of them understood what five years in the Supreme Forest truly meant.

As the men attacked, Tyler moved with fluid precision. His hands traced perfect arcs through the air, each movement calculated and efficient. Three precise strikes delivered with mathematical accuracy just to shut their mouth up.

“Slap!” “Slap!” “Slap!”

The sound resonated with crystal clarity. The first man spun backward into thorny bushes. The second collapsed to the dusty ground, hand rising to his reddened cheek. The third staggered sideways into a tree trunk, eyes wide with incomprehension.

The young lady watched, her worldview fracturing before her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed, speechless in the face of this impossible reality, she couldn't believe Tyler just just own with sleep.

“How dare you, you filthy beggar strike these men!” Her voice trembled with rage born of fear and confusion.

Tyler regarded her for a moment, his eyes revealing nothing of his thoughts. When he spoke, his voice carried neither judgment nor emotion—just the measured cadence of someone stating simple facts.

“I have attempted to assist your grandfather. You have chosen to reject that assistance. What happens now follows from that choice.”

He turned toward the road, his movements unhurried and deliberate. As he walked, he spoke without looking back, his voice carrying precisely the distance required to reach her ears.

“The progression will be rapid now. The white foam will turn yellow, resembling autumn leaves. Black spots will appear on his face, beginning as pinpoints. When these signs manifest, approximately ten minutes of life will remain.”

Tyler reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black pill. With precise movements, he placed it on a flat stone by the roadside.

“It will not cure his condition, but it will suspend the progression for approximately twenty-four hours. Sufficient time to reach Dapplewood and receive proper treatment.”

Seeing what Tyler just did, the lady's face contorted with disbelief. "You must be crazy if you think I would touch that! Living around the forest has made you insane!" She retreated, clutching her expensive dress.

However Tyler turned toward the longer path leading to Dapplewood. At that moment one of the men Tyler had struck managed to reach the car, then the vehicle lurched forward, taking the narrow path that served as a shortcut to Dapplewood.

 

*

Inside the speeding car, the lady's knuckles turned white as she gripped her grandfather's cold hand. Her eyes darted between his pale face and the road ahead. The white foam still bubbled from his mouth, but slower now, and his breathing came in short, but painful gasps.

Worry lines creased her forehead as she watched her grandfather struggle.

“How much longer?” she asked the driver, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. Her hand shook as she wiped sweat from her grandfather's forehead.

However The driver's shoulders were tense as he gripped the steering wheel even more tightly. His eyes stayed fixed on the rough road, dodging holes and fallen branches.

“Twenty minutes,” he said through clenched teeth. “We'll be there soon.”

She pulled her grandfather closer, her arms wrapping around his shaking shoulders. His skin felt clammy under her touch.

“Just hold on, Father,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

“Stay with me until we reach Dapplewood. The miracle doctor will know what to do.”

The young lady's eyes widened with fear as she watched more sweat pour down her grandfather's face.  

At that moment she could see his mouth moved, trying to form words, but only quiet gasps came out. She leaned closer, desperate to understand what he was trying to tell her. His eyes held a look of fear she had never seen before.

Reaching into her designer purse, she pulled out a silk handkerchief.  As she lifted it to wipe her grandfather's face, everything changed.

A violent cough shook her father's body. The white foam that had been coming from his mouth suddenly turned yellow - exactly as the dirty stranger had warned. The bright yellow liquid splattered onto the handkerchief, staining the delicate silk.

Immediately The lady's heart skipped painfully in her chest. That strange man's words echoed in her mind: “When you see yellow substance...” She watched in horror as tiny black spots began appearing on her granfather's cheeks. The motion caused the lady's heart to miss a beat.