“May I have a word with you?” I walked over to him. “Certainly, man. Are you feeling all right?” Crane pulled at his shirtsleeve nervously. Something was bothering him.
“Well, I don’t quite know how to answer that question. Maybe feel is the wrong word.” The look on his face was puzzling. “Could be there is some truth in what those two fellows are saying.” Crane met my gaze unflinchingly. Here was another that I could rely on, one who wasn’t prone to spook at fairy tales.
“Come now, Crane.” I replied. “Surely you’re not going to say that there is truth in this tale? Too much heat, maybe? You look a shade pale.”
He shook his head. Crane was the youngest of us but had knowledge beyond his twenty-five years. “No, not at all. This hollow has a strange taste to it. I was trying to put my finger on, but I don’t know...”
“What do you think, then? Head hunters? Apes? We can take care of these. Have before. Is this your worry?” But my guesses were well off the mark.
“No. I would feel better actually if it were such things. Do you know how the jungle always is so full of activity, vibrant? There is a natural order here, and it pulsates with life. And now, this is hard to put into words, but the hollow seems dead. Yes, we can see the plants and trees, but nothing else. There are no birds or animals to be seen. And further yet, although you may think me odd, I have the feeling that we are being watched. By who or what, I don’t know.”
As I listened to his words, my gaze searched the hollow. There did seem to be a lack of game, but that would point to a large predator. A pride of lions, maybe. To be sure, we would take extra caution. That could be the rationale behind the reluctance of the two men. Probably some unfortunate natives had fallen prey to the beasts. It didn’t take much in these parts for a new legend to find root.
Even so, scanning the jungle gave me the peculiar sensation that there was indeed something observing us. I attributed the cause to the anxiety of the others and brushed off the notion at once, deciding that we best move ahead by the quickest means possible, and that meant through the hollow. The last thing we needed was to second-guess ourselves after we had come so far.
I clapped the man on the back and told him my plan. He was to continue south with our two reluctant guides and stick to the main trail. Another of our group would accompany him and they would make sure those two earned their pay. That left seven men led by Chatra and myself to cut through the hollow and map out a better path for the next company. It was settled.
Robinson and Chatra conversed with the guides and the other men prepared to move on. “Sir, you won’t reconsider?” Crane had a look of concern across his youthful features. “Perhaps we can gather a larger group from the village to better search this hollow.”
For a brief second, I hesitated, but then my overconfidence came to light.
“My good fellow, I will see you safely on the other side of this bowl. If there is a lion, we will carry his head up to the village and stake it for all to see. The tables will be set and the meat hot, as the rest of us await your arrival. Stray not from the trail and we will meet before the new moon shines again.”
With that, we wished all good fortune and once again were on the march.
It was a few hours later when we had descended into the hollow and reached the bottom. The way down was not too difficult, but the path was, at times, hard to follow. There were a number of fallen trees to climb over, and one needed to be ceaselessly vigilant against the presence of the many poisonous snakes that made the jungle their home.
In the lead were Chatra and Robinson. These men were born trackers. Next followed Edward and Landers, both seasoned hunters and skilled in the ways of the deep jungle. Landers was tall and thin, with several scars on his face from combat. Quick as a cat he was. Edward was a giant of a man, six and a half feet at least. The sight of him alone in several villages was enough to demand their instant respect as he walked among the natives, towering over them.
After this pair came Jamie and Woods, the two with the shortest amount of experience in the wild but still good men. I followed next and the other guide, Saric, followed me. We were in hunting formation, with our middle flanking out furthest. My position in the party enabled me to maximize action against any situation that arose.
Evening was drawing near and our group made decent time. Nothing untoward had occurred and all thoughts of the unusual were at rest. The air was becoming a bit cooler and this was a welcome change from the oppressive heat. The mood was light and some of the men started singing an old drinking song. This did not bother me, as long as they stayed alert for potential hazards.
They had been singing for a good while, when I slowly began to feel uneasy. I have always placed trust in my own senses, would that I had done so with someone else’s.
I surveyed our formation; everything was satisfactory.
Shifting my gaze skyward, I could make out the dim glimmer of early evening stars as they began to dot the heavens. It was getting late. A suitable campsite would have to be picked shortly, but I was certain our lead men had already started to search for one. The foliage in this area was not too badly overgrown, so they would more than likely call for a halt soon. The men were still singing and in good spirits, and they remained observant.
Then it struck me.
It was the singing that bothered me, for there was no other sound to be heard. Since we had traveled deeper into the hollow, there hadn’t been any of the normal jungle noises one grew accustomed to. No birds, insects, or wildlife. Maybe during the descent there had existed some activity, but now there was none.
Was I the only one of us to notice?
I peered over my shoulder to check on Saric. His face confirmed my own disquiet. He gave me a knowing look, and his eyes darted nervously left and right. The native looked back into the jungle we’d left behind, and then he stopped. Immediately I gave a quick whistle, and my men ceased their movement.
With the singing now ended, a deathly quiet fell on the surrounding jungle. There was no other sign of life besides our own to be heard. We were intruders in a hostile land - my apprehension grew.
“Men, hold guard.” Robinson made his way back towards me as the group attained a defensive posture. I reached Saric’s side as the native crouched down. His hunting knife was clenched in his hand and he looked like a cat ready to spring.
“Sir, what is...” My swift gesture silenced Robinson instantly. I pointed to Saric and he understood my caution. Slowly Robinson crept back to us and went to the native’s side. In hushed tones he spoke in the tribal dialect for several moments. They both peered intently into the jungle behind us, and spoke some more. I turned to check on the others but all seemed to be in order. No one had dropped their vigilance.
By now it was almost fully dark, and a slight mist rose sluggishly amongst the undergrowth. It had an eerie effect on our minds coupled with the lack of any sounds reaching our ears.
Some of the men started to become restless, and what had been a strong and confident force only minutes ago was now experiencing pangs of self-doubt and trepidation. The atmosphere was laden with tension - it was palpable. Invisible tendrils of fear reached out of the encircling darkness, searching for a foothold to latch onto. A weakened spirit can lead to panic and despair in the great jungle. I had seen it before.
Robinson left Saric’s side and approached. He seemed unnerved, and that worried me. “What is it, man?” I asked him. “What does he see?”
“He’s not sure what it is, but Saric is convinced we are being followed. Even more so, we are being hunted by something. It is noiseless and out of sight, but there can be no doubt. He does not understand the nature of this creature or its purpose, but it tracks us. Ever since sundown.”
His words sent a cold shiver through me. I had known the answer before it had been spoken.
“Did he see it? Maybe we can identify the beast, then perhaps ensnare it.”
Robinson ran his hand absently over the rifle he shoul
dered and considered his reply.
“Saric said that he caught a quick glimpse of it. About half an hour back he became aware of something, but whenever he looked there was nothing to be seen, so he tried an old hunter’s trick and turned back around a tree to disguise his intentions.”
He paused uncomfortably.
“Out with it, man.” I growled. “Look around - it grows late.”
“Well, what he says he saw wasn’t an animal.”
“Native, head hunter?” I queried. Robinson shook his head.
“Well then, confound it.” My patience was eroding. “What did Saric think it was?” The jungle was darkening swiftly, and with the thickening mist, the men would be wondering what our intention was.
“Saric said the creature was man-shaped, but looked tall and lean. It was black as the night, without any color. A pair of yellow eyes stared straight at him. It had a tail, and on its head were horns...”
Chills crawled down my back as a sudden horror reached out to my heart. The next question was a terrible one, but I had to ask it.
“Robinson, when those two chaps refused to come with us, what exactly did they fear?” I dreaded his answer. Robinson’s eyes grew wide.
“They said there was a devil man in the hollow...”
We both looked back at Saric who still had not moved. I told Robinson that camp must be made, but a light one. There would be little sleep tonight. He and Chatra had noticed a small clearing just ahead and were going to suggest this before our pause. I sent him forward and told the men to move slowly onward, on full alert. I was not convinced of what Saric had seen, but I knew he had seen something.
As the men resumed the march, I went back to Saric. He very carefully stood up, and pointed towards a thick clump of bushes about forty yards to our rear. I looked intensely but saw nothing. I strained my eyes for at least a minute and then suddenly I spotted a figure.
There was a deeper shadow within the shadows, and I caught a pair of yellow pinpricks - unflinching, gazing directly at us.
My breathing became heavier and I reached for my rifle, never taking my eyes off what we were seeing. As I slowly moved my weapon forward, the eyes vanished and the shadow was gone.
The temptation to fire off a shot into the brush was great, but discretion did not allow for it. The men would be alarmed, and I needed all their resources as intact as possible. In all my experience in the wild, I had never seen something move so quickly and quietly. What had we spotted?
I touched the guide on his shoulder and nodded ahead to where the rest had gone. I did not want to be left too far behind. The two of us headed out but Saric walked facing backwards. He was not going to let himself become exposed to the elusive creature stalking us, so we made our way slowly toward the clearing. When at last we neared it, Robinson and Edward had made sure that we did not get too far back and joined in our progress without speaking.
The trees opened up and there was a decent patch of low grass that was suitable for setting camp. The men had unpacked the bare essentials, and a good-sized fire was burning as we entered the area. This was not too far off the path, and we could regain it with ease the next day. The night sky was becoming increasingly difficult to see, as the mist did not let up. I wanted four men on watch at all times. There would be no surprises while the others slept, if rest could be found at all.
I wanted either Chatra or Saric awake through dawn at least. Their jungle skills were at levels that none of us outsiders could ever attain to. Neither questioned the order - they realized that we were dealing with an unknown creature here. They spoke for a while in their native tongue and seemed to agree on something. Saric went to one of the camp perimeters and held a rifle in his lap. Edward, Jamie, and Woods posted the other corners, while myself and Robinson held a conference. The other two now lay in repose.
“You saw it then.” Robinson said.
I nodded grimly. “Never seen such a strange beast. Didn’t get much of a look, just the outline and those penetrating eyes. If I wouldn’t know any better, it seemed to be measuring us somehow. Brought my gun to sight, and it disappeared in a flash. Gone in an instant. Anything that can move with such speed is deadly, not to be underestimated.”
Robinson could only nod his head in agreement. “Well then, until we know what manner of creature we are dealing with, there can be no lowering of caution while in this hollow. Could be a species undiscovered before. That explains the native’s fear. Whether or not it is dangerous we don’t know, and hopefully will never find out. Although, one beast against an armed company is at a great disadvantage.”
His words made sense, but did little to ease my concerns. True, we did have firepower and a numbers advantage, as long as there did not exist others of the creature, but it was the nature of what we were dealing with that worried me. Probable intelligence, speed and agility, and foremost, we were trespassing in its domain. These were all equalizers in the field. I knew not to what side the odds favored. That bothered me.
I told Robinson to get some rest; we would both have a chance at watch later. He went off, and I surveyed the camp. The encircling trees were impenetrable in the darkness. My men remained on post, weapons ready.
The silence was chilling.
Not a single night bird to be heard. The jungle pressed in on us from all sides waiting to forever swallow up any who dared venture beyond the perimeter of our camp. The air felt heavy and thick with anticipation, the dampness seeping into our clothes. I observed all these things, and realized then that we should never have stepped foot into the hollow.
This valley was somehow unnatural. The world known to us had been left behind. We had been warned and chose to ignore the warning. What price would we have to pay?
Well, I had to at least try to get some sleep. A tired man makes mistakes, and there was no room for any down here in the hollow.
I began to make my way to the fire glancing over at Saric, and froze instantly. The native now stood and was staring up at the trees in front of himself, raising the sights of his gun. I followed his gaze and saw a pair of yellow, unblinking eyes in the branches. But before I could bring my own weapon around, they vanished. I walked over to Saric as he now was aiming to fire, but there was nothing visible.
Our movements had caught the attention of the others, and they were now looking our way. At that moment the silence was broken by a bloodcurdling howl from the trees, and everyone sprang to their feet.
A shadowy figure erupted without warning from the jungle opposite Saric and myself, and went directly at Edward. The creature moved with amazing speed as it grabbed the big man and leapt back into the trees carrying the large man as if he were weightless.
It happened so fast that no one had time to react.
There was a brief scream of anguish and we knew Edward was gone.
Jamie and Woods started firing rounds from their rifles in the general area but there was no more movement or noise.
“Wait, stop firing!” Robinson was bellowing to the men. They were shooting blindly and in near panic. “Hold on!” Chaos took hold for a few moments as the men continued shooting. Robinson ran up to them to restore some order.
As soon as this had taken place, Chatra had picked up a flaming brand and scanned the trees in all directions. Saric never took his eyes off the tree line for a second.
“No firing!” I yelled. “Keep alert for the beast! If we panic now, we are lost!”
Robinson came to my side. “What type of demon is this? I’ve never seen such speed! It carried Edward off like a sack of flour!”
Chatra yelled over to Robinson for a few seconds. “What does he say?” Robinson’s face looked hideously pale in the flickering firelight.
“He thinks this is all a trap. The creature distracted us. It was no accident that it chose Edward. It went after the biggest and strongest of us first.”
His words only added to my horror. If this creature had such cunning, there was no way of gauging its next move. The big hunte
r was taken out so quickly that the shock of it had not sunk in yet.
“Come on, man, pull yourself together.” I looked over to see Jamie shaking with terror, and Landers was trying to snap him out of it. Jamie was mumbling incoherently and appeared to be in great distress. Meanwhile, Chatra had thrown numerous flaming branches all around the camp to increase our visibility.
The whole setting had an unreal quality to it. Such a creature should not exist. Could not exist. We were in a living nightmare without waking. There would be no help from the outside world.
A shot suddenly rang out in the night. I lifted my gun and saw Woods firing into the trees. Robinson was also firing, and now Landers was aiming. I wasn’t sure what they saw, but hoped they had found a target.
Round after round went off and I scanned the clearing, seeing nothing. The two natives moved their rifles up but were looking elsewhere. At this point, Jamie had been forgotten and I saw him staggering apparently in a daze, dangerously close to the brush to the left of Robinson.
“Robinson!” I yelled out over the gunfire but wasn’t heard. I started over towards them and now Jamie was only yards from the bushes.
Before my eyes I saw a long vine whip out from between two trees and lassoed around the man’s head. He jerked forward like a puppet and flew into the air at least a dozen yards; his neck broken instantly.
I screamed in rage and fired into the jungle, emptying my rifle.
After several moments, all the firing stopped. Robinson yelled for everyone to hold their weapons and he slowly walked towards the body of Jamie. “Cover me, be alert!” Robinson moved forward in a half crouch, gun ready to fire. He hesitated as he reached Jamie, and pulled him back slowly with one arm.
There was no movement.
I had reloaded and was hoping to catch some glimpse of this monster, but it remained hidden. We all kept our eyes fixed on the jungle, but there was no hint of it anywhere. Our only choice was to wait and pray for sunrise.
One cannot imagine the incredible fear that we faced those dreadful hours until dawn. The cold terror, the shadows we thought we saw, noises we thought we heard. Several times there were shots fired by one of us, and we expected another attack, but none materialized. The creature was temporarily satisfied, but now our number was diminished to five. Who would be the next victim?
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