Shadowed by the Talos: Monster Sentinels (Invasion of Monsters) by Eden Ember

Author:Eden Ember [Ember, Eden]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Arlet

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I stepped onto the small raised platform at the front of the town hall. A sea of faces, some hopeful, others etched with skepticism, turned toward me. Hayze’s reassuring presence at the back of the room anchored me.

“Good evening,” I began, my voice steady despite the tremor of nerves. “I’m here because I believe in this community—our forests, our wildlife, our health. We’ve uncovered evidence that directly implicates West Corp in illegal logging and water contamination.” Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

A man in a sharp suit stood up from his seat, his slicked-back hair and corporate badge catching the light. “Miss Rune, with all due respect,” he interjected smoothly, “West Corp has always complied with environmental regulations.”

I met his gaze, unwavering. “Compliance doesn’t involve dumping toxins into our river.” I clicked a button and a series of photos flashed on the screen behind me—barrels with West Corp’s logo seeping dark liquid into a stream.

“This is an outrage!” a woman in the front row shouted, her face flushed with anger. Others nodded in agreement.

Another man stood, folding his arms across his chest. “How do we know these photos are real? It’s easy to doctor a photo.”

I gestured for Hayze to join me; he stepped forward silently, holding a folder thick with documents and samples. “We have lab reports corroborating the photos,” I said firmly. “We found toxins above safe levels in these water samples.”

The corporate representative smirked. “Anyone can create fake reports.”

Hayze placed a vial of water on a small projector, magnifying its contents onto the screen—a myriad of particles floated within. “This is from your site,” Hayze’s voice resonated in the room, clear and factual. “Independent labs confirmed the results.”

The room erupted into heated discussion, some voices rising in defense of West Corp out of fear or loyalty, others clamoring for justice and reparation.

A woman near the back stood up, her hands trembling slightly as she held them out for silence. “My daughter’s been sick,” she whispered when the room hushed. “Doctors couldn’t figure it out—now it makes sense.” Her eyes locked onto mine, filled with pain and betrayal.

“I know change is frightening,” I addressed them all. “But doing nothing means more sickness, dying wildlife, destroyed habitats.” I let my words sink in.

“What do you propose we do?” asked a young man near the window.

“We demand accountability from West Corp,” I replied passionately. “We take this evidence to the authorities, to the media—we make them listen.”

Hayze nodded slightly from where he stood beside me; his confidence fueled my own.

The community members exchanged glances; resolve slowly knitting together divided opinions.

The corporate rep attempted to speak again, but the calls for action from the crowd drowned him.

As people stood in solidarity, a surge of hope rippled through me like wind through leaves—a community awakening to its own power.

As the townsfolk huddled with community leaders behind closed doors, I stepped down from the platform, my hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline of confrontation. Hayze joined me at the side of the room, his expression unreadable as always.

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