When the Dead Still Call novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Basic Survival Skills

That really stings!

It was over.

“Amelia, what are you doing?” Gianna’s voice cracked as she shouted, her eyes glossy with tears beginning to fall. Her tone trembled with a mix of pain and disbelief. “You’re hurting me…”

Amelia remained composed, her expression steady as she grasped the poisonous mushroom firmly by its stem and held it inches from Gianna’s face. “Look carefully. This is a fly agaric mushroom. It contains a potent neurotoxin. If you accidentally ingest it, you could experience hallucinations, severe vomiting, or even death. Do you want to test that for yourself?”

Her voice wasn’t raised, yet it carried a weighty authority that silenced everyone around. The camera zoomed in on the mushroom’s bright red cap dotted with white spots, emphasizing its ominous and dangerous nature.

The livestream chat exploded with reactions.

[Wow! Amelia reacted so quickly!]

[Is Gianna really that clueless? She didn’t even recognize a poisonous mushroom? How careless!]

[Come on, Gianna didn’t mean any harm.]

[Is Amelia overreacting? She seems too harsh.]

[Stop defending her. Amelia warned her already, and she still touched it. That’s reckless. Even touching it can be dangerous.]

The atmosphere on set turned icy. The production crew swiftly sent someone to verify the mushroom.

A plant expert on the team confirmed the worst: it was indeed a deadly fly agaric. Accidentally eating it could prove fatal.

Bella crossed her arms and sneered, “Some people would risk their lives just to get on camera, huh?”

Kristina rolled her eyes with disdain. “Too dumb to even know better.”

Gianna’s face shifted from pale to flushed, tears welling up as she stammered, “I-I just wanted to help. Amelia, why didn’t you tell me before?”

Amelia ignored the plea and addressed the crew instead. “There are many poisonous mushrooms around here. I recommend everyone stick together so no one accidentally picks the wrong one.”

Huxley wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded in agreement.

Who would have imagined a reality show could spiral into such intense moments?

The tension had reached its peak.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from a distance.

Everyone spun around to see what had happened. Samuel Gray, the cameraman, was clutching his ankle and collapsing to the ground. Nearby, a snake slithered swiftly into the tall grass.

“Oh my gosh! That’s a venomous snake!” a crew member yelled.

Chaos erupted instantly on the set.

Gianna shrieked and took a step back. “Mr. Ford! This place is way too dangerous! We need to get out of here!”

Kristina and the others looked visibly frightened as well.

But Amelia sprang into action. She crouched beside Samuel and carefully examined his leg.

From her backpack, she quickly retrieved a tourniquet and tightened it firmly around his ankle.

“It’s a banded krait—extremely venomous,” she said calmly, her hands moving with practiced speed. “We have to act immediately.” Huxley panicked, shouting, “Call the medical team! Now!”

“No time,” Amelia replied, pulling out a small knife. She carefully made a cross-shaped incision on the bite wound. “Who has a lighter?”

12:38 PM

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